Stuart Little 3: Big Photo Adventure - E
Common Sense Note
Parents should know that the main character is a great role model for kids: Stuart is funny, polite, cool, and kind. There is no violence; instead, the game offers plenty of puzzles. Kids have to think as well as experiment to figure out how a little mouse can do things in this big human world.
Families can talk about why living in a human world is hard for Stuart, but why it's also loads of fun. They might also want to talk about why Stuart felt obligated to recreate his brother's photo assignment, which he ruined by accident. Does this game have a message for its players?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Jinny Gudmundsen
Sega launched STUART LITTLE 3: BIG PHOTO ADVENTURE for the PlayStation 2 last November without much fanfare, but it deserves a standing ovation.
Stuart Little 3: Big Photo Adventure is a video game that parents will find totally age appropriate -- and kids will find exciting to explore.
Kids play as Stuart, the young mouse adopted by the human Little family. Stuart accidentally damages his brother's photography project, so he travels around New York City to retake the ruined photos. This task frequently requires players to go on missions or play mini-games. Because the game is non-linear and features a huge world to explore, kids will enjoy this game for weeks.
Even better: Unlike the recent Curious George video game, which is too difficult for George's young fans to play, this title is made for young gamers. The instructions are spoken by the game's characters so that non-readers as young as 5 can play. There is plenty of in-game help provided by the character of Snowbell, but it's not forced on players if they would rather just explore.
Kids who are new to gaming can control Stuart as he walks or runs, but those who are more experienced can make the mouse cruise around his world on a skateboard that's faster but harder to control. And kids who aren't as experienced don't have to accomplish the more-challenging tasks to unlock new locations to explore.
Stuart's world is jam-packed with a wide range of activities so that this game will appeal to all types of kids. Kids who like fast-paced extreme sports will find 16 vehicles for Stuart to ride and/or race. Tasks they will want to tackle include accomplishing eight tricks in a skateboard park using ramps and rails.
For kids who prefer puzzles, there are plenty, as players figure out how to help the little Stuart reach high-up, out-of-the-way places. The game also contains five of the best mini-golf courses ever. And for families with an Eye Toy camera, there are three pop-the-balloons-with-your-hands games.
Parents, Stuart is a terrific role model because he's funny, polite, cool, and kind. Kids love to play as Stuart, and it is fascinating to view the human world from the perspective of a tiny mouse. Because Stuart is so little, kids have to think as well as experiment to figure out how Stuart can do things in this big human world, and all this fun is had without relying on violence to entertain.
For young kids, this is the best video game to be released in years.
Rate It!
| Content | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CS | adults | kids | ||
Sexual Content |
 |
|
||
Violence |
|
 |
||
Language |
|
|
||
Message |
|
|
||
Social BehaviorStuart is funny, polite, cool, and kind. The game centers around him trying to recreate his brother's photo assignment, which he ruined by accident. |
 |
 |
||
CommercialismBased on the movie characters. |
|
|
||
Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco |
|
 |
||
Educational ValueKids have to think as well as experiment to figure out how a little mouse can do things in this big human world. |
|
|
||
