Babar To The Rescue
© 2006 The American Game Factory, Inc.
Following a traditional video game format, this one-player Game Boy Advance cartridge contains a collection of easy, addictive maze-like scavenger hunt activities. There are a few design quirks to take into consideration, given the intended audience (younger children). Children must be able to read in order to understand the story line, and the scoring system uses multi-digit tallies which mean little to most players. Still, you can play the eight games without understanding the story because they follow a tried-and-true game format. In the story, Babar's (an elephant) two sons are carried off in a hot air balloon and Babar must try and rescue them. The eight levels consist of three formats — racing, platforming and flying. For example, in Balloon Ride, children steer a hot air balloon with the arrow keys to collect golden crowns. In Across the River, players steer Babar through a maze of platforms, swinging from vines and collecting points in order to clear each level. The Jungle Rally game is a racing game where children steer a car that can be frustrating because it gets stuck frequently. Progress is saved after each level (a nice feature), and the game can store up to four player's profiles. Fortunately, the poor design elements don't interfere with main parts of the game, making this a safe choice for younger children. Keep in mind that some of the levels can be frustratingly hard (children may get moody when trying to complete them, or give up altogether), so be around to help. Developed by Sirius Games of Denmark for The American Game Factory.
$19.99, Game Boy Advance
Teaches: logic, spatial reasoning, English, Spanish, French
CTR Rating: 82%