Disney Fairies Tinker Bell

Though she's not officially a Disney Princess, Tinker Bell is one of the most instantly recognizable characters in the studio's history, essentially eclipsing Peter Pan in his own film. That's why Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell makes so much sense in a game from a marketing standpoint.

However, as is usually the case in this kind of tie-in, Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell is all about the charming character on the cover, but leaving gameplay a distant second on the list of immediate priorities. It's fine for what it is, but there's a certain lack of effort in this game that's hard to ignore.

Adventures in Neverland

The environments in Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell are laid out to be reminiscent of a traditional 2D adventure video game, with a series of interconnected maps. Each map represents an area of the colorful Neverland. The whole world has been meticulously created, and every area offers a different scenario for players to explore.

The world follows day-night cycles that are dependent on the time set in your console, with events changing only on certain days of the week and the time of year. It has an Animal Crossing feel in that regard because some characters can only be seen at certain times of the day or during certain seasons. Each character you meet will have their own personality, and they're all represented by well-crafted 3D models.

So far, so good, right? However, let's keep in mind who the target audience for this game is, and why its difficulty might not be that appealing for younger players.

Unexpected Challenges

The game may seem pretty easy at first, but as you progress into the story, it becomes more and more challenging. I've encountered a couple of parts where some help would be appreciated, but if you're into reading then this game is a great one!

While the music is nice enough and all, it really would have been a nice touch if any of the main characters spoke to Tinker Bell. Because there's just text with no voice work in this game, I think some younger kids might find the experience a bit daunting each time they are bombarded with walls of text.

However, as lacking as the overall presentation might feel, the basic gameplay is not very taxing, which proves to be this game's blessing and its curse. Depending on how much your kid can tolerate repetition, they might have the time of their life playing this game, or bore out with it in just half an hour.

Fetching Infinitely

Through the game, you'll periodically find yourself on a series of fetch quests for the so-called Ministers of the Seasons. A lot of ministers will need a specific ingredient in order to make their season happen. For example, the Minister of Autumn needs yellow leaves to create, well, Autumn.

The thing is that Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell revolves its entire gameplay around these fetch quests. Depending on who you ask, they'll tell you that going from place A to location B ad infinitum does not a game make, and I'd agree. For younger kids invested in the character, and those who enjoy games like Disney Friends, this might be just the game they were looking for.

Pros

• Adorable character design
• Lots of locations to explore
• Gameplay mechanics are very easy to understand

Cons

• Boring and repetitive gameplay
• No voice acting
• Tons of text to sit through