Description:
Explore the world of Shrek the ogre in this activity-centered program, which lets players solve mazes, fill in crossword puzzles, and put together a computerized version of an old-fashioned jigsaw puzzle. Shrek: Game Land Activity Center has seven entertainment options for young gamers, from a sliding tile activity to a memory game played with a bird and xylophone. The activities in Shrek: Game Land satisfy two separate age groups, and might work best in a home with several young children, all working at different grade levels. Kids in preschool and kindergarten will enjoy image-oriented games like Sliding Tiles or Picture Mixer. They will also like Melody Match, a memorization exercise where players imitate the tunes whistled by a cheerful bird. School-aged users, on the other hand, may prefer to stretch their reading skills with a crossword puzzle or word search. Then there's Splat!, an arcade game that will please all users as they smash insects on Shrek's dinner table while avoiding the slugs he is saving for dessert. Each of the activities in this game is simple to master and, once learned, does not vary in the slightest. This brings the replayability of Shrek: Game Land down considerably. What's more, the game choices are clearly divided in scope: older children will find the picture games far too simple, while prereaders will be frustrated by the word challenges. The mix is an odd one and--when combined with the repetitive nature of the activities themselves--makes the game an optimal choice only for hard-core Shrek lovers. --Alyx Dellamonica
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