Shrek: Game Land Activity Center Download (2001 Educational Game)

With just a small variety of word and puzzle games, Shrek: Game Land Activity Center may not offer much in the way of originality, but the presentation couldn't be better. Conveying the look and feel of the movie, the thematic Shrek's design and the straightforward gameplay is enjoyable and familiar. Picture Mixer and Sliding Tiles require you to organize incredibly clear images from the movie and perfectly replicate still shots. Thanks to the sharp attention to visuals and design, these four games are the strongest of the seven.

Unfortunately, the other three are somewhat lacking in substance. Ogre Maze, without the same visual sense and intricate images, is not particularly interesting, while Melody Match uses the call/response format but adds nothing noteworthy. Splat!, the one deviation outside of the puzzle/logic genre, has you squashing bugs before they run off the screen, and though the friendly gross-out humor may appeal to younger players, gameplay isn't very stimulating. The games offer some diversion, though, and don't negatively impact the collection.

With two levels of difficulty and some variations for each game (although the words in Word Find and Crisscross tend to be repetitive), the collection will hold gamers' interest for awhile. Even when images repeat, the challenges are different every time, which gives Shrek: Game Land Activity Center lasting appeal.

Despite the ordinary nature of the games and lack of innovation, the attention given to the gaming environments and the quality of the graphics makes Shrek: Game Land Activity Center much more than you might expect. Fans of the movie will appreciate the collection more than most gamers, but those who enjoy high quality, simple games will find enough to satisfy.

Graphics: The crisp and beautiful graphics evoke the look of the movie with clear still shots and backgrounds.

Sound: While the voice cast of the movie is disappointingly absent, the music and sound effects are well done and non-obtrusive.

Enjoyment: Although the games are basic in nature, they're fun. The visual imagery from the movie

Replay Value: The number of game variations provides plenty of replay value.

People who downloaded Shrek: Game Land Activity Center have also downloaded:
Disney's MathQuest with Aladdin, Shrek: Swamp Fun with Early Math, Putt-Putt Travels Through Time, Magic School Bus Explores Inside the Earth, Sesame Street: Let's Make a Word!, Shrek 2: Activity Center, Disney's Animated Storybook: Toy Story, Fisher-Price Great Adventures Pirate Ship