Percy The Train See Thomas & Friends Railway Adventures Playset Details
List Price : $39.99 Price :
Amazon.com Review
With this playset, kids can actually drive Thomas the Tank Engine, toot his horn, switch tracks, link him to other trains, and engage in all manner of Usefulness, the chief currency of the Island of Sodor. The Thomas-shaped plastic playset straps easily over standard keyboards (not ergonomic ones or laptops). A red throttle moves Thomas forward or backward along the track. A green lever switches tracks to change direction. A yellow whistle noisily announces Thomas's arrival and also helps him link and uncouple with other trains. Finally, Thomas's smiling face is a button that can be pushed to get hints and friendly patter. These four simple controls make this an inspired CD-ROM that will suit a wide range of ages. Toddlers will love simply throttling Thomas around the tracks, while older kids will enjoy games that encourage spatial skills, decision making, and problem solving.
The four main games are wonderful, involved exercises. They all involve Thomas being helpful: finding "Important Supplies"; locating the "Missing Mail Truck," then helping to sort its mail; rescuing stranded passengers in "All Aboard," then making sure they are properly ticketed and delivering them safely to their destinations; and rebuilding an avalanche-damaged track in "It's a Landslide!"
These games are somewhat complex: in the landslide game, kids must switch tracks, couple Thomas with the Troublesome Trucks, haul rocks up mountains, signal Harold the Helicopter to unload the rocks, then deliver the empty trucks to James for hauling away. Thomas's water supply must be watched and replenished during this strenuous work. And after the rocks are in place, there's still work to do! Only after kids go to another screen to collect flatbeds and track pieces from Cranky the Crane, then deliver those parts to the mountaintop, is the job done. Phew!
Also, if players abandon a game without completing it, they can't access any of the four mini games (which are mazes and races), and Sir Topham Hatt will chide in his chipper manner: "There's still a lot of work to be done!" This is not a CD-ROM for the lazy, and fortunately, the folks who made it didn't use any shortcuts either. Older systems without a lot of storage space may have trouble digesting this graphics-heavy program, but for us the program chugged along like Thomas himself, and the action on the screen corresponded smoothly with whatever control was being used on the playset. "Builds a work ethic" isn't one of the features mentioned on the box, but this diligent program and playset could put youngsters on the right track. (Ages 3 and older) --Anne Erickson
Amazon.com Product Description
Kids can now play engineer and operate the controls on Thomas the Tank Engine. They can blow the whistle, work the throttle, and switch tracks. By using the controls on the playset, kids can help deliver passengers for Bertie, repair landslide damage with Harold, and find and sort the mail. They'll love traveling with Thomas through four fun adventures, each filled with activities, games, and cool print features for off-computer play.
Thomas & Friends Railway Adventures Playset Reviews
Percy The Train : Thomas & Friends Railway Adventures Playset Reviews
| 73 of 75 people found the following review helpful  Very Good Kiddie Game, By Kevin G. Karagory (LaPorte, IN USA) - See all my reviews This review is from: Thomas & Friends Railway Adventures Playset (CD-ROM) I purchased this software for my almost four son who is a Thomas fanatic. I had to help him out the first few times he tried to play the game. After about two weeks he was able to play it on his own for the most part. The graphics are much more than I had expected for a kiddie game. You can travel around the track endlessly if one wants. You stop at various stations to complete tasks necessary for one of four games chosen. The game doesn't automatically take you to the correct station necessary to complete a task. You need to remember which destination is next and switch the track accordingly. I've been quite shocked that my son is able to remember where to go and switch the track to get there! Once the one game is completed the player is able to switch into a special siding and play reward game. I own Microsoft Train Simulator but I really like this game a lot. Not having to remember which keystrokes to press is a VERY nice touch. To bad MS Train Simulator doesn't... Read more 39 of 39 people found the following review helpful Good game, By Lisa (New Jersey) - See all my reviews This review is from: Thomas & Friends Railway Adventures Playset (CD-ROM) I read all the reviews on this Thomas Computer game and dispite the bad ones I still purchased it for my four year old son who is crazy over anything "Thomas the Train". It has never locked up on me and I had no troubles at all installing it on top on my keyboard. (although you do have to get it perfectly in the right spot which can be a little tricky) Once installed it doesn't shift or fall off the keyboard and the program works just fine. My son loves this game. It is by far a favorite of his and he has quite a few computer games in his growing collection. He reaches for it time after time. My 6 year old daughter plays with it and she seems to like it as well so it's not just for the little boys out there! The graphics are real cute and they love driving the trains, dropping the passengers off at the station and doing the different jobs involving the railroad. I would say this is a good game for any child between the ages of 3 and 7. In my opinion, any child under 3 years of age are... Read more 29 of 29 people found the following review helpful If you have a Thomas fan...this is what you need!, By Nancy Rader (Muncie, Indiana United States) - See all my reviews This review is from: Thomas & Friends Railway Adventures Playset (CD-ROM) This is my three year old son's favorite game. He does not have any problems understanding how to use the controls. It is wonderful that it helps with listening and following directions. Most of Thomas friends are in the game from helping to be able to stop and chat with them.This is the only game that he has so far that I give a total thumbs up on. The only drawback that we have had so far is getting my son to quit playing. |
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