Hello Kitty: Big City Dreams
© 2008 Empire Interactive
Hello Kitty, a child-like kitten, is moving away from her parents for the first time, to live in the big city in this one-player Nintendo DS game. After you choose a slot to save your game, you see her in her modest first floor apartment. In order to move upstairs, you must explore a neighborhood map using the arrow keys to steer Kitty and complete tasks, such as playing baseball (tap the screen when the ball passes over home plate) or jumping rope (again, tapping the screen), in order to earn "friendship points." Eventually, you can move into a deluxe penthouse suite. There are eight mini-games that increase in difficulty. You can buy new outfits and room themes at various kiosks, ride on trains and buses, and get mail in the mailbox. Each challenge requires a bit of reading, and progress is saved automatically. Our testers grew tired of the clunky format -- partly because false options are frequently shown, such as a path that leads to nowhere, or a fishing pole that you can't use until you earn more points. The game is available in three languages: Spanish, French or English. Created by Razer Works and Human Soft for Empire Enteractive. If you like Hello Kitty, this is a game to borrow; otherwise pass.
$30, Nintendo DS
Teaches: timing, classification, logic, reading
CTR Rating: 54%