Let a Preschooler Drive?? DEFINITELY
Written: Jan 04 '01 (Updated Jan 05 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Easy to Install, Entertaining, Cars, planes and BOATS!
Cons: price
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| Satogy's Full Review: 3-D Cruiser |
Well we did it. We splurged at Christmas and bought our very Car oriented 3 year old his own Car. Okay not really but It might as well be!
The Little Tikes 3-D Cruiser puts your child in the drivers seat!
The Invention of the Wheel
Okay.. not really how about the Steering wheel. It is made of VERY durable plastic BRIGHT yellow. I know for a fact that it is durable because it has hit my Tile floor about 30 times since Christmas day!
It has one purple button that during the game changes your perception from First Person view (through the windshield) to Third Person (behind the car).
It has One Orange button (to be honest my son LOVES this button) that during the game it works the windshield Wiper. And boy do you need it to scrape away the bugs that splatter and the mud that lands! My son thinks that when the bugs hit the windshield is one of the BEST things he just laughs and laughs.
It has a BRIGHT red horn. My Son likes to honk and yell "Shoo Shoo cow!" but you cant hit anything other than the occasional bug.
There are Three teal buttons that get a lot of use on our little wheel of wonder. The let the driver change vehicles you can choose between 3 different types of Cars (truck, Car and a SPORTS CAR..) or Three different Flying Vehicles (a Plane, a Jet, and a heliocopter) or three different water vehicles. And when you press the buttons to use a boat it changes the road to water!
You have the blue ignition which has a few functions. A) it starts the Car or b)lets you go back to the beginning (once the car is running) or c) once at the beginning it will take you to the quit page (or let you change your level)
and then you have the purple Acceleration lever that lets you speed up to a blinding speed or slow down to snails pace.
The Steering wheel Really STEERS.. you turn it right the car goes right you turn it left.. wham you are left, JUST like a real Car! the base is sturdy on my Keyboard tray and My son just drives away!
The installation
Easy.. literally a plug and play. Just install the game and then Plug your new Car into an USB port. Less than 10 min I would say from installation to Driving Exhilaration! My three year old did not even bat an eye!
The Driving Experience
There are 4 levels.
Level One is just driving around, scraping off bugs and mud and seeing all the different worlds and then it goes up to level 4..
Level 4 is harder MUCH harder.. It is a search for specific Items in the worlds with NO CLUES.. Things you would have seen in the previous levels you look for keys or jewels and it will say something like.. "By the lake in the mountain" you have to know WHERE that lake is.. We probably wont make it to that anytime. Of course if you go level one, to level2 to level 3 to level 4 it is a gradual graduation of ideas.
You drive though a number of different habitats!.. You can see what animals are in the rainforests or the deserts. Which ones like the snow or the Farms or the Caves. My son LOVES seeing all the animals and It give me a chance to point them out and tell about that habitat (but I definitely need to study more LOL)
The graphics are great! you feel like you are in a Car speeding down lifes roads.
OVERALL
Great! WE LOVE IT! Okay not exactly the most educational computer game out there, but it does have some merit with the habitats and animals. It is very enjoyable to drive about and gives the preschooler a chance to spread his wings and fly (or float or drive :)) My son loves the fact that he controls the car and that he can "DO it by himself"
And even though it has been dropped hard on Tile floor it does not have a scratch on it and it works GREAT!
Heck, I even caught my father playing level 3 one night and laughing. And I have been known to play with the ol wheel.
One thing I do like about it is that you have to stay on the road. no off roading so you have to see what the animals or scenery is. But It would be nice in level 4 if you could off road a bit to experiment.
And The only thing I think I would add is instead of background Sounds.. like cows mooing or birds singing.. I would like a faux radio. But the Sounds are fine but occassionally I would like to hear a little bit of ROCK AND ROLL.... now I am just being picky!
definitely worth the money!!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Satogy
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Location: Rome, Ga
Reviews written: 40
Trusted by: 42 members
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