Game Review: The Backyardigans (Leapster)
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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this Leapster game is based on the
popular Nickelodeon TV show of the same name. This product is
chock full of animated movies (much like those seen on TV) that
introduce each game and congratulate players as they complete
each activity. Expect kids to be watching as much as they are
playing; the movies can't be paused. Much like the TV show,
repetition is used in game play. While the company targets
children as young as age 4, this software is best for 5- and
6-year-olds because one math game expects children to recognize
numbers up to 99.
Families can talk about what makes a good adventure. Parents can ask their kids where they'd like to go for their next adventure and whether it would be real or somewhere imaginary. Parents and kids can also discuss game activities were the most fun. Which did they like better: searching for the rad surfer stuff at Tiki Beach or looking for the Yeti stuff in the Frozen North? Which character had the coolest moves in the Music Maker activity?
Common Sense Media Review
The characters and style of
Nickelodeon's
popular
Backyardigans
TV show come alive in Leapster's THE BACKYARDIGANS
game.
Kids can play the game as an adventure, or they can explore the seven educational games separately. In adventure mode, kids join the Backyardigans (Pablo, Uniqua, Tyrone, Tasha, and Austin) on an adventure to three faraway places: the Frozen North, Tiki Beach, or the Sandy Desert. At each location, kids help the Backyardigans complete two activities.
While playing the activities, kids will practice patterning shapes and sounds, identifying and counting with numbers, identifying letters and word building, and visually discriminating objects in an environment. For example, in the Surf's Up activity, players scroll through the screen looking for specific items hidden in the environment. When they find a hidden item, they take its picture by hitting a button. At the Cave Party, kids match drum sequences by using the stylus to tap the onscreen drums.
In addition to the activities found in the adventure, the game also offers the Music Maker activity, in which kids drag sound snippets together to make a song. They can then select a favorite Backyardigan to dance to their composition.
Expect kids to be watching as much as they play the game's activities. Video sequences introduce everything -- the adventure, each activity, transitions, and feedback. These movies can't be paused or skipped by clicking on buttons or tapping the screen.
The activities can be played on two levels of difficulty, which extends the game's replayability. But unfortunately, even the "easy" level of one of the math activities starts too hard for the youngest children, expecting them to recognize numbers up to 99. For that reason, this software is best for 5- and 6-year-olds.
While there are better Leapster titles -- including Animal Genius , Get Puzzled , and Dora the Explorer Wildlife Rescue -- if your kindergartener is a fan of The Backyardigans TV show, this game may be worth exploring.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
