Amazon.com Review

Bring a storybook to life with the Little Polar Bear and the GreatBear CD-ROM. Activities, fun and games, wonderful pictures, and a magicalsoundtrack help to tell the tale of Lars, the little polar bear on a bigadventure around the North Pole.

Choose from one of two modes--the delightfully entertaining Storybook foryounger children who wish to join Lars on his magical journey, or theInteractive Adventure with its challenges and games where children must solvethe puzzles to complete the adventure. There are numerous games and activitiesto keep young minds entertained while teaching valuable skills such as problemsolving, hand-eye coordination, and logical thinking.

The story begins with the little polar bear and his father as they look up tosky. As inquisitive as any young mind, Lars wants to know why constellationshave the names they do. His father encourages him to discover the answer forhimself, and so begins the adventure. Make some new friends along the way, suchas Egor the Whale, Hugo the Rabbit, and Ed the Reindeer, while indulging in somegreat fun and games.

Navigation is easy, and help is at hand at all times--just click on Lars. Encouraging imagination andsupplying educational benefits, Little Polar Bear and the Great Bear will surely become achild's favorite. --Amber Harbour ... Read more

Reviews (4)

My New Favorite
Once I started playing, I couldn't stop. I was hooked from the flying cows to the mechanical dinos. The graphics are superb, the characters memorable, and the plot well-delivered. I can't say that I've played a better game than The Day The World Broke. Definitely a thinking-person's game. I'll be looking for the sequel!

Compelling storytelling
The Day the World Broke offers a rarity in this field-engaging and compelling storytelling. Puzzles,mazes, and violence are not the point here. A grand fantasy story with wonderful characters and a rich backstory , it is an exciting and involving tale about the coexistance of nature and technology. And there are very funny part machine-part animal creatures who live in the center of the earth and find that they inadvertantly hold the entire planet hostage. Great visuals, too.

Incredibly fun and addictive
what a great game! I played it start to finish with my 6 and 9 year old and we're ready to to it again. the graphics are beautiful, the characters and dialogue are really funny and engaging and imaginitive. what a great antidote to the mindless shoot em up clones.

The Day The World Broke.

This First Class Wonderful Game Is Well Worth Buying ForWindows 95/98 Users. Its A Addictive Game Except It Doesnt Have SoGood Graphics. Its More Of A 2D Educational Game That Teachers Should Buy To Give To Thier Students In School To Play. It Helps Them Learn Numbers Reading Skills And Much Much More. Its All Worth It If You Have Kids Under The Age Of 12. I Would Reccomend It To Any GrandMother, GrandFather, Relative, Or Just Friend Of Any Child Under 12 As A Present.

Good News: Educational And Fun.

Bad News: Doesnt Always Run Well.

... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Tom the chameleon is in grave danger. Can you trace Uncle Albert's route to the four corners of the Earth in order to save Tom? From Istanbul to Zanzibar, passing by Borneo, the Amazon, and numerous other far away places, Uncle Albert will take children on an amazing journey full of surprises and unexpected trails. Crocodiles, carnivorous plants, mischievous crabs, and a magic recipe--Uncle Albert is counting on his young companions to overcome the obstacles in his path. Kids go on four different missions in a world full of realistic backgrounds and poetic humor. The program also features pages kids can personalize and print. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Fun adventures & clever activities
My 5-yr. old daughter loves this game! She particularly likes the shipwreck activity with Grover, where you have to help Grover and his helper, a cute little clam, get from room to room via various silly mechanical devices (this one's a logic & prediction type activity). And she always giggles at Elmo and Miss Octopus's garden, in a pattern-matching game that she mastered and gets a lot of satisfaction from.

The backstory also helps keep her interested; she loves collecting the deep-sea junk for Oscar and seeing what his junk machine turns it into.

Great game by the folks at Sesame. Always fresh. (Works best under Win98 and WinME; had varied success under XP and doesn't run under 2000 at all.) ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Pajama Sam always helps those in need, and in Pajama Sam 3: You Are What You Eat from Your Head to Your Feet, the entire food pyramid requires his aid. Fats and sweets are clashing with more nutritious foods, and an all-out war is looming. A peace conference has been organized, so the various food groups can settle their differences, but clever sabotage by the desserts has trapped the conference delegates! It is up to Sam to locate and free the imprisoned foods before the ultimate food fight breaks out.

A third-person role-playing game for children, ages 3 to 8 years, Pajama Sam 3 provides a fun test of players' problem-solving abilities while not so subtly educating them about nutritional balance and proper eating habits. Players take Sam through the terrain of a surreal human body in the search for the missing conference delegates. To liberate them, Sam must gather up clues and tools that litter this body from its brain to its toes. He travels through the circulatory system by riding a friendly chocolate doughnut named Sprinkle, exploring the body's various locales and interacting with chatty foodstuffs. The game also has a small number of arcade sequences, such as a skiing simulation and a race through a library, where you must find a book while simultaneously dodging the librarian's shelving cart. Additionally, players must find hidden box tops in each new locale that they visit.

Pajama Sam 3's challenges fall in the medium range of difficulty. None of the puzzles is very tough, and as long as players keep investigating the various game screens and talking to the other characters, they are sure to find all the tools they need to complete their quest. Characters provide easy-to-follow verbal instructions with stress on the most critical elements, making this well-designed game fun and ideal for newer players. More experienced users will enjoy Sam's adventure, but they will finish You Are What You Eat too easily, and it has limited replay potential. But for fans of Pajama Sam, or any child interested in playing while learning the basics of nutrition, this is a delightful game. (Ages 3-8) --Alyx Dellamonica ... Read more

Reviews (17)

A good time, as usual
I expected my kids (6 and 4) would get tired of the humungous game series of role-playing games (Pajama Sam and Freddi Fish), but they don't! It seems they could play them forever, even though the basic gameplay is the same for all of them. Humungous keeps things fresh by introducing new characters and puzzle types that keep the kids hooked. The story is engaging enough that one kid doesn't mind watching while the other plays. But don't be fooled by the packaging that alludes to the educational benefit of learning about food groups--any learning that occurs will be by accident. Also, a few of the puzzles require reading skills and left my kids calling for help. All in all, a fun game that is worth the price of admission.

A Great game for Children of All Ages!
My children and I were so excited when we knew that a new Pajama Sam game had come out. My children have played it every day since we bought it and they still rave.

In this new game, the Food Guide Pyramid, needs Pajama Sams help. The evil Fat and Sugars are making trouble for the good ole natural foods. So Pajama Sam takes a cool ride into the human body for an adventurous quest between good and evil.

Pajama Sam and your children will learn about the difference between good food (fruits and vegetables) and junk food (cakes, cookies and chips).

As with all Humongous games, this one is filled with vibrant colors and cool sounds. There are many fun and friendly characters all throughout this enchanting game. There are different objectives each time the game is played. You can also save the game each time you play it.

I recommend this game to anyone with children. It does not matter their age, they will want to play it anyway.

great fun for more experience little gamers
If your child has played beginning level software and is ready to move on to more advanced gameplay, Humongous Entertainment's Pajama Sam series (and Freddi Fish and Putt-Putt as well) are an excellent choice. These titles take the cognitive tasks up a notch as children must accumulate specific items, navigate a number of locations, and use their problem-solving skills to help new friends and achieve larger goals. Along the way, funny and lovable Pajama Sam will meet a number of nice characters, visit a variety of interesting locations and play mini-games as he completes the larger task of getting a representative of each food group out of a pickle so they can get to an important meeting. Along the way he will solve a lot of smaller puzzles and click on many objects that dance or act out funny events. Specifics change if you start a new game, and you will want to play with your child a few times before they'll be able to enjoy it on their own, so each game is good for hours of fun.

This is a fine game in a great series. We have all the Pajama Sam titles and enjoy them all.

fun with food
Well my miniture pajama sam complete with his little red cape loves this one. Hes three by the way. Please note the way the characters drawn and the name it could be a sam or a samantha so will appeal equally to both.
You begin by finding sams cape and then away you go to mop top island (if you look closely you will see its patterned on pajama sam himself)
You start at the party and dont forget to pick up the box top as you cant come back for this one. Next is the jail and before you break out remember to pick up the box top.
Food is the theme and you meet some great foods as you travel around from the head to the feet and a couple of places inbetween.
Some of it can be quite difficult and some reading is required in one gamepath, but guesswork could be used for the younger kids if mum or dad or an older sibling isnt about.
Math is required in another gamepath so someone needs to be around to help out the younger ones.
Humour is there as always and of course plenty of click points.
Again four things to find and two places for each to hide. The gamepaths for the hiding places are far more similar this time but its still has plenty of replayability.
In some places picking up the box top is a little difficult as they are placed a little too close to the next screen arrow. But its a challenge to get all the box tops and see the box arrive in sams mailbox.
The kids loved sorting the beans and enjoy getting this game path.
They also enjoy skiing down the mountain.

Overall its a little harder than the first two but just as much fun.

not just for kids
I've been playing the Palama Sam games with my granddaughter,neices and nephews, and we have been having a great time. I'm 49 years old and find them interesting and they really make the kids think. They are for all ages. ... Read more

Features

• Join the Spy Kids for an exciting learning adventure
• 8 exciting and educational activities; 3 levels of interactive play
• 32-page puzzle book integrates with the CD-ROM game
• Never-before-seen footage from Spy Kids 2 and Spy Kids 3-D
• For kids ages 8 and older

Reviews (1)

It was so fun!
The levels, the games, the lipsick. I loved it all. This game it a dream come true for me. Take my advice and buy it! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The second adventure featuring Pajama Sam, the world's youngest superhero. Join Sam as he journeys to World Wide Weather, the storm-stirring factory in the sky. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

I have a small pajama sam too
My three year old loves pajama sam, I made him a red cape so he could run around being pajama sam.
To the game, First you must find sams cape and then you find your way to the attic to face thunder and lightening. Thunder is a very grandmothery figure and lightening is like a dizzy maiden aunt.
You accidently press the red switch and have to find and mend all the weather machines before mother nature arrives. You also have to find the missing pieces of the jigsaw you spilt aand put it back together (there are a number of different jigsaws so you dont know which one you will get)
You have four weather machines to fix and they each have two places to hide, so the game is different each time you play.
Every time you fix a piece of the weather machine, thunder and lightening appear and congratulate you so there is plenty of positive reinforcement and encoragement for children to help others.
There is also a version of the game ludo, or maybe you know it as trouble, that I find my kids playing quite a lot (its a pity they couldnt have made it multiplayer) as only you and the computer can play.
Have fun in the greenhouse making apples eggplants bananas and pickles grow on little bushes, you need them sometimes. Or maybe see if there is a pot of gold under the rainbow you make. Kids also learn to follow a recipe, get everything right and you are rewarded with an animation and maybe something you will need later.
Overall its a great game with plenty of warm fuzzys.

another winner from Humongous Entertainment
If your child has played beginning level software and is ready to move on to more advanced gameplay, Humongous Entertainment's Pajama Sam series (and Freddi Fish and Putt-Putt as well) are an excellent choice. These titles take the cognitive tasks up a notch as children must accumulate specific items, navigate a number of locations, and use their problem-solving skills to help new friends and achieve larger goals. Along the way, funny and lovable Pajama Sam will meet a number of nice characters, visit a variety of interesting locations and play mini-games as he completes the larger task of helping to fix the interesting and entertaining weather machine. Along the way he will solve a lot o smaller puzzles. Specifics change if you start a new game, and you will want to play with your child a few times before they'll be able to enjoy it on their own, so each game is good for hours of fun.

This is a fine game in a great series. We have all the Pajama Sam titles and enjoy them all.

Excellent, with assistance
My 3 and 1/2 year old loves the movement and many levels of this game; however, she cannot do it alone. After we went through it together (and it did take quite a bit of time) she was able to navigate a bit better on her own. There are numbers/codes involved, so I expect the makers of the game knew an adult would have to help out the younger players as well. Imaginative and fun!

Pajama Sam 2
My grandson, Jake, is 5 1/2 years old and he says it's great. He mastered all the levels and is very proud of himself. Not only is the CD ROM good, your outside vendor was also great in delivering promptly as promised.

THIS GAME WAS GOOD
This game was good but not as terrific as the 1st pajama sam. In Pajama Sam 2 pajama sam is scared of the thunder and lightening so he goes and tries to stop then he ends up tripping and lands on a button then all the weather pieces come off of there places and get lost and thunder and lightening(2 characters in the game)
give sam a sheet of the missing pieces (because if mother nature finds out they'll get in trouble)and its sams job to go find them.It is very adventurous and if your child is scared of the dark or likes the dark and loves adventure and likes to talk and socialize with people this is the game for you!

About Pajama Sam: Was created in 1996.He is a young polite bold and brave boy he is always ready for a new big and fun adventure.
He loves Pajama man (a guy he sees in magazines and on tv.Pajama Sam is a great role model for kids.But he always has to be home before dinner time!

About the games for Pajama Sam: There is Pajama Sam 1 no need to hide when its dark outside Pajama sam 2 thunder and lightening aren't so frightening Pajama Sam 3 you are what you eat from your head to your feet Pajama Sam one shop fun stop Pajama Sam lost and Found and Pajama Sam sock works. Pajama Sam Any Day games. They are all marvelous I'm sure you will like them!

Other humungous games like Pajama Sam: Freddy fish,Putt putt, and spy fox.

Well I hope this review was helpful to you!

ENJOY! ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Zoombinis are little blue guys and gals that inhabit a kingdom reminiscent of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth, and ingeniously teach math principles using puzzles instead of numbers. In Zoombinis Mountain Rescue a group of Zoombinis gets trapped in a cave, and it's up to players to organize a search party that can withstand the logical travails of a journey through this perilous and quirky terrain. There are nine "obstacles" along the rescue route. Players cross a bridge of turtles by sorting Zoombini search party members by nose color, hairstyle, or other characteristics. Deducing (again, based on features) which Zoombini can snowboard down what path furthers the mission, as well. The search party is held up briefly in a cafeteria where it must use logic to wait on Norfs who drop oblique hints about what they want, or don't want, to order. Each game will stretch your child's ability to use forethought and analysis to assess a situation. Even the easiest of the three levels is designed to be challenging, so be prepared to help out along this creative and strenuous path.

The genius of this Windows-only program is that it turns sophisticated mathematical concepts into engrossing activities. We played a game called Boolie Boggle endlessly. Boolies either smile or frown, and in this game, the object is to change frowns into smiles by bumping Boolies with pinballs. Pretty easy until you start getting chains of Boolies and chains of pinballs. Soon your mind is throbbing as you try to figure out what a sequence of three pinballs will do to two frowning Boolies. "Binary addition" sounds pretty intimidating, but that's exactly what Boolie Boggle is teaching. "Algebraic thinking" and "information-age math" are among the other things this program teaches--mercifully, it manages it with little creatures and 3-D mazes instead of formulas and numbers.

As this journey unfolds, members of the search party drop off due to mismatched noses, wrong path choices, and other errors. Fortunately, there is a practice mode where kids can play the games without sacrificing their Zoombini friends. Puzzles change elements, so there's no way to "learn" a level then repeat it by rote. There is also a very thorough parent's guide, which is helpful for parents who have, er, forgotten about binary numbers. Zoombinis Mountain Rescue is a gentle, yet challenging, program that will probably even work its subtle magic on math-phobes. (Ages 8 and older) --Anne Erickson ... Read more

Reviews (21)

zoombinis 2 is very great.
the sequel to logical journey is GREAT!one thursday morning a zoombini named binky said that some of his friends are locked up in doors.you need to help them.no violence.it's great.after you have saved your friends you need to help the boolies(that's the second main part of the game).you hook up with in game #9,the last one(in fact,there are 9 games).the game is boolie boogle,i think.you must changed the sad boolies into happy boolies(boolies look like teeth).then you carry the zoombinis and boolies into boolieville.carry all and the grand boolie boolie will return.can you help them?.9 games,like pipes of paloo and magic mirrors(no,not real magic).and 3 levels.well,it's you choice.buy it if you want to.

Zoombinis Mountain Rescue Fun, Secretly Educational....
My children received Zoombinis Mountain Rescue for Christmas, alongside Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, I Spy Treasure, and the Sim Theme Park PC programs. Now that it is March, Zoombini Mountain Rescue is the only program that continues to challenge my 6 and 8 year old sons to think. They cannot memorize this game; it changes and requires constant problem solving. It's humor and fun hide the fact that this is an "educational program." This is a great way for kids to learn mathematical theory and logic! ( My Mother, a teacher, even used the 1st Logical Journey of the Zoombinis in her 1st and 2nd Grade classroom with much success. ) We had no problems with loading, display, and playing the program. The characters and challenges in both Zoombini programs are neither violent nor simpering. Kids at 6 years will need some parent help as they progress in Zoombini Mountain Rescue. Logical Journey of the Zoombinis was less difficult for the youngest gamers. Watch out parents! It's fun for all ages...

Good but repetitive
This game is fun but you have to get so many zoombinis so far so many times.

Be Careful!
We have other Zoombini games and love them but can't even use this one. We purchased a brand new computer with a pretty advanced system yet we can't play this game and it was a waste of a purchase.

After 40 minutes on the phone with Dell and being assured we had the most up to date Video Card, Sound Card and Cd-Rom drive we are still unable to install this game. We have had no help from the company's tech support either. Unless you are an expert in Video Card Drivers and can get past the "UNABLE TO SET VIDEO MODE" error message that we got I'd be careful in purchasing this one.

Disapointed
First of all this software is okay. Unlike the 1st one I easly conquered all the levels in just 10 hours or about 10 playing days. It's still fun, but after you win the game it starts to get a little lame. Although I didn't have any loading problems the screen froze once. The graphics were good and the games were exiting at first. Overall if its on sale you might as well buy it. ... Read more