Does exploring ancient Egypt along with Little Monster Private Eye sound like fun? It sure is. This adventure gives kids a chance to discover "Monster Egypt" through the eyes of characters from Mercer Mayer's Little Monster book series. Their mission: to find five magic rings that will unlock the tomb that entraps Professor Pickle.
The setting, ancient Monster Egypt, is a humorous cartoon world where scarabs is the form of currency. Players meet up with characters with funny names, scour the screens for useful items, and stash objects for trading later in the game. At Honest Ahmed's Camel Rental, for example, players will need to give Ahmed ten scarabs (earned elsewhere in the program) to buy a camel. Humorously, Ahmed explains that the compact model of camels has retired early, and the sporty model and Cadillac of camels are far too expensive.
Assorted puzzles and challenges await kids. When children stumble upon obelisks, for example, they discover that the obelisks' dials need to be turned just the right way. Perhaps the picture of obelisks players took at the museum will help! In the Tomb of Tutta Fruita, children need to listen attentively to the patterns of sounds coming from the animal heads on Tutta Fruita's casket, and then repeat them back. After all five rings have been earned and the tomb opens, players need to move through a mystifying maze in order to get to the Professor.
Note that children refer to Professor Pickle's journal in order to advance in the game, and they will need to read the text on their own. While this is an educational bonus for young readers, it leaves struggling and non-readers out in the cold (or asking for parents' help). The box states that the game is appropriate for children ages 4 and up, but we think 7-10 is a better guess. Some 6-year-olds will be able to manage the game, but they will need help. Our 11-year old tester completed the game in less than two hours.
