Zoombinis Mountain Rescue Published on October 25th, 2001

This software is the sequel to the award-winning Logical Journey of the Zoombinis, but it is not necessary to have played the first title to enjoy this one. Zoombinis are adorable little oval-shaped creatures with special attributes that include hairstyle, eyes, nose, and feet. In this adventure, a few Zoombinis become trapped in some caves. These caves are rumored to be inhabited by an unfamiliar race known as the “Boolies.” A team of sixteen intrepid Zoombinis sets off to rescue their friends, and players join in this recovery expedition. This quest requires the Zoombinis to traverse valleys, rivers, and perilous mountain passes. Each obstacle is overcome by players solving a logic puzzle. Kids sort Zoombinis by attributes to cross water hazards. They decode clues to find little creatures known as Fleens, who are hiding in a funhouse of mirrors. When they finally run into the notorious Boolies, they learn about binary numbers by skiing down hills and playing pinball. By the time players have led the Zoombinis through their adventure, they will have learned mathematical thinking skills that include graphing, set theory, hypothesis testing, algebraic thinking, and data sorting/ordering. This title does a wonderful job of teaching logical thinking. The puzzles are fun to play, and the programmers have crafted a sequence that allows children to build on what they learn. However, this title has a flaw if it is being purchased for home use. Children playing computer games at home want to win the game. To beat this game, children have to bring over 120 Zoombinis through the sequence of puzzles. To do so, players need to solve the puzzles repeatedly; and they get harder the more times you play them. For some, the puzzles will eventually get too hard. While it is good to challenge children to tackle harder puzzles, it is not good to push them to a point where they can’t succeed. It would have been better to give players the option to control the levels manually. This software is marketed at children 8 and up, but because of its difficulty it works best with children 10 and older. Children under about 10 years of age, should plan to use the “practice mode” to get good at a difficult puzzle before they tackle it in the game.
Summary Age  10 - 99 Platform  Windows Mac Price  $25.00 Category  Logic Grade  ISBN  0-7630-6142-5 Company  The Learning Company (800) 543-9778 http://www.learningco.com

I Spy Treasure Hunt Published on October 25th, 2001

Based on the Jean Marzollo book bearing the same name, this software brings beloved “I Spy” puzzles to the computer. For those of you new to “I Spy” puzzles, players are presented with a scene and a riddle, and players must find hidden objects within that scene. The setting for this game is the little seaside town of Smugglers Cove Rumors have it that once, long ago, pirates came here to bury their treasure. As players explore the 40 different scenes that make up this beautifully rendered village, they will find 60 “I Spy” riddles. Solving these riddles reveals portions of three separate pirates’ maps. Kid-testers love the challenge of these puzzles. The addition of the three treasure hunts serves as great motivation to work through all 60 puzzles. The only slight negative is that you will eventually finish all the puzzles. But with 60, it is hard to remember exactly where that “postage stamp” is hiding.
Summary Age  6 - 10 Platform  Windows Mac Price  $30.00 Category  Puzzles Grade  ISBN  0-439-34394-1 Company  Scholastic, Inc. (800) 724-4718

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