New Dora and Diego video games mark the Nintendo DS debut of characters from top-rated Nick Jr. TV shows
2K Play, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, and Nickelodeon today announced that Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Mermaids™ and Go, Diego, Go!: Safari Rescue are now available exclusively for the Nintendo DS. As the first titles to be released under the recent preschool-focused game publishing agreement between the companies, the games feature Nick Jr.’s popular Dora and Diego characters and include voiceover talent from the TV shows. The releases mark the debut of both series on the popular Nintendo DS system.
By tapping into the creative technology of the Nintendo DS, both games showcase new ways to play handheld titles. In Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Mermaids, examples of enhanced interactivity include using the stylus for cleaning garbage off the beach and counting seashells, while the microphone is used to call dolphins to assist Dora. In Go, Diego Go!: Safari Rescue, players use the stylus to tap on a magic drum and drag obstacles out of Diego’s way, while using the microphone to call out to animals and blowing into it to propel a hot air balloon up the mountainside.
“We’ve created an entirely new interactive experience for these iconic Nick Jr. brands,” said Steve Lux, Vice President of New Business Development for 2K Play. “By combining the character voices that kids know and love with engaging gameplay, we’ve taken full advantage of Nintendo DS capabilities.”
Both games are part of Nick Jr. events, which include television premieres and DVD releases, plus themed toy lines and a broad array of promotional support. In Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Mermaids, Dora and her sidekick, Boots, need help bringing a Magic Crown back to Marianna the Mermaid. Players travel over land and sea to save her kingdom from pollution dumped by a mean Octopus as Dora magically becomes a mermaid herself. In Go, Diego Go!: Safari Rescue, Diego and friends encounter giraffes with short necks, zebras with no stripes, tiny hippos, and elephants turned into rocks after an evil Magician mixed up the African animals.
The Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Mermaids and Go, Diego, Go!: Safari Rescue games were tested by children and moms for age-appropriateness, fun-factor and quality. To communicate this benefit, the packaging and advertising features a “Kid-Tested” seal.
“We worked closely with our partners at 2K Play to ensure these games completely captured the interactive appeal of both Dora the Explorer and Go, Diego, Go!,” said Shaul Olmert, Vice President/Digital Media products for Nickelodeon and MTVN Kids and Family Group. “We’re excited that these games are arriving in stores in time for the holiday season.”
Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Mermaids and Go, Diego, Go!: Safari Rescue are both available now for the Nintendo DS for a suggested retail price of $29.99. They were developed by Black Lantern Studios and are rated E for Everyone. For more information, please visit www.2kgames.com/2kplay.
