I know that many kids cartoons, shows, and games that are popular in the U.S. actually have their origins in Japan, but since I didn’t have children of my own until recently, I never paid much attention to those things. For instance, I had heard of the Power Rangers, of course, but had no idea that the series and characters were based on the Boukenger series in Japan. Now that my son is four, however, I’m getting more and more involved with these types of shows.
My son is a huge fan of the Boukenger series, and watches whenever he gets a chance. So for Christmas this year my husband and I decided to get him a video game called Bouken Driver, which is based on the show. It’s an interactive DVD game. In other words, you pop a DVD into the player and the game’s storyline unfolds from there. The DVD consists of both live action scenes and animated/video game scenes along the lines of what you would expect in this type of game.
There are several different story sequences that the player can go through, depending on which Boukenger (Red, Blue, Pink, Yellow, or Black) they choose to be. The stories involve completing various tasks and fighting enemies — much like what happens on the TV show.
The box states that the game is intended for children aged 3 and up. That’s because the actions associated with gameplay are very basic. The player needs only turn the steering wheel left or right depending on the arrow that flashes on the screen. There are also occasions when the player might need to push a button or work one of two levers. My four-year-old could handle these without any problems, and really loves the game. However, I can’t see a child over 5 enjoying Bouken Driver.
Overall, this is a fun little game for small children. It was purchased by relatives in Japan, so I don’t know if there’s an equivalent in the U.S. If there is, I would say that the game is worth the money and will surely please any young Power Rangers/Boukenger fan.