The Fantastic Word Gizmo

Reviewed by Carol Welch
Published by Ohio Distinctive Software

Age Group: Age 4 to 8, Age 8 and Up
Type: Language Arts
Price: $10

PC version requires:
Any multimedia-capable computer with 4 megabytes of RAM running Windows 3.1, Windows 95, or Windows 98

Mac version requires:
Any multimedia-capable Macintosh with 4 megabytes of RAM or more

Description:

Use your brainpower to feed words into Blit and Bear's balloon machine! The more correct answers you supply, the more the balloons grow. Four games with 27 levels each provide lots of practice in spelling, vocabulary and keyboarding.

In Game 1, a word is given along with its definition - the object is to spell the word correctly. Higher levels provide more difficult words. Level one of this game names a single letter along with a word beginning with that letter.

Game 2 involves scrambled words. A definition is given along with the scrambled word and the object is to unscramble.

Game 3 is fill in the blanks. Again, a definition is provided and blanks are given for each letter in the word, with one letter provided. Clicking on the clue button will provide additional letters.

Finally in Game 4, the player must guess a word from the definition given. To help you along, a series of letters are given to correspond with the number of letters in the word. The letters in this series continually change, stopping on the correct letter one at a time to provide clues.

In all games, words become longer and more difficult as the level increases. Clues are provided and clicking on Bear will provide the definition of the word in writing.

Features:

  • Spelling and vocabulary skills
  • Four word games
  • Multiple levels
  • Tracking for parents and teachers

Technical Aspects:

This title ran very well on our Celeron 533. It also ran on our old 486, but the animations and loading time were quite slow.

Because audio directions are integral to gameplay, I would not recommend this title to hearing impaired users. I did find that the sounds of some letters are hard to distinguish, as they are pronounced by the computer-type voice. The definition helps if it is a word that the player is familiar with, but new words can be confusing.

Report and Conclusions:

This is a wonderful game for spelling practice and vocabulary expansion - even for adults. In level 27, I was dumbfounded to hear words like festschrift and vertiginous! However, I do have a couple of reservations.

First of all, I believe the characters and graphics are simply too cute to interest older children. My 9-year-old immediately dismissed this title as a "baby game." This title is such great skill practice that I feel it's a shame for older kids to turn away from it.

My second reservation could actually be a plus for some. The game does require players to use the keyboard to type in letters. Now for children who are learning keyboarding, this can be great practice. But for younger children, this could prove frustrating. It certainly did for my 6-year-old, even though everything else about the game was quite appealing to him.

I don't want to discourage anyone from buying this game. I think it's great practice and would be ideal for students who are studying for spelling bees! Just consider the points I've mentioned above when making your decision. Check out the screenshots here and on the Ohio Distinctive Software website to see if they appeal to your child. And for only $10, it's certainly worth a try!