| ________________ CM . . . .
Volume VIII Number 1 . . . . September 7, 2001
When a sudden downpour washes Mia, the mouse, down a drainpipe, her hat is
swept away to the sewer where it is grabbed by Romaine, the evil rat, and
his cousins. The object of this interactive game is to help Mia to get
back home and to earn "Sparklies" (the currency in Mia land) so that she
can buy a new hat or pay Romaine for the original's return. Two CD-ROM
disks provide students with many learning opportunities in the area of
science. Topics include plants, animal classification, weather, the solar
system, earth science, the human body, properties of matter, heat energy,
and electricity and magnetism. Activities range from matching, sequencing
and classifying to true/false quizzes.
Players can choose to start a new game or to listen to some basic
instructions. There are four levels of difficulty (1,2,3 and "expert") or
players can type in their ages to obtain an age-appropriate level.
Although the game box suggests an age level range of 5-11, older kids
accustomed to playing video and computer games will find the graphics too
juvenile. Before the game begins, there is a lengthy introduction
(mercifully, players repeating the game can press the space bar to skip
this segment). From then on, the game continues in "real" time, with
players using the arrow keys or simple clicks of the computer mouse to
guide Mia on her journey and to save objects she might need along her way
and place them into her backpack. At any time, one can review what is
inside the backpack or click on Mia's head to get feedback. In her quest
for Sparklies, Mia's travels take her to interesting, exotic places where
she stops to do experiments or solve science-related puzzles. One task is
answering plant riddles such as "Which plant's root is food for humans?"
(answer: carrot) Putting the planets in their proper sequence or clicking
and dragging objects in order to rebuild a car engine are just a few other
examples of the kinds of activities provided.
Seen from Mia's perspective, the 3-D
environment is rich, vibrant and colourful, with excellent depth perception
and high quality computer animation. Characters are unique and amusing.
However, despite its being touted as the sequel to the "award-winning"
Mia: The Search for Grandma's Remedy and its game-within-a-game
format, there are a few flaws. Firstly, the game takes a great deal
of time, even at the easiest level. Secondly, Mia has some annoying
habits: she taps her foot impatiently as she waits for players to make
their next move; when players make a correct move, she always chirps
"Okay!" (this repetition gets to be very monotonous after awhile). For
players who prefer to read about hints and shortcuts rather than to
discover them by trial-and-error, a booklet of tips, science concepts
and summaries is provided.
By incorporating a story, a quest and educational activities, this game
tries to do too much. Though the science aspect should be the central
focus of the CD, Mia's quest for Sparklies and her lost hat detracts from
the CD's intent.
Recommended with Reservations.
Gail Hamilton is a teacher-librarian at Bird's Hill School in East St.
Paul, MB.
To comment on this
title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.
Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal
use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other
reproduction is prohibited without permission.
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