Strawberry Shortcake: The Four Seasons Cake

Strawberry Shortcake: The Four Seasons Cake

Game Factory

(Nintendo DS)




For kids in the mid-eighties, life's biggest accomplishments were rewarded with Popples, Snorkland was believed to be real, and everyone had reoccurring nightmares involving Skeletor. One of the most wholesome characters to emerge from this time was Strawberry Shortcake, the pie-obsessed protagonist of her own cartoon series. Besides having her own line of berry-scented toys, she has reemerged in pixilated form in a few different video games over the past few years. Her latest game, The Four Seasons Cake, is every bit as sweet as it sounds.

Unlike her last game for the DS, Strawberryland, this game is aimed at a slightly older crowd. Where the last one consisted of mini-games created for the finger-painting set, this is a straightforward platformer that is challenging enough to hold anyone's attention.

In the game, Shortie and her friends have decided to enter a baking contest, but first they need to collect a series of ingredients before they get to work. You'll travel through four seasons, each with eight different levels. It's your job to collect a certain number of berries in each level while maintaining your health and avoiding obstacles along the way. It's sort of like Super Mario Bros., but with berries instead of shells and beach balls instead of Goombas.