Common Sense Media Review
By Christopher Healy
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Mini-games with a control scheme only an ogre could love.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Medieval Games
What's It About?
While essentially a collection of sword-and-sorcery-themed mini-games, MEDIEVAL GAMES also contains three storybook "board games." Players roll dice and move around a gameboard, a la Mario Party, playing the mini-game directed by the space they land on. Each of these storybook games tells a chapter of the main story: The prince of Veloria is required by law to marry, so his father the king sets up various festivals and tournaments, through which he plans to find him a suitable bride. The mini-games try to hit as many fairy-tale staples as possible. Some examples include, using a battering ram, archery, sword dueling, jousting, dodging an ogre's hammer, mixing potions, and wrestling pigs (okay, that last one's not much of a staple).
Is It Any Good?
There is potential for Medieval Games to be a fun party experience, but only when the mini-games are played individually. That way, players can avoid the ones with near-unusable controls. Unfortunately, many of the games need to be unlocked through playing the three "board games." The biggest problem with the board games is repetition. Each one uses only 3 or 4 of the minigames, meaning the players end up racing horses or shooting arrows at fruit over and over again in the course of a single game. It's probably best to try the game first with a rental, to see if you're intrigued enough to want more.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the use of caricatures in the game. Are these characters realistic in any way? Can you relate to them? Do you think we're meant to admire these characters, or laugh at them?
Parents can also discuss good sportsmanship. When playing with others, how can you be competitive and still be a good friend?
Game Details
- Platform : Nintendo Wii
- Pricing structure :
- Available online? : Not available online
- Publisher : Vir2L Studios
- Release date : October 21, 2009
- Genre : Mini-games
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : June 22, 2022
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