- Platform: Windows 98 / NT 4, Mac OS 9 and below
- Media: CD-ROM
- Item Quantity: 1
System Requirements
Product Details
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Product Description
From Children's Software Revue® -- "Subscribe Now!"
In this interactive storybook, Willy, the castle ghost, is trapped and has lost his ghostly powers. To help, kids use their logic and early reading skills to travel through secret passages, ward off unusual spooks and collect food. On the positive side, the text is highlighted as it is read, and kids can easily toggle the narration and text between English, French and German. Our testers, all between the ages of five and six enjoyed the program. They found it "creepy but not too scary," but younger children may be frightened by the spooky sound effects. Although the downsides are fairly minor, the uninterruptible animation sequences result in too much waiting for some kids, and the transitions between screens are awkward.
Teaches: logic, reading
Age Range: 3-7 Copyright © 2000 Children's Software Revue
Teaches: logic, reading
Age Range: 3-7 Copyright © 2000 Children's Software Revue
Amazon.com Review
Be prepared: Your child may develop a yellow-sock obsession after discovering this charming, multilingual European CD-ROM. Socks--yellow ones with holes--are the only things that can free Willie, the friendly ghost, from his tower. He eats them to maintain his ghostly powers, and he's terribly hungry. Max must choose whether or not to leave the twilight comfort of his uncle's backyard on a mission to the haunted castle to free the ghost. Fortunately, this spooky spot is more full of delight than dread.
The haunted castle's 13 rooms are cozy, cluttered, and riddled with secret passageways. The object here is simply to search for little yellow socks in this multidimensional storybook world. Click on a rug, and it transforms into a ghostly keyboard, each note a quivering moan. In another room, click on a washing machine, and a grungy ghost flies in, goes through a cycle, and flies out, sparkling white. There's endless fun to be had searching for the all-important footwear; this CD-ROM emphasizes the exploration (there's a ghost in the shower!) that happens on the way to achievement (must get yellow socks!)
As your child helps Max discover new rooms, narrative text appears onscreen, adding to the storybook feel and encouraging literacy skills. Memory and orientation come into play as explorers negotiate the castle's doors and secret passageways, and kids can even dabble in German and French by changing the language setting. As bats deliver mail from home, and statuary drops hints to sock seekers, this place doesn't feel haunted; it feels charmed. (Ages 3-7) --Anne Erickson
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Please get more like this one for my kids!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Max and the Haunted Castle (PC / MAC) (CD-ROM)
This is the software that is tons of fun and does not pollute your childs imagination! My kids spend hours playing this one and I like it because they are learning while they are playing in the story. The most important message in the story line is to help your friend in need. The game is rewarding and thus also make your kid feel like they have accomplished something. GOOD STUFF!
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A keeper,
By
This review is from: Max and the Haunted Castle (PC / MAC) (CD-ROM)
My daughter loves this game! We have played it many times and she has yet to really tire of it. Surprisingly enough my 2-year old loves watching and playing along too. A great game with a gentle spirit and a sense of fun.
12 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Slow & Dull,
By A Customer
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Max and the Haunted Castle (PC / MAC) (CD-ROM)
My twin almost-four year olds are fast becoming video game veterans - the Jump Start Series, Winnie the Pooh, Pajama Sam. This game got on my nerves quickly - when you try to move from room to room, EVERY SINGLE TIME it asks "Are you SURE you want to go through this door? Yes or no?" and makes you click on an up-thumb or a down-thumb. That gets old FAST. If you click on a door, obviously you want to go through it! It does not allow you to hit the "escape" key to skip the long, dull opening narrative as most games do after you've played it once. You don't want the five-minute story EVERY time. Every room you enter requires you to sit through another long narrative describing what you can easily see just by looking at the room. Most games would allow you to click and skip the talk. Not this one. No way to turn off the self-involved talky Brit who wrote this. (From the UK). Pajama Sam is a better alternative to this, but you'll have to walk through that one the first time with the under-6 age group. After one walk through, though, my toddlers loved PS. This one they walked away from in disinterest after only 15 minutes....very poorly designed, IMHO.
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