The Bee Game (Nintendo DS)

$20, Nintendo DS

Teaches: timing, spatial relations

CTR Rating: 80%

CTR Review

Not to be confused with The Bee Movie Game, this is an easy to play one-player side scrolling game for the Nintendo DS based on a children's book. It is light on educational value. The goal is to steer a bee through tunnels, platforms and other obstacles, while avoiding bad guys. If the format sounds familiar (like an early Mario game), that's because it is. The good news here is that it is easy to play, with the exception of the flying, when you have to hold down two buttons at the same time; a skill that unfortunately makes this game too hard for younger children. In the story, a storm blows through Corn Poppy Meadow, and some of the residents are missing. Your job is to steer the Bee using the arrow keys, avoiding bad guys and picking up nectar needed to fly. Too many encounters with poison snails or other bad guys can send you back to the start of the level. Up to four games can be saved automatically. Additional content includes three arcade-like minigames and a simple coloring activity. This is the kind of game that you could borrow for a few days. Younger children will need help with some of the levels. Created by Independent Arts for Midway.