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  • $39.99
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Ni Hao, Kai-Lan: Super Game Day (Wii)

common sense media says

Sweet, easy mini-games are well designed for preschoolers.


parents & educators say
  • 67% say there are positive role models
  • 67% say there are positive messages

What parents need to know

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.

Educational value: In explaining the various games, Kai-Lan occasionally imparts some Mandarin words and their meanings.
Positive 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."
Positive 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.
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.
Violence & scariness: Water balloons are thrown at inanimate objects.
Language: Not applicable.
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.

More on Ni Hao, Kai-Lan: Super Game Day

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
  • 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?

What's the story?

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?

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. 

Game themes & details

Game Details
Available on: Nintendo Wii
Not available online
Genre: Mini-games
Developer: 2K Play
Released on: November 3, 2009
Price: 39.99
ESRB Rating: E for (No Descriptors)
Screenshots

This review was written by Christopher Healy
 
 

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What parents & educators say

3
Based on 3 parent & educator reviews:
  • 67% say there are positive role models
  • 67% say there are positive messages

Most useful reviews by all members

Cooldee
parent
 
Perfect for everybody!
I think that it teaches children of preschool age the Mandarin Chinese langauge, friendship, and love.

asears87
parent of 5 year old
 
Perfect for my 4 year old

CobaltDragon
parent of 4 year old
 
A variety of fun games for younger kids
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.

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About our rating system
ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child, some content may not be right for some kids
OFF: Not age appropriate for kids this age