Sesame Street: Elmo's A-to-Zoo Adventure

$40, Wii, Windows, Nintendo DS

Teaches: logic, classification, letters

CTR Rating: 16%

CTR Review

This collection of 16 tightly scripted, one player games is designed to introduce typical school readiness concepts to a young child. In the Wii version, children hold the Wii Remote like handlebars. Note that this is one of two new Sesame Street titles. The other is Sesame Street: Cookies Counting Carnival. Both run on Wii, Windows and DS. This title features Elmo and Zoe. Extras include a "Wii Gameplay Helper" -- a soft cover for your Wii remote that hides buttons. Using this is optional. The DS version includes a Sesame Street stylus; also not required to play the game. After you pick one of the four player profiles, you start exploring the Zoo. While the graphics and narration are right out of Sesame Street, the games are over-narrated and lack play opportunities. Instructions can't be skipped, and children are asked to do tasks over the developmental target of this title, like waiting to touch a moving target, or drawing a circle around a item rather than just touching it (in the DS version). Instructions are replayed with each problem, introductions can't be skipped. In addition, there's no obvious way to exit from a game, trapping a child in space that is void of choice and control. Management features include the ability to review progress, and see what children have been doing, for up to four players. A parental �drop-in� feature allows use of the second Wii Remote to assist the child. Created by Black Lantern for Warner Brothers. Prices are $40 for the Wii version, and $30 for the Nintendo DS and PC versions. It's too bad to see such poor design combined with so much marketing. A note to librarians: the DS packaging is unconventional, coming in a cardboard box designed to hold the stylus.