by The Learning Company
Platform:
Windows 98 / 2000 / Me / XP / 95, Mac
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27 used & new from $1.48
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Zoombinis are little blue guys and gals that inhabit a kingdom reminiscent of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth, and ingeniously teach math principles using puzzles instead of numbers. In Zoombinis Mountain Rescue a group of Zoombinis gets trapped in a cave, and it's up to players to organize a search party that can withstand the logical travails of a journey through this perilous and quirky terrain. There are nine "obstacles" along the rescue route. Players cross a bridge of turtles by sorting Zoombini search party members by nose color, hairstyle, or other characteristics. Deducing (again, based on features) which Zoombini can snowboard down what path furthers the mission, as well. The search party is held up briefly in a cafeteria where it must use logic to wait on Norfs who drop oblique hints about what they want, or don't want, to order. Each game will stretch your child's ability to use forethought and analysis to assess a situation. Even the easiest of the three levels is designed to be challenging, so be prepared to help out along this creative and strenuous path.
The genius of this Windows-only program is that it turns sophisticated mathematical concepts into engrossing activities. We played a game called Boolie Boggle endlessly. Boolies either smile or frown, and in this game, the object is to change frowns into smiles by bumping Boolies with pinballs. Pretty easy until you start getting chains of Boolies and chains of pinballs. Soon your mind is throbbing as you try to figure out what a sequence of three pinballs will do to two frowning Boolies. "Binary addition" sounds pretty intimidating, but that's exactly what Boolie Boggle is teaching. "Algebraic thinking" and "information-age math" are among the other things this program teaches--mercifully, it manages it with little creatures and 3-D mazes instead of formulas and numbers.
As this journey unfolds, members of the search party drop off due to mismatched noses, wrong path choices, and other errors. Fortunately, there is a practice mode where kids can play the games without sacrificing their Zoombini friends. Puzzles change elements, so there's no way to "learn" a level then repeat it by rote. There is also a very thorough parent's guide, which is helpful for parents who have, er, forgotten about binary numbers. Zoombinis Mountain Rescue is a gentle, yet challenging, program that will probably even work its subtle magic on math-phobes. (Ages 8 and older) --Anne Erickson
The Math and Logic Odyssey ContinuesProduct InformationSettled in their new homeland Zoombinis are again enjoying peaceful productiveprosperity. Suddenly serenity is shattered when a band of Zoombinis disappearsinside a mysterious mountain. Dauntless rescue parties are dispatched. Develop foundational and advanced math and logic skills while exploring menacingpuzzle-packed mountain passageways. Each perilous puzzle you solve leads toanother more difficult challenge.Each mission is a new game!Skills Learned Algebraic Thinking Data Analysis Graphing and Mapping Logical Reasoning Pattern Finding Problem Solving Statistical Thinking Theory Formulation and TestingProduct Features 9 Perilous Puzzles 3 Levels of Difficulty Practice Mode Helpful Puzzle Clues Parent's Guide Puzzle Reformulation: A new game each adventure!Activities Include Solve perplexing puzzles such as binary addition dilemmas when playing Boolie pinball. Snowboard past the grouchy Norfs by deducing hidden sorting rules. Escape the Aqua Cube and develop skills working with multi-dimensional 3D objects.Windows Requirements Windows 95/98/Me/2000/XP Pentium 200MHz+ 32MB RAM 50MB free hard disk space * 8X CD-ROM drive Monitor resolution 800x600 minimum 24 bit color Windows compatible sound card speakers mouse * An additional 7MB of disk space may be required to install Adobe Acrobat Reader