Reading Blaster 4th Grade

PC version requires:
Windows 95 or later, P90, 16MB RAM, 256 colors, 4x CD-ROM, Hard Drive

Mac version requires:
Power Macintosh, 256 colors, 640x480, 32MB RAM, System 7.5.3, 4x CD-ROM

Description:

Originally released as Reading Blaster Ages 9-12, this product is essentially unchanged, except for the packaging. I won't rehash the plot, then, but instead give my family's impressions this second time around.

Consisting of 6 language arts activities (the 7th is not language related), this program focuses on parts of speech, context clues and analogies. As analogy activities are few and far between, I liked this inclusion of a critical component of language arts studies. The rest of the activities are pretty fun to play, and the story line is cute, although thin. As the instructions are spoken, hearing impaired users will need some help in the beginning, but after they know how the games are played, they can play with ease.

One of the activities, the catacombs, is an arcade game. Once the highest level is reached, it becomes somewhat tricky to navigate. I am horrible at these types of games, and sure enough, couldn't finish this activity, as I had put it off to the last, and by the time I got to it the game was automatically leveled at the hardest level. There is no option to change the levels while in the adventure mode, so I was stuck. After becoming increasingly frustrated after several tries, I gave up.

My daughter, however, had an easier time of it, and finished successfully! She enjoyed the activities for the most part, and found them to be a little challenging, but not too much. As she's in 4th grade, this program is pretty much at the age range it claims.

If you're looking for a basic "parts-of-speech" practice program, this is a fun title to have. If you're looking for more of a "reading comprehension" game, this is not it. Instead, try The Cluefinder's Reading Adventures Ages 9-12, Super Solvers Reading or, if you can find one, the out-of-print Reading Galaxy (formerly Alien Tales.