Madeline Thinking Games Deluxe
Reviewed by Kim Moon
Published by Creative Wonders

Age Group: Age 4 to 8 Type: Thinking Games Price: $34.95 US

Description:

Madeline Thinking Games Deluxe is a two cd set featuring the diminutive French heroine from the "Madeline" books. Disk One allows the player to explore Madeline's house or her garden. Disk Two takes the player on a "European Adventure". Both disks are played with the constant accompaniment of the adorable Madeline and her faithful sidekick Genevieve. Throughout both disks, Madeline is always encouraging the player in her adorable French accent.

Disk One is full of choices. The house is divided into different areas. There is a studio where the player can choose to do art (a coloring book section), video (precious mini cartoons set to music), or music (play the piano with sounds from a piano, organ, or Genevieve's barking.) The kitchen allows the player to either gather specified items for a picnic or to collect items for recipes. The classroom has a matching game and an on-screen typewriter that asks the player to type out certain words. Upstairs, the player can try her hand at interior decorating, play a matching game, or put together puzzles. The garden provides standard mazes where the player has to find the way out of the garden.

Disk Two is the "European Adventure". Madeline is all set to go to camp for the summer until she finds a magic lamp at the train station. The lamp produces a genie but is, of course, immediately stolen by an elusive villain. Madeline's adventure begins! She must use the map (which the villain fortunately drops while making his escape) to find the magic lamp once again. All along the way, Madeline must gather clues and other things to make her way across Europe. There are friendly characters along the way to come to her aid and there are many humorous background "hotspots" to entertain the player as she makes her journey!

Features:

• Puzzles
• Memory games
• Art activities
• Printable postcards and awards
• Problem-solving areas
• Adjustable skill levels on all games on Disk One
• Mini-lesson in French or Spanish in some of the games

Technical Aspects:

Installed and ran smoothly with Windows 95. Some short waits while moving among the different areas.

Report and Conclusions:

We love Madeline! The games were interesting and challenging. I especially loved that the skill levels (levels 1-3) were adjustable on all of the thinking games. You will notice, however, that this is more than likely not a game that your six year old son would be begging you to buy, but that is obviously not intended by the producers. My daughter begged to play and was offended when I had to "take over" to evaluate it for the review. Although the game does not necessarily drill in traditionally academic areas, it does do exactly as promised and provides endless opportunities for thinking. In our opinion, as Madeline would say, these games are "pair-fect"!

You can download a Mac demo.
You can download a PC demo.

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