Review: Nintendo DS title "My Japanese Coach," Created by Ubisoft

So this entry will be a little different, specifically because this game isn't really a traditional game as it is more a learning tool for the Japanese language, and secondly because it is the first game I've reviewed that is released by a national brand, Ubisoft. However, I did want to post a review for this title, since I started using it again to keep some of my Japanese ability during long periods of being out of practice.

With that in mind, let's get to the review...

Story: N/A

Seeing as this is a resource for learning the Japanese Language, there isn't much of a story here. The player's instructor does have a name, introduced in the first few lessons on Japanese naming conventions, however it isn't often repeated throughout the lessons, so beyond that sense of familiarity, no story is given, or needed, for this title.

Graphics: 4/5

Given that the goal of this title, again, is language acquisition, the graphics only need be bright and cheery enough to maintain the player's attention throughout the given lesson. Having realized this, the graphics fit the bill very well. The instructor is presented in a traditional Japanese kimono, and the colors and lines make learning the language visually appealing. When asked to write a specific character or kana (Japanese script), the lines are presented clearly and precisely, giving the student the best possible chance to learn the writing correctly. Other items, such as rendered scroll backgrounds for writing, and the mini-game graphics also follow the same pattern of bright, cheery colors to entice the student to continue learning.

Music: 3/5

A majority of the music is a looped track of fusion music, utilizing synthesized sounds of "Japanese" or "Asian" sounding music with modern instruments. Overall, the music is good, and since the focus is on Japanese Language learning, it does get the student in the mood to learn the language. Simplistic in it's execution, it works with the nature of this title.

Controls: 5/5

The controls make full use of the stylus abilities of the Nintendo DS, and it is necessary to properly practice the Japanese language (although a pen and paper mode would do just fine ; ) )
The learning of the Japanese "alphabet," or kana, is essential to proper learning, and the title ensures the student learns the kana in a timely, but sustainable manner. The ability to practice writing within the game is key, and a very nice feature of this title.

Gameplay: 4/5

Overall, the thorough nature of this game is what catches the student off-guard. The game will bring the student all the way from beginner to intermediate level, with consistent practice. The game teaches the student everything from the Japanese alphabet (kana), to common phrases, vocabulary, grammar, and kanji. All the necessary topics for a holistic learning experience are presented. Lessons teach a specific topic, and present ample examples for each topic. Two mini-games generally accompany each lesson to support the new topic, and these mini-games award the student "mastery points." When the student acquires enough points, new lessons are unlocked to continue learning. This methods requires the student to master each lesson before moving forward, encouraging true learning. The only, significant flaw for a traditionalist of Japanese learning are stroke orders. This review only covers up to lesson 20, and the kanji stroke orders are not reviewed, but there are a few instances where the kana stroke orders are given as "incorrect" (relative to how this reviewer learned it initially), which could affect the student's writing abilities later on. However, this should be taken with a grain of salt, because a number of students don't even pay attention to the stroke orders, and even some teachers make it less significant in their lessons, so it depends on how the student wishes to learn. Overall, though, the gameplay is stellar.

Difficulty: 3/5

The game gives the student extreme leeway in how challenging the game is. Each game is first preceded by an options screen where the student may choose which words to include in the mini-game, as well as how challenging the game is (given most often as time allowed to complete the specific mini-game, but also what type of hints are given.) In the earlier lessons, for someone with formal Japanese training, the lessons can be expedited by setting the mini-games on "hard," which results in more points per mini-game.

Overall: 4/5

This title does do what it seeks to do, which is present the Japanese language as an approachable and interesting language to learn. The sheer number of lessons and vocab terms presented makes this an extremely valuable tool. Given the price for other software, sometimes upwards of several hundred dollars per title, a DS game priced around $30.00 new is a welcome addition to the mix. Even with the flaws of stroke order, a student wishing verbal mastery and functional writing ability will find to fault in this title. A student who seeks review for lessons already learned will also find this title worthwhile. I encourage any student or teacher of Japanese to explore this title as a possible resource for learning. Though not perfect, it is a well done attempt at making foreign language learning fun and engaging. Check this game out at Ubisoft's MyCoach games website