Customer Reviews

I Spy Fantasy [Old Version]

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I have bought more than 30 computer games for my 4 1/2 year old son over the last 3 years. I have to say that this one has the best graphics of all the games I have seen so far. My son has been into I Spy books ever since he was barely one year old (the board book version at first). I was afraid that this game might not live up to his expectations. However, it was that and much more. I get bored watching him play his other computer games sometimes, but I can actively participate in this one. I even installed it in my computer at the office so that I can play it when there is a lull at work. Excellent in terms of building their vocabulary as well.

I won't waste your time with too lengthy a review. "I Spy Fantasy" is filled with such great animation and attention-grabbing graphics that it's not unusual for my kids to eagerly complete any homework so they can load the software! I paid around $23.00 with shipping and handling for an I SPY game that is very much value prioed. The kids were able to load the software with little help from me. I even found myself glued to their screen as they navigated through the first session on our sluggish computer. Amazingly, the software didn't consume all of the hard drive and it loaded faster than many other gamed that I've purchased online for them.

The kids have enjoyed it so much that they wrote a letter to the Computer Literacy Department at their school in Scottsdale, Arizona. A review was held and I was asked to take them to the school and have them answer a few questions before the Computer Literacy Board. Since the minute of their birth I was impressed by them and the night they put together a short presentation and answered questions about "I SPY FANTASY", I found myself elated.

I'm cautious about the types of games and software that I purchase for my children and for relatives. Sometimes I make mistakes and other times I make good choices. When I purchased this impressive fantasy game, online as always, I couldn't wait to see their reactions as they are all "I SPY" enthusiasts. These wonderful children raced to the computer room and then yelled, all at the very same time, "Thank you, Daddy!", and once again that warm feeling of joy filled Dads heart.

This software is a great investment. Your child will enjoy this program and will likely never tire of it-so common with so many other software programs I've purchased. It's a great way to spend a few bucks on your priceless children. I promise you many hours of peace and quiet. How else could you better spend less than $20.00?

Thanks for taking the time to read my review. I really appreciate it and my kids are already asking me if I have had any positive responses. I told them if we get 50 or more I will buy them a brand new large monitor-so they can better view their "I SPY FANTASY" software and enjoy the awesome clarity of the animations and graphics.

Warm Regards to ALL!

Peter V. Cannice
Scottsdale, Arizona

Email: Horsepete@aol.com

My son has been playing these I Spy games for a while, and after the great I Spy Treasure hunt game, I thought he was done and over with these games. He was BLOWN away by this game. Especially the fantastic animations that are better than ever.

This game is like hidden education. They are learning and don't even know it.

At 20.00 this game is a steal. Hell, it would be a steal at 40.00.

In short, if you have a child that likes computer games and want one that won't drain their brain cells but fill them, get this game now.

In our culture littered with violent games for children, a big "Thank You!" to Scholastic for providing intelligent, educational, imaginative, challenging, non-violent games for children. The visuals are beautiful and well designed, the puzzles are witty, the music is well chosen. The adventures are engaging and truly fantastic! My son and I highly recommend this software!

An excellent compromise between my son (age 7) and me. He sees it as a fun computer game, I see it as a rated-G brain-squeezing activity that we can do together. It's a great way to spend some time with your kids, doing something you'll both enjoy.

The graphics are beautiful and vivid. The game is very easy to maneuver through. It even increases in difficulty so you can keep playing again and again! All in all, it's good, clean fun for everyone.

This is a really fun game to play with your grandchildren. My 6 year old grandaughter just loves it. She does most of the things by herself, but I enjoy helping her out when she gets stuck. Granpa likes it too. Nice change of pace from the whole barbie, princess and dress-up stuff.

My 5 year old daughter plays this game again and again. I love that it is difficult enough to challenge her to think outside of the box. (Seeing the three on dice verses written out.)She is learning without having to play the usual educational games that are childish or annoying. This is also a game for me to play with her that doesn't require me to master a sword.

Children exercise their thinking skills as they search detail-rich screens for hidden objects in I Spy Fantasy. This latest CD-ROM in the I Spy software series (and based on the popular I Spy books) may be the best yet.

Three fantasy environments are theirs to explore, and each area offers kids an intriguing theme, plenty of trademark I Spy riddle screens (such as the one pictured at right), and three levels of content and difficulty. Not only that, each environment includes its own mission -- find pages of a mermaid's book, search for fuel crystals to fuel up a spaceship, and retrieve six keys that will open a dungeon where a princess is imprisoned. The environments are completely kid-pleasing: Sand Castle Adventure, Blast-Off Adventure, and Deep Blue Sea Adventure.

Parents who think they'd prefer that their kids search for the objects by staring at a book rather than the computer monitor, consider this: The digital version of the popular I Spy books offers a whole lot more. Often objects need to be moved in order to find the sought-after item, or a dot-to-dot activity needs to be completed to reveal a hidden object. Not only that, there are a handful of games that create a technologically-unique opportunity for learning. The program "remembers" incomplete adventures so kids can always return to them later with a fresh outlook. The only thing that compares unfavorably to playing I Spy hunts with the book version is that some kids might discover that merely clicking around randomly will eventually bring up many of the hidden objects. Still, that would quickly become boring, and most children will enjoy the challenge of the hunt itself.

As kids examine the detailed pictures that make the I Spy series so popular, they exercise their powers of observation. The text for the entire riddle is read aloud, and as kids find individual objects, the words are highlighted. Children need to refer back to the text as they search for items, and struggling readers have the option to hear individual words and phrases read aloud. Thinking skills are required to interpret some of the more cryptic riddles and clues. Some objects are in obvious places, and others are cleverly hidden.

Our kid testers were fascinated with the game for hours at a time. The first play-through is the easiest, although some objects remain somewhat difficult to find. Subsequent games are more difficult, and kids have three full adventures at different difficulty levels to complete. This adds up to rather sizable content. Of course, gameplay is limited in the end because of the nature of the I Spy riddles, but this program has a strong life nonetheless. Some special surprises, such as a microscope screen complete with magnification levels and objects that need to be moved to another area of the screen, are included for added interest.

Although the target audience is ages 5-10, children on the younger end of the age range will need some help, even playing on the easiest (first) level. For independent play, a better suggested age range would be 7 or 8 and up.

Technically Speaking
Minimum requirements are Windows 95/98/2000/Me/XP, a Pentium II 266 MHz processor, 64 Mb RAM, and 8X CD ROM.

Skills Covered
Thinking and problem-solving skills, language arts skills (vocabulary and reading).

Educational Value
Even though the game's educational content is strong, kids never catch on that the program has an educational agenda. Children hone not only their skills of observation, but their language arts skills (such as vocabulary and reading) as well.

Entertainment Value
Most children quite naturally enjoy hunting for hidden objects and deciphering clues as well as solving problems. This program offers all of these things in a pleasing graphically-rich setting. The fantasy theme in the game is appealing, and although the program will likely stump children at times, it is ultimately "doable".

Design
The program features a kid-friendly design and a clever system that advances difficulty levels as kids progress in the game.

Replay Value
Because of the nature of I Spy riddles, once a riddle is solved, there is little challenge when it is attempted again. Therefore, we were pleased the software offers many riddles as well as three levels of content and difficulty.

While for the adults it can be pretty easy to find the pictures, it is so much fun watching my 5 year old daughter find them. She gets really excited when she has gotten all the pictures and can get the clues for the screens. Here is a layout of the game for you: there are 3 areas to choose from, an aquarium, a sand castle, and outer space. For each section there is an objective, for instance, in the sandcastle it is to find the pictures in each room so you will be "awarded" a key, when you have collected enough you unlock the princess from the dungeon, after of course coming up with an item from each room for a potion to defeat a dragon. In each section there are at least 6 "I spy" rooms. Don't worry if your child cannot read yet, you can place the mouse over the words on the bottom and click and a voice will tell you what item to find. You are able to save your games, to come back to, and there is room for more than one player to save a game. I hope to get more of the "I Spy" series. Enjoy!!!

i have a 8 year old boy and a 5 yr. old girl and the 2 of them could do this for HOURS! it's educational, requires them to use their noggins and they enjoy playing it together. my biggest fear is that we will go through all the I SPY games too quickly.