Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Mermaids
© 2007 2K Play
This collection of 19 mini-games is a great starter title for preschool-and Kindergarten-age children, but is not quite as good as its brother title -- Go, Diego, Go! Safari Rescue. You start by choosing one of four save slots to play, and then decide to play in either story mode, or simply play any game. The games are fun and easy, lasting from 10 seconds to two minutes. Players use the stylus to drag trash to a trash can to clean up the beach, or tap as fast as they can on the screen in order to free a trapped mermaid, or to help Dora do the Conga. The microphone games ask children to either repeat a word to remove garbage, or blow sand from piles to find a hidden crown. The background music and constantly repeating instruction can be overbearing, at least to nearby adults, and there is no option for adjusting sound. But these are minor issues because the games are generally responsive and easy to figure out. Progress is saved automatically. For a solid early childhood title that covers a variety of skills, from timing, classification, spatial relations, spoken language and Spanish, this is a good choice. Created by Black Lantern Studios for 2K Play. See also Dora Saves the Mermaids for the PS2, with similar content but no touch screen features.
$30, Nintendo DS* PlayStation 2
Teaches: some Spanish (counting from 1 -10), timing, classification
CTR Rating: 88%