Fun School in Space

Review Title

A Review of Fun School in Space

Rich Cunningham

In the film Mary Poppins, one line goes: "…in every job to be done,

there is an element of fun. You

find that fun, and snap, the job’s a game." The same analogy could be made

for this new game from the Expert

Software people. They have taken some basic, rudimentary school subjects

(math, spelling, geography, etc.) and,

by adding a space ship with a dinosaur, have created a game that is both fun

to play and even more fun to

watch.

The basic plot of the game is for the player to help the dinosaur named

Jasper and his human friends Johnny and

Sally explore several planets in outer space. Each planet contains different

adventures for the trio to solve.

Game play is almost entirely mouse driven, with the use of icons to control

game play. From controlling

factories to guiding the Blobs through tunnels, to racing through a maze to

bring new life to a deserted

planet, the game player will see, hear, and interact with so many fun things

that learning will cease to be a

job or chore, and become a voyage of discovery and learning.

There are 5 planets to visit, each with a different game:

• Mission Earth: as the operator of a taxi, you have to take paying customers
  
  to their destination; this is the geography game.

Eco-Logic: a recycling game, which empasizes sorting and organizational

skills.

Mega Maths: in this game, you help Blobs find their way home, which is the

solution to a math problem. Sound confusing? It is until you see it played. Then it is as clear as the

sun. This game emphasizes math skills.

Space Speak: a spelling, grammar, punctuation, and more game, in the style

of an arcade pinball.

Alien Art: a drawing program unlike any seen anywhere else.

These games are simple, yet varied to remain challenging. The graphics are

superb, as is the sound quality. The

manual is well written, with each game explained in simple terms, and a

special Parent Check section after

each game to explain what the game is emphasizing, and what the parent should

be aware of from the game. There

was an addendum that was included to point out differences in the product and

the manual. It is a small, but

complete booklet, so as not to get lost in the details of the game.

The only negative comment I can say about the game is that the introductions

are too wordy in their explanation

of the games. While the information is important, it did distract from my 7

and 9 year old’s interest in the

game. Since this game is on CD, an audible accompaniment to the on-screen

instructions would be nice. Outside

of that, I can’t think of a bad thing to say about the program. This is one

that will be enjoyed over and over

again by children. After all, how many games combine outer space and

dinosaurs?

School House Scorecard

Product:	Fun School in Space
Company:	Expert Software 800 Douglas Road Coral Gables, FL 33134 Phone: 305-567-9996 Fax: 305-569-1111

Cost:

Not Available

386SX or higher running Windows 3.x, works with Windows 95;
4 MB of RAM or greater; 5MB of disk space or greater;
256 color SVGA video card; Mouse;
CD-ROM Drive(1x is sufficient); Printer;
8 bit Soundblaster-compatible sound card