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Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster Review for Xbox 360

Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster Review for Xbox 360

Sesame Street For Everyone

Though kids are getting into games at younger and younger ages, it’s sort of difficult to point to any franchise as truly being “kid-friendly.” Games from the Mario franchise are often too difficult, and good luck trying to get through a SpongeBob or other kid-focused game when your child is just starting to develop reading skills. Though school-age children have lots of choices when it comes to educational fare, the preschool crowd is sadly left out. And before you try to say that preschool kids shouldn’t be playing video games anyway, you have to think of the educational potential here. The opportunity for motor skill development and interactive learning posed by games is something that has always been possible but not very well realized. Until now.

Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster is a game with a simple premise: educational gameplay can be fun. And as an adult playing a game intended for those in the single-digit age bracket, I can say that it absolutely accomplishes its goal. You play as Sesame Street mainstays Elmo and Grover as they explore chapters of a magical book called Once Upon a Monster . Although the game is about reading, there is no text at all, which makes it perfect for the “ready to read” age.

Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster Screenshot

As the game begins, you meet a whole cast of new Sesame Street monsters who all need your help in one way or another. Kids will have to use basic problem-solving and motor skills in order to help them. The game is separated into six 20-minute chapters that players can start and stop at any time, each typically including three or four minigame-style challenges that include everything from playing virtual drums to planting flowers. The game rewards success with stars, but accommodates less experienced players by giving the stars no real value. Once Upon a Monster also doesn’t make players go back and repeat areas where they didn’t do well, which is great because if there’s one area where the player struggles, they don’t have to get frustrated or call on a parent for help.

Once Upon a Monster’s format is such that kids of all ages can really get into it, but pre-schoolers will probably benefit the most from it. However, one feature that you are sure to appreciate whether you are 4 or 40 is the way it handles. Whenever I play a Kinect game, I always feel like something is missing from the controls. However, Once Upon a Monster is the first game that I’ve played where I didn’t get this feeling. And that’s not due to a lack of complexity. The game asks you to do plenty of things, from jumping around to striking poses to throwing balls of garbage, and every time I executed a move correctly, the game responded. I looked at the controls here with an especially critical eye due to its young intended audience, but I was pleasantly surprised by the responsiveness and have no doubt that kids who play this game won’t have any problems whatsoever.

Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster Screenshot

The ease of control is especially apparent when you are playing the game with a second player. Once Upon a Monster features drop-in/drop-out cooperative play that is integrated seamlessly into the game. If a solo player is in the middle of climbing a tree or dancing to a song, a second player only needs to appear on the screen and they can start playing immediately. This is especially important in a game like Once Upon a Monster, as kids can invite parents to join certain parts they enjoy, and the parent doesn’t need a gamertag or any real gaming experience. Just jump in front of the screen and play. It’s that simple.

And Once Upon a Monster doesn’t skimp on the graphics. It has a very fun and whimsically stylized look to it, and even though the visuals aren’t the most detailed in the world, the game’s unique look more than makes up for this. Sesame Street character models move fluidly and the animation quality is top notch. The game also features plenty of bright and contrasting colors, so youngsters will find plenty to be engaged in. Though the look of the game is fairly far removed from that of the TV show, kids will still recognize their favorite characters easily.

Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster Screenshot

An additional component that will anchor young kids in the experience is the sound. All of the Sesame Street characters are voiced by their original voice actors, and all the personality the Sesame Street series has become known for is preserved by solid performances in this area. Background music here is lighthearted, and changes depending on the “theme” of the chapter you’re working through. The only bit that might be disappointing is the non-speaking monsters. Instead of speaking, monsters just grunt and make cute sounds. This works if you have especially young children, but older kids may wonder why the monsters don’t talk like “big kids.”

Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster Screenshot

Once Upon a Monster is exactly the game that Kinect needed. Though the Kinect platform has been all about capturing the casual market, its first-year offerings haven’t exactly lit the market on fire. However, Once Upon a Monster creates a kid’s game that is entertaining, engaging, and doesn’t talk down to its audience. I may be an adult, but I have no problem admitting that I had an absolute blast playing Once Upon a Monster. Kids alone or kids and parents should have an equally fun time with it.

This game is a worthwhile investment if you’ve got young kids, or if you are incredibly young at heart. It may not be very complex, challenging, or long, but its heart is definitely in the right place. And that’s what makes Once Upon a Monster a stand-out game.

Thanks for tuning in, and remember, this review was brought to you by the letter A.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 4.6 Graphics
Watercolor-inspired visuals are beautifully rendered, and the Sesame Street characters look great. 4.8 Control
Controls work flawlessly. 4.0 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Great performances by original voice actors and nicely varied background music make this a pleasure to listen to. 3.7 Play Value
The game is a little bit on the short side, even for a kid’s game, and is only comprised of six 20-minute “chapters”. 4.1 Overall Rating – Great
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend
0.1 – 1.9 = Avoid 2.5 – 2.9 = Average 3.5 – 3.9 = Good 4.5 – 4.9 = Must Buy
2.0 – 2.4 = Poor 3.0 – 3.4 = Fair 4.0 – 4.4 = Great 5.0 = The Best

Game Features:

  • Six enchanting chapters to explore, full of exciting activities.
  • Narrated by beloved Sesame Street characters.
  • Make friends with quirky new characters and help them solve their problems.
  • Controller-free gaming where your body is the controller!
  • Features drop-in/drop-out co-operative modes, ideal for parent/child and sibling play.

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