Amazon.com Product Description

Step into the magical world of Disney's princesses and play in a royal fashion boutique. Kids create their personal 3-D princess and dress her up in millions of elegant ball gowns. They can even add their photo for complete personalization. They can create beautiful collages in the Star of the Story activity, and then print or e-mail their collage to share with a friend. All princesses will delight in this title's Enchanted World, a magical land that offers hours of exploration. Best of all, with Disney's Princess Fashion Boutique anyone can be a princess. Plus, the cool purse makes it easy to share the fun with a friend. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Fantasy Dressing Artist Designer Dream for Every Princess
This is soooooo fun and beautifull and all the princesses! No problem at all with my computer in installing and the voices are beautifull and clear. I guess the sound in the other reviewer's computer must have had a problem. This is the BEST fashion cd rom with the plus of having the princesses in it that I have seen. My daughter is 4 and can play with it. But its a discovery type game, ie you find out how everything works as you get more familiar with it. In the beginning things seem not to be working but with time you see that OH, now I have to drag and click not just click, or OH here you have to click on the icon first and then on the picture for it to do what you want! Have patience and you will become an expert princess! Very cheap for the amount of stuff you can do with it, also grows with the child. For young ones mom should play with it BEFORE the child to avoid initial frustration so you can explain some of the quirks to her first. Happy princessing this is a dream!

We Love Cinderella
My daughter (aged five) loves this CD and all the games on it. Unlike the other reviewer, we have never had a problem with our sound. We have also given this as a birthday gift and have had positive feedback from other mothers.

Sound, please?
I bought this to replace my niece's garbled-sounding copy. But, surprise, surprise, the new one sounded the exact same garbling! I returned it right away. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Achieve! Math & Science brings four award-winning educational titles in one to your child's desktop. Designed for young learners, a series of challenging puzzles, brain-boosting problems, and irresistible games cover essential math and science skills. Sharpen math skills, explore geometry, learn about electricity, experiment with gravity, and more. Featured titles include: Mighty Math: Calculating Crew, MindTwister Math, Space Academy GX-1, and Thinkin' Science: Zap!. When math and science are made this much fun, young learners achieve at learning. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Wonderful resource for the serious homeschooler!!
We have been proud owners of this package for two years and have used it diligently to supplement skills and concepts introduced throughout the year for first and second grade. It has been a WONDERFUL supplemental resource. Unlike a lot other educational software packages that claim to cover a wide range of ages, this one means it when they say "First through Third grade". It is simple to use: After a concept (example: 2 digit addition) has been introduced to the student, you specifically set up games to reinforce those particular skills. After those skills have been mastered you then go back in (with a simple click of the mouse and check-mark skills you want to reinforce from a large pre-set list) It is honestly very simple to do. Explaining the process actually takes far more time that it does to actually do it. Although the games are very "friendly", with engaging characters and settings, the software is not meant to "entertain" as much as it is to teach. I would not at all be surprised to find this package in a lot of school computer rooms for kids to reinforce their skills on. If you are looking for a true educational software package that would be appropriate for (no younger than)first through third grade, this would be perfect for you and your child.

I would give it ZERO stars if I could!
I completely agree with what everyone else has said. This was a total waste of money. The other reviewer was right when he said the extra software included (for us it was Star Flyers) was the ONLY good thing!

How can they market programs that were designed for 3-5 year olds for Grades 1-3? Its ludicrous!

DO NOT waste your money! The whole thing is unprofessional. There are no guides and even the paper inside the CD looks like it was BADLY photocopied.

Again, if I could give it ZERO stars I would!

This is going back
I was looking for some software to help my fourth grader with math facts, computations, etc. (He's an Everyday Math victim.) The activites, even at the most advanced level, are much too easy for him. Pointing and clicking at different piles of cookies is not division. This is a complete waste.

This is being returned to The Learning Company
I just purchased this today, and it is extremely disappointing. I was looking for a software package that would help my 2nd grader learn his math facts, and this certainly isn't it, as far as I can tell. There is zero documentation included, so there is no way to steer your child towards games that would help his or her weak areas. I couldn't find a game that drilled them on anything, just a lot of pointless point and click activities.

Product is not very good
I got this product for my 5 year old, and it is about right,
any 3-6th grade would not like it at all. The best thing in the game is the free cluefinders monkey adventure in my costco box.
Most of the games look like they were designed for windows 95.

I liked the clips from grammar rock, I remember these as a kid, but you could by the DVD of Schoolhouse rock and get better versions of those. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great for all ages
This game is great for everyone. The kids that I watched over the summer had a blast finding ways to create different creatures and loved printing them out for later. The adults all loved trying to outdo each other by making stranger and stranger monsters. I highly recommend this game for anybody with an active imagination and a love for graphics and interactive games. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Barbie helps you design thousands of different outfits on the computer. Special printer-compatible fabric goes through your laser or ink-jet printer so you can make clothes for Barbie. Design party dresses, career outfits, wedding gowns, and even something special for a romantic date with Ken. It's up to your imagination.

The software package includes lots of art supplies so you can decorate your new outfits. No sewing is required--just cut out the pattern, then use adhesive seam stickers and hook-and-loop tape to put it together.

The package includes the CD-ROM software, eight sheets of printer-compatible fabric, tulle (fabric for veils, tutus, and other items), 4 color markers, sequins, ribbons, rosettes, glitter fabric paint, seam stickers, hook-and-loop tape, five pairs of Barbie shoes, and a user guide. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

really weinerdog-rific
I've had this game for about 7 years and i used to play with it ALL THE TIME. It's great designing the clothes, but barbie likes to boss you around on what things you can put together, like you can't wear a scarf& wedding dress, and the clothes have gone out of style. You were only allowed to use a few colors at a time. But making the tabloid cover is really fun and i used to make them for EVERYONE. the 3d is really cheezy, and the fashion show thakes FOREVER to load(but the countdown with shoes is really cute).I think i once saw a newer version somewhere, but it might have been another barbie game. weinerdogs rule!

It's Fun!
I think it's fun because you can make magazine covers and pages for a little magazine for your friends. You can design clothes for your Barbie, you get to color them, and put them together. It's fun because you can put shoes on it.

DO NOT BUY THIS GAME ***
This is such a boring game ! It doesn't have too many clothes to choose from and not too many colors and designs ! If you want to buy a Barbie CD-ROM , buy Barbie Pet Rescue !

Barbie's fun, but this game could be better
I got this game about 4 years ago, when I had one of the world's slowest computers. It worked just fine, but the fashion show took forever to load, so I never got to see that. Anyway, it was a lot of fun designing outfits for Barbie; the problem was, you were really limited. Like, you couldn't have a Barbie wear certain shirts (like bikini tops) and certain pants at the same time. Or you if you had a certain scarf, it would limit the other accessories you could have. But that was easy to overlook. My other complaints were that the patterns were kind of silly looking (flowers were okay, bows and hearts were kind of weird), and you didn't get very many colors to work with. Also, the only Barbie available was a blond. But I really enjoyed playing it and printing out magazine covers, until one fateful day when the CD malfunctioned and hasn't worked since (and I even have a brand new computer, so ... oh well. Rest in peace.) Oh yes, and you can print the outfits on special paper and make actual clothes for your Barbie. But they look really unrealistic. It would be like a real person dressing in a gunny sack and calling it fashionable. But hey -- if you have a Barbie fanatic in your life, consider this CD-rom for hours of fashion fun. :)

Sorta Cool...
This is great when you first get it! Design a variety of barbie outfits for any occasion and watch her model it. Then print out a magazine cover or the outfit for you to make. Sounds cool right? But there are some hidden downsides...Number one, the outfits don't stay together too well! Number two, the outfits get repetitive and boring and there aren't enough pattern or color choices. Also, some new barbies would be nice! I'd try Cool Looks before this one! Oh yeah and for some reason there is a saving problem when you save your designs...Still if you wanna try a new angle on Barbie games try this one or Cool Looks to create cool Barbie clothes, until you get sick of the game! ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

If high-flying superheroes, glitzy game shows, and dangerousinterplanetary missions are what it takes to hold the attention of third throughsixth graders studying math and science, then this four-CD compilation ofeducational software does no wrong. And, fortunately, all fourprograms--originally released separately by the quality-conscious folks at Edmark--manageto do a respectable job of actually teaching kids, too.

While there is some crossover in content, especially between the Mighty MathCalculating Crew and MindTwister Math, Space Academy GX-1'sastronomy and space-based physics focus and Thinkin' Science ZAP!'selectricity, sound, and optics activities more than make up for the overlap.

The interfaces vary from program to program, but all prove navigable and easy tolearn. And while the presentation might be tame at times for experiencedcomputer-gamer tastes, for the most part these titles pack enough sounds,voices, and animation to keep things moving. Parents and teachers should behappy with the mix of problem-solving and drill-oriented activities. Inparticular, Thinkin' Science ZAP! offers some excellent open-endedinteractivity with real, hands-on science, thanks to its virtual laser tables,circuit boards, and an audio studio.

The mathematics game show MindTwister Math might be the weak link of thebunch since it's only geared to third and fourth graders, but at this price, thecollection is still a steal even if you don't end up using all of theCDs. --Paul Hughes ... Read more

Features

• Includes 4 fun and educational titles
• More than 15 individual lessons and 200 activities
• Each program uniquely designed to teach basic skill sets
• Each title highly rated by accredited reviewers and experts in the field
• Provides hands-on experience

Reviews (4)

Avoid This Product
I have purchased 30-40 software CD's for my 6 year old over the years and this CD has got to rate near the bottom of the bunch. In summary, there is very little explanation or instruction into the math or science concepts being "taught", the "game" aspect to the CDs is clunky at best, and it is just plain confusing. I have been sorely disappointed in these CDs and my daughter has very little, if any, interest in using these CDs although she loves to be on the computer. At the same time I bought these CDs, I also bought her a Magic School Bus title which was very good and which she asks to play. I have never written a review before this review but felt compelled to do it to alert other parents to avoid this title. Waste of your money, and of your child's patience and interest.

Exceeds Expectations
My son is 6 yrs old so I was leery of purchasing this title. However, it is better to challenge than to bore, so I made the purchase. I will never regret it. The software is fabulous. It installed easily, initializes and performs well, is incredibly engaging and remarkably educational for such a fun suite of software.

I highly recommend this software for nearly all ages. My 6 year old is able to benefit from most of the challenges, yet others offer a level fit for a much more sophisticated child audience.

Buy this software ... you will not be disappointed.

Great selection of titles, educational and well worth the $$
This is a great set of CD's. Informative, fun, challenging and well worth the money. A deal like this is hard to find, and belive me I've been looking! My 10 yr old son very much enjoys this product as well as the Middle School Accelerator.

Best Buy For Knowledge and Dollars
My Kids...ages 9 & 10 fight for position on the computer to play this educational game. They both enjoy it, with its many rewards and increase's in Rank. They are learning about science and math,but really don't realize it! It has 4 cd's and we are still on the first. They would rather play this than their Gameboy Advances. I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

A mysterious villain called the Prankster and his battalion of robots are causing out-of-control weirdness everywhere you turn! You've been recruited to join the secret Spy Masters team to stamp out the trouble. Create your own secret identity by choosing your "cover" from head to toe, then earn the state-of-the-art spy gear you'll need to accomplish your missions. But don't forget to claim your gear; you'll need the power to defeat the villains. The more missions you solve, the more spy gear you earn. Then take all the spy gear you've earned into each new Spy Masters title.

You must stop the Prankster, using your cutting-edge gadgets to halt his slick tricks and army of trouble-making robots. Navigate your way through 3-D worlds with ancient cities, abandoned amusement parks, the robot factory, and more. Play more games in the Spy Masters series and unlock more of the 3-D worlds. Also play online! Start a team of your own or join one--use the spy gear you've collected to snag your rival team's flag. Get to work saving the day while using your knowledge of history, geography, math, and language arts. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

This game deserves ten thumbs! ( if you have ten thumbs that
Ok ok I can't really say I've had the pleasure of buying this game (frankly I think it's a bit over priced ) but I can say I've purchased Knowledge Adventure's previous merchandise before it has always had complete satifactory. I've bought a few of there items in the past and they were very educational and benifitial .Knowledge Adventure trys to make there software educational and fun . That's what's important right? You wanna teach your children and help them to learn yet try to catch there attention with something at a children's level. This spy idea sure did catch MY attention ! I think it's one of the best ways to teach children instead of forcing facts in to there heads with telvision shows all the time and work books. In conclusion I'd like to say this item sounds like a good way of teaching your children langauge , math facts and so on . Go ahead and buy it!

great game
This game was challenging even though I'm a strait "A" student in 8th grade I learned alot from it. If you want to learn or your parents want you to buy a fun educational game this is the one. ... Read more

Amazon.co.uk

ClueFinders 6th Grade Adventures is a great way for children aged10 to 12 years to consolidate their school learning while having fun. In thisgame, the ClueFinders are in an underground world populated by a mutant plantarmy that is planning to destroy the town above them. To make matters worse, twoof the ClueFinders have been kidnapped: to stop the plants and rescue theirfriends, the remaining two ClueFinders have some problems to solve.

The puzzles in this adventure game give math, language, science, andproblem-solving skills a workout through 15 different activities. Parents can set theskill levels to suit their children's ability, and can do this separately fordifferent skills. As a bonus, ClueFinders 6th Grade Adventures comes withan Adventure Kit CD offering various fun activities, such as a map maker so youcan plot treasure hunts or other map-based activities. --Sandra Vogel ... Read more

Reviews (1)

It's a great game!
The cluefinders 6th Grade is about two of the cluefinders have gone missing! So it's the other two's job to find them.They find themselves underground and have ended up in the plant peoples lair.It's the cluefinders job to find their friends and stop the plant people from destroying earth! I recomend this game to kids who are in 5th or to kids who are going into 6th. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A must for your kids
My kids love this game and fight over the computer to play it.Nor do they know how much they are geting from the game. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Tarzan Action Game takes you through Tarzan's life, from boyhood to manhood. Develop skills and abilities like tree-surfing, riding elephants, and swinging on vines. Play as Tarzan, Jane, Terk, or Tantor and combat snakes, alligators, and other jungle enemies. Enjoy 13 action-packed levels of 3-D adventures with Tarzan and his friends. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Even teens like it !
This game is very entertaing though the age on it is wrong. I am 12 years old and I still play this game I can't make it pass Trash The Camp level the other levels are plenty simple.I know after I get pass that level comes the maze too the boat .Anyway in my headliner it saids Even Teens Like It .I wasn't lieing it is a great disney game if only I knew a sercet way out of the campsite ,but unfouantley there is not a way even if I tried I'll never get past the plate throwin monkey on top of the tent...

Entertaining adaption of a modern Disney classic
For some odd reason I had a compelling need to play this game after I saw several reviews and trailers online. So I tracked it down and paid more than $... by far, but I certainly got my enjoyment from it. The graphics looked great on my computer, and the video quality of the clips between levels looked as good as a DVD version. The skill level could be changed from easy to hard, and additional challenges were sometimes added the harder the level of difficulty.

The music was almost an exact duplicate of the Tarzan soundtrack, featuring instrumental versions of the songs "Trashing the Camp," "Son of Man" and others. The graphics were amazing, especially the backgrounds and waterfall effects. Some dexterity is needed, but younger children should be able to play this game with some help setting up. I used a computer game pad with joystick and it was very easy to control Tarzan/Terk/Jane. There are bonus levels and cutscenes to collect, and the game has definite replay value, especially if your kids love Tarzan. I still haven't managed to beat it on the Hard level yet, so there are hours of gaming pleasure ahead. And at less than $... it makes a perfect gift.

Tarzan Game
I found this game very entertaining and very easy to control seeing as it is a 3-D graphic game.

The levels get harder (obviously) but the good thing is you can go over the levels you have already done to see if you can achieve a higher percentage of coins collected and level completed.

The characters are very entertaining and you get help along the way which gives you helpful tips.

Another bonus is that you meet butterflies along the way which save the game from that spot so if you die further on you begin again at the point of the butterfly and not at the beginning of the level. You can also save the game as you go along.

Hope you enjoy it as much as me (30 years old) and my daugther (11 years old) do, its great fun and well worth the money!!!

TOTAL DISAPPOINTMENT
I thought Tarzan was going to be the best game in the world, but actually it's a BIG WASTE OF MONEY. When you can't pass a level, it get's boring.Two words. BORING GAME.

Excellent Graphics and Gameplay
Wow! I wasn't expecting much from a Disney game, but Tarzan has a lot going for itself. First of all, the graphics are excellent. The fluid animations and the eye-popping backgrounds make this game something to own right away. But the game play is also good. The controls are easy to learn and the game, while challenging, isn't too difficult for younger children. This game should be in your collection! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Kids adventure with the tiniest member of Winnie the Pooh's Hundred-Acre Wood family in Piglet's Big Game. Help Piglet make a soup to share at a special celebration. Journey with Piglet through the enchanting Hundred-Acre Wood. Along the way, brain-teasing puzzles and creative activities build age-appropriate learning skills. Each Winnie the Pooh themed activity features colorful graphics and beloved characters. Puzzle through Pooh's broken honey pots, navigate Piglet safely across a large lily pond, mix colors with Eeyore, and help Owl find his spices for Piglet's celebratory soup. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Super for kids age 2 - 4
I hadn't noticed this game because I find most Disney software to be lesser quality than several other brands; but then I read that Disney contracted Hulabee to design this program and I immediately purchased it. My four-year-old daughter who is an avid educational game player loved it. She finished it in less than an hour. The graphics are excellent; the game's design is Hulabee quality--both engaging and rich in problem solving education. The only problem was it was too easy for my girl. I recommend it for ages 2-4. However, despite it being too easy, by daughter continues to play it. It's a hit!

Super for kids 2 - 4
I hadn't noticed this game because I find most Disney software to be lesser quality than several other brands; but then I read that Disney contracted Hulabee to design this program and I immediately purchased it. My four-year-old daughter who is an avid educational game player loved it. She finished it in less than an hour. The graphics are excellent; the game's design is Hulabee quality--both engaging and rich in problem solving education. The only problem was it was too easy for my girl. I recommend it for ages 2-4. However, despite it being too easy, by daughter continues to play it. It's a hit!

Little Piglet, BIG Job
Piglet's Big Game is based on the movie, but has nothing in common with it. (Except for the title) This game is all about how Rabbit & his friends are going on a picnic, and Rabbit needs Piglet's help to go and gather ingredients for his soup, such as acorns, vegetables, pepper, "hunny", etc. Although, Rabbit thinks that Piglet is too small for such a big job. So Piglet sets out to prove himself. Along all of the winding paths & such, you will find acorns, needed for the soup. You need 10, but you can keep some extra ones... for a snack. You will encounter fun activities, such as The Pond Maze, Sorting Spices, Eeyore's Painting (my fave), and much more. This game is made by Hullabee Entertainment, which is the same company that made Mike's Monsterous Adventure. Really this game is just Mike for a younger audiance, but this has more activities and, when you love the Pooh gang, you just can't resist. You must be thinking to yourselves, if I liked this so much, why did I give it 4 stars? Well, they won't let you skip through the dialogue that you might already know about, and that can get annoying. But it's not that big a deal. Well, that's it. I hope this review has helped you and encourages you to get this CD-ROM.

Short and Sweet
This is worth the purchase. The graphics are good, and the story is cute - but it only took about 40 minutes for me and my 5-year old to complete. He hasn't played it since completing it. The ending was a little disappointing - there's really not much to do after collecting the needed materials for the big soup. But again, it was cute, a nice tie in with the movie, and a good amount of fun for straight 30-40 minutes. Child could complete almost entirely on his own. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Enter the world of Jo Hammet, a 5th-grade gumshoe who's hot on a case. While visiting the museum on a field trip, she uncovers a sinister plot to destroy all of the city's factories! Her mission is to find clues leading to the capture of the mad genius, Dr. X. Armed with her wits and her skateboard, Jo plays curriculum-building games while dodging Dr. X's goons and searching for clues to unravel the mystery. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Forget-About-It
We have several JumpStart levels, and so I thought 5th grade would be okay, but I was wrong! It starts out with a looong cartoon intro. Then you are forced to go through a politically correct interview of a "rat" before you can start with a crossword puzzle that stopped us cold.

One of the questions it asked in level one (the easiest) is who is (1548) the Venitian artist of the same town? So, we had to go through the "museum" of baroque art, look at every picture, read every description, and still didn't fine the answer!

I took art history in college, not in the 5th grade! Now I can't even return the ...junk!

Poorly designed, way too frustrating
Despite good reviews for other JumpStart programs, the 5th grade one is very frustrating. The opening scene gives no guidance for what the child is supposed to do and the dialog between the two characters is way over their heads. My daughter was totally frustrated and lost all enthusiasm for trying this program.

Be a detective
Join Jo Hammet, kid detective as she captures Dr x. before Hooverville is destroyed. Put on your thinking, playing and excitement caps! You will play a crossword (Geography and arts) at Hooverville Museum then you will proceed to the station to pick a math lock (Math) and get in , to eavesdrop on a fill-in-the-blanks speech by henchmen of Dr. x! Skate over (you will control Jo's skateboard and run away from the henchmen, if you get caught by them, you will go to jail. You will sequence the boxes with the biggest under and escape from the window! It's math skills you require here.) to Bertie's Juice bar to work on fractions and prepare sodas to get stuff from Bertie. Go over to Jimmy's Junkyard and arrange the tangram like the picture above and get something you need to disarm the bomb Dr x is preparing. Then it's over to Maggie Mead's underground artifact place! Be careful of the rolling stones. You have got to buy this CD! It's educational too! I have it, IT'S COOL...

Dry and Difficult
Not enough action, to much research. To heavy in art history and not enough material a child can expect to find in a 5th grade classroom. Our son gets too bored because the navigation is to difficult.

Step Down for Jump Start Series
After loving Jump Start 3rd and 4th Grades, I was very disappointed in Jump Start 5th Grade. It is difficult to navigate and some of the material is far beyond the knowledge of any 5th grader I know.

To solve the Art History crossword puzzle you are supposed to go to the gallery and do research. But the gallery is so hard to use that my family usually resorts to randomly guessing letters in the puzzle rather than try it. As an educated adult, I don't even know more than one of four clues in the puzzles without research or guessing.

If the other subjects were as unreasonable as Art History, I would have given an even lower rating. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Stack your tiles and change words for really big scores in this electronic version of the classic game. When "shark" becomes "share" and "lion" becomes "lair," you know you're playing Upwords. Score big when you build words up as well as across and down. Compete against family and friends at home or around the country with local network or Internet play. You have no one to play with? Then play against a computer opponent. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Will this work with windows XP?
Love the game and want to buy it but I'm not sure if it's compatible with the system I am running. It says 95/98; but I have xp? So can any one tell me if this will work? wtesla3@aol.com

Great & Addictive Word Game
Originally released by Milton Bradley as a new type of board game in the mid-1980's, "Upwords" is an interesting word game much in the same tradition as Scrabble. The only thing different is that the player is able to stack tiles on top of other tiles to create words. Hence, that is where the game gets its' title.

I recently purchased this game to see how it differs from the original board version, and it is pretty much the same in game play, with the exception of the tiles and board itself. If you're an individual who loves addictive word games such as Scrabble or crossword puzzles, than "Upwords" should be added to your software library. It is great, addictive, and entertaining and I can guarantee that you'll enjoy playing against others (or the computer itself). Hasbro Interactive has produced yet another winner in their popular board games-turned-computer games (e.g. "Life"; "Jeopardy"; "Candy Land"; etc..)series!

Overall Great Game
This is a great game. The thing I like about it is that you can play with people over the internet so if you don't have anyone to play with you can play with someone over the internet. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Looney Tunes Photofun
This software is so much fun--my granddaughter and I spend hours making pictures of her with the characters. The software is amazingly as easy to use as many other photo software products I have bought. The music is fun, a flying 2" bug interacts with the person logged in--says the name and gives help when needed. This is such a clever photo software--entertaining and produces great pictures and projects. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Are you looking for a way to supplement your child's algebra skills without boring him or her to tears? The text-prep experts at Princeton Review have devised Algebra Edge, an easily loaded two-disc package that teaches and tests all the topics covered in first-year algebra.

The two-disc format neatly divides Algebra Edge into two distinct parts: Algebra Smart (Disc No. 1), and Grade Builder (Disc No. 2). Algebra Smart, the more substantial of the two, consists of lessons, rapid-fire quizzes, and a record-keeping function. The cartoon graphics and wacky voices are designed for kids, and an Olympic theme runs throughout--the quizzes are called the Algebra Games, and the lessons are taught at the Algebra Training Building. The quizzes are very fast-paced, and thus are not recommended until a student has achieved mastery of a topic. One especially helpful feature is the Info Center, the record-keeping function, which allows you to look up any current algebra textbook and review the material that was taught at school the same day.

The Grade Builder CD-ROM consists of review lessons and two games: Death By Algebra and Soak Your Sibling. The graphics for the lessons are set against a very dark background, which some users may find disconcerting. The lessons themselves have more talking and less chalkboard work than those in Algebra Smart. Death By Algebra has an ironic tone that is suitable for most postmodern kids, but it may bother religious conservatives or others who object to jokes such as "Welcome to the game show where, just like in life, you earn points and collect prizes until you die." Soak Your Sibling was nearly incomprehensible on the first try, and kids will find the characters either hilarious or annoying.

Algebra Edge comes with a guarantee that is characteristic of the Princeton Review: if a student finishes the program and doesn't raise his or her grade, Princeton Review will refund the price of the software. To get a refund, the student must return the CD-ROMs (which have an automatic record-keeping function showing which lessons and tests have been taken) along with copies of report cards. A student must use the program within two grading periods to qualify for a refund. --Matt Kohut ... Read more

Reviews (6)

I have learned something...
I have learned to check the SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS very carefully when purchasing any software at all!! This software is for Windows 95/98 and evidently is so old that The Princeton Review website no longer exists. Broderbund Co. (The Learning Company) provides very limited support for this product. The phone numbers for both technical and customer support were no good. I was finally able to get the one CD - Grade Builder - to load and run (Windows XP) and my daughter did stay on and play the games. Yes, her text book is listed - just not the same year publication! It is incomplete. Since that is how I sold her on the CD's (it matches up with your textbook) I was foiled from the start!

Great supplement for "home schooling"/tutoring in Algebra
My 8th grader is learning Algebra at home rather than in the traditional class. She had been resisting doing the book lessons, but this software makes more sense to her and is much more interesting. The games are fun and challenging. The fact that it follows the textbook exactly really helps too. We've used it to learn new material and as a fast & fun review of earlier material.

Sorry Folks but this didn't work for me!
This program was not all it was hyped up to be. The lessons were too complicated. If I knew what they expected me to know I would not have purchased the software. The animated characters were very racial. In the classroom setting the "dumb" kid was always black. Thats pretty bad. The white kids were always portrayed as smarter and wealthier. Black kids were portrayed as dumb and poor. Dont buy this software if you don't condone racism!

Algebra + Fun
This is the only Algebra I program my kids loved! They BEGGED to let them play. Any other program will just explain you something and then give you a quiz, but this one lets you spend some time playing. The games are fun, and "Soak Your Sibling" is the best way to get inside the coordinate plane. If your kid has a little bit of patience, he will understand everything about this linear functions very soon. I wish they would invent similar games for every topic.

This is the best Algebra I program I have seen!
This program is the best it shows you how to effectivly master any type of algebra I. Algebra I is the bases of all other math so if you use this program you have a chance to learn and master the skill, quick and easy. It can go along with almost any algebra I book out! This one's the best. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Fun for a while...
Dogz for GBC is a good game for all ages. It is a lot of fun for a little while, but if you like action, it's not for you. You will get tired of it easily. Even I did, and I'm a die-hard fan of the computer versions. From the start, you choose one of three breeds of dogs (Mutt, Chihuahua, or Scottie) and take care of it until it is old enough to be retired. Each game comes with a variety of toys and objects to care for your dog, and one special toy is included in each game. To collect all of the breeds and toys, you have to trade with other gamers. If you liked the first version of Dogz for the computer, you will probably like it. For another game like this, try Catz for GBC. My overall recommendation would be to buy Dogz 3 or 4 for the computer, where you can feed, groom, play, and even breed the dogz. Hope this was helpful!

Dogz for game boy
Its not that bad besides having really cheasy graphics but hey this is gameboy, its cool how they grow up deending how you treat them.

Dogz is okay
It's agood game if your 4 and under but as the child gets older I'd suggest you get the computer games like petz 3 petz 4 and petz 5! Petz one is boring and petz two is like the same exact thing just diffrent tiles so if you have a child 4and under I say get because it teaches a child to react to a animal game but if your like 8 to whatever age DON't BUY IT!!!!!

Not Worth It
I recieved a certifiacate from my aunt for christmas for amazon.com. I immediatly purchased this game. I was so excited i turned it on to find that it was a waste of money! In this game: you can buy a dog and he immediately throw it onto the street. Then when you go back to the purchasing place to buy another there will be a new kind of dog.I wanted to know what the knew one was like- it was exactly like the old one except it was a different color. This was very dissapointing because you could change the color yourself! Plus- there was nothing to do with the dog after you buy it except feed it! This game is like those toys that they used to make where an animal hatched out of an egg and you play with it. PLEASE- don't waste your money on this game you won't use it and you'll be bored after 10 minutes!

Its Kinda a waste of time and money
My friend bought DogZ- I played it and thought it was a pretty neat game cuz you gotta have a pet. But then I was like this game really stinks! After 15 minutes your finished with it and never play it again. Some people may like it because you get a pet. If you cant have a pet-get it. Otherwise dont!!!!!!!!!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Hot Wheels Bash Arena is a pulse-pounding competition spanning eight wild smash-and-crash demolition derby tracks. Race up through the Hot Wheels ranks to compete in the Bash Arena Championship. Your ultimate goal: induction in the Hot Wheels Bash Arena Hall of Fame. But first, you've got to dodge outrageous obstacles, avoid crazy crashes, win power-ups, eliminate opponents, and be the last car running.

Choose from 20 authentic Hot Wheels cars to unlock and crash in a blaze of special effects. Drive in eight arenas filled with interactive events that keep you guessing. Real-time vehicle damage makes for cool crashes. More than 20 power-ups deliver intense, special-ability boosts. And for multiplayer action, motor onto the Internet and challenge up to four of your friends for the Bash Arena Championship. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Fun when it works
We also have problems getting this game to run on an XP machine. It just gives us a black screen on our machine. THQ was not helpful at all in trying to solve the problem, other than to send us an email to update our drivers (which didn't help). On a friend's XP machine it works just fine and the kids love to play it. The cars are hard to maneuver but the kids like the different arenas and secret places that unlock other arenas.

I wouldn't recommend the game, based on the technical problems - we've also had problems with Velocity X, but not the older Hot Wheels games like Stunt track Drive 1 and 2.

Don't waste your money
I also puchased Hot Wheels Bash Arena and after many failed attempts to load it, I finally gave up and bought Hot Wheels Velocity X.

It Won't Work!!
Be aware, we bought this game from a major local store and it would not load. We then exchanged it for a new one and that one would not load either! We searched THQ's website for patches and requested email and followed all of their advice, but have not been able to get this thing to work. We shouldn't really give it any stars because we have no idea what the game is like! ... Read more