Common Sense Media Review
By Jinny Gudmundsen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fun mysteries for the show's fans, but repetitive.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
What's It About?
Fans of the popular Disney TV show Hannah Montana with a Nintendo DS will be thrilled -- it's game time. But get ready to do a lot of reading as you solve mysteries with cartoon Miley and other show regulars. Just like the show, Miley lives a double life as a teen girl in school in Malibu, California, and a secret pop star known as Hannah Montana. The game offers three interactive mysteries set in five locations found around Malibu, including Miley's house, her school, the shopping mall, the beach, and the stadium where Hannah Montana performs. All three mysteries start with someone threatening to reveal Miley's secret identity as Hannah Montana. HANNAH MONTANA plays like an interactive short story, with lots of reading accompanied by some fun interactive twists.
Is It Any Good?
Although initially intriguing, Hannah Montana gets old before the game is over. While there are three mysteries to solve, by the time you are in the middle of second one, the gameplay seems repetitive because there are no new game elements. This game would have been better if the developers had introduced new gadgets, new locations, and more Mini games within each mystery.
Even so, fans of the show will enjoy this game because it stays true to the brand. The cartoon versions of the cast catch the visual and verbal nuances of the actors, and the look and feel of the Malibu world transfer well to this 3-D video game world.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how difficult it would be to have a secret identity. Would you want to be famous and have the paparazzi following you? How did you feel when Amber and Ashley blocked your way and said things that were hurtful? Did you choose to dish it back or did you choose take the high road and try to be nice?
Game Details
- Platform : Nintendo DS
- Pricing structure :
- Available online? : Not available online
- Publisher : Disney Interactive
- Release date : October 12, 2006
- Genre : Girl
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : September 26, 2024
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