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  • $19.99-$39.99
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Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom (Wii, PlayStation 2)

common sense media says

Magical preschool adventure is perfect starter game for Wii.


parents & educators say
  • 67% say there are positive messages
  • 44% say there are positive role models

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom is a perfect starter game on the Wii for preschoolers and kindergarteners. Its controls are spot-on for preschoolers, its gameplay is varied and fun, and it even throws in some educational content. Plus, it has a special feature that lets parents or older siblings jump in with a second controller to help at the more challenging places in the game. It has a 2-player cooperative mini-game as well.

Educational value: The game introduces some early learning concepts like colors, shapes, and sizes. It also has problem solving games. Dora is bi-lingual and teaches kids phrases in Spanish.
Positive messages: The clear message is that it is good to help others. A secondary message is that some people can be selfish and do bad things (in this case, it is a king who steals the kingdom's color-producing crystals).
Positive role models: Dora is a great role model for kids. She is smart, sensitive, fearless, and caring. She is loyal to her friends. And best of all, she is fun to be around. She also shares her bilingualism and teaches kids Spanish.
Ease of play: The game was specifically designed for young kids and it is simple to play. Kids hold the Wii remote sideways, and just tilt the controller left or right to make Dora or Boots travel in that direction. To make Dora jump, they push on the "2" button. The game also makes great use of the Wii remote's unique motion controls. It incorporates a variety of everyday motions to make things happen on the screen and these motions are always demonstrated by a video shown in the lower left corner of the screen. The game also offers a "Storybook Helper" option where a parent or older sibling can use a 2nd controller to help at crucial times in the story.
Violence & scariness: One scene shows a little boy knight waving his sword at a flying dragon. But Dora soothes the situation by explaining that the dragon is nice and then lassos the sword away from the knight. It is not at all threatening, but seems out of character.
Language: Not applicable.
Consumerism: The game is based on a direct-to-DVD movie of the same name.

More on Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
  • Families can talk about what it means to be selfish. Why did the King steal the color-producing crystals?

  • Did you choose this game because it is based on a direct-to-DVD movie of the same name? Or was it because you watch the Dora the Explorer TV show?

  • Do you like learning Spanish with Dora? What other languages would it be fun to learn?

What's the story?

What's the story?

In DORA THE EXPLORER: DORA SAVES THE CRYSTAL KINGDOM, Dora and Boots help save the Crystal Kingdom from becoming all gray in color. A selfish king has stolen the color crystals which provide the vibrant hues to this world and hidden them inside storybook worlds. To find the crystals, Dora and Boots must first collect the pages to the storybooks, and then jump inside the books. With Dora, kids will travel to a storybook lands where friendly dragons fly, butterflies live in a cave, and magic castles are wondrous to behold. The game is played by turning the Wii remote sideways and then tilting it in the direction you want Dora to go. During the adventure, Dora will fly using butterfly wings, hop across dancing flowers, and even slide down a dragon's back.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom is a great preschool game. The controls are perfect for preschoolers because all they have to do is hold the controller sideways and then tilt it in the direction they want Dora or Boots to go. Plus, there is always some new big motion to do like swinging the remote above your head to create big brush stokes on the screen to re-color the world. And the game has some learning found in the solve-the-problem games with Backpack. Within the adventure, kids will also help Dora identify shapes, colors, and sizes.

This is a great game to use to introduce preschoolers to gaming because it creates a no-fail environment. It introduces kids to the concepts of video game platforming, but never lets them fail. For example, while you will learn to make Dora jump across the tops of dancing flowers, timing is never really an issue and Dora can never fall off. Also good is the way a parent can help by using a second controller.

Game themes & details

Game Details
Available on: Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 2
Not available online
Genre: Preschool
Developer: 2K Play
Released on: November 5, 2009
Price: 19.99-$39.99
ESRB Rating: E for (No Descriptors)
Screenshots

This review was written by Jinny Gudmundsen
 
 

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What parents & educators say

5
Based on 9 parent & educator reviews:
  • 67% say there are positive messages
  • 44% say there are positive role models
  • 33% say it's educational

Most useful reviews by all members

magasalee
parent of 5 , 5 , and 8 year old
 

jakehomerun109
parent of 10 year old
 
HORRIBLE
worst game ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

cwyatt
parent of 2 and 5 year old
 
Good Beginner game
A good game for preschoolers to learn a game controller. Lots different arm actions with the Wii remote to move Dora along. Additional help narration for new users is good. This help can be skipped individually or turned off the the whole game.

Mr. Karl
parent of 9 year old
 
perfect for 8+
This game is a clear winner and it is such a great experience thank you so much.

caltrate
kid, 5 years old
 
great for kids
love it

vhenz
parent of 5 year old
 
love it

Andarina
parent of 19 year old
 
I Love Dora the expoler
I love this game!

bettylyn1
parent of 7 year old
 
Special needs children and adults
the wrist action of turning the controller in a circle,left to right or back can`t take longer than a few seconds or it will cause the player to shut off the game!I was trying out the game on the wii this a.m., and found it irritating at first because the background music can`t be shut off or lowered. Then, I found Dora was hard to understand. Helpful was the "fairies' who showed up to tell me what to do next .

Swit Swat
kid, 12 years old
 
A good game for young kids can get boring.
This is a good game for little kids. It has nothing bad in it. It teaches children about colors, shapes and the like. The controls are simple to pick up. After all, it is a little kiddie game. Though it is a great game for small children, older kids will find it really boring and dumb. Oh, and the graphics are terrible. Although young kids do not pay attention to that.

Photoreview
kid, 10 years old
 
This Game Is Based In Dora Shows In Nick And Nick Jr.
New Dora's Cooking Club Game

Hiway202 on ...
parent of and 8 , 12 , 12 , 14 year old
 

Kimmies Mom
parent of 5 year old
 
Great for pre-schoolers and elementary aged kids
My daughter loves this game! It did take her a little time to learn how to move Dora, but now she can make her run, walk, and jump. She loves to make Boots jump into the bushes and barrels to explore. She really enjoys "finding" all of the pages to the books and the crystals. I love that it has the help feature where I can take control when she needs the extra little help and also there is a helping Fairy that gives instructions and advice. I like that the assist mode can be turned off for older children!

agentalex
kid, 10 years old
 
as lame as the show but darn great action

Filedchaser
kid, 10 years old
 
IM QUAKING RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!
HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!!

ufo
kid, 11 years old
 
boring baby game

Umbreon0
teen, 13 years old
 
Should be rated M....
This video game should be banned. Dora not only uses terrible grammar, but repeatedly steals whatever they can find to aid themselves. Various characters are nude, such as Swiper or Boots. Extremely violent, even at M level. Obviously, its Dora, so yeah theres consumerism. Strange drinks appear and are hinted to be drugs. Characters smoke and language is out of control. Worst of all, the game ends revealing Dora was the villain and enslaved the world. Terrible, terrible, TERRIBLE.

Atheepic
kid, 11 years old
 
HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORIBBLE VIOLENT
AHHHH THE KNIGHT AND DRAGON IS SO SCARY HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLZ!!!!!!!!! ATHEEPIC WAS AMAZING

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About our rating system
ON: Content is 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