Nick Jr. Party Adventure Review (Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Switch & PC)

If I had a penny for every clue I’ve had to “willingly” unearth from the ever-famous armchair of the Nick Jr. staple show Blues Clues, I’d probably have just enough to fund my own children’s TV show. As a parent, it sort of becomes routine: you binge so many episodes of a series with your young’n, and you eventually begin to question a few things—like, how many hours you’ve probably spent watching Dora bat away Swiper with the stick of moral judgment, or how many times you’ve said “CHASE IS ON THE CASE” in a sleep-deprived state. The point is, once you become a parent, Nick Jr. transitions into something of a co-parent, or at least, that digital friend who doesn’t know when to leave. And it doesn’t stop there, either. Oh no, there’s more to it now; Nick Jr. Party Adventure is another “friend” of ours, folks.

That’s right, people — there is, in fact, a video game that encapsulates that beloved Nick Jr. essence, and it just so happens to be making its rounds on consoles and PC right now. The question is, should you bother picking it up, or should you wait for it to dry out and decrease in value? Well, if you did plan on grabbing a copy of Melbot Studios’ latest single-player and co-op adventure game, then be sure to read on as we unpack the details. Care to join us as we scream “SWIPER NO SWIPING” in perfect harmony? Then let’s jump right in.

The Adventure Begins

If you’ve slugged your way through the likes of PAW Patrol: Mighty Pups Save Adventure Bay, My Little Pony: A Maretime Adventure, or just about any other virtual adventure that sports the words “friendship” and “happiness” in a makeshift bubble of innocence and vibrancy, then you’re probably going to have a rough idea of what Nick Jr. Party Adventure brings to the table as part of its near-perfect time capsule of basic puzzle-solving fragments. It’s within said capsule that you, along with the six faithful bands of Nick Jr. residencies, are invited to explore a myriad of themed locations, complete relatively simple tasks, and unlock numerous collectibles, be they practical or purely cosmetic.

Conveniently, there is a USP that certainly ships the game’s overall appeal: the fact that you can, in spite of its barebones simplicity, create your own Nick Jr. protagonist. And not just that, but that you can also beef said character up with a selection of items, which includes hats, sweaters, shoes, and other themed accessories, too. Granted, this isn’t anything we haven’t already seen countless times before, but it does provide something of a personal touch — so that’s a plus, if only a small one. The only downside to all of this, however, is that these heroes’ designs aren’t quite on the same wavelength as a traditional Nick Jr. franchise. What I mean to say here is that, if you happened to tell me that it wasn’t a Nickelodeon thing, then I’d probably believe you. But hey, maybe that’s just me nitpicking, or perhaps I’m just getting too old.

 Can You Say “Entry-Level Video Game?”l

As for the actual gameplay, eh — there isn’t a huge amount to write home about here. Case in point, some levels require you to simply navigate a few obstacles and shuffle a few blocks, whereas other levels involve you utilizing various boost pads and other objects to traverse “tricky” landscapes. Unsurprisingly, most, if not all of these stages can be beaten with your eyes shut—a skill that I, quite frankly, have no shame in admitting. But Nick Jr. Party Adventure wasn’t a game for me; it was a game for my daughter, who, to my knowledge, had a whole lot of fun just exploring the nooks and crannies of each world and finding new ways to elevate her character’s appearance. It was a minor thing—gathering the blueprint for a fluffy hat—but it was something that brought joy to the journey.

Of course, being a game for the younger pair of eyes, the challenges in Nick Jr. Party Adventure aren’t overly daunting. As it turns out, the vast majority of the so-called puzzles are overcome by either tapping a block to elevate a platform, or using bridges and other traversable structures to reach some form of final destination. And that, really, is where you spend most of your time in the game: wheedling through several of these Nick Jr. realms, and searching for party favors to ultimately bring back to your homecoming event. There isn’t really a story to any of these actions (or even a point, if we’re speaking freely), but that isn’t really a concern, given that we are, when all’s said and done, talking about a Nick Jr. game, and that I am, rather embarrassingly, in my thirties. Gotta find them clues though, eh?

Short and Sweet

At the heart of Nick Jr. Party Adventure is a very basic concept, one that doesn’t take a lot to learn or even master, for that matter. Aside from it housing a fairly limited set of controls and avenues of play, it also falls short on several other features—its lack of replay value, for example. To put it all too bluntly, there just isn’t enough to return to to warrant a second sitting, let alone a third or a fourth. Case in point, once you’ve successfully managed to whittle down your first obstacle course or race, you’re pretty much guaranteed an easy victory for the remainder of the campaign — and that’s fine, so long as you don’t mind replaying the same two or three motions and what have you. But, like I said, it’s a one-and-done sort of ordeal; three hours ought to do it.

Visually, Nick Jr. Party Adventure is, at not too much of a stretch, a surprisingly beautiful game. Alright, so it’s a little flat on the finer details, but the fact that it oozes joy through its natural form does, however, make it all the more striking. Does it look like a Nick Jr. cartoon? Eh, that’s open for debate. Does it play like a Nick Jr. game? Yes? It’s sort of difficult to say, to be honest. If a Nick Jr. game is something that a five-year-old could beat with their hands tied behind their backs, then yes, it does play like a Nick Jr. game. Go figure.

Verdict

For the record, Nick Jr. Party Adventure isn’t a game that’ll resonate with the “seasoned” gamer. Actually, it’s not the sort of adventure that’ll be reaping any favors from those over the age of eleven or twelve, for that matter. But that isn’t to say that it’s without its nostalgia fodder; in fact, if you did grow up with the likes of Dora the Explorer, PAW Patrol, Blues Clues & You, or Monster Machines, then there’s a good chance that you’ll find enough wholehearted content to release some of those adolescent endorphins. That’s a big if, mind you. It’s like seeing a remastered version of an old SpongeBob game — to me, it’s a sight for sore eyes, and a real blast from the past. It could be, then, that Nick Jr. Party Adventure has the same effect on you. Again, it all boils down to a matter of preference.

In spite of everything that it puts out on display, there is a surprising amount to love about Nick Jr. Party Adventure. Sure, it’s a little cliche and on-the-nose, but given the fact that this is Nick Jr.—an outfit that pretty much wears its heart on its sleeve—it doesn’t really matter all that much. Yes, it’s an entry-level game that’ll appeal to younger audiences, but that isn’t to say that an older, slightly more experienced player won’t be able to get a kick out of crossing a few wires with some trademark faces, too.

Suffice it to say, if you’re a parent, then you’re likely to find a two-for-one deal here, because thankfully, the game does manage to introduce some important gameplay mechanics, which will no doubt help to finesse any younger player’s abilities, too. If they’re a fan of anything Nick, then it’s a triple threat, for sure.