If you’re over the age of 10 and not a parent of a child, Flips: Too Ghoul for School might not seem very appealing to you. Rather than being a game in the conventional sense, Flips: Too Ghoul for School is more an interactive reading tool. This is rather handy if you’re a parent of a child who would rather be playing on their DS than reading a book as it combines both hobbies in an extremely pleasing way.
Flips: Too Ghoul for School includes the first 8 books in the series which gives even the fastest of readers a fair amount of ghoulish fun to work their way through. I’m not a child but I did find the stories presented quite entertaining and the tales of St Sebastian’s School compelling. I’ve no doubt that I’d have loved something like this when I was 7 or 8. As a fan of zombies I found ‘Attack of the Zombie Nits’ my favourite but all the books have some wonderfully creative ideas behind them.
Navigating the game and the books within is simple thanks to the stylus controls. Placing the DS sideways, akin to a book, all it takes is either pressing the right button on the d-pad or stroking the stylus across the screen to move to the next page. It’s very unobtrusive and perfect for young children to get to grips with. Throughout the story links emerge within the text which once clicked reveal short biographies and descriptions of the characters in the tales. Other clickable links, such as scream, play sound clips to make the story that little bit more immersive. One other interactive element is a little gimmicky but I suspect young players will love it: slime that oozes down the screen and needs sweeping off with the stylus. It’s a nice minor touch that I’ve no doubt will keep less enthusiastic readers’ attention. As another way to keep children’s interest, a quiz is offered to the player at the end of each chapter. Typically they only consist of a few simple questions to check that the reader has been paying attention, but it’s also useful for improving comprehension skills.
Flips: Too Ghoul for School is quite a clever innovation in educational gaming. Rather than feeling overtly educational, it simply feels like good fun. For the child who loves reading, it makes for a fun interactive experience. For children who don’t enjoy reading or feel intimidated by it, it’s a perfect way to introduce them to how much fun reading can be. It’s great value considering the amount of books available in the one package. It makes it ideal for if you’re going on holiday with your family and your child wants to get plenty of reading done. Most of all though Flips: Too Ghoul For School is good fun and will no doubt keep many a child occupied while on trips or just sitting in the living room at home. I just wish there were games like this when I was that age!
VideogameUK verdict: 9/10
