Diego Great Dinosaur Rescue DS

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The 2K Diego and Dora games continue to be a hidden gem among a crowd of super young titles on the Wii and DS. Here, as with Dora the Explorer Saves the Snow Princess DS the action stays with the very young age of the spectrum rather than scaling upwards like their Wii titles. But the high production, children's voice talents and general fun keeps things fun and friendly.

It's one of those games...

Minigames come in a variety of shapes and sizes. What unites the genre is the speed with which players can pickup the games and the relatively short time required to complete a level or two.

But why is it any better...

Like other Diego and Dora game, this is unique because of a series of sensible design choices that make it genuinely aimed at very young players. The game is less ambitious than the Wii version, consisting more obviously of a series of minigames rather than a proper platforming experience. But this serves to further suite it to the youngest gamers in your family.

Activities range from basic up/down driving stages, hide and seek camera games and some complete the puzzle challenges.

So what should I play this for...

Past the obvious attraction of the franchise, the game connects with its young audience by using an all children cast to voice each character. My three your old quickly understood the task at hand as he made his way through the game. 'We need to find the dinosaurs Dad', his simple summation of the introductory voiced instructions.

And when can I take a break...

Like the Dora DS game, some will be surprised how short this game appears to be. Players will get through a single run in around an hour. This however is by design as each go offers a different series of minigames, and plays to the enjoyment of repetition found in its young audience.

Progress can be save to break these runs up, although the sense of achievement from completing a game in one sitting is a big pay off for many youngsters.

This is a great game for who...

Very young players are best suited to Diego Great Dinosaur Rescue. Its short duration and simple direct challenges make it a great first DS game for pre-school gamers.

Those a little older or more experience may find the repetition required to get value for money here a little much to bear. Diego Great Dinosaur Rescue Wii offers a better experience for them, with a proper platforming mechanic.

Experienced or older players will only enjoy this through the eyes of a young offspring or sibling. Other DS games stand a better chance of being enjoyed on their own merits by both old and young - Pac n' Roll DS with its super simple rolling controls for example.

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