StarFlyers Alien Space Chase

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining and challenging.
Review: My 4year old loved this game right away and so far she has only completed level one.(kept her interested for hours) Lots of variety. Style of the game is similar to "Freddi Fish and the stollen conch shell."

Rating:
Summary: Solid education and fun but lacking Pizazz
Review: My four-year-old daughter likes this program but it is not one of her favorites. I'm at a loss as to how I should criticize it because it seems to be missing a polished edge quality that is hard to explain. It's as if it is trying to be cool but... The activities are educational, the graphics are captivating, and usually "space" is an exciting backdrop for an adventure. I think, however, that it's missing some punch which would allow me to give it five stars. It is certainly worth playing if your child needs many choices of computer games like my girl does.

Rating:
Summary: Solid education and fun but lacking Pizazz
Review: My four-year-old daughter likes this program but it is not one of her favorites. I'm at a loss as to how I should criticize it because it seems to be missing a polished edge quality that is hard to explain. It's as if it is trying to be cool but... The activities are educational, the graphics are captivating, and usually "space" is an exciting backdrop for an adventure. I think, however, that it's missing some punch which would allow me to give it five stars. It is certainly worth playing if your child needs many choices of computer games like my girl does.

Rating:
Summary: A Real Treat
Review: The back story is always grounded in a real disastrous event in Katherine Diane Cadell's life. Quicker than you can say, "Oh, no!" her imagination creates a related adventure with the Star Flyers and her as Katie Cadet - leader of the pack. And the pack includes AJ who has special powers for each mission, Io, a fire breathing dog and Klanker, a very strong robot.
The actions are basically arcade style - but a very clever and imaginative arcade. The settings are sure to please children - Planet Chocolopagus where you herd marshmallows through chocolate tunnels; Planet Bowlarama where besides jumping and climbing , the player has to make use of the different powers of the team to get past hazards and Planet Ice Cube where planning and mapping skills are needed to navigate mazes. Activities are varied so the pace of the game keeps the interest high without it being tiring.

Getting from one planet to another requires navigating the spaceship through the Popcorn Galaxy avoiding space food junk and finding caramel power ups. The levels are Tough, Tougher and Toughest, and is just another example of the care and sensitivity that the designers used in putting together this game. As in all of The Learning Company's games there is self leveling and it is set to on but can be turned off. Self leveling keeps track of the players progress and adjusts it according to the performance, so that if you ace a game, the next one will be tougher.

The current format in games now-a-days is to put the manual on the disk. Do yourself or you kids a favor and read it. The how's and why's and what is good stuff and what is stuff to be avoided and what is to point of it all - is not always obvious - so read the manual. The upper age range for this game is eight, but it is unusual and clever enough to please older kids besides being delicious.