Computer Times
Editors' Choice DS Game
Strawberry Shortcake:
The Four Seasons Cake
Reviewed by Angie Kibiloski
Strawberry Shortcake: The Four Seasons Cake is a cute little Nintendo DS game from The Game Factory. You play as Strawberry Shortcake, as she travels through all 4 seasons of the year, gathering ingredients for an award winning cake. With the help of her friends, she could create the best cake for the Strawberryland baking contest.
In each of the 4 seasons, there are 8 levels, and 1 extra special level to unlock with a golden key. The key is hidden on one of the 8 levels. In each level, you navigate Strawberry Shortcake around Strawberryland, collecting strawberries, jumping hurdles, swinging on platforms, and avoiding animals that want to steal your strawberries. To help with some of the obstacles, Strawberry Shortcake must collect bubblegum balls along the way. She can blow a bubble and stick it to little peppermint buttons. She can then bounce on the bubble to help reach higher ground. There are also special items that she will find scattered around the levels to help with certain other obstacles. These items are diving goggles, a pogo stick, a paraglider, and a berry clock.
When you complete an entire season, you get to play a special game with one of Strawberry Shortcake's friends. Spring ends with an inner tube ride down the river with Blueberry Muffin, to collect even more strawberries for the cake. Avoid logs and whirlpools or you might have to start again. Summer finishes with a flight on the back of a butterfly with Angel Cake. Avoid the birds and aim for the peppermint hoops to get extra time to complete your trip. After Fall, you get to play strawberry toss with Orange Blossom, as she glides on her paraglider. Finally, Winter concludes with an exciting downhill snowmobile race with Frosty Puff. Once you have finished all the seasons, and the last special game, Strawberry Shortcake will enter the baking contest. If you have collected enough strawberries for your Four Seasons Cake, she will win the contest! Don't worry if you don't get first place, you can go back and collect more strawberries to bump up your ranking.
Strawberry Shortcake: The Four Seasons Cake for the DS is a very cute, and actually strangely addictive game. The levels are challenging enough to hold an older child's attention, but at the same time, easy enough for a younger child to enjoy as well. The characters, graphics and sound effects are adorable too. If your child likes Strawberry Shortcake, check out this game, it is sure to please.