Etch A Sketch

 Review

Common Sense Media says

A fun and refreshingly different puzzle game.
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

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know this game is ideal for players of all ages, though some of the puzzles in the main story mode can be quite tricky to solve and may be too challenging for younger or novice gamers.

  • Not applicable.
  • The game is based on the Etch A Sketch toy, but doesn't try to sell you on it.

What's it about?

Who could forget the beloved 50 year-old children's toy, Etch A Sketch. You know, that rectangular red and grey gizmo that lets you unleash your creativity by using knobs to draw horizontal and vertical lines on a blank screen, and then shake it to start over? Of course you do. Now you can download a digital version of this classic toy, which goes above and beyond the original in the game-play department. In fact, it's really a few separate games and activities in one, and well worth the $20 purchase.

ETCH A SKETCH – yep, it's still goes by the same name – is a casual game with four individual modes available from the main menu. The meatiest is "Knobby's Quest," a story-driven campaign that puts a spin on classic fairy tales. You play as Knobby, a small circular and grey dude, who must navigate through obstacle-laden levels to reach the portal at the end, while also finding artifacts and rescuing hapless little creatures called Knergies (presumably pronounced "kinergies"). It may look like a platformer game, and yes, there's a bit of jumping and gem-collecting involved, but it's really a puzzle game because you must study the path Knobby must take and draw lines to help him get there, such as drawing a ramp from a low spot to a higher one, blocking the path of a nasty creature or drawing a line from ignited TNT to explosive boxes to free Knergies.


Is it any good?

 

Other game modes include "Knobby's Bounce" (which resembles the classic "Arkanoid" or "Breakout" arcade games) and "Etch," where you use the four arrows to draw on the screen, and then save or print your creation. You can also email your drawing to someone -- right from within the game -- but when I sent myself an email with a crudely-drawn house, it never arrived in my inbox. The final mode is a "Color Sketch" art studio that lets you import your black and white drawings to color them and use other tools to dress them up. Great idea! A few pre-made pieces of art are included, too.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about how many of the classic toys and board games from yesteryear are enjoying a digital rebirth in the 21st century. Is this a good thing for nostalgia sake or is it a blatant attempt to cash in on an old, sentimental favorite?


This review was written by Marc Saltzman

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This review was written by Marc Saltzman
Platforms:Windows, Mac
Available online?Not available online
Genre:Puzzle
Developer:Freeze Tag
Release date:July 7, 2008
Price:$19.99
ESRB rating:NR

This review was written by Marc Saltzman

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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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