A Bug In The Program
A Review of The Multimedia Bug Book
Jackie and Kristina Wheeler
Dr. Anson Pantz's bug collection has escaped! He'll give youngsters hints about where to find these bugs, but it's up to the child to find up to 50 bugs in 5 fun-filled habitats. From a fish pond to a nest in the trees, challenges and fun await in trying to find and capture Dr. Pantz's bugs. Each habitat is filled with hilarious sound effects and animation.
The first thing I liked about Multimedia's Bug Book is that it came with no documentation. That tells me that it should be intuitive, straight-forward and not too complex. And it was! What Kristina liked best was exploring the 5 habitats and discovering all the fun animation and sound effects.
What I liked best was the way Bug Book combines having fun on the computer with real learning. The program opens with ragtime music and then Dr. Anson Pantz introduces himself and tell children his story about how he has lost his bugs. The child picks a bug bottle, looks at the bug, and gets a short hint about where this bug is typically found. Then the fun begins! The child selects a habitat and sends Dr. Pantz off to find the bug. If the bug is in that habitat, the child gets to explore all sorts of creative and wacky animation and sound effects by clicking on the items in the habitats. Kristina loved making fish sneeze, cattails meow, flowers hmmm and run, and chocolate chips scream and jump off a cookie!
When the child waits for a second or so, bugs randomly appear one at a time. If the bug is the one they're looking for, they click on it to capture it and store it in a bottle. Then the child can explore more in-depth about this bug. There are video clips of some of the bugs, excellent enlarged photos that really let you see the bug up close, a ruler that shows you just how big this bug is in real life. They can read or listen to more descriptions of the bug and even type in their own notes about the bug if they're old enough. Finally, kids can go to a research area to explore even more. There are memory games, bug experiments, jigsaw puzzles, terms, charts and more!
Kristina loved this program, even at 5 years old. She did not want to quit playing after an hour, when I said time was up. For older kids, there are other features to keep them entertained such as the escape feature. If you turn this on, captured bugs can escape from their bug bottles. Dr. Pantz alerts you that a particular bug is about to escape. Then the child has to answer a question about that bug. If they get it right, the bug remains safely stored in his bottle.
Because there are so many bugs to find, from ants to wolf spiders, lady bugs and monarch butterflies to scorpions and beetles, you definitely need to be able to save what you've done and pick up there the next time you start. Children type in their name and everything they do in that session is automatically saved so you can continue on next time.
This game is a definite, "don't miss" -- even if your kids don't know they like bugs. The Bug Book is fun, educational, very well produced with top notch animation, voice, and sound effects. You'll definitely want to put it on your child's Christmas list!
School House Scorecard
| Product: |
The Multimedia Bug Book |
| Company: |
SWFTE International, Ltd.
|
| Cost: |
$35.00 |
System Requirements:
MS-Windows 3.1 or higher
MS-DOS 3.1 or higher
486SX or higher
Hard disk
4MB RAM (8MB recommended)
Double speed CD-ROM drive
VGA or higher
Mouse
SoundBlaster or compatible sound card
Breakdown:
Ease of Use 5
Learning Value 5
Entertainment Value 4
Graphics 4
Sound 4
Overall Score:
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