Treasure Island is an interactive adventure inspired by the ever-popular Famous Five Books, and will bring the classic tales to a whole new generation. Brothers Julian and Dick and their sister Ann are staying with their cousin George (Georgina really) and her faithful dog Timmy, and George's parents, Uncle Quentin and Aunt Fanny, at Kirrin Cottage. However, they are not alone: a mysterious, scheming professor has rented one of the rooms in the cottage. The children soon become suspicious of the professor, when they discover that he is interested in an old shipwreck which had sunk off Kirrin Island many years before. The scene is set, the story unfolds, then players must find the clues, disentangle the secrets, solve the puzzles and lead the Famous Five into a thrilling adventure involving caves, secret hiding places, rowing boats, castle ruins, dungeons and hidden treasure. The installation process is comparatively simple, and is adequately explained in the accompanying information booklet. In the main it is easily followed, and should be read before commencing the game. However, in the section "helpful hints for trickier puzzles" in which five difficult puzzles are written in secret code, it would have been more helpful if the words had been more thoroughly checked before publication as several mistakes are made. It would also have been advantageous if reference had been made somewhere in the pamphlet to the help available via the start menu: clicking on Start then Programs then Famous Five then Helpful Hints unlocks this section, where varying degrees of help are offered. The manufacturer's recommended age is 8-12-which seems accurate-but younger players may need assistance. [+]

Help your favourite teenage witch recover the Beanie of Ultimate Power in Sabrina the Teenage Witch: Brat Attack, a magical adventure game. It all starts with a package that should have been delivered to someone else. In it is the all-powerful propeller beanie, and Sabrina's cat, Salem, gets locked in a cage when her cousin Amanda decides she simply must have that hat. It's Sabrina's job to recover the cat and the hat from the Other Realm and defeat Amanda and her brat pack. The "Labtop" contains all of Sabrina's spells, and throughout the game, you can store new magical ingredients and spells for later use. Also, make sure to stock up on plenty of energy along the way or you could get sent back to Limbo in the laundry cupboard! There's five different worlds to explore: Sabrina's house, the Spelleria, Amanda's Arena, Mars, and Sabrina's high school. If your own teenage (or preteen) witch enjoys the television show and has fun solving mysteries, this game should be right up her alley. It's not every day a girl gets to blast her enemies away merely by pointing a finger. With Sabrina at her side, we bet she'll find this problem-solving adventure game truly. [+]

Barbie is off on her adventures, once again, running, diving, jumping, climbing, Lara Croft like, through many different scenarios. She travels to unfamiliar and exciting territories including Africa, Egypt, Tibet and other secret exotic places, to find missing pieces of a mystic mirror to unlock its secrets, and to discover clandestine passages in ancient temples. Adding to the fun and excitement are traps, puzzles to solve, obstacles to negotiate and precious gems to discover. There are different levels of play: Barbie can run faster, jump higher and walk on quicksand, thus helping the player practice and improve keyboard skills. The games can be played alone or with a friend. Barbie-lovers everywhere will enjoy this game, and the manufacturers recommend it is suitable for children aged six years and older, though some help will be needed with installation. The accompanying pamphlet is somewhat disappointing, and though it contains 28 pages, there are only five in English, the rest being in French, German, Spanish and Italian. Subsequently, there is only information concerning installation and keyboard controls, so adult help is imperative. (Six to eight years) -Susan Naylor.

Create a winter wonderland for Barbie lovers with the Barbie Sparkling Ice Show, a creative extravaganza that enhances basic PC skills while entertaining little girls for hours. Join Barbie and friends Christine and Teresa, and visit five exciting venues: the International City Park, Misty Mountain, Island Paradise, Rose Garden and the fifth, mystery location that is only accessed when the other four levels have been completed. Put on impressive performances, (each venue offers more of a challenge than the previous one), learn how to jump, do tricks, and speed skate. A level is deemed to be completed when you have mastered a Practice Session and put on a show. After the first one has been completed, the Exhibition Area will open, and when the other locations have all been visited, extra features-including decorations, music, costumes and more-begin to appear for use in the Exhibition show. Installation is guided and is quick and easy. Accompanying the CD is a multi-lingual instruction pamphlet in black and white that is fully comprehensive and very easy to follow. The program is designed for children aged five years and above, but help will be needed to complete all tasks at the early end of the age range. -Susan Naylor.

Alibaba and the Forty Thieves is a story CD-ROM that tells this very famous tale from the Arabian nights. Scheherazade the new queen manages to stay alive for 1001 nights by telling her husband a tale so exciting and interesting that he has to keep listening to the tale. By the end of the story he has fallen in love with his queen and cannot have her executed. Children can listen to the very good retelling of this story over 12 chapters. There is a useful bookmark function that allows children to return to their place at any time. Children can watch as Alibaba discovers the cave that the 40 thieves are using to store their gold and escapes death as the chief thief tries to seek his revenge. There is a very good glossary function that children can use if they want to have a word explained to them. It is a shame that the text for the story is not shown as well. There is also an option to play three games, which involve children having to move squares to the correct places to form a picture of a treasure chest. They can also try to find the correct combination of keys to open a treasure chest. [+]

Alice in Wonderland is a story most adults know, and one that children always seem delighted to discover. This CD-ROM version from Dorling Kindersley combines elements from the story with educational activities and games, and is designed for children aged 7 to 12 years. Each user logs on with their own name, so several family members can use Alice in Wonderland at their own pace. The CD begins with Alice following the White Rabbit down his famous hole, and arriving at the Hall of Doors-the first of 10 magical worlds she will encounter. There are riddles and problems behind some of the doors in this hallway, and you have to help Alice complete them to gain items or information she'll need later on. And of course, you get to play with the infamous "drink me" and "eat me" foodstuffs. Alice in Wonderland continues in the same vein throughout, and features many characters from the book-the Cheshire Cat is on hand to provide help, while you'll also meet the Mad Hatter, the Queen of Hearts and others. In true Alice in Wonderland style, Alice herself is a real girl, while the other characters are all animated. Alice in Wonderland hangs together well, and this multimedia fairy tale is an interesting example of making an educational CD from a children's classic. The American voices of the characters may be a little grating at times, though. [+]

Sabrina is in a predicament: she has accidentally miscast a magic spell and she has got herself trapped. spellbound. It is now up to the player to explore Sabrina's world and take part in puzzling adventures. Consult the spell book, use the magic tools, and find the missing spell ingredients, and set Sabrina free. In so doing, you can eventually earn yourself an official witch's licence. Warning: use the wrong magic tool at the wrong time and you finish up in the "OTHER REALM"-Drell's crazy, surreal game world, away from Sabrina's world, where you must win your freedom by chance or skill. The CD is accompanied by an excellent booklet which should be read before beginning. It is easy to follow and uses vocabulary aged at the recommended age group of 8 to 12 years. [+]

Sabrina Spellbound Help your favourite teenage witch recover the Beanie of Ultimate Power in Sabrina the Teenage Witch, a magical adventure game. It all starts with a package that should have been delivered to someone else. In it is the all-powerful propeller beanie, and Sabrina's cat, Salem, gets locked in a cage when her cousin Amanda decides she simply must have that hat. It's Sabrina's job to recover the cat and the hat from the Other Realm and defeat Amanda and her brat pack. The "Labtop" contains all of Sabrina's spells, and throughout the game, you can store new magical ingredients and spells for later use. Also, make sure to stock up on plenty of energy along the way or you could get sent back to Limbo in the linen closet! There's five different worlds to explore: Sabrina's house, the Spelleria, Amanda's Arena, Mars, and Sabrina's high school. If your own teenage (or preteen) witch enjoys the television show and has fun solving mysteries, this game should be right up her alley. It's not every day a girl gets to blast her enemies away merely by pointing a finger. With Sabrina at her side, we bet she'll find this problem-solving adventure game truly. [+]