In the middle nineties, EA Kids, a short-lived subsidiary of Electronic Arts, released a most interesting and unusual edutainment title in the form of Peter Pan. Peter Pan is an educational game that focuses on puzzle solving skills, as well as some basic graphic design tutelage and was designed for children aged six through ten. It is an extremely fun and family friendly game and is a fully licensed title. Therefore, young users and old gamers alike can look forward to seeing his or her favorite characters, such as Tinkerbell, Captain Hook, Smee, and of course, Peter Pan.
The game begins when Peter Pan steals a coveted treasure map from his age old nemesis, Captain Hook. To retaliate, Captain Hook kidnaps Wendy, and Peter’s tribe, the Lost Boys. Peter has to do his best to avoid numerous obstacles and people in order to rescue his friends from the notorious pirate. The look of the game is that of a simplistic graphic design program, such as Paint Shop. However, instead of a blank palette in the center of the screen, the game will play out. Peter Pan (and the game player) have a group of friends called the Paintbox Pals that will help them navigate the game and rescue Peter’s friends. Some of the Paintbox Pals include Jazz Painter, who is actually a paint
brush; Winston Whoosh, an eraser; Sally Sprayer, the spray can; Sandy Hourglass, who will help take Peter backwards if he makes an error; and Mark Bookman, who will help Peter and the user to save the game.
As the game plays out, Peter will have to select which of the friends will be the best to help him in any given situation. Most of them will be able to offer some assistance in each area, but the outcomes will be different. Using Jazz when Captain Hook’s men attack (and allowing him to use yellow paint) will turn the pirate swords to bananas. Using Winston will strip them of their clothes and leave them showing their pink skin. There will be many opportunities for Peter to try out all of the Paintbox Pals and experiment with the game’s fun, and with the help of Sandy, he can always go back and try something different if he does not like the outcome of one of his decisions.
Peter Pan is a very unique little game that is suitable for users of all ages, but is geared more toward the youngsters. It is a simple edutainment title that will introduce kids to graphic design, as well as some problem solving skills. This is a definite winner.
