05/09/2011

Allen Rausch

Some of the best video games out there don’t take place is a future world or a fantasy kingdom. They just let you experience something from real life with all of the boring parts pulled out.

Babysitting Mama ***, by Majesco for Wii, $29.99, ages 4 and up

Some of the best video games out there don’t take place is a future world or a fantasy kingdom. They just let you experience something from real life with all of the boring parts pulled out. That’s the premise of the “Mama” games, a fun series that challenges players to compete in a lot of little mini-games that simulate things like cooking, crafting, gardening, and the latest in the series, taking care of a baby.

 

Babysitting Mama comes with an adorable plush baby doll with a pocket in its back that you slide the Wii control into. The included video game asks the player to use the baby doll and the Wii remote nunchuck as a controller in various simple motion games that simulate things like rocking the baby to sleep, shaking a rattle to calm him down, or feeding a baby his or her meal. It’s delightfully fun and the mini-games are much easier to play than in previous Mama games, making this title one deliberately aimed at younger gamers. The game also takes pains to teach kids that shaking or mistreating a baby is a bad thing. Treating the baby doll controller roughly is a quick way to a “game over.” Take care of the baby well, though, and you can unlock all sorts of goodies like new mini-games, new babies to play with, and photos of your adventures in a memory album. It’ll certainly never take the place of traditional baby dolls (although the game’s box can actually be used as a crib), but Babysitting Mama is an enjoyable new way for kids to play with dolls.