I Spy Universe
Parents say
Based on 1 review
Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
I Spy Universe
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 suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this game.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that I Spy Universe, the latest hidden object game in Scholastic's growing I Spy series, will have kids staring intently at their little DS screens for hours on end. The seek-and-find action, however, is broken up occasionally by one of several mini-games which test kids on pattern recognition and strategic planning. Plus, a side benefit to these hidden objects puzzles is that kids increase their vocabulary as they learn more meaning to common words.
Community Reviews
Report this review
What’s It About?
I SPY UNIVERSE is a hidden object game set within a scenario that casts the player as a stranded spacecraft pilot. In order to rebuild your engine, you need to gather several missing pieces -- all of which you will earn through winning virtual scavenger hunts. Each missing part is on a different planet, and you will need to play mini-games involving concepts like pattern recognition and path-plotting in order to earn enough fuel to get you from one puzzle planet to the next.
Is It Any Good?
The fuel-earning mini-games in I Spy Universe add a great new layer to the classic hidden object game. As fun as these scavenger hunt games are, they can be a strain on the eyes after a while, so it's nice to have the visual searching broken up every now and again by a less-static mini-game. The picture puzzles of I Spy Universe tend to veer toward the "jumble of random objects" type; this is a slight disappointment as these games are arguably more fun when the objects you need to find are blended into a complete scene. But at least the messes of scattered toys are artistic messes, and still fun to scour through. All in all, this is still a nice addition to a winning series.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about hidden object games and why they are so popular. Do these games do a good job of replicating a good old-fashioned scavenger hunt?
If you're already a fan of the I Spy series, do you think these puzzles work better in book or video game format? What are the pros and cons of each?
Game Details
- Platforms: Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi
- Available online?: Not available online
- Publisher: Scholastic
- Release date: June 21, 2010
- Genre: Puzzle
- ESRB rating: E for (No Descriptors)
- Last updated: August 30, 2016
Our Editors Recommend
-
I Spy Spooky Mansion Deluxe
Puzzles and treasure hunts are great fun.
-
Ultimate I Spy
Visual puzzles are harder in Wii 3-D.
-
Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir
Solve the case by playing I Spy-type puzzles.
-
Nat Geo Adventure: Lost City of Z
Superb search-and-find game teaches about the Amazon.
For kids who love puzzle games
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