~~October 2004~~

Get a Clue!
An international adventure is in store for Nancy Drew fans in this latest installment in the popular CD-ROM series. Nancy Drew: Curse of Blackmoor Manor promises to be both highly suspenseful and challenging, offering over 25 hours of gameplay. Players interview suspects, search for clues, solve puzzles, and uncover the mystery behind a young newlywed's illness and reclusive behavior.  Townspeople talk of beasts and witches, as well as a tragic past that seems to be haunting the manor.
[For more information, user reviews, or to buy: Nancy Drew - Curse of Blackmoor Manor (CD-ROM)]
 
Shark Tale
October 1st is the day the DreamWorks feature film Shark Tale opened in theaters. Games for the PC, GameCube, XBox, GameBoy Advance, and PS2, based on the movie, are now available. The game takes players on a new adventure as Oscar, a bigger-than-life fish working his way up the food chain, who becomes an unlikely hero as he searches for an easy path to fame and fortune. 
With a blend of original and film-inspired gameplay, players immerse themselves in a hip, underwater urban culture featuring the gritty environments of Reef City and funky tunes inspired by the film.  
Fans play as Oscar, the fish with more fast-talking flash than any other lead character, and relive movie locations as well as unique environments and situations in 25 adventure-packed missions. Players careen through a bustling underwater metropolis dodging traffic, buildings, bridges and smashing signs, boxes and crates as they attempt to outrace opponents. 
Note that the PC game plays differently than the console versions.
[For more information, user reviews, or to buy: Shark Tale (CD-ROM)]
 
~~September 2004~~

 
Barbie Games
On September 28th, the latest CGI-animated direct-to-video Barbie movie was released. Games based on the movie, Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper, a modern re-telling of Mark Twain's classic story, are now available. In the CD-ROM, kids follow Barbie, who takes on a dual role as both Erika and Princess Anneliese, as she gets ready for a crowning ceremony. This CD-ROM is a creative adventure, featuring puzzles, creative activities, and a quest for items.

 
Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper is also available for the GameBoy Advance platform. In this action adventure handheld game, kids join Barbie as two characters to help defend the royal kingdom from the evil villain, Preminger. The game includes mini-games and puzzles, and kids get to play as the royal cats, Serafina and Wolfie, as well!
[For more information, user reviews, or to buy: Barbie Princess and the Pauper (CD-ROM) or Barbie & The Pauper (for Game Boy Advance)]
 
Learn & Play Chess
Calling all chess-oholics. The latest Chessmaster software is out, and it features much-improved graphics and interface, as well as an all-new Chessmaster Academy. Both chess beginners and veterans (the whole family!) will find much to do with this program that teaches chess strategies and allows players plenty of opportunities to hone their skills in "battle". Chessmaster 10th Edition is a landmark edition to the bestselling brand in chess, featuring the largest upgrade thus far, to improve both graphics and gameplay.
[For more information, user reviews, or to buy: Chessmaster 10th Edition]
 
~~August 2004~~

Middle School Math Workout
Developed by the makers of the excellent Learn Chess with Fritz and Chesster, The Number Devil is a "mathematical adventure" aimed at children learning middle school math concepts. The lead character, Robert, is having a hard time with math, that is until the Number Devil appears in his dreams, shedding new light on math concepts, and revealing that math and numbers can be fun! New tricks, helpful tutorials, and games are offered that involve children in an exploration of prime numbers, square roots, and more.
[For more information, user reviews, or to buy: The Number Devil]
 
~~July 2004~~

New Edition of a Fabulous Encyclopedia Software Adds Fresh Content Designed Specifically for Kids
We at Edutaining Kids heartily recommend Microsoft's Encarta Reference software. With this new edition, Microsoft Encarta Reference Library Premium 2005, parents can feel confident that their children and teens are finding relevant, authoritative information for their projects and general knowledge. And, parents can of course rely on the suite as well! New to 2005 is an innovative feature: Encarta Kids. Encarta Kids is new content designed from the ground up with the specific needs of a younger audience in mind, including children as young as seven! In addition to this new feature for children, the latest edition of Encarta includes a new Encarta Search Bar. And, the features that made previous editions outstanding are all here as well, such as the Discovery Channel videos, Dictionary and Thesaurus, interactive games, Homework Center, outstanding interactive Atlas, and more. The program is available on CD-ROM as well as DVD-ROM (the DVD-ROM edition includes extra videos). See our full review of this product here.
[For more information, user reviews, or to buy: Microsoft Encarta Reference Library Premium 2005 CD (CD-ROM) or Microsoft Encarta Reference Library Premium 2005 DVD (DVD-ROM)]
 
New Edition of I Spy Spooky Mansion

This deluxe version of a beloved CD-ROM in the I Spy series features fifty percent more I Spy riddles than the original game. I Spy Spooky Mansion Deluxe features a collection of intriguing picture riddles and games with a fabulous haunted mansion backdrop. There are three different ways out of the house to uncover, a secret room to discover, seven unique ghosts to create, and a puzzle message to decode. Two fast-paced games are also included. This re-vamped edition is sure to please I Spy fans ages 7-10. See our full review here.
[For more information, user reviews, or to buy: I Spy: Spooky Mansion Deluxe]
 
Harry Potter, Nancy Drew, & Yu-Gi-Oh

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is now available for the PC as well as for the different video game platforms. Gamers play as Harry, Hermione, and Ron as they unravel the mystery of the wizard prison in this third year of wizard school. Video clips move the story along. Kids must complete a series of tasks, learn spells, and collect items. This PC version is more appropriate for younger Harry Potter fans than the console versions, which require more strategy and that are consequently more challenging to play.
[For more information, user reviews, or to buy: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]
 
Based on the best-selling Nancy Drew book of all time, Nancy Drew: The Secret of Shadow Ranch is a wild-west adventure game. A ghostly horse tramples all hope of a restful ranch vacation for you, as Nancy Drew. You must divine the truth from the ghost stories quickly, or you might be next on the list for unearthly revenge! This latest instalment in the fabulous series of CD-ROM mysteries features a new look (larger game window). Players learn how to lasso, gather eggs for breakfast, and more, as they experience life on a working cattle ranch. An in-game cell-phone allows players to call for hints, surf the web, and get e-mail. See our full review.
[For more information, user reviews, or to buy: Nancy Drew: Secrets of Shadow Ranch]
 
In Yu-Gi-Oh! Power of Chaos: Joey the Passion on CD-ROM, the rules and gameplay of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game are implemented. Players have access to hundreds of new cards, and cards from Yu-Gi-Oh! Power of Chaos: Yugi the Destiny and Yu-Gi-Oh! Power of Chaos: Kaiba the Revenge can be imported into the game as well. The game sports an all-new improved interface as well as enhanced strategies. With this CD-ROM, two-player LAN play is possible for online dueling.
[For more information, user reviews, or to buy: Yu-Gi-Oh Power of Chaos: Joey the Passion]