Mathville VIP

Reviewed by Anise Hollingshead
Published by Mathville

Age Group: Age 8 and Up
Type: Math
Price: $26 Home Version

PC version requires:
Windows 3.1 or higher, 486, 256 colors, CD-ROM, 8MB RAM

Mac version requires:
System 7 or higher, 8MB RAM, CD-ROM

Description:

If you're looking for a solid middle-school math program that will offer lots of practical applications, then Mathville VIPmay be just the answer! With plenty of problems ranging from spatial area, perimeters, and quantities to graphs, payrolls and estimation, kids will be kept busy solving in order to survive in this virtual town.

Players start out with 10 credits each in housing, clothing and food. In order to replenish these supplies (the credits get used up over time, just like in real life), kids will need to work to earn more credits. They can choose from a large selection of jobs, where they will have to answer math problems to get the credits. Once they have enough credits, they can then purchase items with them by calculating the credits needed for each item.

Stars can be earned by playing in the sports or hobby areas, where problems can be solved by either speed or accuracy, although the purpose of these stars wasn't clear.

Features:

  • Middle School math
  • Real life math
  • Money skills

Technical Aspects:

The program is run from the CD, there is no installation. There is also no manual, at least what I would describe as a manual. The so-called "user manual" only describes the math content and the purpose of the virtual settings, but neglects to tell you HOW TO PLAY.

The graphics are fine, but there is no animation or glitz. However, the problems are fun in and of themselves, without bells and whistles.

Report and Conclusions:

Mathville VIP does an excellent job of presenting necessary math practice in real-life situations of sports, jobs, money and purchasing items. Instructions would have been nice, but we figured out for ourselves how to play :D, except the purpose of earning stars. There are also options for a bulletin board and employee of the month, but they are not available, so we didn't know what they were since there were NO INSTRUCTIONS. (If you're wondering why I keep harping on this, I'm hoping that they will get the hint and include INSTRUCTIONS next time.)

I would recommend this product if you have a child in middle school, as it demonstrates math as it pertains to reality. A good addition to your software library for either a school setting, or for home use.




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