Dream Street Magic Time Adventures is an adventure game for young children. The graphics are excellent as the children join Buddy in the world of Dream Street. Children use the mouse to move Buddy around Dream Street and choose to go in and out of play areas by clicking on moving objects. Children can start a new game or return to a saved game. There are a wide range of simple activities for children to complete, for example, making spinning tops move, drawing pictures that can be printed out, knocking down skittles, colouring in pictures. There is a special Tech Cam section where children can record their adventures and watch them. Children have a choice of 10 adventures to go on with Buddy. For example, they can help save Jack by collecting stars in the bubble factory, "zap" bees to stop them eating the cake at a picnic, help Buddy race against Rodney and discover the identity of the milk thief. When starting a new game children can select whether to play the games on green, orange or red levels and so the CD-ROM caters for children aged three to six years old. The simple activities would be an excellent introduction for very young children because they involve using the mouse and following instructions. [+]

Another day, another world-dominating villain to crush. Spy Fox is back, and this time he must stop Napoleon LeRoach before the cretinous cockroach can unleash a giant robotic dog on the unsuspecting world. The nefarious commander of SMELLY (Society for Meaningless Evil, Larceny, Lying, and Yelling) has hidden the dog at the World's Fair, and every innocent tourist who visits the event helps wind up the dogbot's engine simply by passing through the fair gate's turnstiles. Combining puzzles, animations, and a loony cast of animal characters straight from a James Bond film, Spy Fox 2: Some Assembly Required equips players with fiendishly clever gadgets and the means to make fake identities for themselves. Thus armed, they can roam the World's Fair, searching for the critical off switch and deactivation codes to shut down the dogbot before it's too late. Some Assembly Required has the usual virtues of a Spy Fox game: vivid and interesting visuals, great sound, intriguing puzzles, humor, and a lot of creativity. The gadgets are a particular delight, and the emphasis on mechanics will interest players who are keen to understand how things work. Parents will be pleased to see that values such as cooperation and teamwork are stressed, as Spy Fox relies heavily on scientists and other spies to help him complete his mission. Though the game has many animated sequences-which may frustrate task-oriented players-they are more entertaining than most segments in similar games. Whether you're a fan of Spy Fox or you're just looking to solve some brainteasers that pack a humorous punch, Some Assembly Required will definitely deliver. [+]

Perfect for today's modern royalty, Disney's Princess Fashion Boutique is sure to provide hours of artistic fun. You begin by creating a paper doll of yourself, choosing from thousands of different clothing and hairstyle combinations. The facial-feature and skin-tone options are plentiful, but it is also possible to use a self-portrait if you've got a scanner or digital camera. Either way, the dressing room is a great place for playing pretend, with a wardrobe most girls can only dream about. Once you've completed your character (and you can save up to 20 different outfits), you can put yourself in animated storybooks (as, of course, the star) and play with sounds, backgrounds and text to come up with all-new fairy tales. There are plenty of colouring options here, and they range from altering the stock art pieces to creating your own designs from scratch (using the easy icons to paint and animate them). All these creations are easily printable and can also be sent over the Internet. They have to be sent as e-mail attachments, though, so a little help from the queen or king may be necessary for your little princess to get it accomplished properly. Each of the three princess guides-Snow White, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty-has different worlds to explore, with tons of clickable treasures to add to your wardrobe. The worlds are slightly different every time they are opened, providing constant new surprises. [+]

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. [+]

If your child enjoys tea parties, castles, and princess prettiness, Disney's Beauty and the Beast Activity Centre will enrapture her. And like its protagonist, Belle, this program has the right balance of beauty and brains. A gorgeous opening leads to the foyer of the Beast's castle where Belle and Cogsworth, the worrywart clock, and Lumiere, the candle with the Maurice Chevalier accent, are preparing a surprise party for the Beast. Visitors must help the castle's denizens prepare for the party in four different areas. Mrs Pott's Teatime Table is in the kitchen, where guests must help set the table for three different meals; a rotating table gives this mundane-sounding task a fun spin. It takes good timing and hand-eye coordination to drop scoops of ice cream from high up on the shelf to the dishes spinning dizzily below. In the ballroom, visitors can pick music, decorations, and a gown for Belle, as well as choreograph dance steps in an activity that teaches sequencing and programming skills. Cogsworth's Library Mystery is another great activity; players must use descriptive clues to eliminate books, then decide which of the remaining tomes hides part of a key t hat's necessary to unlock the Beast's lair. Belle's Writing Desk is a non-structured activity in which kids can create stained-glass windows, cards, party invitations, and other masterpieces. The Teatime Table and the Library Mystery have three levels of difficulty, all of which must be mastered in order to adequately prepare for the big payoff-the surprise party for the Beast. [+]

Perfect for today's modern royalty, Disney's Princess Fashion Boutique is sure to provide hours of artistic fun. You begin by creating a paper doll of yourself, choosing from thousands of different clothing and hairstyle combinations. The facial-feature and skin-tone options are plentiful, but it is also possible to use a self-portrait if you've got a scanner or digital camera. Either way, the dressing room is a great place for playing pretend, with a wardrobe most girls can only dream about. Once you've completed your character (and you can save up to 20 different outfits), you can put yourself in animated storybooks (as, of course, the star) and play with sounds, backgrounds and text to come up with all-new fairy tales. There are plenty of colouring options here, and they range from altering the stock art pieces to creating your own designs from scratch (using the easy icons to paint and animate them). All these creations are easily printable and can also be sent over the Internet. They have to be sent as e-mail attachments, though, so a little help from the queen or king may be necessary for your little princess to get it accomplished properly. Each of the three princess guides-Snow White, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty-has different worlds to explore, with tons of clickable treasures to add to your wardrobe. The worlds are slightly different every time they are opened, providing constant new surprises. [+]

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. [+]

Famous Five Silver Tower is another interactive adventure inspired by the classic Enid Blyton books. Here is a second opportunity to join the Famous Five, namely Julian, Dick, Ann, George (really Georgina) and Timmy the dog, in an exciting mystery adventure. Julian, Dick and Anne are holidaying once again with their Uncle and Aunt and cousin George at Kirrin Cottage, and following their previous adventures on Treasure Island, are eager to visit Kirrin Island once again. However, Uncle Quentin has put a stop to their plans because he is conducting scientific experiments on the island and he has built a mysterious Silver Tower. The children are not allowed to visit the island, much to George's disgust. Strange happenings occur, and Uncle Quentin goes missing. Is there an intruder? Now it's your task to help the children to get to Kirrin Island and assist the Famous Five in unravelling the mystery. Look for clues, then solve them, search the Fisherman's cottage, negotiate treacherous rocks, and take part in all the various adventures the game has to offer. The installation process is comparatively simple and is adequately explained in the accompanying information booklet. In the main, it is easy to follow and should definitely be read before commencing the game. [+]