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Ni Hao, Kai-Lan: Super Game Day

(2009, Video Games - Mini Games, Rated E, Play it on: Nintendo Wii)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 3, age appropriate for kids over 3; suggested age 4.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • 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 on for Ages 4 and Up

The good stuff

  • Ease of play:

    The challenge level of this game is near perfect for preschoolers (the intended audience). In games such as badminton, players don't need to make their characters run after the birdie -- running is automatic, so players need only swing their Wii remotes when the birdie cues them to with a glow. In a water balloon toss, players don't need to aim at targets -- they will automatically hit one if they make the "throw" motion when the object glows their color.

  • Educational value:

    In explaining the various games, Kai-Lan occasionally imparts some Mandarin words and their meanings.

  • Messages:

    The characters go out of their way to voice positive reinforcement to kids who are playing. At the end of a game, a child's character may make comments such as, "That was hard, but I did good," or "I did my best."

  • Role models:

    The characters encourage one another and are all good sports, win or lose. While there are several male characters, Kai-Lan is the only female in the game.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence & scariness:

    Water balloons are thrown at inanimate objects.

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    The game comes packaged with a code coupon for a free one-month subscription to a Nickelodeon online service. The instruction booklet also has three pages of ads for other Nickelodon video games.
 

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

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about why it's important to spend fun playtime with loved ones. How can playing together help a family?
  • Families can also talk about good sportsmanship. How can someone be a good winner and a good loser?
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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. Close

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.  Close

Publisher’s Details

Released on 11/3/2009, price $39.99, not online enabled
ESRB rating: E (for (No Descriptors))

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