Tag / Dreamworks

by jo

Dragons : Dawn of New Riders Nintendo Switch game

We were sent a code to review Dragons : Dawn of New Riders Nintendo Switch game, a game from the How to Train Your Dragon franchise.

Dragons Dawn of New Riders formats available to buy

Dragons : Dawn of New Riders is a new game from Outright Games, based on the popular How to Train Your Dragon series. We haven’t seen the new film yet, though H knows the series well.

The game was easy to set up and install; once we got started it was learning what each button on the console does. There’s a lot to think about, although H picked it up way faster than I did!

You control two new characters, Patch and Scribbler. Scribbler is a scholar who cannot remember his past, and Patch is a different kind of dragon, a ‘chimeragon’ who has powers which are different to that of the average dragon.

Dragons Dawn of New Riders gameplay

They have new islands to explore, battles to fight and things to find to complete the adventure. Using their skills they pick up treasures along the way such as armour and herbs to make potions; so they’re well again after a particularly brutal attack or two.

There’s also the ability to swap between characters. There are some things that Scribbler can’t do, but with Patch having different powers, there are things which solve problems. Think along the lines of there being an obstacle and a bit of team work in resolving what needs doing and you’re getting close to the feel of Dragons : Dawn of New Riders.

Dragons Dawn of New Riders gameplay

The ultimate goal is to recover Scribbler’s lost memories.

The battles are quite fierce too and quite take it out of you! Fortunately as you go along you can smash barrels and plants which allow you to pick up herbs which can be made into potions. However, some battles are difficult, so you need to think about what you have and whether you might need help from Patch.

The game features familiar locations such as Havenholme, Blood Briar Island and Valka’s Mountain. There’s a lot to cover, so plenty to play with.

Dragons Dawn of New Riders - screenshot

If you lose all your lives you restart in the area you lost your life with a newly replenished supply of ‘life up’ potion (H’s name). We’re currently in battle trying to defeat and outwit a giant dragon which isn’t easy. We can’t seem to defeat him though H is the closest. We like a challenge!

Dragons Dawn of New Riders dragon battle

Overall we’ve found Dragons : Dawn of New Riders a fun game to play. It has enough challenges to keep nine year old H happy; she’s not frustrated when things don’t go her way (usually battles).

Dragons : Dawn of New Riders comes from Outright Games. It is out now on Nintendo Switch, XBox, PS4 and PC. Amazon link here (affiliate link). We were sent a code for the purpose of review, all opinions are our own.

I suspect if you visit Shrek’s Adventure there may be lots of Dragons themed characters on display there to tie in with this too.

by jo

Half Term Fun With The Trolls Merchandise

It’s half term and H has been busy, as have we. There’s a film that I’m sure you’ve all had flashbacks to, and seen the posters. When we were in France in August we spotted them too – Les Trolls – or rather, The Trolls here.

The Trolls are those dolls that were popular back in the 90’s, though they date back to the 1950’s! Oh, and now there’s the film with tons more merchandise on offer.

The Trolls Poppy Wig

We received a Poppy Wig and a Hug Time bracelet – something we didn’t get until we saw the film. See, the Trolls are happy little beings, and every hour it’s…. HUG TIME! They have little wristbands they wear which light up around each other. Oh, and they sing a lot and hug each other lots too. The leader of The Trolls is Poppy, a princess. Her dad is King of the Trolls.

If you’re aware of that catchy little ditty that Justin Timberlake sings, ‘Can’t Stop the Feeling’ features in the film. There are also several other happy pop classics (even The Gorillaz are in there).

Which leads me to how H reacted to the wig and bracelet, and a spot of Mr Timberlake. After our Frubes post, she was feeling confident with her dance moves, so did a few more.

The Trolls, H's moves

We found the Poppy Wig was just a tiny bit too small – I managed to tuck H’s hair into a hairband which got it to fit. I’d say if your child has a large head circumference it may be an issue. (H was always in the higher percentiles for this!) The Hug Time wristband fits fine though – and it only makes sense once you’ve seen the film.

On saying that, she sat with her Poppy wig and flicked on the bracelet, announcing “HUG TIME!” and what with her being my bestest girl, I obliged with hugs.  It would have been nice if the bracelet had done a bit more but H was happy with it.

The Trolls Hug Time Bracelet

The Poppy wig does have that classic style of The Trolls, although we had to work ours a bit – but I think it does suit H!

You can buy the Poppy Wig for £12.99 and the Trolls Hug Time bracelet for £9.99 from Argos.

We received both to review. All opinions are our own.