Dora the Explorer video games

Did You Know?

• Dora the Explorer: Barnyard Buddies is the only Dora the Explorer game released for the PlayStation and one of the last titles on the system; its cutscenes were made with Claymation.
• Dora the Explorer: Super Star Adventures uses pictures and symbols to communicate rather than words.
• Dora Puppy is a puppy simulation game where players help Dora take care of her puppy Perrito, with actions performed by tracing shapes with the stylus or calling out commands into the DS's microphone.

Journey to the Purple Planet

Dora the Explorer: Journey to the Purple Planet is an action-adventure title from Monkey Bar Games, published by Global Star Software and running on the Vicious Engine. It launched for the GameCube in North America on October 13, 2005, with a PAL release on December 16, 2005. The PlayStation 2 version hit North America on the same October date, arriving in PAL regions on December 2, 2005. A planned Xbox version never made it to shelves. This is the only Dora the Explorer game made for the GameCube. The story has Dora and Boots encountering lost aliens from the purple planet. To get them home, the pair must gather keys to unlock a space gate that leads to Saturn. IGN reviewer Chris Roper scored it 7.0 out of 10. He found the simple puzzles decent and fitting for the Dora universe, calling it a fun adventure for young children learning basic skills like counting and color recognition, especially with its TV show tie-in. He noted drawbacks: the game does not actually teach anything, lacks an autosave feature, and may have a confusing section or two.

Dora Saves the Mermaids

In 2007, Black Lantern Studios created a Dora the Explorer game for the Nintendo DS, and Totally Games handled the PlayStation 2 version the following year, with 2K publishing both. The game, also released in PAL regions in 2008, takes place in the Mermaid Kingdom, where an evil octopus has covered everything in trash. Players guide Dora as she helps Mariana the Mermaid locate her lost magical crown, which requires Dora to transform into a mermaid. For most of the game, players move Dora along winding paths, collect gems, and travel from one point to another, with obstacles that bounce or launch her into the air. Critics gave the game mixed scores: the DS version averaged 55.40% on GameRankings from five reviews, and the PlayStation 2 version averaged 64% from two. IGN’s Sam Bishop liked that the game used the show’s voice actors and found the visuals acceptable, but he criticized its lack of variety and educational value, saying it felt like a rip-off and was not a collaborative experience for adults helping children.

Dora Saves the Snow Princess

Dora Saves the Snow Princess is a platforming game for the PS2, DS, and Wii, published by 2K and released on October 27, 2008, in the United States. It is a 2D platformer in which the player controls Dora through the main adventure Snowy Adventure, with the premise that Dora and Boots must travel through the game world to save the snow princess Sabrina, who has been trapped by an evil witch. The game also offers Extras and Snowy Forest Ride alongside the main adventure. Gameplay involves completing simple platforming levels, collecting Snow Sparks, and using items from Dora's backpack, with additional traversal via jumping on mushrooms for increased height. Longplay takes around 2 hours. The gameplay is described as incredibly similar to Dora Saves The Crystal Kingdom. The game received primarily negative reviews; IGN awarded it a 5.7/10, calling it a decent effort for preschoolers but criticizing its short length, repetitive gameplay, and lack of challenge.

Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom

Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom is a side-scrolling video game from developer High Voltage Software and publisher 2K. It first came out for the Wii in North America on November 3, 2009, followed by a European release on November 27, 2009. Versions for computer platforms and the PlayStation 2 arrived in North America on November 12, 2009. The story centers on a king who has hidden crystals throughout the Crystal Kingdom, and Dora and Boots must retrieve them all to save the realm. Players need to find four colored crystals across three storybook levels, plus an additional crystal from the king. Before each storybook section, players gather as many pages as they can, with some pages tucked inside crystal barrels that Boots can dive into. Common Sense Media’s Jinny Gudmundsen gave the game a perfect five-star rating, describing it as an ideal introductory game for the Wii. Kyle Sudukis of Impulsive Gamer rated it 7.6 out of 10, praising it as a genuine arcade-style Wii game that uses motion controls, unlike typical Dora edutainment titles. An iPhone app titled Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom – Rainbow Ride launched on the iTunes Store for $3 on September 25, 2009. In the app, players tilt the device to guide Dora down a rainbow slide, collecting crystals while counting along. It also includes a touch-screen coloring book where users can color the Crystal Kingdom with the crystals they collect.