JP Dyson of the Strong Museum of Play’s National Center for the History of Electronic Games demonstrates a historic toy that raised the bar in electronic games. He starts by providing hints. How quickly can you guess which toy he’s talking about?
Presented at the Ninth Annual Dust or Magic Institute on November 3, 2009.
Designed in collaboration with the Food Network, you use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk to cut, slice and dice as you prepare 30 recipes taught by the Food Network experts. You can learn as you play through recipe challenges that range from a bacon and egg breakfast to family meals and dinner parties where you serve sophisticated stir fry dishes. You can cook on your own, or side by side with friends in multiplayer mode. The game features cartoon renditions of Food Network’s Susie Fogelson and Mory Thomas, who offer tips and instructions to help you improve your technique. Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Designed specifically for Dora-loving preschoolers, this one player Nintendo DS title uses the DS microphone, 
enabling a child to offer commands or praise to Perrito, Dora’s puppy. After you choose one of the three game save slots, you can start playing with your puppy by clicking on the map icon. There’s a bathroom where you can feed and bathe him, or a dressing room where you can dress him up with hats and shirts. If you go outside, you can lead him through obstacle courses by tracing a path with the stylus. To feed Perrito, you scribble on a bag of dog food. Completing a game earns dog biscuits, which can be used to buy new items that unlock more games. Your ultimate goal is to win the Big Puppy Competition. Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Based on the feature film and exclusive to the Nintendo DS, this mystery/adventure game lets you play as Ebenezer Scrooge and interact with Dickens’ characters including Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim and the three spirits of Christmas. You explore Scrooge’s environments as you guide him on his adventure, blow and shout into the microphone, and use the DS stylus to pull, shake, drag, rattle and tap Scrooge’s world. The game also features 14 single-player minigames, along with a pass the DS multiplayer game. Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Looking for a bare-bones video editor that a child as young as four years of age could use independently? Classroom Video Editor is designed to meet that need. After you install the program, you need to find an existing QuickTime (.mov) or .avi movie. Once it is imported, the over-sized, simplified editing tools make it easy to cut out a section of the video, add a title and paste on some scrolling credits at the end. You can also import a sound track or background photo for the credits. Once you are done, your movie can be exported in QuickTime. A handy teacher’s guide contains ideas on how to use videos in a preschool, kindergarten, or early elementary classroom. Prices are $40 for a single user, $190 for a lab pack of 6 users, and $890 for a network site license. Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
What are the KAPi Awards?
The Kids at Play Interactive (KAPi) Awards are peer-recognition award designed to recognize innovation and excellence in design in commercial children’s interactive media. This is an annual award that considers commercial United States products. There is no entry fee or formal entry process, and all interactive media products for children are considered, from any publisher of any size.
What products are eligible?
Every children’s (birth to age 15) interactive media product, from any country, from any size publisher as long as it is sold commercially in the domestic United States. These include Apps, video games, CD-ROMs, Internet sites, smart toys, web enabled CDs and eBooks. Products must have a copyright date between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 of the current year, although they must be in playable form by November 1. There is also a person category.
What products are not considered?
Non-interactive products, such as videos, movies or books are not considered. Only interactive (non-linear) products are considered.
How Do I Enter?
You can formal enter using the online form. However, your product may also be nominated by any attendee of the Dust or Magic Institute. If the product has been listed in Children’s Technology Review, it will be considered. In order to vote, in Part 1 of the selection process, you have to attend Dust or Magic, either as a speaker or an attendee.
Can I nominate my own product?
Yes. However, you must fully disclose any potential conflicts on the nomination form, and this information will be considered during Part 2 of the selection process.
What is the deadline?
Products must be in playable format by November 1 of the current year, in order to be demonstrated at the Dust or Magic institute.
Is there an entry fee?
No, although there are costs associated to attend either the Dust or Magic institute or the CES show.
Who coordinates the Prize?
The prize is operated jointly by Living in Digital Times, http://www.livingindigitaltimes.com and Children’s Technology Review.
What is the motive of this prize?
You’ve probably noticed that prizes often have a motive; either to promote an event or publication (as this prize does) or to make money, say from entry fees, sales of seals. This prize is designed to recognize excellence in design and innovation as accurately as possible, with minimal cost and effort on behalf of both the organizers, the jurors and the people who enter. The prize creators — Warren Buckleitner and Robin Raskin coordinate annual events that can provide a the necessary face-to-face forum required to select and recognize winners. The main motive of the KAPi awards is to accurately recognize excellent the design of children’s interactive media, with the help of reviewers and designers.
Who selects the winners?
There are two stages. STAGE 1: A group of publishers and critics meet at the Dust or Magic Institute, with a list of 400 or so products, plus their combined knowledge of the current market. Using electronic polling tools and an old fashioned nomination form, they create a list of favorite titles, to be considered as nominees. There is one vote per participant. The top 40 products, determined by popular vote, are moved to the next stage. STAGE 2: The 40 nominees are screened to make sure they qualify and are posted online. The list of 40 is voted on by the attendees of Kids @ Play in a one vote per person system. A demo of each product will be provided. The final prize winners are revealed at 8 PM, January 7, the end of the annual Kids @ Play conference, held during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, NV.
What does winning a KAPi mean?
Winners receive international recognition in the following ways: permission to display the prize logo on award-winning titles, promotion of the winning title on the prize website, and presentation of an award during a prize ceremony at the Consumer Electronics Show.
When are the finalists and winners announced?
Finalists will be notified just after the Dust or Magic Institute, in November 15. Winners will be selected and announced during the Kids at Play Summit, held the first week of January at CES. Winners will be posted at the Kids at Play Summit website.
Are the results of my nomination ballots made public?
No. They are consider embargoed material and are not released to the public. Your name is not identified with any product. You may, at your choosing, be listed as one of the nominators.
I have more questions not answered here:
We (Robin and I) welcome your questions on this young prize initiative. Send them by email to—
Warren Buckleitner, Editor, Children’s Technology Review.
warren@childrenstech.com, or call 908-284-0404
While the iPhone and iPod Touch platforms were never specifically designed for kids, the purchasing patterns tell a different story, according to study released earlier this month from the Joan Ganz Coony Center. iLearn: A Content Analysis of the iTunes App Store’s Education Section examined 100 highest selling Apps in the education section of the App store, as of April 2009.
The biggest find? Nearly half of the titles (47) specifically target children, with preschoolers being the largest single age category with 35 out of 100 titles. Said study author Carly Shuler by phone “While gaming devices such as Nintendo’s DS still command the bulk of attention when it comes to kids, this study makes it clear that Apps are a significant new medium for providing educational content to children, both in terms of their availability and popularity.”
The list reveals a breadth of school subjects, including letter recognition, foreign language, math and test prep. Also good news for parents — children’s educational apps tend to cost less than apps for older children or adults, rarely going above $.99. It is also interesting to note that the list let by small, nimble publishers who didn’t exist a year ago. Since last April, new children’s educational apps have been released from household name publishers, like Disney, Highlights for Children, PBS Kids Sprout and Scholastic, making the battle for the Top 100 ranking all the more interesting. Whether or not Apple intended it to be an educational resource, the iPhone and iPod Touch, with it’s ever-growing App store, appears to be earning a rightful place alongside the #2 pencil.
KAPi Pioneer Nominees
On January 7, 2010 at the Kids @ Play summit at CES, one of these individuals will be give a KAPi award for the “Pioneer” category. There are seven individuals on this list, selected in a survey given at the 9th Annual Dust or Magic institute. Do you have a favorite? Is there somebody that is missing? Comments welcome.
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Jeff Braun hosted the pizza party that started the company (Maxis) that allowed Will Wright to make an unconventional game that you can’t win, and “nobody will ever buy.” Of course, that game was SimCity, which lead to The Sims and Spore. “Believe in your idea, and don’t give up.” |
 Jeff Braun |
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Caroline Hu Flexor weaves nursery rhymes into App store gold. She is one of three founders of Duck Duck Moose Design that has raised the bar of excellence for iPhone/iPod Touch Apps for children. |
 Caroline Hu Flexor |
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Krista Marks is passionate about using interactive media to empower the creative artist in every child. Her use of vector-based graphics/Flash has set the standard for web delivered creativity experiences for children. Under Krista’s leadership, her company (Kerpoof) became the creativity portal for Disney Online. |
 Krista Marks |
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Lane Merrifield is the leader of the small team of dads in Canada that created Club Penguin. He was one of the first to prove that children could play and learn in a virtual world that was completely safe. He is known to millions of children by his penguin’s name: “Billy Bob.” Today, Club Penguin is owned by Disney, and Lane is still the top penguin. |
 Lane Merrifield (from Dust or Magic) |
| Shigeru Miyamoto of Nintendo is one of the reasons there’s a Nintendo DS in nearly every child’s pocket. His passion for quality has become legendary; and it shows in the products that he’s worked on. He has been called “the father of Mario” and “the soul of Nintendo.” |
 Shigeru Miyamoto: Photo from Nintendo.com |
| Mitchel Resnick is the Director of the Lifelong Learning Group at the MIT Media Lab. Many people agree that we should empower children with technology, but Mitch Resnick has put theory into action in the form of SCRATCH. |
 Mitchel Resnick |
| Will Wright is the “creative genius” behind SimCity, The Sims and Spore. His combination of vision and passion has helped to shape the video game category into more than scrolling RPGs. |
 Will Wright |
A sample interaction between two characters
Rereleased in 2008 and sold at retail, this cartoonish scavenger hunt-style program lets you drive Putt-Putt (a car) around the paths in three zoo regions (the jungle, the arctic and the grasslands) in search of six missing baby animals. As you explore, you find special items necessary to help the animals. For example, a rope found in an arctic snow bank must be taken into the jungle and lowered down a waterfall to rescue a trapped lion cub. Freeing a stranded hippo requires building a bridge of uniquely shaped icebergs and finding a shovel to clear away an avalanche. Unless the necessary special items are found, the animals remain lost and the zoo cannot open. Testers aged three and four became frustrated in their first few plays, and required adult assistance. Older children (and adults) loved the program.
Especially enjoyable are the multilevel activities found around the zoo. In Animal Tag, kids must pay attention to detail as they match special animals that pop up at random from the Savannah. Other activities include six different information stations offering interesting animal facts like “hippos eat 100 pounds of grass for five hours each night”. There’s also a water-slide maze game that’s just for fun and a camera option for printing out pictures of each animal. The program was first released in 1995, setting a new standard for excellence in interactive design. Today, this game still makes a welcome addition to any home library. Note that the graphics can look grainy on large screens. Teaches: problem solving, logical thinking, animal facts, shapes. Humongous Inc. www.backyardsports.com, $18. Best for ages 3-7.
Technology has evolved a lot since we published our first newsletter in ’93. So have we. What’s new for 2010?
- This WordPress format, which lets us react instantly to the latest news, tips, research and products.
- A lower price. $24/year gets you 12 issues in PDF format and (for the first time) a passkey to full database access. Here are some free sample issues.
- Twitter and YouTube channels. Now we can show you as well as write about the latest products, and keep you up to the minute.
- More “what does it mean.” Our experience helps us see the forest from the trees. And our PDF format saves trees, too.
What hasn’t changed is our commitment to children and to our paid subscribers. Our editorials and hype-free reviews are designed to keep you informed on the latest children’s interactive media news. We’re working hard to earn your trust, and once you trust us, we hope that you’ll return and subscribe to get full access, for $24/year.
Sincerely,
q
q
Warren Buckleitner, Editor
Children’s Technology Review
Write in answers with the DS stylus
Now you can turn your child’s Nintendo DS into a math learning aide. This title, one of a series of self improvement titles from Nintendo, puts thousands of math facts — and their answers — at your child’s fingertips
Developed by Japanese math teacher Hideo Shogakukan, the $20 cartridge combines a calendar based record-keeping system with timed sets of addition, subtraction, division and multiplication math problems. Because you enter your answers in writing, this is one of the few games where penmanship counts. You can choose to take a daily test, or fill in a grid with as many as 100 problems in one sitting — ranging from counting to division equations. The better you do, the higher your score, which is saved along with earned medals. A single cartridge enables up to 16 other players to compete by downloading one of the quizzes, so you can turn a school bus into a rolling math contest.
See the demo at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIx4BE2vRRw. Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Image provided by Intel PR
What do the PeeWeePC, the CLT 2Go Classmate PC, and the Intel Powered Classmate Convertible PC all have in common? They’re the same thing; a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom-powered Windows XP tablet, that is just slightly larger than a typical netbook. Rest assured, this computer is not a ‘peewee’. For the first time, you can put into a child’s hands a computer that would be the envy of any accountant or graduate student.
At the heart of this device is the Intel Atom. Released last spring, the penny-sized CPU was designed to bring desktop power to mobile devices, while just sipping on your battery.
According to Jeff Galinovsky, a Regional Manager for the Intel Classmate team, the computer we tested was originally designed to be purchased in lots of 1000, by schools who want a low price and a say in how they are configured. One such customer was Portugal (the country). For example, you can have Linex pre-installed, required for the mesh computing feature, or individualize a desktop with your school logo and your own software choices. Other software choices include teacher/student file sharing, video streaming and group management functions, as well as a theft deterrent feature which we fortunately didn’t need to test.
Note that this computer has no relationship with the XO Computer, which is a central part of the One Laptop Per Computer (OLPC) initiative, started at the MIT Media Lab. Intel calls it “one-to-one computing.” Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
One of the problems
Get out your #2 stylus, because your Nintendo DS is now a test prep experience. Based on content from The Princeton Review’s test prep program, My SAT Coach contains two full length SAT tests, along with timed drills that cover critical reading, mathematics and writing. In the drills, which are delivered in short 10- to 15-minute sections, you race the clock as quickly as possible in order to score as many points as possible. At the end of the section, you’re told how many problems you answered correctly, incorrectly, or left blank. Next, you can flip through the problem set and see the correct answers.
Additional mini-games include Positive/Negative (a word classification game), Algebra Blitz (a timed race), Elimination (a game designed to let you weed out the wrong answers), Grammar Cracker (spot the errors) and Definition Decoder (a critical reading game).
Progress can be saved on the cartridge, and the game can be customized so that the background music can be turned on or off, and the bubbles can be filled in either with a tap, or by scratching the dots… a nice twist. See also FutureU from Asyr Media/Kaplan. Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Screen: One of the multiple-choice problems
What do you get when you cross former Microsoft executives with some dedicated math educators? A state-of-the-art online math curriculum ($13/month at www.dreambox.com). We tried the free two-week trial option and found the first 20 or so of the 350 activities to be well-designed and engaging. The lessons are designed to function as a stand alone math curriculum, say for a home school situation, or they could supplement an existing school curriculum. Because the lessons are designed and delivered in Flash, you can run them from from any Macintosh or Windows browser. No disks, downloads or installations required.
First, a parent or teacher needs to make an account. Next, children log in with their screen name and password. There’s the one-time process of choosing an avatar (there is one in a wheelchair), followed by a tutorial on how to use the mouse. From there, it’s on to a cartoon-like world, made of four themes: Pirates, Dinosaurs, Pets, or Pixies. Progress is monitored by a management system that tracks a child’s progress and controls the difficulty, hints, pace, and sequence of the lessons. Adults can log in at any time to check a child’s progress; an email reporting option is also available.
Completing games earns coins, which can be used at a carnival arcade, with games like skeet ball where you can add up your points. Note that the price listed is for one month, for one child. For six months, $50, for one year, $100. Schools, call about site licenses. Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
A screen capture of the main menu taken July 2009
Note: in 2009, Kerpoof was acquired by Disney, and the company was asked to make the creativity portal for Disney.com. See also: Disney Create.
Well-designed, free (with subscription teasers) and powerful, this online creativity kit has grown up since we first reviewed it nearly two years ago, when it was mostly an electronic flannel board. Recently acquired by Disney, the free, Flash-based site offers children five rich creativity activities, making it possible to make sketches, greeting cards, drawings, movies and multi-page stories with tools partially funded by a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant. The core of the site remains the electronic flannel board that makes it easy to drag and drop smart stickers onto over 80 backdrops. Each scene contains theme-related items that automatically resize, based on the scene’s perspective. For example, in the firehouse, you can position firefighters and equipment as needed. A firefighter positioned in the back of the picture looks smaller; when moved to the front, it grows. In addition, moving a light source — such as the sun — around the screen changes the lighting accordingly.
At various points in the experience, children are shown interesting items that are off limits unless they subscribe (e.g., “many of the items for sale in the Kerpoof store are for members only”). These premiums include the ability to form groups (e.g., for a teacher’s classroom), buddy painting (a very interesting collaborative drawing tool, for two children), and so on.
It is still easy to save and print work. Costs for membership range from $4.39/month to $44.79/year, although there is enough content (as of March 2009) available for free to make this site well worth the bookmark. Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Any parent knows that children are fingerprint and germ factories. Mix with this the fact that they have a lot more shiny things to touch these days, like phones, screens and remote controls, and you have a constant cleaning problem. What can you do? Make your own screen cleaning kit. Here’s one way to do it, for about the cost of an App:
1. Find a clean spray bottle and rinse with distilled water
2. Fill with a 50% mixture of rubbing alcohol and distilled water.
3. Find a good rag. A 100% cotton T-shirt or diaper works best.
Other Tips:
• Clearly label your bottle of solution, and keep it far from your children. While it isn’t poisonous, it is not the kind of thing you want a child using as a squirt gun. Make sure the alcohol is clear, and not mixed with a color lubricant, like glycerin. I used 70% Ethyl Alcohol labeled “rubbing alcohol.”
• Avoid ammonia-based glass cleaner on plastic screens. For glass screens like older CRT screens, old fashioned TVs, you have no worries. Today however, cleaning a plastic screen is more complicated. They range in size and material, and plastic scratches easier than yesterday’s glass. Plus ammonia-based glass cleaners like Windex supposedly cause plastic screens to yellow over time.
• Don’t use paper towels. You’re supposed to use a 100% cotton cloth, instead. Besides being bad for the environment, paper towels might contain bits of wood that could scratch or dull the screen’s surface.
• Keep permanent markers, crayons and sharp objects away from your kids and screens. Out of site, out of mind.
• Don’t soak it. Liquids and electronics don’t mix. Start by turning off your monitor or computer, and then spray a lightmist of cleaner that you dry off quickly.
• Use dry before wet. A dry feather duster (I purchased 5 for $4) can remove the lint or dust first, minimizing the contact of potentially abrasive particles.
Pour yourself a drink. At http://bit.ly/530bOj, Jackmakrl writes: “Here’s how I clean my laptop screen. The first thing I do is fix myself a drink in a clean glass with lots of ice. Then I get a microfiber cloth and dip the corner in some 91% isopropyl alcohol and rub that around the screen trying to get all the oily bits off. Might have to do it a couple of times, the alcohol evaporates pretty quick. Then I wipe another corner of the cloth on the distilled water that has condensed on the outside of my glass and use that to rinse off any residue. Semi-vigorous rubbing with a dry part of the cloth eliminates any streaks.”
I used rubbing alcohol/distilled water in my experiments and not isopropyl alcohol, which has a different carbon structure. I also did not personally try vodka, as it was above my price formula. However, a few sips would make me care much less about a slightly dusty screen.
In Extreme Cases:
Crayons: Live with a toddler? Besides being sleep-deprived, you may wake up one morning to find crayon marks all over your 52 inch screen. To remove wax (or glue), you need to melt or dissolve it. You can use warm baby oil (or cooking oil) to melt the wax and rub it off with a cotton cloth. Clean the remaining oil streaks with your alcohol/distilled water solution.
Permanent makers. You wake up from your nap to find that your young artist has drawn a smiley face on your monitor, with a permanent marker! What to do? As quickly as possible, get your rubbing alcohol and start rubbing. The alcohol will (hopefully) dissolve the ink. If that doesn’t work, you might want to squint whenever you use your monitor, and pretend you don’t see it.
Scratches (or worse). There’s obviously nothing you can do after the fact. But you can prevent scratches or dents from happening in the first place. Consider a screen protector. TV-Armor is one such brand, that ranges in price from $70 to $290, depending on your screen size. You can also make your own, by simply velcroing a slab of plexiglass over the screen, to form a clear, crayon-proof barrier between your child on the screen. If a child gets loose with a pair of scissors, a marker or a blow torch, simply replace the plexiglas and call it a day.
Just make sure you measure carefully, and remember that you’ll pay a price in image quality. The extra surface adds an extra layer of glare.
Pull out your balance board and start your workout, with this second release in the Wii Fit series that combines 15 new games and six new yoga positions with a calendar-based management system.
You can choose a workout based on the amount of time you have available, from as little as five minutes to a full hour session. In addition, you can select from the Wii Fit Plus routines which target specific areas. The $20 price is for the standalone game; and a balance board is required. A version bundled with the balance board costs $100. Note that the original Wii Fit games are included as part of this package. Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
This one player adventure game lets you become a pocket-sized Ninja warrior. As you explore the peaceful countryside, you try to protect the balance of nature from the plot of an evil warlord who has turned the woodland creatures into mindless minions. Using standard jump, punch, kick, and slash types of moves, you battle against the bad guys, trying to preserve your health long enough to make it to the next level. You can also alternate between six male or female mini Ninjas, each with unique skills,weapons, and moves.
Developed by Io Interactive and Eidos for Warner Brothers. Prices are $50 for the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions, $40 for the Wii, and $20 for the DS and PC versions. Visit www.minininjas.com. Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Alpine Skiing Downhill
This is a collection of 27 games for 1 to 4 players, set in a cartoon rendition of Vancouver, Canada, the host city of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
After you choose from the four game-save slots, you select an avatar — either one of your Miis or a Nintendo or Sonic character — and your country. If you have other players, you can play either cooperatively (e.g., from the same country) or head-to-head in competitive events.
Events include Alpine Skiing Downhill, Speed Skating, Figure Skating, and more. Most games are easy to pick up and play, although it is hard to win without good times. The game was developed by Sega of Japan, under the guidance of Shigeru Miyamoto. All in all, this is a fun collection of games that is well organized into a playful Winter Olympics theme. Borrow or buy. Made by Criware and Weathernews for Sega. Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
The story begins after you crash land on an alien planet. You guide your hero on his quest as you engage in battles, solve puzzles, collect parts and more. You start by designing a pet creature — your “hero” — and then move it around an alien planet, discovering other creatures and deciding if you should fight, talk, or collaborate. The right decisions can help you earn more abilities such as wings to fly.
As you move through the game, your creature evolves and you can unlock more than 250 new parts to add unique abilities to your hero as you customize it in the Spore Creature Creator. The game also features a mulitplayer mode, where you can fight against your friends. See also Spore Hero Arena for the Nintendo DS. Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Short words, like “tree,” “ladder” or “stool” work like keys in this powerful open-ended collection of logic puzzles for the Nintendo DS. Like a small flannel board, children use the DS stylus to drag and drop objects and move through 220 progressively more difficult levels by “typing” in words, using a pop-up QWERTY keyboard. In one puzzle, for example, a large tree might get in the way. So you can type out “beaver” and a beaver appears, who gnaws the tree down. Spelling suggestions are offered, so exact spelling is not required.
Content includes ten worlds, each with eleven puzzles and eleven action levels for a total of 220 challenges. Each level has a “par” for the number of objects suggested to finish the level. Beating a level with under par, earns “Ollars”, the in-game currency, which players can use to purchase new levels and music. A Playground Mode lets you play the entire game in a sandbox style, from the title screen, and it is possible to create and share levels online using the Nintendo DS Wi-Fi Connection.
Developed by Jerimiah Slaczka of 5th Cell (the creators of Drawn to Life, published last year by THQ). Visit http://games.kidswb.com/scribblenauts/. Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
New features of this edition include: Game Styles, which give you control over the way the game is played using a slider bar that ranges from casual to serious; and a board play physics engine that lets you shield the puck with your body along the boards, kick-pass it to teammates, or pin an opponent.
Other features include a new Battle for the Cup Mode, a GM Mode that puts you in charge of your favorite NHL organization, and an enhanced Be a Pro Mode that includes a prospects game before heading to the draft. Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
In this one player adventure, you can freely explore and wander around a small town, interviewing people and collecting the clues needed to find a lost dog, and eventually foil the plans of Morcubus, the corrupt CEO of Morcucorp. You’re equipped with special gadgets that you can use on the fly, such as a magnifying glass to track footprints, or a crow bar to open crates. Other tools let you pick locks, hack into computers and do molecular forensics. You will also meet and recruit other MySims, and build a team of agents to help you perform special missions. Prices are $50 for the Wii and $30 for the DS version. Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
A classic title gets a lot better, in this second edition of Marvel Ultimate Alliaance. The PS3 version features 24 playable Marvel heroes including Spiderman, Wolverine, Iron Man, and villains such as Venom and Green Goblin. You will choose a side – Pro-Registration in defense of national security, or Anti-Registration and fight for personal liberties – and create and customize four-character teams. Developed by Vicarious Visions for the Xbox 360 and PS3 ($60), n-Space for the Wii ($50), Nintendo DS ($30) and PS2 ($30) and Savage for the PSP ($40). Note: All games are rated T except for the DS which is rated E10+. Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
The testers’ verdict on this edition of LittleBigPlanet? “It’s just like the original.” In other words, if you already own the game, think twice before investing $60 in this similarly designed experience.
So what is new? The levels. This includes 18 bonus levels created by LittleBigPlanet fans, selected by Media Molecule, plus seven downloadable content packs to expand SackBoy’s wardrobe and a larger variety of “Create” materials.
For those who have yet to see this incredible open-ended experience, LittleBigPlanet begins with players customizing the game’s main character, SackBoy. Then you learn how SackBoy interacts physically with the surrounding environment in Story Mode. You must make your way across the LittleBigPlanet to help find missing characters, their creations, and those responsible for their disappearance. You will also solve puzzles and collect items that can be used to create levels. Limited quantities of the game will include a PlayStation Network voucher code to download the upcoming ModNation Racers online beta. ModNation Racers is PlayStation’s newest “Play, Create, and Share” experience, offering a classic kart racing game with a creative twist. Rating: 
Looking for a baby or toddler’s ideal first computer experience? Available as a $20 download from www.giggles.net (think of it as an App for your computer), for Macintosh or Windows, Giggle’s: Computer Funtime for Baby My Musical World expands on Leveractive’s library of baby/toddler selections. This title, with a musical focus, succeeds in letting your busy child freely explore a standard mouse/keyboard interface, sans worry. Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Third in Disney’s Sing It Series, this karaoke game turns your Wii or PlayStation into a well designed, pitch-sensing vocal coach. Content includes 16 songs and a set of vocal exercises that introduce concepts such as breathing, hitting high and low notes, staying on pitch and so on. The song list is pulled from Disney singers, including Miley Cyrus, Jonas Bros., and Demi Lovato, as well as pop stars such as Coldplay and Colbie Caillat.
The game requires a USB microphone, which is not included in the $30 price (a $50 bundle includes a good quality Logitech mic). More information is at www.disneysingit.com. See also Disney Sing It High School Musical. Created by Zoe Mode for Disney. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Explore animal facts and sounds with this specialized talking stylus designed to decode tags found on plastic animals or printed on a poster, using dotted media tags. Touch the tip of the stylus to the tag and you hear facts and quizzes. The $30 kit includes a starter set of plastic Smart Animal toys (additional animals are sold separately) plus color poster-sized playing board, with 240 scannable animal images and games. Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Caroline Hu Flexer had a busy, curious daughter who liked her to play with her iPhone. “I wonder if we could make a better children’s app?” Using her background in business and music and guided by the vision of keeping her daughter happy, she made one of the best-selling education apps for children in 2009. Listen as the Co-Founder of Duck Duck Moose Design tells her story. You learn that multitouch magic requires (a) the inspiration of a child, (b) an adept programmer, (c) some late nights, and (d) a sense of design. It also helps to know how the App store works. This app worked because it let the child drive the interaction, and not the other way around. There is no doubt that this is one of the best and first small screen implementations of the “pop-up” book of the 21st century.
Update March 2009: Seven new titles will bring the total Didj library to 19 by 2010, and increase the curriculum offerings.
Many releases seem to be Disney-related, featuring Hannah Montana (math, spelling), Neopets, High School Musical (music and fractions), Up (geography) and Fairies. Two notable exceptions: Star Wars Jedi Wars and an NFL sports game. There are no changes in the hardware for this year.
First released in the Summer of 2008, Leapfrog’s Didj (spelled in lower-case letters) is a handheld edu-gaming system with a clear color screen and Nintendo DS-like controls that comes in pink, blue or gray. It runs on 4 AA batteries, or it can be powered with a DC ‘in’ port. Like the Leapster or the Nintendo DS, the software comes on cartridges and is sold for $20 – $30 each. Other features include a mono headphone jack, a volume slider and easy-to-learn gaming controls. It does not have a touch screen. Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
This third title in the Didi & Ditto series features the same film-quality animation that has become a trademark of the Canadian developer Kutoka Interactive, mixed with 16 games.
In the story, Didi & Ditto (young brother and sister beavers) are preparing for a visit from Mother Nature, but a sneaky wolf has been hiding the musical instruments and the food. After they sign in (to save games), children can choose to play in the adventure mode, or jump directly to one of the games, where they can sort letters, construct short words or match numerals with quantities.
The hybrid game comes on one disk that can be installed on either Macintosh or Windows computers. Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Can you create a cell phone your grandparents could easily use, and would purchase? That’s the c
hallenge behind this free, Flash based simulation from Edheads, a group that has become known for bringing abstract ideas to life (see also Virtual Knee Surgery) by putting the learner in the role of decision maker and inventor.
First, you review the market surveys, a good exercise in reading graphics and interpreting information. Next, you go to the lab, and try out different screen sizes, batteries, key layouts and so on. You learn that extra features cost money, which increases the price and can reduce sales. Finally, you take your design to the test group, who give you feedback. While the number of responses is limited, you learn through trial and error how to get the most sales. This simulation was created by Clearly Trained, with support from Ohio State University, with support by the Motorola Foundation. It was released on June 15, 2009. Rating:
Based on a real surgical procedure, this step-by-step simulation teaches you how to implant a small electrode in the center of a patient’s brain. The process, called Deep Brain Stimulation, is used to remedy the effects of nerve disorders such as those
caused by Parkinson’s Disease.
Your patient is a 59 year old women named Ellen, and you are provided with a case history before the procedure, which takes about 20 minutes from start to finish. You control each step — from putting the six small screws (called fiducials) into the skull by clicking on each marked spot, to inserting the electrical probe at exactly the right depth, by dragging your cursor over a lever. Later, you put in the battery packs and adjust the charge.
At various points, you’re given a multiple choice quiz asking you to justify your actions. If you make a mistake? No worries and no malpractice. The computer gently moves you to the next step.
This title was created by Clearly Trained and published by Edheads with funding from the Ohio State University Medical Center Department of Neurosurgery. Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
This version of DDR adds the ability to combine Dance Mat Controllers (one or two) with Wii Remotes and the Wii Balance 
Board, incorporating upper body movements.
After you choose an avatar, you can pick your own customized look, or choose one of your Mii avatars to represent you, in one of three modes of play: Work Out Mode, Story Mode, and Kids Modes with simpler controls.
Content includes 50 songs including Disturbia – Rihanna, Viva La Vide – Coldplay, and Just Dance – Lady Gaga. The game comes bundled with one dance mat controller that plugs into the old (round) GameCube game controller port; a second can be plugged into one of the other ports. Developed by Bemanie for Konami. Also available on the PS2, called Dance Dance Revolution X2, for $40. This PS2 version features the new Dice Master Mode, where you move your dancer through the map by rolling the dice, and then accept the given challenge according to the instructions of the area where they stopped. Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
This $70 DDR bundle includes two vinyl dance mats that plug into your Wii. The mats work with two sets of Wii controllers 
(Nunchuks are required) so you can move your feet and arms at the same time. As you dance, you are represented by your “Mii” on the screen, while moving Disney characters decorate the screen. Content includes 40 songs that vary in quality, such as, “It’s a Small World”, “Circle of Life”, and “A Spoonful of Sugar”. A handicapping feature lets each dancer choose from four levels; plus there’s a cooperative mode so even a preschooler can help out. Developed by Bemani for Konami.Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Create on Disney.com (http://disney.go.com/create) is a suite of four open-ended activities that pushes the envelope for
Digital Painter
web-delivered creativity tools. Because it uses raster graphics (vs. bitmapped graphics), you can zoom way in with no reduction in resolution. You can also resize or rotate objects for just about any effect. At the core of Create is Digital Painter, with features that Photoshop users used to dream about: unlimited undo or redo, layers that can be moved after they’re placed, and no limits to the number of objects that can be stamped on the screen. Basic drawing tools let you highlight, sketch or blob on watercolors, with an innovative color palette that can be programmed with your favorite colors.
Besides the Digital Painter, three other activities include: Animods, for creating animated creatures; Comic Creator, with white blank panels waiting to be filled in with graphics and text, and Disney clip art; and Photo Mashups, an open-ended celebration of Disney celebrity, where you can drag-and-drop the Jonas Bros. and compose a room poster. Projects can be tagged and stored on the Disney site, after it’s been approved by a panel of screeners based in Disney’s Kerpoof Studios, in Bolder, CO.
So what’s the catch? Besides the ads — images of Toaster Strudel will flash as you draw — you learn that you can’t save your work unless you become a Disney Guest. This means giving up a bit of your identity, specifically, your birthday and email. You also can’t upload your own images, or export your work as a graphics file; an important feature that currently has a “coming soon” sign on it. You can print at any time however. Once you join, your work is saved in your portfolio — your own little corner of the virtual magical kingdom. Rating:
If you like “find the hidden object” puzzles, keep reading. This mostly one-player puzzle/mystery game for the Wii is based on a 
series of mysteries. Your goal is to help a female detective (Cate West) find the clues by finding 1,000 clues in 57 backgrounds. There are five investigation types, and different crime scenes. For example, you might use a magnifying glass — or a flashlight — for a better view of the screen differences between two similar scenes, recreate crime scenes, and use what you’ve learned to identify the criminal. You can work with a friend in Story Mode, or compete to see who is the best detective in Competitive Mode. At some points, you shake the Wii Remote to clear away dust and cobwebs to reveal evidence, and use the magnifying glass to better view your surroundings. Prices are $30 for the Wii version and $20 for the Nintendo DS version.Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
This 25-hole mini-game simulation features holes that are grouped into themes, like Pirate’s Delight, Wild West, Prehistoria, 
Spook-O-Rama and Fairytella. After you line up your shot, you hold the ‘A’ button, and swing your virtual club. The multiplayer version lets you distract the other players. Good scores earn coins for prizes, including custom clubs, clothing and special golf balls. Winnings can be saved to your Wii Remote, making it possible to take your game to your friends house, provided they have the game on their Wii. Developed by Cat Daddy Games for 2K Play. Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Similar to the “Diner Dash” types of games, this game inludes 84 new levels of cake-baking and six bakery environments
including the Jurassic Period, Medieval England and the Future. As you improve in your skills, you can earn 50 kitchen upgrades such as ovens, toasters and display stands, which are needed in order to serve the 30 types of customers. For example, in the Egypt world, you get to serve mummies. Three minigames — Servo-Rama, Cakey-Makey, and Match Cakes can be unlocked. You earn a trophy at the end. Created by Sandlot Games for Majesco. Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
This Wii-only racing game comes with the ability to make your own tracks; plus 80 pre-designed in case you just want to drive. 
Track elements include jumps, ramps, hairpin turns, stunt blocks, tunnels and destructible scenery. You can race alone, or against up to three others in split-screen mode. Unlockable rewards include new tracks, vehicle parts and trophies, as well as Style Points that you earn for performing unique moves or taking out opponents. Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.