Got anyone in your house fascinated with construction work? Here's a chance to operate those exciting giant machines-and save the day while doing so! After customising your hard hat (safety first!), head off to the training yard where you've got your pick of six different big machines, from Excavator to a Lexion Combine. You can practise here as long as you like (we found the forestry swing machine the trickiest, for example). With simple-to-use controllers, most infants won't find the movements problematic. After you've completed training, the real fun begins-click on the job board to receive your first assignment. As you complete each job, they get more complex-complete several to fulfil a bigger mission like "feeding a nation" or "preventing a natural disaster"! The graphics do a great job of showing what shiny-clean big machines look like. Realistic construction vehicles coupled with the chance to save the world ensure that children will enjoy this software. As an added bonus, you'll finally know all the right names to call each type of machine when you pass them at a real construction site! -Jill Lightner.

Mystery of the Mayan Treasure pits Tiger, Kevin, Katy and Grunter against an unknown museum thief in a race to find stolen Mayan masks. After spending his summer helping on a dig in South America, Kevin of the TKKG gang is definitely excited about the museum opening that will showcase the treasures the archaeologists found in Southern Mexico. The Mayan exhibition is scheduled to open in just a few days, and Kevin will be able to show his friends the treasures he unearthed over his holiday. Unfortunately, someone else has taken an interest in the exhibit-by stealing two of its most priceless artefacts. The two keys to solving the case are suspect interviews and simple observation. Each member of the TKKG gang can visit a variety of sites in London, such as the museum where the theft occurred, a local newsstand and the offices of people associated with the crime. Within some of these scenes are clues that can be picked up, examined and used at later points in gameplay. Players may also question the suspects. You can only choose to ask one question per visit, so listening carefully to the questions and selecting the right one is a must. This TKKG mystery game is aimed at players starting at eight years of age, and it is an excellent choice for story-oriented, patient players. [+]

Tiger, Kevin, Katy, and Grunter are the TKKG gang, a group of crime-solving British teenagers. Using their favourite gelati store as a base of operations, this intrepid quartet sifts through clues and examines suspects, all in service of bringing evil-doers to justice. Their current mystery strikes close to home-someone is blackmailing Grunter's father, threatening to poison the chocolate his factory produces unless he pays out an enormous sum of money. Deadly Chocolate allows players to join the TKKG gang, touring the young detectives through a number of sites in the city and gathering information about the crime. Coming face to face with all the prime suspects, as well as incidental and expert witnesses, players are given an opportunity to ask each individual one of two questions. Choosing questions carefully is key to advancing the story and unlocking the puzzle. Fortunately, each of the TKKG teens can visit a suspect individually, maximizing the opportunities to gather clues and critical data. TKKG mystery games are aimed at players ages 8 and older who are interested in mysteries and enjoy having active play interrupted by medium-length animated sequences. Deadly Chocolate le ans much closer to the interactive book end of the game spectrum than, say, the action-adventure end. There is a great deal of emphasis on the characters of the four young detectives, their relationship s with the witnesses, and the unfolding blackmail story. [+]

Do you look up at the stars in the night sky and wish you knew more about them? Cosmos: Voyage Through the Universe can answer a lot of your questions. Designed for a general audience, not hard-core astronomy buffs, this CD-ROM is divided into four areas of interest: Laboratory, Heavens, Planetarium and Sphere of Knowledge. It is simple to navigate, and though the CD-ROM itself isn't always intuitive, the instructions on the disk jacket are very clear and concise. The Laboratory covers the solar system, the stars and the far sky. You can look at close-up photos or video images, listen to commentary, watch the movement of a celestial body in orbit, or get a size comparison between one body and another. The Heavens offers a historical perspective on our relationship with the universe. A feature called Mythologies and Constellations tells the ancient stories that were created to explain the constellations. Another feature, The Great Legends, recounts ancient tales of the sun, moon, eclipses and other astronomical phenomena. The Sphere of Knowledge is a wheel with different topics that you can click for answers. It tells the history of astronomy from the ancients to the present as well as answers questions about stars and galaxies, the possibility of life elsewhere, and several other topics. [+]

Searching for a pigskin computer game for your football-fanatic child (especially ages 5 to 10)? If you'd rather not opt for the complicated simulation of the Madden series or the intense taunting and tackling of the NFL Blitz series, pick up Humongous Entertainment's Backyard Football. Combining the Junior Sports Network and the famous football players of the NFL Quarterback Club, Backyard Football features all 31 NFL teams and logos, custom NFL trading cards, and fast-paced five-on-five game play. Complex football play names are simplified for young players, and control couldn't be easier with Backyard Football's simple point-and-click interface, supporting keyboard, mouse and game pad. One of Backyard Football's best features is its inclusion of big name NFL players, including John Elway, Barry Sanders, Dan Marino, Steve Young and Jerry Rice. Though the "backyard bunch" has been shrunk to pint-size form, young football fans should instantly recognise their favourite gridiron stars. A 14-game season satisfies those looking for solo play (the season ends with the Super Colossal Cereal Bowl), and a multiplayer option provides football excitement over the Junior Sports Network Internet site. While certainly not as deep or dazzling as top-of-the-line football computer games, Backyard Football's colourful graphics and intuitive game play should please all football-crazed youngsters. -Doug Radcliffe.