I figured I’d be the perfect test
for Ubisoft’s My Chinese Coach. After all, I had an interest in learning the
language, and no experience to speak of. It would be a true test; either My
Chinese Coach would work, or it wouldn’t. In the end, however, it wasn’t quite
that simple.
The game is broken up into lessons,
where you’ll have to master about 10 or so words before moving on. And in each
lesson, you’ll make full use of the DS hardware. Tap a word with the stylus, and
the game will speak it for you. Then, make use of the DS’s built-in microphone
to correctly pronounce the word. You can even play your recorded pronunciation
at the same time as the in-game pronunciation to hear a comparison. On top of
this, you can then practice writing the Chinese characters on the DS’s touch
screen. It’s almost as if the DS was made for learning Chinese. And that’s a
testament to Ubisoft putting together a great toolset for learning this
language.
Now, I’m going to be brutally
honest. This is not an easy language to learn by any means. In fact it’s widely
considered one of the most difficult in the world. So if you don’t have the
drive and motivation to learn it, and if you don’t think you’re going to be able
to put in the time, even this great piece of software isn’t going to work for
you. Learning the vocabulary and speaking the language is possible, but you’ll
have to put in some serious work and study to learn to write the characters.
Their complexity can be quite humbling.
As you move along, the lessons will
begin to explain the mechanics of the language, including tones. I’d heard a
little bit about how tones worked, but the game did a wonderful job of
explaining that one character can be spoken in as many as four different tones,
which equates to four different meanings. You’ll also learn about Pinyin, which
is a method of using roman characters (A,B,C) to spell out the sounds that the
Chinese characters make. And that’s just the beginning. You’ll need to learn
these methods and structures to get an understanding of the language, and My
Chinese Coach gives you this foundation.
Now, to actually move on to the next
lesson, you have to prove that you’ve mastered the words. And to do this, you
must partake in a few select mini-games to earn credit. There’s not really much
enjoyment to these games, as they’re really just multiple choice, whack-a-mole
and a handful of others. They feel more like quizzes, but perhaps that’s what
they should be. You are supposed to be learning after all.
There’s not really much to say about
the art and graphics in My Chinese Coach. It’s very straightforward, almost
textbook like, but that doesn’t detract from the overall experience. For
example, the character writing interface is well done, and serves its purpose
well, but is certainly nothing spectacular. The sound on the other hand, is
actually pretty important to this title. And that’s because if you can’t
understand the pronunciations, you don’t have much hope for figuring it out on
your own, at least in the beginning. Most of the pronunciations are easy to
understand, but every so often, you might have to replay something a few times
over to comprehend. Headphones also make a significant difference, so keep that
in mind if you’re having trouble.
So bottom line, do I think this is a
successful title? Do I think that you can actually pick this title up and learn
Chinese having no prior experience? Yes. I think that if you are dedicated, this
is an excellent starting point for you. I commend Ubisoft for putting all of the
DS’s tools to use – it’s really an excellent job by them. I don’t think this
title could ever necessarily replace formal language lessons, but as a starting
point, or a supplement to those lessons, it comes highly recommended. Even if
you use it just to practice your calligraphy, it’s certainly worth it. And for
those who aren’t absolutely dedicated, but would just like to learn the basics,
you can certainly do that with My Chinese Coach.
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Gameplay: 8.5
There’s not much in the way of traditional gameplay here, but there were no
hiccups or mishaps either. The mini-games aren’t necessarily fun, but that isn’t
an issue with the gameplay so much as the fact that you feel like you’re taking
a quiz.
Graphics: 7.0
The graphics are basic, almost reminiscent of high-school language text
books. No real eye candy in this title, but the focus is on learning, not on
making things look pretty.
Sound: 7.5
The most important part of the sound department are the pronunciations and
most of them are fine. There are some, however, that will leave you scratching
your head and pressing the replay button over and over. Headphones make a
difference so if you’re having trouble understanding a certain pronunciation
give them a shot.
Difficulty: Medium
The difficulty really depends on how far you want to take it. It’s not
difficult to learn the basic words and workings of the language. But beyond
that, especially with learning to write characters, the difficulty ramps up
quickly.
Concept: 9.0
It’s a brilliant idea. So brilliant in fact, that the DS almost seems like
it was built for this title. I was really impressed that Ubisoft took advantage
of everything the DS had to offer. Recording your pronunciations and writing
characters using the stylus is a lot more fun than the traditional methods.
Overall: 8.0
Whether you’re just casually interested or serious about learning the
Chinese language, My Chinese Coach has something to offer you. While there is no
substitute for having an actual teacher/language-coach, this title does a
remarkable job. In short, My Chinese Coach gives you the necessary tools to go
as far with this language as you’d like. Now, it’s just up to you!
