DISNEY'S 102 DALMATIANS: ACTIVITY CENTRE

At the turn of the millennium, Disney was dotty for Dalmatians. The sequel to the live action movie starring Glenn Close was only a modest success but that didn't stop a slew of merchandise reaching store shelves. This included 102 Dalmatians: Activity Centre released in early 2001.

It is the 13th entry in the long-running edutainment series and also the only one based on a live-action feature film. All of the other titles were based on Disney's animated classics, both old and new, so in that way, 102 Dalmatians stands out. In practice, however, it looks little different. The art style has been taken from the original animated movie from 1961 and in my opinion, is all the better for it.

Only landmarks with stars offer any kind of activity.

The rest are educational postcard which tell you about the location

When you start the game, you are presented with a map of London. From here you can click on a number of landmarks to go to a number of activities. There looks to be a fair amount to do at first glance with 13 areas sticking out at you, but when you delve deeper it's actually no bigger than any other game in the series. Most of the landmarks are simple educational postcards offering the history of London.

The more interesting points are labelled with a star next to them. There's a 'Pup Art Gallery' which is your basic art tool that features in pretty much every one of these things. You can also adopt a puppy from the famous Battersea Dog's Home and play some limited games with him. This is more like one of those Tamagotchi-esque time-wasters like Dogz or Nintendogs that are always popular for the younguns.

Adopting a puppy is a lot of responsibility. You have to both feed it and play with it.

The only actual game on this map is a take on the classic beer-serving arcade game Tapper. You have to feed the puppies in the great hall of a mansion before they reach the kitchen. It's not the best-implemented game on the disc but it offers a nice little diversion with some nice-looking artwork.

You're not limited to Ol' Blighty though. You can hop on the Eurostar to Paris for more stuff to do. There are a further 6 educational landmarks to learn about as well as two additional games (and the game's credit but what child wants to watch that?). These games offer the most involved games on the disc which alone makes 102 Dalmatians one of the best Activity Centres in the series.

'Chow Time' is simply Tapper for those under the legal drinking age.

Although you won't know the difference judging by the drawing you could come up with.

'Vedogo' is a platform game with multiple levels. It plays a little like Chuckie Egg with a number of platforms connected by ladders, with collectable items scattered throughout. Here you have to collect every puppy on the screen while avoiding one of Cruella's henchmen. You can collect bags of frosting which will stun the enemy briefly if you're in a tight spot. There's only one goon for each level, with Cruella herself appearing on the most difficult, but they will chase you relentlessly offering some difficulty. The main issue here is that it plays so slowly. The puppy you control walks at the speed of a hyperactive snail and not with the kind of urgency of one whose own life and those of many others is in danger. Then again, for anyone whose age is in the single digits it might prove highly addicting, especially when the level design ups the ante with various contraptions.

'Verdogo' is slow and basic platform game while 

'Operation: Dalmatian' has you using those brain cells

Saving the best for last is 'Operation: Dalmatian'. No, it's not a take on the classic MB board game of the same name, but more like a version of another MB staple; Guess Who. You are given a number of stat-filled cards each with a different dog represented on them. You are then tasked with identifying the 'Top Dog' who will assist in finding the missing puppies. On the detective's pad are clues with which you can eliminate a number of your suspects. It's not particularly hard, but I find this type of logic puzzle is always enjoyable. You can play in two-player too. You each takes turns trying to solve your own individual case. Whoever answers correctly first wins. As you can imagine, it adds very little.

I would say 102 Dalmatians: Activity Centre is one of the better attempts in the series, with a number of games that work quite well, even if they're not beefy enough to be stand alone titles. The target demographic won't be complaining and that's all that matters with these game anyway.


To download the game, follow the link below. This exclusive installer uses PCem running Windows '95. Press Ctrl-Alt-PgDown to toggle fullscreen. Press Ctrl-End or middle mouse button to release the mouse. Manual included. Tested on Windows 10.

IMPORTANT - Remember to shut down the emulated version of Windows before exiting PCem. This could potentially result in errors, lost saves and corrupt data. Close the program only when it is safe to do so.

File Size: 455 Mb.  Install Size: 696 Mb.  Need help? Consult the Collection Chamber FAQ

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Disney's 102 Dalmatians: Activity Centre is © Disney Interactive
Review, Cover Design and Installer created by me

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