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Milton Bradley Board Games By Pam Gleichman Tribune Media Services Milton Bradley Board Games CD-ROM offers a collection of seven classic board games, Chess, Pente, Dominoes, Parcheesi, Checkers, Connect Four and Backgammon. You can play with a friend (some games can have up to four players), on the Internet, or choose from one of 10 computer opponents. The computer characters each have their own characteristics. Each game features four levels of game play difficulty: beginner, average, expert and master. Games can be saved while in progress. In addition, the program keeps records of high scores for each game. Milton Bradley Board Games had an "OK" response from our testers. While some of the kids enjoyed playing Checkers, Connect Four and Chess, they were not really interested in dominoes, Parcheesi, Backgammon and Pente. Many of the kids who had tested Hoyle Board Games and After Dark Games were looking for games that had a little more action. For example, they liked Battleship (Hoyle Board Games) and Mowin� Maniac (After Dark Games). Our testers found the repetitive music playing during the games to be very annoying. Thankfully, the program lets players turn it off and on. Computer Board games are a great alternative when you don�t have a companion available to play with; however, if you have more that one person playing, I think the non-computerized versions of these games give kids (and adults) a more enjoyable experience. Publisher : Hasbro Interactive, 50 Dunham Road, Beverly, Mass. 01915, (800) 683-5847, http://www.hasbro-interactive.com , http://www.games.com . Category : Games. Age : 8 and up. Installation : We did not experience any problems with the installation. I do, however, recommend that you run the program on systems that have the recommended requirements; the games run poorly on machines that only meet the minimum specifications. Use : The interface is a little choppy and, as a result, you can get confused when you switch between games. Graphics : Fair. The 12 characters (opponents) are cartoon-like. Written b: A user�s guide is included with installation instructions and rules for each game. There is also an on-screen tutorial that gives verbal instruction for each game. System Requirements : Windows 95/98, Pentium 90 MHz or higher (166 MHz recommended), 16 MB RAM (32 MB RAM recommended), 75 MB free hard disk space, 4 X CD-ROM drive, Windows compatible sound card, DirectX version 6.0 (included), 28.8 baud modem for Internet play. Tested Version : Windows 95/98. Cost : $19.95. Rating : Two stars. Milton Bradley Board games are "average". I recommend Hoyle Board Games (Sierra) and After Dark Games (Berkeley Systems) for more variety and fun. DEAR PAM : We have a 5-year-old daughter. She has been using the computer since she was 2 1/2. We are looking for a good program that will let her do crafts and projects. Is there such a program for her age group? DEAR READER : Jumpstart Arts & Crafts is a new program for children aged 4 to 7. The program has not been released yet, though. I was, however, able to preview the program at the E3 show and what I saw looked very good. It should be on the store shelves in October. WEB SITE OF WEEK: NASA HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT http://shuttle.nasa.gov This site is dedicated to the current space shuttle and space station projects. You will have access to real-time programming on NASA-TV, 3-D tours, sighting opportunities and orbital tracking. You will find out about the crew and see thousands of images, videos and audio. The site also offers updated press releases on the current mission, along with status reports and timely news. In addition, there is an in-depth section on space history and information about getting involved in the space program. RATING KEY : ***** — Outstanding; **** — Very Good; *** — Good; ** — Fair; * — Not Worth Purchasing. Pam Gleichman welcomes questions/comments from readers. Write to Pam at Tribune Media Services, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1400, Chicago, Ill. 60611. Send e-mail to [email protected] . � 1999 Tribune Media Services, Inc. Techno file index Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA