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Bob the Builder: Bob's Busy Day

(2005, Educational Handheld - Preschool, Rated E, Play it on: VSmile)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 3, age appropriate for kids over 4; suggested age 4.
  • Is it any good?

    4.0
  • Common Sense says

    Fun and educational for littlest gamers.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 4 and Up

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    Teaches early learning concepts. Kids learn about colors, letters, logic, numbers and shapes.
  • Messages:

    Not an issue.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence & scariness:

    Not an issue.
  • Language:

    Not an issue.
  • Consumerism:

    Part of the Bob the Builder franchise.
 

What Parents Need to Know

This review of Bob the Builder: Bob's Busy Day was written by Jinny Gudmundsen

Parents need to know that this game teaches colors, letters, logic, numbers, and shapes.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about how Bob the Builder helps the town and his friends. If kids are playing this game on a VSmile Pocket, parents can plug it into the TV so that they can see what is happening in the game and then make supportive comments.
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More on Bob the Builder: Bob's Busy Day

What’s the Story?

BOB THE BUILDER: BOB'S BUSY DAY is a Smartridge for the VSmile Pocket, an educational handheld gaming system for young kids that doubles as a TV gaming system when it's plugged into a television. Kids join Bob the Builder and his talking truck friends to play eight educational games that teach shapes, colors, letters, numbers, and logic. The Smartridge offers two modes of play: Learning Adventure and Learning Zone.

In the Learning Adventure, kids explore activities by controlling Bob. They may hunt for his missing tools or search for alphabetically lettered materials scattered around town. In the Learning Zone, kids play games with Bob's animated truck friends. Kids move trucks into position to "kick" soccer balls into goals marked with letters, and race trucks while counting objects, matching shapes, and finding paths through grids of colored dots.

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Is It Any Good?

Bob's Busy Day does a good job of introducing early learning concepts to young kids in a video gaming context that is easy for them to master. However, the four games in the Learning Adventure are very similar side-scrolling games in which Bob walks around to find or catch objects. And unfortunately, the picture blurs when Bob is moving, so kids need to stop periodically to make sure they can see an object they are trying to collect.

This is best for kids ages 4 to 6 -- not 3-year-olds, as recommended on the packaging -- who love Bob the Builder and are new to playing video games, and so won't be bothered by the sameness of the gameplay.

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Publisher’s Details

Released on 10/26/2005, price $20, not online enabled
ESRB rating: E

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Parent Reviewer
    Lives in Alabama
    I rate this title on for age 5 and give it 1.0

  2. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in New York
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 4.0

    lovedit

    This is agreat learning tool for pre-schoolers.

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