by Viva Media
Platform:
Windows NT / 98 / 2000 / Me / XP / 95
(92)Buy new:
10 used & new from $8.99
(Visit the Best Sellers in Activities list for authoritative information on this product's current rank.)
From Children's Software Revue Winner of the 2003 Bologna New Media Prize, this innovative storybook adventure introduces children to the world of chess with innovative features that make it the best children's chess tutorial we've reviewed. The original version was in German (by Terzio), and we reviewed a localized version for the USA. The program starts with the story of how King White and his Queen have gone on holiday, and left their son, young Prince Fritz, in charge. But trouble is brewing. A rival, King Black, challenges Fritz to a chess duel. As a novice player, Fritz must seek out some quick brain training, and finds it scattered across the countryside in the form of clever games designed to explain each chess piece, along with common strategies and challenging practice sessions. These exercises are fun to play, and we found ourselves and our testers sticking with the program for hours at a time. One game, for instance, has kids smashing toilets as they learn about diagonal moves. This, of course, rated highly with our kid testers. As you would expect for a chess tutorial, there's an incredible amount of content--this is not a one-time through program. Weaknesses include an inability to interrupt some of the narration, and our younger testers wanted to do without all the practice; but these are minor criticisms. All things considered, this is a delightful program that is especially well-suited to 8-13 year old children.
King for a day! Fritz is in charge of the castle when his parents go on vacation. It's every kid's dream until the dastardly King Black challenges the young stand-in king to a duel! Explore the kingdom and discover 7 arcade-style games that explain everything from chess basics to master strategies. Exercise your brain and put what you've learned to the test in the Intelligym, a training ground for future chess pros. You'll soon realize that this chess game is anything but child's play! Features: Learn to play chess with characters Fritz and Chesster Explore the kingdom and discover 7 arcade-style games Explains everything from chess basics to master strategies Includes a bonus 1 year membership to PlayChess's website, a $19.99 value For 1 or 2 players System Requirements for PC: Windows 95/98/ME/XP Pentium II 233 Processor 32 MB RAM (16 MB free memory) 16-bit Soundblaster Compatible 16 x speed CD-ROM Drive Graphics Card: Resolution 800 x 600 Pixels Windows Compatible Sound Card System Requirements for MAC: MAC OS X: Power Macintosh G3 128 MB RAM System 10.1 or later MAC CLASSIC: Power Macintosh 180 32 MB RAM System 8.6 or later BOTH: 800 x 600 pixels (16-bit color minimum)