Pillow Pets aren’t just for snuggling anymore! They have entered into the video game world as well.  It seems almost any successful toy line or children’s movie gets turned into a game these days.  I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with this game.  Pillow Pets are made for cuddling and sleeping – so what would the game entail?

Well, we find out that a bunch of Pillow Pets have gone missing in Dreamland, the place they come alive while children sleep.  There are 16 well known Pillow Pets to find and collect.  Once you find them, they join the playroom, where you can select them as your player or dress them up in hats, glasses, and other accessories.  You can also rename them when you find them if you’d like.  The game is super easy to pick up and play.  You run, jump, glide, and slide around the levels collecting stars, jewels and other objects.  These things increase your happiness meter, which allows your Pillow Pet to glide in the air longer (and find more things).

While I had the urge to find all of the missing pets, this game was rather disappointing to me.  I like that it worked on my old original DS and had a very low learning curve.  However, I felt like I was missing something when it started.  Most games have a bit of tutorial to get you orientated, but this one just jumps right into it.  It doesn’t utilize DS capabilities well either.  The upper screen held the stat information while the game play was on the lower screen, but there was very little use of the touch screen or stylus.  There is really no challenge to the game.  You can’t fall off any ledges and die.  If you keep wandering and jumping around you will easily find the lost Pillow Pets.  It would have been fun if the different pets at least had different abilities or something.

I think I’m just too experienced of a gamer for this one!  My daughter liked watching me play it and I think I’ll let her try it.  She likes pushing buttons so she might be able to get through a level on her own.  If nothing else she enjoys watching the pet jump and listening to the music.

The game is still cute and may provide entertainment for a young child.  I’d recommend it for preschool age children and/or children that don’t have a lot of gaming skill yet.

GameMill Entertainment, and independent publisher, released Pillow Pets for the Nintendo DS on October 18, 2011.  It is rated E for everyone and retails for about $19.99.

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** FTC Disclosure: I received the product(s) mentioned above free of charge by the company or PR representative in order to conduct an honest review. I was not compensated in any other way for this post. The thoughts, experiences, and opinions included are entirely my own and may differ from that of others. I am not liable for any issues you may incur from use of said product(s). Images used are owned by me or provided with the company's permission unless otherwise sourced. See full disclosure information. If you have any questions you can contact me or leave a comment.

About Darcy

Darcy Zalewski is a married, stay-at-home mom who is discovering her greener side, starting with advocating for cloth diapering. When she's not changing diapers or singing the Itsy Bitsy Spider, she can be found at Tales From the Nursery, where she shares tales of motherhood as well as product reviews, or at ShePromotes, a resource for blogger support.

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