Common Sense Media Review
By Christopher Healy
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fun set of mini-games with simple, kid-friendly controls.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Cars Toon: Mater's Tall Tales
What's It About?
CARS TOON: MATER'S TALL TALES is a video game adaptation of a series of Pixar cartoons that feature characters from the movie Cars. Mater the towtruck treats his friends to hard-to-believe stories that are supposedly from his own history, and those tall tales are acted out in a series of mini-games. Players create their own car characters that join Mater in his flashbacks, working alongside him as heroes in his stories. Over the course of the five "tall tales," you'll get to put out fires, perform stunts, dodge bulldozers, race against "ninja cars," flee from UFOs, and more. With coins you earn after each game, you can customize your vehicle with cool, flashy, or goofy accessories.
Is It Any Good?
You might not expect much from a video game based on a cartoon based on a movie, but Cars Toon: Mater's Tall Tales is a fun and very well put together collection of mini-games for young kids. Experienced gamers might well think of the activities here as being too simple, but they're not really the intended audience. Young kids (and their parents) who are looking for an enjoyable, not-too-daunting gaming experience will get a major treat from this game. The thirty mini-games available here offer a load of variety and a surprising amount of originality. And the customization feature offers a very nice reward system -- doling out coins to all the players, not just the winner.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about lying. What is the difference between a "tall tale" and a lie? Is one worse than the other? Is it ever okay to lie?
Also, this game is designed for families to play together. Can video games be a good activity for parents and children to experience together? How can playing games together help family relationships?
Game Details
- Platform : Nintendo Wii
- Pricing structure :
- Available online? : Not available online
- Publisher : Disney Interactive
- Release date : October 19, 2010
- Genre : Mini-games
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : November 11, 2020
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate