blackoak85's Full Review: Dora the Explorer Backpack Adventure (LIDORABAADJ)
I purchased the Dora the Explorer Backpack Adventure for Windows for my daughter shortly before her 3rd birthday. She was a big Dora the Explorer fan at the time and she was developing an interest in the computer. I never expected to enjoy the game as much as I did. She was able to be so much more independent than I ever thought she would be at that age, that it quickly replaced extra TV time when Mommy needed a few minutes to get something done.
About the Game Itself:
If you have ever watched an episode of Dora the Explorer you can definitely identify with this computer game. It runs just like a cartoon episode! The game begins with a computer screen and shows you entering as the Dora theme song plays. Once inside, the player needs to enter her name and choose the appropriate level of difficulty (there are 3 to choose from). Next the player chooses a color for her sticker book and a character for the cover. This sticker book is saved (up to 3) and child can go back and rearrange the stickers they earn during the game. There are various pages with different backgrounds to play with.
Once the preliminary procedures are done Dora explains that we are going to go on an adventure to the library today.
The screen soon shows Dora's living room and the player is asked to help Dora put her library books into Backpack. The books are scattered throughout the room and Dora will ask for each of five books to be identified by color. Players must be able to click on each of the books with the large curser on the screen. This is great practice with using the mouse. After each book is added to Backpack, encouragement is offered sometimes in English other times in Spanish. Once all the books are successfully in Backpack, the Fiesta Trio comes out and sings a little song and gives the player a sticker for her sticker book.
Next, Dora and Boots ask Map for directions to the library. He shows them the route across the troll bridge, over the big rock and to the library. Players repeat,"Bridge-Rock-Library." This is done on the cartoon as well.
Players arrive at a shape sorting activity that they must complete 5 times in order to cross the troll bridge. Once they cross the bridge players enter Isa's flowery garden.
Isa wants to join in the adventure to the library but must first plant her flower seeds. Dora and the players must find something with which she can dig her hole. Of course, Backpack happens to be carrying a shovel. The Backpack song plays and players click on the shovel to help Isa. Once this task is completed the Fiesta Trio arrives with another song and sticker.
Players then progress to the chocolate tree where they must find something to catch the falling leaves. The Backpack game is played again and another sticker is granted upon completion. Swiper must be stopped from swiping the chocolate leaves.
Players next progress to the big rock which they need to climb. Benny the Bull arrives with a hot air balloon to get them all to the top. He needs help picking up his friends along the way. Help is offered by the player by following the path of a specific number. For example Benny might say "Follow the path of the number 1 to reach the sheep." The number 1 will appear on the front of the hot air balloon and there will be opportunities for the player to click on that number on flags along the path to the top of the rock.
When the group reaches the top of the rock, they take a ride to the bottom on "Tico's Slide Ride." The players are reminded to wear their helmets and seatbelts. Once at the bottom of the rock, the library is in site but the game doesn't end there.
Swiper arrives next and swipes Backpack. Players need to recover Backpack from behind dancing bushes. Of course, another sticker is granted when the task is completed. Then players enter the library.
Once inside the library, the players return their books and choose more to take home. Then the "We did it" song plays, another sticker is granted and the game ends. Children still have the opportunity to play with their sticker books before exiting or starting the game again.
Overall Opinion:
My daughter loves this game and continues to enjoy it even after owning it for 18 months. I like that she can play it independently and I do find it very educational. I love the fact that children feel like they are participating in a Dora cartoon and that the songs and sequences of the game are so predictable and like the TV show.
The only minor complaints I have about this game are:
1. The troll bridge requires 5 shape sorting activities to be completed before crossing. This is a lot for the easiest level in my opinion.
2. The shape sorter activity requires children to sort by both shape and color but color is never mentioned. For example if there are 3 empty shapes (ex. 2 open triangles and one open square) and 4 shapes to choose from (there may be 2 blue triangles, a red square, and a blue square) entering the red square into the open square shape will not result in success.
3. The books gathered at the beginning of the game are not the same colors as those returned to the library at the end. This only bothers me because the books were originally sorted by color.
4. When the characters choose books to bring home at the end of the game, the tell Val the librarian what they want to read about. Pictures of books are then shown on the screen and the player needs to choose the proper book based on the description. Some of the pictures may be difficult for a young child to associate with a topic. For example, Dora may want to read about a party. The player is then shown four books to choose from. They each have a different picture on the cover and children should be able to identify which one is about a party. It would make sense to me to show a picture of children with party hats and maybe a cake etc, but they show a simple picture of a cup with a straw. In my opinion this does not represent a party, especially to a three-year old. This is just one example of pictures that I find inconsistent.
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