Parents' Guide to

The Legendary Starfy

By Chad Sapieha, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

Cute, surprisingly robust platformer geared for kids.

Game Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi 2009
The Legendary Starfy Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 7+

Based on 3 parent reviews

nduns
nduns Adult
August 1, 2011
age 4+

Way better than it looks

I notice some people here have judged this game off of its cover without actually playing it while some have trashed it without providing any details at all. There are some not on this site who unfairly classify this as a Kirby rip-off, which it's far from. Anyway, this is a very fun game with a surprisingly in-depth story line considering how cutesy it is. The different forms are fun, save for the chicken form, which is kind of annoying to use, and the gameplay is simple but a lot of fun. All in all, it's a great game, and it's a shame we never got the gameboy advance games that came before it.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
velveta
velveta Parent of 8-year-old
December 23, 2010
age 6+
See all 3 parent reviews

What’s It About?

Starfy, a cute yellow starfish that can swim, jump, spin, and transform into various creatures, has been around for a while in Japan, but THE LEGENDARY STARFY -- officially his fifth adventure -- is the first Starfy game to make it to North America.

It's a relatively simple platformer that will let junior players get a feel for moving characters around in 2-D environments and contending with conventional bad guys. Hints appear on the bottom screen, there are plenty of arrow signs showing the way to the end of each level, and enemies typically move slowly and in very recognizable patterns. It also introduces kids to traditional features found in more complex platformers, such as secret rooms and unlockable mini-games. Add in the local area network multiplayer features -- a co-op mode lets a second player take control of Starfy's sister, Starly -- and you have a surprisingly lengthy and robust kids game.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3):
Kids say (6):

It doesn't break much new ground, but The Legendary Starfy should prove fun for gamers in training. Learning how to control Starfy ought not take more than a few minutes, regardless of the player's experience level, and his various moves -- spinning to attack foes, double-jumping, swimming quickly -- are fun to perform. Plus, you'll rarely go more than a few seconds without finding some new challenge, whether it's breaking open a crack in the wall to find a hidden room or engaging in a brief side mission, such as a race or a scavenger hunt.

The story, which plays out via quick and often confusing still images and exclamation mark-laden text dialogue, is scattershot at best, but you don't need to understand the goofy narrative to enjoy the action. As introductory platformers go, The Legendary Starfy is a keeper.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the game’s charming hero, Starfy. Does he seem familiar? In which other Nintendo games might you have seen him? Are his abilities original enough to distinguish Starfy from other, similar Nintendo heroes, such as Kirby? What age group do you think this game is best suited for? Do you think older players could have fun with it?

Game Details

  • Platforms: Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi
  • Available online?: Not available online
  • Publisher: Nintendo
  • Release date: June 8, 2009
  • Genre: Adventure
  • ESRB rating: E for Mild Cartoon Violence
  • Last updated: November 5, 2015

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