Tonka Town

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Charming and fun for truck enthusiasts.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this is a real charmer -- especially for children who love trucks.


What's it about?

Preschoolers who are mesmerized by trucks will love TONKA TOWN. Kids get to drive four big trucks on rescue missions and, while doing so, they'll learn spatial map skills and hone their mouse-using ability. Tonka Town is a special place for youngsters to explore because all the trucks and inanimate objects talk to you -- including the buildings, mailboxes, parking meters, and trees! The buildings send kids on missions to help the town, including cleaning up the garbage in the river, putting out fires, and collecting and delivering the mail.

The game starts with a simple tutorial that demonstrates how to "drive": Kids simply move their cursor, and the truck they are driving follows. They are given a map to use. Drivers will quickly discover that they can drive anywhere -- even off-road -- and that the town is made for bumping. If you bump into a mailbox, it vibrates and may remind you, "You can't mail a truck!"


Is it any good?

 

With over 15 missions and four different vehicles, young drivers will find lots to do. There is also a racetrack in Tonka Town, where kids can take on the motley V8 crew--a group of sneaky truck thugs.

While Tonka Town is not heavy on academic learning, it is a real charmer. The trucks are perfect playmates, missions are exciting and challenging, the inhabitants are so much fun to interact with. If you have a truck-loving tyke, don't miss this one!


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about the different jobs done by different trucks. Look at the trucks you see in your town every day and talk about what they do. What's your favorite truck?


This review was written by Jinny Gudmundsen

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This review was written by Jinny Gudmundsen
Platforms:Windows
Available online?Not available online
Genre:Preschool
Developer:Atari
Release date:February 6, 2004
Price:$20
ESRB rating:EC

This review was written by Jinny Gudmundsen

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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