Kids Korner - Paw Patrol On A Roll (Xbox One)
If you've been a follower of the blog or the stream, you'll know full well that I am a parent two times over. Three if you count my step-son. So, a lot of my gaming is about to be geared towards including them, either individually or all together. And, I've got quite the library (something else you're familiar with if you've followed me over the last couple years). While it's safe to say I probably have more than my fair share of games that I can play with them, or even games they can play on their own, not every single one of those titles is going to be worth it.
As a parent, I already know what things I would like to expect my kids to be experiencing when they start playing video games. It's not just about stuff they can relate to, like if it's a game based off one of their favorite cartoons. It's also not even just about what things they can learn from the game. My focus for their gaming experience is going to include both of these things, but a more important third item as well : HOW they are learning from the games. Because there is a big difference in just having the game shuffle letter's of the alphabet across the screen, versus finding a useful way to include letters in the gameplay that helps it stick in the child's growing mind.
So, while I am going to be uncovering these gaming gems that can help my kids learn, I wanted to share whatever I find with you, my readers. I want to let you know what games can get the synapses flowing in your child's brain and promote things like :
- Spelling and Counting
- Learning Whole Words
- Color and Shape Recognition
- Creative Thinking
Naturally there will be other areas too, but those will be specific to certain games when they appear, and will be discussed when the time to do so is appropriate. But, enough chit chat about how Kid's Korner will work, let me instead talk to you about this awesome game : Paw Patrol : On A Roll.
Published By : Outright Games Developed By : Torus Games
Release Date : Oct 23, 2018
Action, Adventure, Platform, Puzzle, Animated
As a parent, I already know what things I would like to expect my kids to be experiencing when they start playing video games. It's not just about stuff they can relate to, like if it's a game based off one of their favorite cartoons. It's also not even just about what things they can learn from the game. My focus for their gaming experience is going to include both of these things, but a more important third item as well : HOW they are learning from the games. Because there is a big difference in just having the game shuffle letter's of the alphabet across the screen, versus finding a useful way to include letters in the gameplay that helps it stick in the child's growing mind.
So, while I am going to be uncovering these gaming gems that can help my kids learn, I wanted to share whatever I find with you, my readers. I want to let you know what games can get the synapses flowing in your child's brain and promote things like :
- Spelling and Counting
- Learning Whole Words
- Color and Shape Recognition
- Creative Thinking
Naturally there will be other areas too, but those will be specific to certain games when they appear, and will be discussed when the time to do so is appropriate. But, enough chit chat about how Kid's Korner will work, let me instead talk to you about this awesome game : Paw Patrol : On A Roll.
Published By : Outright Games Developed By : Torus Games
Release Date : Oct 23, 2018
Action, Adventure, Platform, Puzzle, Animated
The focus of Paw Patrol On A Roll is pretty simple. You are transported to Adventure Bay and the Lookout Tower with Ryder and his pup squad. Adventure Bay ends up needing your help! Through the course of sixteen missions, you will take all of the pups out on a wide selection of missions that will have you fixing bridges, and saving all kinds of animals from whales and turtles, to bunnies and sheep.
On each mission, you'll bring along half the team, four of the eight available puppies. Two will be used directly, being controlled by the player. Meanwhile, the other two puppies will be waiting in the wings for an emergency situation. For instance, Rubble might be held back just in case there ends up being a big pile of rocks that needs moving with his bulldozer.
Now, while the game doesn't really go over anything super basic like the alphabet or directly helping with counting, Paw Patrol On A Roll still offers a variety of ways to help your little gamer get ahead of a few things. To me though, the one thing that helps the most about this game is :
On each mission, you'll bring along half the team, four of the eight available puppies. Two will be used directly, being controlled by the player. Meanwhile, the other two puppies will be waiting in the wings for an emergency situation. For instance, Rubble might be held back just in case there ends up being a big pile of rocks that needs moving with his bulldozer.
Now, while the game doesn't really go over anything super basic like the alphabet or directly helping with counting, Paw Patrol On A Roll still offers a variety of ways to help your little gamer get ahead of a few things. To me though, the one thing that helps the most about this game is :
Familiarity
This game invites your child into a place that they know, with the pups and people that they know as well. Adventure Bay is very recognizable, as are it's residents, making sure that every face your child sees is one that they know. What I like most about it, though, is that in a very subtle way, the game invites the player to help the Paw Patrol out. It's not an educational game in the sense that Chase is going to sit on the screen and go "Hey, here's the letters of the alphabet!" Instead, it's Ryder communicating, while you help guide and control the pups. So it helps deliver a sense of purpose and accomplishment, that your child is a key part in the Paw Patrol getting through these tricky areas and rescuing or fixing what is needed.Counting / Number Recognition
Now I mentioned above that the game doesn't directly help with things like numbers and letters. What I mean by that is this game doesn't feature the Paw Patrol breaking down numbers individually to teach to your child. However, each level comes with a couple of things to collect along the way. There are five Golden Paws scattered throughout, as well as 200 pup treats. It doesn't count them off as you collect them audibly, but if your child can visually recognize the numbers, there is a ticker as you collect these things which could be a blast for your little gamer to shout out the numbers as they go up. It's also worth noting that the five Golden Paws are massive and very notable, and just seeing these can be quite exciting to find. My first time playing with my son, I was using the controller and letting him watch so I could show him what was what about the game. Shortly after we started playing like this, I was having my ear drum pierced with my son's excited scream at finding the next Golden Paw.
Letter / Shape Recognition
As you play the levels, you'll come across areas that require something to be done to solve them. It's hard to explain generically, since each solution is exclusive to whichever puppy you have in the situation. For instance, Chase might have to shoot his safety net, Rocky might need to build a small ladder, or Marshall might need to use his water pack as a jet-pack to glide over a small gap. No matter what the situation is though, there will be three options, which will vary with the console you are playing on. For me, we played on the Xbox One, so the options were committed to X, Y, B buttons. For the Switch this will be Y, X, A, and on the Playstation 4 it will be Square, Triangle, Circle respectively. This can be a good way to either practice or teach these letters and shapes. After a couple of levels, I had my son sitting in my lap and I held the controller while he pressed the buttons. I could tell him the letter and he would immediately go for that button. Same goes on the PS4 if your child can recognize a few shapes.
Creative Thinking / Problem Solving
Each obstacle area the game presents you with serves as a bit of a mini/quick puzzle. Like I said earlier, these are specific to the pups. So you won't be controlling Marshall when a bridge needs to be built by Rocky. The first time you come across these areas, Ryder teaches you what you need to do by saying "Press [specific button] to use [puppies power]" Then, when you come across a similar situation later on, he'll simply ask "What can [puppy name] do here?" This can help greatly with one of two things, if not both! One thing is memory, can your child recall back to the last time Marshall was at a gap like this? What did he use to get across? Or, maybe it's been a little while since your child last played. Can they look at the problem, and the available solutions to figure out which is necessary to overcome the obstacle?
Final Thoughts
It isn't exactly an educational game in the traditional sense, but Paw Patrol On A Roll has plenty to offer to your little gamer and expanding their knowledge. If they watch, and enjoy the TV show, then this game is going to be absolutely great for them. Just for reference, my son is a little over two at the time of playing and writing this. He knows his letters, shapes, numbers and colors, and he knows all of the pup's as well. So as soon as this game went up on the big screen his face lit up.
I would say that, if you're looking for a game to help your child learn, I would aim for this one if you're entering the Pre-K phase, or even the Pre-Pre-K. This brings them to a friendly familiar place, with people and animals that they can recognize in an instant, and your child gets to join and be a part of the team. What's not to love? So absolutely consider getting this game, and either plop your little one in your lap and play with them, or hand them control and watch their attention and focus. Either way, I highly recommend adding this to your library, even if it isn't for your library.
Game Rating : 9/10
Kids Korner Grade : A
HG Recommended Age : 2+
