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Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader?
Based on the TV series of the same name
which starred the delightful Rove McManus, the DS version successfully
recreates this tried and true format. Of course, who this game targets
is an entirely different story and unfortunately when it comes
enjoyment, the title is lacking.
Like the TV show, gamers must step
up onto the podium and battle against another competitor with 15
different subjects. Although a US version of this game already exists,
this current title actually features Australian content that boasts a whopping
1,800 questions with three levels of difficulty.
Features
- 1,800 questions and 15 subjects
from the Australian TV show
- Choose your classmate – there are 5
all with their own strengths
- Questions too tough? ! There’s
cheats – Peek, Copy or Save!
- Answer your way to the ultimate
jackpot – there’s $500,000 to be won!
- Based on the Australian grade
school curriculum
Even though I've played the US version
before, the game is almost identical, bar the content which is based on
the Australian school curriculum that is ideal for us "aussies". Funnily
enough, some of the questions were actually a little tough but depending
on difficulty level, there are a few cheats to assist you through the
various subject until the final jackpot question to prove... <insert
cliché> that you are... smarter than a 5th grader!
At it's core, the game is basically a
multiple choice game and by answering the questions correctly, these
will hopefully lead you to victory. With a generic host, the compare
will give you a brief explanation of how to play the game and with every
question correct, your jackpot continues to grow. The "cheats" in the
game allow you to peek, copy or save which is similar to your three
chances in Who Wants to be a Millionaire or a variety of other quiz show
games.
Graphically, the title seems a little
budget on the DS with 3D characters and backgrounds that mimic the TV
series. The questions are displayed on the top with the multiple choice
answer below and all you need to do is select the correct answer and presto...
hopefully it's correct.
The questions range from easy to medium and only
a few had us stumped but thanks to the cheats, we managed to get to the
end of the round and take that virtual jackpot home. After our
initial testing, some questions did come up again but generally they
were far and few. Of course if you play this continually, they will
eventually become common place but that is the price of a cartridge
based system. In terms of sound and music, the game is oozing with
that MIDI style of music which is quite generic as are the sound
effects.
At the end of the day, this game is
generally targeted towards the younger gamer and there are quite a few
better quiz and brain games available than this. Of course, it's in the
budget price range that is ideal for those grandparents who want to purchase
their grandchildren a DS game. Overall, this game feels like a shareware
game from its presentation to gameplay and the majority of gamers around
the world will probably pass on this. |
