Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter

Game review by Alex Porter, Common Sense Media
Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 7+

Mario-styled action in which you draw parts of the game.

Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi, Nintendo Wii 2009
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Parents say

age 5+

Based on 3 reviews

Kids say

age 10+

Based on 8 reviews

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  • Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter Game: Screenshot #1
  • Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter Game: Screenshot #2
  • Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter Game: Screenshot #3

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this game.

Stands out for .

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter contains cartoon violence. Your characters can strike with weapons including punching, bouncing off, and hitting bad guys with pellets from a "shooter" weapon. You can expect about the same level of violence found in a Mario game. The game requires players to draw characters, pieces of the actual environments, and many other elements. Drawing skills are not necessary. The game uses simple tools that help kids' creation come to life.

Community Reviews

JillDrillDozer
JillDrillDozer Adult
February 24, 2017
age 2+

the best ending in any game I've ever played!

This title has:

Great messages
Parent12345
Parent12345 Adult
January 6, 2011
age 2+

has a tragic 'surprise' ending

My 11 yr old is in tears over the ending of this game. WHY in the world does a game for ALL ages rated E for everyone include the tragic death of BOTH parents at the end. I caution parents from buying this game. The kids invest a lot in the characters and get to know them. They develop a relationship with them in a virtual realm. THEN they are snuffed out...killed! It is a horrible "surprise" and has nothing to do with FUN, which is why I purchased this game for my child! I wish I never purchased it and I definitely think it should be rated differently. It is clearly not for all ages. It is not FUN to see anyone's parents tragically killed.
See all 3 parent reviews

What’s It About?

As the Creator in the world of DRAWN TO LIFE: THE NEXT CHAPTER, players must drawn and bring to life a hero to save the peaceful Raposa people. An evil force has been removing people, bridges, and other objects from their village. You are asked to replace these missing items by drawing them into the game. The core of the game involves taking your self-drawn character around in Mario-like platforming adventues, in which you jump, run, stomp, hit, collect coins, and solve light puzzles. Not only do you create your main character, but you will also draw the sun, moon, and the look and feel of your game. Moreover, you'll have to draw weapons, power-ups, vehicles, bridges, and more in order to complete missions. The game provides a simple drawing tool complete with stamps, brush sizes, zoom-in/out views on the canvas, and a broad palette of colors. The Wii remote serves as the pencil, or, for the DS, the you'll draw on screen with your stylus. in some instances in the Wii version, players will be required to fill in parts of the game in real time.

Is It Any Good?

Letting players actually draw and bring to life characters, vehicles, and other objects within a game is tremendously engaging. Even more fun are the moments where drawing is built directly into the game and you'll need create quickly during gameplay to complete an objective. Sometimes, you'll even have to draw while your character is in the air during a jump. The ability to create a custom look and feel to a game is a special experience.

The drawing using the Wii remote, however, is a bit inaccurate and tough to control. With the DS version, you'll have more control as you're using a styus. Ultimately, it doesn't matter, because almost anything you make will effectively animate, but it would be nice to have a little more control in the Wii version. Also, the platforming gameplay involves a significant amount of backtracking, but young gamers probably won't mind. Overall, the game's innovative concept and solid puzzles, platforming, and charming story and characters make this a great game that the target audience of kids will love.

Online interaction: Players can use characters they draw to take on opponents online in sports mini games such as soccer.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about whether making your own characters deepens your interest in the game. If you played the first Drawn to Life, was this a big improvement? What else would have made the game better?

Game Details

Our Editors Recommend

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