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Disney DVD Game World (April 28/06)

With these two DVDs, Disney has emerged with a pair of discs that will undoubtedly keep small children amused for hours. These are essentially board games with an interactive component, and there's little doubt that the young ones will delight in playing alongside some of their favorite Disney characters.

The first DVD, Disney Dogs: Blue Ribbon Challenge, offers up a canine-specific theme, and immediately forces the viewer to choose between "Family Mode" and "Collectors Mode." After choosing the number of players (1-4), the viewer must select a puppy to play as (a young Pluto and one of the 101 Dalmatians are among the choices). From there, the disc essentially operates in much the same way as a board game - with players rolling a virtual die of sorts and moving across a virtual landscape. Along the way, the viewer is asked to participate in a wide variety of mini-games - including trivia questions, puzzles, and brain teasers.

The second DVD, Disney Princess: Become the Ultimate Disney Princess, operates in much the same way, although - this time around - the viewer isn't given a choice between "Family Mode" and "Collectors Mode." After choosing how many "Princesses" will be playing (again, 1-4), the viewer is thrust directly into the game. Much like Disney Dogs: Blue Ribbon Challenge, Disney Princess: Become the Ultimate Disney Princess offers up a series of mini-games; in addition to the expected trivia questions and brain teasers, the viewer is sporadically asked to participate in physical activities (ie dancing in time to an onscreen song).

There's nothing terribly taxing contained within either of these DVDs, but one imagines that's precisely the point. While viewers over a certain age will be left rolling their eyes at the simplicity of these games, it's fairly obvious that the target demographic will have a tremendous amount of fun with the discs.

 

About the DVDs: Buena Vista Home Entertainment presents both discs with full-frame transfers that are incredibly crisp, although bonus features are limited to Disney "Sneak Peeks."
© David Nusair