Putt-Putt needs to find lost items (like a juggling club for the seal), and solve characters' dilemmas (help fix the hole in the pool for Francine the Hippo high diver). Along the way, he meets some colorful circus characters like Honko the clown who can only be understood when Putt-Putt has the Honkish translation book. Fun scenarios include fleas that make the circus bear disco dance, preventing him from practicing his ballet, the flying pigs act who have misplaced their net thus preventing pigs from flying, old characters from Putt-Putt Saves the Zoo, plenty of songs, and some arcade-style games for good measure.

The problem-solving is true to form -- kids need to solve dilemmas that generally involve more than one step and require planning, memory, and mental mapping skills. Putt-Putt picks up "inventory items" along the way that he must use to fix various problems. These include such things as a saw, a bag of peanuts, and a magnifying glass.

Mini-games with unlimited play include creating a clown face, Mr. Potato Head-style, a memory game with Marvin's Magic Cards, an arcade-style Peanut Challenge that gets progressively more challenging, tossing pies at clowns, and the awesomely fun Titanic Trampoline game. (The last two are only opened up at the conclusion of the adventure). Putt-Putt meets up with an old friend Baby Jambo the elephant who will give him a paint job that sticks with him throughout the adventure, if desired. Kids also follow a recipe for a power-shake, find Philippe the Flea in the Bear's fur through the magnifying glass (see screenshot above left), and rearrange Bette Bandwagon's pipes to play the correct scale.

There's nothing anti-climactic about the conclusion of this game -- kids get to "star" in the opening act of the circus, and Putt-Putt's Big Top performance means playing a couple of fun no-lose games to boot.

Putt-Putt Travels Through Time and Putt-Putt Enters the Race both contain different pathways so that alternate solutions to problems are required. This feature augments replay value. However, this new Putt-Putt title doesn't boast this feature, though there are some random elements to the game and the mini-games. As such, this title will be better for younger children in the suggested age group, as preschoolers and kindergartners tend to enjoy the predictability that was characteristic of older titles like Putt-Putt Saves the Zoo. Older kids ages 6-8 might prefer the titles with different pathways for maximum replayability.

A 6 year old tester finished the adventure in a couple of hours (she didn't stop until she saved the day!) and the 3 year old watched before she took the mouse and explored on her own.

Technically Speaking
Minimum requirements are Windows 95/98, a Pentium 90 processor, 16 Mb RAM, and 4X CD ROM. Mac users require an 80 MHz Power PC with 16 Mb RAM, System 7.5.3, and at least 4X CD ROM. No installation is required -- simply pop in the CD and play!

Skills Covered
problem solving, social skills (kindness, politeness, teamwork), memory, strategy, critical thinking, organized thinking, logic, decision-making, deductive and inductive reasoning, mental mapping, prediction, testing.

Educational Value
Don't underestimate the educational value of this title just because it's so much fun. It doesn't cover typical curriculum, but it is a wonderful exercise in logic and critical thinking skills. Kids must complete multi-step tasks in order to complete this adventure.

Entertainment Value
This program is highly entertaining with a motivating story line, colorful characters, and plenty of extra things to do and see. The songs are always fun and catchy, and Putt-Putt is a breath of fresh air.

Design
A large cursor indicates a place for Putt-Putt to go -- kids quickly figure out how to navigate the program. Press the F1 button on your keyboard if you need help or hints. The time and energy that went into this project is evident throughout.

Replayability
Unlike some other Putt-Putt titles, the adventure is basically the same each time through (though there are some random elements like different ingredients for the power shake recipe). As such, the first time through will be the most challenging and educationally rewarding. Younger kids will likely play the adventure over and over again, but kids ages 6-8 won't likely do it more than once. A 6 year old tester completed the game in a couple of hours.

Dollar Value
This CD-ROM sells for $30 US.