Konami Kids Playground: Alphabet Circus

$2040, PlayStation 2

Teaches: school readiness, movement, early reading, temporal relations

CTR Rating: 84%

CTR Review

Designed to get children using their feet instead of their thumbs, this is one of four titles for the PlayStation 2 that resembles DDR (Dance Dance Revolution), only with content geared toward preschoolers instead of teens. For example, in Wack-A-Clown, children try to see how many letters they can match, by jumping on the correct symbol on the mat before time runs out. The titles come bundled with a special vinyl mat that that plugs into one of the PlayStation USB ports. Note that the titles won't work with existing dance pads.The 12 games vary in quality and developmental appropriateness for children, and progress can't be saved. In addition, there's little or no continuity to the experience, with 12 unrelated games. That said, several of the games succeed in getting children moving, and it is easy for children to learn where these activities are. Children sort letters by jumping on shapes. Note that games can't be saved, and younger children may need to be shown now to exit from the games.This is a good idea, that could be much better. As a way to turn a PlayStation and TV into a movement area, this series works. If you already own the mat, you can buy additional titles alone for $20. Other titles (each beginning with the Konami Kids Playground prefix) include Dinosaurs Shapes & Colors, Frogger Hop, Skip & Jumpin' Fun and Toy Pals Fun with Numbers. Designed by ImaginEngine for Konami.