Diary Girl

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Digital diary can't replace pen and paper.
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

Not yet rated

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this game is the equivalent of the average 'tween girl fashion magazine in terms of depth. There's an online component where players can play mini-games and chat with friends (by typing text or drawing pictures) either locally or over WiFi, and add friends to a buddylist. To add a friend they will have to know them already and specifically ask for that player's "Friend Code" that comes with each game.


What's it about?

DIARY GIRL isn't a game in the traditional sense, but rather a kind of all-purpose digital day timer targeting young girls. Opening up the application, which requires the Nintendo DS to be held sideways like a book, gives the owner access to a calendar (that goes all the way to 2020) that they can tap to add diary entries to a specific day of the week using a virtual keyboard, and add icons to represent feelings and weather conditions.

Users can personalize the "front cover" of the diary with stickers, draw or color in pictures with a Paint program, and create a personal avatar by customizing clothing and physical features. There's also a calculator and a horoscope, which offers monthly forecasts, love advice, and handy tips -- like the fact that you can stick your nails in a bowl of cold water if you want your nail polish to dry faster. Diary Girl also features a handful of mini-games that can be played either alone or with a friend wirelessly. These are extremely simple, though fun, diversions that include mah jong, a music game, a jigsaw puzzle, and a maze where the goal is to navigate through with the stylus collecting gems and keys. The diary can be "locked" with a password to keep out prying eyes, although the password can also be reset through a simple procedure, meaning information is never completely private.


Is it any good?

 

Diary Girl is by no means broken or bad, but it comes off as simplistic compared to other application-like DS titles like Brain Age and Jam Sessions, and isn't likely to hold any long-term appeal. Furthermore, there's something special about a hand-written journal (or even digital files that can be stored and transferred to CDs) that a confined, cartridge-based application just can't match.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about why it's fun to keep a journal, and brainstorm different topics to write about each day. Parents might want to use Diary Girl as a stepping stone towards a more permanent paper journal or online diary (where kids can additionally hone writing and typing skills).


This review was written by Erin Bell
Kid, 13 years old
January 6, 2009
 
"I am ready!"
I am ready to dance in front of the school. MY school is called Dogwood Elementry school. "oh, my god, iI think I am going to be embarrase. We are going to performe of Friday maybe I've done this twice I did one in Step it Up and now I am doing it Hip Hop Fun it is in intersection so thats the whole thing what it is going to happen.

Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 11 years old
April 9, 2008
 

Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 12 years old
May 31, 2010
 
it is good for the age of 7+
I love it

Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 12 years old
March 12, 2011
 
WELL
Why don't you just stick with a REAL journal, or if you like "diary of a wimpy kid", then you CAn get a "diary of a wimpy kid do it yourself book".

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This review was written by Erin Bell
Platforms:Nintendo DS
Available online?Not available online
Genre:Simulation
Developer:Konami
Release date:March 18, 2008
Price:$29.99
ESRB rating:E for Mild Cartoon Violence

This review was written by Erin Bell

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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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