Wizards and Pigs Poetry Pickle - 2 views

• 
  #1 Charles Crowley on 16 Oct 10

   

  Game: Wizards and Pigs Poetry Pickle
  
  URL: http://www.earobics.com/gamegoo/games/wiznpigs/wiznpigs.html
  
  Age Level: Elementary school.
  
  What it does: Player moves a little wizard character thru a cartoon dungeon-like maze. The wizard fights poetry-spouting goblins with one of 3 potions depending on the kind of poetry (rhyming, alliterative, rhythmic) and takes their keys.
  Observations: I find a number of shortcomings with this game.
  Background music can't be turned off.
  Overly long - too much gameplay, too little education.
  Unresponsive - sometimes it's impossible to click anything, arrows don't work, can't figure out what is expected. Possible software bug.
  Keyboard arrow keys can't be used as expected to move the wizard - must use onscreen keys.
  Full of distractions: chairs that dance, a picture that laughs at you, locked doors, a pile of treasure, a hat that talks, a frog, a magical fireplace - all of these look like they should be part of the game's action but aren't, they seem to be there for background scenery only.
  Ending is anticlimactic.
  
  On the other hand the environment is visually rich considering that it's a cartoon. There are a number of cute touches, for instance the dungeon is lit with light bulbs. The gameplay is absorbing and would keep kids occupied for a while.
  
  Up/Down: Thumbs down in its present state. Game is not necessarily ill-conceived but is inadequately executed. I can think of 2 directions the game design could be taken to make it more useful.
  One: Pare down and simplify gameplay, eliminate distractions, make shorter and more about poetry than about gaming.
  Two: Complexify and expand the story line, make it longer, make the gameplay relevant to the lessons. The game is full of intriguing visual elements (frog, hat, etc., above), if they were made to be interactive elements relevant to the story line. Maybe clicking on each could trigger a brief episode that contained both fun and educational content.

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">Game: Wizards and Pigs Poetry Pickle <br /> <br /> URL: <a href="http://www.earobics.com/gamegoo/games/wiznpigs/wiznpigs.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.earobics.com/gamegoo/games/wiznpigs/wiznpigs.html</a> <br /> <br /> Age Level: Elementary school. <br /> <br /> What it does: Player moves a little wizard character thru a cartoon dungeon-like maze. The wizard fights poetry-spouting goblins with one of 3 potions depending on the kind of poetry (rhyming, alliterative, rhythmic) and takes their keys. <br /> Observations: I find a number of shortcomings with this game. <br /> Background music can't be turned off. <br /> Overly long - too much gameplay, too little education. <br /> Unresponsive - sometimes it's impossible to click anything, arrows don't work, can't figure out what is expected. Possible software bug. <br /> Keyboard arrow keys can't be used as expected to move the wizard - must use onscreen keys. <br /> Full of distractions: chairs that dance, a picture that laughs at you, locked doors, a pile of treasure, a hat that talks, a frog, a magical fireplace - all of these look like they should be part of the game's action but aren't, they seem to be there for background scenery only. <br /> Ending is anticlimactic. <br /> <br /> On the other hand the environment is visually rich considering that it's a cartoon. There are a number of cute touches, for instance the dungeon is lit with light bulbs. The gameplay is absorbing and would keep kids occupied for a while. <br /> <br /> Up/Down: Thumbs down in its present state. Game is not necessarily ill-conceived but is inadequately executed. I can think of 2 directions the game design could be taken to make it more useful. <br /> One: Pare down and simplify gameplay, eliminate distractions, make shorter and more about poetry than about gaming. <br /> Two: Complexify and expand the story line, make it longer, make the gameplay relevant to the lessons. The game is full of intriguing visual elements (frog, hat, etc., above), if they were made to be interactive elements relevant to the story line. Maybe clicking on each could trigger a brief episode that contained both fun and educational content.</div>

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