The Warp Pipe

NEW YORK, May 27, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — 2K Play and Nickelodeon today announced that festivities surrounding Dora’s 10th anniversary will reach a new level of excitement with the launch of Dora’s Big Birthday Adventure on the Wii(TM) system, Nintendo DS(TM) system and the PlayStation(R) 2 computer entertainment system. In addition, preschool gamers will have a unique opportunity to bolster their math and culinary skills with tasty results in Dora’s Cooking Club exclusively for Nintendo DS. To join in the celebration, Diego will embark on his first Mega Bloks building block video game quest in Go, Diego, Go! Mega Bloks Build & Rescue that will also be available exclusively for Nintendo DS.

“We’re honored to be Nickelodeon’s partner as we join the worldwide celebration of Dora’s 10th Anniversary,” said Steve Lux, vice president of business development for 2K Play. “When it comes to making games and connecting with our audience, we share a common mission with Dora the Explorer: we embrace adventure, learning and cultural diversity.”

“Partnering with 2K Play allows us to introduce fun and engaging video games that mirror the educational and problem-solving elements that can be found on both Dora the Explorer and Go, Diego, Go!,” said Shaan Kandawalla, vice president of digital retail games, Nickelodeon. “As we commemorate Dora’s 10th Anniversary, we believe the new lineup will help young fans celebrate this milestone.”

Dora’s Big Birthday Adventure, based on Dora’s 10th Anniversary special televised event, follows Dora and Boots on their biggest adventure yet as they try to find their way out of Storybook Land to make it to Dora’s big birthday celebration. Nintendo DS players will trace, tap, shout and scribble their way through challenges such as riding a unicorn over the rainbow and floating in a magic bubble across Sea Snake Lake.

Console gamers will alternate playing as Dora and Boots as they travel through mystical lands like Wizzle Mountain and the Dancing Forest. For collaborative play, the Help Option will allow parents to pick up a second controller and assist their child in designated sections of the game.

In Dora’s Cooking Club, the most endearing character in preschool television will take her cooking skills to the Nintendo DS in her first video game incorporating a Pre-K through Kindergarten math curriculum. Gamers will chop, measure, stir and sprinkle in over thirty cooking games to create tasty treats including pizza, enchiladas and yogurt and berry Fruit Fiestas. The game will track the player’s progress and allow parents to check their child’s advancement in curriculum types including numbers, counting, shapes, patterns and measurement.

Diego fans will be shouting “Al rescate! To the rescue!” as Diego and Baby Jaguar join forces with Mega Bloks for the very first time in a video game in Go, Diego, Go! Mega Bloks Build & Rescue for Nintendo DS. In this building block adventure, Diego must rescue lost animals and build homes for them in habitats ranging from the savannah to undersea coral reefs. To do so, young gamers must collect Mega Bloks to build construction tools and rescue vehicles including submarines, hang gliders, off-road trucks and snowmobiles.

“We are thrilled to be associated with 2K Play and the Diego video game, as part of the excitement surrounding Dora’s 10th anniversary,” said Vic Bertrand, chief innovation officer at MEGA Brands. “Diego’s adventures are great for showcasing the play and educational value of the Mega Bloks construction system and we are excited to see our building blocks featured in a DS game for the first time!”

2K Play’s upcoming Nickelodeon games will feature voice actors from the Nickelodeon television shows, including a cameo by actress Rosie Perez in Dora’s Big Birthday Adventure for DS. Additionally, each game has been play-tested for age-appropriateness, fun-factor and quality.

Dora’s Big Birthday Adventure for Nintendo DS is rated E for everyone by the ESRB and will be available in August. The Wii and PlayStation 2 system titles, as well as Dora’s Cooking Club and Go, Diego, Go! Mega Bloks Build & Rescue for Nintendo DS will be available this November and have not yet been rated by the ESRB. The console titles are being developed by High Voltage Software, Inc. and the Nintendo DS titles by Black Lantern Studios, Inc.

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