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Play Overview
Dora the Explorer (2005) video games put you in control of Dora (or Diego) to run, jump and dash your way through lightly themed stories. You play these games on older PlayStation, Wii or DS consoles, that each offer super easy controls and plenty of excitement in a platforming challenge wrapped up with great child voice acting.
The games stand out for their storytelling and quality of production. But along with this, the play is also perfectly pitched to fans of the show. Each level is a challenge of getting from point A to point B. To do this you take on various enemies, switches and lifts and pick up various collectables that accrue score, special abilities and access to hidden areas.
The Wii versions of these games stand out for being controlled by tilting the Wii-Remote gamepad rather than the left/right sticks. This not only reduces the number of buttons but also seems to be a scheme that is instantly understandable by children. This is punctuated with movement-based minigames where you have to perform a particular Just Dance style motion to progress.
There are a wide range of Dora the Explorer video games, these are the best of them that offer the experience we are describing here:
There are also some Go Diego Go games that offer a similar experience with Diego rather than Dora staring:
The result is a lovely series of games for really young players. Along with the franchise attraction, there is plenty of substance with players soon involved in the plot and egging each other on as they progress through the various levels.
Our examiner, Jo Robertson, first checked Dora the Explorer 2 years ago. It was re-examined by Thom Robertson and updated 11 weeks ago.
The games stand out for their storytelling and quality of production. But along with this, the play is also perfectly pitched to fans of the show. Each level is a challenge of getting from point A to point B. To do this you take on various enemies, switches and lifts and pick up various collectables that accrue score, special abilities and access to hidden areas.
The Wii versions of these games stand out for being controlled by tilting the Wii-Remote gamepad rather than the left/right sticks. This not only reduces the number of buttons but also seems to be a scheme that is instantly understandable by children. This is punctuated with movement-based minigames where you have to perform a particular Just Dance style motion to progress.
There are a wide range of Dora the Explorer video games, these are the best of them that offer the experience we are describing here:
- Dora the Explorer: Journey to the Purple Planet (2005) GameCube, PlayStation 2 - Dora save aliens from a crashed flying saucer.
- Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Mermaids (2007) PlayStation 2 - Defeat an evil octopus dumping garbage into the ocean.
- Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Snow Princess (2008) PlayStation 2, and Wii - Dora travels through the snowy game world to save the snow princess who has been trapped by an evil Witch.
- Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom (2009) Wii, PC, PlayStation 2 - Dora must find all of the crystals to save the Crystal Kingdom.
There are also some Go Diego Go games that offer a similar experience with Diego rather than Dora staring:
- Go Diego Go: Safari Rescue (2008) Wii, PS2 - Search the Safari Trail to learn about your favourite animals.
- Go Diego Go! Great Dinosaur Rescue (2009) Wii, PS2 - Travel back in time with Diego and Baby Jaguar to help Maia the Maiasaura find her way back to her family.
The result is a lovely series of games for really young players. Along with the franchise attraction, there is plenty of substance with players soon involved in the plot and egging each other on as they progress through the various levels.
Our examiner, Jo Robertson, first checked Dora the Explorer 2 years ago. It was re-examined by Thom Robertson and updated 11 weeks ago.
There are lots of games similar to Dora the Explorer (Series). Here are some we picked for you:
Play Style
This is an Adventure, Collecting and Platform game with Action, Brain Game, Puzzle, Sequencing and Traversal elements. You can play with 1 to 2 players in the same room, but you can’t play it online. While the platforming elements are single-player, most of these games let an adult pick up a second Wii Remote and assist with the minigames. This also works well if a younger sibling wants to join in the action. The two layers then work together to complete each task, with the original player controlling the platform running, jumping, sliding and tunnelling.
You can play this game in the following styles:
Duration
Play Time: It takes between 4 hours and 5 hours to play a round of this game. The style of the game and the variety of items to collect means that it can be played through a few times without becoming overly repetitive.
Benefits
Age Ratings
Skill Level
3+ year-olds usually have the required skill to enjoy this game. Young players are well served by this game (particularly on the Wii). The characters, franchise, graphics, sounds and controls all work together to provide an experience tailored to them. The usual awkward elements, such as timed jumps, the fear of the character dying and the fiddly Wii-mote pointing have all been left behind to leave a slipstreamed game.
Costs
You can only play this on older systems (GameCube, Nintendo Wii and PlayStation 2) but can usually find it second hand on eBay. There are no additional in-game purchases, loot boxes, adverts or subscription costs.
Game Details
Release Date: 01/01/2005, updated in 2009
Out Now: GameCube, PS2 and Wii
Skill Rating: 3+ year-olds
Players: 1-2
Genres: Adventure, Collecting, Platform (Action, Brain Game, Puzzle, Sequencing and Traversal)
Accessibility: 0 features documented (Tweet Developer )
Components: 2D Side-On and Cartoon
Developer: Dora The Explorer (@DoraTheExplorer)
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