Parents' Guide to

System Flaw

By Christopher Healy, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Creative use of the DSi camera in mild alien shooter.

Game Nintendo DSi 2009
System Flaw Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • System Flaw Game: Screenshot #1
  • System Flaw Game: Screenshot #2

Community Reviews

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age 10+

Based on 2 parent reviews

brain in a can
brain in a can Parent of 10-year-old
October 28, 2010
age 10+

shooter game wihtout violence.

There is nothing wrong with the game (except a sprinkle of violence), but its a pain in the rear to find online. We spent about 6 weeks trying to find this. And it was worth it.
commonsenseadult2
commonsenseadult2 Parent
January 6, 2010
age 10+

This title has:

Too much violence
See all 2 parent reviews

What’s It About?

In SYSTEM FLAW, the world is being invaded by tiny nano-creatures. The beastly little things are flying all around us, but invisible to the naked eye. You, the player, are given a special device (your DSi), through which you alone can see the aliens -- and blast them to oblivion. The game takes place in wherever you decide to play it, as you patrol your real environment, following a radar to find the nano-monsters that may be on your bed, in your kitchen sink, or hovering around your brother's head.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (2 ):

The concept of System Flaw is spectacularly unique. By using the DSi as both a viewer and a weapon, you're forced to move around constantly. The game takes place in three dimensions, so you're not just shifting the DSi left and right, but aiming it up and down as well. And spinning around in 360 degrees. There are even some monsters whose attacks you need to dodge -- physically. The action is fast and frantic, and while you can argue that the graphics are less than state-of-the-art, there's no denying that the System Flaw experience is a wildly fascinating one unlike anything video gamers have seen before.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the concept of "enhanced reality" games. How does it affect your playing experience if you feel like you're really in the game? Could there be negative effects? In this game in particular, do you like the idea of fighting aliens in your own home, rather than in some computer-generated landscape? Or does that make this game a little off-putting?

  • This is a shooter game where you are killing little blob-like aliens. How does this violence compare to other violent media?

Game Details

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