Customer Reviews

Zoombinis 3 Game Pack - Island Odyssey, Logical Journey, Mountain Rescue

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I started playing the first version of Logical Journey of the Zoombinis (written for Windows 98 or 2000) when I was eight or so and loved it. Ten years later, I still think these games are excellent. These are the new version of Zoombinis (made by the Learning Company - the earlier version was from Broderbund) and so should run problem-free on modern computers. My Broderbund originals don't work well on the computer I own now (they cause crashes on Me or XP computers), so I'm ordering this for me and as a present for my sister's ninth birthday.

The games teach the kind of logic that doesn't really have much to do with elementary school curriculum - I didn't understand why this stuff was useful until I took high school honors algebra and AP computer science. (I still think Logical Journey helped me on the AP exam for computer science, though). However, the game is fun for all ages and simple enough for a barely literate child to understand and enjoy. Three long, wonderful games that teach AP-level concepts to children under the age of 10 (and make them late for dinner because 'Mommy, I have to get to the next level!' - true story) are worth a LOT more than the $25 Amazon is selling them for.

These three games are an amazing set, all educational, all fun.

Aside from teaching logic to children of all ages, all three teach self-confidence and self-esteem. Upon successfully completing a puzzle one hears "Well done, oh wise and trusty guide,"--or words of the like. These magnificent puzzles build skill and character without pressure of any kind. Mistakes are just an opportunity to learn better next time.

Each puzzle completed well brings praise and the reward of continuing on the logical journey. But in the instances one loses a few Zoombinis along the road, there is no cause for alarm. "Don't worry, you'll meet the Zoombinis again later," the narrator tells players.

The challenges are great for children of all ages and even for adults. I could think of much worse games with which to play of an afternoon with my kids. Even the characters and sound effects on this game are pleasant. This game is a welcome relief from mass-market time wasters. It's fun and education packed together.

The games are all varied in character, and the puzzles contained on each disc are new. So don't worry about boredom. Take the leap for 3-in-1 fun.

--Alyssa A. Lappen

My son is 7 and just started 2nd grade. He loves the logic puzzles and has played it for hours now. He has now noticed how it gets much harder with each level and he enjoys the challenge. He hasn't tried the next 2 titles yet so I can't comment on them. The graphics are quite dated but who cares? The quality of the game is what matters.

I have three computers in my house: one Mac, and two PCs running XP. Of the three games, only one of them worked on one computer; all other eight permutations did not work, with problems ranging from failing to recognize the CD to hanging mid-game.

It's not good enough to write a program for Windows 98 and continue to sell it when there are so many incompatibilities. Obviously it works on some computers, but mine are hardly unusual, and I can only imagine that many others have the same issues.

There is a website which seems to offer a large number of fixes, but I don't think it is appropriate to reconfigure your entire system to runs a kids' game ... I've done it in the past, and wound up with major system instability.

So, if it works, fine. But keep the receipt!!

Like some of the other reviewers had similar problems no matter what computer we tried to use it on. My 6 year old son caught a glimpse of a few screens and was really getting into playing but then we would have to reboot the whole computer. I wasn't going to reconfigure my whole operating system just to play the game. Can we get a refund?

When I read Khayankh's review, I thought it may be my granddaughter! They are about the same age; and must have played the game about the same time.
My baby loved this game and I loved watching her play it. It is sooooo entertaining and soooo educational!! Plus, it was much fun!!!These are excellent games for anyone, teens and even adults! I always loved to buy educational games for my babies to learn and use their brain, and these games definitely fall into the category!! My granddaughter was a preteen then and is in college now. Her analytical mind and critical thinking is due in part to these types of games she played!!
If you want good educational games, don't hesitate to purchase these!! They're great!!

One of the games works fine, but the other two shut off as soon as the "play" button is hit, even though our computer fits the requirements listed on the game box. My son was really disappointed.

I tried installing the three games but only one actually worked. The Logical Journey crashes each time and the Mountain rescue states that it cannot set the video code and then exits out.Very disappointing. I hope there is a way to get a partial refund for the two that are not compatible with XP and I only have to pay for the game that works.

out of the 3 games in the pack Island Odyssey, Logical Journey, Mountain Rescue, there was only one that i enjoy.

Zoombinis Logical Journey:
Absolutely amazing! With levels that scale in difficulty as you play it becomes challenging but never impossible.
With great replay-ability i would say that you are never too old to enjoy this game

The other 2, Island Odyssey & Mountain Rescue did not hold my attention.

I bought this for my daughter since she play this game at her school and she loves it. This version is from 10 years ago, made for win98. However, it seems to work fine on her Compaq win XP laptop. She loves it. I will probably need to find the latest version and buy it for her. Games have really changed in the past 10 years.