Tonka Garage

Reviewed by Donna Calvert
Published by Hasbro Interactive

Age Group: Age 2 to 5, Age 4 to 8
Type: More Fun
Price: $20

Description:

Tonka Garageis a game where children learn how things work in a garage. They can learn what it takes to change a tire, put on an oil filter, or paint a vehicle. This program allows the child to change the vehicle from a simple truck or car, to a more advanced piece of machinery such as a front loader or dump truck. This program is very easy to navigate, as my neighbor's nephew, who is four, had no problem with this program.

Features:

  • Design and build custom vehicles in the Design Shop
  • Fix engines and dents in the Repair Shop
  • Crash test the vehicle or take it for a test drive
  • Give the vehicle a new paint job in the Paint Shop
  • Blast cars or melt them down in the junkyard
  • Create 3D trading cards
  • Print decals, ID badges, magazine covers, award certificates and create your own Tonka characters

Technical Aspects:

Installation was very simple. Just like most programs; the automatic run and set-up took over. I did not experience any problems, but my neighbor, who has the exact same machine as mine, experienced some color changes to the tool bar and changes in the wall paper on the desktop.

Report and Conclusions:

The kids enjoyed this program. It was fun for them to play and learn a little about what goes on in a garage, paint shop, and junkyard. There are seven different areas for the child to visit and learn about. There is the office, the paint shop, the repair shop, the gas station, the test track, the junkyard and the design shop. In the design shop the child can design and build their own car. In the office they can get help and learn about the things in an office. The repair shop lets the child repair vehicles, Sparks, which is a female mechanic, tells all about the vehicles and what needs to be done to them. She helps along the way by telling the child which tool to use and what to do with it. Some of the tools include a welder, a mallot, wrenches and other automotive tools. In the paint shop, the child can paint the vehicles and add decals. At the gas station, Chad helps out with putting gas in the vehicles. At the test track the child can crash test his vehicle or take it for a test drive on the track. In the junkyard the child can take an old junk car and crush it, blow it up, put it in the furnace and melt it down to make parts for a new car. The Tonka characters are always around to offer guidance or advice. The child can create trading cards, decals, ID badges, and award certificates. They can also create their own special Tonka characters.

I do think the age group could be ages 5 - 9, instead of 5-up. My twelve year old just wasn't interested. Actually, if it doesn't concern girls, music or playstation, nothing interests him! My youngest son who is 10 and my neighbor's son who is nine like the game. We have Tonka Construction and this was a decent addition to the collection, though it doesn't have the longevity of Construction. I plan on buying this for my friend's son, since he liked it so much, but feel that this game could have been made with more depth to it.




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