 | ON: Content is age-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. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
SimAnimals
- Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS
- Price: $30-50
- Genre: Simulation
Common Sense Media says
You play as the hand of nature in this fabulous forest sim.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this is a nature simulation game that combines rules found in nature with fantasy. Animals can eat one another, but nothing is shown – all you see is a cloud of dust and then an announcement that an animal has died. Procreation is likewise not shown – animals are seen as being affectionate to one another (as in intertwining necks, etc) and then babies just show up. There is some comic mischief in suggested tasks which have negative consequences; as when you are told to provoke a skunk into spraying you, and when you do, your avatar (a white hand) faints. The Wii version deals with pollution issues. To play it alone, you must be old enough to read. But younger children will enjoy exploring this game with older siblings or parents on the Wii which offers cooperative gameplay for up to 4 players.
What's it about?
SIMANIMALS is a forest simulation in which you control all the animals and plants found in a variety of locations. The overall goal of the game is to keep everyone happy, which is monitored on a happiness bar shown at the top of the screen. Animals need food, shelter, sleep, mates, and fun. Plants need the right soil with the right amount of moisture. By planting trees, bushes, and flowers, you coax certain animals to check out your part of the forest. And when these herbivores arrive, their predators aren't far behind. You can intervene in their interactions including picking up animals and depositing them far away.
Playing as the white hand of nature, you start in just one environment which is open to your ministrations. However, as you make the plants and animals happy by doing things like dropping acorns near squirrels or moving maple trees into grassy areas, the happiness of your forest increases to the point that a new environment becomes available to you. You will find new animals and plants in each new environment including waddling ducks, shy skunks, busy beavers, and playful bears. And each location is full of unique challenges that you can choose to pursue or not.
Is it any good?
This is a deep and intriguing nature simulation that will appeal to both kids and adults. It does a great job of teaching you how to play game by offering nature challenges. Most of the information you discover about the animals is true; but the game also introduces fantasy elements that add zing, including the ability to send lightning bolts to destroy intrusive plants.
By playing SimAnimals, kids will learn about the interconnectivity of plants and animals, and, in the Wii game, about how pollution affects us all. Since there is no "right" way to play in this giant sandbox, every time you start a new game it is different. Also, for kids who are real animal-lovers, one of the fantasy elements of the game is that you can reprogram a predators' eating habits so that no animal ever eats another. The Wii version allows up to four players to explore an environment together making it a great game for families to play together.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about how this simulation is true to life and in which ways it is fantasy. Would the game have been as fun if it didn't have the fantasy elements? Did it bother you when your animal friends were eaten by other animals? Or, did you protect them?
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- Teens & kids
AGE
I smile ! I cry !!!
Nothing...just want to be who I am...hehehheee....
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AGE
Mixed feelings about this game
Not really sure how to rate this. My daughter rented it and I thought my younger son would hate it (no action) but he played it almost as much as she did. They seemed to have a lot of fun but a lot of it seemed repetitive and boring to me when I watched (although they had no complaints). Both kids felt like they would be able to beat the game really quickly so it may not be worth buying. I wouldn't exactly call it educational, although it did touch on some environmental topics. Easy to play if you can read & follow directions. Fairly intuitive. Sensitive kids might get stressed over the idea of "their" animal getting eaten by predators. The animals are kind of cute... nothing really bad but nothing outstanding either.
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AGE
Great game. Some stress for sensitive kids.
Can be stressful to sensitive kids; animals eat each other, some plants are limited, requires some planning/memory/shifting between environments.
It is one of our favorites.
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AGE
Urm... nothing like the other Sim games.
You'd expect it to be the exact same thing as Sims... but it's almost the opposite. It's fun for the first 15 minutes, but then it's boring. The beaver level is impossible. (I think...)
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AGE
eh
this game is kind of stupid, you get bored preety easily and its kind of hard to keep the animals happy
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AGE
interesting sim game
Interesting game, fun for child to learn about animal habitats and how different decisions make an impact thru the ecosystem. It was pretty easy to join my child and play together, although it takes some coordinating, which is also great. However, like some others have said, she was sad when some of her favorite animals die (it's always difficult, isn't it, after you name an animal?) and eventually she was so concerned about the toxic spill and its effect that she didn't want to play anymore! But she did enjoy it for quite a while and some kids wouldn't be especially bothered by these things. I may be reaching here, but it also has a positive message that people can make the earth more livable and protecting wildlife is a great thing.
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Kid, 12 years old
November 6, 2011
AGE
Best Game I've Ever Played
I got this game a year ago and I love it! It has positive messages because it teaches children to take care of the environment and it's educational because it teaches kids what different animals eat and where they live. Overall this game is very fun and is a good investment of money because you'll never be bored of playing this game! I think it's good for kids 8 and up because it can be a bit frustrating getting your animals eaten and you need to be able to read well to play.
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| Platforms: | Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS |
| Available online? | Not available online |
| Genre: | Simulation |
| Developer: | Electronic Arts |
| Release date: | January 21, 2009 |
| Price: | $30-50 |
| ESRB rating: | E for Comic Mischief |
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