--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game: Elmo's World
Manufacturer: Techno Source
Release Date: 2005
Genre: Puzzle
I.... sort of grew up with Sesame Street. I don't remember ever watching a complete episode of the show, the hour-long block being a little too long for my 5-year-old mind, but, I do remember watching a good portion of assorted Sesame Street episodes, plus the movie Elmo in Grouchland and a number of TV specials and direct-to-video productions(Christmas Eve on Sesame Street, Don't Eat the Pictures, Rock & Roll, & The Alphabet Jungle Game all spring to mind.) Additionally, I remember briefly having the Sesame Street magazine, reading a bunch of books based on Sesame Street, and repeatedly playing games like Get Set to Learn, Elmo's Preschool, Search & Learn Adventures, and Elmo's Art Workshop, so I'm pretty familiar with the Sesame Street setting and mythos. ...At least up until 1999, when I stopped actively associating with Sesame Street, but, as you can tell, it still has a place in my nostalgic childhood.
But of all the memories of Sesame Street, the ones I cherish most are of the former ending segment of Sesame Street: Elmo's World. Somehow, I'd always turn on the TV right as whatever main Sesame Street story was ending and Elmo's World was just beginning. And I LOVED it! While Sesame Street didn't hold my attention, the formula employed by this segment was perfect for my young mind. Each episode would have a theme(water, clothes, transportation, etc.), followed by live action stories, animated stories/histories behind the theme, short videos made by Elmo, and possibly the funniest part of the segment, where kids would be asked to explain the theme, and afterwards, "Elmo will ask a baby!"
And who could forget every 3-year-old's favorite pantomime artist Mr. Noodle?! ...Who also played a recluse in Lady in the Water and the robot with more emotions than the human cast in Interstellar. ...But then there was also Mr. Noodle's brother Mr. Noodle! ...Who played a cross dresser in The Fisher King and died of AIDS... ...But at least we had Kevin Clash doing an incredible job at voicing and puppeteering Elmo! ...Until a few years ago when he was accused of having sexual relations with several underage boys and resigned under pressure... ...Geez, being an adult with access to actor biographies and filmographies really wreaks havoc with your childhood innocence...
But anyway, I loved watching the show. It was funny, it was well produced, it didn't talk down to me(yes, even as a little kid, I could tell when I was being pandered to...), and it had a great sense of humor and imagination, knowing it's probably all in Elmo's head and having fun with its less realistic environment. My memories were so fond, that when the special Elmo's World: Happy Holidays debuted in 2002, I just had to see it, despite having moved on from Sesame Street and onto things more suited for my age(like Pokemon!) And even then, I enjoyed the special, since it had all the Elmo's World charm I remembered from being younger.
So even though I'm an adult now and Elmo's World is extinct, replaced by something called "Elmo The Musical" that I've never seen nor want to, I still recognize it as a very fun, high quality show that may have even been slightly better than the show it was tacked onto. I loved it, I wouldn't mind watching it again, and I recommend it to anyone who wants some quality entertainment for their young children.
It's a shame that the only game based on the show didn't get the same kind of love...
The beauty of frequent thrift-store shopping is that you're introduced to new things nearly every day, as I didn't even know this existed until a few months ago. It was just sitting on a shelf in the electronics section, looking worn and forgotten, and, since I'm obligated to own at least one of every game that plugs into a TV, I picked it up. ...And I wasn't expecting much, since I'm now a cynical adult who judges things on a much nitpickier scale than I did as a kid... but I was expecting at least SOMETHING out of this!
 |
| I was overcharged by about $23.62 |
The console itself isn't the worst design I've ever seen for a Plug n Play system(and trust me, we'll be getting to one in due time), but it's rather plain compared to the systems we've seen in the past. Even Konami Arcade Advanced had a better design, since it was at least designed like an arcade cabinet. This is just a generic controller with an Elmo's World sticker slapped onto it.
Oh, but the cosmetics aren't the main problem with this build, since when we flip it over, we see that this console requires 4 AAA batteries to power on. ...FOUR "TRIPLE As"?! WHO HAS "TRIPLE A" BATTERIES?! For the small percentage of things we still use today that don't have a rechargeable internal battery, 9 times out of 10, it uses AA batteries. Or Cs or Ds for those big honking electronics. The only place you're going to find something that uses AAA batteries is in your TV or Blu-Ray remote, and even then, they're probably dead because you're using the app on your phone to change the channel and forgot you even HAD a remote!
I know it sounds like I'm making a big deal out of nothing, and I probably am, but please tell me WHY this console needs 4 batteries that, in all probability, even back then, most people wouldn't normally buy? Just make it run on 2 AA batteries... or even plug in from a main! ...Still, I guess it's not a 9-Volt...
But yes, let the generic build and poor design choice serve as a hint as to what's contained on this console...
UPDATE(4/25/18): It's been nearly two years, but I found a boxed version. So before we launch into the game itself, let's talk a little about the packaging. ...Especially since they clearly put more effort into the box than the console...
The full title of the game is "Elmo's World. My First TV Fun & Games." Fitting, because this is indeed a console for kids who have probably only just started playing games and recognizing concepts, so it's nice to have a niche of Plug n Play gaming that aims for that age group. ...I just wish they didn't use that as an EXCUSE rather than a goal...
A little blurb in the upper-left corner tells you that you're supporting the education of children around the world by buying Sesame Street products! I don't think they should just say children, as I can say I as educated by buying this product. ...Namely how quickly I'll spend money on hunks of useless plastic with an NES-on-a-chip inside.
The right side boasts "5 Built-in Games", listing all of them on the side. ...Of course, they're not games, as you'll see later, so they're already lying to us...
"Plug in for TV Play!" ...Well, you could already play with the TV BEFORE you plugged it in, so not exactly a bragging point. Also, isn't it nice they've printed a badly-written phrase on a console meant to educate very young kids?
If you look closely at the background design for the box, you can see they're the names of several Sesame Street characters, such as Elmo, Grover, Big Bird, Snuffleupagus, Ernie, Bert, etc. No Guy Smiley or Sherlock Hemlock, though, so they've immediately lost me.
The back simply lists the games again, as well as reiterates the blurbs on the front, while including short descriptions for each of the games. This is normally where I make fun of the descriptions, but they're one sentence each and only give a general description of the game, so I have nothing to work with. This is an area where I have to admit they did something right. ...I'm gonna go throw up, now.
Still, I CAN point out this snippet: "Kids will have hours of fun..." Even as a guy who's 20+ years too old for it, as someone who's played this game, I can safely say that kids will not spend "hours" and there will be no "fun" involved.
And I'll have you know my "favorite Sesame Street friend" is Count Von Count, thank you very much!
So this console, as you can see from this hideously low res screenshot, comes to us from what was formerly known as Techno Source, a toy company based out of Hong Kong and headquartered in New York.
They actually manufactured and distributed a fair amount of electronic toys back in the early 2000s, most of it cheap LED games, including a revamped version of 20 Questions.
They also had their hand in a few Plug n Play games, most notably a line of Intellivision dedicated consoles, which I may take a look at in the future and compare them to the more recent Intellivision Flashback*
*Spoilers, the Flashback blows them out of the water...
Nowadays, they go by the name Toy Island and mainly produce licensed sports board games. This is where I'd like to bust out the Ashens "A Fitting Punishment" meme, but they are still active and doing alright, so I guess I can't judge them too harshly.
...But what I can judge harshly is this game they produced...
Now you know how the show has a really catchy theme song? The reworking of Elmo's Song, which everyone and their grandmother knows? You know what THIS plays as its intro?
Yep, for some strange reason, the console plays a snippet of "I'm a Little Teapot" when turned on, which then segues into "Pop Goes the Weasel" for the menu! ...Could they not get the rights?! How could you not have the rights to a show's theme if you've bought the rights to the show itself?! ...Really. I am curious if that's a thing. Please tell me if it is.
But seriously, after the near perfect 16-bit rendition of Bob the Builder's theme in the last one, to have a game based on a show also known for its catchy-as-all-heck theme song replaced by a public domain track that would be perfectly at home on the Colecovision just instantly spells disappointment. I don't care if you're an adult or a 3-year-old child, to not be able to sing along to a theme you've grown up with is a slap in your nostalgic face...
Once again, the console is a collection of several minigames for young kids, comprised of:
Dinner for Dorothy
Elmo's Super Soccer
Elmo's Sea Search
Elmo's Shape Match
Elmo's Shape Jump
In Dinner for Dorothy, you control a cartoon version of Elmo's pet goldfish(who was "played" by a real goldfish in the show) and move her left and right to catch slowly falling fish food. ...VEEEEERRRRRRYYYYYY slowly falling fish food.
But if you catch 5 pieces, she does a flip. Catch 10, and she does it TWICE!
Admittedly, the game does gradually speed up as you catch fish flakes, but since it's just about moving a fish left and right to catch objects, it got old after the 20th time...
Oh, and get used to this color scheme. The bright oranges, the baby blues, the sick greens, and occasionally Elmo's red fur will be the main palette of this game. This is exactly what I was praising My Little Pony and Bob the Builder for NOT doing with their beautiful animations and scanned-in sprites. These colors are ugly, stressful, and make it hard to focus on the game since they're so violatingly bright!
Now you might argue that since this was released a year prior to those games, they still hadn't worked out how to implement a wide range of colors in a confined storage space, but look at this screenshot from a Spongebob game from 2003! The graphics are primitive, yes, but everything's given the right color, Spongebob does look like himself, and I can actually believe he's underwater in front of the faded background. So no, there's no excuse why the Elmo's World game looks as ugly as it is...
Elmo's Super Soccer is basically the same concept. Just follow the motion lines of the soccer ball and move Elmo in the right direction to intercept.
And this time, it only takes 3 successful blocks before Elmo does the potty dance for you!
Again, it gradually speeds up as you play, but since even then it's too slow to hold my interest, I eventually gave up and let the other team score. After I made sure my bookie bet on them first...
Oh, and every time you lose or complete a game, it takes you to this menu to either Try Again or go Home. ...And yes, Elmo's walking and waving is the best animation in the game!
In Elmo's Sea Search, you move Elmo left and right to catch letters while avoiding blank bubbles. Again, it is very slow and most of your time is spent waiting for the buttons to reach you. ...Even the games I didn't like on the last two Plug n Play games I played kept me on my toes...
But sometimes Dorothy appears and you catch her for extra points. ...Which seeing as how this console doesn't keep score, is completely pointless.
This was actually the game I spent the most time on, since I was curious as to what would happen after I gathered all the bubbles. Well, after Elmo gives a victory swim
It starts over with numbers instead of letters.
And after that, shapes.
And then back to letters, just slightly faster. Well worth it...
Next, and possibly most entertaining, is Elmo's Shape Match. Here, I at least felt like I was using my brain, since I needed to match shapes to the spaces on the top.
And every time I completed a picture, it would turn into a realistic representation. ...Or rather, a daycare's wall decoration representation...
This was the game I found the least insulting to my intelligence, as I did have to stop to think a few times to find the shape that matched the space. A few times, I got confused because some shapes look nearly the same save for a slight difference in their size. Still, it was easy enough to sort out and find the shapes and I completed each puzzle successfully! ...Herpy derp day to me...
Again, I ended up playing this game as long as I could since I was curious how many pictures there were to put together. It turns out it gives you 10 different pictures... then it boots you to the Game Over screen. ...At least there was one game on here I could complete...
Finally, we have Elmo's Shape Jump, which involves leading Elmo across similar shapes to the other side.
...That's it. Match the shapes, get Elmo across, and watch him dance. Again, I tried to see if there was an ending to this game, but the shapes began randomly repeating themselves, so apparently not.
And that's the console. One of the most pointless and boring things I've showcased on this blog(besides myself.) It lacks fun, it lacks quality graphics, and it lacks any of the creativity the show gave us. In fact, it barely has anything to do with Elmo's World! Why didn't this take place in Elmo's room? Why weren't the activities connected with his computer, his TV, his piano, or any of the puppet friends who have appeared on the show? Would it have been too hard to at least start the game in Elmo's World and have it serve as the main selection screen? The only thing we have to differentiate this from any other Sesame Street game is a game centered around Dorothy. ...Which they could have easily switched out with Elmo again and it would have made no difference! In fact, wouldn't that have been a fun game, having Dorothy imagine Elmo in certain roles, even if we're just playing dress-up?! This game is Elmo's World in name only. Take out Elmo, replace him with whatever character you have on hand, and nobody would ever notice...
But even worse than that? For an "educational" game based on an interactive show... there was basically no education. The first two games were very basic action games, simply putting a character in a position for them to catch an item. The third came close, but all we had to do was catch the bubbles with things in them and avoid the ones that didn't, so there wasn't any recognition of what was inside the bubbles or their significance, just catch the funny shapes in each one. Couldn't they have had bubbles with the WRONG letters, numbers, or shapes in them so kids could differentiate between the symbols? The fourth game had that, actually paying attention to the picture and matching similar shapes and sizes. Even the fifth game had shape matching, since it was clear we needed to hop on matching shapes and avoid anything that wasn't correct. ...But even then, they never told kids what they wanted. Couldn't some text, or even an Elmo voice clip, say something like "Triangle", "Square", "Pentagon", etc., or maybe even sing or at least play the Alphabet Song so kids know the names and sequence of the letters? ...Well, they could... but they didn't. They didn't care to make an educational game educational. It does not teach problem solving, association, differentiation, or any sort of science or history behind its subjects All it does teach are the very basics of sequence and recognition. And if they're not going to treat your kids any better than Pavlov's dogs, then don't give them the satisfaction.
In closing, this review has been brought to you today by the letter "WWWWHHHHHYYYYYYY?!" and the number "0".
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Design: The design's basically just a glob of plastic roughly shaped into a controller. As I said, if it didn't have an Elmo's World sticker on it, I wouldn't know it was based on that show. And again, WHY DOES IT TAKE "TRIPLE A" BATTERIES?!
Controls: The controls are a Left arrow, a Right arrow, and a big button. It works fine, I guess. Can't complain.
Music & Sound: There was barely any of either. Most of the games are silent except for their victory screens and the only sounds occur when an item has been grabbed or missed. And even then, they're bland, generic 8-bit tones that convey the barest of a congratulations or failure. And, worst of all, they substituted stock nursery rhymes in place of the show's actual music. If they weren't going to use the theme, why even make the game?
Graphics: They're bland sprites with ugly color schemes. There's little to no variety in the backgrounds, janky animation or no animation at all, and very little line work to give the environments detail. The only thing I can say looks fine are the sprites they made for Elmo, especially since he's a nice shade of red, but even then the terrible artwork can often make him look amorphous. Add the bright oranges, greens, and yellows, and you get something that hurts the eyes after a short while.
Gameplay: As with Bob the Builder, it's comprised of games made for very young kids. Unlike Bob the Builder, they're made with no consideration for the kids. A game based on an imaginative show with a lot of audience interaction and fun should try to convey that. Make the setting Elmo's room, base the activities around Elmo's friends and stuff, and keep them relevant to the show's format. You could do all these things even with limited graphics and sound. Instead, this game is ashamed to be based on Elmo's World, deciding instead to base itself around the most generic and pandering of activities. They don't teach kids, they don't entertain adults, and there is no point or goal to nearly anything. The only one where I felt something was being accomplished was, again, Elmo's Shape Match, since it contained a variety of shapes and sizes, concentration had to be given to find the exact shape and size, and there was a clear end goal. But because of its short length and because it's still pointless and teaches very little, I can't even recommend that game. Everything on here is a waste of time.
Replay Value: There's nothing to play the first time around, so there's nothing to come back to.
Overall:
It's the barest minimum of being a game, educational, or anything relating to Elmo's World. I can only imagine getting it if your kid's only about a year old and just beginning to comprehend the world around them. There are plenty of games out there, even in the Plug n Play category, that do a much better job at entertaining and educating young children, so get your kid something with substance that they can come back to. And please, if you haven't already, introduce them to Elmo's World the TV show. It's fun, it's imaginative, it treats its audience with respect and like they're real people, and it's a great way to start teaching your children about subjects like transportation, clothing, water, food, holidays, books, and a lot of other things kids should start learning about at a young age. So, if I haven't made myself clear yet, ignore this game, watch the show. It's fun for kids and it has things for parents to enjoy as well.
No comments:
Post a Comment