At Bat (version 2.0)

At Bat Strikes Out!

A Review of At Bat (version 2.0)

Tina Velgos

Baseball is an American institution. Hot dogs, popcorn, soft drinks

and bubble gum…we’re talkin’ baseball! Bottom of the 9th, it’s anybody’s

ball game. Unfortunately, CrystalVision’s “At Bat” software strikes out

BIG time.

We struggled through the 55 pages of comic-book style graphics. The

flashing Page Turn button was really obnoxious, as was getting around to

the other sections of this software. Depending on whether you use a PC or

a Mac, you have to use Alt , Ctrl or Option keys to efficiently maneuver

around.

There wasn’t much to like about baseball-crazed siblings, Rudy and Joey and

their team, the Hawks. The text was full of stupid jokes and insulting

put-downs. Do I want to expose my kids to this stuff?

Nope. After playing

with this anything but educational software for over an hour, it was too

late. My four-year-old learned words like “weinie” (that’s the way it was

spelled in the CD-ROM!) and talked about “smacking that sucker”. I came to

the conclusion my favorite part of “At Bat” was the Quit button! Although

recommended for children of all ages, I wouldn’t let kids under 12 play “At

Bat”.

Unlike other interactive storybook titles, “At Bat” doesn’t encourage kids

to practice reading skills. In fact, we found more slang in the text than

anything. Words aren’t highlighted as they are read, either. There’s not

enough interactive features to keep the kids amused for long, either.

Another of my gripes was the weak narration….boring, boring, boring.

Six silly games and some basic “how-to’s” of baseball are included, as well

as some stats and a brief history of baseball. Games included Hurlman, The

Batter’s Box, Last Bat, X’s and O’s, Baseball Trivia and 10-Minute Warmup.

None of the games held our attention, as we tried to find something

redeeming about this software.

With comments like “Cheeze, we might be here all day” and “You wingnut”,

you and your kids are definitely better off without “At Bat”. Let’s see

some software that puts the ball straight over the plate. “At Bat” is OUT

of the question!

School House Scorecard

Product:	At Bat (version 2.0)
Company:	CrystalVision Software 2245 Camino Vida Roble Carlsbad, CA 92009 Phone: 800-931-1343

Cost:

$39.95

Windows:
386 PC or compatible, 3.5 MB RAM (minimum),
Monitor capable of 256 colors at 640 x 480 resolution,
Video Adapter, Windows 3.1 or later,
Mouse or other Windows-compatible pointing device,
PC-compatible double speed or faster CD-ROM drive
and a Sound card.

Macintosh:
System 7.0 or later, 4 MB RAM (minimum),
13″ or larger monitor,
256 colors at 640 x 480 resolution or higher, Hard drive
and a Double-speed or faster CD-ROM drive.