Tales to Enjoy: The Ugly Duckling

Tales to Enjoy: The Ugly Duckling is poor-quality gaming for kids. The language throughout is too advanced for the age group, and the story narration is vastly different from the text that's on the pages of the book. In some cases, it's condensed, but in others it's only altered. There's no reason for a condensed version, as there's plenty of dead time while new pages are loading. Although some of the mini-games have potential, there aren't any in-game instructions or hints. Kids must guess what they're supposed to do. If they guess wrong, there are no second chances; you're returned to the main menu without the option to try again. Most games are timed, but without instruction it's not clear what the timers are for.

The issues extend past the mini-games to the game's other modes, such as the coloring-page activity. There are a few page options and only one tool to color with, but there's no way to save your work. The story itself is a miserable retelling that's both long and depressing and somehow manages to lose all the positive messages from the original tale. Young kids may be entertained by the games in this title in short bursts, but parents may find their money better spent on higher-quality titles.