 | 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. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
All Star Karate
- Nintendo Wii
- Price: $19.99
- Genre: Action/Adventure
Common Sense Media says
Control problems mar mediocre martial arts adventure.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that All Star Karate is an active Wii game that will require your kids to move around a bit while playing, but that it is entertainment and in no way an actual form of martial arts instruction. Its instructions are not always clear and the controls can feel glitchy at times.
What's it about?
In ALL STAR KARATE, a young man (or woman -- your choice) tries to come to the aid of an old man beset by a group of ninjas on the street. But it turns out the old guy doesn't need any help -- he's a karate master. But he thinks you have potential, so he invites you back to his beach shack (which houses its own "Danger Room") and teaches you martial arts so you can enter tournaments and work your way up to black belt. Under the tutelage of the overweight, Hawaiian shirt-wearing sensei (a bizarre amalgam of Santa Claus and Jimmy Buffet), you win competitions and eventually even take on the ninjas.
Is it any good?
All Star Karate tries hard, but never quite succeeds. The developers seem to have known they were working with low-budget-looking animation for the cut scenes, so they tried to camp up the story, sound effects, and voice acting, which helps a bit. But campiness can't alleviate confusing instructions or troublesome control mechanics. And the story flow chart -- you click on the scene you want to play, which after completion unlocks new scenes on different paths -- is just plain confusing. It's very easy to accidentally replay a scene you already did or get lost and literally not know where the next open scene is on the chart. All Star Karate has its heart in the right place, but can't get past its development problems.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about taking karate classes in real life. Does playing this game make you interested in learning a real martial art? How different do you think a real karate lesson would be from the ones depicted in the game?
You can play the game as either a girl or boy. Would you ever choose to play as the opposite gender? Why or why not?
The main character chooses to follow a stranger to his shack by the beach to learn karate. Families can talk about how going anywhere with a stranger is not appropriate or safe behavior.
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| Topics: | sports and martial arts |
| Platforms: | Nintendo Wii |
| Available online? | Not available online |
| Genre: | Action/Adventure |
| Developer: | THQ |
| Release date: | May 18, 2010 |
| Price: | $19.99 |
| ESRB rating: | E10+ for Cartoon Violence, Comic Mischief |
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