Amazon.com Review

Nancy Drew has always been a great heroine, but she seemed kind of, well... stuffy. No more: Nancy gets down to the dirty work of crime solving in the excellent and engaging Nancy Drew: Stay Tuned for Danger. As you might imagine, we see a lot of software, but Danger captivated us, holding us long enough to postpone other reviews while we searched for more clues!

In the game, Nancy's job is to investigate death threats coming to Rick Arlen, a hunky TV soap star. The plot is straightforward enough, and here's what the software really does well: ambiance. The first-person perspective puts you in the center of the crime scenes, and the inventive game design lets you pick up objects for investigation and keep notes on things you've found.

Occasionally, you come across another person, and it can often be surprising. In the style of Choose Your Own Adventure books, you're given various questions to ask, and what you choose alters the outcome of what you learn. The people seem a little stiff in conversation (and, to be honest, in the graphics), but in a strange way, it helps increase the creepiness factor--an uptight verbal response makes sense, considering they're being interviewed about a serious crime.

There's a real rush that comes from finding key elements and extracting just the right piece of information from an unwitting witness. Nancy Drew, first created as a female version of the Hardy Boys in 1929, has weathered fashion and tastes well through the work of HerInteractive. For girls too old for "kids' stuff" but who still want a game that's all theirs, Nancy Drew: Stay Tuned for Danger can help fulfill a teen or preteen's need for adventure. --Jennifer Buckendorff ... Read more

Reviews (473)

The Hardest One Yet!
This mystery is the hardest Nancy Drew game I've encountered so far! It's only the 2nd one of all 5! The graphics are much better than the 1st but still doesn't compare against the others. The mystery had had me stumped! I had to go to the official site for help from people, who already finished it, a billion times! Still, a hard challenge is good right?
The story-Nancy Drew is called up again for yet another dangerous mystery by a famous soap opera star, Mattie Benson. Nancy gets to go around New York City! She stays in Mattie's apartment for the use of the phone, mail, and other clues. As she travels around from Mattie's apartment to the studio and other places, she bumps into new people such as Mattie, the friendly but very worried soap opera star, Rick, the extremely big headed soap opera heart throb, Lillian, the super mean director, Millie, the old nutty prop room lady, and Dwayne, the acting agent. As Nancy slowly tries to crack the case, she bumps into more trouble than she thought...

Nancy Drew- STFD, by HerInteractive
This game is one of my favorites. I've played this one at least 5 times and I still love it. This game was the third one I bought of the series. I now own all five of the games. This game had much better graphics than "Secrets Can Kill", in which the characters were more cartoon-like, and stopped mid-sentence and froze. This one had a much better plot and I enjoyed playing it much more than the first one. In this game, you would get to travel to three different locations in the city and explore, sneak and snoop, which made it all the more fun. I'm extremely happy that I purchased this game, and i hope that whoever decides to purchase Nancy Drew: Stay Tuned For Danger, has as much fun as I had!

Stay Tuned For Danger
This game was so much fun! In Nancy's second mystery, she is in New York visiting a family friend who is also a star on the famous TV show Light of Our Love. Her co-star is receiving threatening letters and you, as Nancy Drew, must figure out who the culprit is. I thought this game was so neat. I love the original music that this game has, as well as each other game in the series. It's catchy, neat, and sometimes creepy! I hope you like this game as much as I did.

:::STAY TUNED FOR FUN:::::
i just love this game!!! its graphics are good, the plot is good, everythings good! the story goes:

nancy drew is visiting a friend of her aunts, mattie jensen, in new york, and in the beggining it seems calm and peaceful, yet a bit creepy at times, but exiting as you meet the stars and see how a tv studio looks! but soon, fun turns to terrible danger! a lot of exiting stuff happens, and if you thought this game would be easy, well, you've got that wrong! all and all, a great game for anyone over eight(though i got one when i was like six or seven)! A+++++++

full of danger
This game is not the best in the series (my favorites are Danger on desepiton island and message in a haunted mansion) but it comes close. Its hard but fun and you cant stop in the middle. One of my favorite parts was the bomb part. I also like how there are so many people to talk to and so many places to explore. The prop room has lots of neat stuff. Buy this game!! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Plunge into a volcanic island adventure, and prepare for an explosion of fun and mystery. Join those savvy super-sleuths, the ClueFinders, to solve a mystery and escape an uncharted island before its volcano blows them off the map. Kids will need all their smarts, spunk, and spirit to work their way out of this title's hot spots. From bold adventures that take kids across the island, under the sea, and into the volcano, every activity brings kids closer to solving this island mystery, while mastering essential fifth grade skills.

Explore 16 interactive games and exercises designed for kids, ages 9 to 11 and older. Build more than 85 key fifth grade skills in math, language, science, social studies, geography, and problem solving. Four levels of difficulty and a variety of tricky challenges keep ClueFinders 5th Grade Adventures 2002: Secret of the Living Volcano fun and fresh. Detailed help features guide kids throughout, and built-in progress reports help parents navigate their child's learning fun.

In addition, an all-new for 2002 bonus CD-ROM doubles the mystery and clue-finding fun. In ClueFinders: Mystery Mansion Arcade, our adventurers are lured into a spooky mansion by an ingenious mastermind and his four villainous henchmen. Kids help the ClueFinders escape by choosing the best ClueFinder for each arcade-style hazard. Speed through the Ultimate Deep-Dish Pizza Skate Park, stay cool through the High-Voltage Circuit Zone, and much more. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

awsome!
This game is so cool!
It has tons of fun games, and there are 3 miniture levels,
including spelling, math,fractions, putting together words, geography
and others! I had so much fun playing this!!!
Throughout the whole game, a yellow laptop fallows you and the other cluefinders around. When you click on it, it acsesses many things, like how to change the level of difficulty on a game, and it has info about the fellow clue finders. I love this game, I play everyday! ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Create a winter wonderland for Barbie lovers with Barbie Sparkling Ice Show, a creative extravaganza that enhances basic PC skills while entertaining young girls for hours.

Join Barbie and friends Christine and Teresa and visit five exciting venues: International City Park, Misty Mountain, Island Paradise, Rose Garden, and the fifth, mystery location, which is accessed only when the other four levels have been completed.

Put on impressive performances (each venue offers more challenge than the previous one): learn how to jump, do tricks, and speed skate. A level is completed when you have mastered a practice session and then put on a show. After the first level has been completed, the exhibition area will open, and once the other locations have all been visited, extra features--including decorations, music, costumes, and more--begin to appear for use in the exhibition show.

Installation is guided, and is quick and easy. Accompanying the CD-ROM is a multilingual user's manual in black and white that is comprehensive and very easy to follow. The program is designed for children ages 5 and older, but help will be needed to complete all tasks at the early end of the age range. --Susan Naylor, Amazon.co.uk ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Not just for little kids!
"Barbie Sparkling Ice Show" is a fabolous game and can really inspire creativity and imagination, and that's coming from someone whose 13 years old! This game allows you to pick routines, music, costumes, and fun stuff like decorations and ice color and put it all together to make fabolous routines for Barbie, Christie, and Teresa on the five stops of the Sparkling Ice Tour. But once you finish the tour, the fun doesn't end there- you can continue on skaiting cool exhibition shows using all of the details of previous shows.

To work the game, you start off by preparing for the first stop of the tour and practice a routine that you pick out of a few selections with the skater you have chosen. You can pick from three levels: easy, intermediate, or hard, and each one provides more challenges than the next. If you skate the routine well and do a good job, you will be able to do all the "good stuff"- choosing your music, costume, decorations, etc. for the tour. The game continues on like this for different tour stops such as Rose Garden and Island Paradise, with your goal to make it to the secret surprise location where you can even create your own routine.

I found this game to be a lot of fun and not at all boring. Granted, it may be a little bit too easy to get through all the tour stops, but the fun doesn't stop since you can create a user name and start all over again or continue doing skating exhibitions. It is a fabolous game for all figure-skating and Barbie fans, not to mention that it is so much fun! Anyone ages 5 and up will enjoy this wonderful game.

Pretty Disappointing
In the words of my 6 year old niece: "This is Really Boring (sigh)".

Does being able to choose the color of the ice and Barbie's outfit compensate for what is a fairly limited program with mediocre (at best) graphics? In the eyes of that young Barbie devotee, obviously not.

To make matters worse, the game's producers apparently decided to create a "multilingual" product by relying on icons without any text for most operations. This approach often makes it quite hard to determine what each does without the manual.

Can't you just discover the actions of different buttons you wonder? Well, the game designers often chose to not provide any feedback that something was happening that may take a while. No hourglass, no clock, no spinning skater cursor. So for those operations that take more than a few seconds (e.g. loading a new scene) the player ends up thinking their click did nothing and they try clicking something else with unpredictable results. Frustrating.

A final word about the graphics. Sure you can dress her and her friends in five different outfits, but shouldn't we expect something a little more than 640x480 resolution these days?

It didn't crash, but you should save your money. If you could skate Barbie into a wall it MIGHT have been worth it. After 45 minutes with this program, that is what BOTH of us wanted to do.

Bad skating technique
I didn't buy this game, becuase I can tell by the pictures that Barbie has very bad skating technique (see below). This game is not for kids who want to have fun while seeing a good skating program.

Pictures on Amazon
1) Box picture -- I can't tell whether or not Barbie is stroking or doing a bad spiral? Either her leg is too high if she is stroking, or her body and leg are not in the right position if she is doing a spiral.
2) Layback -- Although it's hard to see, it looks like Barbie might be spinning on her toe pick.
3) Split jump -- Barbie does not have enough skating muscle for the jump. She is also not kicking her boots up.
Pictures on vugames (makers of the game)
1) Stroking -- Barbie's body is crooked. She doesn't have her weight over her stroking leg, and her body is leaning to the side. I've never seen anyone stroke like this.

Great Game
My daughter, almost 7, loves this game. She got it a few weeks ago and still plays with it every day. We did have to upgrade our system, but the game hasn't crashed since and hasn't been slow. Despite what others have said this game has lots of levels and takes lots of practice to master the freestyle levels. (The skaters will do lots of different tricks once the user learns how to do them.) This game has even seemed to help my daughter's actual skating - she just went yesterday for the first time since receiving the game and had lots more confidence and moved more smoothly than she did the other times she went.

A complete waste
My daughter received this cd for Christmas. It is very slow loading lots of wait time for things to happen. When she finally chose the skater and where she should skate (only one choice worked), my daughter kept asking what she could do now. Most of the time we were watching Barbie skate beautifully. Not very interactive. I consider this a waste of space on my computer, a waste of time for us to use. I would recommend saving your money and get something worthwhile. ... Read more

Reviews (436)

"Haunted Carousel" an entertaning ride.
In "The Haunted Carousel," teenage sleuth Nancy Drew is on her eighth case: investigating amusement park "hauntings" in Captains Cove, NJ. One of the park's famed carousel horses has been stolen, and the carousel has been mysteriously starting and stopping on its own. Also, the park's roller coaster stopped suddenly, causing a rider to injure his neck. With the park shut down, Nancy must interview the employees and explore the park to find clues.

"Haunted Carousel" has some nice improvements over past games: the addition of the "to do" list, journal, and cell phone (no more endless running back and forth to Nancy's hotel to call). If Nancy gets stuck, she can call her friends Bess and George and the Hardy Boys. The game has two levels, Junior and Senior Detective, and there are plenty of built-in tips and hints, including a park operating manual with an overview of most puzzle components. "Haunted Carousel" seemed to be one of the easier ND games.

"Haunted Carousel" really draws the player into the park's atmosphere, complete with hotel room service, arcade games, a ride on the carousel (and chance to grab the brass ring), and more. The storyline flowed smoothly, the puzzles were organic (programming an arcade game, switching roller coaster tracks, repairing the carousel's band organ, reading invisible ink), the voice work was above average and the characters had distinct personalities. Music was pronounced, including carnival music for the carousel and ominous creepy tunes for the haunted house.

Nancy must watch her step as always, since someone wants to stop her from finding out the truth behind the hauntings. Along the way she helps someone come to terms with the past, sniffs out an insurance fraud, and digs up long-lost truths and secrets about the park and its employees. This is a lovely adventure with a unique atmosphere that will delight young sleuths.

Not worth the price compared to others in series
First of all, I would like to point out that the editorial review above is not for Secrets Can Kill. It is for one of the other games in the series, and is therefore a better review than Secrets Can Kill deserves. It may be confusing to see the editorial review for the Tower mystery right under the title for Secrets Can Kill.
I love the Nancy Drew series, and I am a college-educated woman in my thirties. I have played four out of the first five games in the series (I have not played Stay Tuned for Danger). The other games have wonderful graphics and storylines. Talking to the other characters is enjoyable, and the puzzles are challenging enough for an adult when played on the senior detective level. I played Secrets Can Kill on the Master level (there are three levels for this game instead of two), and I found that my nine-year-old son was not challenged by the puzzles. Most of the puzzles are easily solved word puzzles that have clues as to the items to gather or hints about the character's secrets. However, most of the puzzles have nothing to do with the game play itself. There is one slide puzzle that allows you to find an inventory item; otherwise, the puzzles are just there for hints. As mentioned in other reviews, this game has cartoon-like characters rather than the 3D-type characters in the other games, and it really does make the game less interesting. The dialogue is uninteresting and the characters become hostile and barely speak to Nancy through most of the game. Overall, the game requires only a few answered puzzles to solve the mystery, and the ending is disappointing, to say the least. I gave this two stars instead of one, which was my first inclination, because I feel that it might be interesting for a child to play, especially if the child has not had very much experience with adventure games for the computer; however, a child would probably still at least want to play on the senior detective level. I recommend the other Nancy Drew games that I have played to players of any age for a nice, relaxing mystery, and I especially recommend the Haunted Mansion game. I cannot, however, recommend Secrets Can Kill.

Very interesting --- Another good mystery
I thought it was very good, only it was a little too complicated. I liked the usually good graphics (for Nancy Drew games) but I didn't particularly like the way you couldn't easily get around. Really well done ghost dogs, very scary. The mystery was a creepy one, and the villain was certainly unexpected. That's all I'll say. Anymore would spoil it.

My favorite ND game so far!
Treasure in the Royal Tower is one of the best computer games I ever played. This is a great starter Nancy Drew game for starting off because it's not too hard nor too easy. If you want a really easy game try the Haunted Carousel.
The story goes that you, as Nancy Drew, are snowed in at a ski resort in Wisconsin with an interesting history. In this game you learn about the French Revolution and Marie Antoinette.
"So, what's the mystery?" you ask. I'm getting to that.
There is a tower shipped over from France and was put back together on Wickford Castle, the ski resort you are staying at. The library at Wickford has been vandalized, and it takes a lot more than barging through the front door to investigate. Later, you hear about Marie Antoinette having a crown worth millions and somehow you figure that the library and treasure are connected. Your job is to find out the story behind the treasure and library.
This game took me about four days to beat. It's quite challenging in parts, like the ski lift, but you can get through it. It's also a little frightening, like the banging noises, but not too frightening that you never want to play it again, like the Final Scene. All in all, Treasure in the Royal Tower is a great game and everyone should buy it.

Not the Best
I've played all of the Nancy Drew Games (except the Final Scene) and this one was pretty good. It was well-written, but I didn't think it was as interesting as some of the other games. I would reccomend the Haunted Carousel or Treasure in the Royal Tower instead. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Enter a pharaoh's tomb to solve an ancient Egyptian mystery. Join the ever-adventurous ClueFinders on an archaeological dig in exotic Egypt, and uncover a plot to unleash a sinister, age-old force on the world. Kids will need all their smarts, spunk, and spirit to work their way out of this title's tricky spots. From building a bridge to interpreting mysterious scrolls, every activity brings children closer to unraveling the astounding mystery, while mastering essential fourth grade skills.

Explore 21 interactive games and exercises designed for kids, ages 8 to 10 and older. Build more than 60 key fourth grade skills in math, language, science, geography, and problem solving. Four levels of difficulty and a variety of tricky challenges keep ClueFinders 4th Grade Adventures 2002: Puzzle of the Pyramid fun and fresh. Detailed help features guide kids throughout, and built-in progress reports help parents navigate their child's learning fun.

In addition, an all-new for 2002 bonus CD-ROM doubles the mystery and clue-finding fun. In ClueFinders: Mystery Mansion Arcade, our adventurers are lured into a spooky mansion by an ingenious mastermind and his four villainous henchmen. Kids help the ClueFinders escape by choosing the best ClueFinder for each arcade-style hazard. Speed through the Ultimate Deep-Dish Pizza Skate Park, stay cool through the High-Voltage Circuit Zone, and much more. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Both kids loved it!
I have twins who just turned 9; I bought the first copy of this through their school about 8 months ago, and the boys were totally hooked. It's entertaining as well as educational. Some of the stuff is repetitive; but I think that helps them learn how to concentrate on completing tasks. I bought the second copy of this game when our CD drive cratered and destoyed the disk. BTW, these games are MUCH cheaper on Amazon and through office supply stores rather than through school!

Pretty Good
This was a great game. The tasks were repetitive like having to collect 12 cairoglyphys five times. The graphics and story lines were really good and I think this would be a great game for kids who already know how to read, so from grades 3-5.

A winner in our household
My third grader just received this. He loves it and has already spent several days solving the puzzles. What a great way to get him ready for 4th grade. This is the second year we have gottne Clue Finders to work on over the summer and both have been a real hit in our household. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Put your driving skills to the ultimate test in Hot Wheels Velocity X. A criminal gang of racing villains is wreaking havoc in Monument City, and your racing skills are needed to restore order. Suit up for action and then take the wheel in 30 treacherous missions with six huge levels. Choose from more than 45 authentic 3-D Hot Wheels cars to unlock and drive. Do whatever it takes to crush your rivals and complete the mission: combine cool cars, speed through huge loops, catch big air off a jump, find hidden shortcuts, or run 'em off the road--all in a 3-D Hot Wheels world. Blow the enemy away with more than 15 power-ups. Then challenge a friend in one of three different multiplayer modes: head-to-head racing, Hot Wheels battle mode, and stunt challenge. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The best destruction derby of all!
I bought this game because I played it at a friends house. At the time, we never did any more than drag race or battle, so I didn't really enjoy the game. Now, however, I have played every mode and can tell you all about it:

Battle-A fierce destruction derby where you must meet your quota by disabling opponents

Drag Race-Race on a stretch of track and be the first to get to the finish! Note:This is not a "laps" race. It is a "Point A to Point B" type of race if you know what I mean.

Challenge-Test your skills on a challenge. Earn Cars, Tracks, amd Weapons!

Joyride-Drive around the big city and collect gears or the golden key to earn new cars!

Adventure-Complete tasks in the correct order to win cars and even new joyride levels!

Howheels > Not Matchbox <
Here is a game for the what remains of that elusive spark left in all of us, known as childhood, that will satisfy, at the same time, even the most avid/hardcore fan of the genre. This tripe with the missions, however, I personally find to be somewhat lacking -- I mean, who cares about a storyline when there are vehicles to blow up -- the explosions are truly killer diller by the way -- several choices regarding automobile make-overs, paint-jobs, and other items with which to accesserize -- leave the average player wondering why his or her coin-purse is now somewhat lighter ... Maybe you should buy another game instead.
All in all a fun spree, I must say, but not enough action. Pocket Toys, anyone ??

super
Hot wheels are the answer to chlidren who love excitement and fast moving action in the viedo's. I can't pull them away. Keep up the great work. This is a huge jump from a parent who use to play with the race tracks 30 years ago as a kid in the dirt.

Thank-you
Tom Bailey ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Create the soccer team of your dreams with the Backyard Kids and the pros as kids. Backyard Soccer 2004 teams up with Major League Soccer to bring you kid versions of goal-scoring, hard-kicking, tough-running players, and puts you in control of the nonstop action. Create team lineups, customize teams, then take the field to play quick games, single games, or a whole season. Junior versions of pro players include Landon Donovan, Clint Mathis, Cobi Jones, and Brandi Chastain. It's the chance of a lifetime to play with the pros in your own backyard. ... Read more

Features

• Play soccer with the pros as kids, including Landon Donovan and Cobi Jones
• Choose from all 10 Major League Soccer teams
• Play quick games, single games, or a whole season
• Includes 4 new fields
• Track player and team stats

Reviews (65)

Another awesome upgrade to the already great series!
I have seen and played many demos and have read tons of reviews on this product.

I have been a fan of this Junior Sports series since the very first original Backyard Baseball came out. I own 2 of the 3 baseball editions, both of the football versions, my brothers have both of the soccer editions, and we also have Backyard Basketball.

From what I've seen and read this is another great additon to any of your collections of these games. The gameplay is smooth, the graphics are stunning, there are EVEN MORE gamplay options than in BYB 2001, the MLB kids faces are very believable, the players ability to play is slightly exaggerated but hey, that's what makes it so fun.

Being a big fan and player of baseball I follow the majors like nothing else. For that reason I noticed the ratings (Running, Pitching, Fielding, and Hitting) on the players to be slightly off. But if that's the only problem, that's an extremely small sacrifice to make when buying this game.

This game is worth every penny you spend on it. I recommend this game for fans and non-fans of all ages.

The levels of difficulty are set very well for people that play it. I do wish though that they would add an extra "Major League" level of play for us older guys that are looking for some challenging opponents.

I haven't tried online play yet but I'm sure you would find some more challenging people to play against.

This series is getting better with every game and should soon become one of the top sports games on the market. I hope that soon they will expand their games and come out with Backyard Baseball Pennent Race Edition Expansion Pack that will include the new hot rookies in the majors. Who knows? Maybe it's not that far off from now.

In closing I want you to know that this game does not have the new backyard kid design. The new Backyard Hockey has new kids to chose from and absolutely stunning visual effects. I recommend that game also for the Backyard Series fans.

Oh yeah, one more thing, HAVE FUN!!!

Sincerely,
Ian Badeer
A True Backyard Series Fan

Baackyard basketball 2004
I think this game is really good. People say this is too easy but i am 11 and I play on hard mode and I lose sometimes It is deffinetly better then the first backyard basketball because the originial only had two pros and this has ten. This game has good pros and good pro selections but they could have had better people as well like Steve Francis, Baron Davis and Kobe Bryant. Some of the people in there have not very good attributes like Tim Duncan has no outside shot but in real life he is a good outside shooter and Pau Gasol has no outside shot but can make all of the three pointers he shoots. Making a shot is very easy from outside but inside shots are kinda difficult. This game has the same graphics and gameplay as Backyard Hockey which I like the gameplay but the graphics i don't like. I would reccomend this game for 5-12 year olds and if you want the ultimate team I would pick Tracy McGrady, Dirk Nowitzki and Tim Duncan as starters and reserves Yao Ming and Paul Peirce. Other than the bad graphics and the choosing of the pros and pro's attributes this is a very fun and good game.

forced to do setups
From the makers of putt-putt,freddi fish,spy fox and pajama sam comes backyard sports.It's fun but you buy it on software,that's where it gets **** instead of *****.Humongous FORCES you to do their setups BEFORe you can play your game.

The Best Baseball Game Ever!
This game is great and a little challanging! The menus are very simple. There are 2 modes that you can play on. A single game mode and season play mode. In single game mode, if you want certain players on your team you have to get them quickly because your opponent can get them before you do. A cool part of single game mode is that you can play tee-ball and watch a demo! On season mode you pick your players first so you have all the players that you want. Each player has four ratings, Batting, Running, Pitching and Fielding. There are three game levels. (Excluding tee-ball mode) A way that makes the game challanging is that there is pluses and minus'. Pluses make them stronger in a rating and minus' make them lower in a rating.If you want to play season mode I reccomend you first play some single games and watch some demos. Also you should start at easy level and work your way up to medium then hard. Heres a tip. Never get Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds! They get tired to easily and get lots of minus'. A very fun game!

Great game and to me fun to play!
This Backyard Soccer 2004 has my favorite players here.Like Brandi Chastain,Tiffity Milbrett,and Cobi Jones.This is a fun game to play,but the hard level still a piece of cake.You can make your color of your team,but the promblem is you have to choose from some choices instead of naming your team.That's my kinda suggestion.I won the game a hundred times already,but I love it and I keep on playing it!I think this is a 4 star rating for one reason why 4 stars,Way too easy! ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

The stronger and more interesting of two games based on the movie, the eponymous Finding Nemo lets kids reunite father and son deep off the reef in Australia's waters. The game opens with Nemo and Marlin in their respective environments, the dentist's fish tank and the wild waters of the open sea. The two fish are linked by a small button at the bottom of the screen, and players can toggle between them as they complete various puzzles.

The game features all the original cast members, and in addition to classic lines from the film, they improvise new lines. Dory, voiced byEllen DeGeneres, is hilarious, and smaller characters--like Nemo's friends in the tank--get more time to show players their individual, funny personalities: clicking on each fish kicks off a short conversation. Although there's more watching than doing in the early stages of the games, Nemo fans will be enthralled. Later stages involve memory games, like following patterns while jumping on the backs of jellyfish. All the characters, including sharks and sea turtles, make extended appearances in Finding Nemo.

Like Nemo's Underwater World of Fun, this game has two primary issues: computer owners must pay close attention to system requirements (otherwise, movie scenes in playback stutter significantly) and gameplay itself lasts little more than an hour, if kids ace the tasks. Also, one caveat for education-minded parents: this game is clearly only for fun, not for--pardon the pun--schooling. But kids will need to look beyond the obvious to complete the tasks in this game, and it's the possibility for discovery that makes Finding Nemo well worth exploring.--Jennifer Buckendorff ... Read more

Reviews (30)

The other version? Poor Quality Control Problem....
This is yet another pc game that could have been so good...The problem? Like the other 3 disney pc games we have, we had to go on-line to reconfigure our computer!!! It seems to be the SOUND that creates problems.

We bought the version for older kids, after reading the reviews here. Guess what? The voices for Nemo and others cannot be understood. It's as if someone put an old record on the wrong speed...high speed....everyone talks like the chipmunks! What we heard of the music and graphics however looked real good.

We're running these programs on windows XP and unable to get the program to work right out of the package, which is a real drag to an intelligent 5 year old and his mom! Bottom line, you probably have to go on line and get help to make the program work. OR you may have luck calling them...

With the exception of MULAN (has a great majonng game for kids...but you have to go on-line and learn HOW TO MAKE THE program work and reconfigure/disable a sound card or something like that....)We've sworn off of Disney pc games, at least for now....they're not worth the trouble.

Misleading, disappointing, irritating waste of time!
The Nemo's Underwater World of Fun game disk enclosed in with the movie DVD, was a big disappointment. My young kids were very excited then very upset. Until I read user reviews here on AMAZON, I thought I had a malfunctioning game rather than a DEMO disk on which only 2 of the 6 activities were accessible, rendering the prizes unwinable and the main games unplayable. And one of the 2 accessible activities, the Tank Gang music maker, seems buggy! Neither the disk, its sleeve, nor the read-me file indicated that it was only a demo, so my exercise in futility began: I installed and reinstalled it. I called the Disney phone number only to find the voice menu options to be misdirected, and at Disney Interactive on-line found no help nor mention of the demo version. FINE DISNEY, so you don't want to give away a free game, but why waste your ad dollars on such a stunt? Guess what, I've not been enticed into buying the real game, just irritated into a resolution to spend NO money on Disney computer games! (It's not your fault THQ (the game designer) we still love you.) I'm Sooooo glad that wonderful PIXAR's contract with Disney is ending!!!

My son likes it, I can't stand it
We bought this for our five-year-old, who loved the movie. Why is it that all Disney games turn into annoying (and cloying) lead-ins or promos for the movie? Why do we have to watch endless clips of it? The games seem kind of uneven (some way too hard, others too easy), and sometimes the software seems to get 'stuck' (we need to back out and repeat the objective to get it to work). I like THQ and their software in general, I've just noticed that anything Disney-related gets bogged down in their desire to "Plug the movie! Plug the products!" My son does like it when he plays it, but it's been used a LOT less than I had anticipated. Gets 3 stars for good graphic and audio quality, but I'd give the game itself a two.

terrible
I bought the finding nemo software for my daughter today and I sincerely regret it. It is one of the worst games I have ever purchased. The games dont work. You get nowhere. I would advise everyone considering this game to just save your money. My daughter was excited to get it until we installed it and tryed playing it only to find out it is a lemon.

Very cute
I just loved the movie, so naturally I bought the game. My sis and I have had these little, ummm...."problems" with games for kids 4+. We can't win them!! The older kid's games are easier. But that's what makes this game fun. I still can't win the "Surfin' With Crush" level though. "Nemo's Underwater World of Fun" actually has a story to it. Nemo wants to prove to his dad that he can move around just as well as any other fish. So Marlin sets up a "Super Swim Challenge" game, that will test Nemo's swimming skills. It goes from there in that you have to help Nemo win a certain number of "trophies" in each game in order to get up to level 5 in the Super Swim Challenge. After that, you can help Nemo prove to Marlin how good a swimmer he is. I love the games you can play. "Dory's Memory Match", "Surfin' With Crush", and "Tank Gang Sing-alongs" are just a few. Hope you have fun playing! I'm sure the kids will. ... Read more

Features

• Develop critical learning skills for better academic performance
• Provides a greater understanding of advanced math concepts
• Teaches reading, literature, foreign language, and science
• Helps high-school students achieve higher grades
• Award-winning software features 56 CD-ROMs on 5 DVD-ROMs

Reviews (16)

Can't run software on a computer with 1GB memory
I have the same problem on a computer running Windows 2000 with 1GB memory. The software won't start and gives me the error message "Director Player 6.0 - This program requires at least 3MB of free virtual memory to run". I know there is more than 3MB of free virtual memory on my computer. I tried different virtual memory setting and found that setting virtual memory to 128MB would cause the software to run. It is obvious that the software has mis-calculated the available virtual memory. It interprets virtual memory > 1GB as less than 3MB virtual memory. I have sent email to the technical support at Encore and are waiting for their reply. I share the previous reader's opinion that setting the virtual memory to a lower setting is not an acceptable solution.

However, after I started the program, I like the interface and graphic. The software is better than "Mind Power Math Middle School" from the Learning Company. I also like that it has a game where you can test your skill.

I will write an update after I receive a reply from Encore.

Way around memory problem
Haven't tried this software but had same problem with some other software, the error message: "Director Player 6.0 - This program requires at least 3MB of free virtual memory to run". The only fix is to change your virtual memory settings to something below 500mb or to exactly 4000mb. Of course, I chose 4000mb since I have a large hard drive and almost 1 gig of memory on this pc.

So the full fix is:
From the Windows XP desktop, select the Start button, right-click on the My Computer icon, and select Properties from the resulting menu.

Click on the Advanced tab to bring it forward, and then select the Settings button within the Performance section.

In the Performance Options window, click on the Advanced tab to bring it forward, and then select the Change button in the Virtual Memory section.

Click the Custom size button...
Change the Initial size (MB) setting to 4000
Change the Maximum size (MB) setting to 4000

Select SET to accept the change, which will close the Virtual Memory window. Select OK to close the Performance Options window. And select OK to exit the System Properties window.

$40 + junk = angry customer
This is a faulty and buggy piece of software. It will not run on my PC (XP Home)without me changing my Virtual Memory from 1000 mb to 200 mb...what an absurdity! The developer offers no solution other than to change my VM everytime I want to use their software.

Well, forget it. They're not the only game in town.

It's Great!!
I have the Elementary Advantage, and I'm about to go into Middle School Advantage. I find these programs are excellent. I am a homeschooling parent, and the Elementary Advantage suite have done a great job in assisting me with teaching my child. I've learned a lot myself. My son is about to enter middle school grades, and as I explore the the Middle School Advantage suite, I marvel at how well its put together. I have not run into answers that are wrong as was the claim of one reviewer. But, that does not bother me because you will find wrong answers in educational books written by the best educators. I focus on the how well I am taught the subject. If I can catch the wrong answers then I was taught well. I paid only $24.99 for each suite. I also have a Dell Dimension 4600, and the programs run fine. For all those having a problem running the program. You better get a Dell, Dude! For the money, IT'S GREAT!

Not Recommended
If this program can confuse X and Y intercepts I can only imagine what else may be wrong with it. I just purchased this for my son today, but will be returning it tomorrow. He has a placement test in 2 weeks and I don't want him to blow it because of this faulty software. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Can't run software on a computer with 1GB memory
I have the same problem on a computer running Windows 2000 with 1GB memory. The software won't start and gives me the error message "Director Player 6.0 - This program requires at least 3MB of free virtual memory to run". I know there is more than 3MB of free virtual memory on my computer. I tried different virtual memory setting and found that setting virtual memory to 128MB would cause the software to run. It is obvious that the software has mis-calculated the available virtual memory. It interprets virtual memory > 1GB as less than 3MB virtual memory. I have sent email to the technical support at Encore and are waiting for their reply. I share the previous reader's opinion that setting the virtual memory to a lower setting is not an acceptable solution.

However, after I started the program, I like the interface and graphic. The software is better than "Mind Power Math Middle School" from the Learning Company. I also like that it has a game where you can test your skill.

I will write an update after I receive a reply from Encore.

Way around memory problem
Haven't tried this software but had same problem with some other software, the error message: "Director Player 6.0 - This program requires at least 3MB of free virtual memory to run". The only fix is to change your virtual memory settings to something below 500mb or to exactly 4000mb. Of course, I chose 4000mb since I have a large hard drive and almost 1 gig of memory on this pc.

So the full fix is:
From the Windows XP desktop, select the Start button, right-click on the My Computer icon, and select Properties from the resulting menu.

Click on the Advanced tab to bring it forward, and then select the Settings button within the Performance section.

In the Performance Options window, click on the Advanced tab to bring it forward, and then select the Change button in the Virtual Memory section.

Click the Custom size button...
Change the Initial size (MB) setting to 4000
Change the Maximum size (MB) setting to 4000

Select SET to accept the change, which will close the Virtual Memory window. Select OK to close the Performance Options window. And select OK to exit the System Properties window.

$40 + junk = angry customer
This is a faulty and buggy piece of software. It will not run on my PC (XP Home)without me changing my Virtual Memory from 1000 mb to 200 mb...what an absurdity! The developer offers no solution other than to change my VM everytime I want to use their software.

Well, forget it. They're not the only game in town.

It's Great!!
I have the Elementary Advantage, and I'm about to go into Middle School Advantage. I find these programs are excellent. I am a homeschooling parent, and the Elementary Advantage suite have done a great job in assisting me with teaching my child. I've learned a lot myself. My son is about to enter middle school grades, and as I explore the the Middle School Advantage suite, I marvel at how well its put together. I have not run into answers that are wrong as was the claim of one reviewer. But, that does not bother me because you will find wrong answers in educational books written by the best educators. I focus on the how well I am taught the subject. If I can catch the wrong answers then I was taught well. I paid only $24.99 for each suite. I also have a Dell Dimension 4600, and the programs run fine. For all those having a problem running the program. You better get a Dell, Dude! For the money, IT'S GREAT!

Not Recommended
If this program can confuse X and Y intercepts I can only imagine what else may be wrong with it. I just purchased this for my son today, but will be returning it tomorrow. He has a placement test in 2 weeks and I don't want him to blow it because of this faulty software. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Wrebbit's Bavarian Castle 3-D Puzzle gives you sharp 3-D graphics, an intuitive interface, video clips, and on original musical score. After the puzzle is built, the adventure begins--featuring Neuschwanstein Castle, Tristan, Isolde, fiery love, curses, and more. ... Read more

Reviews (41)

If You Love Jigsaw Puzzles...
I have always loved jigsaw puzzles. But this is the first time I have ever put one together on a computer. Puzz 3D Orient Express has 4 difficulty levels, from easy to super-challenging. I started off on the third level which is the challenging level. That level is just as challenging as the 1000-peice puzzles you buy in the store. The only difference is this: once you put the puzzle together, the fun doesn't stop. The difficulty level you choose determines how much of the Orient Express you can explore. You get to meet all kinds of different people as well as learn about the history of the train. Plus, during the exploration phase, there are other games along the way as well as clues to a mystery guest who is supposed to board the train. I haven't finished the exploration portion yet, but I am already thinking about going back to rebuild the train at the super-challenging level. This way, I will have unlimited access to the entire train. This Puzzle is very addictive and fun.

Real Challenger of a Jigsaw
The Bavarian Castle puzzle, at the "beginner" level, was the most difficult jigsaw puzzle that I've ever attempted--but I had never constructed a 3D puzzle before. Once I got familiar with the program design and controls (pieces can be rotated in two and three dimensions, construction lines help snap completed sections into place, sorting trays can be labeled and made "recloseable"), the jigsaw became deliciously challenging. I could barely tear myself away from the computer, once I got going.

As of now, I've completed the castle at the bronze and silver stages, and have enough understanding and memory of how the pieces fit together to consider skipping to the platinum level on my next attempt, to get full access to the castle interiors and puzzles. Despite having considerable experience with challenger jigsaws (both real and virtual), I doubt that I could have put the Bavarian Castle puzzle together if I had begun at the highest level, which offers no construction helps like architectural guides. (The Victorian Mansion puzzle was much easier, by comparison.)

The video clips of King Ludwig annoyed me, because of the actor's condescending approach to his character. However, the sound clips of selections from Wagner's operas are very nice.

The puzzle ran beautifully on my Pentium-100 machine with 128megs of RAM. The only problem with using this slow machine was that the movie clips ran with the audio and video slightly out of sync. In fact, I was totally impressed with the program's design and freedom from bugs, at least on my equipment.

Highly recommended challenge, but frustrating
The idea here is to give the user a virtual jigsaw puzzle building experience. The puzzle, when completed, is a three-dimensional reconstruction of the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris.

In the beginning, the user chooses a difficulty level, which determines how many pieces the puzzle is broken into, as well as how the pieces are laid out on a semi-circular virtual table. Using the cursor and mouse, the user brings the pieces together, sorts them in areas of the table, and gradually constructs the cathedral. Visual clues are available, as well as views of the completed puzzle, from any angle.

The level of difficulty chosen has another effect, in the type of payoff at the end. When the puzzle is completed, the user gets a tour of the cathedral, including historical trivia, on virtual placques, and ghosts, surprises, and a guide. However, the higher the level of difficulty chosen, the more access the user gets in the completed cathedral. More difficulty = more rooms, more secrets, more trivia.

Oh, and by the way, the graphics are truly great here including clarity, color, and resolution, and the sound effects are pretty good, too.

Puzz 3D: The Orient Express
you have to like putting puzzles together or you won't like this game But if you do then its a great game but not for a 128.00 thats way to much for this game i didn't pay that much for my.

Have patience!
I thoroughly enjoyed this puzzle and gradually increased the difficulty as I grew accustomed to manipulating the pieces and connecting the sides. Having recently visited Notre Dame, I had a ball putting together this puzzle and look forward to trying the others by Wrebbit. Working this puzzle requires a good computer and, as another on-line reviewer noted, frequent saves to prevent lost work. The software taxes the computer memory and sometimes causes crashes. I've updated my machine since playing Notre Dame, so, now that I've ordered Bavarian Castle from Amazon, I'm hoping the new puzzle will be better tolerated by my hardware.

Good luck to all who love a challenge! ... Read more

Features

• Gameplay combines racing and platform-type elements with an insane stunt system
• Choose from authentic Hot Wheels Highway 35 cars from the special 35th anniversary collection
• Race against your opponents through a volcano, across ice mountains, and bump them off the huge loops
• Original theme song performed by the multi-platinum selling band Smashmouth
• Challenge your friends to some of the most intense head-to-head Hot Wheels racing action

Reviews (7)

overall a good purchase, but could be better
pros:
1) Fantastic looking tracks and cars in awesome settings.
2) Good sound and music; intro video music worth playing just for itself.

cons:
1) It supports steering wheel, but I found steering wheel control to be more difficult than keyboard control. Perhaps it is the steering wheel that I have, but then again there is no way during setup to fine tune steering wheel control.

2) All tracks should be available without qualification. I will likely never get access to half the tracks which remain locked. If steering wheel control was better than keyboard control then I could win more races and unlock the additional tracks.

Great game. LOTS of fun for all ages!!
I just purchased this game for my sons who LOVE Hot Wheels, especially the Highway 35 series. They are crazy about this game. It's easy enough for kids to play, but with tracks that will challenge adults as well.

The previous reviewer was correct about how to solve a problem with this game. I'm running a high end machine with Windows XP, and could not initially get the game to work. However, if you are having trouble installing/running the game piece, close it down and then right-click on the game icon. Click on properties and then click on the compatibility tab on top. Choose run in compatibility mode.

I have XP and chose 98 compatibility mode and it worked fine.

Tip on installation
We don't know why, but THQ doesn't include this tip on installation issues in there little manual. If you are having trouble installing/running the game piece, close it down and then right-click on the game icon. Click on properties and then click on the compatibility tab on top. Choose run in compatibility mode ... we have XP and chose 98 compatibility mode and it worked fine. Also, using THQ's website for technical support was excellent, they responded within 24 hours via email with the correct answers to our problems. http://www.thq.com/support/

After we got the game up and running, our 5yr old was off and going with the game ... he loves it. We changed our keyboard controls to be all with the numbers pad on our keyboard. Much easier for little fingers!!

Enjoy.

Absolutely no Tech Support
I bought this game for my nephew for Xmas. My PC meets and exceeds the minimum requirements listed on the box for this game. Yet it will not intall on my sytem as it claims the Athlon cpu is not supported. The box states clearly that Athlon processors are supported.

The website www.thq.com is worthless. There is no tech support. There isn't even a forum where you can post a complaint.

This is unforgiveable.

Will not run on my computers
I have 3 computers at home, this game will not run on any of them. I have a high end Dell laptop, desktop, and an older dell desktop. Program crashes on all three. Buyer beware! ... Read more

Features

• Designed by a team of math experts
• Develop critical math skills in 10 core subject areas
• Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Calculus, Statistics, and more
• Fun and stimulating with engaging interactive tutors
• Bonus: learn Microsoft Excel with Professor Teaches Excel

Reviews (1)

Old time bugs that haven't changed since the last version...
This software is technically crippled, and looks like it suffers from the same bugs as the 2004 Math Advantage version.If you have 1gig of memory, you will get an error stating you need 3mb of memory to run this program.Below is a cut & paste of the fix for this.But also, they do not name the directory correctly that it looks for.The software itself uses Quicktime, and you can tell it's age because it tries to load an old version 4 of QuickTime.Right now as I type this they are at version 7.Sounds like they just keep repackaging the same software with a different date on the box cover.And like most software, this cannot be returned once opened.It may run on a Mac just fine, not sure about that.


The full fix for the 3mb memory error:
From the Windows XP desktop, select the Start button, right-click on the My Computer icon, and select Properties from the resulting menu.

Click on the Advanced tab to bring it forward, and then select the Settings button within the Performance section.

In the Performance Options window, click on the Advanced tab to bring it forward, and then select the Change button in the Virtual Memory section.

Click the Custom size button...
Change the Initial size (MB) setting to 4000
Change the Maximum size (MB) setting to 4000

Select SET to accept the change, which will close the Virtual Memory window. Select OK to close the Performance Options window. And select OK to exit the System Properties window.
... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Dig deep into sixth grade skills on a mystery-solving adventure in the empire of the plant people. Go underground to find the missing ClueFinders, and take on an army of mutant plant warriors to save the town above from certain doom. Kids will need all their smarts to tackle this title's tricky challenges. From cleaning up toxic pollutants to building bridges, every activity brings kids closer to solving this underground mystery, while mastering essential sixth grade skills.

Explore 15 interactive games and exercises designed for kids, ages 10 to 12 and older. Build more than 150 key sixth grade skills in math, language, science, social studies, and problem solving. Four levels of difficulty and a variety of tricky challenges keep ClueFinders 6th Grade Adventures 2002: Empire of the Plant People fun and fresh. Detailed help features guide kids throughout, and built-in progress reports help parents navigate their child's learning fun.

In addition, an all-new for 2002 bonus CD-ROM doubles the mystery and clue-finding fun. In ClueFinders: Mystery Mansion Arcade, our adventurers are lured into a spooky mansion by an ingenious mastermind and his four villainous henchmen. Kids help the ClueFinders escape by choosing the best ClueFinder for each arcade-style hazard. Speed through the Ultimate Deep-Dish Pizza Skate Park, stay cool through the High-Voltage Circuit Zone, and much more. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

The Clue to Making Learning Fun
I purchased Cluefindes 3rd Grade Adventures about 6 weeks ago, and since have watched my child use it to completion. She has played it 4 times and will probably play it again in the future. In the meantime, she has moved onto the 4th grade game.

Setting up the game is pretty easy, and the directions are clear. Starting up is a cinch as well. You have the options of taking the test drive which is a placement test. It is not as much fun as the actual game, but it is not too boring either and it gets the child started at a challenging level. The first time my child "played" it she started at the beginners level, and finished it in two days. The second time, I set it to level two and it took her a week to complete. The third time I had her do the test drive. This is where the real value came in.

When she started the game on the lowest levels she was basically reviewing what she had learned the previous year, which is a good thing. But, when she played the game after the placement test, she was truly challenged to learn more. I never imagined in a million years that a child would follow me around begging to be taught long division. She could not cross a bridge in the game without being able to divide. So I taught her and she practiced and cemented the skill by playing the game.

As a homeschooler leaning towards self directed learning, I found this game to be invaluable. It gives me the freedom to wait for a child to be ready to learn a skill while at the same time ensuring that such comes quickly through constant challenges. After all, the best time to teach a child a skill is when they want to learn it. This game provided that want for me.

This game does not teach skills your child must know, but provides challenges. The way I use it is to wait for a challenge to be presented, and then teach that child whatever they need to succeed and overcome that challenge.

The only problems I had with this software is that each time the child finished the game, they had to start again with a new member name, it would not let us back into the game as the same person. This did allow me to compare the membernames records to check for progress which was evident.

If you purchase the 2 cdrom version of this game, with the personalized learning center, you will be able to print worksheets according to your childs strengths and weaknesses and to see where the child needs more practice. You will also be able to spot where your child may be gifted.

The personalized learning center disc, however is not formulated to give a child a "grade" based on how well the child did in the program, but to show progress over time. Therefore, If you are a homeschooler and grades are important to you, you will want to "test" the child separately perhaps using the worksheets or making up your own exams.

Great teaching game
We are a homeschooling family. I bought this game along with the fourth grade and fifth grade versions for my nine year old. She sailed through the other two, but found this one challenging. It is great for reinforcing math, introduces chemistry, addresses the pollution problem, history, spelling, vocabulary and reading comprehension. There is a level selection area in which you can choose how hard or easy the game is, but this is also handy for letting parents know where your child may need some help in or where they excel. It has a practice mode where the child can just do the activities without having to play the game. I found this great for reinforcing some of those areas my daughter needed more help in.
Even though my daughter has finished all three games, she still plays these.

Never Too Old To Play!!
It's great I'm 14 going on 15 in a month but I don't care
because that doesn't stop me from having fun. It's the greatest game. I've only played the 3rd and 4th grade one but they're still and always be my favorite software. If you've never played any of these games and you love computer games; buy this then even if you're older then me. Who cares? Just remember HAVE FUN!!! You won't regret it!!!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. Could you make one for 10th graders or do you already?

Thank You

Cluefinders 6th Grade Adventures
This product provides an excellent source for preparation or reinforcement of what a 6th grader is expected to know. Players are put into a mystery situation where they have to solve clues in order to figure out the answers. Various aspects of the 6th grade curriculum are covered, and the computer adjusts for the skill level of the player, making the games increasingly more challenging. Areas covered include logical thinking, mathematics, science, geography, social science, and language arts. The games are fun, and since they get progressively harder as the student masters a skill, they do not get boring. At times the transition time from one activity to the next can be a bit long, and instructions are repetitive, but this seemed to bother adults more than children; this should not deter the buyer, however, as the positive aspects of this game far outweigh the negatives. Graphics and sound are excellent, and help includes a map and a reference section. Levels can be set manually, or the program can be adjusted to automatically determine when to advance to the next level as a skill is mastered. On the whole this is an excellent product, and a great way to make learning fun. Highly Recommended. Reviewer is a teacher and a librarian.

Cool
This game is fun and VERY educational... I even forgot I was
learning while playing it! The games are fun and have different levels, so if one level is too easy you may make is
harder and more challenging. It explains the mini-game
and how to play. The charactors are click-able and they seem to talk and help you throughout the whole game.
You meet cool alien type things, and in order to survive, you must figure out the answer to the mini-games.
The backround music is pretty cool, but it may get annoying
you can turn off the music, too! before you begin the game, it shows a mini movie of what's happening and it tells about
your mission.I love this game! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Based on the Fox television series, American Idol: The Search for a Superstar brings the intense talent competition to your home. Designed for ages 10 and up, the game immerses players in the life of an American Idol contestant. Experience the celebrity lifestyle and create a superstar image. Shop for hip fashions and accessories, practice singing skills, and perfect dance moves. As players compete to be at the top, they must prove they have what it takes to be the best. Just like the TV show, this game features three tough judges who will praise or preach after each performance. Great tunes, super sets, and much more make this game as close as you can get to being there. And for the real test of talent, contestants can record and post their performance on the American Idol Web site to garner first place in a nationwide online competition. ... Read more

Features

• Become an American Idol contestant
• 3 judges rave or rant at your moves
• Refine your superstar style
• Post your performance in American Idol cyber competition
• Includes 20 hip tunes and cool dance moves

Reviews (26)

AMERICAN IDOL ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey everyone! I just wanna say that THIS GAME RULES!!!!! You get to choose from songs like: From AM to PM by Christina Milian, Feelin Is Right by Samantha Mumba, Angel by Shaggy, Free by Mya, I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor, Bouncing Off The Ceiling by the A*Teens, S Club Party by S Club, Kryptonite by 3 Doors Down, Escape by Enrique Englasias, and those are just a few of my favorites out of the 20 SONGS YOU CAN CHOOSE FROM!!!! You get to choose your look. There are 4 skin tones: Light, pale, asian, and dark. There are many hairstyles and looks to choose from, and there are soooooooooo many more that you can buy along the way! But you can only buy CLOTHES (shirts, pants/skirts, and shoes), not new hairstyles and colors. You also get to pick a stage name for your contestant!!! The computer randomly puts you against one of the contestants that the game made up. You have to get 1000 star power by buying clothes, stages, lighting effects, special effects, dance moves, and camera angles. The game comes with a FREE MIC so that you can sing into it!!!!!!! There are 2 types of dance performances and 2 types of singing performances. You'll learn more about them if you buy this game (and I hope you do!!!). There are 2 hosts (but you only hear their voices), a boy and a girl. The boy's name is TC and the girl's name is Kat. I HIGHLY RECOMMENED THIS GAME!!! GET IT!!!! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR MISSING OUT ON!!!!!!!!!!

Super cool & lots of stuff to do!
I watched the American Idol TV show and then I went out and bought this game. This game actually has MORE stuff in it than the show did!

First, you get to create your own character. There's not too many choices at first, but if you play for a while you can collect a lot of stuff.

Then you get to play singing and dancing games! The dancing games are pretty cool and my favorite is the singing practices where someone sings to you and you have to sing back. You can record a song with your voice and use it in the game too.

After you win a game, you go make a video of your performance. I think this is the best part. All kinds of dance moves, cameras, lighting and special effects. Then, if you want, you can put your video up on the website and people can vote on it, just like in the show!

It takes a long time to get enough stuff to make a really cool video, so don't give up.

I'd recommend this to anyone who liked the American Idol TV show and also to anyone who likes to sing or put together dance performances.

rocks
The songs rock the clothing rocks the game rocks.
Its like the sims because you get to create your charecter but instead of walking around you get to compete and it is so much fun to make a music video with friends you really should try the game

NOTHING LIKE THE SHOW BUT THIS GAME ROCKS
This American Idol Game is 10 times better than the one made by Codemaster!!!! I see people talking about how, "Oh, I don't know these songs" or "These songs are old" but if you don't know them the words flash across the screen and if they are old....tough!!!
I'm an 11 year old that should have been born 20 years ago because I love those kind of songs!! I love the way that you can make that person your own! You are NOT trying to make th next American Idol!! It's a game people!! Come on!!! The clothes, hair and all around point of the game is definetly the best game I have ever played and that is truely sincere!!

Hope you like the game!!!

§~Vanessa~§

Ok but not awesome
THe game is good preety much except that a micro phone doesn't come with it!! IT only has 21 songs and unless they do and expansion set the game will get boring. there are only two judges that don't critique you they give you compliments!! There are only a few dance moves and closthe I'd wait to buy it until they make an expannsion set IF they do!! ... Read more

Features

• Polish and improve language skills with a set of games for English proficiency -- covers Vocabulary, Composition, Spelling and Reading & Comprehension
• Develop a basic working knowledge of Spanish, French, Italian and German
• Expand problem-solving capabilities with a complete guide to Pre-Algebra, Algebra I & II and Geometry
• Retrace the past to better understand the present with presentations on Ancient, World and U.S. History
• take a virtual, visual journey through the natural world and beyond, with guides for Astronomy, Physics and Wildlife & Nature

Amazon.com Review

Bungie Software shattered real-time strategy norms with its 1997 release, Myth: The Fallen Lords. Eschewing the tried-and-true formula pioneered by such classics as Command & Conquer and WarCraft, Myth broke through the shackles of resource management and unit creation and put strategy and combat at the forefront. In fact, perhaps Myth erected its own genre--the real-time tactical game.

Myth: The Total Codex combines the original Myth: The Fallen Lords with its sequel, Myth II: Soulblighter, and the expansion pack Myth II: Chimera. Equipped with over 50 single-player levels, dozens of multiplayer maps, and nearly a CD full of user-created levels, maps, and modifications, Myth: The Total Codex is a package that no strategy gamer should pass up.

The beauty of Myth lies in the interaction between its well-balanced, fantasy-based units. For example, archers (bowmen in Myth II) can shoot arrows with frightening speed and accuracy, but get pummeled by melee units unless they're protected; dwarves toss devastating bombs, but poor rate of fire and unpredictability sometimes make them a liability; and the powerful Trow Giant can eliminate nearly every unit in a single blow, but is too slow to overcome a force of greater numbers. Myth's intuitive interface, featuring a rotating camera system, the ability to zoom in and out of battle, plus unit formation and waypoints, allows for precise control of your army.

Though its single-player game never ceases to entertain, it's Myth: The Total Codex's multiplayer game that shines. Players trade for available units (the more powerful the unit, the more expensive it is) and compete on vibrant, varied terrain in games like Last Man on the Hill, King of the Hill, Territories, and Capture the Flag.If you've never experienced Bungie Software's brilliant real-time tactical game, Myth: The Fallen Lords or Myth II: Soulblighter, do yourself a favor and plunge into its fantasy world of strategic combat with the complete compilation, Myth: The Total Codex. --Doug Radcliffe

Pros:

• Three full-length single-player campaigns
• Excellent multiplayer support on Bungie's free online service
• Intuitive and highly customizable interface
• Windows and Macintosh versions are included on the same CD

• If you already have Myth and Myth II, the expansion pack might not justify the price

Reviews (16)

Better late than never
Having an interest in creative writing, I'm most interested in those kinds of games that provide great graphics in conjunction with a well constructed plot or premise. Myth is one such game. Actually, I'm a relative late-comer to the Myth scene, but I'm extremely happy that I stumbled onto a demo of the game several weeks ago. When it comes to RTS titles, Myth is probably the most ingenious and ranks among the most challenging I've seen. The ability to view the battlefield in 3D obviously sets this game apart from others, such as StarCraft, but the computer AI in the single player levels is quite challenging, especially to the player, like myself, who is in the early stages of his Myth development. Combine this with the ability to play multiplayer games on Bungie's top-notch site, and you've got a winner on every front.

Great game, with just a bit lacking.
Really a great game. I personally like Myth II a lot better than the first, it's more detailed. It's got some great 3-D graphics, but the camera view can be a little annoying when you are still learning the game. The multiplayer aspect of the game is thrilling. With hundreds of plug-ins on the disk, you can play standard, Civil War style, or my favorite, WWII. Each one has great details. The AI isn't to smart, but it gets the job done. With exploding monsters comming at you from all directions, you are forced to think, think, and think again. The computer will force you to outsmart it, having 5 men of yours agenst rows and rows of enemies. All in all, I would definatly buy it if you are looking for a lot of fun and thrills, and have the 3-D acceloration.

The orginal Collection from Bungie
Comes with 2 classic games:
1) Myth The Fallen Lords
2) Myth 2 Soulblighter

Also includes various expansion packs and strategy guides for both Myth games.

This is one of the best deals I ever picked up. The games may be dated, but they are still awesome nonetheless. BTW - the cutscenes in these games rival anthing that Blizzard has even produced, so I highly recommend this bundle from Bungie.

A Demo Is The Best Way To Decide: Look For A Demo
The best game in the world? Or a colorful frisbee? Look for a game site with a demo to download, and you decide for yourself. I am not a big fantasy gamer nor am I a RTS player. A friend gave me Myth Of The Fallen Lords and I tried it because I have an 800 Mhz Pentium III and I fell in love with Myth. It works beautifully - you've got to endure the learning curve, but, for me, it was worth it. Hating a game because it isn't instantly mastered or "easy" to begin playing, isn't the best way to judge. I enjoy this game immensely, but you may hate it. Find a demo. Try it.

How could anyone give this game 1 star?
... This game has superb graphics, gameplay, story,multiplayer, sound, editors, and everything in between.

It is simplythe BEST GAME OF ALL TIME. Period. Spend a bit of time learning the interface (and basic tactics), and you will find a deep, satisfying game...

I'll put it this way: Myth is not for everyone. If you are so obsessed with "tank rushes," or rely solely on reflexes to beat a game, Myth's depth of play will likely disappoint you. For everyone else, this is the game that will keep you going for ever.

This concludes my review. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Stratego, the popular board game of battlefield strategy, comes to life on the computer. You have an army of men and weapons at your disposal. Your mission: capture your opponent's flag and protect your own. Your troops range in rank from scout to marshal--but your opponent doesn't know the ranks of your players. Each is disguised as an innocent drummer boy marching across the battlefield while cautiously sidestepping hidden bombs. When engaged in battle, characters morph into toy soldiers, and their ranks determine who emerges victorious. This is the game for developing your strategic skills. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Don't buy it
I put in a lot of hours playing Stratego as a kid. With the goal of searching through a board filled with different ranking army members to capture the enemy's flag, Stratego contained the right amount of pure strategy with just enough luck that a well placed bomb could easily turn the tide. I would have loved to have seen a reputable conversion of this classic. Unfortunately, Hasbro, in their zeal to cash in on the popularity of board games, rushed this problematic hunk of junk out the door so quickly that it's virtually unplayable.

First of all, this game was made in 1998, so the graphics are pretty chunky and clunky. Secondly, and this is a huge problem, they made it so you are unable to tell any of your pieces apart! Remember all those pieces you have on the board? Now you have to remember the ranks of all of your pieces as well as the enemy. This problem could have easily been solved by displaying the ranking as you mouse over your individual pieces, but nope! Makes too much sense.

Third, weren't the highest ranking members #1, #2, and so on respectively? I'm certain the miner was #8 in rank. Well, in this version the numbers are backwards (!) Now your miner is a #2 and your top ranked marshal is a #10. So now not only do you have to remember the numerical rank of all your pieces, you also have to remember them backwards.

Are you starting to get the feeling none of the developers have ever played this game before?

This feeling will be confirmed once you play against the computer. The A.I. is so incredibly bad that it will put its top ranking pieces on the front line, charge your line, but won't attack anyone unless they move. My first game against the computer my scout spotted the top ranked #1 (err... #10) piece on the front line. It then came straight at me and sat there until I sent my spy over to kill him. Well, that was easy. And when you charge the computer it gets even better. Just send one of your top ranked pieces over. One by one it sends lower ranked pieces at you and it's not until it gets right next to your top ranked guy that it "remembers" how tough your guy is. As soon as the computer moves away from you, chase it down and kill it. Tough game, eh?

Unlike the other reviewers, I was able to get it to work on Windows XP, but even at a bargain bin price this game is a joke. One was all it took for me to hit the uninstall button. So take it from me, your Amazon spy, drop the bomb on this game and send it to the trash can it came from. What a waste.

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Strategic, Customizable, and Slow
This is easy to play if you've played the board game, but the animations are time-consuming. I do NOT recommend this for hotseat play (multiple players on the same computer), since this is inevitably difficult to play in a "stealth" game. I'll describe the game; if you've played, skip to ////////. This game is strategic. The goal is simply to capture the flag. You start by placing your pieces, which include a spy, a flag, 6 bombs, and several ranked pieces. That's the part where different strategies come in. You can make a decoy for the location of the flag, or surround it by mines, or put your high-ranking pieces in the front. It's up to you. The bombs can only be diffused by miners, and scouts can move great distances at a time. //////// The computer game has battle sequences, all well animated and visually appealing, but they can be time-conuming. There are 5 boards to choose from (wood, grass, board, etc.). Various setups can be saved to memory, so you don't have to redo it every time. The internet play is frustrating to set up if you don't know what you're doing. For Ultimate Stratego lovers, all versions of Stratego are included, including the 4-player game. Ultimately, I recommend this for people who like the board game or other strategy games.

Great recreation of a classic strategy game!
I purchased this game in December of 1999. I am very pleased with this game. It has animated battles that are very entertaining. Also, the on-line playing option is exceptional--with a lot of challenging opponents from all over the globe!

If you are looking for a great strategy game and a lot of tough competition, this is a winner! If you buy it, look me up on the zone!

matt_da_brat ... Read more