 | 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. |
Golden Sun: Dark Dawn
- Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi
- Price: $34.99
- Genre: Role Playing
Common Sense Media says
Outstanding RPG offers fine role models, great puzzles.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Golden Sun: Dark Dawn is a turn-based role-playing game in which players use magic and melee weapons to fight fantastical creatures. The violence is moderate -- kids see only a flash of light when enemies are hit. The game’s heroes are a brave and clever bunch, often risking themselves on behalf of others. They are forced to solve a wide variety of environmental puzzles with their magical abilities. Parents should note that this game requires good reading skills; its epic story and all instructions are presented through text.
What's it about?
GOLDEN SUN: DARK DAWN picks up 30 years after the last game in the series. Near the end of the previous entry, the dying world of Weyard experienced a massive outpouring of magical energy that brought it back to life but also caused global catastrophes. Now, decades later, the world is still recovering and changing. The game’s heroes -- the children of the previous game’s primary protagonists -- set out on their own adventure. At first, their goal is simply to find a missing part to help one of their fathers rebuild a hang glider, but it soon transforms into helping others in distress and eventually becomes a mission to save the world. As usual for the franchise, the action is composed of traditional turn-based battles mixed with a liberal dose of environmental puzzles in which players must use magic to move obstacles, burn impediments, grow vine-like ladders, and blow platforms into the air.
Is it any good?
The third game in this beloved series of handheld role-playing games delivers a conventional -- but refined -- experience. The writing is concise and compelling, turn-based battles are quick yet demand strategy, and the puzzles -- the heart of the game -- are familiar but challenging. What’s more, collecting those devilishly hard-to-find djinn -- magical creatures that can be assigned to characters to change their statistics, class, and powers -- is as habit-forming as it was in previous Golden Suns.
But while Dark Dawn may recall earlier games, it’s not without innovation. One of its cleverest new features is an encyclopedia that can be accessed by tapping on words in the game’s text dialogue, much as one would click a hyperlink on a web page. This action calls up an efficient description of the person, place, or thing referenced, and should prove an invaluable aid for players new to the series. Consequently, it matters not whether you’ve played previous games in the series; Dark Dawn can be great fun for anyone who enjoys role-playing, puzzles, and the occasional turn-based battle.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about violence in games. What rules of thumb do you follow when determining whether a game is too violent or scary for your kids? How do you know when your kids might be ready to take on something more mature?
Families can also discuss how and whether games can help improve a child’s reasoning skills. Do you think learning to understand and solve puzzles in games can be beneficial to kids’ development?
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Kid, 12 years old
December 17, 2010
AGE
Awesome!
Awesome Game. I Played The First One. It's Great!
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AGE
Good for any one.
Played the first game when I was 6, first game I got and I still feel that game is the greatest game I have ever played. Appropriate for all ages.
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AGE
Another Classic; And I got mine for free.
I loved the original Golden Sun for the GBA and I was psyched when I heard this one was coming out. Something about that classic RPG feel and the puzzles that I've always loved in a good RPG game, and anyone who's played the first knows it's more then just a classic. Unfortunately it was impossible for me to be able to get this game for myself during its release, but then I ran into this thing called Prizerebel when I was searching on the web for a way to get it. It's this group that seriously gives you free video games for doing simple surveys! I was a bit skeptical about it too at first, but after googling around and finding out it wasn't a scam site, I decided to give it a try, and in no time I got myself a copy of Dark Dawn for my DS! I highly suggest anyone to give Prizerebel a shot.
*tinyurl*/2falfwg
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Kid, 10 years old
April 1, 2011
AGE
GOOD
Lots of puzzels some violence.
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| Platforms: | Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi |
| Available online? | Not available online |
| Genre: | Role Playing |
| Developer: | Nintendo |
| Release date: | November 29, 2010 |
| Price: | $34.99 |
| ESRB rating: | E10+ for Mild Fantasy Violence |
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