Crush 3D
Common Sense says
- Nintendo 3DS
- $29.99
- 2012
Parents say
Kids say
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this game.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Crush 3D is a puzzle game that allows players to change not only the perspective from which the view their surroundings, but also switch the environment from two dimensions to three, then back again. Players must think through both logic and strategy, and consider consequences before taking action. There is some mild violence, but it's directed at bugs, which are squished and squirt yellow goo. Parents need to remember that Nintendo is warning parents not to allow kids age six and under to view the graphics in 3D because that viewing "may cause vision damage." The Nintendo 3DS offers parents the ability to lock out the use of 3D graphics in the system's Parental Controls. This game also has the option of using StreetPass, a feature where player information can be passed to others. It too can be turned off.
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User Reviews
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Good, but really hard.
What's it about?
A wacky professor has come up with a way for people to experience worlds that shift between two and three dimensions in CRUSH 3D for Nintendo 3DS. Players take on the role of a young man who unwittingly becomes a guinea pig for the professor's experiments. He finds himself inhabiting virtual environments in his subconscious that can be \"crushed,\" flattening them to two dimensions. You can also shift the camera around our protagonist, allowing you to crush the environment from new angles. This unique mechanic allows our hero to bypass and overcome obstacles, find hidden collectibles, and squish the occasional bug on his way toward finding an exit in each of the game's 50 or so puzzles.
Is it any good?
Crush 3D is clever and fun, but it may well break your brain. Imagining what an environment will look like transformed from three dimensions to two -- or back again -- is harder than you make think. Thank goodness the game’s developer, Zoe Mode, is forgiving in the game's design. The puzzles are challenging, but there are plenty of save points. And crushing never has fatal results -- though you can accidentally jump off ledges if you aren’t careful. It's also a case of a game in which the 3DS’s stereoscopic display is a true benefit.
It could be a little more robust -- a game that costs $30 should last longer than five or six hours -- but there's little denying its cleverness and innovation. It's worth it for puzzle fans looking for something different.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about how we use reasoning skills in our day-to-day lives. What are some activities that require you to consider consequences before taking action?
Families can also discuss the ethics of scientific experimentation. When is it appropriate to use real people to test new technologies and theories? When is it not? At what point do the ends cease to justify the means?
What are some other puzzle games that you have played and enjoyed?
Game details
- Platforms: Nintendo 3DS
- Price: $29.99
- Available online? Not available online
- Developer: Sega of America
- Release date: March 6, 2012
- Genre: Puzzle
- Topics: Bugs, Science and Nature
- ESRB rating: E10+ for Animated Blood, Mild Cartoon Violence
- Last updated: June 19, 2019
For kids who love puzzles and creative games
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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.