I Spy Fantasy review:5 stars (Three Different I Spy Adventures Provide Hours Of Fun) - I enjoy all the I Spy games, but this one is the best. There are three different adventures, with three levels each. Thus, the player is provided with nine game plays on the one CD. One game involves a castle, and the player must free a princess from a dungeon, along with defeating a dragon. A second game is an undersea adventure, and the player must discover a mermaids hidden treasure. This reminded me a little of the I Spy Treasure Hunt game, but this is an entirely different adventure, and different puzzles. Game three is an outerspace adventure, and the player must hunt down fuel crystals so the rocketship can take off. And watch out for some unexpected trouble during countdown to launch, requiring a repair job, and hunting down the proper tools. All in all, I find this the best buy of the I Spy CD Roms, because it is almost like owning three different games.5 stars (Fun even for adults) - My son got this for his birthday or Christmas from my mom. He was about 6 when he got it, and loved it -- and we played through two or three levels without realizing that we had the brightness control on the monitor turned down so far we couldn't see everything! Once we fixed that, it was still a wonderful challenge, and he would sit both with me and on his own for quite some time, solving the riddles and finding the objects. My mom ONLY buys educational games or toys -- and when she came to visit, she got to play. I thought I would have to get it for her for HER next gift. It is fun for many ages that like puzzles and word games, and to think a little bit out of the box without becoming entirely too frustrated. I especially like that more than one person can play the game with their own 'name' and pick up where they left off. That way, I could make a 'mommy' entry, and play ahead of my son when many evenings after he went to bed. Once I got to a certain distance ahead of where he was (I'm almost ashamed to admit how much time I spent playing it) I would go back to help him with a last thing, and I would have forgotten where the item was or what it was looking for, and we'd have to work together to solve it all over again! I have a nearly photographic memory for some things, but this completely overwhelmed it. I enjoy challenges like that -- andbI'm nearly 40. I have also picked up another I SPY game -- Spooky Mansion for when he gets finished with this one. I give it another few months and he'll be there. I have a lot of confidence that it will be just as much fun as this one.5 stars (I spy 9 out of 10) - Children exercise their thinking skills as they search detail-rich screens for hidden objects in I Spy Fantasy. This latest CD-ROM in the I Spy software series (and based on the popular I Spy books) may be the best yet.

Three fantasy environments are theirs to explore, and each area offers kids an intriguing theme, plenty of trademark I Spy riddle screens (such as the one pictured at right), and three levels of content and difficulty. Not only that, each environment includes its own mission -- find pages of a mermaid's book, search for fuel crystals to fuel up a spaceship, and retrieve six keys that will open a dungeon where a princess is imprisoned. The environments are completely kid-pleasing: Sand Castle Adventure, Blast-Off Adventure, and Deep Blue Sea Adventure.

Parents who think they'd prefer that their kids search for the objects by staring at a book rather than the computer monitor, consider this: The digital version of the popular I Spy books offers a whole lot more. Often objects need to be moved in order to find the sought-after item, or a dot-to-dot activity needs to be completed to reveal a hidden object. Not only that, there are a handful of games that create a technologically-unique opportunity for learning. The program "remembers" incomplete adventures so kids can always return to them later with a fresh outlook. The only thing that compares unfavorably to playing I Spy hunts with the book version is that some kids might discover that merely clicking around randomly will eventually bring up many of the hidden objects. Still, that would quickly become boring, and most children will enjoy the challenge of the hunt itself.

As kids examine the detailed pictures that make the I Spy series so popular, they exercise their powers of observation. The text for the entire riddle is read aloud, and as kids find individual objects, the words are highlighted. Children need to refer back to the text as they search for items, and struggling readers have the option to hear individual words and phrases read aloud. Thinking skills are required to interpret some of the more cryptic riddles and clues. Some objects are in obvious places, and others are cleverly hidden.

Our kid testers were fascinated with the game for hours at a time. The first play-through is the easiest, although some objects remain somewhat difficult to find. Subsequent games are more difficult, and kids have three full adventures at different difficulty levels to complete. This adds up to rather sizable content. Of course, gameplay is limited in the end because of the nature of the I Spy riddles, but this program has a strong life nonetheless. Some special surprises, such as a microscope screen complete with magnification levels and objects that need to be moved to another area of the screen, are included for added interest.

Although the target audience is ages 5-10, children on the younger end of the age range will need some help, even playing on the easiest (first) level. For independent play, a better suggested age range would be 7 or 8 and up.

Technically Speaking
Minimum requirements are Windows 95/98/2000/Me/XP, a Pentium II 266 MHz processor, 64 Mb RAM, and 8X CD ROM.

Skills Covered
Thinking and problem-solving skills, language arts skills (vocabulary and reading).

Educational Value
Even though the game's educational content is strong, kids never catch on that the program has an educational agenda. Children hone not only their skills of observation, but their language arts skills (such as vocabulary and reading) as well.

Entertainment Value
Most children quite naturally enjoy hunting for hidden objects and deciphering clues as well as solving problems. This program offers all of these things in a pleasing graphically-rich setting. The fantasy theme in the game is appealing, and although the program will likely stump children at times, it is ultimately "doable".

Design
The program features a kid-friendly design and a clever system that advances difficulty levels as kids progress in the game.

Replay Value
Because of the nature of I Spy riddles, once a riddle is solved, there is little challenge when it is attempted again. Therefore, we were pleased the software offers many riddles as well as three levels of content and difficulty.


I Spy Fantasy Features:
Kids (Children)
Mac Macintosh Machintosh Apple
Havas
Computer software (programs)
CD
For one player
Explore fantasy worlds and engage your brain
Three fantasy worlds: Undersea, Outer Space, and Dragon's Lair
Nine different adventures with 54 I SPY riddles
Designed for kids age 6-10

I Spy Fantasy is the CD-ROM version. The full version can be purchased by clicking on the "CLICK HERE TO ORDER" button below for around 18.99USD.