Maybe I am just a nerd and liked elementary school way too much but I was addicted to Activity Book style assignments. They always felt like a puzzle or a game instead of actual homework. Normally I would not just post a game idea for everyone to read since one day I might get to make that game but since an Activity Book game would work best on the Nintendo DS and Sony had nothing like the DS I will make an exception. Hopefully someone will read this and go out there and make this game, which I would then buy and enjoy for hours on end.
The game would contain crossword puzzles, word jumbles, word searches, mazes, connect the dots, and even a coloring book with a grading system for staying within the lines. I mean really that’s it… nothing more to do just hundreds of these things to do for five minutes at a time. The point of this game is there is no point to this game other than to waste time and complete a task to feel good about completing the task but then again most parents will already argue that all video games embody this at the root level so what’s one more added to the mix. I think crunch time makes me want these kinds of games the most and that is why I fall back on fighting games since I can just turn my brain off and play from a previously built base of knowledge which requires little thought to recall for an intermediate level play. Also the game would be full of awesome little characters gauging your progress with witty wisdom regarding your skill level, wonderful completion sound tones like obtaining an item in Zelda, and topping it all off with a quick and intuitive menu system themed much like of a trapper keeper just for old time sake!
Back to the DS… so the question I have been going over in my head since I purchased a DS Lite is how long until kids are actually using this type of technology to learn in a classroom setting? Better yet could this be the place my design skills call edutainment home when the game industry casts me aside for some young kid willing to work twice the hours for half the pay? In all honesty it actually sounds kind of cool, making neat cute games that fit into tight little boxes that actually help a child to learn, I mean if we can corrupt the minds of the youth as the government says we do could we possibly help them to learn as well? Ok so enough with the questions and poor sentence structure and on to list of possible games found in my imaginary DS Activity Book. I admit this is a terrible way to express what would be found in this game but I am tired and don’t feel like doing all the work for someone else but if you would like me to complete the work feel free to email me and we can work something out under the table like back in 1989 when I was sticking it to the man by not paying taxes on my 700 dollar lawn mowing season.
Numbers:
- add / subtract / multiply / divide
- percentage / fraction / decimal
- square / square root
- prime numbers
Words:
- crossword
- word jumble
- word search
- word rhyme
Images:
- coloring book
- connect the dots
- map quiz
- i spy
Sounds:
- animal sound
- instrument sound
- simon
- name that tune
Cards:
- crazy eights
- go fish
- old maid
- slap jacks
p.s. Veronica Mars Season 2 August 22nd!
