Fisher-Price I Can Remember Walkthrough: How Each Level Plays
I Can Remember is a card-matching memory game for young children on the NES. This walkthrough explains how a round works and what each level asks of the player.
In this article
This Fisher-Price I Can Remember walkthrough shows you how to play the basic round and how each of the game's three levels plays. The core idea is simple: you flip one card and try to find its match in the laid-out deck. [1] Once you have that down, the levels are easier to follow. To go further, see Fisher-Price Firehouse Rescue Walkthrough.
GameTek released I Can Remember in March 1990 for the NES. [1] It is a puzzle-memory game, so each round tests how well you remember where a picture is.
Read the basic round first, then move through the three levels in order. Each section below covers one part of the game, so you can jump to the level you are playing.
How do the three levels get harder?
The game has three levels, and each one uses more cards than the one before. That means the memory work gets harder every time you move up. [2]
Level one has 12 cards, level two has 16, and level three has 20. [2] Think of it as a bigger table with more face-down spots to remember before you find a pair.
Here is what that looks like in practice. On level one, a child scans 12 face-down cards for a match. On level three, the same child has 20 cards to keep track of, so each flip asks more of the memory. [2]
The cards show pictures of Fisher-Price toys. [2] A child who already plays with a toy truck or a stacking ring at home can recognize the picture, which makes the match easier to spot than an abstract design would be. You may also find this useful: Fisher-Price Games for Toddlers on PC.
A good way to start is on level one. Move up once matches come quickly, and drop back a level for a few rounds if a child gets frustrated with the bigger deck.
What skills does each round build?
The publisher says I Can Remember is built around four skills: recognizing numbers, comparing similarities and differences, hand-eye coordination, and visual recall. [3] Each round asks your child to use several of them at once.
Thinking skills: numbers and comparisons
Recognizing numbers and comparing similarities and differences are the thinking side of the game. When your child decides whether two cards show the same thing, they practice noticing what sets things apart. The publisher lists both as goals of the game. [3]
Physical and memory skills
Hand-eye coordination means your child's eyes and hands work together to pick the right card. Visual recall means remembering what you saw after it is out of sight. Picture a toy you spotted two turns ago: your child has to remember where it was and reach for it.
Who the game suits
The game is for ages 3-8. [4] That range is wide, so a four-year-old and an eight-year-old will not find the same rounds equally easy.
If your child is at the younger end, sit beside them for the first few rounds. Point out matches they miss, and let them practice before moving on to bigger decks. Older children in the range will usually need less help, so step back as their confidence grows.
How do you play a round, step by step?
A round of I Can Remember is a short loop of two flips, and each flip gives you information for the next one. Here is how a single turn plays out.
- Flip one card face up. Pick any card in the layout. It stays visible while you look for its partner.
- Flip a second card and look for a match. Search the laid-out deck for the card that matches your first pick. [1]
- If the two cards match, they stay face up. You have found a pair, so those two cards are now off the table as hiding spots.
- If they do not match, flip both back and try again. Both cards return face down, and the next turn starts from what you saw.
Most of the skill lives in step four. Each miss shows you where a picture sits, so the next pair you open is easier to find. Keep track of the position of every card you see, not only the one in front of you.
As you move on to bigger layouts, this loop stays the same. Only the number of cards to remember changes.
Where can you find more detail on controls and tips?
For more detail on controls, getting started and tips, the GameFAQs guide goes deeper than this walkthrough. Its contents list includes Controls, Getting Started and Tips as separate sections [5].
Use it alongside this walkthrough. Read here for how each level plays, and check the guide's Controls section whenever you are unsure what a control does.
Keep this walkthrough for the levels and the GameFAQs guide for controls and tips. Next, open the guide's Controls section before you sit down to play with your child.