Pet Pals Animal Doctor (DS)
© 2008 Majesco Entertainment
Start out as a rookie veterinarian and work your way up to become the best in your field in this Nintendo DS pet simulation. You use the touch screen to administer tests. For example, to draw blood, you drag the stylus point over the length of the needle, carefully. If you miss, you can loose points. There are 23 animals, including a Yorkshire terrier, python, turtle, parakeet, rabbit, Siamese cat and hamster. The 30 cases came from real vets, and range from simple infections to complex blood disorders. For example, one dog we treated was suffering from aspirin poisoning, and another dog had a torn foot pad. Perfect treatments earn trophies that are saved in the trophy case. The game also features mini-games that teach about animals including Memory, Trivia Quiz, and Jigsaw Puzzle. Our testers found the interface tricky to learn, and noted that a lot of reading is required. There are three levels of play -- easy, medium or hard. You'll find the hints at the easy level to be essential to learning the program. Once the animal is cured, the case is reviewed, step by step. Too many wrong choices -- and if you ask irrelevant questions or use the wrong tool -- you lose points, or eventually the animal can die (there’s no gore). In addition to curing the animals, you can also take care of the pets, by cleaning out their pens or giving them baths. There’s a lot of real information in this game. For older children who are good readers and up to the challenge, this is a good choice. Developed by Frontline Studios and Legacy Interactive for Majesco.
$20, Nintendo DS
Teaches: deductive reasoning, reading, health care, animals, science, veterinary medicine
CTR Rating: 84%