 | 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. |
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? Make the Grade
- Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, Windows
- Price: $29.99
- Genre: Party
Common Sense Media says
Fun trivia game with multiple subjects, questions, modes.
Parents say
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this is a game based on the television show of the same name. Kids will learn academic facts by playing this game, and it's the type of game you can play together in front of the same PC or TV. This game offers good, clean family fun.
What's it about?
Based on the popular television quiz show, this entertaining and interactive sequel once again has you as a virtual contestant on Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?, with more than 6,000 grade school questions in nearly two-dozen categories. Create a character from scratch (or click "randomize" if you could care less) and then select one of five fifth graders to help you answer multiple choice questions at the podium.
Examples of questions range from easy: "What day of the week does Thanksgiving fall on?" (answer is Thursday) to the more difficult: "Who is the Mexican artist famous for painting murals on public buildings?: Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo, Pedro Friedeberg, or Diego Rivera (answer is Rivera). Some questions include images, too, such as "What is the following musical symbol called: #. Is it Sharp, Flat, Natural or Coda (answer is Sharp). As in the TV show, if you need some help answering a questions you can choose to "copy" your classmate's answer, "peek" at your classmate's answer (and decide if it's right or not) or have your classmate "save" you if they've got the answer right.
Is it any good?
In the main game mode, Homeroom, your goal is to work your way up to
the $1 million dollar grand prize by successfully answering questions
from the board in categories such as Math, English, History, Music, and
so on. But the real fun is playing against family members, such as your
spouse or children, in one of three multiplayer modes: Academic Academy
(1 to 4 players), Flashcards (1 or 2 players, competing simultaneously)
or Spelling Bee (identify misspelled words against an opponent). Other
fun extras include earning gold stars, earning a spot on the Honor Roll
(by answering all the questions correctly), and the ability to distract
opponents with paper airplanes or spitballs.
The game looks, sounds, and plays just like the TV show in the PC version we tested (it's also available on the Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, Xbox 360, and Sony PlayStation 2), and the mouse controls are easy and responsive. Therefore, this game will most definitely satisfy fans of the TV series and trivia buffs alike; but keep in mind that eventually you will see all the questions this game has to offer and then there's no reason to play it again; too bad there isn't an option to download additional sets of questions as you can with some other trivia games.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about whether the game makers did a goob job by making you feel like a contestant with the familiar graphics, host, and sound effects. Or did the "virtual" Jeff Foxworthy turn you off (opposed to showing a real video of his hosting duties) and the fact the game doesn't say the name you type in as they do the five grade school children? Or are you forgiving of these minor issues? Does playing this game make you want to try to be a contestant?
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- Parents
- Teens & kids
AGE
Good trivia game may sicken some people.
There are people who do not like trivia games. Some think it is for nerds. Well, they are wrong. Everyone should play trivia games. It is very educational. Although this one is not as good as some others, it is still great for learning. Kids under 8 might not like this game, because some questions are too hard for them.
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AGE
A good game that you should consider buying.
This is my review of Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader for the Nintendo Wii. This game is simple and it works much like the TV show. Obviously you have ten questions to answer. You can afford to miss one of these ten questions because if your fifth grade partner gets the question right, he or she bails you out. You also have a peek and a copy. A peek is where you have the ability to look at your partners answer and then decide for yourself if its right or wrong. A copy is not quite as good because if you select this option you must use your partners response and you have no choice in the matter, like the show. Now if you manage to survive these ten questions (which are organized by category), you move on to the million dollar question which will give you, go figure......a millio dollars. The game is fun and offers several options other than the main game, such as a multiplayer option and a few other mini games. Now at times this game is boring, which detracts from it's charm. The graphics need work too, but I did have fun with this game. 29.99 is a bit high for this game but if you see it for twenty or lower go ahead and buy it.
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| Platforms: | Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, Windows |
| Available online? | Not available online |
| Genre: | Party |
| Developer: | THQ |
| Release date: | November 20, 2008 |
| Price: | $29.99 |
| ESRB rating: | E for N/A |
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