DualPenSports

Review

Common Sense Media says

Sports game's unique two-stylus control works well.
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
 
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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that DualPenSports is the first game of its kind that requires players to use two styluses at once (the game comes packed with two styluses). Sports like archery, soccer, and baseball appear in the game. There is also a boxing mini-game that involves punching and knocking out opponents, but it is presented in the context of a sports arena as a regulated competition as opposed to a display of senseless violence.

  • Positive messages1
    This game features several sporting events and everything encourages friendly, healthy competition among players. Players will also learn that practice makes perfect.
  • Positive role models1
    All characters in the game serve as role models of sorts, because this title is about friendly, respectful competition. However, with the absence of a storyline or strong character interaction, there are no specific role models to point to.
  • Ease of play2
    Because this game uses a new control style -- operating two styluses simultaneously -- it takes a while to get used to. And while many of the activities work well with these controls, a couple, like the soccer mini-game, feel overly cumbersome. For the most part, the controls do become rather fluid with repetition, but with some of the mini-games it doesn't work quite as well.
  • Violence2
    One of the sporting activities in this game is boxing, which allows players to punch opponents from a first-person perspective. The matches are presented in the form of professional exhibitions, but there are some effects that highlight the violent content -- players wobble around if they run low on energy, and bright bursts of light appear alongside punching sound effects. Boxing is the only activity that has violent content.
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What's it about?

In DualPenSports, players choose from seven different sporting events including baseball, boxing, and soccer, although they are all mini-games and not full-featured sports activities. For example, soccer is just a "Penalty Kicks" mini-game, and the baseball event includes a series of home run challenges. Players can also create their own in-game avatar to personalize their experience.

Is it any good?

 

While sports-themed mini-games are a dime a dozen in the video game market these days, DUALPENSPORTS manages to differentiate itself in a big way by being the first to have dual-stylus controls. In order to play, players have to set their 3DS down on a table and use two styluses -- one in each hand -- to control the game. For example, in the soccer mini-game, players use their left hand to move and their right hand to kick the ball. Most of the activities work really well with these controls, although obviously it makes the 3DS a much less portable system.

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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about the impact of media violence. What do you think about the boxing mini-game?

  • Are there any of these sports you would like to play in real life?

  • How does this game offer a competitive spirit without being fierce or vindictive?

This review was written by Mark Raby

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This review was written by Mark Raby
Topics:sports and martial arts
Platforms:Nintendo 3DS
Available online?Not available online
Genre:Simulation
Developer:Namco Bandai
Release date:June 21, 2011
Price:$39.99
ESRB rating:E10+ for Mild Cartoon Violence
This review was written by Mark Raby

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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.
Our child development rating guidelines

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