Customer Reviews

Thomas & Friends Building the New Line

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Trying to find things for my kids to do is always a challenge. That's why when Thomas the Tank Engine and Frainds have a software package like this one I had to get a copy.

With 4 engines using 3 locations and 5 possible tracks, giving you 60 different layouts there is always soemthing different. I think if they release another version they should add more engines like Henry, Gordon, Toby and Duck.

You'll find fun right around every turn including having George rip up the track and you have to replace it. You can help Cranky the Crane move boulders off the track and help the engines back on the track when they fall off.

Also there is haybales, crates and oil drums you can spill to only have to clean up after. The only thing I didn't see is Thumper, but I sure he'll show up at some time. Ther are 2 levels a junior and senior engineer, giving you different things to do at each location.

Overall this is a great experience for the kids to look and learn as well as build computer and mouse skills.

Our kids have enjoyed all three of the previous Thomas software titles ("The Great Festival Adventure", "Trouble on the Tracks", and the "Railway Adventures Playset"), and we purchased this latest title a few weeks ago. This one seems very unimpressive in comparison. It might be an ok option if your child is 2-3, and/or if they like the idea of completing a game within 15 minutes; otherwise, you should probably choose one of the other Thomas titles.

The game designers had a good idea -- design and build your own rail line -- but their execution of this idea is pretty dull and disappointing. You don't get much control over the design of the line, you just select one of 5 pre-designed layouts. All 5 layouts are small (one screen) in size, and they're all pretty similar to each other. You do some inconsequential decorating of the layout by placing a few trees and rocks here and there. After that, you run an engine around the line for as long as you like (it takes just a few seconds to drive a complete lap). Along the way you can complete a couple of dull and extremely simple activities, like load a stack of boxes from one spot and unload them another. It seems silly because you only carry the load for a few seconds before it requires you to unload it all! After that, you can clean and repair the engine (something that's part of every Thomas game), and lastly you "decorate" the engine, which means you get to choose from a few pre-selected decorations. It usually takes 15 minutes or less to complete the whole game.

The game offers two different skill levels, but the ONLY difference between them occurs during the placing of tracks onto the track layout, and it's a really minor difference in difficulty -- my 2 1/2 year old can do the higher level.

It's a disappoinment from Infogrames, the company that recently acquired both Hasbro Interactive (which made the previous Thomas titles) and Humongous Software (which produced a LONG list of great kids titles). I've seen a few of their other recent efforts (including "Dora's Backpack Adventure" and "Blues Clues Preschool"), and I have yet to see them produce anything that's on par with their predecessors.

My son is 3 1/2 and a Thomas crazed child. He seems to like this game and has been playing with it consistantly for the last few weeks. However, the game is not very impressive, as other reviewers have already stated. It's very limited and does not do nearly as much as the game that comes with the Thomas attachment for the keyboard. (He has that one too) If you are debating between spending the $40 on the other game or getting off cheaper with this one, get the one with the attachment. That has at least 5 times more content to it and will last alot longer. Plus my son loves getting to actually drive Thomas. This game is a short lived Thomas fix for those children who love Thomas. It's not a bad game, there just isn't very much to it. My son had completed the three locations and the 5 track layouts in less than an hour (on both levels) I know I was bored to tears with it after 10 minutes.
It will help a child learn mouse skills (since it's a mouse driven game, the one with the attachment does not use the mouse at all).

As others have mentioned, there really isnt a lot here. Despite the appeal of the Thomas characters, my 2 1/2 year-old was bored very quickly.

We also have a very well-worn copy of Thomas and the Great Festival Adventure, which actually has puzzles and seems to teach something other than just mouse skills. I was expecting something of at least that quality as was very disappointed.

Also I should mention that whilst the interminable instructions are being recited, the mouse cursor is hidden. This caused a great deal of confusion as my son couldn't work out why the mouse wasn't working all of a sudden.

In short, a regrettable purchase (I will check the reviews next time!)

My son is also an avid Thomas Fan and we bought this since he had played the Great Festival Game several times. We run Windows XP and couldn't get the game to load properly. When we finally got into the game there wasn't much to do. The Great Festival Game is a much better deal.

PURCHASED THIS GAME FOR GRANDSON; SON DOWNLOADED IT - GAME DID NOT WORK RIGHT EVEN AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS; LOCKED UP, AND TO TOP IT OFF SCREWED UP MY SON'S LAPTOP. GUESS THATS WHAT YOU GET FOR PURCHASING A USED GAME. NEVER AGAIN. MONEY LOST ON THE GAME AND MONEY LOST FOR THE REPAIR OF SON'S LAPTOP. NOT WORTH IT! WISH I WOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT USED GAMES = DEFECTIVE GAMES.

My son has hours of fun with this game. The price and shipping costs were great and it arrived just in time for Christmas. I was quite pleased.

Perhaps the adults who have reviewed this are reviewing it for themselves. Yes, it is a little slow, but I have grandchildren from age 2 through 6 that can not wait to play it again. They love selecting the track layout, seleting the engine, bulding the track, encountering the obsticles during the game, and finally taking the train to the grand opening.

This game is by far their favorate. I get a little board watching it, but then I have held them on my lap for literaly hundreds of iterations of the game by now. I have all the lines of Sir Topen Hat memorized, so yes, it is time for me to move on, but they still love every moment of it. We wore the last CD out, so I am definately purchasing the second CD so we can start playing it again.

Attention to all makers of children's computer games: please, please, PLEASE do not make games where there a long, dull instructions that cannot be skipped. This would have been an 'ok' game if it weren't for the directions that are repeated every single time you play the game. Maybe there is a way to skip past the directions, but I haven't found it yet. The kids I work with get annoyed and lose interest by the time the directions for each new activity are repeated.

My daughter loves trains and is adept with many software packages, but this game is just annoying.

The layouts are too simple. You can "choose" but they're all really small. You can only put a certain number of plants on the layout. You can only put one cargo item on the layout.

She would enjoy just watching the train run, but it doesn't just run - there are always mishaps - things spilled on the track, stuff that has to be done. They're difficult to understand and kind of boring - having to click every rock away. I can see the point but a "no disasters" mode (a la the original Sim City) would be an improvement.

The decoration feature is similarly lame, and it doesn't do anything. It should at least let you watch the train go around the track with your decorations.

In general the interface is clumsy and unintuitive. There are many games that my daughter can play all by herself - but when she plays this one she constantly needs my help to figure out what to do. And I don't really enjoy clicking on boxes one at a time.

Geotrax (plastic train toys) is less expensive, easier to use, more fun, and still works when the power goes out.