Nazotte Oboeru Otona no Kanji Renshuu

[Hana]

(I figured this would be better here than the Japanese thread, but if an admin wants to move it in there I'd understand XD)

Nazotte Oboeru Otona no Kanji Renshuu

Nazotte Oboeru Otona no Kanji Renshuu Kanzenban

(Screenshots of both versions are available at Amazon)



So, I heard about this game kind of randomly and decided to try it out. First thing to note is that you do need SOME Japanese knowledge before you start the game. This isn't a game for someone who is just starting Japanese (since it's aimed at an audience of native speakers). But, if you can figure the controls out even if you aren't that fluent, this is really useful. You input your name & age, and it gives you a level to start at (again, it's assuming you're a native speaker who went to school in Japan). In my case, it started me at level 7 since I'm 22. However, you can surpass that and go to the tests and start all the way down at level 1 (which is very basic kanji like 人 (hito), 一 (ichi), 赤 (aka), etc. It then tests you on both the readings and writing of the kanji. However, if you get an answer wrong and hit pass, it shows up both at the end of the test (along with the ones you got right that are designated with a circle over them), and in a section of the game that's for kanji that you aren't so good with. You can review them (at the end of the test, including stroke order), and then re-test yourself on them (in the "Kanji I suck at" [not literal translation] section).



There are also 3 other sections: a general practice mode (you could use this when you've worked your way up to the level it says you should be at, or if you're already there), a free practice mode (you can choose to practice tracing, reading or writing the kanji and you also get to pick which kanji level you want to do), and a "group" mode where you can practice kanji in groups ("Food", "Japanese language", "Science" and "Culture" are the categories you start out with, and those are grouped into things like "Ingredients for curry", 2-Character Idioms, "Weather Forecast", "Moe Moe~", etc.)



I haven't done it yet, but the "kanzenban" version of the game seems to feature mini-games like a Yamanote-sen game where you have to fill in the missing kanji in the train station names. It also changes the "group" mode around so that it's just like "Here's some kanji, now do them", and it allows you to change the pen thickness, color, and the noise it makes while you write. XD The biggest difference between the two is that the kanzenban features more kanji (it starts including kanji used in people names, place names, etc, and adds about a total of 2000 more kanji for you to do). They're both pretty reasonably priced (MSRP is ~4000 yen each, price at the retail store of your choice may vary due to exchange rates and etc).

[sadude]

Thanks for the review! I always keep looking for more kanji stuff, but I haven't found very many good resources. What other kanji games have you tried?

[Hana]

I haven't tried any other kanji games per se, but I have tried/am trying a couple handwriting games (DS Bimoji Training & You Can Pen-ji Training).

[Tsuki]

God, kanji. Thank you for the review Hana, and I might check this out, but I probably won't. If I don't have to use kanji, I tend to not want to do anything to do with them, and a game made up of learning kanji feels like an aspect of my own personal hell.

[BeForJess]

Great idea for a topic, I love Japanese learning games but it's great to have a review so you don't have to blindly spend 45 dollars on something.



I play Tadashii Kanji Kakitori-kun. It groups the kanji by grade level, so the first grades are easy, but as you go up there are more and more kanji per level. I have only played the first game which is hiragana, katakana, and kanji for grades 1-6 (about 1000 kanji or so), though there is now a version with all the Joyo kanji available.



The main part of the game has you master writing the kanji using the stylus. There are also games and tests that have you use the kanji in various ways to get you to master them. In some you fill in the reading, or choose the correct kanji for the compound, etc. Of course, since this was published for native speakers, the game gives the meaning of the kanji you are learning in Japanese, so if you aren't at least intermediate level you will need to supplement with another learning source that might explain the meaning of the kanji in english. Having access to a dictionary is a good idea, too.



Recommended, great for stroke order and writing, and also gives you some great vocab, but watch out. If you aren't dedicated, Kakitori-kun will yell at you for not playing every day. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... #>/oiy.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />