Sailor Moon Colorforms Computer Fun

Creative Colorforms Fun on Your Computer

A Review of Sailor Moon Colorforms Computer Fun

Judy Pozar

I was skeptical when I first saw the original Colorforms Computer Fun Set. If you played with Colorforms when you were a kid, you remember the pleasure of handling those marvelous, colorful vinyl “stick-ons,” creating endless objects and scenes. How could pointing, clicking and dragging with a mouse provide as much satisfaction as manipulating the physical stick-ons? Well, the tactical sensation IS missing, but the computer provides a lot of great options that the old-fashioned set simply cannot.

For the uninitiated, here is a little background on the Colorforms Computer Fun Sets. First came what is now called Colorforms Classic. Other titles include Suzy’s Zoo and Power Rangers Zeo. Each title provides palettes of dozens of pre-drawn objects on a variety of themes, plus the classic geometric Colorforms Play Shapes. Think of these palettes as sheets of stick-ons that never run out. Every object is independent; after it is placed on a background, it can be moved, resized, or filled with different colors and textures. There are several ways to remove stick-ons, and children delight in watching them disappear in a flash, shrink into the screen, or fall out of the picture and shatter. Attached to each object is a special sound effect that plays when the object is placed or when it is clicked with the sound tool.

Each Colorforms title includes several backgrounds related to the theme. Other backgrounds can be easily added, and children can also create and save their own backgrounds. Text and recorded sounds can be added to pictures. Children can print their pictures in color or black and white, or as coloring book pages.

With all these capabilities, the Computer Fun Sets provide many opportunities for control, variety and creativity. What child wouldn’t love to start with a picture of his or her own bedroom or backyard (imported as a background) and add stick-ons of animals or favorite cartoon characters? Parents and children both will appreciate that the stick-ons don’t get dirty or lost. With an unlimited supply of stick-ons, no pictures need to be dismantled in order to create new ones. The only deficiency of note is the lack of an “undo” command. This could be very annoying or upsetting if a child hits the “erase all stick-ons” button by mistake.

This review is specifically for the Colorforms Sailor Moon and Her Sailor Scouts Computer Fun Set. Like the other titles in the series, it is simple and appealing to use — easy enough for a three-year-old, yet interesting enough for a ten-year-old. The Sailor Moon phenomenon has not caught on in the United States (yet), but the TV series and merchandise are very popular in Japan. This Colorforms title features the characters in the TV series. Serena is the teenage girl who turns into super heroine Sailor Moon when she’s combating evil. Other stick-ons include her friends, the Sailor Scouts, and the mysterious Tuxedo Mask. Backgrounds include Queen Beryl’s Lair, Moon Palace, and the Mall, where Serena and her friends go shopping. When Sailor Moon is clicked on, she shouts, “Moon Prism Power,” the magic phrase that turns her from ordinary school girl to super heroine.

Colorforms Classic is a favorite program found in many elementary schools. It is easy for young children to use independently and it encourages creativity. Perhaps most important for schools which do not have the latest computer equipment, Colorforms runs on older PC’s and Macs (see System Requirements).If your child is a fan of “Sailor Moon,” he or she would probably love to have this Colorforms title. Otherwise, I would recommend Colorforms Classic. However, don’t throw away your original Colorforms. They are still loads of fun, and they are a lot more portable than a computer.

School House Scorecard

Product:	Sailor Moon Colorforms Computer Fun
Company:	Gryphon Software Corporation 7220 Trade Street, Suite 120 San Diego, CA 92121 Phone: 1-800-795-0981 Phone: 619-536-8815 Fax: 619-536-8932 E-Mail: info@gryphonsw.com Internet: www.gryphonsw.com
Cost:	$39

System Requirements:

Windows:

IBM PC or compatible, 386/16 or higher
4MB of RAM
5MB of hard disk space available
VGA 256 color display
Microsoft Windows 3.1 or later
Mouse or compatible pointing device
Sound Blaster Compatible Sound Card

Macintosh:

Macintosh II or greater
4MB of RAM
4MB of hard disk space available
Color monitor
System 7.0 or later

Breakdown:

Ease of Use 4
Learning Value 3
Entertainment Value 4
Graphics 4
Sound 4

Overall Score: