My SAT Coach
© 2008 Ubisoft, Inc.
Get out your #2 stylus, because your Nintendo DS is now a test prep experience, thanks to this nicely designed program from the Canadian division of French-based Ubisoft. One can't help but note the irony in the fact that a USA test prep game is created by French publisher. Based on content from The Princeton Review's test prep program, My SAT Coach contains two full length SAT tests, along with timed drills that cover critical reading, mathematics and writing. In the drills, which are delivered in short 10- to 15-minute sections, you race the clock as quickly as possible in order to score as many points as possible. At the end of the section, you're told how many problems you answered correctly, incorrectly, or left blank. Next, you can flip through the problem set and see the correct answers. It is easy to stop at any time or skip a section, making this an ideal tool for a student who wants to study on the bus or while waiting for a class to begin. It is also easy to jump directly to one topic, such as algebra or vocabulary. Additional mini-games include Positive/Negative (a word classification game), Algebra Blitz (a timed race), Elimination (a game designed to let you weed out the wrong answers), Grammar Cracker (spot the errors) and Definition Decoder (a critical reading game). Progress can be saved on the cartridge, and the game can be customized so that the background music can be turned on or off, and the bubbles can be filled in either with a tap, or by scratching the dots... a nice twist. In addition, it is possible to erase student records, making this a title that could be passed along to another student in need of a pocket-sized test prep experience. As of February 2009, this is the best Nintendo DS test prep experience. See also FutureU from Asyr Media/Kaplan.
$30, Nintendo DS
Teaches: SAT Test Prep, reading, math, comprehension
CTR Rating: 90%