Education and video games, this concept is becoming more and more common as time progresses. Learn Science is another one of these types of titles for the Nintendo DS. An here, it’s done very well.
When players begin the game they must set up a profile and then select the host they wish to use during the game play. Once the save is set up and the players companion is selected they will be sent to the main menu. From here there are five options for the players to choose options, analysis, TV quiz, career and games.
Two of these choices are not game modes, they are used more for making the game work and keeping tract of how much that little Einstein is learning. The options menu changes profile, sound, deletes data, and the credits. Analysis provides player with a look at their history and their progression during the career and regular game modes. So if parents are wondering how their child or another player is progressing, this section will break it down.
TV quiz offers players the ability to test their knowledge about everything from how much a lion eats per day to the largest animal on the planet. This game mode offers the player to ability to quiz themselves on three different skill levels over and over again. There are hours of educational questions and learning experience for the players there alone.
Career mode is a once a day training exercise for the players that quizzes them and helps build brain power. So why is this once a day game mode important? Why shouldn’t it just be ignored to play the other games? This game mode has multiple purposes and is an integral part of the game setup. By completing the challenges everyday the player’s increased brain power can be tracked in the menu. This game mode also unlocks the games that can be played in the game section, as well as the three different skill levels. So, the more the players play career mode the more game types and skill levels the player opens up to play elsewhere.
The game section allows the players to go back and play any of the games that have been unlocked. These games can be played on one of three skill levels easy, medium, and hard. The games section is broke into five categories the players can choose from; colors and sounds, physics, human body, biology and geography. These games can be played as much as the player wants and the progress is tracked into the main menu.
If players want learn about the different sounds of air, sound effects or creating colors, then colors and sounds is the place to play. Physics allows players to learn how electrical current, lasers and the forces of gravity work. Ever wonder where a certain human bone is? Which senses are used at what times? Or where human organs belong? These are the items players learn about the human body game.
Biology breaks down microscopes, plant life and animal species. The final teaching tool used on this game is geography. Players put puzzles of countries together, learn how to draw countries flags and learn where in the world certain animals are found.
So parents, if you are looking for a game that can educate your young players and keep them entertained then this is probably a title you will want to pick up. The graphics are a bit suspect even for a DS game, and the sound is not the best out there, but this title is still a really neat game. There is information on this game setup so that people of all ages can learn something, and it makes learning fun.
I give it 3 gems.
Editor’s Note: Game reviewed on a Nintendo DS.