Strawberry Shortcake StrawberryLand Games
Score: 82% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: The Game Factory Developer: The Game Factory Media: UMD/1 Players: 1 - 2 Genre: Family/ Sports/ Themed
Graphics & Sound: Strawberry Shortcake StrawberryLand Games gives young kids (probably girls) a chance to explore StrawberryLand and help Strawberry Shortcake find her way to victory in the StrawberryLand Games. The game environment is colorful and does a nice job bringing gamers into the world of StrawberryLand. It's a shame that Strawberry Shortcake can't explore freely around the world rather than just go from point to point "on rails." The limited exploration is likely an adjustment for younger kids that may not be comfortable roaming in a full 3D environment. At least there are plenty of places to visit! In each place you find one or more games to play. The mechanics of each game are limited, but gamers do have to be able to read instructions to understand how to play the first time. The youngest kids will need a jump start, but there aren't reading aspects to the individual games. Other than learning the buttons to press there is nothing to hold back young gamers other than reading the initial instructions. There is nice music throughout the game, but no voiceovers. All the dialogue is delivered through text boxes which takes away from the appeal to younger kids. It's possible to skip the text but there is still too much for my taste. Games for this level of player should really stick to visual instruction or include some spoken dialogue.
Gameplay: Strawberry Shortcake StrawberryLand Games is a bundle of little games that you can play alone or against a friend. There's actually only one game (Berry Boarding) available for 2-player wireless. Kids will get good mileage out of the single-player options, especially when you consider all the levels available for each game and the option to dial up difficulty to create more challenge. In some cases, you play as Strawberry Shortcake and at other times, you select one of the pets like Pupcake to play. One neat feature of the game that increases the replay value is that winning games will earn you tickets. These can be cashed in at the store to purchase performance enhancing desserts for your pet. Games like Berry Boarding are the simplified cousins to snowboard games we've played in the past. Jumping, doing tricks and avoiding obstacles are some of the things that you'll do on your way down the mountain. Since it is a race, you have to think about getting down quickly and still scoring points. Most games have some racing component to them, but there are many different variations on this theme. In one game, you help your pet cross a pond by throwing out licorice drops to make temporary islands. In another race, you climb into the sky by blowing out bubbles and creating stair steps in the air. There are other games that are more focused on exploration or simple things like combining ingredients to make tasty food. StrawberryLand Games doesn't offer much more than games, but it will be a fun diversion for any kid who loves Strawberry Shortcake.
Difficulty: Dialing up difficulty doesn't take the place of more complex games or activities. StrawberryLand Games would have been improved by the addition of games that met the needs of older kids, but the games here are very age appropriate. Effort was put into making games that are easy for young kids to play and it shows. There are a few games that involve more brainpower which will appeal to older kids but most of the "racing" games are far too simple to keep anyone older than 4 or 5 engaged for long. If there had been more investment in multiplayer options, there might be a hook for older kids to play against one another. StrawberryLand Games will appeal to younger kids who love the characters, but may not hook into their imagination over the long haul due to a relatively soft level of challenge.
Game Mechanics: The DS touchscreen is used in almost every game and Strawberry Shortcake StrawberryLand Games is a nice showcase for the technology. Selecting menu options can be done on the touchscreen and there are all kinds of play mechanics that stem from the touchscreen. Use the pen to choose among options in a matching game or use it to blow bubbles. There aren't enough really creative pen motion games, but I got the sense that things were kept simple for the audience. Navigating all the text between games is clunky compared to moving around in StrawberryLand and playing the actual games. Overall this is a nice jaunt for young kids. It doesn't have lasting value and won't stay on the shelf very long, but for a license game to do better than suck is marvelous. More wireless options and more dialogue in place of the heavy reading focus would have improved StrawberryLand Games. Kids won't really care about these things in the long run, but parents may be a little disappointed to not see such a basic game achieve "pick up and play" quality.
-Fridtjof, GameVortex Communications AKA Matt Paddock
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