Grossology CD-ROM
© 1997 Segasoft
Those with a weak stomach or low tolerance for crude slang should avoid this CD-ROM, which definitely lives up to its name. On the other hand, if you don't mind hearing such terminology as "booger", "barf", "snot" or even "butthole", this CD offers up some solid science content in an amusing array of activities, games and quizzes. The idea of this program, which is based on a best selling book, is to have kids explore and explain the human body and its functions. To keep children interested, the makers of this CD use "kid" language and provide activities which seemingly only a ten year old might think up. For instance, there is a recipe for fake vomit, an arcade game called PooPoo Pin Ball, and a discussion on bladder control with Tommy Tinkle in the Pee Pee Lab. Kids can even feed animated characters various foods and watch them either throw-up or make poop. (Sheesh! This is the strangest review we've ever written!) Now that you've got an idea of the flavor of this program, we want you to know that there is actually a lot of educational content to the CD. In the nine labs, kids can learn about body systems and functions. The "zit" lab, for instance, really serves as a vehicle for learning all about the human skin. In each lab, kids explore cut-aways of a character's body, hearing about how each body part works- right down to the level of blood cells and bacteria. They can take quizzes that certify them in a specific area of grossology, print out crossword puzzles and hear a multitude of interesting and sometimes amazing facts. There is a good deal of content on this CD. Weaknesses to the program include uneven game quality and one potentially offensive ethnic portrayal. The bottom (no pun intended) line: if you can get comfortable with the approach, this one's a winner, and yes, the testers wouldn't stop playing it. (Note: Experiments require adult supervision.)
$13.45, Win 95, Win 3.1, Mac OS (CD-ROM)
Teaches: science: biology, anatomy, health