I was recently sent--by the company that does JumpStart games--a title on the Wii. It's called Escape from Adventure Island and, on the box, says, "Ages 5-9." It would be cruel to add this game to the review pile. The truth is we don't really handle straight-up educational games all that much. However, out of curiosity's sake, I threw the game into the ol' Wii and saw what educational games were made out of these days. Boy, what a difference 20 years makes.

When I was a young lad watching my older brother play videogames, I naturally wanted to play as well. My parents weren't too keen on videogames to begin with, so I often had to play supervised with strict guidelines of what games I could and couldn't play. It is hilarious to think that games like Kung-Fu on the NES were off limits to me now but, at the time, it was crushing because my older brother looked to be having so much fun. In an attempt to assuage my temper tantrums, some new games made their way to the Olsen household, games like Sesame Street 1, 2, 3 and A, B, C. I also remember games like Math Blasters landing on my computer's hard drive. Above all, I forever have the sound of failing on Astro Grover burned into my memory. The games were very rudimentary compared to some of the leading entertainment titles but worked as advertised.

Escape from Adventure Island isn't like these old games. You won't find it cramming learning down your neck. It incorporates some customization to keep kids interested in the on-screen action, features some games that are more about hand-eye coordination, which can be used as building blocks when kids get older and play more entertainment videogames, and displays a heaping spoonful of learning games wrapped around mini-games. If I were to go back in time and have access to this kind of game when I was I kid, I wouldn't fuss too much about not being able to play some "adult" games. You actually have fun while learning. The games are obvious enough that the learning moments won't be lost on kids and contain just enough "game" that I'll admit I was amused at how it turned out.



There aren't any limits being pushed with the game, not in the least bit. What it does do is provide a basic foundation of skills that translate well to other games. It's a starting point that dips its toes in the grander scheme of gaming. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that kids aren't growing up in a two-button controller world anymore. Games like Escape from Adventure Island are an absolute necessity. It is something that has, until now, slipped my mind because I was fortunate enough to evolve with gaming. I was just born at the right time. To plunge a kid head first, now, into all the complex control schemes and deep gameplay mechanics might prove too frustrating.

Escape from Adventure Island is the type of game where gamers start. The pace is mellow and non-threatening with soothing voice actors gently guiding you to your goals. All the while kids are learning, they are also being given a "Gaming 101" course. Technical faults with the game are likely to fall on deaf ears for the kids playing it. They will get wrapped up in the player customization and creating a larger fantasy around the game's structure. It's what kids do best: use their imaginations. While I'm not likely to seriously sit down and play this game, if I knew of any kids around this age, I'd toss this title their way.

We all have stories of how we started gaming, a lot of them probably begin with educational games. Children growing up now will have it off a lot better with access to educational games like Escape from Adventure Island that not only teach math and reading but gameplay fundamentals for games as they grow older.