Can you help Fred, Velma, and the gang solve the mystery behind the Phantom Knight and his dragon? Scooby-Doo: Phantom of the Knight offers laughs, pretty good animation, and a series of challenging puzzles to entertain young children for hours. Since the villain and clues change with each new adventure, replay is just as much fun as the very first game. Set up much like an episode of the classic television series, the program puts players in an old, castle-themed amusement park to explore for clues to its haunting. Some of the scarier areas will require feeding Scooby or Shaggy to coax them in; snacks can be obtained by several tests of skill along the way. Once enough clues have been collected, players decide who's to blame, then check to see if the guess is right in an action sequence that closes play. Three levels of difficulty are available, and each offers increasing pressure in the form of red-herring clues and harder challenges to acquire Scooby Snacks. Installation is very simple, and the CD-ROM comes with several Scooby-related goodies like a printable poster and online previews of upcoming movies. (Ages 5 to 10) -Rob Lightner.

A terrible storm has knocked out power in Jurassic Park and the huge dinosaurs are on the rampage. As a member of the elite Dino Defender squadron, it's your job to capture as many dinosaurs as possible while you try to restore power in this dramatic and exciting CD-ROM game. The adventure starts once you type your name and accept the mission, and then you must climb, leap, run and jump using your keyboard or game pad control. Be aware that the big dinosaurs take a while to emerge-at first you're followed by a few small ones that make strange squeaking noises. But on the way you can stop and look for supply boxes of gear such as tranquilliser canisters and distractor flares. The scenes are very atmospheric and the tension builds quickly as you're never sure when the dinosaurs are going to put in an appearance. When they do, it's quick and you have to be fast with your controls to survive. The accompanying booklet is well-designed and points out all the navigation and movement skills required to take on the dinosaurs. However it's worthwhile spending time in the game's excellent interactive training academy. Quick to install and well-explained by the narrator this is a first class adventure game which will keep children and adults alike occupied for hours. [+]

Frankie and his friends are up to their antics again in Frankie Crazy Racing. The object is to teach your children essential learning skills in an enjoyable and exciting way using interactive activities. Join them as they prepare to take part in a crazy, action-packed race in Frankie Town. They'll earn power-ups, take a balloon ride, boost up their buggie and take part in Frankie's big race. The program is aimed at children aged from five to six years (year one at school) and it supports the UK National Curriculum. It is, however, also suitable for older children needing to practise the skills covered. These include letter and sound recognition and identification, reading comprehension, sentence building, counting, addition and subtraction, spelling, science, music and art. The software is accompanied by a comprehensive, easy-to-follow pamphlet, but the manufacturers recommend use of the manual found on the CD, which gives complete game details and instructions. Parents can adjust volume levels and the level of content in the skills being covered, access progress reports, and set up assessment tests for their child. Seven learning styles have been identified, allowing for the fact that some children respond better to learning through pictures, some through songs and others through hands-on examples. [+]

There's trouble in Townsville in Powerpuff Girls-Mojo Jojo's Clone Zone for the PC and Mac. Mojo Jojo has devised a terrible plan: he has successfully created Robot clones of himself that contain knowledge from his own brain, and he has sent them into the streets and to the Underground in Townsville, in order to destroy it. The clones, however, are capable of being overthrown: help the Power Puff girls to capture and defeat the clones by using learning power to unlock rewards by completing activities and collecting the clones' memory chips, and so, ultimately saving Townsville from Mojo Jojo's evil and villainous plans. You may well be wondering who the Powerpuff Girls are? Red-haired Blossom is the leader, and always wears pink dresses. Buttercup, with short black hair, wears green clothes and is really tough, while Bubbles, the most sensitive of the trio, wears blue dresses and has blonde bunches. All were created by Professor Utonium and all have special skills and incredible super powers, courtesy of their creator, which they regularly use to save the world from danger. By playing these games, your children will develop their maths and reading skills, logic and problem-solving abilities, their critical thinking analysis and sequencing and direction following abilities-all of which are necessary for educational development. The CD-ROM is aimed at children aged 6-10 years, which covers a large range of abilities, but to accommodate this age gap 5 levels of difficulty have been built into the program. Progress is automatically remembered, and can be monitored. There are also print-outs available: choose from 25 activities including cross words, colouring, word searches, and more. [+]

Here's your chance to reunite online with the entire undersea gang. The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea brings Ariel, her daughter Melody, Sebastian and all the other characters from the two Disney films straight to your computer, in a package of games and activities certain to please young players. Return to the Sea features two arcade games-Melody's Daring Dive and Too Cool!-and a trio of creativity-oriented activities. In the first game, Melody dives for jewels and pearls while dodging sharks and other hazards. In the second, she collects gems in an effort to thaw out a trident, which she must then use in battle with the nefarious Morgana. Both games are fast paced and well designed, boasting 20 levels of difficulty. Unlike some games for this age group, these genuinely get harder, ensuring significant replay potential. The noncompetitive activities include Aquabatics, where players design an underwater dance show; Mermaid Memories, an interactive sticker book; and Melody's Melodies, a karaoke programme featuring two songs from Disney's newest Little Mermaid film. Setting up the routines in Aquabatics is a lot of fun; players can flip and spin their favourite characters in a variety of swimming twirls. Though almost all games for girls include a program like Mermaid Memories, the one featured in this game is put together extremely well. [+]