Kirby Mass Attack
© 2011 Nintendo of America
This clever one player side-scrolling game is tricky to learn, but once you do, it's hard to stop playing. You navigate through the maze-like stages by learning a series of two-step swipes. For example, to get Kirby to float, you have to drag a star onto him, and then draw a line. While innovative (and effective) this control mechanism is unique to this game, and takes time to learn. There are ten stages, and some reading is required. We like it because it is full of problem solving opportunities, with some reading as well. In the story, Kirby is split into 10 pieces by an evildoer with a magic cane. You use the stylus on the DS touch screen to control a group of Kirby characters (up to 10) as they set off on a journey to return to their original form. The number of Kirby characters you control is important, because some challenges require a specific number of Kirbys in order to be solved. When the number of Kirby characters is increased, you can gain the upper hand. You can control each Kirby in a variety of ways, for example, a Kirby character can be launched into the air with a flick of the stylus, or you can make a swarm of Kirby characters dash to a given point by tapping on that spot on the touch screen multiple times. You can also swipe the touch screen to launch them in a mass attack against enemies, then tap the enemies into submission. The goal is to collect medals hidden throughout the various stages and to unlock additional minigames. Developed by HAL Laboratory, Inc.
$30, Nintendo DS
Teaches: logic, spatial relations, timing, fine motor coordination
CTR Rating: 88%