RARE OFFICIAL TI EDUCATION CARTRIDGES: THE SCOTT FORESMAN MATH ACTION GAME SERIES reviewed by Charles Good Lima Ohio User Group Most of these games are more fun, in my opinion, than the "Computer Math Games" series. They are probably best used in a home rather than a classroom environment, since math concepts already learned are reinforced but you aren't taught any new concepts. It is necessary to solve a math problem in order to make a move. An incorrect answer sometimes results in the computer displaying the correct answer to the problem, but you don't get an explanation of HOW to obtain the correct answer. None of these c1983 games are mentioned in any TI promotional literature I have seen. They were all, apparently, released by Scott Foresman after "Black Friday", although they are mentioned in Scott Foresman ads prior to then. All these gemes have on screen instructions, make good use of music and color graphics, and have three levels of difficulty, usually labeled HARD, HARDER, and HARDEST. Although originally designed to be run from cartridges, we have all these games on library disks 112b and 114a in a format that will run out of extended basic without the need for a gram device. FROG JUMP This game for 1 or 2 players teaches counting and reading of basic numbers. It is NOT a "frogger" type of "cross the freeway" game. You and your opponent's frogs jump around the pond from one lily pad to another. You the answer of each displayed problem. If the answer is correct your frog will jump and you win lily pads. The faster you answer the more lily pads you win. The winner is the first player to win 20 lily pads. Problems are of the "Give 3 more than 48" or "52 54 56 58 Give the next number" type. SPACE JOURNEY You have two minutes to guide your space ship home to earth in this one player game. To move your ship you must answer a PERCENT problem correctly such as "Give 3.157 as percent" (315.7%). before you land you mist either intercept ten meteors or land on five different planets. After each correct answer you may do either. The game is not easy. If meteors hit your ship you become lost in space and the game ends. If you land on a planet some disaster usually occurs which requires you to solve extra problems to get off the planet. For example, "Your ship has engine trouble. You can repair it only if you answer two problems correctly." Finishing within the allowed two minutes isn't easy, even if you know the math! PICTURE PARTS This is, in my opinion, the most amusing of this group of math games. It resembles FACE MAKER. Every time you correctly answer a basic addition, subtraction, or multiplication problem you get your choice of parts to add to the face you are building on screen. Face shape, ears, nose, hat, mouth, eyes, etc are added one at a time. When you are finished you have a very amusing looking face that you yourself created. PYRAMID PUZZLER This is a two player game, or one person can play against the computer. The object is to be the first to climb to the top of the pyramid. If you land on your opponent's square he is pushed down one space. You get to move Left/right or up/down each time you answer a MULTIPLICATION problem correctly. Problems are basic "number fact" problems. STAR MAZE You move a little creature called THID through a maze to his home planet. Every time you correctly answer a division problem (no remainders) you can move THID two spaces in the maze with the arrow keys. Sometimes you bump into a BADID star that sends you further back from the end of the maze. This game is timed. The faster you solve the maze the more points you earn. You can select the time allowed (and hence the game's difficulty), 2, 3, or 4 minutes. NUMBER BOWLING I wrote about this game a couple of years ago as a "never released" module. Later I learned that it was sold in limited quantities. The game teaches DECIMALS AND FRACTIONS. You are asked a question and must solve it quickly. If the solution is correct you bowl your ball and the time required to solve the problem determines the number of pins knocked down and your score. You only get two seconds to solve the problem and get the maximum score of 10 pins. Usually I can't type the answer that fast even if I know the answer immediately, so I have never bowled a perfect game with NUMBER BOWLING. Still, it is fun to try. .PL 1