GeoSafari: Knowledge Pad The PLATO Collection
© 2000 Educational Insights
A total hit with the testers, this trivia game kept players young and old engaged for hours. The action begins as you set the onscreen Knowledge Pad to your game specifications: one player or two, bonus questions or not and so on. Then you either build your own quiz or let the computer select the problem sets for you. There are eight question categories with headings like Our Planet, Animals and Sport and Leisure. Within each category are 12 problem sets providing mini-quizzes on specific subjects. One set has you matching stringed instruments to the sounds they make, while another asks you to label the parts of a sailing ship. The mini-quizzes are varied and fun, and sometimes you end up using your ears as much as your eyes. Points are tallied for correct answers, and if one problem set proves too difficult, it's easy to blast through to the next. Kids liked the control they had over the whole experience. The program's main drawback is that all questions are delivered in text. Of course, this is great for getting kids to read, but the little ones won't be able to play without help. And that's the real beauty of the program— it's a compelling game that people of all ages seem to want to play. The questions accommodate a wide audience as they range in difficulty from very easy to downright tough. Additional programs in the Knowledge Pad series are planned, with varying quiz topics.
$24.95, Win 95, 98; Mac OS (CD-ROM)
Teaches: trivia, science, art, history