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Jake Power: Fireman

(2009, Video Games - Action/Adventure, Rated E, Play it on: Nintendo DS)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 4, age appropriate for kids over 5; suggested age 5.
  • Is it any good?

    4.0
  • Common Sense says

    Great action game for little kids who revere firemen.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 5 and Up

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    The game introduces boys to several of the jobs a firefighter must do. This game quite cleverly teaches kids about the job of a firefighter by letting them play firefighting minigames including stomping out fires and spraying them with hoses.
  • Messages:

    Jake Power is a good role model for little boys. He is brave and heroic as he fights fires, and rescues animals and people.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence & scariness:

    While children will seeing raging fires, no one ever gets hurt. If they fail in putting out the fire, the game stops and they simply try again.
  • Language:

    Not an issue.
  • Consumerism:

    This is part of a series of Jake Power games geared at 5-8 year olds, which introduce young boys to different professions.
 

What Parents Need to Know

This review of Jake Power: Fireman was written by Jinny Gudmundsen

Parents need to know that this game is targeted at little boys ages 5-8 who like action games. Players can only play as Jake Power with no option to be a female firefighter. While Jake does have to fight fires, he is never injured, and no one ever dies. It has just the right balance of showing the seriousness of fires going out of control without scaring the player. The player is tasked with putting out the fire or rescuing the person or animal in trouble, so they end up feeling like a hero.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about what fireman do in real life. By playing this game, did you learn anything about firemen that you didn't already know. Did you know that women can be firefighters too? Which of the minigames did you like best?
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More on Jake Power: Fireman

What’s the Story?

For little boys who love to pretend to be firefighters, JAKE POWER: FIREMAN is a great fit. The game lets boys control Jake Power as he learns to be a fireman. Jake goes on a series of missions which see him rescuing a cat, fighting lots of fires, and even stopping water from leaking from the town's water tower. The 12 rescue missions are made up of a series of firefighting minigames.

Kids can choose to simply go on the missions or play them in a story context. In both modes, each mission always start with a race through the city streets, where kids get to drive the fire rescue vehicle as it weaves between traffic while deciding when to blow the siren to make cars get out of the way. The rest of the mission is played out by exploring several minigames, which rotate, depending on the mission. Kids will use the stylus and the microphone to play the minigames. Winning the minigames earns stars, which can be used to unlock new accessories to be put on the fire engine.

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Is It Any Good?

This game does a great job of showing kids some of the jobs that firemen perform. And it does it in a manner that is exciting but never too scary. The sound effects and music create a sense of urgency but most of the minigames are pretty simple to win so that you can complete the rescue mission. The minigames are quite creative in figuring out ways to get kids involved in the actions of a firefighter. For example, kids will put out fires by tapping on the flames that leap out of buildings, or spraying erupting fires with a fire hose. In another mingame, kids will unwind hoses by following prompts on the screen to draw a circle in a clockwise or counterclockwise manner. They can even control Jake's fire-resistant boot and stomp out flames.

A minor flaw is that you have to succeed at each minigame before proceeding forward, but if you fail, you can replay the minigame as many times as need be. The adventure mode adds a zany story about fire-inducing hamburgers. If you have a little boy who reveres firemen, pick this one up. It is quite well done.

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Publisher’s Details

Released on 2/17/2009, price $29.99, not online enabled
ESRB rating: E (for (No Descriptors))

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 1.0

  2. Kid Reviewer Age 4
    Lives in New Jersey
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 1.0

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