The Daring Game for Girls (Wii, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi)

There is a whole lot to like about The Daring Game for Girls. It presents a wholesome, productive, diverse, fun vision of childhood -- and will likely inspire players to try to replicate some of it in their real lives. There's a ton of variety -- at any point in the game, it always feels like there's something else to do. And it's built in a great way where, if there's a part of the game that's not your thing, you don't need to spend time on it. For instance, if you don't like trivia, you can still achieve all your goals and reach the game's conclusion without playing through the trivia quizzes. Or if you think the gardening is too monotonous, just don't use the garden. There's almost total freedom.

On the negative side, there is a tad too much promoting of the book. And the ending is sadly lame. After all that work and saving up for your big outdoor adventure, you don't get to actually play through the vacation -- it's just shown to you in pictures. Luckily, you can keep playing after that point. But it's easy to overlook those flaws when you're so thrilled to find a game for girls that has nothing whatsoever to do with clothes.