By Dale Farris, Secretary
Golden Triangle PC Club
April 2002

Game Overview

Get ready for the hot-seat as you race the clock in this trivia game all about Whales and Dolphins. The first in this new series of mind challenging games from TIVOLA, the renowned children's software company, Answer This! Whales and Dolphins is designed to teach tons of fun facts while you compete for the high score. With over 600 questions, puzzles and games, this game is sure to appeal to players of all ages!

If you are up for a challenge, or think you know a lot about whales and dolphins, Answer This! Whales and Dolphins is the game to test what you know. This new series will let players dive deep into the world of whales and dolphins and learn a lot about these fascinating sea animals.

With a specialized dictionary to help you out of a pinch, this quiz game offers the right balance between knowledge and fun! Special features include an Internet posting high-score challenge, multi-level play, and extra games. Better be quick - the clock is ticking!

With 3 levels of difficulty, an Internet high score challenge, and a dictionary of terms about whales and dolphins, this quiz show trivia game is sure to please braniacs and novices interested in whales and dolphins.

Designed to offer hours of interactive family fun, Tivola Publishing's latest release seamlessly interweaves games and puzzles into the questions for added fun. Answer This! Whales and Dolphins balances knowledge and fun, and continues Tivola’s mission to provide kids with an entertaining experience that also appeals to their intellectual capacity. With a stylish new look, sound, and feel designed to appeal to kids ages 8 to adult, Answer This! Whales and Dolphins meets the needs of families interested in quality children's entertainment and educational value.

In Answer This! Whales and Dolphins, players have a chance to be a contestant and rack up points. Gameplay is not limited to just playing against the computer. Kids can also play against each other, and post their scores online.

Included Games

Knowledge Test - match right answers, images, or sounds- beat the clock!
Sea of Numbers - math aerobics, how fast can you calculate?
Scrambled - look for the right whale word, fast means a higher score
Feed the Fish - try and catch pieces of food, but only edible pieces
Hidden - find and reveal the hidden picture piece by piece
Combination Puzzle - reassemble pieces of a picture
Move It - put pieces of a picture back into the right order
Find the Mistake - can you find the mistake hidden in the pictures?
Game of Chance - can you find the mermaid?
Water Polo - pong-like game of making the ball hit stones

SmartPlay Game Features

Whales and Dolphins A to Z - super guide to these animals
Super dictionary of terms
Post scores online
Beautiful graphics and design
Save the game anywhere anytime
Very impressive integration of knowledge with entertainment
1 or 2 players can play
3 levels of game difficulty

Game Play

These super games provide great fun, while learning a lot about whales and dolphins. While playing the games will challenge the speed and dexterity of players, the integration of scientific knowledge about these animals into the games is what sets apart this fun way to learn from so many other games that only focus on playing the game.

The interface in each game is easy to learn, and involves many classic computer game features, such as reassembling pieces of puzzles, picking out something in pictures, spelling words, and working basic math. The game even has a trivia-like knowledge test that challenges your knowledge of whales and dolphins, including the sounds they make underwater.

The colorful graphics help stimulate interest in playing the many included games, a wise move on the part of TIVOLA. How much fun is it playing games that look awful?

The added sounds and sound effects also add value to this super approach to having fun learning about whales and dolphins.

TIVOLA has not scrimped anywhere in the design of this game that will definitely appeal to families, as well as schools and libraries.

Targeted Customers

Answer This! Whales and Dolphins is targeted toward children ages 8 and up, but I think many adults will also get a kick out of playing the many games that teach all about these animals. Parents will also have great fun playing the game along with their children, and sharing in this positive approach to learning about Whales and Dolphins.

Age Group

The game box states that Answer This! Whales & Dolphins is designed for ages 8 and up. Very young children may need a bit more help from their parents, not only to handle the interface, which requires quick response, but also the knowledge base about whales and dolphins. While all the information children need to know is cleverly designed into the game, with the focus on rapid response in the many included games means some younger players may need some assistance.

Recommendation

This super "edutainment" title is a definite must for all elementary schools and public libraries. Any family with computers in the house should also consider adding this wonderful learning title to their list of quality children's software. As is the case with any TIVOLA program, you can always depend on this unique company to provide high quality in development, design, and delivery of all their super products.

Install and Setup

The installation and setup presented no difficulties on my machine. You just let the auto install routine load the game onto your hard drive. The game will also need QuickTime 3.0 on your machine, if you do not already have this plug-in.

Price

$19.99 (super bargain!)

Minimum System Configuration Requirements

Personal Computer
P-100 processor or higher
Windows 95, 98, 98 SE, 98 ME, NT
32MB RAM
4MB free hard disk (small install)
60MB free hard disk (large install)
SVGA graphics card (16 bit)
Sound card
2x CD-ROM drive

Mac Machines
Power PC
MAC OS 7.5.3
32MB RAM
4MB free hard disk (small install)
60MB free hard disk (large install)
Sound card
2x CD-ROM drive

At the time of this writing, no patches for this program had yet been released, and very likely, none will be needed.

Not requiring a 3d graphics accelerator card, and needing a minimally powered CPU means this game is playable on many more systems, a wise move on the part of TIVOLA. While it is true that more newer systems either come with or are being customized with newer, 32MB or 64MB 3dfx video boards and high-end, 3d audio boards, driven in part by the high-end requirements of many computer games, in fact I suspect there are many more legacy systems still working that will likely be fine for this game.

The above system configuration requirements indicate the minimum and recommended system configuration requirements, and as any experienced gamer knows, if at all possible, you just don't ever want to load and run any computer game on minimally configured systems. Computer games are notorious for taking over machines, and this is why users will need to be sure and close out all their other open files, before playing this and any computer game. However, in the case of this TIVOLA title, I think we have an example of a computer program for children that will actually very likely play just fine even on a minimally configured system.

About TIVOLA

TIVOLA Publishing creates and publishes a wide range of award-winning multimedia products designed to open up a world of interactive fun and learning to children and young people. The German based company has offices in New York, London, and Berlin, and produces a wide range of innovative interactive CD ROMs that stimulate a child's curiosity, while encouraging smart play. In 1995, TIVOLA published its first title, and has developed six distinct categories of software.

These include Play and Learn, The World Around Us, Quest for Knowledge, Stories and Adventures, Crimes and Clues, and Games for Fun. The company has a commitment to producing high-quality, multilingual CD ROMs that tell exciting, entertaining stories through beautiful graphics, witty animation and original games. TIVOLA titles are currently in more than 49 countries worldwide.

TIVOLA began in 1995, when founding partners, Karsten Voelker, Mil Thierig, and Barbara Landbeck founded the Berlin office to fill the need for original CD ROM games that are clever but also promote learning. In 2000, TIVOLA was named "Company of the Year" by the Berlin Association of Self-Employed Entrepreneurs, who recognized the company's fast development into an internationally successful multimedia company with an innovative brand building strategy.

The TIVOLA UK offices opened in 1998, and with the launch of 10 new titles in 2001, the company continues to grow in the UK children's software publishing market. The TIVOLA US offices opened in 1999, and the company signed a contract with the Navarre Corporation to distribute their products in the US and Canada. 

The company develops books and story games on CD ROM, and all titles are simultaneously produced in English so that they can be understood by potential international licensees. The software is also produced for the PC and the Apple platform.

TIVOLA also buys and sells license for different products. For these purposes, the company has developed optimal localization standards. With this new system, TIVOLA titles are obtainable in countries all over the world.

The TIVOLA line of CD ROM programs are products parents can depend on to provide a fun and educational computer experience for their children. Teachers can also feel secure in integrating the educational lineup of TIVOLA products into their curriculum, especially those teaching entry level classes. TIVOLA's series of learning CD ROMs for children that include the many Oscar the Balloonist titles, the many Max adventures, the super Physicus science-based program, and of course The Little Prince, all assure a solid worthwhile computer experience for all ages, especially young learners.

With the worldwide notoriety of TIVOLA products, the company has also ventured into a new online interactive arena. Companies can now rent online games from TIVOLA to make available at their Web site for their own customers. This new portfolio of online games for rent expands still further the success of the company.

Contact Information

TIVOLA Publishing
580 Broadway, Suite 604
New York, NY 10012
212-431-4420
FAX 212-431-4537
www.tivola.com
mail@tivola.com

You can also order from other retailers or online vendors.