Smarty Pants
© 2007 Electronic Arts, Inc.
This fast-paced multiple-choice trivia game for the Nintendo Wii offers both depth and ease-of-use for up to four players that can vary in level, with either one remote to be passed, or with multiple remotes. A Nunchuck is not required. Of course, the core of any trivia game is the questions. This game has a lot -- 20,000 (per publisher), divided into eight categories (books, entertainment, sports, art, science and math, people and places, games and fashion). Because each player enters his or her age at the start of the game, the program adjusts the questions accordingly. Each question is presented along with a timer, represented by a burning fuse. In order to score points, you must enter the correct answer in multiple choice format before time runs out, either by clicking on the answer, or in some cases by raising your hand (the motion is picked up by the Wii remote). Questions we spotted include, "Who founded Google", and "Which of the following four occupations can be found in the World of Warcraft?" The questions come fast. Players' answers are tracked, and the game automatically adjusts the difficulty. Besides the hand-raising, the Wii remote is used for actions such as spinning the category wheel, tug-o-wars over correct answers, and dance-offs between players. These movement games help break the monotony of reading hundreds of multiple-choice questions. Note that a good deal of reading is required to understand the questions, and incorrect answers are not explained, reducing the educational value of the experience. But the plus side of this is that it is fast and responsive -- this game delivers more questions within a shorter period of time than any other trivia game we've tested. If you like trivia and have a Wii, this is a good choice. See the demo at http://www.ea.com/smartypants/.
$40, Wii
Teaches: trivia, reading, art, science, technology, music, fashion
CTR Rating: 92%