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Magic School Bus Explores the Solar System

Magic School Bus Explores the Solar System

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Description:

Play a round of interplanetary hide-and-seek with Ms. Frizzle and her class aboard the Magic School Bus! In this exploration of our solar system, the Friz is hiding somewhere in Earth's neighborhood--as far away as Saturn, perhaps, or maybe as close as the moon. It is up to players to put together the clues that will lead to the elusive teacher's location. Luckily, the Magic School Bus is equipped with everything the quest will require--information on the planets, navigation tools for visiting these worlds, and plenty of clues to Ms. Frizzle's hiding place. The Magic School Bus Explores the Solar System combines familiar characters like Liz, Phoebe, and Carlos with lovely interactive animations and hard scientific fact. The icing on the cake is a set of arcade-style game challenges. Jumping their way through a maze of platforms and prizes in low gravity, players must work their way through the obstacle course to earn a token they can trade for a clue. With so many diverse elements, the result is a fun-packed experience that is both entertaining and educational. Any child who is interested in planetary sciences will love this game. Aimed at children aged 6 to 10, The Magic School Bus Explores the Solar System may have limited appeal for the less patient player. The cursor does not light up or otherwise indicate interactive hot spots, leaving players to click randomly around the screen in hopes of triggering an animation sequence or the next stage of the game. Additionally, game help is provided in the form of verbal instructions issued by Liz, and while some of these instructions are crystal clear, others are muddy and confusing. The game also lacks multiplayer and Internet options. Despite these minor weaknesses, though, The Magic School Bus Explores the Solar System offers plenty of information about the planets orbiting the sun along with enough unadulterated fun to ensure that children will want to go hunting for the Friz time and again. --Alyx Dellamonica
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