Children can divulge their creativity to their hearts' content with this newest edition to Disney's Magic Artist series, Cartoon Maker. With a little help from mom or dad, kids will soon be designing animated masterpieces starring their favorite Disney characters!
There are fifteen "genre packs" to choose from, each with a distinct theme such as parties, the beach, a dance club and more. The genre packs include six animated characters with three different, independent moves, two panoramic backgrounds and a special "Star" character with six moves that can be strung together for a smooth animation sequence (only with the Star character, the other animations are independent of each other). The cartoons can have only one Star character at a time, but multiple cartoons can be strung together to make a mini-movie. Stamps from each genre can be mixed together while creating the cartoon. If not content with using the backgrounds and props in Cartoon Maker, kids can import images or use the included Magic Artist Deluxe to edit the cartoons. Sounds and animated stickers can be added, and cartoons can be exported as movies and picture files, or printed out in a variety of forms, such as a flipbook (flips sequenced pictures to make an animation), portrait, greeting card, sticker, or postcard. When a movie is complete, a title page and credits can be added.
While the actual numbers of stamps and backgrounds seems small when taken separately, as a whole, this program is pretty big. The sheer amount of options and tools, especially when combined with the included Magic Artist Deluxe, gives this title depth and longevity. The animated stamps can be manipulated in a number of ways and the star characters can also be moved around, according to certain criteria. The resulting animation is superb, and funny, too! Movies can be strung together into any number of ways, and having the option to import images truly make these masterpieces "one-of-a-kind".
However, probably because of the number of options, the interface is sometimes less than intuitive. There are tutorials, but as they're more like "tips and hints" as players browse the program's features, confusion may still abound. A tutorial that actually took players through the entire process of making a cartoon would have been better. Another awkward aspect of the interface is the fact that Magic Artist Deluxe is on a separate CD, necessitating a lot of disc swapping. This could have been alleviated a little by having a full install option available for the Magic Artist Deluxe program, which would do away with having to have the CD in the computer to play, although the separate programs would still have to be closed and opened to switch. Integration between the programs is well-designed, though, with the work in progress from one program automatically popping up when the other program is run.
Although not promoted as such, this is basically an expansion pack for Magic Artist Deluxe; though it doesn't require having this program to function, it's designed to expand on the previous edition with the ability to make cartoons. Creating animations with the Disney characters is definitely amusing and kids will love watching Daisy, Goofy, Donald Duck and others cavort around the screen! There are many thoughtful features included to make the process of animation a truly creative effort, thanks to good programming from the developers. The only drawback is the difficulty of the interface for young children, but if parents will take the time to run through the program themselves several times before sitting down with the kids in front of the screen, possible frustration can be stopped in its tracks. Having a printed manual would have made learning this program easier, but unfortunately, Disney's practice these days is to have all their manuals on the software.
Every child needs a drawing/creativity program in their software library, and if yours doesn't have one, Magic Artist Cartoon Maker is a good choice.
Gameplay: 8.5
A engaging and fun way to create animations!
Graphics: 9
The animation is pure Disney, of course, and is beautifully drawn, with no jerkiness.
Sound: 7.5
The in-game music is average, but the sound effects for the cartoons are cool!
Difficulty: Medium
There is a definite learning curve here, and wise parents will acquaint themselves with this software first before letting the kids on it.
Concept: 8
Who doesn't want to make cartoons?
Overall: 8.3
A cool creativity program that has all the bells and whistles for a good graphics title; however, the complex interface can lead to confusion for some.
