Game Review: Zoey 101
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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this game is a collection of
mini-games which aren't really connected to the TV show on
which it is based. The content is a mix of arcade and logical
games, and they aren't tied together with a story.
Families can talk about why they make games based on TV shows. Did you rent or buy the game because you're a Zoey 101 fan? Did you expect it to be more like the TV show? How do you decide what games you want to try? Why would boys want to scare girls with pranks? Why wouldn't the girls scare the boys? Families might want to discuss differing perceptions of boys and girls at school. Are boys and girls really that different? Do you think it's better to attend a coed school or a single-sex school? Why?
Common Sense Media Review
Although Zoey and her friends, the stars of the Nickelodeon
TV show, grace the package of ZOEY 101, this game has very
little to do with the
show
on which it's based. The video game characters all look alike
-- and not much like the ones in the show. And the gameplay
involves playing a series of mini-games that have nothing to do
with the show.
The TV show revolves around Zoey, the first girl to attend the formerly all-boy boarding school, Pacific Coast Academy. There are now several girls who attend, although they are still in the minority. Zoey's younger brother also goes there. The episodes depict typical high school dramas that involve conflicts and misunderstandings between the girls and boys at the school.
In Zoey 101 GBA the TV characters only serve as menu icons for the games. Kids play the mini-games in trios for three semesters (levels), with a final game at the end. Players must successfully complete each game, then a dare, and then a final challenge. The dares and challenges are randomly chosen from the three games in the level.
The games are a varied assortment of arcade and logical thinking-type games. Kids will enjoy Jet-X Racing, a simple racing game; Sushi Fund Raiser, a Diner Dash clone that requires you to quickly fill customers orders; Rat Chase, a logical thinking game that is a little similar to Lemmings; and Chemistry, another logical game where players mix ingredients.
But games like Wrestling, Basketball, Disc Golf, and Prank Week will disappoint players because there are uninventive. For example, in Prank Week, Zoey tries to sneak past boys hidden in plants and trash cans, without getting too scared.
A good collection of mini-games is always fun on a handheld, but these games aren't very good when considered separately, and the package as a whole suffers from a bad presentation and implementation. Each semester offers three different games that have to be completed then played again as dares and challenges. If one of the games is hard to beat, like Prank Week, then young kids will not be able to advance very easily.
Only a few cutscenes included will remind you that this game has anything to do with Zoey 101. Kids who like a little more TV show in their tie-in games, as well as a better overall gaming experience will be better off playing Lizzie McGuire 3 Homecoming Havoc or That's So Raven: Psychic on the Scene for the Nintendo DS system.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
