Did it Myself ABC123 | DSi Review

RetroVertigo

August 25, 2010

B

eing a father who's into video games and computers, I'm always trying to find way to get my children interested in new technology. The iPhone/iPod Touch has been a tremendously useful tool for cheap and fun educational games, but a family-oriented gaming system like the DS, doesn't seem to have games that cater to children under the age of 5. Until now.

did (28K) I learned about Did it Myself ABC123, by a studio called Powerhead Games, while listening to the August 10, 2010 episode of the Bombcast, GiantBomb.com's podcast.

For 200 Nintendo points ($2 USD) on the DSi Store, this is a fantastic application for children using the Nintendo DSi..

The game is rated EC, and contains several modes, and I'm listing them by their icon and not their actual name (the game is good about the presentation simple and straightforward for little ones who can't read):

-ABC requires the child to match the letter on the top screen from a list of 3 different letters on the bottom screen. The game will sometimes mismatch the background color of the top letter and the background color of the correct bottom letter, as an additional level of challenge.

-123 is essentially a follow-along counting game. As objects scroll across the bottom, the child taps them, and a child's voice counts along as each sequential object is tapped.

-Colors is another matching game. A solid block with the color spelled out is shown on the top. The child must match the color amongst a group of moving objects on the touchscreen below. Tap the correct colored object and a child's voice will speak the color.

-Xylophone is actually my 3-year old's favorite right now. There is a free play mode, which allows the child to play however they want. The audio is spot on and the response is very good - it actually plays and sounds like a xylophone and not like some cheaply assembled soundboard application with poorly recorded sounds. The child can also select one of the several icons on the xylophone's start screen, to play along with a song (like Row, Row, Row Your Boat), matching the color of the note on the xylophone with the scrolling notes on the musical staff on the top screen.

-Crayon the last application. As expected, this is a drawing application. Push up and down to increase or decrease the size of the pointer, and push left and right to change colors. The B button will clear the screen.

There are some settings that can be changed, to scale for your child's preferences. However, the count limit stops at 10, which was a bit of a disappointment because my child knows the first 10 numbers perfectly, but needs work getting from 10 to 20. The number of rounds per game and the number of games in the shuffle mode, can also be changed, along with several audio choices.

As a parent who sees the benefit of encouraging children to learn using today's technology, I highly recommend this application, Did it Myself ABC123! It's cheap, it's simple to use, and I really hope that Nintendo offers more titles like this in the future.