Description:
Childhood gaming chestnuts like Old Maid and Snakes & Ladders get so spiffed up on this CD-ROM, adults may find themselves indulging in these games when the kids aren't busy with them. The multilevel appeal of Hoyle Kids' Games is best illustrated by their version of Hangman: not only can players hang 'em high in settings that range from the Wild West to a sandy beach, but at the advanced level, the game throws players words like dysprosium. There are 15 games to play on this Mac- and Windows-friendly disc, and up to four players can compete at once. The standards are: Tic-Tac-Toe, Old Maid, Crazy 8s, War, Hangman, Snakes & Ladders, Chinese Checkers, Checkers, Go Fish, Battling Ships (similar to Battleship), and Memory Match (a.k.a. Concentration). New games include Bump 'Em (imagine Aggravation with cars and oil slicks), Placer Racer (an aiming game that requires spatial skills and strategy), The Music Game (hearing and repeating musical sequences), and Speedy Racer (type the letters that are rapidly falling out of the sky to save the houses of the Three Little Pigs). In addition, this game has the best "build your own face" function we've ever seen. Realistic noses, eyes, and mouths coupled with arrow functions that allow players to stretch necks, slide mouths, and widen eye spacing turn character creation into engrossing mad-scientist fun. The characters the program provides as opponents aren't too shabby either. Among them are Ethel the granny, Roswell the alien, and a pup named Pepper who whines, "This is worse than obedience training!" when he's losing at War. Technically, it's all here. Graphics are great, games can be interrupted for dinnertime and saved in mid-play, and nothing takes too long to load. An option to play the game in a window allows use of the computer's other functions while this program runs. Folks who have forgotten how to play Checkers (you know who you are) will appreciate the many different helpers at the bottom of the screen--they range from a genie who reads the rules out loud to various cop-out buttons that will give hints or do your next move for you. And, of course, upper-level Go Fish players can get rid of the help bar, and simply immerse themselves in the Zen of casting for the perfect card. (Ages 5 and older) --Anne Erickson
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