Mice love maths

Life is full of struggles, but few have such a cheery outcome as the one between Powerhead Games' Jason Schreiber, his son and a mobile phone. Whilst the youngster mashed the keys on his dad's phone to see the pretty lights, Mr Schreiber Snr had the idea of creating an early childhood game for DSiWare: that game is Did It Myself ABC123.

Having already received rave reviews for psychedelic puzzler Glow Artisan – including a 9/10 score right here – this is a slight change of pace for Powerhead Games, but we'll give you the full lowdown shortly after the game's release next Monday.

In a desperate but successful attempt to rescue his smartphone from his son, Powerhead Games' Jason Schreiber built Did It Myself ABC123, with a little help from family and co-workers.

"As I watched my son drain my phone's battery, I realized there really should be a downloadable Toddler Game for the Nintendo DSi™," said Jason. "So I "did it myself" and made this activity-toy-game-thing for my kid and yours. I think we've succeeded in creating a fun playground on the Nintendo DSi that echoes my family's "learn by doing" educational philosophy. Plus, I have don't have to negotiate with my son to answer a phone call."

When Jason says he did it himself, he's using the "royal myself." Powerhead Games Artist Chris Makris worked with Jason to create what Chris calls, "a simple and modern children's game." Also, the voice heard counting numbers and cheerfully saying all the words in the game belongs to Jason's son. "Those were some brutal recording sessions," remembers Jason. "Trying to keep a 2 year old on script is a challenge. On the bright side, he literally works for peanuts. Also, hugs and broccoli."

Five customizeable actvities to stimulate your young child's brain and/or keep them occupied.
Did It Myself ABC123 has a selection of colorful and easy to play actvities featuring letters, colors, counting, a watercolor-like drawing area, and a virtual xylophone with easy to follow songs.

Jason adds: "The target age range is around 2 to 3 but we've watched kids younger and even older enjoy playing. We made sure to add options for parents to adjust the counting range, the amount of games to play in "shuffle" mode, and the overall game speed. We recommend using slow and medium for younger kids, while older kids may enjoy fast and ridiculous."

Did It Myself ABC123 is available for download on the Nintendo DSiWare™ Service starting Monday, August 9th, 2010 for 200 Nintendo DSi Points™. It is the first game on the Nintendo DSiWare service rated "EC" for "Early Childhood" by the ESRB.