My son just turned three and I was very, very hesitant to buy him a video game. He's never played one before, and we generally watch very little TV and only PBS, nothing commercial. The one exception is Ni Hao Kai Lan. My son is Vietnamese and there are very few Asian characters in kid's TV/games. So, I bought this game for him and we've played it four times so far...and, he loves it. I limit it to twice a week for 15 minutes per session. The game has a variety of mini-games, some Asian themed, some not. My son especially likes the Bubble Pop, Butterfly Catch, Dragon Parade, and Balloon Toss games. He needs a little help with controlling the characters, but is picking up the hand-eye coordination needed quickly. My six year old niece was over this past week and she enjoyed the game quite a bit, too. So, I'm pretty sure he'll enjoy this game for a few years to come, which is nice.
Ni Hao, Kai-Lan: Super Game Day
(2009, Video Games - Mini Games, Rated E, Play it on: Nintendo Wii)
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Sweet, easy mini-games are well designed for preschoolers.
In this game kids can: get active, improve hand-eye coordination, play multiplayer games, play with others
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 4 and Up
The good stuff
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Ease of play:
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Educational value:
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Role models:
What to watch out for
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Violence & scariness:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of Ni Hao, Kai-Lan: Super Game Day was written by Christopher Healy
Parents need to know that this sweet-hearted collection of mini games is a near perfect entry point for very young children who've never played video games before. There is absolutely nothing objectionable about the characters or their behavior. And the controls -- one simple motion for most of the mini-games -- could not be easier to pick up. Many of the games are also designed for active play. Parents of easily distracted children should also be aware that there are only twelve mini games to choose from, only a few minutes long each.
Families Can Talk About
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More on Ni Hao, Kai-Lan: Super Game Day
What’s the Story?
In NI HAO, KAI-LAN: SUPER GAME DAY, Kai-Lan and her animal friends (the cast of the Nick Jr cartoon) celebrate the fictional holiday of Super Game Day by playing together in a series of competitions, many of which are monitored by Kai-Lan's grandfather, Yeh-Yeh. Games include rowing a dragon boat, popping bubbles, blocking soccer balls, participating in a parade, flying a kite, and performing a Simon-Says-style dance, among others.
Is It Any Good?
Audience age for Ni Hao, Kai-Lan: Super Game Day probably maxes out around six, but for younger children, there's a lot to love here. The graphics are bright and colorful, the characters cute and friendly. The games have lots of kid appeal (butterflies and bubbles always work for that) and all have easy enough controls that "I can't make it work!" frustrations should be at a minimum. Many of the controls are designed with pantomime movments (swinging a net, waving a fan, paddling with an oar, marching with a parade float), which gives the entire game a "let's play pretend" feel. Super Game Day's only negative is the small number of mini-games to choose from. For preschoolers, twelve games may be plenty, but it still would have been nice to have more content. There could be more characters, too -- especially girls, as Kai-Lan herself is the only female in the game.
Publisher’s Details
Developer: 2K Play
Released on: 11/3/2009, Price: $39.99, not online enabled
ESRB Rating: E for (No Descriptors)
Released on: 11/3/2009, Price: $39.99, not online enabled
ESRB Rating: E for (No Descriptors)
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I rate this title on for age 3 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Safety isn't an issue
- Easy to play
A variety of fun games for younger kids
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