Three-feet-of-fun has never seen an episode of Dora the Explorer, but still he loves the PS2 game Dora Saves the Mermaids, based off the same titled children’s movie. It is a really great kid-friendly game teaching about pollution, the effects it has on our environment, and how to help keep our beaches clean. Three-feet also was involved in the making of the game by being a game tester — no one can find bugs in a video game like he can. He was able to have this opportunity because his daddy is a video game designer and was part of the team responsible for making the game. I think even if Three-feet didn’t know it was his daddy’s game, of which he is immensely proud and will tell anyone who listens, he would love it anyway.
The levels are bright and colorful and look like a cartoon as you navigate the levels on the ground, as well as underwater as a mermaid. The game also features puzzles to solve with their primary focus on color patterns, number orders, as well as size comparisons. What really makes this game perfect for children as young as three, Three-feet’s age, is that it’s “no-fail”, which means kids play even if they do the puzzles incorrectly. The game will continue to give them another chance taking out the wrong choice until they are only left with the right one to continue. When Three-feet first started playing he’d just button mash until the only right answer was the one left, but now he knows how to select the right answer and progress more quickly through the game.
This game also has huge replay value. Three-feet has beaten the game several times, takes about an hour, and still asks for it regularly. While I’m sure the novelty of the game being made by his daddy sparked the love of the game, I think it’s because of the game that he keeps coming back for more.
