Easy Bake Kitchen Playset

by Atari

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00002971T
• Media: CD-ROM
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #29,910 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

From Children's Software Revue® -- "Subscribe Now!"

This colorful playset attaches onto your keyboard to turn your computer into a little kitchen, complete with measuring cup, mixer, oven door and baker's tools. The first step is to connect the plastic playset onto your Windows computer. This is easy- just run the stretchable strap under your keyboard and hook it onto the other side. While it is recommended that you use the playset with a standard keyboard, we successfully attached it to KBGear's Winnie the Pooh keyboard. Next, you install and start up the software. Now, as your child manipulates objects on the playset, signals are sent to the computer to make things happen onscreen. Kids will find plenty to do. They can follow recipes to make cakes, pies, gingerbread houses and cookies, or they can go to the Kitchen to make their own concoctions. There's an enjoyable Gingerbread House Baking Contest and two arcade-like games. Children can also print pictures of their tasty creations, or they can serve up treats at the Tea Party. Kids can even print and try out actual recipes of the goodies they baked. Testers aged three to eight quickly became addicted to the game. Kids loved using the baker's tools to decorate their creations with letters, shapes and animals and took advantage of the saving and printing features. While it's tough to compete with the experience of real live baking, this playset offers a fun, mess-free alternative.
Teaches: early learning, creativity
Age Range: 3, 4, 5, 6 Copyright © 2000 Children's Software Revue

Amazon.com Review

If you've ever cooked under the heat of a 50-watt light bulb and struggled to cut the resulting tiny "cake" into six servings, you might be skeptical about Hasbro Interactive's ability to deliver a CD-ROM that could match the culinary experience of an actual Easy Bake Oven. Yet what this virtual bakery lacks in edible results, it remedies with a surprising, imaginative approach.

The most unique aspect of this playset is the strap-on kitchen. Once the white counter with pink and green appliances is installed over the keyboard, rookie cooks can crack eggs, whir the blender, and roll dough to initiate action onscreen. There's nothing to plug in here; it's all mechanical. You can't use your keyboard for anything but "cooking" while the kitchen is in place, but setup and takedown is only a matter of seconds. If you don't want a plastic kitchen sitting on your expensive keyboard, it's possible to "cook" using the mouse, but that method isn't nearly as fun.

Kitchen in place and disc installed, chefs visit the recipe box, and with help from a baking pal, whip up everything from banana bread to layer cakes. A game area includes a baking contest and a hide-and-seek that pits players against demonically giggling gingerbread men.

This virtual kitchen is at its best when the cook strays from the recipe. Overcook a cake and smoke curls up from the onscreen door, then your baking pal reassures you as a charred lump emerges from the oven. In one kitchen, anything goes; keep tipping the egg into the bowl and eventually a dinosaur egg goes in, then one with a purple yolk, then in goes Humpty Dumpty. Extra points go to the designers for creating a diverse cast of baking buddies. Boys who feel like baking might prefer to roll dough with Billy Batter instead of Sally Sprinkles.

Still prefer the textures and smells of real baking? Your kids can print recipes for what they've made onscreen. The 12 recipes range from decadent brownies to more Spartan fare, such as soft pretzels. Once they've practiced in the virtual kitchen, they can mess up your real kitchen cooking real goodies. --Anne Erickson

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy Bake Playset Easy to use!, January 12, 2007

By 

Paula Carr (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Easy Bake Kitchen Playset (CD-ROM)

I bought this playset for my daughters since they love playing on the computer and of course with their actual EasyBake oven. I had heard some slightly negative reviews but I dont see them now with this playset. My daughters love playing with it. The console is easy to use and follow with the game program. There is a little guide that shows the child what to do in case they get lost in what to do next. There are recipes to print out and different desserts to make. The console, which has the kitchen tools for "baking", is attached to the keyboard for easy play. This playset is definitely worth every penny and gets a high rating from me!