The Rugrats Movie Activity Challenge

PC version requires:
Pentium 100, 16 MB RAM,25 MB hard drive, 4X CD-ROM, DirectX compatibility

Mac version requires:
PowerPC, System 7.5, 9.5 MB RAM, 25 MB hard drive, 4X CD-ROM

Description:

Based on the Rugrats movie, The Rugrats Movie Activity Challenge is one of three new computer games starring these popular babies. After watching an adventure style introduction, kids help out the Rugrats gang while playing 6 challenging activities. Many are tests of coordination as children maneuver the Rugrats on a Reptar raft down a wild river while dodging bananas thrown by monkeys, and try to tap keys on the keyboard on cue to help Reptar destroy a city. Monkey Mayhem is a form of Breakout except in this version children must bounce Tommy and Chuckie into the air from a seesaw (which is tricky at first) to help them reach baby food jars. Three activities in particular require logical thinking and problem solving: Tommy drives the Reptar Wagon in Making Tracks, which is in the form of a slider puzzle that children must manipulate in order to connect a railroad maze. Creating logical inventions in Stu's Workshop helps rescue Angelica who is trapped in Stu's Antigravity Machine. Tommy is at the wheel of the Reptar Wagon again in Traffic Trouble, and kids must carefully move cars and trucks to clear a path for him to get through.

All the activities are based on actual adventures the Rugrats had in the movie, and each has 10 progressive levels to work through. After sign-in, children must choose one of 3 difficulty levels for the whole game. Kids will try to beat their high score and earn as many extra points as they can by collecting prizes that include pacifiers, bottles, and rattles -- and if they collect the Cynthia doll during the activities, they get to play a bonus round.

Features:

• 180 levels of play
• 3 levels of difficulty
• Bonus rounds
• Game save feature
• Original Rugrats voices
• High scores are kept
• Builds problem-solving skills
• Develops mouse and keyboarding skills

Technical Aspects:

There are two installation options. Broderbund recommends first trying the minimum install that requires a whopping 26 MB of hard drive space. If there are runtime problems, then the second install option should be attempted, which will require an additional 24 MB. Direct X compatibility is required. We had no problems running the program with the minimum install option. Navigation is straightforward and it is easy to get help and exit the program as well.

Report and Conclusions:

We find most of the activities to be very entertaining, ranging from average to excellent. On one end, there is Reptar Rhythm that didn't hold too much appeal with my kids, and if children lose, the city is saved...go figure. The redeeming feature is the idea of incorporating keyboarding/typing practice into an arcade game. On the other end there is the outstanding Making Tracks activity which requires some planning ahead and problem solving. Aqua Reptar is my son's favorite activity. I personally had a hard time getting the hang of maneuvering that raft, but he finds it challenging and fun! Characters' comments throughout the game are true to the Rugrats television show - for example, after making it through traffic, one of the babies says, "we might have gotten squishered". Anybody familiar with the Rugrats knows they aren't the ideal role models, and this quality is evident on the computer screen as well. They're definitely not as goody-goody as Barney, but not as irreverent as the Simpsons either.

It is not very easy to change the difficulty levels once you have chosen your level at sign-in. In fact, you have to sign in under a new name in order to do it! On the plus side, however, there is a very large range of challenge levels to appeal to every age in the 6-10 suggested age group. This game will be best for Rugrats fans who enjoy arcade-style games and are motivated by the idea of bettering the high score.