Shrek: Ogres and Dronkeys is a different type of Shrek game than previous editions. Here, the emphasis is a simulation/virtual pet theme where players train the babies by interacting with them in various ways. Training these skills helps the babies unlock mini games, which can then be played at any time. This sounds like a fun combination for young players, but sadly the promise soon peters out.

It seems that Fiona and Shrek have to put in some royal travel time around the kingdom, doing their royal public relations thing. However, they have a problem: who’s going to watch the young ogres while they’re gone? Ah, yes, the dwarf! The dwarf babysitter can use your help in keeping up with the ogres and their playmates, the dronkeys. All that is required is to care for, entertain, and feed these babies! If only it was as easy as this in real life.

The main storymode is where all the action is. Here, players will choose two of the babies. These babies will appear in the playroom, where players can interact with them. There is a toybox for toys, shelves for personal-care items, and a bath area in an adjacent room. Outside, there are many areas with collectibles and other items to find.

Playing with the babies teaches them important skills that will help them find the collectibles that are in hard-to-reach areas. The toybox is where the toys are, and players can select them by opening the playbox and then choosing the toy from the menu. At first, there are only a few items available. Additional items can be purchased in the store when players earn points. These points are earned by the babies learning new skills with the toys.

The babies will have certain skills they need to learn, such as stacking certain blocks on top of each other, as well as other combinations of toys. They will need to learn how to throw and kick the toys, and other similar actions. These skills are listed in task lists, and will be displayed briefly across the screen when the babies do them for the first time. When the toys for certain skills are present on the floor, an activity icon will be displayed. Once this main skill is learned, a message will be displayed.

From time to time, the babies will need to be brushed, fed, or cleaned. A floating icon will appear above their heads indicating a need. Players will need to select the care item and drag it to the baby and use the stylus to rub it back and forth over the baby. When the baby is dirty, players can take it to the bathroom and give the baby a bath.

Mini games are opened up by collecting items outside. There are five play areas outside, each of which has a mini game. Once 10 items are found in a certain area, the mini game becomes available. These mini games are all very simple games that are played with the stylus. For instance, the bowling game is played by the player simply using the stylus to draw a line from the bottom of the screen to the top alongside a directional arrow. Then players will watch the ball roll and knock down the pins. Really, that’s it. The other four games are pretty much the same in terms of complexity. Players will use the touch screen and stylus for all the games.

At first glance, this game looked pretty cool. I like simulation games for kids, and the ogres and dronkeys are really cute. The first several minutes of play are fun, as players get to choose toys, drag them around and watch the babies play with them. However, this becomes rather boring when players realize that they really can’t interact with the babies all that much. There is no true interactive between player, toy and baby. The player can drag the toys around the room, and then watch the baby pick it up and do things with it, but that’s it. The personal care items add a little variety, but not a whole lot.

Outside isn’t a whole lot better. All the babies will do is follow the stylus in the shape of the rattle around the level, collecting items along the way. This opens up the minigames, but the minigames are too simple to be much fun. All players will do is either tap the screen, or drag the stylus. Now, using the stylus can be fun when there are more complex motions to do, but just drawing a straight line, tapping a hay bale in the air or leading the babies around with the stylus to catch fireflies isn’t much fun.

This game is a sad case of what could have been. The general format of a simulation game, coupled with a simple platform game with collectibles, is good. Throw in some mini games, and it should be a decent game with these super-cute dronkeys and ogres. However, there just wasn’t much effort put into the actual game after the initial concept, evidently. While there are a ton of toys and food items to choose from, players really don’t get to do that much with the items. Still, it is kind of cool to watch the babies play with toys like the Jack in the Box and the spider. Giving baths are cool, but there’s not much to do except scrub that baby.

The platform action outside also seems fun at first, but it again becomes boring due to the very slow pace of using the stylus to lead the baby around. The mini games should be a fun break from the regular gameplay, but it’s almost like the designers felt compelled to use the touch screen for everything. A couple of touch-screen games would have been Ok, but not every one. The bowling game is the most “non-game” I’ve ever seen, with players only drawing a line to bowl. The others aren’t much better.

There is a multiplayer mode that is good in that it doesn’t require the other players to have their own systems or games, but the multiplayer games are the mini games, which are boring in single play and just as boring playing with others.

I believe this game had promise, and would have been better if the mini games had been different. The game is aiming for a very young crowd, but they would have had more fun with some matching and coloring games, and some simple puzzles. Also, the simulation could have been a little more elaborate, with players doing things like throwing the balls to the babies, or teaching them some words. A mediocre game that only has the Shrek license going for it.

Gameplay: 6.0
The gameplay is adequately amusing for brief amounts of time, but even the very young will become bored soon.

Graphics: 8.0
The graphics are the best aspect of the game. All the characters look like they should.

Sound: 6.0
The music is good, but not much above average.

Difficulty: Easy
The game is very easy, as it is for young children.

Concept: 6.0
This is a decent concept, but it suffers from poor execution.

Multiplayer: 5.0
The multiplayer mode lets multiple players play the mini games. The good news is that players can share one NDS system, the bad news is that they have to play the mini games.

Overall: 6.0
This game is not much fun. It has potential, but the game as it is doesn’t offer hardly anything for kids to do besides watch the babies play and play a few simple mini games. The platforming isn’t a whole lot of fun, either. Once all the items are round, there isn’t any point to replay the levels. Parents may want to pass on this one.