Amazon.com Review

Anyone who enjoyed the hilarity of Pixar's Finding Nemo movie will be tempted to pick up one of the two games that star everyone's favorite clownfish. Both games feature original voice work by the outstanding Nemo cast, including the pitch-perfect Albert Brooks, Willem Dafoe, and Ellen DeGeneres. Each game also has a selection of cut-scenes from the movies, shown when tasks are well done. The difference between the two games is that Nemo's Underwater World of Fun was created (says the box) for children four and over, and is by far the simpler of the two Nemo titles.

In Nemo's Underwater World of Fun, players have six mini-games to choose from, along with a section where kids can make music by clicking on members of the Tank Gang (Bubbles, Jacques, and the rest). In a section that resembles an ocean-bound Frogger, Nemo must swim with the turtles, avoiding obstacles and collecting items. Other activities include a shark-run shell game and a very difficult Pong-like segment called "Feeding Frenzy," where Nemo has to bounce kelp balls off obstacles and walls to reach Bruce's mouth.

Both Nemo games have two big drawbacks. First, computer owners with less than state-of-the-art machines will experience stutter and delay when the movie segments appear (which will disappoint kids, so be sure to check the system requirements carefully). Also, each game only offers about one hour of original gameplay (kids who repeat sections will, obviously, play longer).

Of the two games, Nemo's Underwater World of Fun is the weaker,mainly because it doesn't follow the ups and downs of the plot that made the movie so enjoyable. The age requisite, too, seems arbitrary: neither game teaches any particular educational skills (other than pattern matching and hand-eye coordination). For anyone over five, the other game, called simply Finding Nemo is a better choice. But both are loaded with the movie's charms, including an appearance by our favorite character, the sea turtle named Crush. Does everybody have their exit buddy? Okay, dude, you're ready to play.--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

• Winnie the Pooh Toddler brings children the fun of playing with Winnie The Pooh & friends
• Mickey Mouse Toddler is a great way to learn while laughing with Mickey, Donald and other classic characters
• Six different and exciting activities reinforce basic learning skills
• Games like Who Likes To? build observation skills, while matching, opposites and flashcard games teach while they entertain
• Fun singing games let children choose the correct endings while hearing fun music

Features

• Explore Kenai's fully-interactive world in this real-time, 3-D game
• Comical narration explains the transformation of Kenai into his rival the bear
• Set in a lush environment
• Game based upon Brother Bear's grand adventures
• Play Kenai and Koda as bears; transform into a wolf, a crow, or an eagle

Reviews (5)

Brother Bear an entertaining adaptation overall
Not having seen the movie, I can't comment on screen-to-PC authenticity, but KnowWonder's Brother Bear game is an entertaining romp through a variety of gorgeous, interactive environments (Aspen forest, Valley of Fire, Salmon Run and more) on Kenai's quest to become human again. The game is narrated by Rutt and Tuke, aka the SCTV McKenzie Brothers of moose (voiced by hosers Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis, eh?), who explain the rough idea of Brother Bear: brothers Sitka, Denahi, and Kenai live in the Ice Age Pacific Northwest. When eldest brother Sitka is killed by a grizzly while protecting Kenai, Kenai tracks down the bear and kills it against the advice of the shaman. As punishment, he is transformed into a bear and must escape Denahi, who is now hunting him. Kenai befriends Koda, an orphaned grizzly cub, who helps him reach the place where the light touches the earth.

The game begins in the Apsen Forest in a training level, where Koda teaches Kenai the bear essentials: how to jump, climb, collect honeycomb to discover secret totems, and collect berries, salmon, and acorns to restore health. Interspersed between levels are arcade-style action games, such as racing to the top of the mountain, the Ice Run, and collecting the most salmon at the Salmon Run. These can be replayed to achieve a better score, or just to enjoy the action again.

Although there are no difficulty levels to choose from , the game increases in difficulty with each level. During each level Kenai must fight and escape Denahi. This is made difficult in the fact that once you enter the fights, there are no health power-ups, and if you die, you start right back out with as much or as little health as you had the first time. The saves are also automatic, and the game freezes up for a good 15-20 seconds every time it saves.

The claim that you can transform into an eagle, wolf or crow is deceiving: these are totems that you use in your quest, but you do not actually transform. The Eagle totem allows Kenai and Koda to fly to otherwise off-limits ledges and across barriers to collect bonus items (the Mystical Pinecone, which gives you an extra heart against the hunter) and to continue the game. The Wolf allows you to jump across super-wide chasms (you only use it once or twice), and the Crow allows you to see hidden objects or paths. There are also three totems that will aid you in your final fight against the Hunter: the Bear, the Sabertooth Tiger, and Golden Salmon. As a bonus, if you collect the six hidden totems, there is a hidden ending.

The 3D graphics are gorgeous: lush forest, snow-covered mountains, raging rapids and waterfalls, and volcanic craters. You can chase rabbits and butterflies for fun, fish for salmon in the river, and avoid grumpy chipmunks when collecting berries. The game did freeze up on my machine in a couple of spots (both in the Valley of Fire), but those were the only glitches I encountered. Brother Bear does require a 3D graphics card and a fair amount of memory to run smoothly (I ran it on an HP Pavillion with 256 MB RAM and an Nvidia TNT 64 MB graphics card).

Overall I feel that the game is too difficult for younger gamers (under six perhaps; the keyboard/mouse controls are rather tricky and very sensitive), but enjoyable for older kids.

Not for Toddlers
My 3yr old daughter loves the movie Brother Bear, so I bought the game. It is definitely geared more towards older children age 5 and up. Another drawback is the fact that you have to use the keyboard to maneuver the characters instead of the mouse. Obviously it is very difficult for a 3 year old to understand to push the space bar to jump, the contol button to move sideways, and the directional buttons to move, etc. Also, the game became stuck with 30 minutes of playing with her. I uninstalled the game and then reinstalled it and it got stuck again in the same place.

System Requirements don't match Software Platform
I purchased this one because it specifically said that it was supported by the Windows 2000 platform. It is NOT! When you select the Systems Requirements, it does not list Windows 2000 but I took the platform listing as valid.

Now, I have purchased software that will not work and had to watch my girls' faces when their daddy (a network engineer) could not make it work.

Love This Game!
This is a beautiful game. Graphics are super. The whole family can enjoy the Brother Bear game. Makes a terrific holiday gift.

Nice game for children
This is a nice fun game for children. You get to explore Kenai's world in 3-D. There is narrating to help you along understand the story. You get to have the adventures in brother bear,you play as Kenai and Koda as bears, but you can transform into a wolf, eagle, or a crow. also the conrols are easy to leanr, and the game is very colorful. Overall a very nice and colorful game for youngsters.

I hope you enjoy this game. it will leave you smiling. :)
have a nice day! :) ... Read more

Features

• Hours of entertainment with 4 fun-filled games for little girls
• Interactive adventures in Dora the Explorer: Backpack Adventure
• 8 exciting games with Care Bears Care-a-lot Jamboree
• Fun activities in Strawberry Shortcake Amazing Cookie Party
• Get creative with Disney Princess Fashion Boutique

Reviews (16)

Kinda boring...
I bought this game because I love the Little Mermaid and seeing Ariel on the box made me very happy. Sadly, there is not much Ariel in the game. The most you can do is put your princess model into Ariel scenes. I was hoping to put my model into Ariel's mermaid costume, but sadly, there are not many Ariel costume options (just the wedding dress and a pink one that she wears when she is human). All the costume are the classic 'ballgown' princess style, and most of them are ugly, as a matter of fact. I enjoyed putting my face onto these models, but I was disappointed that there were no costumes I really liked to put myself in. A waste of time; if buying this, like me, because you are a fan of Ariel, don't waste your money. Buy 'Ariel's Story Studio' or 'Little Mermaid 2 Activity Centre' instead.

My daughter likes it - I don't
We checked this software out of the library, thank goodness. I'd be unhappy if we'd spent money on it.

My five year old enjoys playing with it but I suspect she will tire of it before it's due back at the library as there is really nothing to do. You can decorate your horse, decorate the show ring, and run around a track. That's about it.

There does not seem to be any educational value whatsoever unless you're trying to teach a child how to click a mouse.

Very Disappointed Royal Horse Show
Don't give your money to Disney for the Royal Horse Show. I'd hardly call this a game, more precise it is a vehicle to promote Disney princess characters. And even the promotion gained from this was probably a waste for them as my daughter's interest in the limited activities wained quickly.

There are only 4 options to choose from.
1-decorate your horse (this is probably the most engaging feature for my daughter but she lost interest quickly as there seem to be dead end options - you are told that you can show your horse in the ring but no path to do so is ever provided)
2-decorate the royal horse ring (my daughter had no interest in this)
3-ride your horse around the ring (the view is awkward - the top of the horse's head blocks most of the picture)
4-in the craft cottage there are the most awkward features of all (an empty scrapbook which you fill with your escapades - this never caught on with my daughter, a growth chart [what this has to do with the game I have no idea and because her computer is not hooked up to a printer the option just caused the game to hang], a box for horse cards to collect [we are still not sure what this is] and the value of any of this is lost on me).

Cute
My 4 yo can operate much of this game. I'd rate it more for a 6 yo though... not any older. It's fun to dress up the horses. Not really a learning game, just for fun.

Perfect for my little Princess
I got this for my preschooler for Christmas and she is loving it! I love the fact that she can design the princess to look like herself or a friend or just about anyone! Designing the dress and jewelry is her favorite part, but she could go all day if I let her! This is definitely a gift that won't lose its appeal soon and also one that will grow with her!!! ... 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

• Celebrate Eeyore's birthday with Winnie, Tigger, and friends
• Develop multilingual skills with Spanish and French games
• 20 fundamental learning skills including numbers, letters, colors, and more
• Printable workbooks and flashcards for learning away from the computer
• For kids ages 2 to 5

Reviews (2)

my son loves this cd-rom
we've had this cd-rom for over a year now and my son still plays with it often. he's easily bored, so that says a lot. this cd-rom offers many activities and one can change the levels for a more challenging interaction. it also contains cute songs and is visually beatiful. this is a great product!

Pooh fan
I bought this game for my just turned 2 year old because she is a big Pooh fan. Some of the activities are a little hard for her but there are enough levels to keep her occupied. It seems like a great value because she will be able to use it for a few years and the price is so low. ... Read more

Features

• In Ready To Read, kids will enjoy great word activities while exploring the Hundred Acre Wood
• As they visit with Piglet, Tigger & the rest, they'll learn about rhyming, sentence construction, word recognition, problem solving, and deductive reasoning
• In Ready for Math, kids will enjoy seven activities that test their numerical skills
• They'll develop important skills like counting, number tracing, arrange sequences and more
• Kids will be rewarded by getting seeds and watching them grow -- they'll love it!

Reviews (1)

The 3 kids love it!
We have three children ages 3, 3, and 5. All of them love it and I even enjoy taking a turn or two :). The games teach excellent skills for school and stress math and reading in a fun and interesting way. The kids love earning items to be put in their garden and contraptions to be added to their treehouse. We have to set the timer so everyone gets a turn.
I highly recommend Disney's Ready for Reading and Math with Pooh. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

If You Want To Disappoint Your Child Buy This Game
Being the purchasing parent, I got to play the Waste Your Money game with Disney. I like The Wiggles, I have no problem sitting through hours of Wiggley fun, but goodness gracious Disney Interactive! How could you allow this to be put on the market - for 20 dollars no less? My son actually said to me, "Daddy, it's not doing nothing?" (I'll work on his use of double-negatives later) Uhh, Merry Christmas Son?!? It offers NO stimulation for the childs mind and has NO entertainment value. Basically, it's the PC game equivalent of a cardboard cut-out.

Let me give you an example of how bad it is: You can choose to watch three little Wiggles video clips, well, the problem is when The Wiggles sing their mouths don't match-up to the song being played - none of the three videos are in sync! I mean seriously people?!?

The one good thing about Wiggle Bay is that it gets my son off the computer. Now THAT'S worth 20 dollars.

Don't Waste Your Money!
Trust me when I say, don't waste your money, this game is not worth it no matter how much of a Wiggle fan your child is. My son is a huge fan so I got this for him thinking it would be the perfect thing to introduce him to the computer. After we played each game just one time he was bored and wanted to get down to go play and that isn't like him when it comes to anything dealing with The Wiggles, he eats, breathes, and sleeps The Wiggles.

Should have been called "Dorothy's Cheap Mini-Games"
The voice of Dorothy the Dinosaur provides instructions as you navigate around an island-shaped menu of 8 mini-games. Unfortunately, the games themselves (Tic-Tac-Toe, simple jigsaw puzzles and mazes, etc.) are very short, unimaginative and look cheap. They are of the quality that you can easily find for free on websites like Nick Jr., Playhouse Disney, or PBS Kids.

One of menu options isn't even a game at all - it's just 3 short clips from the "Wiggle Bay" video. Another game where you water four of Dorothy's flowers, is actually quite frustrating -- each plant starts dying if you remove the water for more than a split-second, so the only way to get them all to bloom is to be in a ridiculous constant motion.

And besides those three video clips, the Wiggles themselves are barely present at all in the game. Comic-book-style renderings of their faces appear on the screen, and you'll hear an occasional "Hi I'm Jeff" or "You're very good at this game", but Dorothy is the voice who provides all the instructions.

Overall, a very disappointing product.

NOT WHAT I EXPECTED
This is not high quality software.The program is slow and to simple even for my 18 month old daughter.I have a top of the line Gateway computer,and I have never seen anything move as slow as this.She loves the Wiggles so I feel we got are moneys worth she can look at the one of the three videos included in the software ( they are only small pieces). I thought we would get a better program with Disney names on the product.

Better for Older Kids and No Wiggle Music
No Wiggles music is incorporated in the game. The computer games are better designed for older kids. Games include Tic, Tac, Toe and maze games. Not the best children's computer game out there. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The residents of Sunny Valley are getting ready for the Sunny Valley Fair. Some are working on projects to enter, while others are setting up the fairgrounds. Ollo is set to help Rose grow a prize-winning tomato to enter in the fair. Little did they know the tomato would grow to be so big. The tomato grows so big that it breaks from the vine and tumbles away, causing troubles for the residents of Sunny Valley. Help Ollo put Sunny Valley back together and capture the prize-winning tomato so Rose can win the blue ribbon at the fair. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

High Quality, Great Gameplay.
Ollo is not only our family favorite game for our 4 year old, it also has turned into the neighborhood favorite. My daughter's 5 year old friend comes over to play it while my daughter is off doing something else!

The chapters are great because the girls can go right to the activites they want. The open-ended marble game is also wonderful because it allows freeform exploration. The clickable areas are large, and although I had to play with my daughter the first dozen times we played it, she now has mastered the mouse at age 4 and can play it all by herself.

As an artist in a game-programming family (my husband is a game designer/programmer for a major playstation/xbox game maker), Ollo has impressed me with the quality of the visual style, and my husband with the straightforward interface design and carefully created activities and games that seem to exactly fit our daughter's interests and abilities. The game doesn't crash, it runs well, and most importantly, it's incredibly fun.

A+, Hullabee! Keep up the great work! Make another Ollo!

Outstanding
It's loads of fun. Both of my kids (4 & 6) loved the software. It requires planning and critical thinking, although it's a one-time-only game (it's exactly the same game the second, etc., time you play it).

3 year old LOVES this game
My 3 year old granddaughter really loves this game. She is a "do it myselfer" and needed very little help in learning to move around in this game. She is always very excited when she masters a new "chapter" She evens plays out "Ollo" with her toys. Telling them, now you can't go to chapter 2 until you finish chapter 1, etc.
The game has helped her with reasoning skills- the giant tomato has knocked off the clown's wig, where is it. Then in another screen you see the wig being used by a bird as a nest. To get the wig, you need a ladder, and so, you have to find where the ladder is in another screen, unlock the shed - first finding the key to the shed, and take the ladder back to the tree before you can get the wig. She quickly learned how to move from screen to screen and back, and just really loves solving the different puzzles.

My daughter loves Ollo!
My daughter is only 18 months old, but she LOVES Ollo, and asks to play every day. She obviously can't work the mouse, but she points at the monitor to let me know what she wants to do. After watching me play though it a couple of times, she knows where all the 'little fun stuff' is like the bugs that hop and count, or the birds that pop out of the bushes and tweet.

She is able to walk me through Chapter 1, which includes getting a key, unlocking the shed, getting the net, and giving the net to the bunny. Beyond that, she just likes to point at things and have fun. She is also beginning to count, and learn colors and new words. In this game, she likes to say TOMATO, UP, DOWN, MAIL, DUCK, and especially BALLOON.

She loves the opening song, hidden on the title page, too. I'll admit, I think this game music is better than most.

For as many times as I've played Ollo, I still like the music. I also like the voice acting, which is better than many 'grownup' games I've played.

Another thing that I personally like about this game is the look of it. Instead of a 'catoon' look, this game seems to be made of clay elements. It's a lot more attractive than many of the kids games I've tried.

I will agree that the map is large, and some of the quest items are found in illogical places. But overall, we enjoy playing Ollo again and again.

Great game: my three-year-old loves it
Age appropriateness is always an issue but this game requires basic mousing skills (dragging is the toughest chore) as well as listening and problem-solving skills.

I needed to be there for the first and second rounds thru the game. But he is now self-sufficent.

And the game is fun and looks great. ... Read more

Features

• 3 fun Princess games in a free keepsake box
• Design a magical collage with Disney Princess Fashion Boutique
• Dive into an ocean of activities with Ariel's Story Studio
• Create a personal, 3D model in Disney's Magical Dress Up
• For kids age 6 or older

Amazon.com Review

Belle, Jasmine, and Ariel are your guides in Disney Princess Magical Dress-Up, a game that lets girls ages 5 and older play fashion designer with a vast range of princess dresses, hairstyles, and accessories. Players can design a model for the clothes on offer, choosing from a range of skin tones, body shapes, and hairstyles to create their inner princess. Alternately, they can create a new body and simply paste on a scanned photo of themselves.

Having constructed their model, girls can do a number of things--dress her up, search for more clothing and accessories in a trio of magical worlds, or paste finished ensembles into a sticker book. The last application allows you to literally insert yourself into animated scenery of Disney movies, creating pictures of yourself hobnobbing with characters from The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin.. Bright and relentlessly cheerful, the game urges girls to build pretty gown after pretty gown, complimenting their choices at every turn.

Burdened with an oversensitive installer and a balky interface, Disney Princess Magical Dress-Up never quite manages to overcome its flaws. Variations on this style of game abound, after all, hovering in an electronic netherworld between old-fashioned paper doll kits and more sophisticated makeover programs available to older girls. This particular version, though, has few things going for it. While it does allow players to design somewhat realistic princess models, its only real appeal lies in its three familiar characters and the recognizable aesthetic of its artwork. And even in this its scope is sadly limited, with no clothes on offer from the formidable collection of female villains in the Disney canon. Everything is very serious and very pretty, and girls wanting to build zany costumes--or even a reasonably varied wardrobe--may want to look elsewhere. --Alyx Dellamonica ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Kinda boring...
I bought this game because I love the Little Mermaid and seeing Ariel on the box made me very happy. Sadly, there is not much Ariel in the game. The most you can do is put your princess model into Ariel scenes. I was hoping to put my model into Ariel's mermaid costume, but sadly, there are not many Ariel costume options (just the wedding dress and a pink one that she wears when she is human). All the costume are the classic 'ballgown' princess style, and most of them are ugly, as a matter of fact. I enjoyed putting my face onto these models, but I was disappointed that there were no costumes I really liked to put myself in. A waste of time; if buying this, like me, because you are a fan of Ariel, don't waste your money. Buy 'Ariel's Story Studio' or 'Little Mermaid 2 Activity Centre' instead.

My daughter likes it - I don't
We checked this software out of the library, thank goodness. I'd be unhappy if we'd spent money on it.

My five year old enjoys playing with it but I suspect she will tire of it before it's due back at the library as there is really nothing to do. You can decorate your horse, decorate the show ring, and run around a track. That's about it.

There does not seem to be any educational value whatsoever unless you're trying to teach a child how to click a mouse.

Very Disappointed Royal Horse Show
Don't give your money to Disney for the Royal Horse Show. I'd hardly call this a game, more precise it is a vehicle to promote Disney princess characters. And even the promotion gained from this was probably a waste for them as my daughter's interest in the limited activities wained quickly.

There are only 4 options to choose from.
1-decorate your horse (this is probably the most engaging feature for my daughter but she lost interest quickly as there seem to be dead end options - you are told that you can show your horse in the ring but no path to do so is ever provided)
2-decorate the royal horse ring (my daughter had no interest in this)
3-ride your horse around the ring (the view is awkward - the top of the horse's head blocks most of the picture)
4-in the craft cottage there are the most awkward features of all (an empty scrapbook which you fill with your escapades - this never caught on with my daughter, a growth chart [what this has to do with the game I have no idea and because her computer is not hooked up to a printer the option just caused the game to hang], a box for horse cards to collect [we are still not sure what this is] and the value of any of this is lost on me).

Cute
My 4 yo can operate much of this game. I'd rate it more for a 6 yo though... not any older. It's fun to dress up the horses. Not really a learning game, just for fun.

Perfect for my little Princess
I got this for my preschooler for Christmas and she is loving it! I love the fact that she can design the princess to look like herself or a friend or just about anyone! Designing the dress and jewelry is her favorite part, but she could go all day if I let her! This is definitely a gift that won't lose its appeal soon and also one that will grow with her!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Adapted from Ready to Read with Pooh educational CD-ROM, Disney's Winnie the Pooh: Spelling helps kids, ages 3 to 6, polish their spelling skills in the confidence-building environment of the Hundred Acre Wood, with encouragement from Pooh and pals. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Good addition to your educational software
My 3-year-old son loves the Winnie-the-Pooh games. He's not as big a fan of this one as he is of Pooh's ABC's; it's a bit "over-his-head," but I'm sure we'll get more use of it later on. The Winnie-the-Pooh Preschool game is by FAR his favorite. (I would also highly recommend it; VERY entertaining and educational, and that was how he learned to use the mouse. Great skill building activities.) Any of the Pooh titles would be a good buy.

A One Hundred Acre Wood Full Of Spelling Fun!!!
Winnie The Pooh Spelling is a wonderful, educational way to learn, and have fun with Pooh. Spelling is adopted from the original Ready To Read With Pooh, but even if you already have that, it will still be a blast. As you begin Pooh will greet you with his cheerful "Here We Go Floating" song. Then, he will land right in front of your tree house, and he will say so. After which, Gofur will give you one of his mailboxes and you get to put your name on it. (Be sure to check your mail every time you come back to your tree house, because there will be letters from Pooh's friends that you can print.) Every direction around the tree house will be a game. To the west, there is Pooh's Hunny Pots. Pooh has just finished lunch, and he needs your help to put all of the hunny pots back on the shelves. To do that, simply put them back on the shelves in alphabetical order. You will receive highlighted hints of what needs to go where for level one, for level two, you don't need to necessarily follow the alphabet, but you'll need to get all of the pots matched with the certain letters on the shelves to clean up, without any hints, and for level three, you'll have to just, shall we say, "follow your instinct." After each level, Gofur will come down the chimney and present your prize. If you head in a rather eastish direction, you'll come to Piglet's Cupboards. Piglet is getting ready for lunch and he needs you help to match up his plates for it. To do that, simply open the doors until you get a match. For level one, match the plates with the same letters on them, (there will be both upper and lower case letters on the plates in this level,) for level two, there will be only one upper or lower case letter, (for example, A matches with A, and b matches with b,) And for level three, match the plate with the upper case letter with the plate with the lower case letter, (For example, C matches with c.) After you have completed a level, Gofur will break through the cupboard and reveal your prize. Finally, if you head "due north, by northwoodly", you'll get to play the best game here, Tiggers Don't Climb Trees. Tigger has bounced up into the tree, and it's going to be your job to help him get down. To do that, simply complete the quilt for Kanga, Roo, & Piglet to hold under Tigger to catch him when he falls. To complete the quilts on level one, put in the missing letter of the picture above the word at the front of the word to complete it, (for example, choose f for _an,) for level two, The same only with the last letter, (for example, choose g for do_,) and for level three, do the same only with the middle letter of the word, (for example choose a for c_t.) After you complete a level, Gofur will pop up out of the ground and reveal your prize. Speaking of prizes, you're probably wondering where they are going. Well, back to your tree house of course. Prizes will appear on the outside & inside of your tree house. So far it sounds like a great game, but wait it gets better. Also included are six, that's right, six demo games. There's Winnie The Pooh Toddler, Preschool, and Kindergarten. The same with Mickey Mouse. In Pooh Toddler and Mickey Toddler, help Pooh and friends get down to the ground after hanging on balloons, and help Minnie look for shapes all around her house. Toddlers don't even have to click to play most of it!!! Then, in Pooh Preschool and Mickey Preschool, help Pooh think of words to say to the magic tree to hear it in a different language, and help Goofy make 100 percent goof cars. Finally in Pooh Kindergarten and Mickey Kindergarten, make Tigger act out actions using wacky sentences, and learn the alphabet while keeping Goofy falling off the edge of a not-yet-completed building. Other titles in the Winnie The Pooh Learning Series include Pooh 123's, ABC's, Ready To Read, Ready For Math, Preschool, Toddler, and Kindergarten. You think I'm done? Yes, I am. Well that's it. I hope this review has helped you and encourages you to get this CD-ROM. ... Read more

Features

• A magical place where every girl can use her imagination
• Decorate the dollhouse and play with Cinderella and her friends
• Adorn rooms with lavish combinations of furniture, fixtures, and accessories
• Animated characters from the beloved movie come to life
• Unlimited surprise animations make decorating exciting

Reviews (2)

Not for limited users on XP which kids should be.
I also should have read the reviews on this however, my Daughter loves this game. I do not have the problems with sound or graphics as they are very clear on our system. However, my 4 year old now has to have Administrator rights on the system in order to play this game. I bought XP so I could allow the kids functionality on the computer without me hovering over them. I studied how to set the system up for limited users and Administrators (which can do everything), but now all that work and the money for the product are gone. I have made my complaint with Disney as they are the ones that informed me that they have no intention on changing this product.

Worst... Kid's Software... Ever.
Believe me, kid's software in general is not that great (though there are some notable exceptions.) So it is a pretty big deal for me to say that this is the worst kid's software I have ever seen. It literally kept my kid busy for about half an hour, and when I looked at it I saw why; no challenge, no interest, very little content.

The premise of the game is that you go to all these different rooms from the Cinderella mythos (the basement, Cinderella's bedroom in the castle, etc) and drop furniture, characters, and objects onto them. Sometimes these objects will interact with each other. Kind of like the excellent Catz! series, except for way more static and non-interactive.

First of all, even if this was enough to carry a game, which it's not, there's hardly any decent content. There are like 5 rooms total, and maybe 6 or 8 characters, and probably 30 total furniture and object items to throw on there. And then, your kid is done playing.

My daughter (5) summed it up nicely; she said "Daddy, this game is boring."

Avoid, avoid, avoid. A waste of money at any price. ... Read more

Features

• In Spy Kids 3D you'll help Juni save Carmen from the evil Toy Maker. Blaze through 4 wild 3D levels and 12 challenging levels
• Use your wits and reflexes to make it past The Platform, The Robot and the Lava Bubble Game
• In Spy Kids Mega Mission Zone, you'll help Carmen and Juni find a new recruit to help defend the world
• Prove you're good enough to join their team, by using high-tech spy equipment and infiltrate enemy bases
• Solve puzzles, defuse booby traps & avoid security systems as you fight to stop teh Transmooker

Amazon.com Product Description

Using Disney's Magic Artist Cartoon Maker, kids can create their own animated cartoon shorts. Design and customize colorful animated sequences, then add music, effects, props, titles, and credits. Design a range of animated shorts, then queue them up, and add a guest star and a bonus Disney short to create a complete show for family and friends. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A good Software
I saw this product and I really liked it. It can create Cartoons like the ones Disney creates. It can create cartoons how long you like not, only short. Wonderful, simply wonderful Software. I have many cartoon makers and creators but I really liked this one.

Thankyou!! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Adapted from Ready for Math with Pooh educational CD-ROM, Disney's Winnie the Pooh: 123s helps kids, ages 3 to 6, polish their number knowledge in the confidence-building environment of the Hundred Acre Wood, with encouragement from Pooh and pals. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Another wonderful day in the Hundred Acre Woods
I purchased this game for my two year old son after he just about wore out Winnie the Pooh's ABC's. This game is easy for my toddler to navigate by himself, and I can see daily improvements in his mathematical skills.

As a parent, I like this game because not only is it fun, but it is educational. My son doesn't have a whole lot of games at this point, but I do think that this game, and Winnie the Pooh's ABCs, are two of the better educational games. They have more interactive activities that challenge your child to use the concepts that the games are trying to teach, and they do so at an age appropriate level.

A One Hundred Acre Wood Full Of 123 Fun!!!
Winnie The Pooh 123's is a wonderful, educational way to learn, and have fun with Pooh. 123's is adopted from the original Ready For Math With Pooh, but even if you already have that, it will still be a blast. As you begin, Pooh will greet you with his cheerful "Here We Go Floating" song. Then, he will land on a thistle bush, and say that since this is Eeyore's garden, we should make it more cheerful for him. After which Gofur will give you one of his wheelbarrows and you get to put your name on it. (Also, be sure to check the notes on the back of the fence every time you come back to your garden.) Every direction around the garden will be a game. To west, there is Pooh's Smackeral Pots. Pooh has some fresh picked veggies and fruits and it's going to be your job to put them all away. There are three sets of fruits and veggies all together. After all of the pots are full, there will be a special pot that will sing you the number song. Then Gofur will come in on a wheelbarrow and reveal your prize. If you go in an eastish direction, you will find Piglet's Cupcake Kitchen. Here, you get to help Piglet decorate his delicious cupcakes for his friends. But be careful. Tigger may come along and eat some of your delicious cupcakes!!!! After you have completed all the batches of cupcakes, Gofur will come down from the top of the screen and give you your prize. Finally, if you go "due north, by northwoodly", you will come to Tigger And Roo's Buggily Wuggily Game. Tigger and Roo are collecting bugs. You have to sort the bugs into each other's trays. On level one there are five sets, and on levels two and three there are five sets but not all of the bugs everyone wants are under the right magnifying glass. Take my word for it, this is the best game in the CD-ROM. After all of the bugs are sorted and all of the sets are complete, Gofur will give you a bug as your prize. Speaking of prizes, you're probably wondering where they are going. Well, back to your garden of course. Prizes will appear all over your garden.

So far it sounds like a great game, but wait it gets better. Also included are six, that's right, six demo games. There's Winnie The Pooh Toddler, Preschool, and Kindergarten. The same with Mickey Mouse. In Pooh Toddler and Mickey Toddler, help Pooh and friends get down to the ground after hanging on balloons, and help Minnie look for shapes all around her house. Toddlers don't even have to click to play most of it!!! Then, in Pooh Preschool and Mickey Preschool, help Pooh think of words to say to the magic tree to hear it in a different language, and help Goofy make 100 percent goof cars. Finally in Pooh Kindergarten and Mickey Kindergarten, make Tigger act out actions using wacky sentences, and learn the alphabet while keeping Goofy falling off the edge of a not-yet-completed building. Other titles in the Winnie The Pooh Learning Series include Pooh ABC's, Spelling, Ready To Read, Ready For Math, Preschool, Toddler, and Kindergarten. You think I'm done? Yes, I am. Well that's it. I hope this review has helped you and encourages you to get this CD-ROM. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Disney Learning Toddler featuring Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh is an early-learning tool that enables children to learn age-appropriate skills with their favorite Disney characters. Whether your child is visiting friends in Mickey's neighborhood or exploring the Hundred Acre Wood, they'll learn important skills that enhance memory, observation, and listening. Other exercises will teach them letters, numbers, colors, shapes, and music--all in an atmosphere of gentle encouragement and fun. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Good fun
my cousin loved this book. She is 2 and learnt her alphabet, numbers and can begin to write through books like these. I enjoyed showing her the bright pictures, and the large fun text. thank you disney and amazon. ( I also enjoyed it too, even though i would never tell anyone that i love toddlers' winnie the pooh books! i advise parents to have a read too! :)

Great for young toddlers!!!!!
This game is great for young toddlers!! My 20 month old LOVES it. When ever she hears the music starting it up, she comes running. a few of the games have children drag the mouse over "hidden" letters. This is great for children who do not know how to click. It would be great if you had a mini mouse. they are meant to be used with notebook compters, but are smaller, so little kids can use them easier! This is a great program for teaching children how to use the comptuer.

Wish I hadn't bought it
I bought this for my two year old son after he fell in love with, and practically wore out, Winnie the Pooh's ABCs. This game, however, turned out to be very dissapointing.

First - it has issues running under Windows 95. For starters, it requires you to run in 256 colors instead of 16 bit color, so it is necessary to change video modes every time we switch in or out of this game. Also - the sound track is not very high quality - it has scratchy moments, and some sounds don't play at all.

Second - the game just isn't as good as other childrens games out there. It isn't as educational as Winnie the Pooh's ABC's or 123's. Its more like a bunch of little animated movies that occasionally have clickable things to do.

I wouldn't advise purchasing this game - I'd suggest getting instead Winnie the Pooh's ABC's and/or Winnie the Pooh's 123's. Blue's ABC Time Activies is also a much more interactive and educational game.

Fun but software issues
The game seems fun for your toddler however, it's fairly easy to master even for a two year old. I also found that I had problems with certain sounds and images with my Microsoft ME. Certain sounds could not be heard and certain images never appeared. The technical support that we called was not helpful to the task.

Great first computer game
My son is two and loves this game. It was amazing how quick he gained control of the mouse to pop the balloons and move from game to game. This is a great starter! ... Read more