Customer Reviews

Imagine Ballet Star DS

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is a really fun game! It took me a little while to get the hang of it but you are a dancer trying to win the world championship. You have to play mini games to increase your abilities in different areas and then you have to learn new dance moves and practice routines. There are nine different ballets that you perform and you unlock them progressively. You perform recitals and eventually work your way into bigger recitals. This is a little like Imagine Figure Skater and I loved that game too. It is fun for all ages and a great Imagine game!
Definately worth the buy!

My 7 year old daughter just bought this game for herself and here is what she said....... "The game is a little bit hard because some of the activities are timed, but it's okay.... because if you practice, you'll get used to it. I figured out how to use the game by myself and it's a lot of fun. I like being able to go to different places in the game (school, ballet class, arcade, etc.) and play the different mini-games. You definitely need to know how to read to play this game. I like that some of the dances are by myself and others are with a partner. I recommend this game for other girls my age who like ballet."

As a parent....I played the game a little bit. It wasn't too difficult, but there IS reading involved and I wouldn't recommend it for a child who can't read instructions well. I think it is a very cute game and it was a great purchase :)

At first, when I bought this game I started playing and it was a little difficult because there were different ballet moves that you had to do using the stylus and I didn't know how to do them because they never explained how to but later, I got used and did it pretty well. It's very addictive and entretaining. You can choose up to three characters, which have different stories of why they started dancing ballet. They have different personalities and different goals. You train and learn new moves and routines which you'll perform at different recitals each three months.You can create your own routines with the moves you've learned and get points that you'll use later to buy yourself costumes. You can play various mini-games which are fun,too. You get to meet people and dance ballet with boys. In the competitions you should try to be first so you get a better reputation. After some months of dancing ballet you move to England and there you'll finish dancing at more or less month 18. You'll go there with your partner and show everybody how good you are. That's all I guess!! And I loved it! I recommend it to ages 7-14 or if you are an Imagine game lover you'd love this game at any age.

My 8-year-old who studies ballet loves this game. She is new to the video game world and got this game with her new DS lite for her birthday. It's really easy for a newbie to figure out. If your kiddo isn't knowledgeable about or into ballet (ie french terms), it may not be a good fit though. Look for a sale, thirty dollars is definately too high when you compare the game's longevity to the similarly priced Mario games.

Once upon a time, I was a young girl, into video games, but there were no good video games targeted at me. So I said forget this, played my brother's games, and got good enough to beat him. But I always wished that games would be made for people like me - you know, people with two X chromosomes? Like over half the population of the Earth?

So I have become fascinated with all the DS games coming out for girls, and I try to pick up the interesting ones. Imagine Ballet Star has certainly been among the more interesting ones.

You pick from three characters, living in Tokyo and aspiring to become prima ballerinas. They have three backstories, three distinct sets of circumstances, and three separate plots that play out. In general, these plots are about living strong, being true to yourself, getting along with people and taking the time to understand them, even in a tough, competitive atmosphere.

Game play is pretty easy to pick up - you play a variety of mini games which each boost one of five stats. Your stats do matter - higher stats of different kinds unlock different moves as you go along. You wander around a map and listen to people talk to you, revealing said plots, and you use your stylus to guide your character across the dance floor. You get points for doing well at recitals that you can spend on costumes for your character, and if you dress like the part you are supposed to be playing in the recital, you can earn a bonus. Unlike Imagine: Figure Skater, there are no gaffs in translation, and the game reads the stylus input well. Some of the moves are timed, but I found the timing to be generous, and the ten year old girl I sit for can complete most of the moves easily. Overall, it's fun, accessible, and the different characters give the game a good replay value.

Is it like real ballet? No. No way can a teenager become "number 1" by doing a year's worth of recitals. It takes years of practice, and a lot of being part of productions and recitals that are not at all competitive. It seems like they tried to apply the idea of competition of figure skating - which is directly competitive and skaters do rise and fall fairly quickly. So realistic? No. But it is fun and it is a decent game, based more on getting into the role of the character rather than the absolute truth of ballet.

Trick is, you can really only play through three times - one for each character. I mean, the game will let you play again (and even let you play through again with a character who has already won), but while the game presents you with decisions at several points in the games, it doesn't matter what you put in. I decisively picked the opposite partner on my second run through of one of the characters, but I still got the other one as my partner when we studied abroad. I thought multiple endings based on character's choices had been a given since Chrono Trigger was introduced for the SuperNES. Apparently girls don't merit that level of effort in writing and programing - I was more than slightly put out by this. I also feel like it goes against the idea of "imagining" - isn't part of the fun of imagination that you get to make things turn out how you want? Or at least explore what it would be like if something was different?

So it was fun, worth buying especially for young girls, especially if you can pick it up discounted or used, but it is not what I would consider as a really competitive gaming experience compared to what is out geared toward boys.

I received this game from my friend last year and didn't know what to expect. But as I started playing and became comfortable it was relaxing and fun.I thought the graphics were great and the avatar portrayed real ballet moves that I was familiar with from taking 4 years of ballet. I loved the ballet store where you can buy the appropriate costumes for each role that you have. There is some reading involved so I suggest it to about 10 years and up. One other thing I loved was that throughout each "month" you receive new stretches which were very helpful. There were stretches for all of your body parts. The only downer was one of the minigames which I found confusing and frustrating. But overall a great game for Everyone.

This is close to my favorite game.It takes place in Japan and there is three storylines. After the third recital, the game is easy(but definitely not to easy) I don't have any complaints and I still play it after almost two years. Last, i love this and hate ballet!

Hey!
I got this game at a local Big Lots and played it at home. It was totally fun! First, your supposed to choose a character, each with their own unique story and why they wanted to be a prima ballet dancer.
Choose one and she starts talking about her story. After that, on to your lessons! There are lots of fun mini-games and stuff to practice.
Overall, this is a very fun game to all girls who love ballet, like me!
TIP: DO NOT GET ENER-G GYM ROCKETS! COMPLETE WASTE OF MONEY!!!

I bought this game for my daughter who loves Ballet. We were both totally disappointed. It really has nothing to do with Ballet. Don't be fooled.

My 7 year old just got this for Christmas. She was so excited - for a little while. The game ended up having more to do with just juggling life than ballet... which seemed ok. That is until the story about the little girl's sister dying in a car accident. I simply cannot believe that everything has to have drama these days. My daughter was crushed and we will be getting rid of the game. Totally inappropriate, especially for children that have had to deal with the loss of a loved one. I couldn't be more disappointed with this game.