With Teletubbies starring in PlayStation games and Elmo on the Nintendo 64, it was only a matter of time before we'd see preschoolers with GameBoys in hand. Now Nickelodeon's popular Blue's Clues television show has come to the platform that kids love.
The GameBoy Color unit is truly noteworthy for its portability. Kids need not be rooted in front of their computer or television screens in order to play software and video games! In fact, they can enjoy a game as they lounge on their beds, stuff the unit into their pockets to tote with them for a long car trip or to the store, and can even play their favorite games in the bathroom.
Before running out to buy a GameBoy for your preschooler, however, you might want to consider whether you want video games to be so extraordinarily accessible. Parents can be torn between the convenience of having a game that their child can effortlessly tote with them virtually anywhere - and yes, even to the grocery store, where the idea of an occupied preschooler is mighty tempting indeed - and the knowledge that their kids just might be playing games to excess. On the plus side, this is not entirely mindless entertainment. It does offer some educational value, and controlling its use is always an option.
These issues aside, Blue's Alphabet Book is quite appealing, and probably just right for children ages 3-4 with its kid-simple controls. After slipping the miniature cartridge into the GameBoy Color unit, players are quickly welcomed into Steve's house. Here they can either select Blue for a simple game of Blue's Clues, or play the program's freeform activities outside of the mini-adventure with one of Blue's friends.
Some of the activities offered here include a matching game where letters of the alphabet hide behind soap bubbles, pushing a letter through a sand maze in order to complete a word, and directing a basket in order to sort falling leaves labeled with letters. A simple -- and simply charming -- activity has children "tapping" a xylophone, repeating notes by paying attention to the letter-labeled keys.
Each directed hunt for clues incorporates some of the activities, except that children are guided through them as they "search" for three clues to uncover the mystery location of the missing page of Blue's Alphabet Book. Once all three clues are found, it's off to the Thinking Chair, where each pictorial clue is displayed above the head of an animated version of the host of the show, Steve. Children then guess the mystery location, and see if they are correct with a simple push of a button.
Though children will hear some sound clips - including an instrumental of the familiar theme song and Blue's inimitable yapping - they won't benefit from having the letters of the alphabet spoken aloud or hearing audio answers to the Blue's Clues games. This takes away somewhat from the educational value of the game, simply because strengthening alphabet skills benefits from audio reinforcement. However, the activities help to reinforce basic letter recognition. As well, this title is so easy to pick up and play, it will certainly succeed at boosting a young child's confidence.
Though we wouldn't recommend purchasing a GameBoy Color for a child who doesn't yet know about the unit, for preschool-age Blue's Clues fans whose older siblings already own one, this game will certainly please. Besides that, it's buckets of fun.
