Pokémon Red
© 1999 Nintendo of America
This multilevel activity combines a maze game, with a clever strategy component. Players start out in a library, where they learn more about the Pokémons by exchanging notes with other players, and reading is required for the exchange of these notes. Next, they can go out into a virutal maze world where they encounter other Pokémon creatures, that fight them against each other, in a type of implied violence shoot out. Children choose what kind of weapon or offensive strategy to try on their opponent (e.g., leech seeds or tackle) to cause it's energy bar to decrease. Defeating another monster earns points and strenth for the vector and no blood or gore is shown. This red version allows you to collect up to 139 different monsters, each with distinct strenghts and personalities. You'll need the Blue, Silver, and Gold versions to collect all of the monsters, by connecting two Game Boys together with a cable. This makes it possible to trade monsters with other players, making this a very social activity. Note: requires basic (late 1st grade) reading skills to negotiate through the mazes and use the program independently.
$34.95, Game Boy Color
Teaches: reading, classification, memory