Amazon.com Review

"Not too long ago, Zoombinis enjoyed the good life. Though they alllooked slightly different--different eyes, noses, hair, feet--such differencesmeant nothing to the Zoombinis. And so they lived happily on Zoombini Isle,making small, useful products, which were prized the world over." So begins anunsuspectingly addictive CD-ROM, featuring uncommonly fun reasoning games thatrequire serious problem solving and math-thinking work. Yet the perils that facethis cheerful society are not as fearsome as the amount of time you'llpotentially spend on this pursuit. Beware the chubby, chattering Zoombinis ifyou don't want to get hooked to your computer for at least 90 minutes asession!

Adored by educators and parents alike, Zoombinis Logical Journeychallenges children to employ such basic fundamentals of mathematical thinkingas organizing information, reasoning of evidence, finding and making patterns,and systematic testing of hypotheses. The journey follows four puzzle-filledtrails, each exploring related mathematical ideas. The fundamental data andvariables for all this work are the variations in the Zoombinis' features. Their"feet," for example, can be shoes, skates, whirligigs, or coiled springs (thesound effects for these items are particularly great), while their "eyes" may beheavily lidded, enhanced by eyeglasses, blocked by dark shades, or limited tojust a single eyeball. Sorting and arranging these variables in order to solvepuzzles requires concentrated effort from the players, and the game rewards themwell with inventive scenarios that evolve in fabulously curious ways as skillsare gained. This may not sound like much, but when Arno the Pizza-Eating TreeTroll, who has been yammering for the perfectly topped pizza his entirelifetime, suddenly demands a perfectly topped ice cream sundae, too, it is astaggering, giddy surprise.

The product is full of so many little joys, it's hard to demand improvements.Still, it'd be a great thing if version 2 would feature something other than themonotonous, ping-ping-ping soundtrack that's featured here. But that's minor. Inthe end, the creators' promise that this CD-ROM will "encourage kids to developa lifetime habit of associating fun with learning" is dead-on. (Ages 9 andolder) --Jean Lenihan ... Read more

Reviews (65)

Love, love, love this game...
I was introduced to this game while helping out in an elementary school computer class (yeah, I'm technically a grown-up). It's an engaging way to teach logic skills, and the puzzles are a lot of fun. I agree that there are a LOT of Zoombinis to save (the purpose of the game)and that once you've mastered the higher levels it's a bit tedious to keep playing the harder versions of the puzzles, especially if there are any you don't like to begin with.

On the other hand, this game is wonderful for a variety of age groups (some of the younger kids may need some help figuring out the logic behind the puzzles), for different ethnicities (the Zoombinis are blue), and genders (most of the characters are somewhat ambiguous on gender, and the Zoombinis are all equal). I've seen it played solo, and in groups, with equally enjoyable results. And there are a number of resources available for educators, parents, etc. to help your kids make meaning from the games they are playing.

All in all, this is a must for any elementary/middle school computer educator, and a highly recommended for parents who want their kids to use computers as a tool as well as a toy.

One of the best logic games, all in a fun package
I'm a 13-year-old boy, I loved Zoombinis ever since it came out about 7 years ago, and I still love it now. Zoombinis is a great education game, it teaches logic and mathematical skills essential to learn, and also lets children (and adults) have fun while doing it.

Zoombinis is set apart from so many other logic games by adding characters that are enjoyable and funny to a 2nd grader, while not being so annoying or childish that a 7th grader cannot enjoy or laugh at them as well.

Another way Zoombinis excels is in the way it adjusts to the user's ability. The game will start out easy and teach more simplistic concepts, and after the user is comfortable with that, it will move on to more complex problems.

A nice thing about this game is that it will encourage someone to learn and keep going. It can all happen because the game is both educational and fun, and the child will get a sort of self-satisfaction when they accomplish something. Whenever a puzzle is completed, the user gets a little bit closer to the goal of saving all the Zoombinis, and this gives them something to work for.

Zoombinis consists of 12 different puzzles for the user to go thru, and one of the factors that have made it so successful is how it makes the user actually think. Instead of letting you just guess the answers, Zoombinis has you think about why a certain answer does or doesn't work, then lets you come up with some sort of practical method to solve such problems, which can later be applied to more advanced levels of education (I am currently taking geometry, and I still use many of the methods I learned here to help me solve problems).

In all, Zoombinis is one of the most valuable and fun game (educational or not) that I have ever used. It is a great product, and I would certainly recommend it.

Nice Game, but just a little hard
I got this game with a multipack and it rocks!!! But just kind of a little hard but I like it.

My kids loved it!
Not only fun but a great logic builder! The best peice of software I've bought for my kids!

What a great surprise!
We love this game! When I was searching for new games for my girls, 8 & 11, I came across this game, but made the mistake of not ordering it. One day, my daughter came home from her computer class and raved about this game - I ordered the Logical Journey and Mountain Rescue...I am so glad that I did. My 8 year old and I enjoy playing Logical Journey together - its a little more basic and easier for her to understand. My older daughter prefers the Mountain Rescue - the graphics are a little more advanced and she enjoys the games more. I would recommend these games to anyone looking for fun, safe, and mentally challenging entertainment! ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Don your tiara and pick up your wand, for only true, good princesses can enter the enchanted world of Barbie as Rapunzel.

Rapunzel and Prince Stefan have organised a masked ball, but they didn't invite the local wicked witch, Gothel. When Gothel finds out, she is furious and promptly casts an evil spell over the castle and its inhabitants. The prince is turned to stone, the jewels from his crown are scattered around, and the enchanted castle is immersed in darkness. When Rapunzel and her trusty purple--and very cute--dragon friend enter the doomed castle, they are challenged by the witch to find the jewels in order to rescue the prince and restore the castle to its former glory.

One of the most magical, creative packages on the market, this interactive adventure really is superlative. The graphics are fantastic and pixels do not stick between screens. The movement is fluid and controlled and the sound is excellent.

This package also develops basic PC skills, creativity, and imagination, and encourages colour recognition, shape matching, hand-to-eye coordination, and cause-and-effect recognition skills. The accompanying music completes the magical experience.

Barbie as Rapunzel is accompanied by a clear, comprehensive instruction booklet that should probably be read by a parent before commencing. That said, instructions are given throughout the quest in a clear, slow voice and objects flash onscreen to reinforce the message. The help section can also be accessed at any time. The manufacturer recommends this package for children ages 5 and older, and though help may be required to begin with, a computer-literate 5- or 6-year-old will soon get the hang of things and be able to play alone. All in all, a superb package that kids, Barbie fans or not, will just love. --Susan Naylor, Amazon.co.uk ... Read more

Reviews (26)

very entertaining and worth the money
I bought this software for my 5-year old daughter for Christmas. She and her twin sister, along with their 4-year old sister, LOVE this game!!! They love everything about it, from the theme song at the beginning, to finding Prince Stefan in the maze at the end. I will admit, it's not super educational, but it does keep them entertained and it's nice to have a "fun" game once in awhile that doesn't require them to think too hard! It's also nice because they can leave the game midway, and return back to where they left off by clicking on their name. The names can also be deleted so that they can start a fresh game. They can restore the castle over and over again and have it be different every time. I think it was totally worth the money.

A fun game for younger Barbie fans
My three year old adores this game. The game only takes 2-3 hours to complete in one sitting, but my child has played it over and over, and still loves it. The box recommends this game for ages 5 and older, but my daughter can play this game by herself with ease, except for the maze (which is fairly easy, but she needs help working the arrow keys). This game is mostly a "paint" type game, where you decorate different rooms in a castle in order to save Prince Stephan and the castle. You paint and place different decorations about the castle, as well as "build" a planter and a mosaic tile. The game and the decorations are quite cute, and easy for young Barbie fans to do independently. I feel it does have some educational value as well, in that my daughter seems to have improved her mouse skills from playing this game, has grasped concepts like clicking a "done" button when she has completed a task, and seems to have become better at listening to directions. My one and only complaint is that I wish there had been just a couple more rooms in the castle to decorate. Still, for a fairly short game, it has lots of replay value in it, and the length is just right for a young attention span. I would recommend this game to people with young children who are Barbie fans, especially if their kids aren't quite ready for the more advanced thinking that games geared for older kids have. Don't get me wrong, I think older Barbie fans will like this game, too, if they want to play a game that mostly centered on decorating. I've had problems finding games that my daughter can play independently at her age, plus she's a huge Barbie fan, so this game was perfect for us.

Awesome computer game for a 5 year old
Just bought this for my daughter she loved it so much she played the game twice in a row.
She loved decorating the castle and saving the Prince.
Don't hesitate to buy this Barbie game she'll love it too

Rich and great for ADD girls
I bought this very rich program for my bright 4 year-old who has significant problems with patience and focus/attention. She likes the video very much. This video has been very helpful in rewarding her for working patiently and methodically. At the same time it is great for teaching shapes, use of color, and fine motor control.

Definitely enjoyed!
This was a gift for my 6 yr old daughter. She is a big Barbie fan as well as loves to use the computer. She is still enjoying this game. She completed it in a few hours which worried me at first, but she loves to do it over and over again. The music is enjoyable and the colors are vibrant. It seems to be very user friendly also....my daughter has not really needed my help to use it once she started it the first time. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Arthur's Computer Adventure helps children (ages 3 to 7) to develop reading, math, vocabulary, and other important skills. Through following Arthur through his interactive world, get hooked on his favorite computer game. Arthur's Computer Adventure lets you play to learn important facts and skills. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Lasting entertainment
My two boys (currently 6 and 4) have enjoyed this game for 2 years now....and still do! It's the only good "deep dark sea" adventure I've found that captivates them. Plus, the other little games are good and educational too.

My daughter LOVES this game!
My 9 year-old son and my 3 year-old daughter both love this game. They play it together taking turns with different parts of it. My daughter still needs help in the store making change to buy the different clothes and some times will get frustrated when adding ingredients to make the recipes, but luckily her big brother helps her with this part. It isn't difficult, but you need to be able to count things out. The recipes ask for 3 eggs, etc so all you need to do is find the group of eggs (and there is exactly the amount the recipe asks for) and drag them into the mixing bowl. This game has several different things to do in it, both fun and educational. It is also set up like a story book so you go through different pages and click on certain objects and they do funny things. The kids LOVE that!

Quality Learning and Laughing With Grandchild
My Grandchild has this marvelous game. While visiting we spent several hours playing and interacting. I was impressed with the amount of information and most of all, the fun she enjoyed while using this computer game. The characters are cute and have enough naughtiness to entertain a child. There is positive reinforcement as each level is reached. Oh, how I wish that I had been able to have the wonderful tools to use when my own children were growing up. I must add.....How important it is to have the parent's interest and interaction, as well as the toys. So very important..! gramma Char

Top-quality game
We've looked at most of the popular software for our four-year old daughter. For the most part, the selection and quality has been disappointing. "Arthur's Computer Adventure" was a welcome departure from the poorly produced Macromedia Director numbers that other companies are selling out there. The entire product was enjoyable from start to finish. The best feature is the play while you read portion of the software that allows the kids to follow-along while the book is read, then interact with the many amusing clickable areas of the pages. Captivating, well-designed, and at the top of my recommended list. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

KidSpeak Spanish French German Italian Japanese Hebrew is a double CD-ROM featuring six comprehensive language programs. It is fun and easy to use and will help multilingual children practice a choice of different languages through a range of games, songs, and puzzles.

Each of the different language programs is an immersion program, so all the instructions are in the chosen language. For this reason, younger children who are not so confident with the basics of the language may need adult support. More confident children will quickly pick up what they are expected to do and will be able to work independently through the games. There is also a very useful help option which explains the choices of games in English.

Having chosen the language that they wish to work on, children can then play a range of games and listen to songs to consolidate the vocabulary that has been introduced. Most of the games can be played at three levels of difficulty. The games include activities such as identifying fruit, colouring fruit appropriately, pairs games with pictures and words, identifying animals, ordering pictures, setting given times on clocks, and putting objects into a backpack. A wide range of vocabulary is consolidated, such as numbers, the alphabet, animals, objects, times, colours, fruits and vegetables, the weather, transport and leisure activities. A set of online activities, which can be printed out, will also help to review what children have learned.

KidSpeak Spanish French German Italian Japanese Hebrew would be a very useful buy for children ages 5 to 12 who are multilingual or who are learning a range of languages at school. It is also ideal for a parent who wants to introduce their child to a new language. --Amanda York ... Read more

Reviews (7)

There must be a better bang for your buck.
I bought this software on the recommendation of some software review site, and I must say my 9 year old daughter and I were disappointed. The graphics are sometimes hard to make out on the screen. (The animation altogether isn't very appealing at all, but that's not why I bought it . . . )And my daughter kept repeating, "But I want to learn sentences!" It's just an okay introduction if you want to learn the names of fruits and vegetables.

I could not run the software on window XP
The software is too old to run on the window XP professional. I could not use it.

Awesome For Kids
KidSpeak 6-in-1 is an awesome product for kids to have fun with and learn several languages(Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Hebrew). The animation is very fun and my kids really love this. I love the fact that my child will talk to me in a different language and I'm sure other parents would agree. When it comes down to it, Transparent Language did an awesome job with this software and I couldn't be more satisfied with it.

Language Learning For Kids
KidSpeak 6-in-1 is my child's favorite thing to do on the computer. There are many fun games and activities to do in KidSpeak which teaches a child foreign language. The cartoon animation and the characters are very entertaining for my child who spends hours at a time playing this game. This is a good way to have a child exposed to foreign languages which are easier to learn at a younger age. Before you know it, your child will be talking to you in another language. KidSpeak 6-in-1 has 6 languages included with it (Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Hebrew) meaning there is plenty for a child to learn and do in the program. I would recomend this program for all children because it is educational yet fun at the same time.

I have Windows ME
I haven't really been able to run this software, I think it's because I have ME. I have used it before on my sister-in-law's computer and thought it was a great way to grab a young child's interest in another language. ... Read more

Reviews (44)

Jumpstart Advanced toddler
We bought this as a Christmas present for our son that just turned 2. We were looking for an educational computer game for him and we already had Reader Rabbit Toddler (which he loves). When I first started Jumpstart Adv. Toddler I thought it was way too simple, then I discovered that most activities have 2 levels. Level 1 is pretty basic and doesn't require the kids to do a whole lot...my son was very bored with this. Level 2 is much better...in fact it is more advanced than Reader Rabbit. Most of the activities do not require toddlers to click on the mouse, but if you can click it goes faster. I was surprised by how fast my son figured out the activities. He can do most everything by himself, but he still needs me to help him navigate some. This package comes with 3 cd's - school time, song time and art time. THe song time cd has several fun songs that he just loves. Overall I really like this game and have found it to be very educational. As soon as my son has mastered clicking the mouse we will be getting the preschool version.

JumpStart Study Helpers Math Booster
Knowledge Adventure's Jump Start Study Helpers Math Booster... is another real winner for all children in grades 1st-5th - like is partner - Knowledge Adventure's Jump Start Study Helpers Spelling Bee - this program has cute, fast paced, great music and sound three styles of arcade-like games to teach your children their math facts - no more boring math flash cards - learn math on a fast paced pinball machine, or arrange math facts for the the "burpers" or "smack" space ships and and space rocks to get correct answers to math problems - fast and fun - even for an old Grandma, me - all games are controled using the arrow keys and space bar excep to the outer space game where you shoot with a mouse - like the Spelling Bee it has over 800 pre-programmed math problems - all basic subjects are covered - addition, subtraction, muliplication, division, decimals and percentages in SIX different leveals - will auto advance at your child's own speed - on screen instructions for everything - also, like its partner, Jump Start Study Helpers Spelling Bee - you can program your child's "real" weekly math problems in to this program so they can learn their "real" weekly school math lessons in a fun arcade style of learning - you will love it for the small price tag - your children will love it for all of the fun they will have - and you will love it even more when your child brings home a A+ grade on their report card in Math. The [low price] is "right" - please buy it - once again this old Grandma is happy to be able to send my first grader, and my second grader back to school this year with this GREAT study tool. Knowledge Adventure can be very proud of these two programs ther Jump Start Study Helpers Math Booster and their Jump Start Study Helpers Spelling Bee - buy them both and enjoy!
A very pleased Grandmother,
Jacqueline Lee Wilson

JumpStart Spanish a winner
My 5 year old loves her new JumpStart Spanish program. She has learned to count in spanish and her colors so far. Very fun games and rewards. She is really picking things up fast. We have not had any real computer problems, it has locked up once, but that has happened on other software as well. The sound works well. For the price I would recommend this as a beginning spanish program.

My daughter simply loves it!!!!
My 2 year old loves this set of CDs. I found that it reinforces all the things we are teaching her.... shapes, colors, numbers the ABC. The duck that sings is very sweet to their ear. I found it sooo great I am buying it for my daughter's school so the other kids can benefit as well.

Jump Start 4TH GRADE ADVANCED
I rented this software from the Library. It is a 3 disc program. My 3rd grader (almost 4th grader) loves the Ultimate Field Trips and Mystery Club volume 3. The fundamentals disc is a little too hard for her right now, so it is challenging. I played it because it looked fun and it was fun for me to play. I love the "mystery" tone of the software. I like these programs because there are fun games that do not get boring, and while your kids are playing the games, they are also learning a lot. I am going to purchase this software and the 3rd grade ADVANCED program so my child can review through the summer. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Being a Sim must be pretty nice. Through the magic of expansion packs,the little virtual people have been given party favors (House Party),magic genies (Livin' Large), and hot dates (um... Hot Date). Withall these creature comforts, what more could a Sim want? Well, how about afamily vacation to a luxury fantasy resort? Vacation Island is an idyllic placethat has sun, fun, and beaches on one side of the island, snow and skiing on theother, and, in the middle, a forest perfect for camping. A trip to VacationIsland is the perfect reward for your hard-working Sims, and a fun diversion foryou--like all Sims expansions, Vacation is full of quirky Sims-stylehumor, and not everything on Vacation Island is good for your Sims.

A trip to Vacation Island isn't cheap; you have to pay for travel andaccommodations for the entire family, as well as entertainment. And just like areal vacation, you can run out of money fast. Thankfully, while on vacation yourSims' needs are slowed down significantly. They're having fun, and you don'thave to micromanage them nearly as much as you do at home. This allows you tosit back more and just observe your Sims playing with the often-funny new stuff.Stuff like a boardwalk Whack-a-Will (named for Sims creator Will Wright) game, aguy dressed as a shark who tries to terrorize the tourists, and new activitiessuch as camping, building snowmen, playing volleyball, snuggling on a bear skinrug (or picnic blanket), and hitting the ski courses and snowboard half-pipe.When it's time to go home, your Sims can take a few reminders of the trip, bothbeneficial (souvenirs that increase happiness) and detrimental (a commontropical illness). Hint: Fans who remember the Brady Bunch Hawaiianvacation episode would do well to learn from Greg Brady's mistake. --BobAndrews

Pros:

• Over 77 new items and things to do
• Truly expands the game

• It's probably time for a full-blown sequel

Reviews (9)

Slower Processors Beware!
Although my G3 266MHz meets the minimum system requirements on speed, I was a little shy on memory so increased my virtual memory as recommended. However, even then the game was extremely sluggish and slow to the point of crawling. It was pretty much impossible to play with my current computer configuration. If you would like to add this one to your collection, be sure your system meets at least the RECOMMENDED specs, not the minimum and you should have loads of fun.

LOTS of fun...once you get it to work, that is.
I eagerly anticipated Maxis' porting of Sims Vacation for Mac. I got it for Christmas, and immediately installed it. BOY was I disappointed. The game was SO SLOW that my Sims couldn't even do anything at home, let alone on Vacation Island. However, I went to the store and bought some more RAM, and tried again. At this point I had almost 1 GB of RAM, which I figured would be more than enough. No dice. The game was still unbelievably slow. I emailed Maxis and they told me to reinstall EVERYTHING.

GRRR! Not exactly what I was hoping to hear. However, once I reinstalled (which took FOREVER, I might add), the game worked beautifully and was a lot of fun. Apparently, the game was so slow because I had installed too many downloads--extra objects, skins, and so on. While this was no problem in Hot Date, evidently the new actions and such in Vacation were too much for it all. This means that now I am playing the game at factory settings with no add-ons. Not as fun as it could be, by any means! Every die-hard Sims fan knows that 75% of the fun is customizing the game with downloads! I'm going to have to start downloading stuff again and adding gradually...ugh.

I would like to give the game 3.5 stars, but Amazon doesn't do half-stars, so I'm leaning more toward 3 stars than 4. The game is a lot of fun once you completely reinstall and start over new, and if you have a TON of RAM in your computer. If you don't want to have to drag over your old stuff to a new install, or start over completely, then you probably shouldn't bother. I don't know if it's worth it. I'll have to play a few more times before I make that decision.

By the way, Maxis says that these issues with slowness and such have been addressed in Unleashed. That's good on one hand, but at the same time, why should we have to fork over ANOTHER $30 just to get decent game play???

All I want for Christmas is The Sims: Vacation
Ever since I have gotten the Sims, so many expansion packs have been released. Many of my friends had all of them and always said they pitied me because I only had the original. So for Christmas, I put the Sims: Vacation and the Sims:Unleashed on my list. I wanted all of the other expansion packs but I knew my parents would never buy me all of them. On Christmas Day I received the Sims: Vacation. Mu parents informed me they had ordered both from yours truly amazon.com, but unleashed hadn't been released for mac yet. I was a little disappointed that I didn't get unleashed, but nonetheless I was happy. I immediately put "vacation" into my iMac and was stunned. Not only did they have numerous new items such as a miseltoe, a new hottub, a hamster and a buffet table they also had amazing resort spots you can choose to take your sims at vacation island. You can choose from a carnival, beaches, camp spots, or scenic snowy spots where you can rent equitment to build a snowman, have snowball fights, go snowboarding and many other things. You can also create your own resorts or edit ones that are already there. There is also a tent you can rent where you can "play" around with anyone, girl or boy; or "play", cuddle, or kiss in the new hottub. I extremely recommend The Sims: Vacation for Mac. Happy Gaming!

The Sims Vacation, yes please!!
The Sims Vacation must be the best game since......well, The Sims Hot Date I suppose!!
Now instead of just taking your sims downtown, you can go one step further by taking them on holiday.
Relieve them of the stress of everyday life by picking up the phone and calling Vacation Island Tours and choosing whether your sims want to to play volleyball on the beach, camp in the forest or have a snowball fight in the snowy areas.
Vacation is a must have for all sims fans, I love it so much and it's just sooo addictive!!
So choose where you want your sims to go on vacation, let them have loads of fun whilst they are there, and treasure the memories!! Who would have thought that bossing little people around could be so much fun, ENJOY!!!

WOW!...
The game is really cool!... It's Awsome to play!...

Have Fun Gaming,
From A Video Gamer ... Read more

Reviews (3)

6 year old is fascinated by this program!
Our six-year-old and his four-year-old brother have spent hours with this program. They love creating their own contraptions. We often hear them laughing with glee about the funny chain of events that they have created. The program looked complicated at first, but it has a very good set of tutorial challenges which teach you about how the various components work (gears, lazers, mandrils on conveyor belts, vials of nitroglycerine, etc.). Our six-year-old is now able to solve most of these challenges without any adult help. Not every child will enjoy this program, but if you have a youngster who is intrigued by technology and how things work, give this program a try. You may be surprised about how much they can learn from it at a young age.

A Delightful Brain Teaser
With me being a fan of Sierra and the original DOS version of The Incredible Machine, I had to get this one. I was not disappointed. With many new gadgets, better graphics, and fun animations, I was as pleased with this version as I was with the original. There are tons of puzzles to keep your brain working well into the night - and beyond! Puzzle fans will really like this game.

The Best game ever
The game is one of the best game that has been ever made. The goal of the game is to build machines. A'm sure ypu will love this game ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Join the Kelly Club bunch and use your imagination to magically bring their cutest plush pets to life with a pet parade. Kids ages 4 and older help Kelly and pals--Keeya, Chelsie, and Tommy--get their plush pets ready for the pageant. Teach each furry friend new tricks for the show, then groom them for the special parade. Choose parade costumes for Kelly and her friends. Design and decorate parade floats with dancing sparkles, flowers, and fireworks. Then, watch the parade come to life as the crowd cheers for the Kelly Club and their posh pets--Pokey Polar Bear, PJ Pony, Emi Elephant, and Butterscotch the Dog. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Great Game!!
I recently purchased this for my 3 year old daughter. She LOVES this game! The games are great. They get more challenging as you improve. Also dressing up Kelly and her friends is great fun. My daughter especially loves grooming the animals and getting them ready for the parade. You can decorate the floats, and you have many decorations to choose from. Although not that educational, it does help them improve on their hand/eye coordination. Very fun for a little girl! Definately a must have!

I was voted "favorite aunt" by my 3-year-old niece!
Apparently this is about the best $... I have spent lately (aside from the Gameboy game I sent my nephew). My niece is mesmorized by this game, and it is keeping my sister busy building parades. My niece is a little too young to run this program by herself, but she has definitely figured out what button needs to be pushed to make the parade start! My sister also told me that she likes the fact that you can save multiple parades for those days when she just doesn't have time to help create a new one. This seems to be a winner!

Cute computer game!
I recently got this game for my 2 girls, ages 5 and 3, and it is one of their absolute favorites! They love the "Strike up the band" song at the beginning and have it memorized. They love choosing outfits, grooming the animals, and decorating the floats. They ask to play this game all the time! I highly recommend this game for any girl!

Both my kids love this game!
I got this for my 3 1/2 yr old for Christmas, and both her and her 7 yr old sister LOVE it! They have played it for hours. The graphics are very good and it has lots of cute and entertaining games! I highly recommend this one! It's worth the money!

Kelly Club Review
I think this is a great product.I just got it yesterday,it's so much fun.If you like to play with pets,you should buy this game. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

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

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

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

Reviews (1)

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

Reviews (44)

Jumpstart Advanced toddler
We bought this as a Christmas present for our son that just turned 2. We were looking for an educational computer game for him and we already had Reader Rabbit Toddler (which he loves). When I first started Jumpstart Adv. Toddler I thought it was way too simple, then I discovered that most activities have 2 levels. Level 1 is pretty basic and doesn't require the kids to do a whole lot...my son was very bored with this. Level 2 is much better...in fact it is more advanced than Reader Rabbit. Most of the activities do not require toddlers to click on the mouse, but if you can click it goes faster. I was surprised by how fast my son figured out the activities. He can do most everything by himself, but he still needs me to help him navigate some. This package comes with 3 cd's - school time, song time and art time. THe song time cd has several fun songs that he just loves. Overall I really like this game and have found it to be very educational. As soon as my son has mastered clicking the mouse we will be getting the preschool version.

JumpStart Study Helpers Math Booster
Knowledge Adventure's Jump Start Study Helpers Math Booster... is another real winner for all children in grades 1st-5th - like is partner - Knowledge Adventure's Jump Start Study Helpers Spelling Bee - this program has cute, fast paced, great music and sound three styles of arcade-like games to teach your children their math facts - no more boring math flash cards - learn math on a fast paced pinball machine, or arrange math facts for the the "burpers" or "smack" space ships and and space rocks to get correct answers to math problems - fast and fun - even for an old Grandma, me - all games are controled using the arrow keys and space bar excep to the outer space game where you shoot with a mouse - like the Spelling Bee it has over 800 pre-programmed math problems - all basic subjects are covered - addition, subtraction, muliplication, division, decimals and percentages in SIX different leveals - will auto advance at your child's own speed - on screen instructions for everything - also, like its partner, Jump Start Study Helpers Spelling Bee - you can program your child's "real" weekly math problems in to this program so they can learn their "real" weekly school math lessons in a fun arcade style of learning - you will love it for the small price tag - your children will love it for all of the fun they will have - and you will love it even more when your child brings home a A+ grade on their report card in Math. The [low price] is "right" - please buy it - once again this old Grandma is happy to be able to send my first grader, and my second grader back to school this year with this GREAT study tool. Knowledge Adventure can be very proud of these two programs ther Jump Start Study Helpers Math Booster and their Jump Start Study Helpers Spelling Bee - buy them both and enjoy!
A very pleased Grandmother,
Jacqueline Lee Wilson

JumpStart Spanish a winner
My 5 year old loves her new JumpStart Spanish program. She has learned to count in spanish and her colors so far. Very fun games and rewards. She is really picking things up fast. We have not had any real computer problems, it has locked up once, but that has happened on other software as well. The sound works well. For the price I would recommend this as a beginning spanish program.

My daughter simply loves it!!!!
My 2 year old loves this set of CDs. I found that it reinforces all the things we are teaching her.... shapes, colors, numbers the ABC. The duck that sings is very sweet to their ear. I found it sooo great I am buying it for my daughter's school so the other kids can benefit as well.

Jump Start 4TH GRADE ADVANCED
I rented this software from the Library. It is a 3 disc program. My 3rd grader (almost 4th grader) loves the Ultimate Field Trips and Mystery Club volume 3. The fundamentals disc is a little too hard for her right now, so it is challenging. I played it because it looked fun and it was fun for me to play. I love the "mystery" tone of the software. I like these programs because there are fun games that do not get boring, and while your kids are playing the games, they are also learning a lot. I am going to purchase this software and the 3rd grade ADVANCED program so my child can review through the summer. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

The most popular MOG comes to the Mac
After a few years of the Macintosh gaming community yelling at Verant, now SOE, Sony has finally released EverQuest for the Macintosh. The game is a direct port of EQ, with the exceptions of repaired NPC player models which did not function correctly under the new engine. Mac only servers are being created for the game, so all users will begin on an even playing feild, a refreshing change as compared to most MOGs. Fewer servers will be created inorder to ensure a better play enviroment, and with more than a few years experience under their belts, SOE should be able to create a more realistic world for Mac users. If nothing else, Mac users get the added bonus of receiving every expansion released for EQ at once.

Great game, poor support
The game is excellent. What frustrates us Mac users is the poor support and utter lack of responsiveness from SOE. Even on a dual pumped G5 with a gig of RAM, you cannot long play the game with sound on. SOE acknowledges the problem but after repeated inquiries on the official support board, they refuse to disclose when the problem may be fixed or even confirm that they intend to fix it. They merely state that they are 'aware of the problem.' Considering that they have been aware of the problem for 10 months, many of us despair of ever seeing a fix.

There are scads of complaints from players that petitions to the game manager are never acknowledged and that requests for zone resets and other technical fixes do not receive attention for days or weeks. In the last two months, I have never once seen the Mac GM logged

Higher level players are frustrated that the Planes of Power expansion is only partially implemented. Some PoP quests and flags are not available.

EQ is a great product. It could be THE Mac MMORPG if SOE made a reasonable effort to support it.

Come back!
Sony has Started actual darn support on this game. After the Summit meeting Khama has talked to Smedley and they hope to fix all of the bugs as time goes on. With Sound and Planar Access being the most important. However this will take anywhere from weeks to 4 months because they need to hire people who know something of Macs. Some bugs will be fixed quickly though. and A test server will be attached. The game will be Up to date as far as PoP and will actually be a worthwhile game to play. PIck it up. Join the community at EQmac.com and have some fun!
---
Mystique N'Identity
Voidripper Life'Reaver
Members of Shortbread army. Al'Kabor.
Slizarus lvl 65 Arch Lich (Firiona Vie)

Great game, but flawed execution
EverQuest for Macintosh in its current form is somewhat flawed. While the core of the game is intact, there are serious technical problems with sound. Most people I know play with sound completely turned off to prevent bugs from cropping up. Those bugs can range anywhere from severe frame rate problems after playing for a while all the way on up to kernel panics that bring the whole operating system down.

The most troubling aspect of all of this is not that the game was released with bugs. Quite frankly that is to be expected to some extent. The troubling part is that these bugs do not seem to be getting any attention from Sony Online Entertainment.

If you're willing to play without sound it might be worth it to you, otherwise until they fix the bugs my recommendation would be to avoid this title.

A Good Port and a Great Price
If you're familiar with Everquest PC, you probably already know almost everything you need to know about this game. You know all about losing sleep, the XP grind, making friends (and enemies), and exploring this huge world. But is it a good port?

I'm happy to say it is, and the wait is over for everyone who switched to a Mac but kept a PC around for EQ. If you're willing to start over, ditch your PC and pick up EQ Mac. It runs well, it looks as good as EQ can, and the only problems you're likely to see are spots of lag and the occasional disconnect.

This is a really good value, since it includes all of the expansions up to and including Planes of Power (Ykesha is supposed to come out eventually, as well). It's also a great value to play on a fresh, balanced server. You won't see as many twinks as you will on an established PC server, and I've noticed there are slightly less grief players.

If you really need EQ in your life and on your Mac, this is a safe bet. If you're a little burnt out on EQ, this fresh start MIGHT renew your interest. Even if it doesn't, you're not out much for what you get, and you're sure to enjoy your free month, at least.

Recommended. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Journey to the other side of reality, to a virtual city shrouded in secrecy. Welcome to Chemicus, a land where scientific knowledge from the beginning of time is protected and wields sacred powers. You play as an accidental intruder transported to Chemicus by an ancient amulet. Your unintended presence has threatened the tranquility of this virtual city, and it's up to you--if you dare--to restore harmony before it's too late.

In Chemicus: Journey to the Other Side players gain knowledge and use their intelligence to solve challenging riddles and unlock the city's darkest secrets. Take up the quest for ancient science truths and discover powerful tools; explore science facts and gather essential resources; experiment with chemical elements and discover the ultimate power. Chemicus awaits your return with stunning 3-D movies, riveting animation, more than 2,000 3-D images, exotic landscapes, and mysterious interiors. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Much Better Than Physicus, But...
My wife and I are avid adventure gamers and, to help pass the time until "URU: Ages Beyond Myst" is released later this year, we decided to try "Chemicus". We played "Physicus" a couple years ago and, while we enjoyed it, we both thought that it could have been a much better game if it had tied into Physics a little deeper and if more effort was put into the adventure game design (look for my earlier review).

We just completed "Chemicus" and I can honestly say that this was a MUCH better overall attempt. Nearly all of the puzzles of the game are chemistry-related ranging from the fairly easy and logical to the pretty hard and requiring a hint or two (we peeked into the included walkthrough only a couple of times to get us unstuck).

The greatest improvement over "Physicus", however, was on the game design side. Like "Physicus" the graphics and music are lush and inviting. But, the scope of the game is where "Chemicus" shines over its predecessor. "Physicus" was just a singular environment or location to explore with very few cut-scenes and conveyances to enjoy along the way; both popular elements to a successful adventure game. In "Chemicus", even though the "subway" system was a little on the cheesy and repetitive side, at least it felt like we were transporting between unique locations (thank goodness the space bar forwards you through the animations). Plus, after solving some particularly difficult puzzles, we were rewarded with some nice cut-scenes; the balloon ride over the city being the best one. It wasn't on the same level as the bigger games like Riven and Schizm, but still an improvement.

One thing that "Physicus" did get right and that "Chemicus" fails on, is its link into the "Brain Center", the included chemistry text book. The content of the chemistry text is impressive, although, it looks as if the inclusion of animation and narration of some of the experiments and topics went by the wayside probably due to the added scope of the underlying game. What really annoyed us was the fact that we couldn't follow a link from the particular puzzle we were working on into the appropriate chapters or topics of the textbook. Along the way, you pick up "Knowledge Chips" that add chapters to your Brain Center and I suppose, if you kept up with the reading along the way, the new topics would relate to the new puzzles in the area. But, later on, when we were still working on the puzzle, it was very difficult to find those same topics in the textbook again. Like "Physicus", a link to just the appropriate topics would have been very useful.

Other than that, the game was very well written and designed. The user interface was very intuitive and easy to use. Could have done without the gratuitous, politically-correct diatribes on "greenhouse gasses" and "socially responsible science" that we have come to expect in these games (easy to ignore, though). We just started on "Bioscopia", but it looks as if that one more closely resembles "Physicus" in design and scope, bummer. I hear they are working on a "Chemicus II" game, so once we finish with URU, we will probably give it a go, too.

Education and confusion come together in Chemicus
Okay, okay, I had fun. But I was also incredibly frustrated by the set up and "logic" (or I should say lack of logic) of this game and that truly detracted from my enjoyment. I wanted to learn something from this game, but I didn't get the connections half the time!
This game has so much potential for teaching chemistry, but the set up was lacking logic - you don't know what you are supposed to be doing, and you have to go back and forth between the various "stops", never knowing if you have really done what needs to be done. And because you have to go back and forth so much, you have to wait for each area to load when you go to another stop. I tried skipping the animation of the transport zooming through the tube, but it still took a long time for the stop to load. And you want to scream when you click on the wrong button and have to wait twice!!
One example of frustration for us is that you have to melt the ingredients for solder someplace other than the melting furnace before you put it into the melting furnace... How does that make sense? The logic behind why some ingredients are placed in certain places is very foggy, and sometimes you just don't have enough (understandable) information to figure something out, or the information is there but so obscure that you have to be a rocket scientist to understand it.
So you look for help, and all you are given is a walkthrough, when hints would be so much better... and would help you learn why you are doing things. I have thought of making my own hints to pass on to someone who would like to learn something from the game.
I ran Chemicus on a mac running OSX. It had to run on classic, so there were many times when it lagged. Don't know how it runs on a PC.

Not bad for edutainment!
This is great game but it is NOT easily solved. It has Myst like elements where you find puzzles and solve them to move around. The game has a twist where you keep an inventory of items you will need in other areas of the game. The hints that came with the game were helpful..I hated to use them but after getting stuck and not making progress after a few hours I had to take a quick peek to continue. At first I thought it was too easy but then it got hard. If anyone writes otherwise they are not being truthful. I took many chem classes in college and not everything is intuitive in the game. Infact, sometimes you know what to do but the game only lets you do things in order to perform a task and you think that you are wrong (but you're not). You only switch CD's once ever and then you are done. I copied the help file to my computer so I would not have to reference it off of the disk. The only part I did not like was the navigation. If it had not been for that I would have given it 5 stars. . All in all I have zero regrets getting this game. I had just finished playing Myst III and I wanted another same type game. great buy

Very Challenging and Quite Lovely
Your friend, Richard, a Chemistry buff, has discovered a strange amulet that, combined with certain experiments, allows him access to another dimension. You are supposed to meet with him to discuss his findings, but discover he has disappeared. It seems the denizens of this other dimension aren't too pleased! They think Richard's visits have upset the stability of their world and are holding him prisoner. Now you must cross the dimensions and prove your friendship by restoring a mysterious "Transmitter Molecule."

_Chemicus_ is a first person game very much in the style of MYST: you are wandering through a virtually empty world picking up clues and solving puzzles. From time to time, as in the MYST series, you might see another person from a distance or receive a transmission from your imprisoned friend, but there is no character interaction. So the draw of this game is not clever, pun-filled scripting, but using close observation, deduction and sheer brainpower to get from point A to point B. There is not very much more story than is given to you in the introduction; to enjoy _Chemicus_ you have to enjoy solving inventory-based mechanical puzzles.

And the scenery, of course. _Chemicus_ is a really gorgeous game. The "Other Side" is depicted as a place enough like our own world to be somewhat familiar, but enough different to give a certain sense of alienation -- again, much like MYST. The buildings and landscapes have a kind of organic texture that I personally find appealing. Unfortunately, there is no 360-degree movement; _Chemicus_ is a slideshow game. That means you're quite limited as to what you can view closely and where you can go. Personally I didn't find that too annoying (my husband hates it!), particularly as this game is so long and full of puzzles. I just didn't feel as put out by not being able to explore more fully as I might have.

Aside from the graphics and the sound -- mainly subtle f/x -- the strength of this game is in the puzzles. Because they are all based on chemistry, there is a logic to them that is often lacking. Some of the puzzles are a bit confusing, but none is arbitrary. It does in fact help to have had a course in chemistry and some math, however. The game provides a "BRain Center" to teach you what you need to know to proceed, but I found that often the information it gave you wasn't quite enough. However, I was pretty astonished at how many of the tasks could be accomplished with no specialized knowledge. In a way, this game helps point out how much we use chemistry in everyday life, without thinking about it.

I had some serious problems running this game, however. Despite having far more than the system requirements and using a full install, _Chemicus_ ran at a frustratingly slow pace. The scene transitions and animations were especially slow; I found them a good place to grab a snack or make a cup of tea. I also had trouble with the game crashing, often when I was accessing the Brain Center. If it hadn't been for those two things, I would easily have given _Chemicus_ 5 stars.

Several other annoyances were minor: games were saved as a list with each game defined by date and time only, so it was hard to tell what each one was. I consider this minor beacuse I don't tend to backtrack much. There was a lot of back and forthing -- inventory was almost never used in the place you found it -- and some of the locations were hard to keep track of. One or two puzzles involved somewhat obscure solutions, aside from the chemistry.

_Chemicus_ comes complete with a PDF walkthrough in case you get stuck. I did have to access this a few times. I didn't really like the way it was set up because, as walkthroughs tend to, it only told you what to do without telling you how. It also presents events in a specific order, which might not be the way you've played, _Chemicus_ being extremely non-linear. And I think it would have been helpful if you could have accessed the help file without totally exiting the game.

Although marketed for "Everyone" _Chemicus_ will probably appeal best to science oriented teens and adults; I don't think it will really appeal to just any adventure gamer. A long game, it took me about 30 hours to complete.

If you like MYST-type games and if you like science experiments, you will probably like _Chemicus_.

I love a challenge!
Beautiful graphics, and really hard. This game is not easy, and that's the way I like it! (If you aren't like me, the makers of the game put a walkthrough on one of the CD-ROMs in case you get stuck.) This game is a first-person point & click in the style of Myst. There is a lot of area to cover and a lot of hard puzzles. It ran smoothly, and was hours of fun. For the length of time this game will take you it's also a really good value for the price. I liked it more than it's two predecessors (also good!), Physicus and Bioscopia. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Kids learn about vowels and consonants with Phonics Excelerator's two active learning titles: Vowel Games and Consonant Games. With eye-catching graphics, lively music, and captivating animation, these titles transform learning about short and long vowels, consonant phonic skills, and reading into an adventure. Kids join Lily, Buddy, and the rest of the Super Star Gang for 30 interactive learning games, while the Super Star Reward system helps parents celebrate their child's achievements. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Very nice software, my son loves it
For money, this 2 cds set software is really a nice deal. I had
hard time to talk about phonics with my son who is 5 years old. He
won't pay attention to learn the sound of letters. This software really caught his attention, he sits there for hours and practice. Those games are very cute and helpful. After two days play, he already made a lot of progress. It takes off some pressures from me.
We love it! ... Read more

Features

• Expansion to Sims universe of games allows players to become a celebrity
• New Studio Town location--dazzle directors, rock the recording studio, or light up the fashion runway.
• 150+ New Items to collect
• Get a satellite dish and add four new channels to your TV lineup
• For 1 player

Reviews (6)

not this one
I agree with the previous reviews. When it works it's fun but getting it to work is hard! My game only works with just the original houses, objects and sims. Any downloaded stuff and the fame career track shuts down. So I have one neighborhood with fame track and the rest where you can't only visit. Don't buy this one. Stay with Vacation and Unleashed - they aren't nearly so much trouble.

Fun, as long as you don't go to the Studio Town
I purchased this game about two weeks ago. I was having a lot of fun with it until the game started throwing me to the desktop ( just as another person mentioned in their review). I continue to play, but I do not go to studio town anymore, which does eliminate a lot of the fun. I would like to be able to play in the Studio Town, so if anyone has a solution to this problem, please email me asap at : Liz@Hallmanstudio.com

Superstar = Betastar
Was this a beta release we had to PAY for as Mac people? Studio town goes crash, crash, crash even without any objects or skins installed from 3rd party download sites. I am on a Powerbook G4 1.25 ghz with 512 MB ram and an 80 gig hard drive so I clearly I have enough computer resources for the game. However, whenever I try to use many of the fame objects I crash which makes it frustating to nearly impossible to raise star status. Aspyr needs to do some major big-time updates for this expansion pack to work properly because it is a big let-down at this time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If they would fix the problems it would be a fun game. Meanwhile, I am sorely disappointed with this expansion pack as a result. I cannot recommend this piece of software until Aspyr releases updates to fix some of the problems so that it is at least playable! Therefore, I have to give this expansion pack a poor rating for fun because it is no fun to have to restart, restart, restart superstar just to crash, crash and crash again.

Great but not the best
Yeah, I got it as soon as it came out and I had a lot of fun with it but then it started crashing when I sang in the recording booth so I could get 3 1/2 stars. But then I found SiModifier and with it you can change the star quality and now like everyone is at 5 stars!

Very cool; some issues
I'm using the Jaguar operating system for my G4 and not having problems with playing this. The game is cool, having a butler usually helps your characters and there are more neat things to buy. However it takes a while to figure out how to earn stars -- I have really figured out how to get and keep them, seems to require a lot of time in studiotown. Also some of the newer equipment seems odd such as the karaoke stage where sims act, not sing. The game also sinks into the background on the computer when you leave it for a while suggesting it requires more hands-on playing that previous versions. But I'm glad I got it for Christmas. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

My 8 yr old loves I spy!
For those who say this is boring, maybe your kids should just stick to video games. My son is loving the books and the computer games. He conquers them pretty quickly and we have to buy more but hey, it's getting his mind working looking for hidden items. We went for an open house at his school a few months ago and the teacher picked up an I Spy book and said that it was the main thing all the kids fought over in class. We love all the books, computer games and the gameboy game that is out. Good investment for little thinkers out there!

Can't find 12th ladybug!
I really like this game but I am annoyed that I can't find the last ladybug in the find me game. I can find no game hint support sites either. Has anyone else had this problem? Is it a bug (ha ha) in the program? I have spent weeks looking but always find the ones I've already found. Can anyone out there help me? I am not a child, but my daughter can't find it either. Apparantly the game will not finish until all bugs are found because I have found all the treasures. Does this game not have more than one complete game to play? I thought it had 3 like treasure hunt.
Thanks,

Will Keep You Thinking....
My 6 year old daughter loves this game. It is not easy and keeps her thinking. I some times find some of the items hard to find but with persistance you will find them. It is never boring. The whole family enjoys this software.

Elementary Kids Love It!
I am a computer lab teacher in an elementary school. Last year, I used this software for quite a few weeks when my Kindergarten through Grade 3 students came in for activity period. Students in grades 4-6 would beg to get a chance to use the software when their assignment for the day was completed.

It was a stretch for Kindergarten to find some of the items, because they did not recognize some of the items in the riddles, but I made sure to point these out in lessons and then circulated to help them more.

It was exciting to watch as students became absorbed in this activity, and most of them grew in their visual and verbal awareness. Children in grades 1-3 could either click to hear the descriptions or read for themselves.

Yes, it is on the shelf this year, but will taken out to be used in two years. This year I bought I Spy Spooky Mansion for use, and next year hope to get the Î Spy Treasure software if I can find the funding.

I Spy School Days-big bore
My six year old great nephew completed all of the activities within two hours. He was moderately interested in the beginning and bored by the time he finished. I watched as he played, and thought they were boring, too. ... 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