There are many toy lines that came out in the 80s when I was a kid that are still popular today.  Some examples would be Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, My Little Pony, etc.  Another example that I didn’t know was still around until recently was Care Bears.  That was huge when I was a kid, and they had lots of toys, plush, several cartoons, and even some movies!  I think even I saw the first Care Bears movie when I was a kid (I remember it being surprisingly dark), and that movie even made more money than the Disney cartoon film it was competing against (granted that Disney movie was The Black Cauldron, but still).  Now Care Bears are making a comeback and late last year I reviewed a 2D platformer starring the bunch.  And now they have a new installment featuring an assortment of arcade style mini-games.  Care Bears: Unlock the Magic is available on Switch and PlayStation consoles, but reviewed on Switch here.

There are two modes of play.  In Adventure Mode, you follow a trail of squares like a board game.  Each square has a game for you to play, and if you pass it, you’ll get a star.  Get enough stars and you can progress to the next set of stages.  And when you get enough, you can finish the mode (you need 70 stars).  There is also a free play mode where you can play the games separately, and when you finish Adventure Mode, you can unlock harder versions of those games, too.  When you pass certain milestones, you can also collect cards to put in an album.  The mini-games are mostly based on classic arcade titles, so we’ll go over those here.

Conga

This is pretty much Snake.  Guide the line of Care Bears around the dance floor collecting new bears and making the line longer.  Just don’t bump into obstacles on the dance floor or each other!

Pass the Ball

This is pretty much Arkanoid or Breakout.  Guide a Care Bear with a rainbow paddle at the bottom of the screen to bounce a ball and break blocks.  Look out for falling power-ups, too.

Care Bubbles

Aw, yeah!  This one is just like Puzzle Bobble/Bust-A-Move, one of my favorite puzzle games.  It plays pretty decently, too.  The whole game could’ve just been this and I would’ve been happy.  Aim colored bubbles at the bottom of the screen and pop three of the same colored ones at the top. Just don’t let them reach the bottom.

Cloud Racer

Drive the Care Bears’ bus and collect hearts and avoid mud puddles.  Collect enough hearts before time runs out to win.

Cross the Rainbow

This one plays a lot like Frogger.  A Care Bear on a pogo stick has to hop past obstacles and make it to the goal on time.

Ball to the Hole

This one plays like a single player Pong.  You control two bears with paddles on each side of the screen and try to bounce a ball to hit a switch to open a hole.  Get the ball in the hole to win.

Lost Whiffle

Bedtime Bear is walking around a dock in a dazed stupor and can’t stop.  Help him avoid obstacles to find a critter in the maze that I’m assuming is called a “Whiffle.”

Bouncy Heart

Wish Bear is encased in a heart bubble with wings.  Tap and hold down the button to fly and avoid rocks.  If you hit one, you’ll bounce around and slow down.  Make it to the end in time to win.

And those are all the games.  My only problems with this one is that there are less than ten games and it’s only single player.  With some tweaking, they probably could’ve made it multiplayer like the last game.  But the games do control well and play decently, so if you have a young Care Bear fan around the house, they may still enjoy this one.

Kid Factor:

Nothing violent or objectionable here.  If you lose a game, the bear may sometimes fall down on its bum and say “Nice Try,” but that’s it.  Reading skill is helpful for some of the text, but not necessary just to play.  Care Bears: Unlock the Magic is rated E for Everyone.

Tags: Game Reviews, Movies with Children, Television