14 DAY TRIAL // It's always nice to know that the range of video games for kids keeps growing and the big companies care. For profit, indeed, but it makes us forget them a little bit when it comes to kids. And, since the Disney Characters were the ones who brought joy to our (at least, my) world when we were younger, I think it's a really great idea to create a game that allows players to make friends within that universe.
And Disney Friends does it - it allows children to interact with their favorite characters from popular films including "The Lion King," "Winnie the Pooh," "Lilo & Stitch," and Disney/Pixar's "Finding Nemo." And that's not all, it actually wants to teach the kids a lesson: it teaches players the virtues of caring and nurturing friendships, all while creating a unique adventure in the worlds of their favorite Disney characters.
"Disney Friends gives players the chance to interact with and befriend some of their favorite Disney characters and embark on new and exciting adventures," said Craig Relyea, senior vice president, global marketing, Disney Interactive Studios. "With Disney Friends, players can take their new friends wherever they go, explore their worlds and build lasting friendships along the way."
Being a Nintendo DS exclusive, the game lets players explore the cartoon worlds using the touch screen and microphone, everything guided by the beloved fairy Tinker Bell. In addition, players can use voice recognition features on the DS to influence their character's actions and behaviors. Players can obtain unique tradable "pins" and earn valuable gold through a multitude of adventures in the various character worlds. The gold allows players to purchase new objects such as food, clothing and toys for their friends to keep them happy.
Also a kind of useless feature, having in mind that we're talking about kids, is the fact that Disney Friends allows players to interact with their friends using a day/night exploration mode through Nintendo DS' real time clock. I doubt any youngster will be up at 3 AM playing with Lilo, but anyway, I might just be too old.