When I saw the My Hero title, I was reminded of the Fisher Price Rescue Heroes line of toys. Little kids love to play the everyday hero, and with the DS My Hero games, they get that chance.

The graphics are appropriate for the DS; the gameplay isn’t revolutionary but then it’s for kids; and the current soundtrack won’t win any awards, but My Hero: Firefighter will introduce young kids to the world of firefighting and what it takes to be a real hero.

The game has 13 missions; and besides putting out house fires, chemical fires and forest fires, you get to save cats from trees and drive the fire engine around town. The game also teaches fire safety and what to do in dangerous situations. I like this.

We didn’t get to see My Hero: Astronaut and My Hero: Doctor, but the same concepts as My Hero: Firefighter apply. Players get to become astronauts and get to space before their rivals, explore Mars and other planets and pilot various spacecraft in 40 different missions. You can also earn medals and get bonuses. In My Hero: Doctor, you get to be a doctor’s apprentice and manage 10 major medical emergencies using the microphone and stylus for the medical tools. You can also treat and cure patients with real medical equipment (none of that fake super-special medicine) and drive an ambulance. Players get to experience what it’s like to save patients and help people while learning basics about the medical field.

These three My Hero games are just the first few in what will hopefully be a large line of games that will help younger gamers (or even older students trying to choose a major) get a feel for what it’s like in different careers. I wonder if they’ll be a My Hero: Garbageman. Every little boy wants to be a garbageman for just a little while and besides, I think the sanitation specialists deserve some recognition, too.