Phonics Fun with Biff, Chip & Kipper Review
It seems odd that so many games on the 3DS are aimed at children, yet so few of them are entirely educational. They exist, of course, but are less hyped than your Mario Karts and Castlevanias for obvious reasons. Learning, no matter how schoolteachers like to dress it up, is rarely as much fun as squishing goombas, winning first place or saving the world.
But, that being said, seek out these rare educational treats and you shall certainly find them, and while they’re unlikely to be described as thrilling or compelling, some of them are nevertheless very good at what they do.
With illiteracy such an understated problem among young children, games that help with basic English skills should arguably be among the collection of any child under ten, hopefully balancing out all that supposed violence and evil that the Daily Mirror likes to complain about. Phonics Fun with Biff, Chip & Kipper is a great place to start, too, providing three volumes of increasing difficulty, which should be enough to keep any young mind suitably occupied.
Based on the classic children’s books by Roderick Hunt, Phonics Fun offers basic word and sound games to help teach and improve literacy and oratory skills, with various activities adding some small variety to proceedings. Games include Listen & Tap, which plays a noise you must link to the accompanying image such as an animal call or a vehicle sound; and Listen and Speak, which asks the child to repeat a word or noise. Some of the games require you to do nothing but read a short story excerpt from start to finish.
Alex Brychta’s visual style provides comforting familiarity, while the challenges themselves don’t ever become too taxing, even in later volumes. My six year old daughter had little trouble with any of them, while my four year old son found it just challenging enough to remain fun and engaging throughout each session, and the reading sections were great for us to work on together. Stamps awarded for completing sections add a collectible edge, each one a reward in itself for the child who is willing to play and learn at the same time.
VERDICT: Although a little too easy for children above a certain age, youngsters just learning to read and understand our wonderful language and its irritatingly charming nuances will find Phonics Fun with Biff, Chip & Kipper incredibly useful and entertaining. Loading times are surprisingly long and the sound and visuals are basic to say the least, but taken purely as it is this is a great educational tool and one that any parent of a young child should consider downloading if they own a 3DS.
VERY GOOD. An 8/10 is only awarded to a game we consider truly worthy of your hard-earned cash. This game is only held back by a smattering of minor or middling issues and comes highly recommended.
Review code provided by publisher.
