Wonder World Amusement Park
© 2008 Majesco Entertainment
Thirty-five shallow but often fun mini-games for the Wii can be found in this 3D amusement park, organized into five theme zones (Carnival, Spookyville, Fairytale, Pirate and Space). Note that a Nintendo DS version is also available. The quality varies considerably in each activity, but in general, at least several of the games are fast and fun — thanks to the Wii controls and the multiplayer options. For example, Crack Shot is a standard shooting arcade game, where you race to see how many bottles you can break. It can be addicting. Ready Steady lets you try to move a ring along a bent wire, without touching the edges; a great test of fine motor skills. Hook a Frog is a fun idea, but hard to control and potentially frustrating. Other activities include Bumper Cars, Pirate Ship, Tunnel of Love, Sky Cannon, and Castle Terror. There are three modes of play including a Story Mode (single-player mode where you navigate the theme park, play games, and win prizes); Quick Play (multiplayer for one to four players); and Party Mode (turn-based multiplayer game for two to four players). You start by creating your own character -- the game does not work with Miis. Our testers were not able to make it out of the first area of the park, because they didn't know that they needed to visit the booth vender, who presents them with the tickets they need to unlock additional games. As a result, the ratings are based on just seven of the 35 games. The bottom line? Collections of mini-games are becoming more and more common, making this title stand out less and less. Still, there's a lot to choose from, as long as you figure out how to cash in your tickets. At the very least, borrow it.
$40, Wii,* Nintendo DS
Teaches: timing, gross motor coordination, fine motor coordination, some reading
CTR Rating: 85%