Didi & Diddo 1st Grade: The Wolf King
© 2005 Kutoka Interactive
Beautiful illustrations and an in-depth story combine with a rich story line and clunky interactivity, to create a playful, chatty collection of games that range from keyboarding to repeating a tune on a piano keyboard, to typing simple words. The content ranges from very easy to really hard, and children will need help figuring out what to do. In addition, some of the games are bogged down by long introductions, and the beautiful graphics can be choppy on some Windows computers (we did not test the Mac version). Still, testers were able to enjoy the game once they got past the rough spots. Features include record keeping, the ability to get in or out of an activity at any time, and a nice selection of content. Up to six different games can be bookmarked under different names, making this a viable classroom activity. One of the nicest features is that children can choose as either a male of female lead character. Activities cover a wide range of content, from typing words on the keyboard to building tangram puzzles. All in all, the strengths outweigh the weakness.
$19.99, Windows XP, Mac OSX
Teaches: reading, math, social studies, music and logic, art, music, notation, language typing, reading, phonetic analysis, holding attributes in mind, spatial reasoning, basic math facts, rhythm, auditory discrimination
CTR Rating: 92%