 | 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. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Freddi Fish: ABC's Under the Sea
- Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi
- Price: $19.99
- Genre: Preschool
Common Sense Media says
Cute early-education game marred by design flaws.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Freddi Fish: ABC's Under the Sea is a set of early education mini-games that are aimed at kids ages three through five. The look and feel of the game are very well designed to appeal to that preschool audience, but some pf the mini-games are marred by design flaws that may either make the game too easy ("Ship Shape") or too frustrating ("Refrigerator Magnets"). The best way to fix or avoid such problems: Be there to help your child as she plays.
What's it about?
FREDDI FISH: ABC's UNDER THE SEA is a selection of educational mini-games featuring characters from the award-winning Freddi Fish series of PC games. In this Nintendo DS version, kids use a touchscreen to trace letters, circle different amounts of seahorses, arrange alphabet noodles to spell short words, point out mismatched costumes, organize garbage into piles, play with letter-shaped refrigerator magnets, and draw pictures in the sand. Parents can check on which games their child is playing, and what kind of progress has been made in each activity.
Is it any good?
Freddi Fish: ABC's Under the Sea is a good-hearted game with some fun parts, but on the whole, it feels like a pale impersonation of the excellent Freddi Fish PC games. First, it's worth noting that despite the title, only four of the eight mini-games involve letters. And then there are a couple of control and design flaws. The educational aspect of one letter-tracing game is compromised by permitting kids to scribble randomly over a letter in order to get it scored as correct. An activity that lets children spell their own words with moveable letter magnets can grow frustrating when the game -- which only allows you to have five letters at a time -- gives you an unusable selection of letters, such as AIJUA. On the whole, the timed activities go on for too long; what starts off as fun for a preschooler can grow into tedium by the end of the lengthy activity. Freddi Fish isn't a bad game, per se, but it misfires in too many places to get a truly positive recommendation.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about about limiting screen time. Introducing preschoolers to their first video game is a great opportunity for a discussion of setting limits. Even educational games should not be played for hours on end.
Parents can also ask their children how they can apply the lessons learned in the game to the real world around them.
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| Platforms: | Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi |
| Available online? | Not available online |
| Genre: | Preschool |
| Developer: | Atari |
| Release date: | October 5, 2010 |
| Price: | $19.99 |
| ESRB rating: | EC for (No Descriptors) (Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi) |
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