The Island of Dr. Frankenstein (Wii)

THE ISLAND OF DR. FRANKENSTEIN is a simple and gentle tale of a boy who lives on an island that has been lifted into the sky by fans created by the mysterious Dr. Frankenstein. His primary responsibility is to maintain the machinery that keeps the island afloat, which involves tending to the fans and sucking up the pesky white vapors that slowly gather around them. But, he finds himself doing a lot more than that, including helping villagers with tasks such as procuring candy, chickens, or mechanical parts. There’s no violence in the game, making it quite safe for young children, so long as they can read the short text dialogue bubbles that pop up when chatting with non-player characters.

This is a game best thought of as a child’s introduction to the world of adventure and role-playing games. Its world is small and painless to navigate, the story is mellow and easy to digest, and the controls are dead simple. However, it’s also less polished—and less fun—than, say, a Mario game. The blocky, texture-less graphics are decidedly dated and the music extremely repetitive. What’s more, the activities in which the player engages are uninspired and derivative. There are no fatal flaws, but it does feel like a very short, bare-bones adventure. Its attractive bargain price of $19.99 is what ends up earning the game a somewhat hesitant thumbs-up.

Available on: Nintendo Wii
Not available online
Genre: Action/Adventure
Developer: Storm City Games
Released on: November 3, 2009
Price: 19.99
ESRB Rating: E for (No Descriptors)