Hello Kitty Party Nintendo DS Game Review

I was sent the Hello Kitty Party Nintendo DS game to review and keep. I let my daughter play it for a couple of weeks, before I checked it out. She enjoyed it. The game is rated E for everyone. This is a great game for ages 5 - 7.

Game Description (from the Majesco Entertainment website)

More than 25 different easy-to-pick-up-and-play mini-games starring Hello Kitty and her Sanrio friends: Keroppi, Badtz-Maru, My Melody and more
Have a Party - Send out personalized invitations to any of Hello Kitty's friends.
Dress Making - Sew, iron, cut patterns, and play the button, maze or material hoopla games!
Go to the Shop - Pick items from your list and shop for your party.
Cooking - Satisfy your culinary appetite by cooking, slicing, frying, washing and even cleaning up, because every good party leaves a mess!
Party Time - Party down by dancing and playing spot the difference, the slide puzzle or the memory game.
Dress Up - Dress up Hello Kitty in a variety of outfits and accessories (including jewelry, hats and handbags) and then take photos that can be saved to your album.

I sat down and started to play this game with my daughter seated next to me, watching. Do you know the KISS policy? Keep It Simple Stupid. Well, I had a reminder of this while playing Hello Kitty. I would start playing an activity in the game and be stumped. The sewing activity, for example, I had no idea what I was supposed to do. My problem, I quickly found out, was that I was trying to make it complicated. My daughter took the game from me and showed me what I was supposed to do. “See, Mommy? This is how you do it. It’s easy.”

Yes, I was schooled by my daughter, and she was loving every minute of it. We sat together, playing the game. It was fun and entertaining for us both. This game teaches shape recognition, memorization, problem solving, and following directions. I recommend it as a fun activity and a learning tool for young children.

Nintendo DS Game Review for Shorts

I was sent the Nintendo DS game Shorts to review and keep. This game is based on the movie, Shorts and I have to admit that I have not seen the movie. This is a good thing, though. The last time I bought a game that was based on a movie, I was disappointed. It was the Wii game for Iron Man and it did not live up to the movie. I had an expectation of what I thought the game should be about, and it wasn’t.

Shorts is a delightful game that the whole family can take turns playing. The graphics are child friendly, which is a plus in my book. As an added benefit, since I didn’t see the movie, the enemy creatures in each level were a surprise. There are the boogers in level one, gators and snakes in level two, and each level after that has different creatures. The game is about navigating through a big building, defeating the creatures in each level and finding objects you need to move forward in the game.

I have not finished the game. As you go up a level, the difficulty increases. I have also noticed that there is a reason that you see more kids playing the Nintendo DS than adults. It’s because the buttons you push on the Nintendo DS are small and easier for kids to use. My adult fingers keep hitting on two keys at the same time. This can really mess up your progress in the game.

After spending time playing this game, I now understand better the attraction these games have for children. If you pick out the right games for your child to play, they can be educational and therapeutic. Playing the game Shorts can help improve eye-hand coordination, memorization, and problem solving.

Each level requires you to make jumps that have to be timed just right. You also have to remember where you have been and how to get back there. There are some doors that you need to have a key to get into. You go to one area to get the key, and then you have to back track to get to the door. If you go in the wrong direction, you may find yourself in the wrong place. There are also switches you have to activate to open up sliding doors that are blocking your way. This game is rated E (for everyone), ages 10 and up and can be purchased on Amazon for $19.99.