Jump to content

Play with the Teletubbies

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Play with the Teletubbies
Developer(s)Asylum Entertainment
Publisher(s)BBC Multimedia (PAL)
Knowledge Adventure (North America)
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, PlayStation
ReleaseMicrosoft Windows
PlayStation
Genre(s)Educational
Mode(s)Single-player

Play with the Teletubbies is an educational video game developed by Asylum Entertainment based on the British children's television series Teletubbies, it was released for Microsoft Windows in 1998 and PlayStation in 1999.

Gameplay

[edit]

The primary gameplay consists of choosing a Teletubby and choosing various activities to perform with them, such as a game of hide and seek, banging a drum, or controlling the speed of a train. Certain activities are unique depending on the Teletubby you choose to perform it with, such as the "Favourite Thing" activity, which features a unique item for each character.[1]

The game also features 11 live-action clips that can be viewed by interacting with the windmill at the top of the map. These clips feature children telling the audience about what they're doing that day, often something promoting creativity or being outdoors, such as herding sheep. These clips are very reminiscent of an actual segment of the original television series where the same thing happens. Two magical events are also shown: a train and some clouds.[2]

Development

[edit]

According to Dave Lee, director of BBC Multimedia at the time of the games development, the gameplay was extensively tested with young children, adding that the company was "delighted to see how quickly very young children adapted to using the PlayStation controls" when playing early versions of the software. The BBC hoped that the launch of the PS2 would cause more PlayStations to be passed on to younger members of the family increasing the possible player base.[3]

Reception

[edit]

Reviewing the PC version for AllGame, Brad Cook gave the game 4 stars out of 5, saying that the game did "an excellent job of transferring the popular British children's show to a computer game" and complimented its graphics and sound.[1] The same website would give the PlayStation version 3.5 out of 5 saying that there was "not much "game" in Play with the Teletubbies, at least not in the conventional sense of the word. But that is exactly what the developers had in mind" but was critical of the interface which he said was "not always obvious to young children."[4] The reviewer for The Sydney Morning Herald was complementary of the faithfulness of the sound and visuals.[7]

Steven Poole, reviewing the PlayStation version for The Guardian, was extremely critical, calling it "a staggeringly incompetent slab of electronic propaganda for two to four-year-olds"[6]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Cook, Brad. "Play With the Teletubbies". All Game. Archived from the original on 15 November 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Play With the Teletubbies (PlayStation)". Review Corner. December 2000. Archived from the original on 23 May 2006. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  3. ^ "Teletubbies hit the PlayStation". BBC News. 8 March 2000. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  4. ^ a b Weiss, Brett Alan. "Play With the Teletubbies". All Game. Archived from the original on 14 November 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  5. ^ "Teletubbies game review". Official UK PlayStation Magazine. No. 56. Future Publishing. March 2000.
  6. ^ a b Poole, Steven (30 March 2000). "Teletubbies Game is Toast". The Guardian. p. 62. Retrieved 11 May 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Glover, Anne (17 October 1998). "Play with the Teletubbies". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 224. Retrieved 11 May 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
[edit]


Stub icon

This educational video game-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Play_with_the_Teletubbies&oldid=1242502201"