Common Sense Media Review
By Christopher Healy
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Adorable toy-based game is well-designed for young players.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 5+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Magical Zhu Zhu Princess: Carriages & Castles
What's It About?
There's not much of a plot to MAGICAL ZHU ZHU PRINCESS: CARRIAGES & CASTLES, though the opening sequence tells a quick story about how a bunch of pet hamsters traveled to a magical fairytale world. The game has two main parts. The first has kids caring for an increasingly large family of hamsters -- feeding them, playing with them, bathing them, putting them to bed, etc. (It's all very easily accomplished with click-and-drag controls). The second part asks players to race the hamsters around through mazes, picking up coins, gems, and hearts as they search for the exit. Most of the mazes will also have a hidden item to find -- an outfit, a lost baby hamster, or a care item (such as a water bowl). This part offers the most challenge by far, but is certainly still easy enough for young kids to handle.
Is It Any Good?
Magical Zhu Zhu Princess: Carriages & Castles takes what kids love about the Zhu Zhu toys -- caring for them like real animals and then racing them through tube mazes -- and translates it perfectly to a video game. The formula may not be varied much from previous Zhu Zhu games, but the controls feel smoother and more refined here -- certainly easy enough for kindergartners to handle. The only complaint one might have about the game is that it's not very "princessy" as implied by the title of the game. But really, it's so adorable and sweet-hearted -- and so well-constructed as a game for younger kids -- that nitpicking in such a way doesn't feel right. Zhu Zhu fans will love this game -- and they should.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what it's like to care for a real pet. How is it different from pet care in the game? Do you think the game could help you prepare to care for a real animal?
Which part of the game is more interesting to you: The caregiving or the adventure? Do you think both aspects can appeal equally to girls and boys?
What is it about virtual pet games that make them so popular? How about in this game? What did you like about caring for the hamsters?
Game Details
- Platforms : Nintendo DS , Nintendo DSi
- Pricing structure :
- Available online? : Not available online
- Publisher : Activision
- Release date : February 8, 2011
- Genre : Girl
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic )
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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