Play as a polar bear in this DS game - Arctic Tale (Arctic Tale (DS))

Member Name: julwhite

Product:	Arctic Tale (DS)
Date:	04/07/09 (14 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Has some educational interest

Disadvantages: Poorly executed, doesn't use the features of the DS

This review is for the Nintendo DS game, Arctic Tale, developed by Atomic Planet Entertainment and published by Destination Software. The game aims to be educational and you control three different animals as they explore their environment.

In the game, you are able to control a choice of animals and help them to survive in their environment. The animals are the polar bear, walrus and fox, each with their own requirements, although you start first of all with the polar bear.

When you start in the game, you have to take your polar bear exploring and start in the hunt for food. This isn't really very interesting, although is a good idea in principle, as there isn't really much to see. Things get a little more interesting as you progress, and a series of mini games becomes available.

This game is based on the National Geographic channel's television documentary, and has clearly been written to have some educational value. The principle of teaching children about animals and the environment is clearly a good one, but if a game has very limited appeal, then the educational benefits aren't going to be enormous, and they are very limited in this game.

In terms of the graphics, they are very basic, and generally just display the top down look at the area you're exploring. The sound isn't too bad, with effects which are unique to each of the characters that you're playing. However, given the content of the game, the fact you're looking at a white screen for so long does mean that more effort was needed with both the graphics and the sound to add some extra atmosphere to the game.

Little effort has been made to use the features of the Nintendo DS. The top screen is rarely used, and there is no use for the microphone or any use of the stylus. It's clearly a port from another console, which for the money the producers are charging really isn't acceptable. By not using the features of the DS, it also means that the game is unnecessarily hard to control, which just adds another layer of frustration to the whole thing.

Another short cut is the omission of a save game facility, likely a result of its transfer from another console. This means that you have to have a pen ready to write down passwords at various points in the game. This might be OK for a PC game where you might be sitting at a desk with pen and paper, but it doesn't really go well with a portable console.

The game currently sells for 19.99 pounds on Amazon, but if you're happy with a second hand copy, at the time of writing, these are available for around six pounds on sites such as eBay and Amazon. The game is rated as 3+, so is suitable for children of nearly all ages.

Overall this is a game of very limited value. Little work has been put in to use the features of the Nintendo DS, the game is quite dull and uninspiring and not likely to be of much long-term interest to kids. The principle of the game is good, but the execution is poor, and it's hard to recommend this game.

Summary: A poor game, lots of wasted potential