 | 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. |
American Girl: Mia Goes for Great
Common Sense Media says
Doll character stars in sweet skating adventure.
Parents say
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this is a computer game based on an American Girl Doll. While the game play is easy enough for girls as young as 6, and the conversational prompts, once selected, are spoken aloud, you must be able to read to select them. Keep in mind your child's ability to read the dialogue in deciding her readiness to play this game. Mia St. Clair is a good role model for little girls because she is willing to work hard for a goal, take on a job to help her family's finances, and be nice to a girl who initially isn't nice to her.
What's it about?
AMERICAN GIRL: MIA GOES FOR GREAT is a puzzle adventure that follows 10-year-old Mia St. Clair, who's the virtual representation of one of the American Girl "Girl of the Year" dolls. The game follows Mia on her journey to become a competitive figure skater.
You control Mia by simply pointing and clicking (or by using the arrow keys) and will help her to prepare for her first two figure skating competitions. As Mia, you must select music, secure costumes, design programs that comply with the competitions' requirements, practice, and compete. To accomplish some of these goals you will need to talk with and help many of the town's inhabitants, including Mia's parents, her three brothers, friends, the town's librarian, her skating coach, and store owners. You can talk to each person by selecting conversational sentences from a drop-down menu of possible things to say. You have a backpack in which to keep things you find, and a diary that automatically keeps track of things you discover and generates a "To Do" list which helps you figure out what to explore next. Practicing skating is a timed game of hitting arrow keys as Mia tries new skating moves. The game also has two fun arcade-type minigames.
Is it any good?
Mia Goes for Great is a gentle, sweet computer adventure for girls. The game models good life lessons by having Mia prepare and work hard for a goal. She learns to handle and eventually win over the "mean" girl. When her family can't afford her new costume, she takes on a part-time job. The game also requires Mia to go to the library to research various questions; and the librarian will be heard reminding Mia that: "School is more important than sports."
The game is set against a beautiful backdrop of snowy landscapes and detailed interiors. However, this game suffers a little from presenting such a small world to explore. While girls won't get lost, they might get tired of returning to the same places over and over again. Also, the game does not automatically save when you quit; so make sure to actively hit "Save" so that you don't lose your game's progress.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about whether Mia being an American Girl doll created more interest in this game. If you didn't know anything about American Girl dolls, would this game be as fun? Did playing this game make you want to learn more about ice skating?
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
Kid, 9 years old
November 13, 2011
AGE
its great
its great
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
i love it and i just sighed up so i feel great
Was this review useful?
|
|
Contact us to give us more feedback on our learning ratings.
Review It
Tell us what you think about our new Learning Ratings.
Great alternatives handpicked by our editors
Already played it? What do you think?
More from Common Sense Media
Top advice and articles
