If you are expecting a run-of-the-mill activity center in this new Curious George CD-ROM, guess again. This innovative and smart software title really gets kids thinking and experimenting as they play along with the lovable Curious George.
Who better than Curious George to lead children through a series of predicaments that need fixing? This title begins with a story that shows how Curious George was...well, curious, and as a result, caused a series of troubling chain reactions downtown. In order to fix the problems, children must use a variety of tools, like ladders, trampolines, and balls, to help the little monkey save the day.
The main problems that need fixing include retrieving a fan from the dumpster, helping a window washer down from a ledge, pushing an apple cart out of the street, retrieving a cat from the top of a lamppost, and getting to a big gold ball that is on top of a building. Kids will need to travel to other areas, like the circus and candy factory, in order to collect necessary items that will help George restore order to downtown.
The program features narration throughout--a friendly addition that turns the game into a likable story. For example, the narrator tells players, "When George landed on the elephant, he knocked the balloons away. Can you help George get the balloons?". Each scenario involves some sort of goal, such as one in which players are asked to get sacks of flour into a mixing bin. Children are given a number of tools in their toolbox, including bowling balls, conveyor belts, and whistles. They need to strategically place these tools on the scene so that George can move the sacks into the bin. Children generally need to experiment a few times in order to perfect the process.
Other puzzles involve helping George reach a kite in the park, leading George to a pipe where he can hide from the irate chef in the Candy Factory, and launching a clown from a cannon in the Circus. Players earn bananas as they play (some of the bananas are found on the puzzle screens and actually show children the general path George should take). There are five possible certificates to earn, based on the number of bananas collected and earned in the game -- Bronze, Copper, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.
The only problem with the game is the recommended age on the box! Children 3-4 will need plenty of help. These young children may not be developmentally ready for all of the planning ahead that is required for success in the game. We find the title perfectly suited to children ages 5-9. Once children have mastered this program, they can graduate to The Incredible Machine: Even More Contraptions.
Still, this program is exceptional. It never underestimates young children's thinking powers, and is especially therapeutic for children who are fearful of making mistakes. This title demonstrates the necessity--and the rewards--of experimentation in the problem-solving process. Hints are always available, and the program progresses gradually--from simple predicaments, to problems that require the use of a number of tools, some of which need to be "flipped".
