These days just about every little girl is talking about American Girl dolls. The impact on young minds may be even larger than Miley Cyrus (a.k.a. Hannah Montana). OK, so maybe not quite that big, but the American Girl Doll brand is huge and has moved from the toy industry over to interactive games. Mia Goes for Great is the newest in the American Girl game line, delivering a little girl?s dream experience of becoming a great figure skater.

In Mia Goes for Great, players take on the role of Mia, a young figure skater, learning to do all sorts of spins and jumps for a local figure skating competition. Before she can begin practicing though, she must first put together an outfit, find the perfect music, and do a little research. Mia will meet people all around town that will help her solve the problems at hand, including all five members of her family, a couple of other girls that will be competing with her, and several helpful adults. Each step in the process of getting ready is a learning exercise and will teach children about what one must go through to skate in a competition and, in the case of music, will introduce players to classical musicians such as Mozart and Beethoven.

One of the girls in Mia Goes for Great tends to be a bit mean and at the beginning is thinking about spreading rumors about Mia and her coach. It is up to Mia to bring this rumor down and to treat this girl nicely, conveying a good moral message for children. Aside from not appealing to a male audience, Mia Goes for Great is free from objectionable content and is appropriate for young girls.

With the exception of a few graphical and sound glitches, Mia Goes for Great will provide a couple hours of entertainment for young girls. Mia Goes for Great is a wonderful addition to the American Girl family and a great, enjoyable game for children.

» By Stephan Mack, Plain Games. Published 3/14/2008 9:58:11 PM.