The Wizard of Oz

"The Wizard of Oz
Platform: PC
Publisher: MediaHaus
Developer: Dataworks
System requirements: Pentium II, 64 MB, Windows 95/98/Me/2000, sound card.


Hello, ladies and gentlemen gamers. Blast off for a second downloaded from somewhere on the Internet semi-nude pictures of Lara Croft and think of your brethren below. That is literally their brothers and sisters, you have like two hours to keep the trapped baths, closets and attics to, say, playing not to interfere. Today I will tell you about the game, which is designed specifically for them: four-year-decadal potential gamers ever get underfoot in the older brothers.

Why this article to you? Very simply: it is possible, the mother has forbidden you to sit at the computer until you do not show my sister how to use it, perhaps, the younger brother's birthday soon, and maybe (no, it's unbelievable) you really care about one more Chad, his parents . Anyway, here's to you: "The Wizard of Oz" from the Australian company Dataworks, presented on the Russian market MediaHouse.

The Wizard of Oz
So, what is the game itself? A remarkable tale about the adventures of Ally and Totoshka, familiar to us as "The Wizard of Oz" became the basis for developing a set of interactive mini-games designed to teach a child to understand something a little better than before, train smart, memory, and sometimes even a reaction. In Oz, along with the lumberjack, Cowardly Lion and the Scarecrow Children will visit the two cities, magic mine and locking the evil witch Bastinda. Somewhere will help the fruit tree to get rid of parasites of beetles, but they are disguised as fruits, and their difference is not so easy to find. In another place, to help gather his things the gnome from the cliff above the volcano, but the flashes of light are rare and very short, so that the act would have on memory. And one more thing where the player will be able to cure the saleswoman juice from forgetfulness, but a prescription drug is not given exactly, but about one of the components - this zadachka on knowledge of the concepts of "more" and "less." Overall, the major puzzles in the game nine of them are given magic stones. Our characters are inserted into slots mascot, then to open the door lock Bastinda and save Ellie. But apart from these problems will have to solve some problems and time travel to Oz. Here the game becomes like a quest where you have to wander from one place to another and do something. At one point Leo is asleep, nanyuhavshis fragrant sleepy poppies - than to wake him up? In another place to swim the river on a boat and will need to pick up elements of the keyhole so that the key went. Without solving these puzzles, it will be impossible to reach your destination, but there are also those who simply decorate the game: a little hummingbird, for which we can repeat the melody played on bells, or a bird "Echo" published by different funny sounds. Here such here, "Phantasmagoria" for the kids!

The Wizard of Oz
Let us also from the educational function of the game to its artistic merits. The plot of "Oz" is, of course, does not retell the entire story in great detail, on the contrary, it is very short, but interesting and well-built. He probably intended for those who are familiar with paper originals, but fit and those whose parents used to deprive a bedtime story.It even exists in a kind of catalyst repleyabiliti - three difficulty levels, affecting the puzzle. Passed one - has received a bronze award and a silver or gold do not want?


The Wizard of Oz
As for graphics, alas, nothing like tunsheyding, terramorphing and bill shaders (or, as they are there?) In the game there. Advertisement cost a flat engine, based on QuickTime. But this is not Unreal! No need to load a computer and a child, when sufficient to be able to make beautiful, cartoon, and not too cool for iron. Look at the screenshots: sweet, kind, smiling characters, bright colors! Animation, too, did not disappoint. Good old QuickTime copes with it much better than lotions from Macromedia, now become popular with developers of children's software. The same went steppe and sound: bravo, MediaHouse! On the cover among the voice actors flaunt a "people's" yes "deserved" - the text is read them with feeling, really, with the arrangement. The only flaw - it seems that the Russian replica sometimes ends before the animation of the speaker's character, but it is hardly noticeable and did not detract from the merit of localizers.

You know, I'll be happy to play this game. Nostalgia for childhood, you know. Well, if you are not so much nostalgiruete, my advice - wait denya birth of their younger colleagues through life and give them a good drive with a good game. At the same time and the domestic producer support.