Ariel's Story Studio
Reviewed by Anise Hollingshead
Published by Disney Interactive
Age Group: Age 4 to 8, Age 8 and Up
Type: Art & Creativity
Price: $34.95 USPC version requires:
486, 16MB RAM, 30MB HD, 2x CD-ROMMac version requires:
68040, 7.1, 16MB RAM, 30MB HD, 2x CD-ROMDescription:
Ariel's Story Studio is an interactive storybook from Disney Interactive that goes one step further: you can write and print your own stories! You can either print them out in color, or in black and white and color them yourself.
This game is very much like the movie, The Little Mermaid, and is sure to please all of the many Ariel fans. The beginning of the game starts at the beginnning of the movie, and progresses through the same storyline. What makes this title different from most storybooks is that it is more interactive in the scenes. For instance, in the scene of Ariel's Grotto, you have to initiate certain actions and speech from the characters to get King Triton to enter in, then more action from the player will get him to destroy Ariel's collection. Also, you may listen to remarks from 3 different characters who are at the bottom of the screens, which is fun, but would be better with more comment choices.
The games that are interspersed throughout are pretty much the same fare: a puzzle, arranging things in a specific order, coloring pages in the Make Your Own Storybook section, etc. The Make Your Own Music section is a blast, you may either choose different instruments to play 1 of 4 songs, or you can compose your own song with your choice of undersea choir and record it! The Make Your Own Storybook activity has 2 main options of writing your own story, or read one already written. There are several backgrounds to choose from, and also a variety of stamps to decorate with.
Features:
- Ariel!
- Write your own stories.
- Compose music.
- Print out your creations.
Technical Aspects:
The packaging of this game is beautiful. It almost makes you want to buy the game just for the box! The pictures on the screen are very like the box, except they are lighter on my computer. Installation under Windows 95 is very simple with the autoplay window. The game ran smoothly throughout.
Report and Conclusions:
Ariel's Story Studio has been an instant hit here! This title will appeal to any Ariel fan, especially girls. The age range is off, though, as this game is easily playable by preschoolers, and no reading is necessary except in the make your own storybook section. Also, not many 10 year olds will have their attention held long by this title. In my humble opinion, 4-8 would have been more realistic than 6-10.
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