Big Science Comics is a software
program designed to inspire scientific thinking in 8- to 12-year-olds. It stars
cartoon characters called "Bumptz" who have been shipwrecked. The object of the
game is to lead them back to their spaceship by creating simple machines out of
everyday objects. You perform experiments and observe what happens as a way of
figuring out how best to get the Bumptz back to the ship. For example, in one
experiment, you drop the Bumptz into a sink full of water to see how density
makes a difference and to observe what happens when you add salt to the water. In
another experiment, you make Bumptz of different sizes bump into each other,
creating a chain reaction that sends the last Bumptz into the target.
Here's what some 5th graders in California said about the game:
Big Science is an awesome game. The experiments are very fun. I love
how the little Bumptz talk, float, and fling through the air. All of the
experiments taught me more about science. Clicking into Mo's notebook and putting
him into the experiments is cool too. I think that it would be more fun if there
were more experiments. Big Science is a fun game to pilot.
Nick Dikas
The game called Big Science was the best
computer game I've played. The hardest level was when the Bumptz were trying to
get into the barn to get back into their spaceship to go home. You should make
another game like Big Science. I hope you do, because I want to try it.
Joey Peralta
The new computer game, Big Science, is
great. The realistic voices and movements keep you interested the whole time. All
the challenging games are so fun that I want to restart the whole game, just to
play it again. There are only a few things I think Theatrix should do to improve
the game: 1) the clues don't help all that much, and 2) there should probably be
a box that tells you what to do (instead of the animal).
Mia Cesano
I really enjoyed piloting Big Science. I
loved Mo the mouse and all of the little Bumptz. It was interesting trying to
balance Bumptz and get spoons out of sinks. I think the Bumptz should have talked
more instead of just saying "Pick me, pick me!" Also, some parts of the game were
a little hard to follow, but other than that, I loved it.
Brian Burnham
I enjoyed the Big Science CD. It
would have been easier to follow in the beginning, if the directions were on the
screen. I liked the Bumptz. They were funny, but Mo's voice was hard to
understand sometimes, and it got annoying in some parts. I liked the
introduction, but I wish the game were longer. Overall, I'd give it a 98 out of
100!
Sarah
Recommended Ages: 8 to 12
Requirements:
Macintosh:
Macintosh LCIII
or better with 8 Mb RAM
13" 256-color monitor
double-speed CD-ROM
drive
System 7.1 or higher
(Accelerated for Power Macintosh)
Windows:
486/25 MHz
8 Mb RAM
256-color VGA monitor
double-speed CD-ROM drive
Windows 3.1 or Windows 95
16-bit
Windows-compatible sound card, mouse, speakers
Available from:
Theatrix
phone:
800-955-TRIX
