Dora the Explorer is in a new adventure, this time to save the Snow Princess. In this cute and charming game for the smallest gamers, Dora will be ice skating, swinging from vines, jumping on bouncy plants and collecting items while traveling across the frozen landscape. Go Diego Go Great Dinosaur Rescue is a companion game release for the Wii, and the reviews of both games reflect this similarity.

Dora the Explorer is a popular preschool TV show that is a mixture of entertainment and education. Dora teaches children simple Spanish phrases, and there are simple critical thinking elements to the shows. While Dora the Explorer Saves the Snow Princess is similar to the show in looks and has the same characters, the format is not the same. This game is a platform game pure and simple, albeit simplified for very young children. However, a game doesn’t have to be educational to be fun, and Dora the Explorer Saves the Snow Princess is a lot of fun for preschoolers.

he beginning of the game is a tutorial level, where players will learn each Wii-Mote move they will need to make for each specific game action. Dora will need to swing on vines, jump, run, dig, climb, and perform other actions. Each new control is explained and demonstrated clearly, and children will have no trouble learning the moves. Some of the moves will require a wide range of motion, so children will need to play while standing.

The game’s controls are very responsive and feel natural in their execution. I wish some “adult" game designers would take notes here. It is especially fun to flip Dora around while she is sliding down something, or ice-skating. The ice-skating segments are cute, and when players change Dora’s direction, she will first slow down, then turn around, just as skaters would in real life.

The levels have different goals, but they are all essentially the same. Dora will collect various items, and also find hidden things for each level. She will perform the same actions in each level. In case you haven’t gotten the picture, every level is the same. This is exactly what preschoolers like, though. All parents of four-year-olds know from first-hand experience how preschoolers love to watch the same movie every day, many times a day, for weeks on end. Ditto for books. I well remember Beauty and The Beast, which was released on VHS when my youngest daughter was four. I liked that movie at first, but then I grew to hate that movie.

Preschoolers will enjoy the feeling of success they will have playing Dora. Because they can’t fail any of the actions (Dora never falls off anything), they will not become frustrated. Because the same actions are present in each level, they will memorize everything they need to do. And if they have a little trouble at first, parents can join in with another Wii-Mote and help.

At the end of each level, Dora will need to take part in some type of racing event. While the races are in different mediums of air, land and water, the action is still the same. Players will move Dora from side to side on the land and water, and up and down in the air, in order to collect things and avoid obstacles. These races are well-designed and kids will enjoy them.

When the game is completed, young adventurers can compete against a friend or family member in a race where the players can pick which game vehicles they want to use. The goal is to collect more race tokens than the other player, not to beat the other player to the finish line. Players will win medals based on the number of tokens.

The game looks gorgeous, I love the snow motif! The music sounds like the show, as do the voices of the characters.

This is a good game for preschoolers and parents can be assured their young gamers will enjoy it and not be frustrated. However, while mostly right on target for the age group, there are a few things that could be improved. While the emphasis on platforming is fine, there could have been some critical thinking activities included. Also, when Dora finishes a level, she earns stamps. The section of the game where players see the stamps on the page is pretty lame, though. The stamps fit themselves into their positions on the page. It would have been much better if players could have placed the stamps themselves into the correct shapes by using the Wii-mote.

This game is a companion game to Go Diego Go Great Dinosaur Rescue. They are the same game in almost feature, but in a very subtle way, Diego seems to have cooler moves. He can perform higher acrobatics when jumping around while sliding down things, for instance. However, I’m not accusing the designers of sexism. Maybe it’s easier to jump around when it’s hot, rather than when it’s cold. Choosing Dora or Diego will depend on whether the kids like Dora or Diego better. There is no need to get both. Best for children ages 3-5.

Gameplay: 7.5
The gameplay is undeniably fun for little kids, but there could have been more critical thinking content and more creativity. It would not have been difficult to incorporate some choices in the searching aspects of the game.

Graphics: 8.0
The graphics are very nice on the Wii.

Sound: 7.0
The music is really catchy and upbeat.

Difficulty: Easy
This game is very easy. Dora cannot fail.

Concept: 7.0
The concept of making a game for preschoolers is refreshing. They want to play, too! The designers did an excellent job of incorporating natural motions for the controls which match the motions on the screen. And, the controls are tightly designed.

Multiplayer: 7.0
There is one racing mode where players can play another player. This is fun, but it is the only multi-player activity.

Overall: 7.5
This game is right on target for preschoolers. The repetitiveness is exactly what they like. The levels are fun and have lots of action. Kids will have great fun flipping Dora around when she is jumping or sliding in the air. There could be improvements, but what is present is good. The price is a little high for the type of game it is ($35-$40), but if parents want a Wii game for the little ones for Christmas, they can’t go wrong with either Dora or Diego.