Putt-Putt Joins the Parade
© 1993 Humongous Entertainment
Children control the movements of "Putt-Putt" (a talking, child-like car) as they go on a scavenger hunt in search of special items, e.g., a lawn mower, a magnet, a puppy, a balloon, and enough coins for a car wash. Once all of the items are gathered, Putt-Putt can lead the town parade. Coins are earned by delivering groceries to the right address (to #2 Blue Street), or by mowing maze-like lawns. There are many other things to do -- click on a pond to see fish jump, move a cow blocking the road by honking the horn, or make flowers dance -- which our test children delighted in doing repeatedly. In addition, there's a gas station (don't forget to watch your gas gage), a car-painting shop, a drive-in theater where you find a lost "baby car" by matching a picture, and a toy store with a pinball game, riddles, and a sliding block picture puzzle. Our test family rated this program higher than The Tortoise and the Hare (Brøderbund), commenting "this is a very imaginative, lively program that is lots of fun and is very educational. The voices are great." While stronger in entertainment than educational value, this title is a proven winner with the range of children we've seen using it. For other titles from the same company similar in design and quality, check out Fatty Bear's Birthday Surprise, and Putt-Putt Goes to the Moon.
$39.95, DOS, Mac, DOS CD-ROM, Mac CD-ROM
Teaches: spatial reasoning, matching, following directions