In case you missed Part One, we are reviewing My Word Coach in a different way to usual games. My Word Coach is the type of game you play over many days and months – and reviewing it by just playing it for a couple of days like we do for normal reviews would be unfair. So, we bring you part 2. After having spent a reasonable amount of time with My Word Coach, the game’s individual charms have really started to shine, with more challenges opening up and the multiplayer options providing a great way to share the learning experience with other family members or friends. Part Two continues inside..
As someone who works with words on a daily basis, I didn’t think My Word Coach would have any sort of positive benefit for me. When starting the game, I expected to breeze through the challenges and not gain anything from the experience. Surprisingly, the game has proven to be not only entertaining, but also quite educational, even for someone with a relatively broad vocabulary. I can really see My Word Coach having a very positive effect for younger people, or for those adult players seeking a fun way to expand their grasp of the English language. Nintendo’s Brain games are more entertaining and better put together experiences, but no matter how many hours I played, I never felt I was really improving my brain or memory in any way. That is where My Word Coach really sets itself apart. It really does have the ability to expand the player’s vocabulary and have a long-lasting and positive effect. Unfortunately, controlling the game with the Wii-remote is still one of the challenges facing My Word Coach on the Wii. This is highlighted when the opportunity to use the DS to control Missing Letter becomes available and in other games which require the player to turn the Wii-remote with their wrist, which is an uncomfortable movement and makes it difficult to be precise. In most instances, it would have been better if the controls were changed to take advantage of the Wii-remote’s pointing ability. I am also finding I am caring less and less about the “expression potential” score, which is disappointing considering one of the best things about this type of game lies in monitoring progress over time. I don’t know what it is that is turning me off it, but where my “brain age” was the driving theme behind Brain Training, keeping me coming back for more, week after week, the “expression potential” never seems to really matter or provide any great feedback about how the player is progressing. It is these gripes which are starting to get in the way of me really enjoying My Word Coach. Instead of just being able to sit down for 10 minutes to relax with some great word puzzles, I am finding that the controls are getting in the way of bettering my times and scores. I can also see that since I don’t care too much for the “expression potential” score, it is going to be difficult for the game to keep my interest for a significant length of time. Final Score coming in Part 3 - Missed part one? Click here to read