Rugrats Mystery Adventure Review

Because of cavities and food allergies, the Easter Bunny dropped off software instead of candy at our house this year. My almost five year old was delighted to find Rugrats Mystery Adventures by Mattel Media in his basket. Although this software is targeted for ages 6 and up, he does okay with a little help. And his two year old brother enjoys sitting in my lap and watching the action.

Now from the Easter Bunny's point of view there is nothing overtly educational about this title. However there is a lot of fun, non-violent arcade action (which reinforces eye-hand co-ordination and computer skills) with a little bit of deductive reasoning thrown in.

Tommy is presented with a mystery to solve (there are dozens of random mysteries ranging from missing binkies to stolen chocolate milk. Click on DeeDee, and the rugrats are at the park. Click on Stu, and the rugrats are at the hardware store. There are three arcade games in each of these environments. A Reptar Bar is earned every time a game is played. However, you can only keep three Reptar Bars at a time. Reptar Bars are used to get "informants: (another kid in the scene) to give you a clue. A puzzle picture will appear with a few pieces missing. Your child has to figure out which three pieces or clues go together. If incorrect, then it's back to get another Reptar Bar and try again.

Most of the maneuvering is done with the arrow keys instead of the mouse. It is also a little difficult to get the characters in just the right spot to start the game. In addition, the directions are written, so some one will need to help younger players learn how to play. The actual games seemed simple enough, but the navigation and lack of oral instructions is what makes this game more suitable for older children. However, after I explained how to play the arcade games to my son, he caught on pretty quickly.

The more I play this game with the kids, the more I like it. At first I was disappointed as I was expecting something closer to the quality of the Humongous Junior Adventure series (Putt-Putt, Freddi-Fish, and Pajama Sam). This game is a lot of fun for kids, especially Rugrat fans, but there isn't a lot to it. There are just two scenes with three games in each. There are also few steps to solving the mystery.

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