Title: Imagine Teacher
Price: $29.99
System(s): DS
Release Date: August 12, 2008
Publisher (Developer): Ubisoft (Magic Pockets)
ESRB Rating: Everyone
Pros: Interesting concept, nice blend of educational gaming and simulation, multiplayer option
Cons: Incredibly easy, auto save only, short main adventure, no real replay value.
Overall Score: Two thumbs sideways, 70/100, C-, ** out of 5
Occasionally, Ubisoft’s Imagine line of games for girls will result in a game that isn’t half bad. Imagine Chef and Imagine Figure Skater are two of these titles and Imagine Teacher easily joins their ranks. It’s a decent game and, if more effort had been put in, it could have become a solid title that helped redeem the Imagine line of games.
Instead, Ubisoft and Magic Pocket copped-out with Imagine Teacher. It created an admirable classroom simulation, with an inventive presentation, then decided to slack off when it came to the storyline and replay value. Instead of being a game to buy, Imagine Teacher is an adequate game to rent.
Semi-Educational Class is in Session
Imagine Teacher follows the story of April who has been appointed the only teacher of a small school in a tiny town as her first teaching gig. When the game starts, you have only four students and the school district is looking for reasons to close the school.
April has to prove to the school board and town that the school is needed. She has to teach classes, which involves a book tapping/rubbing mini-game to get students’ attention, educational mini-games, correcting students papers after the lesson, cleaning the classroom, collecting items for special parties events, tutoring students after class and organizing the schedule.
Great for a 2-Hour Attention Span
When I first began playing Imagine Teacher, I was impressed. I figured the initial difficulty level would ramp up as the classroom filled with students and that more responsibilities would be put upon April.
I was wrong.
After all 12 students had joined the class (around 3 hours in), the last week of school for the storyline began. Challenges weren’t made more difficult. Instead, it seemed like the touch screen sensitivity increased. The ending was anticlimactic as well.
I figured that there would then be extra challenges after the story ended. There weren’t. Instead, each week I’d just be able to keep teaching classes. There would be no after-school tutoring requirements, no more parties or events to prepare for, no more (insert subject here) weeks and no more lost items to find.
Its a shame because there were great ideas in play here. Teaching lessons involved simple math, matching, organizing, reading, memory and writing games. You’d have to consider the kid’s relationships and their affection for you when arranging seating arrangements. You’d have to meet certain teaching goals throughout the week. You’d even have to organize the classroom after school and give special lessons. If Ubisoft had made the main storyline longer, made lessons more difficult and added extra challenges after the story, Imagine Teacher could have been amazing.
Wasted Potential. C for Effort.
Imagine Teacher is an admirable attempt at an intelligent and engaging simulation game for young girls. In fact, if more time had been into the game, I’d even recommend it to gamers of all ages.
However, the game isn’t challenging. You can solve most problems and get through classes without much effort. This could have been forgiven, if the game had any kind of staying power. Players over the age of 13 should have no problem finishing the main storyline within three hours and then be ready to trade Imagine Teacher in for something like Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness.
Site [Imagine Teacher]
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