Features

• Eerie new fun-filled adventures with the Mystery, Inc. gang
• Help Scooby, Shaggy, Fred, Daphne, and Velma solve the crime
• Gather clues, set traps, use disguises, and avoid scary monsters
• Based on the live action movie Scooby Doo 2 Monsters Unleashed
• Game levels based on actual movie stills and artwork

Reviews (3)

Great game
My 7 year old loves this game. He was able to complete the whole game the first day he played. It kept his interest and wasn't frustrating. There is a bonus game at the end that requires a code to be entered, which Scooby Doo was supposed to have disclosed at the end of the Scooby Doo 2 movie. My son never heard the code, maybe he left the theater before the code was given, but THQ E-mailed us the code. The only thing that would make this better is if the player could change difficulty levels. When you play again, the game is the same. But it is interesting, and graphics are good.

Well done.
Excellent. So much to do. Not too hard for the younger crowd. But, not too simplistic for a 30 something ,like myself, who has grown up with Scooby Doo. Incredible graphics for a value game. Very fast load times. All of the original voices are here from the movie (not the series, of course). A cute plotline with many very well done cut-scenes. My five year old and myself have been playing this for a few days. We are hooked. This installed without a glitch and even had an installation feature that helped me with some Direct X problems i had been having. A truly good game that doesn't sell the player short. Fan or not, you'll love this.

Cool Game
There are 18 total mini games in this Scooby-Doo game. Some of the games are pretty simple (like "To the Nines") and some of the games are more challeging (like "Reverse the Current") A good mix of fun for kids ages 6-10. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Speedblade down roadways, do a 720 in a half pipe, or dodge obstacles as quickly as you can, all while learning and practicing your typing skills. Filled with five 3-D, animated inline skating events and 20 levels of letters, numbers, and punctuation symbols, students master their typing skills en route to qualifying forRoller Typing's Star Row or Z-Hall of Fame. Throughout, Roller Typing teaches proper fingering techniques, improves accuracy, and develops speed in both untimed and timed trials. Perfect for kids and adults. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Can teach a 6 year old to type!!!
I bought this as a gift for my six year old who wanted to learn to type on the computer, tried other products at the library and the librarian recommended this one. I installed this easily on an old pentium 166 running Windows 98. It runs better than most kids software. It does have some issues with typing too fast or too slow but frankly I think it helps you place your fingers cleanly and accurately.

The GREAT thing about this program is that my six year old loves it and it is teaching him good typing skills. The graphics are very interactive, if you mistype the characters (called bladers) perform comparable to your performance. The different events, cones, cow jumping (a real hoot), half pipe, sidewalk and speed skating concentrate on different typing skills. You jump more cows and do more flips over them if you are more accurate in that event. The sidewalk event requires both speed and accuracy and is definitely a challenge. The skater skates along as words are displayed for your to type. One mistake and he runs into an obstacle and flys to fall flat on his face. The graphics are redundent but it motivates the heck out of my six year old.

If you are older and too computer savvy you may not like this. Particularly if you can already type. (Though I could see how using it would improve my skills). For kids just learning to type it makes a very boring (remember high school typing class, before computers, for those readers over 30)really a lot of fun.

Teenaged kids who watch too much TV and play ultra action type video games will also find this pretty mundane. But they really should learn good typing skills anyway and this would help them.

Non-functional, out-of-date software
Marketing gives the impression that this is a 3D interactive, when in fact it is not. After the interactions occur, and sometimes during, you are shown a canned quicktime movie. Same movie may be shown over and over and over...

Any program that requires Windows users to back off of Quicktime 6 and install 2.5 from the CD-ROM is useless.

Tried it on our Mac also and found that if you type too fast, it misses your keystrokes, and counts the stroke as an error! If you type too soon, even after the visual prompt is displayed, it misses the keystroke.

Distracting visuals and too great a visual reliance on the keyboard chart at the expense of the source text hinders learning. IF you make a single mistake, you lose and have to start over.

This program may have functioned well in its day (though I don't see how that could be), but it is out-of-date, in addition to being very poorly designed.

STAY AWAY!!! ... Read more

Features

• Interactive treasure hunt and cookie-making extravaganza including cookie recipes
• 4 deliciously-fun activities hold more surprises each time they're played
• 3 levels accommodate a wide range of dexterity and mental aptitude
• Kids can play independently--the software provides help when a child needs it
• Builds strategic thinking, listening, and spatial reasoning skills

Reviews (5)

The Licensing Company
Very little educational value in this title. My daughter was bored after about 15 minutes. The whole underlying game is poorly planned and very disjointed. It was slapped together quickly to cash in on the name. The background music was the best part.
For this price, perhaps it will kill a rainy afternoon and get your kid smiling. But don't expect much after that.
I would highly recommend the I Spy series (only two now). They are much more engaging and kids get a sense of accomplishment AND learn in the process.
Oh and if you have a mac, forget it. We couuldn't get past the start menu. We have PCs in the house - it was fine on them. But don't waste your energy if you are mac only.

Glad to own it!
We've gave this to our 4 year old daughter for Valentine's day and she loves it! She figured out how to play the games right away. The graphics are great and it was berry easy to install on our PC:) We also have Bob the Builder-Bob Builds a Park, Rolie Polie Olie-The Search for Spot and Dora the Explorer-Backpack Adventure on CD-ROM. This was a great educational and fun CD-ROM to add to our collection of computer games. Oh, what fun to be a little girl:)

Cute, fun, and educational
We bought this for our 5 year old daughter for her birthday. So far, my daughter, son(6), and niece(6) have all been glued to it! It's cute with big colorful graphics. The kids all figured out how to play right away! We have a box full of software, but I think this one is going to be a favorite.

Great game!!
This is a great game. It took a little while to figure out the object of the game but once I did it's great. It would have been easier if I would have read the instructions first instead of trial and error. My five year old daughter loves the graphics. She plays it all by herself and is already good at it. (we just got it today.) It's a really cute game.

I read in another review that it's not such a great game. The woman mentioned she had a 2 year old. Well, the box says for 4 to 6 years old. It's definitely not for a 2 year old.

I had no problem installing the game and I just dragged the shortcut onto the desktop. I'm glad I bought it.

Shortcake fell short...
I had some trouble installing the software could not get shortcut to work kept wanting to reinstall. The games are not intuitively obvious so it took some time for an adult to figure out the object of the game to explain it to my 2 year old. Some I still don't get. The graphics are great beautiful colors all the characters are there so my little one loved watching the pictures. Small Children will need an adult to play with them. ... Read more

Features

• Join Mermaid Barbie on an amazing underwater journey
• 3 exotic undersea worlds; 7 fun-filled games and activities
• Play musical instruments; help compose the Song of the Sea
• Decorate and invite undersea friends to a sea celebration
• Design a crown and necklace for Barbie to wear

Reviews (1)

Only suitable for the youngest Barbie fans
This game is very cute and has a variety of mazes, searching-type activities, and the crucial jewelry-decorating section that is necessary in any Barbie game that somehow overlooks fashion and makeup, but my 7-year-old completed the entire game inside 20 minutes, including installation time. It was far too easy, and I can't see her ever playing it again. Unless your child is under the age of 5, I wouldn't recommend this game, at least not until it ends up in the Bargain Closeout Bin at your local retailer. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Nearly any fan of Dora the Explorer's TV show will enjoy this structured "adventure" in which players help the program's intrepid heroine achieve the noble goal of returning her library books on time. While not exactly suspenseful, the program is ideal for children ages 3 to 5 who are just learning how to use a computer. Over a soundtrack of catchy Latin music, the player helps Dora and her perky friends overcome a series of seven obstacles, and collects sticker prizes along the way. The program is unlikely to hold the attention of more computer-savvy kids as it is very predictable, structured, and slow paced. But its emphasis on teamwork, and opportunities to practice color, shape, and number recognition--not to mention learn a little Spanish--make it worthwhile.

Only a minute or so into the program most adults will find Dora's incessant cheerfulness a bit old as she shouts out a steady stream of encouragement. But for kids, this aspect may not be so hard to take. Dora's pack of friends from the TV show all appear in the program, along with the Fiesta Trio, a dancing frog-snail-and-bug band.

The seven games that make up the plot of the program emphasize basic skills and concepts. They include locating Dora's books by color, sorting through her backpack for objects, and solving simple pattern-recognition problems. There are three levels of difficulty--each varies according to how much Spanish is used and how advanced the number and pattern problems are. One drawback is that if a child gets stuck there is no way to ask for specific help or hints. A useful feature, however, is the ability to stop and start the program where the player left off, and save individual programs for up to three different players.

While kids used to more fast-paced programs may quickly get bored, young children--especially those who are already fans of the TV show--will have fun developing their mouse skills and putting their problem-solving abilities to the test. --Molly Masland ... Read more

Reviews (60)

My 2 year old LOVES it. Great fun!
My oldest daughter loves Dora and took to this game immediately. She loves to sit on my lap and play and our father-daughter time is often spent on the computer. She can't get enough.

The 3 levels offer a nice change for children that are getting bored with the game. Some puzzles she plays at level 1 where some puzzles she plays at level 3.

The game is VERY educational and fun and it follows the same format as the cartoon does. She'll turn 3 soon and she still loves it.

I'd also recommend Dora's Backpack Adventure (they make a trip to the library), Little People Discovery Airport, Winnie the Pooh (where Pooh gathers all the friends for Eyores birthday party) and Mickey Mouse (where Mickey and Minnie stop off at Goofy's gas station / Daisey's diner).

Average at best game; Dora only redeeming feature.
Do not buy this game if you are used to the better quality games Humongous software has produced for NickJR characters in the past: Humongous was sold to Infogames, and well, if this title is indicative, much was lost.

This game is saved only by the appearance of Dora. I really feel the two star rating is generous. My daughter is Dora crazy, and even she shows little to no interest in this game (and she loves edutainment computer games).

The program is not well executed, and there is little asttention to detail. One my daughter noticed was that at the begining of the game Dora collects 5 books to return to the liebrary. When she returns the books at the end of the journey, the colors of the books which come out of the backpack don't match the ones put in, prompting my daughter to ask "what happened to the books we put in Dora's backpack...

Dora the Explorer takes you a short and boring journey
My 4 year-old daughter completed this game in less than a half-hour. The short-length of the game actually caused her too cry! I was shocked at the lack of depth in the game given that it weighed in at over 250MB for the install.

She's crying as I type this. "I don't like this game!"

Atari must really hate paying customers!!
Well I would give this more stars if Atari support weren't so terrible!! The only reason I give it 2 stars is because my daughter loves Dora and likes playing this game because there are plenty of activities to try and places to go. HOWEVER, Atari seems to want to force you (due to their prehistoric copy-protection scheme) to keep the CD-ROM in the drive at all times in order to play the game! How ridiculous! Even though I paid good money for this game and it installed on my hard drive, it does not let you run it from your hard drive. Atari told me that you need to have the CD-ROM in to play it and they "cannot help me get around the copy protection". Well I don't know about anyone else's toddlers, but my 2 year old just loves to open the CD-ROM and take discs out to play with. So this leaves me out of luck if the disc becomes scratched after she's done with it! I think Atari should trust their paying customers a little more and allow them to install the game FULLY to their hard drive... if for nothing else to protect their investment! I will never buy another game by Atari because of this. They have no regards for their paying customers.

Boring!
I have a 3 year old, and after a week, she is already bored with this game. For $20, there should be more to do. It constantly repeats itself, and has no real direction. Very limited number of activities available, and really no variety. I would not recommend this game at all. I am currently reading reviews to find something much more interesting. ... Read more

Reviews (65)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sincerely,
Ian Badeer
A True Backyard Series Fan

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

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

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

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

Features

• Test your math skills as you fake out your opponents on the soccer field
• Test your knowledge in place values, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division
• Practice math problems at your own pace
• Includes U.S. and metric measurement
• For ages 7 to 14

Amazon.com Review

With this playset, kids can actually drive Thomas the Tank Engine, toothis horn, switch tracks, link him to other trains, and engage in all manner ofUsefulness, the chief currency of the Island of Sodor. The Thomas-shaped plasticplayset straps easily over standard keyboards (not ergonomic ones or laptops). Ared throttle moves Thomas forward or backward along the track. A green leverswitches tracks to change direction. A yellow whistle noisily announces Thomas'sarrival and also helps him link and uncouple with other trains. Finally,Thomas's smiling face is a button that can be pushed to get hints and friendlypatter. These four simple controls make this an inspired CD-ROM that will suit awide range of ages. Toddlers will love simply throttling Thomas around thetracks, while older kids will enjoy games that encourage spatial skills,decision making, and problem solving.

The four main games are wonderful,involved exercises. They all involve Thomas being helpful: finding "ImportantSupplies"; locating the "Missing Mail Truck," then helping to sort its mail;rescuing stranded passengers in "All Aboard," then making sure they are properlyticketed and delivering them safely to their destinations; and rebuilding anavalanche-damaged track in "It's a Landslide!"

These games are somewhatcomplex: in the landslide game, kids must switch tracks, couple Thomas with theTroublesome Trucks, haul rocks up mountains, signal Harold the Helicopter tounload the rocks, then deliver the empty trucks to James for hauling away.Thomas's water supply must be watched and replenished during this strenuouswork. And after the rocks are in place, there's still work to do! Only afterkids go to another screen to collect flatbeds and track pieces from Cranky theCrane, then deliver those parts to the mountaintop, is the job done.Phew!

Also, if players abandon a game without completing it, they can't accessany of the four mini games (which are mazes and races), and Sir Topham Hatt willchide in his chipper manner: "There's still a lot of work to be done!" This isnot a CD-ROM for the lazy, and fortunately, the folks who made it didn't use anyshortcuts either. Older systems without a lot of storage space may have troubledigesting this graphics-heavy program, but for us the program chugged along likeThomas himself, and the action on the screen corresponded smoothly with whatevercontrol was being used on the playset. "Builds a work ethic" isn't one of thefeatures mentioned on the box, but this diligent program and playset could putyoungsters on the right track. (Ages 3 and older) --Anne Erickson ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Good game
I read all the reviews on this Thomas Computer game and dispite the bad ones I still purchased it for my four year old son who is crazy over anything "Thomas the Train". It has never locked up on me and I had no troubles at all installing it on top on my keyboard. (although you do have to get it perfectly in the right spot which can be a little tricky) Once installed it doesn't shift or fall off the keyboard and the program works just fine. My son loves this game. It is by far a favorite of his and he has quite a few computer games in his growing collection. He reaches for it time after time. My 6 year old daughter plays with it and she seems to like it as well so it's not just for the little boys out there! The graphics are real cute and they love driving the trains, dropping the passengers off at the station and doing the different jobs involving the railroad. I would say this is a good game for any child between the ages of 3 and 7. In my opinion, any child under 3 years of age are to young for computer games anyway and any child older then seven will find this game to be to babyish for them. One downfall to this game that I had read in another review which is true....it is hard to exit the game. You have to complete the job in order to do so which is a bit of a pain and a little time consuming. Other then that I rate this game 5 stars because ANY toy that can keep my kids entertained for more then 30 minutes and that is played with again and again and again.... I feel was a good purchase and money well spent.

Great fun for our 4 y.o. boy (and his dad)!
Our son loves this game so much (he received it for his birthday two days ago), we can hardly get him to do anything else! Even adults will enjoy assisting the child "drive" Thomas and complete the chores given to Thomas by Sir Topham Hat. Your child will see the stations, the other engines, listen to Thomas speak to him (or her), and even see Thomas from above at certain points (e.g., entering a station). Most views are from "inside" Thomas, and I think it's a particularly nice touch to see Thomas' firebox burning. Warning: The gamepiece only fits on regular keyboards, not ergonomic ones (i.e., those split-looking keyboards). I recommend this product highly if your child is a Thomas fan. PS - it will install on Windows XP, which I understand has been a problem for some other Thomas games.

Extremely disappointing
We bought this for my five year old last year, and it was just a miserable experience from the beginning. The playset that straps onto the keyboard is not always cooperative, and once that issue is addressed, the software itself is difficult to follow for my son or for me! He became extremely frustrated after a few tries and it wound up being a very costly mistake. Avoid this one!

Every Thomas the Tank Engine Fan's Dream!
My sons are in love with Thomas. We have the wooden trains, the table, everything! But when we found this Railway Adventures Playset in bookstore for just ..., you can imagine how we felt when we got home and installed it on the pc!

I felt as though we'd hit the lottery or gotten over on the bookstore. This toy/pc game is so awesome. Your child will actually get to engineer Thomas all around the island of Sodor.

Even my husband and I have found each other dring Thomas. The picture/vdo quality is absolutely stunning, and having a real console to drive makes this game absolutely incredible. You also get to interact with many of the other Thomas characters.

This is a must by for Thomas fans or simply train lovers.

Latorial Faison, Poet & Author
...

Must have for thomas "FANATIC" kid
My 4 and half year old lives for Thomas and has for two years now. Nothing interest him more then Thomas and evey conversation leads back to Thomas or trains eventually. If you have a kid anything like mine then this is a must have!

There is nothing I can say negative about this toy. It introduces computer skills while allowing him to play with his favorate pal. I have been able to seg-way into other computer pre-school games with a more learning emphasis, by use of this fun toy. I like to play it myself.

The graphics are great. The instructions simple but the tasks are not. Your child will need help if he has no computer skills or isn't a good listner. But once he has done the task once, he be able to do it by himself again soon and with the log on screen, his adventure will be just a bit different each time.

Every time a child masters a tasks he is able to print out a certificate with his name on it.

Just great. Love it. The only problem I've had with my son is getting him off the game at bed time. There are tears and he says, "I miss Thomas." ... Read more

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

Amazon.com Review

If you haven't yet been charmed by the adventures of Max, then Maxand the Magician will surely charm you silly. It's a game with asurprisingly simple premise, and you can tell the creators put more thought intodelighting kids than they did into coming up with a complicated story line. Andthat's fine by us.

The plot is simple. Max, the dog with the precocious little boy's Englishaccent, is sent to deliver a package to Mervin the Magician by his Uncle Pong. However, when Max arrives at the castle, he discovers that Mervin has beentransformed into a toilet brush by the vindictive witch Hagabelle. It's your jobto find the pieces of the spell that are hidden around the castle--once puttogether, Mervin can turn back into his normal self.

Like most Max adventures, the immediate task is only a small part of the fununearthed in the program. As you move from room to room in the castle, clickingon various objects to find the spell pieces, you'll uncover some amazing things:cackling witches, a chest full of magic brooms, transforming walls, and aspell-casting machine. And pointing and clicking is made especially easy for kids. Forexample, when you move your cursor over a clickable object, the small Max iconturns into a hand; when the cursor is over an object on which you can cast aspell, a magic wand appears. The game also lends itself to repeat play--eachtime you play, the pieces to the spell are hidden in different places.

Once again, Tivola has created a great Max game for young kids. Though it movesslowly at times, it has an appropriate pace for kids of this age group, whoappreciate a simple task coupled with whimsy and a sense of discovery andaccomplishment. (Ages 3 to 7) --Ara Jane Olufson ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Great, educational fun...
While working as a teacher's assistant, I came across newer versions of this game, but they don't compare to classic Oregon Trail II. When I was little, I played this game at school and talked about it so much that I finally got the home version for Christmas one year; ten years later, I am not [too] ashamed to admit that I still enjoy playing it. Not only can children (and adults) learn about everyday life during this famous period of American history, but they also learn stragey. This game allows you a lot of freedom to do what you want with your wagon and its passengers - and if that means pitching over while fording a river, then so be it! Great game, great fun, great history.

Oregon Trail 2
This is a fun game I played at school more than once. Once I caught so much game, my wagon couldn't carry it all! I enjoyed playing it and am now asking for it from Santa.

Great game for ages 6 or up, SO-so price
Well, before I start I must say I bought this game 3 years ago []for $10. The newer versions are the same price. But if your a classic game lover than this is your chance. It's easy but strangely fun many times over and over again. I'd say it's a top 5 software game to have. Works on most computers, But if you have a new one-get a newer game. I almost prefer this more than the 4th-so much more simplier and actually more fun. you choice

Just about everyone will like it
I'm a 16 yr. old girl and I've had this version of Oregon Trail since I was about 9 or 10. I've never gotten sick of it. I still play it sometimes and it's a great way to kill some time. It's still fun for me and that's when you know a game is great.

A Very Good Choice
Even though this game was originally written for elementary school kids, my boyfriend and I play this game ever night. He is in college, while I am a senior in high school. Everone of every age will find something to like in this game. It is very highly thought of in my household! ... Read more

Product Description

Six All-Time Favorites In One Box!

Expand your game collectionfast!with six of the greatest board games ever, all ready to play on your PC. The buying-and-selling of a MONOPOLY® showdown A drive down The Game of Life® road Mysterious happenings in Clue™: Murder at Boddy Mansion... There’s excitement for everyone!

MONOPOLY: The World's Most Popular Board Game Brought to Life!

• Move from GO to Boardwalk with witty animated game pieces
• Choose from ten cities, or customize the board with your own images

• Get a "car-cam" view as you head down the road of life
• Drive from the 1950s to the 1990s with up to six players

• Take over the world and witness interactive battle sequences
• Play the classic game or a fast simultaneous-turn match

• Bump and slide opponents with supercharged animations
• Move pawns through four game modes including Way Sorry!

• Sink enemy convoys in Arcade Adventure or play Classic Mode
• Score winning power-ups to strengthen your attack

• Leap into the board game and crack the case of poor (dead) Mr. Boddy
• Adjust the challenge so everyone can play

Features

• Includes: PACK MB Monopoly Game of Life Clue II: Murder at Boddy Mansion Risk II Battleship Surface Thunder Sorry!

Amazon.com Review

Pop The Final Scene into your CD-ROM drive, fire it up, and you're greeted with the most gripping opening sequence yet in a Nancy Drew game. As the ageless, mystery-cracking heroine yourself, you accompany your friend Maya to an historical--yet dilapidated--theater to interview teen heartthrob Brady Armstrong for the opening of his new movie. As Maya disappears into the dressing room for the interview, you hear a scream, but when you charge in to investigate Maya is nowhere to be found. The question is, do you have what it takes to track down Maya's kidnapper before the theater is demolished?

The most notable improvement in the game comes in the form of the distinctive characters. With each game, the script and character work get better and better. The dialog has a nice youthfulness and sense of humor missing from the previous games. We also loved the choice of the old theater for a setting and the magic theme running throughout, but wished there were more nooks and crannies to explore. Additionally, we had some installations troubles, but Her Interactive assures us that those problems have been resolved, so all current versions should be fine.

A minor nitpick is that the timeframe seemed somewhat limiting. Previous Nancy Drew games had an open feel, there was no sense of urgency, and you solved the mystery in your own time. In The Final Scene, the gameplay is divided into three days, and you must accomplish specific tasks before you can move on to the next day. Though this structure lent itself well to the game's plot, it was also easy to get stuck on one clue. However, you can always consult the message boards at Her Interactive's Web site for help, clues, hints, and general support from an enthusiastic community of Nancy Drew lovers.

Little grumblings aside, The Final Scene really is a fabulous game that goes above and beyond most games out there right now, and is highly recommended for kids and adults alike. (Ages 10 and older) --Ara Jane Olufson ... Read more

Features

• Use your best detective skills to help Nancy save her kidnapped friend
• Discover hidden passageways and secret rooms
• Untangle a web of secret deals and betrayals
• Gameplay divided into three days for enhanced plot linearity
• Ages 10 and older

Reviews (436)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reviews (8)

Candyland comes alive!
My girls (...) always want to play the board game Candyland - there are just not enough hours in the day for mom to play all the time with them...so, this is the perfect alternative! In fact, they prefer the computer game to the board game now.

The Candyland game comes to life! The different places have different areas to click & play for as long as you choose, then back to the game! Lord Licorice is ticklish & afraid of the dark-try visiting him! The kids learn to recognize their colors and learn some matching skills as well. And it's just plain fun!

I recommend this for ages 3 & up.

Preschool helper (2 different games)
For those who got comfused on the similar titles like me, let me help. This is an edit of my earlier review.

Candy Land Game (this one)3 stars

It looks like the board game at first glance. You can have 1-4 players and each player takes turns clicking on the candy machine to get a card and then moves. The 1st to reach the end wins.
You can click on each specialty picture to have a mini adventure: sorting with plumpy, throwing gumdrops at gumdrop mountain, planting candy flowers with Grandma Nut, Making patters and colors with lollopo, builing a sundae with queen frosteen, scaring lord licorice, etc. It is mostly designed just to play around with as there are no goals at the mini stations. My 3 yr old quickly dismissed the main game as too hard. You have to click where your character is going to move to by yourself, and it is confusing to young kids. But she could play around in the other areas herself. It is good if you play with your toddler. Ages 2-5 recommended.

Candy Land Adventure (4 stars)

King Candy was kidnapped by Lord licorice and all the candy from the candy store was taken as well. Two kids (1-2 players) have to save king candy by going around in a roller coaster cart and helping the candy land characters. The adventures are coloring, numbers, ABC order, matching, etc. Each area gives you a prize and after you get them all you can rescue king candy. There are no dice or things to roll, you just pick where you want to go next.
We got this game for our special needs pre-school. The children love playing it, and it teaches them different things as well. They can finish the adventure in about an hour, so they can possibly do it all in one sitting. Or, they have a saving option that shows a picture of where they stopped in the game for easy retreival of up to 9 games. You can play each area more than once for hours of fun. Great toddler teaching game. Ages 3-8 would probably enjoy this.

Candy Land
this game is great for kids, I was sitting one day and looking through my closet, and noticed i had candy land, and no one who was willing to play (don't ask), anyway, I bought it and put it into my computer. it has great effects, and interactive activities, as well as the classic board game, candy land...i would recommend it for parents who have children, who love candy land, and just can't get the time to play it with them, fun game!

Nice Game but very slow!!
I am not sure why, but with my HP Pavilion Pentium III, this game runs so slow. It is really aggravating. My 4-year-old still likes the game, but he gets antsy waiting for the game to catch up to his keystrokes. This is the only game we have that acts this way. Maybe it is the real time media on the cd that it has to keep accessing. If anyone has any suggestions as to why this is so slow, please write them in the reviews. Thanks.

wonderful color learning game
I bought this for my 4 year old. He knows his colors, but was new to the computer. He would play this game 24/7 if I allowed it (which I don't). We also have the board game which he also loves. Great game for a great price. ... Read more

Features

• Search for power, experience, and riches needed to build a castle and become king
• Navigate your knight in various transports over vast plains, forests, mountains, and chasms
• Free captured people from goblins, liberate & defend castles, and compete against knights
• To get crowned king, penetrate Dragomont's lair and imprison his dragon

Reviews (26)

mediocre software for avid Rescue Heroes fans only
Meteors have hit the planet, resulting in a series of widely scattered emergencies that require the Rescue Heroes to intervene -- and they need your help!!

The graphics are good, the intro is exciting .... but after that the game is totally mediocre. Four activities have three levels of difficulty, but they are quite tedious no matter what level you play. (1) Move around a water maze to rescue people in a flooded movie studio, and shoot a life preserver over a moving line of floating objects. (2) Navigate a maze on a rock face as you rescue stranded climbers while avoiding vicious eagles and snakes. (3) Aim a hose at brush fires so you can find and rescue animals on an African preserve. (4) Snowboard down a ski slope without hitting the shrubbery so you can dig people out from under an avalanche.

The hype is here, but the games are very boring. Your child has little flexibility or independence when performing tasks, and those tasks probably use only 2% of your child's brain power. For example, in order to dig people out of the avalanche, you click on the snow cave over and over, it doesn't matter where, until the person trapped within tells you how great you are -- and every time it's the same person in the snow cave. Each game is rather mindless in this way. There is little reasoning required and no skills acquired.

This is lame software that has neither educational value nor excitement. When there are so many worthwhile children's software titles out there, don't waste your money or your child's time on this lazy stuff. It may be worthwhile for the truly avid Rescue Heroes fan, but even that is doubtful. This was our first Rescue Heroes title. It is also our last.

Lava Landslide
I gave this game to my son as an early birthday present. He's almost four and loves the Rescue Heroes. The reviews I read were mixed so I decided to buy it anyway. I'm really glad I did. Sure it's challenging, but it's a good excuse for the parents to get involved. First I did the hard parts for him, to show him what needed to be done. Then I guided him through them and finally he ended up doing it all by himself. He was so proud when he accomplished the hard tasks that he couldn't do at first!

Unlike most computer games this one requires the use of the arrow keys instead of the mouse. Well, it's always nice to learn new skills.
I can't wait to give my son the two other RH games I baught for his birthday. I have no doubt he'll love them too.

Inaginext Pirate Raider
I gave it a 1 because they did not have a 0, to give. I bought this game for my son and I try to install it and it tells me that it has encountered an error. I go to the web site and it tells me what to do with that error, but after I do what it told me it does the same error thing again. My son and I both got so frustrated and finally gave up. I am returning it to the place where I purchased it for a full refund. Good luck for those of you that also bought this Horrible Game.

Frustrating game for my almost 5 yr. old
I agree with other reviews that the mouse clicking is very difficult. It's difficult to maneuver the men around. My son tried for a few minutes, became so frustrated, I finished the one mission, but couldn't get him to do any more. Would recommend the I Spy software - ages 6-10, but he loves it! Don't have to know how to read.

Yeah Pirate Raider!
My 7-year-old LOVES this game. He'd play from sun up to sun down if I let him. I hear him cheering and clapping in the other room and he's having so much fun!
I'm VERY anti-violence, so when he got this game I was concerned. I was pleased to discover that although the ships sometimes fire on each other, no people are ever involved. This makes it so much more abstract and less about killing. When you capture forts, you fire on canons only and never see people. When you capture other ships, your knife is used only to chop up fruit that's thrown at you by skeletons. Once you capture their gold, you're on your way to fulfill another mission.
Frankly, this game is so much fun I have to admit to playing it myself! ... Read more

Reviews (26)

mediocre software for avid Rescue Heroes fans only
Meteors have hit the planet, resulting in a series of widely scattered emergencies that require the Rescue Heroes to intervene -- and they need your help!!

The graphics are good, the intro is exciting .... but after that the game is totally mediocre. Four activities have three levels of difficulty, but they are quite tedious no matter what level you play. (1) Move around a water maze to rescue people in a flooded movie studio, and shoot a life preserver over a moving line of floating objects. (2) Navigate a maze on a rock face as you rescue stranded climbers while avoiding vicious eagles and snakes. (3) Aim a hose at brush fires so you can find and rescue animals on an African preserve. (4) Snowboard down a ski slope without hitting the shrubbery so you can dig people out from under an avalanche.

The hype is here, but the games are very boring. Your child has little flexibility or independence when performing tasks, and those tasks probably use only 2% of your child's brain power. For example, in order to dig people out of the avalanche, you click on the snow cave over and over, it doesn't matter where, until the person trapped within tells you how great you are -- and every time it's the same person in the snow cave. Each game is rather mindless in this way. There is little reasoning required and no skills acquired.

This is lame software that has neither educational value nor excitement. When there are so many worthwhile children's software titles out there, don't waste your money or your child's time on this lazy stuff. It may be worthwhile for the truly avid Rescue Heroes fan, but even that is doubtful. This was our first Rescue Heroes title. It is also our last.

Lava Landslide
I gave this game to my son as an early birthday present. He's almost four and loves the Rescue Heroes. The reviews I read were mixed so I decided to buy it anyway. I'm really glad I did. Sure it's challenging, but it's a good excuse for the parents to get involved. First I did the hard parts for him, to show him what needed to be done. Then I guided him through them and finally he ended up doing it all by himself. He was so proud when he accomplished the hard tasks that he couldn't do at first!

Unlike most computer games this one requires the use of the arrow keys instead of the mouse. Well, it's always nice to learn new skills.
I can't wait to give my son the two other RH games I baught for his birthday. I have no doubt he'll love them too.

Inaginext Pirate Raider
I gave it a 1 because they did not have a 0, to give. I bought this game for my son and I try to install it and it tells me that it has encountered an error. I go to the web site and it tells me what to do with that error, but after I do what it told me it does the same error thing again. My son and I both got so frustrated and finally gave up. I am returning it to the place where I purchased it for a full refund. Good luck for those of you that also bought this Horrible Game.

Frustrating game for my almost 5 yr. old
I agree with other reviews that the mouse clicking is very difficult. It's difficult to maneuver the men around. My son tried for a few minutes, became so frustrated, I finished the one mission, but couldn't get him to do any more. Would recommend the I Spy software - ages 6-10, but he loves it! Don't have to know how to read.

Yeah Pirate Raider!
My 7-year-old LOVES this game. He'd play from sun up to sun down if I let him. I hear him cheering and clapping in the other room and he's having so much fun!
I'm VERY anti-violence, so when he got this game I was concerned. I was pleased to discover that although the ships sometimes fire on each other, no people are ever involved. This makes it so much more abstract and less about killing. When you capture forts, you fire on canons only and never see people. When you capture other ships, your knife is used only to chop up fruit that's thrown at you by skeletons. Once you capture their gold, you're on your way to fulfill another mission.
Frankly, this game is so much fun I have to admit to playing it myself! ... Read more

Reviews (436)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amazon.com Product Description

Plunge into a world unlike any dreamt possible before. From the makers of the original Myst and Riven, this groundbreaking adventure beckons players to uncover the elusive secrets of the ancient D'ni civilization. Follow Yeesha, eccentric daughter of Atrus, to discover Linking Books, encounter descendants, and solve puzzles as you venture through visually stunning environments.

See more pictures

Uru: Ages Beyond Myst is the next chapter of the Myst franchise and the most immersive and ambitious Myst experience ever created. The game is bigger, better, and more innovative than any of the previous Myst adventures. Players can move at their own pace, spending hours discovering visually stunning, real-time 3D worlds, solving a large variety of mind-challenging puzzles, and following an epic storyline. Players can continue to discover new areas of D'ni by downloading new maps, worlds, and puzzles.

The Story of Uru

The story of the D'ni civilization began when they established their underground empire on Earth some 10,000 years ago. While living beneath the Earth's surface, the D'ni practiced what they called the "Art of Writing," which enabled them to create links to incredible, alternate worlds of fantastic variety called "Ages," to which they could travel through "Linking Books."

The D'ni people thrived for thousands of years, but later met with a great catastrophe that all but ended their civilization. Their vast cavern was left uninhabited, and their Linking Books and Ages seemed lost forever.

See more pictures

Then, in the late 1980s, a few humans from the surface discovered that cavern. One of these humans was Elias Zandi. He devoted the rest of his life to exploring and, eventually, restoring that ancient city in the D'ni cavern, preparing to one day reveal their discovery to those who were suddenly feeling irresistibly drawn to the cavern.

When he passed away in 1996, his legacy was divided between a foundation that he set up and his only son, Jeff Zandi. The foundation came to be known as the DRC (D'ni Restoration Council). As their name implies, they took on the task of physically restoring the ruins of the D'ni cavern. If you choose to visit the cavern at some point, you're sure to run into them.

See more pictures

Jeff Zandi, on the other hand, was interested in learning why the D'ni civilization fell in the first place. He continued studying the teachings of Yeesha, by far the most talented of all the D'ni writers, and daughter of Atrus and Catherine. After years of learning, the younger Zandi is finally comfortable bringing others to an uru (a D'ni word meaning "large gathering" or "grand community").

On your way to the cavern, if you decide to join us, it might be a good idea for you to learn some of the great teachings of Yeesha. Experience the adventure of a lifetime, Uru: Ages Beyond Myst.

Game Features

• Experience a new freedom of movement, a first for the Myst franchise: Explore each unique age in real-time 3D, moving your character effortlessly through the world without pointing and clicking.
• Create a realistic character: Choosing from a wide variety of facial and clothing features, you will be able to create a male or female avatar that you will use to explore the world. The range of character options allows you to appear the way you look, or the way you want to look.
• Explore the mysterious and graphically intense world of Uru. Uru's work-of-art style graphics will immerse and captivate you like never before.

  See more pictures

• Follow an epic storyline: At the request of Yeesha, the eccentric daughter of Atrus, you'll journey through a variety of different ages, and discover the lost civilization of the D'ni people. As the story unfolds, you'll be drawn deeper into the D'ni civilization, and if you choose to download new content, the journey expands even further. You can explore new ages and areas of the D'ni civilization, unravel new mysteries, and adventure in a world that continually changes and expands. Exciting new content will be downloaded regularly, providing an adventure experience that is fresh and ever-changing.

Reviews (220)

ATI Drivers May Need to be Updated - Fun after that
When I first bought this game, I could not get it to run, in spite of the fact that I had the high end of the system requirements listed on the box. I went to ATI.com and downloaded new drivers for free. The game ran beautifully after that.

Things I liked about this game:
1. The graphics. Incredible. I especially loved the 3-D environment that allows you to spin around and look at everything, and gives you more freedom of movement than previous Myst games.

2. The sound. Wonderful, rich sounds that fit perfectly into the game.

3. The story. Apparently, this a matter of taste, as I see most reviewers here on Amazon really disliked the story. Personally, I found the story at least as engrossing as Myst: Riven, although not on the same level as Myst: Exile. I enjoyed learning more about the D'ni people featured in the Myst games. The main story revolves around Yeesha asking you to restore four pillars in order to make things right for a new group of people, called The Least. I found the story very satisfactory.

4. The end. Again, this appears to be a matter of taste. Most people don't seem to have cared for the ending at all, but I loved it. I didn't feel like it was just a prelude for the online game, which I have no intention of playing.

5. The puzzles. They are definitely challenging. If you don't like a challenge, or you don't want to use a good walkthrough to finish, this may not be the game for you. I loved the puzzles (with a few exceptions), and as usual, found them to blend seamlessly into the game.

Things I didn't like:
1. Camera angles. They were pretty good most of the time, but often I would find myself watching my avatar walking somewhere on a path I couldn't see to an area I couldn't see. You can change the camera to first person, but the game will pull you out of it for puzzles, which interrupts the flow of the game.

2. Load times. It takes about a full minute sometimes for a new area to load. Granted, that isn't long, but considering how frequently you have to enter new areas, it can get annoying. This is probably an unavoidable drawback of having such lush graphics in 3-D game.

3. Jump, die, reload. Isn't that what most experienced gamers really hate about some adventure games? To be fair, you don't die, you're simply transported back to a central start point. Which has to load. Then you have to click to go back to the age you were in, and wait for that age to load. Then, depending how far you were from your last save point, you get to go find where you were when you fell. This can get tedious, especially when you factor in load times. One puzzle requires you to do quite a bit of difficult jumping, and I must have had to go through the above sequence 30 times. For that, I knocked a star off my review.

4. You can't save wherever you want. Jumping and falling would not be so frustrating if you didn't have to sit through the constant reloading of areas. You would not have to sit through the constant reloading of areas if you could save right before you jumped in the same area. However, this is not allowed. You never save in this game at all, except by finding and pressing jouney clothes. These save your place in each age. (Puzzles save themselves automatically once completed.) This isn't a huge problem, but can be inconvenient, especially if you're doing a lot of jumping and falling.

Overall, I really enjoyed this game, but there are definitely some flaws.

A Myst game for gamers
There are a lot of complaints people have with this game that I didn't. Let's deal with them.

First of all, let me say this - the part of the box that says "minimum system requirements" is actually (gasp) the *MINIMUM* system *REQUIREMENTS*. If you DON'T HAVE THEM, then DON'T COMPLAIN when the game doesn't run. If you have a cheaper version of a graphics card, and Uru doesn't like it, oh well - it tells you quite specifically what you need. Being true 3D, it's a lot more than the previous bunch. My system is by no means incredible or new, and it looked profoundly gorgeous and ran with nary a hitch.

Second, a lot of people seem to be having trouble with the fact that there are running and jumping puzzles. Well, with Exile, when they added the ability to free look, there were quite a few puzzles based around pointing something somewhere. Now, they add the ability to move freely, so of course there are going to be some puzzles involving that. There aren't many, and to anyone who's ever played a third person adventure game, they're basically trivial.

Third, there seems to be this general backlash towards the game design in general. Less emphasis on story (which I simply don't understand - there were journals and backstories everywhere, just like the last three...but whatever), more open-ended design, etc. It seems to me that these guys weren't trying to make another Myst game, they were trying to make a good adventure game, and they displaced it from the rest of the mythology on purpose. This is a game designed to appeal to everyone, not just the people willing to click through an endless slide show.

Fourth, people seem to not like the puzzles. I don't get this at all. Aside from one fairly arbitrary solution at the very end of the last age, all of the puzzles made sense and I felt were quite clever. Exile had this feeling going that each puzzle was in isolation and I never felt like any of them really related to the game that much; here, each puzzle is an important part of whatever world it's in, more like the first game than either of the other two. There was only one age that followed the solve, move on, solve, move on mentality, and it was themed - each puzzle had an obvious solution that turned out to be completely wrong, and something else had to be done. It was genius, I thought - every solution made me think "oh, THAT makes sense!" once I finally got it.

It's not perfect - the not picking up objects thing was irksome, the load times can be annoying on older machines, and the ending is a little weak. But this is a Myst game that finally felt to me like a real adventure game, not an austere exercise in puzzle solving. I felt like I was part of it.

So, I'd reccomend this more to broad gamers than specific fans of the Myst franchise (as if the plethora of one-star reviews wasn't enough to make that clear), but I didn't think that it was anywhere close to as bad as most of the people here are making it out to be. One of the best games I've played in the last year.

Great game, marred by a few issues
For the past several months, I've been lucky enough to beta-test this graphically stunning and intellectually challenging game. Yes, there's no doubt that the controls take some getting used to (but you can re-configure them all in-game), and the idea of seeing yourself takes some getting used to, as well. The online launch is proceeding, albeit very slowly and deliberately in stages to ensure that everything works properly.

The game, while not a direct sequel to the Myst series (it's more of a parallel storyline), is a stunning foray into adventure gaming and a ground-breaking one as well. To my knowledge, there have been no "Massively Multiplayer" adventure games. Imagine a game that requires you to work together with three or more players to solve logic puzzles to unlock access to other worlds. That's something you can look forward to.

"Uru Prime" (the single-player portion) is utterly gorgeous, and tells a tale of a culture's pride before their fall. The story also exposes a much darker side to the D'ni culture that hasn't been seen before (if you've played any of the previous games), including slave-trade, extermination of other races, and corruption within the supposedly "utopia" of the D'ni Guild system (which was hinted at, in the books). The single-player storyline perfectly sets up the online portion, while allowing a decently satisfying gaming experience for those who decide to not explore deeper, and participate in the online portion, dubbed "Uru Live".

The biggest portion that attracts me about the online portion is the sheer storyline potential for it. With so many of the other MMORPGs out there, the story is a sketchy framework wrapped around the gameplay. So much of the gameplay in those games seems too repetitious to me. In Uru, the gameplay serves the storyline, not the other way 'round.

The game's creator, Rand Miller (who created "Myst" and "Riven" with his brother Robyn), envisions the online portion much like episodic TV. He even calls each new story installment as "episodes" The announcement recently that has made waves is that there will be a multi-lateral approach to "Uru Live" episodes; you'll receive in-game mail, get to read posts on a message board, and you'll also run across other players in-game. The biggest difference is that these players will actually be acting out the story, to help further it.

In fact, I ran into one of these last night, in my first foray into "Uru Live". Was interesting, to say the least.

The other big thing that has got my attention versus other MMOGs, is that the sheer evolution of the environments. The new worlds will become available at an estimated one every other month, and there will be smaller changes to the online game environment weekly, according to the game's designer.

No RPG, this: there's no levelling-up, no killing, and no dying. No experience points, no buying better armor/weapons, and no PvP killing. It's all about the story, about using yer "noggin" and working with your fellow explorers to solve the puzzles.

Excellent but flawed game
Uru: Ages Beyond Myst is an outstanding game with exceptional images, sounds and puzzles ... so why four stars and not five?

Uru has two significant flaws:

1) You can't save your game.

Your save points are set by touching each Age's seven Journey Cloths. It's the game designers - not the gamer - who determines save points.

Good save points make it easy for the gamer to explore alternate endings, and more importantly, to avoid having to solve the same puzzle repeatedly.

But unless you play Uru perfectly, some Journey Cloths are placed so that you must solve several puzzles multiple times.

2) Your avatar can walk, run, climb and jump.

Unlike Myst, Riven and Exile, Uru is no longer restricted to point-and-click movement from one scene to the next.

But there's a problem.

Your avatar is keyboard and mouse controlled, not joystick enabled. Its third person perspective is occasionally sloppy. Moreover, it can't use its hands when moving objects; that's a ridiculous constraint.

Uru's minimum hardware requirements are...

800 MHz Pentium/AMD Athlon
250 MB RAM
32 MB nVidia GForce 1 - 4 or FX/ATI Radeon 7000 - 9800 or better

Assuming you don't want long delays between Age loads, I strongly recommend, "or better."

My guess, Uru really wants a 2 GHz CPU with 1 GB of RAM and a 128 MB video card. Uru is designed for higher end hardware.

Uru also has hardware requirement gotchas. Here are some of them...

* 98SE is specific; no allowance is made for Windows 98.

* The video card requirement is precise: it's either a 32 MB nVidia GForce 1 - 4 or FX, or an ATI Radeon 7000 - 9800 or better.

No other video card will work, including lower end versions of nVidia or ATI Radeon.

* The "CD-ROM: 4x or better (not recommended for use with CD-RWs)" requirement is imprecise. Didn't fully appreciate it until I bought the expansion pack, which clearly states, "This game contains technology intended to prevent copying that may conflict with some disk and virtual drives."

Uru will not work properly in either a CD-R or CD-RW.

Finally, here's an Uru synopsis:

You begin in the Desert.

After touching seven Journey Cloths, you are given access to a linking book, which takes you to Relto (Island in the Clouds). Relto is your refuge and starting point between game sessions.

To solve Uru, you must transfer pillars from Teledahn (Mushroom Age), Gahreesen (Fortresses Age), Kadish Tolesa (Mechanical Age) and Eder Gira/Eder Kemo (Volcano and Garden Ages) from the Bahro (Pillar Cave) to Relto.

When all four pillars reside in Relto, you transfer them back to the Bahro and return to the Desert to solve its remaining puzzles.

A step down for the series
Myst was great, Riven was insanely hard but genius, and Exile was spectacular, with perfect difficulty and great puzzles...with Uru, however, the series has gone slightly awry. The idea of an avatar isn't entirely terrible, but the ideas of kicking things into position and having to walk and jump accurately to progress are. As for the first one, just let us have an inventory, and have a set position for the items when we figure out where to put them back down! The soccer game that pervades Uru is absurd. And the need for nimble fingers has no place in the Myst franchise; if we want to test our ability to run and jump skillfully, we'll go play a platformer. Give us the ability to run and jump, sure, but don't make us master it in order to win the game.

A few of the puzzles in Uru, in my view, require a mental leap outside of the realm of logic, but others may disagree. In any case, I eagerly anticipate Myst IV: Revelation, and hope it will be less like this subchapter and more like Exile. ... Read more