Review of Nemo's Underwater World of Fun

Ack! I said I'd see you in September, and here it is almost Halloween. 1000 miles, 400 boxes, and one dead hard drive later, I am back.

I am still trying to locate all my software, especially the ones I was in the process of reviewing. In the meantime, the boys received "Finding Nemo, Nemo's Underwater World of Fun" as a gift. So yay! I have something to review.

Produced by Disney/Pixar, this title is designed for children ages four and up. The system requirements are as follows:

Macintosh: Mac OX X version 10.2 or later G3 or G4 266 MHz or faster iMac, iBook, PowerBook, Power Macintosh 128MB RAM 160 MB free hard drive disk space 8X CD-ROM drive 8MB VRAM Thousands or millions of colors video display QuickTime

PC: Microsoft Windows 98/ME/XP/2000 Intel Pentium II processor running at 266 MHz (PIII 400 MHz recommended) 64 MB Ram (128 MB RAM for Windows XP/2000 users) 160 MB free hard drive space 8X CD-ROM drive Video card with at least 8 MB RAM Microsoft Direct X 8.1 Direct X compatible display capable of 800X600 resolution in 16 bit color 16 bit Sound Blaster Compatible sound card Microsoft compatible mouse

There isn't a lot of educational material on this CD-Rom. It consists mostly of the standard games and activities: a race through obstacles, a music making activity, and an assortment of memory games. The memory games give an ironic twist to the collection, since Dory, one of the main characters, is known for not having much of a memory. When you finish a level in each game, you win a prize. After winning a prize you are rewarded with a video clip from the movie. Once you have collected five objects of the same type, Marlin will build a new Super Swim Challenge for Nemo. After completing all five Super Swim Challenges, Nemo becomes a Super Swimmer.

Following are brief descriptions of each game.

TURTLE SURFIN' - Move the mouse up, down, left, and right to move Crush, the turtle through the current. Be careful not to hit any other animals or objects also riding on the current. Keep your eyes open for the vortex, as that's the exit to the next level. Five collisions and you'll have to begin the level over again.

TRIBAL MUSIC - This is pretty cool. A lot more things to click on and make noise with than other games with this same type of activity. Seven members of the tank gang each make a distinctive note as well as a repeated chant pattern. Eight clamshells make lovely chiming sounds. Seven varieties of coral offer a variety of instrumental notes. Click on the magic wheel to change the color and tone of the coral. Click on the drum to produce different beats. You can record and play back your original pieces. With so much variety here, a child (or a grown up even) could play around with this for hours.

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