Dolphin Paradise: Wild Friends is a cute virtual pet game where you are a dolphin trainer. Though I am not big into virtual pet games, this one has quite a bit to it and is one that the younger kids should enjoy.
The game starts off with a through tutorial that shows you the basics of the game. One thing I found is that you will need Internet access to play the full game. I tried to start the game offline but it did not like it. After the initial setup, you can play most of the game offline but many of the social aspects of the game will require Internet access.
The game is driven by various goals and as you progress new goals will be available to do. Each goal will give you different items or experience. In the game you will earn experience, shells, and pearls. These are basically the in game currency. You also have to deal with energy. As you do different things, you will use up energy and will either need to wait or purchase more.
You can teach your dolphins different tricks such as jump, balance ball, flutewalk, breach etc. to do a trick you will use need to use different gestures on the screen. After he learns some tricks you can then show them off at a show.
In addition to tricks you can can purchase props, different dolphins, habitats, and decorations. As you progress, you will earn enough to purchase them vs spending real money (which you can do if you desire).
You can hook up with friends online and earn different badges also.
Overall it has great graphics and game play is smooth. I did find the top menu bar pretty small and hard to read.
Since it is virtual sim game, it is designed to play over time and earn/improve as you go. If you are a dolphin lover, this is the game for you.
