Dec 10 2008
Game advice from a six year old girl.
The Internet is awash with advice: How to lose weight, manage your finances, find your soul mate, and for the purpose of this article, game reviews. However, to find reviews that are geared towards kids is rather difficult. I’m not saying the big game review sites don’t review kids games, they just do so from a professional’s point of view. Today we’ll hear from a real expert, my six year old daughter!
My daughter - we’ll call her K for now - started “playing” Daddy’s games when she was about three and received a Leap Pad and various educational games for the computer shortly there after. Her first console was a hand-me-down GameBoy she was given near her fourth birthday and she is fast approaching her seventh birthday now. Her skills have surpassed mine in certain games as she is an avid Mario fan, and can hold her own in Mario Kart. To say the least, she’s certainly a gamer. According to K, the following titles would be A-list choices for your gift giving needs.
Is a online component to an actual plush toy animal that comes with a code to enter and play with that pet in a virtual online playground for kids. There are numerous activities and jobs that you and your pet can undertake and different rewards you can earn in the form of virtual money used to buy your pet presents. The actual cost of the “game” is simply the purchase of a $6.00 to $20.00 toy an a computer with an Internet connection.
Disney Friends for the Nintendo DS
I must admit Disney Friends is a pretty cool game! In it you are charged with keeping your virtual friends happy by playing with and doing various tasks such as art and cleaning and learning activities. You are rewarded with multiple unlock-ables and a trophy type pin system. The most charming part of the game is the virtual Dory, Pooh, Stitch, Simba, and the little green alien characters from Toy Story just to name a few! I know this is one of her favorite games that she never seems to grow tired of. Currently you can pick this title up new for around $15.00.
Wall-E for the Xbox 360
Wall-E received some bad press from the gaming world when it was first released, and while it may not interest me or the typical 20-something game reviewer, K loves it! She likes the charm of the characters and the hunt and find of the various puzzles. She enjoys the changing off between Wall-E and EVE, and the variety of the flying missions that EVE brings to the table. She isn’t looking at whether she finds the gameplay lacking or not on par to insert name of platforming game here. She just thinks it’s a fun game that puts her in the role of her favorite robots. Prices for Wall-E currently range between $20.00 and $40.00.
So there you have it, the best games right now available according to a six year old little girl. Yes, there are plenty of games that she’s played that she didn’t care for as well. She does have discriminating tastes. Just remember though, K is the target audience of these games and she gets them the way the developer intended. I can understand that someone who’s not around kids could come to different conclusions on what makes a good game. When it comes to “kids” games it’s better to get the opinion of the kids!
