I See Sue...the T.rex

by Simon & Schuster

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 8 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00004TFJ1
• Item model number: 743503376
• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 13, 2000
• Average Customer Review: 2.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #17,393 in Software (See Top 100 in Software)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

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

I See SUE...the T.rex is a crude, confusing CD-ROM board game in which the goal is to match dinosaur parts. Each player is dealt a hand of three dinosaur cards. The cards contain a section of a dinosaur, either a head, body or tail. The goal is to match all three sections to bring that dinosaur to life. As children match the parts, they progress to the end of the path where they find a printable SUE coloring sheet. The trouble is that so much of the card handling is automated by the computer that children don't know when they are supposed to choose a card, or make a match. Other troublesome areas include a sluggish progression of the dinosaurs, a confusing set of rules about which dinosaur moves the farthest and an anticlimactic ending. Despite the fact that the Field Museum is prominently featured on the box, the only real content on the disk is ten slides that gloss over how SUE was found and transported to the museum. Much more content can be found for free on the SUE web site at http://www.fmnh.org./sue/default.htm. There are a total of four lands to travel through, each with the same mindless card sorting game. One path leads through the forest, one through the swamp, one through the sea and another through a stormy night. The best thing about this CD is its installation. Because it is programmed entirely in Macromedia Flash, the game runs directly off the CD, without any installation. In sum, though, the poorly designed games combined with the limited graphics and content make this program one to avoid.
Teaches: science, dinosaur facts
Age Range: 4-7 Copyright © 2000 Children's Software Revue

Amazon.com Review

Sue is the name of the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus rex fossil ever found, and in I See Sue ... the T. rex, children can attempt to win glimpses of this amazing dinosaur roaming the cliffs and valleys of her natural habitat.

Designed for children 4 to 7 years, I See Sue offers extremely light, entertainment-laced servings of dinosaur information. Older, more computer-savvy players may tire of the game easily; however, it is an excellent starter for users who are new to video games or who want a game they can play entirely without parental assistance. Simple and repetitive, the game features two interdependent challenges. Racing against the computer or a second player, players attempt to assemble a trio of tiles that will form a complete picture of a dinosaur. Each successfully compiled dinosaur allows the players to move ahead on the second part of the game: taking their creature across one of four game boards, trying to reach the course before their opponents. A few scientific facts about the assembled dinosaurs are offered, couched in easy-to-remember rhymes. Players who win the race are rewarded with an animation of the famous Sue as she prowls the ancient world, as well as a chance to print a picture of their favorite dinosaur.

I See Sue is not without its drawbacks and glitches. The reward pictures do not interface well with some printers; in some cases, they entirely refuse to print. Children may also be disappointed that the board-game section of play is automated--instead of moving their dinosaurs themselves, they must be content to watch the computer do it for them. (There is a tactical advantage, however, in choosing the most appropriate dinosaur for the various portions of the board game's prehistoric terrain.) The tile game remains identical through all four levels of play, presenting few opportunities to apply their hard-earned strategic skills to new problems.

I See Sue is a great jumping-off point for young children interested in dinosaurcentric software, and a user-friendly and charming way to ease kids into using educational software. While this CD-ROM is not likely to engage players for terribly long, visiting Sue's world briefly does offer plenty of scope for learning and, more importantly, for fun. (Ages 4-7) --Alyx Dellamonica

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This game is not for you! . . . . (It is for your kid.), November 27, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: I See Sue...the T.rex (CD-ROM)

I am the main designer of this game.

It is painful to see some customers unhappy with their purchase. It clearly is not what they expected.

It was not designed to entertain busy adults. Instead, we played the game with four-year olds in a day care center until they could easily grasp the game, but still had to be pulled away.

Nor was it designed to be "educational" - as if there were a paleontology curriculum in kindergarten. If you want your child to distinguish the Jurassic era from the Mesozoic, buy a different title. Instead this game teaches your child to make wise trade-offs and to think ahead. You choose.

If you can read this review, you will probably find the game slow-paced and repetitive. You might quit before you discover that it is also subtle, deep and exciting.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Repetitive matching game, not much learning., November 28, 2001

By 

Lauri J. (New Brunswick, NJ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I See Sue...the T.rex (CD-ROM)

My 5 year old son does enjoy I See Sue, but I hoped for a more educational experience than this. The little informative elements are not interactive and he learned most of the content from a night of reading a good dinosaur book. Not recommended by a mom who prefers her child to be gaining a little more out of time spent on a computer.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't Buy Sue the T.Rex, December 27, 2000

By 

Patrick Milam (Houston, Texas USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I See Sue...the T.rex (CD-ROM)

I just finished playing this game with my 4 year old son and I must say that neither of us found this title to be even remotely entertaining. It lacks the depth, superb graphics, and variety of the VERY good dinosaur game - Dinosaur Adventure 3-D. The entire game is this simple: Match 3 dinosaur tiles (head, mid-section, and tail) before your opponent does... and do it again, and again, and again... I didn't play it with my son for more than 20 minutes before I gave up from sheer boredom. I would suggest spending your money on Dinosaur Adventure 3-D instead.