Bluey’s Quest For The Gold Pen Review – Kindergarten Zelda

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Many cartoons are popular for a short time, but Bluey has become a huge hit because it’s more than just typical kids’ entertainment. It’s become popular with adults too, thanks to its clever writing, creative stories, endearing characters, and surprisingly thoughtful themes. It was only a matter of time before Bluey became a video game, and ‘Quest for the Gold Pen’ is a simple, well-made game that could be a great first gaming experience for young players.

When discussing Quest for the Gold Pen, it’s natural to compare it to the other Bluey video game. While that first game did a great job of recreating the show’s visual style, it wasn’t very exciting. It mostly consisted of simple games played around the Heeler house, connected by a basic story about a treasure map. It was sweet, but it didn’t quite capture the charm and creativity of the cartoon, and the gameplay itself wasn’t very engaging.

Unlike Jetpack Joyride, Halfbrick Studios’ Bluey’s Quest for the Gold Pen offers a more story-driven experience with well-designed gameplay. While you still explore familiar environments, the activities are more guided and structured. This makes it feel like a traditional video game, but it’s designed to be played at a relaxed pace perfect for younger players.

The episode ‘Quest for the Gold Pen’ begins on a rainy day with the Heeler kids drawing at the kitchen table. To make it a proper game with a challenge, Bandit, their dad, becomes the ‘villain’ – he grabs the special golden pen and won’t share! Fans of the show know Bandit often playfully teases his kids, and this is no different. It’s all meant to be fun, and little clues throughout the episode suggest Bandit is actually encouraging his kids to think creatively and solve problems, rather than just being difficult.

One of the most creative parts of this adventure is how it’s presented visually. Instead of simply recreating the show’s usual look, it draws inspiration from the episode “Dragon.” That episode showed the kids drawing in a way that matched their age, Bandit’s drawings were intentionally simple because he stopped practicing after being made fun of, and Chili’s were more polished because she was encouraged to continue. In “Quest for the Gold Pen,” this idea comes to life: the villainous King Bandit draws himself, so he looks rough, while Chili draws all the levels, making them look clean and beautiful. It’s a clever way to use something already established in the show without feeling constrained by it.

During these sections, the game feels like a simplified Zelda adventure, designed for younger players. You explore an overhead map, completing easy puzzles and searching for items like garden gnomes and fruit. You control Bluey, but Bingo appears as “Bingoose” – a flying version of her who lays silver eggs when she’s collected enough food. Each level involves finishing a few tasks to earn food for Bingoose, which then allows her to lay an egg that’s provided by one of Bandit’s helpers, opening the path to the next area.

The game is straightforward and can feel a bit repetitive for older players. It’s very gentle – falling doesn’t hurt you, and there are no enemies to fight. Each level is similar: you explore, find puzzles, and solve them quickly, usually in just a few seconds. The main challenge is actually finding the puzzles, and Bluey’s slow pace can make that take a little longer than ideal. Luckily, there are helpful features like unlockable shortcuts. Once you collect enough food for an egg, Chili will even teleport you back to the start of a new area.

Quest for the Gold Pen occasionally introduces new ways to play, like a bike for speed or a jetpack for reaching high areas. These tools aren’t available in every level – they’re specifically chosen to fit each stage’s challenges. For example, the bike is perfect for the desert’s open spaces, while the jetpack is better for climbing cliffs. Later in the game, you’ll start combining these powers, but it always feels smooth and well-integrated.

While “Bluey’s Quest for the Gold Pen” might not keep older players engaged for long – the pace is slow and puzzles aren’t very challenging – it’s perfect for introducing younger children to gaming. It offers a gentle learning experience, all wrapped up in the charming art style and sweet, funny story that fans of the “Bluey” cartoon will love.

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2025-12-18 19:10