Imagine Reporter (Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi)

Imagine Reporter is a simple game, but it’s polished, fun, and at times even a bit inventive. The best mini-games are those that most closely resemble what a real reporter does, such as waiting for a subject to strike a pose before snapping a photograph, or scribbling out notes on the touch screen while listening to an interviewee talk, then referencing them to recall specific facts. Other games, such as one in which you have to remember patterns of depressed keys on a keyboard and then repeat them (it’s supposed to represent writing the story) are less authentic and, consequently, less compelling.

Overall, though, it’s a good game for girls. It gives players a glimpse into the daily routine of a journalist and features plenty of positive female role models. It is a shame, though, that there isn’t an option to select a male avatar. We suspect there are some boys out there who might have reporter aspirations of their own, but, for better or worse, wouldn’t touch a game in which they had to play as a girl.