Logical Journey of the Zoombinis Deluxe
$9.95		(Win95/98/Me/XP/Mac) (Jewel Case) (LOGICALJDJ)

See Zoombinis Logical Journey for new packaging

Broderbund

Children/Math

Ages: 9 and up

Ratings:

4 stars from CD-ROM Today

4 1/2 stars from San Jose Mercury News

88 from FamilyPC

4 stars (out of 4) from HomePC

from Kids Domain

The Learning Journey Never Ends

Logical Journey of the Zoombinis offers an engaging environment for kids to develop advanced mathematical and scientific problems solving skills. As the player's skills improve, each puzzle becomes more difficult to solve. Four levels of difficulty for all 12 puzzles ensure the ongoing development of critical thinking skills for years to come.

Special Features:

• Practice Mode
• Helpful Puzzle Clues
• Parent's Guide with suggested parent child activities to enrich the learning experience

Skills Developed:

• Observation Skills
• Data Sorting and Ordering
• Pattern Finding
• Theory Testing
• Graphing
• Logical Reasoning
• Problem Solving
• Statistical Thinking
• Algebraic Thinking
• Set Theory

Strengthen Essential Problem Solving Skills

Your Mission:

Free the Zoombinis! Guide bands of Zoombinis through 48 perilous puzzles that never play out the same way twice.

Your Reward:

After solving a series of increasingly challenging puzzles, you will have ensured the safe arrival of the Zoombinis in Zoombiniville. The more Zoombinis you lead to freedom, the larger Zoombiniville will grow.

Start your journey by solving puzzles that demonstrate observation, sorting and theory testing skills.
Meet Arno, one hungry, but fussy, Pizza-Eating Tree Troll. Discover which combination of pizza toppings satisfy his testy taste buds by finding patterns, matching data and testing theories.
Sort different features to discover which ones don't make the Allergic Cliffs sneeze.

Find your way out of The Deep Dark Forest by performing two- and three-dimensional mapping, matching and grouping.
To find a seat on the ferry, sort and order Zoombinis so they share something in common with their neighbors.
Using the Zoombinis' features as coordinates X and Y, place each Zoombini in the proper room at the hotel.

Advance through treacherous waters by testing your ability to order and group data and analyze patterns.
To cross the marsh, hitch a ride on the backs of toads by finding the right pattern of colors and shapes on flowers and lily pads
Lure the Fleens off the beehive branch by identifying patterns, matches and more.

Ensure the Zoombinis' safe arrival in Zoombiniville by cleverly analyzing, organizing and sequencing data.
Send the Zoombinis in the right directions by uncovering intriguing mathematical rules.
Balance the "equation" by transforming the features of the Zoombinis on the left and right to make them identical.

Requirements:

Windows - Windows Windows 95 or above, 33Mhz 486 or faster required, 8MB RAM required, 3MB hard disk space, 2x CD-ROM drive or faster, SVGA monitor, 256 colors, Windows compatible sound device.

Tested on Windows XP. Works in Compatibility Mode using 256 colors.

Macintosh - System 7.0.1 or higher, 25Mhz 68030 processor or faster or Power Macintosh, 8MB RAM, Requires 1MB hard disk space, 2x CD-ROM drive or faster, monitor: 13 inch or larger color, 256 colors.

Reviews:

CD-ROM Today, March 1996

"This wildly entertaining edutainment package stars the Zoombinis, a motley assortment of gogily-eyed blue furballs. The Zoombinis, trying to escape oppression at the hands of the Bloats, decide to seek out a new homeland. Young players must solve a series of brain-teasing puzzles to help them in their exodus.

"The logic puzzles come in four difficulty levels, so kids will find plenty of food for thought. There are no hints for players who get stuck, but the narrated game instructions reveal all they need to know. (Listen well, because the instructions can't be repeated.)

"When all the puzzles have been completed, the Zoombinis reach Zoombiniville. The more who arrive safely, the faster the town rebuilds. This software exercises the mind as well as the funny bone."

San Jose Mercury News, Sunday, May 12, 1996

"The cute, round little creatures that inhabit Zoombini Isle want to get off the island. Children can help them escape - and solve interesting problems - in Broderbund Software's 'Logical Journey of the Zoombinis.'"

""The puzzles require real problem solving. Kids have to figure out which Zoombini characteristics (eyes, noses, hair, feet) allow them to cross the bridges at Allergy Cilffs - the cliffs sneeze creatures with the incorrect features off the bridge - or how Zoombinis must be arranged to create an electrical surge. There are 12 progressively more challenging puzzles, each one providing hands-on practice with concepts of sorting, classifying, graphing and deductive reasoning.

"Three child testers worked together to solve the puzzles. They found the program fun and challenging. Their only criticism: They wanted to be able to adjust the difficulty levels themselves."

Family PC, July/August 1996

"Hidden inside this delightful animated odyssey is instruction in graphing, logic, set theory, data analysis, and algebraic thinking - geared for younger children...'My kids are addicted to this program; they fight with each other to play it,' confessed Donnal Aliotta from Williamsville, New York, the mother of Christopher, 11 and Jessica, eight. 'This is a superb program to stimulate young minds to think, identify patterns, and use logic to solve each puzzle. Even I enjoyed this game."

HomePC, June 1996

"Testers in the HomePC Kids' Lab almost all turned up their noses when they read the box of the Logical Journey of the Zoombinis: 'Builds advanced math thinking skills,' it says. 'I am not an educational-game lover,' declared 11-year-old Alex.

"Or so he thought. But it didn't take long for Alex and the other kids in the Lab to start lining up to guide the Zoombinis to their new home, marching past the Allergic Cliffs, through the Stone Cold Caves and beyond Pizza Pass."

"But is this math? You bet it is. Players identify and control variables, work with algebraic sets, observe patterns, plot formulas and logically deduce strategies. If a monster on one path doesn't like purple feet but has a soft spot for wide eyes, and one on another path likes wide eyes but hates roller skates, kids must decide how to mix Zoombini characteristics to allow them to pass."

Computer Shopper, June 1996

"Logical Journey of the Zoombinis, an animated adventure, sneakily fools kids ages eight to 12 into developing logic skills such as set theory, data analysis, and algebraic thinking. During the game, users must repeatedly lead groups of Zoombinis through 12 puzzles, which increase in complexity with each success. But don't expect a lot of intimidating jargon; excellent graphics, sound, and lively characters coupled with an interesting plot hide the fact that using math is the real objective here."

"The package's story line and graphics should prove absorbing and please even jaded young computer users, while the audio cues make it possible for children with little reading ability to play. Logical journey of the Zoombinis, a valuable learning aid, actually makes tough mathematical concepts a lot of fun to learn."

PC Gamer, December 1996

"Long ago, in a land far away, the Zoombinis lived a pleasant life, but capitalism gone berserk ruined their peaceful paradise. As the little blobs of blueness search for a new home, they count on a higher intelligence to guide them through perils and pitfalls.

"And who, you may ask, is that higher intelligence? Your kids, of course. Bet you never thought they'd qualify for that rank so young. If they can conquer Broderbund's fine software package, they qualify for higher intelligence and then some.

"The Logical Journey of the Zoombinis builds the reasoning skills required to succeed at math - and most other subjects. The foundation of the program is a collection of characters with four attributes: hair, eyes, nose and locomotion. For about half the logic puzzles, kids must arrange Zoombinis properly according to their attributes either by sending them through the correct logic gates or by sorting them in proper order. For the other half of the logic puzzles, kids must figure out how to negotiate various paths according to hidden rules. Besides learning set theory, kids also learn to form and test hypotheses.

"Packed with educational value, The Logical Journey of the Zoombinis is that rare breed of software that succeeds at every turn. Its attractive characters, intriguing puzzles, and beautiful presentation make it one of the best programs you can buy for your new computer."

Kids Domain Review by Kim Moon

"If you want to teach your child "what" to think when it comes to math, this game is not for you. If you want your child to have a great time while learning "how"to think, you should leave for the store immediately. You won't find any "boring" math facts here. What you will find are twelve thinking games with four levels available on each game. These games encourage the player to use logic to take the adorable zoombinis through many "hazardous" adventures where their characteristics determine which paths they may take."

"Love it! Love it! Love it! (Did I mention that we love this game?) That is the good news. The "bad" news is that you will have to pry your child off of the computer and it will probably cause heated battles between siblings. There are not enough adjectives that are synonymous with "great" and "wonderful" to describe this game!!! The game teaches math concepts, which are often ignored in favor of math facts, especially in school settings. It is addictive and the designers are geniuses. If you want your child to have an understanding of such things as classification, sequencing, grouping by attributes, and matching, run, do not walk, and buy this game! It will be money VERY well spent."

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