[{"TitleName":"Fun School 4 for 7-11 Year Olds","Publisher":"Europress Software","Author":"Christian Pennycate, Kevin Cook, Mark Healey, Mark Stamps, Martin Cook, Mick Garlic, Neil Beresford, Neil English, Steven Nunn, Wendy Mellor","YearOfRelease":"1992","ZxDbId":"0012368","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Sinclair Issue 75, Mar 1992","Price":"£2.2","ReleaseDate":"1992-02-06","Editor":"Andy Hutchinson","TotalPages":68,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"LOVE? PAH!\r\n\r\nLove sought is good, but giv'n unsought is better. Ha! Give us a lot of good Knicks/Pisons basketball match any day! So, what's the greatest love of your life?\r\n\r\nEditor: Andy (Honda Custom Motorbike) Hutchinson\r\nArt Editor: Andy (Shergold Meteor Guitar) Ounsted\r\nDeputy Editor: Linda (Green duffle bag) Barker\r\nActing Staff Writer: Jon (SAM) Pillar\r\nArt Assistant: Maryanne (My mum) Booth\r\nAdvertising Manager: Cheryl (Highland Toffees) Beesley\r\nProduction Coordinator: Lisa (George Michael) Read\r\nPublisher: Jane (David Cassidy and Roy Ayers) Richardson\r\nPromotions Manager: Michele (Chips 'n' Gravy) Harris\r\nGroup Publisher: Greg (Trot-along) Ingham\r\nCirculation Director: Sue (Her Greenhouse) Hartley\r\n\r\nYour Sinclair (Peace & Fudge), Future (World Domination) Publishing [redacted]\r\n\r\nSubscriptions: The Old Barn [redacted]\r\nDistribution: MMC [redacted]\r\n\r\nCover Illustration: Paul (His Kate Bush CDs) Kidby\r\nISSN 0269 6983\r\nABC Jan-June 1991 65,444\r\n\r\nYour Sinclair leaps into its scooter and vrooms around the carpark with these mighty organs: Commodore Format (Scuba Diving), Amstrad Action (Draught Bass), Amiga Format (Wadworth 6X), PCW Plus (Insomnia), PC Answers (Well balanced yacht moored in the Aegean), PC Plus (Captain Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica album), Sega Power (Eliza Smith-Meddings), Amiga Power (Sherbert Lemons), Amiga Shopper (Sophia Loren aged 23), Classic CD (Worms), Needlecraft (Mary Whitehouse), Mountain Biking UK (Manic MTB down hill rides), PC Format (London Monarchs), Public Domain (Debauchery), ST Format (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Total! (Ladies, and errmm, associated activities with said gender).\r\n\r\nBut what we really want to know is... have you ever gone to the loo and discovered too late that there's no paper and no lock on the door?"},"MainText":"Europress\r\n£12.99 cass/£16.99 disk\r\n[redacted]\r\nReviewer: Linda Barker\r\n\r\nBeing a bit of a girly swot, I really enjoyed school. I remember sitting on the little square of carpet listening to stories, reading to the headmaster, drinking warm milk and throwing up at lunchtime. Those were the days!\r\n\r\nFunschool 4 takes the place of the classroom quite effectively, as long as it's played with lots of kids screaming in the background. The graphics are clear and colourful and fun throughout, and the difficulty level is just about right for most of the games. There is a basic plot that links all the games together. Sammy the Spy has to go to headquarters and pick up some instructions. From there he has to work his way through all the puzzles, make his way to Egypt and find the stolen treasures of the ancient King Raram. Let's take a look at the games...\r\n\r\nALL IN PROPORTION\r\n\r\nFirst, Sammy has to pass his proportions test. Yep, it's the dreaded lurgy, a maths game! The first two sections should be manageable but the third one goes into fractions and it's a tad difficult. Persevere and you'll be given a secret message, which leads onto a multiple choice general knowledge bit. The next scene sees Sammy in a travel agent's answering questions about exchange rates. This is all about multiplication and division, you're allowed a calculator but you shouldn't use it too often. After every three questions that Sammy answers correctly, he'll get a bit of his disguise. Once he's all dressed up, it's off to the airport. Suss out the timetable and then get ready for the best bit!\r\n\r\nSomehow Sammy's got hold of a plane and you've got to learn how to control it. As you fly around, you'll be told what ocean or country you're flying over. Remember these cos in the next level you have to travel to various locations in your fabby hot air balloon. You've got to do the same m a helicopter and a submarine, then you get asked questions like - fly to where the lions live. It's great fun! Pass this test and you can land your plane in Egypt. Here you have to answer loads of historical type questions about dead dudes and past events. These multiple choice questions start off quite easy as you only have to answer in centuries, it gets harder when you have to give exact years. Succeed and you're a winner. Well done!\r\n\r\nFunschool 4 (7-11) is enjoyable and rewarding. I got quite a kick out of it when I got things right! It's also big enough to keep children occupied for quite some time. The only quibble I have with it, apart from the fact that it's a dreaded multiload, is that some of the instructions are wrong. It won't take you too long to work out what are the right keys, it's just a bit annoying.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"Top quality platform fun with one of H-B's lesser-known characters. A stonker.","Page":"19","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Linda Barker","Score":"84","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"\"Hey, matey-peeps. Wanna buy a top quality pairs of sunglasses, or an un-used pencil?\""},{"Text":"Here's Sammy without his disguise and without his boots. Dig those groovy green socks!"},{"Text":"Worra doddle! Come on Sammy, give that camel something to smile about!"}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Life Expectancy","Score":"80%","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"85%","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictiveness","Score":"80%","Text":""},{"Header":"Instant Appeal","Score":"85%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"84%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair User Issue 122, Apr 1992","Price":"£2.1","ReleaseDate":"1992-03-18","Editor":"Alan Dykes","TotalPages":52,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Alan 'Jaws' Dykes\r\nDesign: Yvette 'Wish I was in Africa' Nicholls\r\nSU Crew: Garth 'Ancient Beard' Sumpter, Pete 'Tartar Sauce' Gerrard, Phillip 'Killer Whale' Fisch, Graham 'I was upstairs, honest' Mason\r\nAd Manager: Tina 'I'm not a Goth!' Zanelli\r\nAd Production: Matthew 'What film?' Walker\r\nMarketing Man.: Mark 'Speech, speech' Swallow\r\nMarketing Women: Sarah 'Pink room' Ewing, Sarah 'Where is it Al?' Hilliard\r\nPublisher: Graham 'Dad' Taylor\r\nManaging Director: Terry 'Good morning' Pratt\r\n\r\n(c)1992 EMAP IMAGES\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nColour by Proprint\r\nPrinted by Kingfisher\r\nTypeset by Altyp Inc\r\n\r\nAbsolutely no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in an electronic retrieval system or used to pad out wet or undersized footwear without the express permission of the Publisher. On a lighter note I really hope that Garth can be found again. I hate to think of the poor chap wandering aimlessly aroudnd the world, searching for Spectrum user groups. I hope Puff is feeling much better too! Incidentally, anyone writing to Suck Up For Software had better be nice to Al from now on 'cos otherwise they won't get any software."},"MainText":"FUN SCHOOL 4 SEVEN TO ELEVEN\r\n\r\nLet's face it, the one thing that everyone hates about school is the teachers. If you step out of line, you've had it. That's the great thing with the Fun School series, there's no teachers, hoorraaahh!\r\n\r\nNow this is more like a game! Sammy the Spy (nice name!) goes to headquarters and picks up some instructions And. well, whadda you know they involve him working his way through many difficulties to Egypt and the stolen treasures of King Raram, which he must recover, solving all manner of puzzles along the way.\r\n\r\nThe first test is one of proportions and this is where the whole thing begins to go down hill as you've now got to put your brain in gear and tackle the dreaded mathematics! I used to have nightmares about maths, but don't worry it's not that bad. The first couple of sections are fairly manageable, but the third, which deals with the even more dreaded subject of fractions is a bit on the tough side (just use a calculator when no-one's watching!). If you persevere you're given a 'secret message', which brings you into a general knowledge question round.\r\n\r\nIf you ever go abroad you know you'll have to exchange currencv so here we go with the old mathematics again. This time it's multiplication and division and (shock, horror) you're actually allowed to use a calculator here, but don't use it too much, eh kids? Next up is a Geography test (as you travel to Egypt) and finally it's time for the History test before you get to see the Pharaoh treasure. Sounds like good fun or what?\r\n\r\nFor my money Fun School 4, Seven to Eleven is a much more exciting game than either of the other two. It has more of an adventure element and to be quite honest some of the questions and problems actually put me to shame! Apart from Multi loading problems I would say this game will keep the young ones beneficially busy for quite a while.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"34","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Julian Watsham","Score":"82","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Aggh! Proportions, some of this maths is pure hell, use a calc!"},{"Text":"Working out foreign exchange can be quite difficult, can't it!"}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"82%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair User Issue 128, Oct 1992","Price":"£2.2","ReleaseDate":"1992-09-18","Editor":"Alan Dykes","TotalPages":52,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Alan 'Paint Psycho' Dykes\r\nDesign: Yvette 'Easel' Nicholls\r\nSU Crew: Graham 'Brush' Mason, Steve 'Palette Knife' Keen, Pete 'Water Colour' Gerrard, Garth 'Silk Screen' Sumpter, Marc 'Detail' Richards, Gaz 'Squaddie' Harrod\r\nAd Manager: Tina 'Broad Stroke' Zanelli\r\nAd Production: Tina 'Potty' Gynn\r\nMr Marketing: Mark '18th Century' Swallow\r\nMarketing Ladies: Sarah 'Impressionist' Ewing, Sarah 'Madonna' Hilliard\r\nPublisher: Mike 'Modernist' Frey\r\nManaging Director: Terry 'Old Master' Pratt\r\n\r\n(c)1992 EMAP IMAGES\r\nPart of EMAP PLC\r\nTel: [redacted]\r\nFax: [redacted]\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nColour by Colourtech\r\nPrinted by Kingfisher\r\nTypeset by Altyp Inc\r\nSubs [redacted]\r\nBack Issues [redacted]\r\n\r\nAbsolutely no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in an electronic retrieval system or copied without the express permission of the publisher. So there! And believe me, this Mike Frey guy is a really nasty piece of work so watch out. Many thanks to Messrs Hals, Gogh, Holbien, Da Vinci and Dobson. Please don't turn in your graves as it's only a joke, honest. Many thanks to Rudi who came all the way from Slovakia to show us the Brava demo. Always wear your head in the right place and keep your toes warm."},"MainText":"FUN SCHOOL (7 - 11 year olds)\r\n\r\nEuropress Software\r\nPhone: (0625) 859 333\r\nTape: £12.99\r\nDisk: £16.99\r\n\r\nAgain, this version of the Fun School series introduces a new and even harder character, Sammy the Spy, also known as Agent Q. Sammy has to go on a number of missions around the world which test (to the limit in some cases) the user's knowledge of geography, history and mathematics. Again this is quite a difficult game for those who haven't done these subjects for a while but since these games correspond to the new National Curriculum the 7 to 14s should be able to cope. Again everything is very well planned and humourous and the standard of graphics in this Fun School series really is top form. Well done Europress Software.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"21","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"83%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 96, Feb 1992","Price":"£2.2","ReleaseDate":"1992-01-16","Editor":"Lucy Hickman","TotalPages":68,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Coming to you live from CRASH Towers are:\r\n\r\nEditor: Lucy 'Hot Lips' Hickman\r\nDeputy Editor: Nick 'Get Yer Kit Off' Roberts\r\nStaff Writer: Mark 'Gas Mark 6' Caswell\r\nProduction Editor: Warren 'Technicolour Neck' Lapworth\r\nAdventures: Ian 'Gerald Kaufman' Osborne\r\nArt & Design: Charlie 'De-cherried' Chubb, Mark 'Newt' Kendrick\r\nSystems Manager: Ian 'Modest Bast' Chubb\r\nScreenshots: Michael 'Anorexic' Parkinson\r\nPublisher: Roger 'Milton' Kean\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Sheila 'Omni-present' Jarvis\r\nAdvertisement Sales Executive: George 'Cassanova' Keenan\r\nAdvertisement Production: Jo '0898' Lewis\r\nProduction: Jackie 'Memo' Morris\r\nReprographics: Rob 'I've got a brand new shower' Millichamp\r\nManaging Director: Jonathan 'Liquid Lunch' Rignall\r\nCirculation Manager: David 'Birdie-dick' Wren\r\nAccounts: Sheila 'Morticia' Adams\r\nSubscriptions: David 'Bradford and Bingley' Bingle(y)\r\n\r\nTypesetting Europress Impact, using Apple Macintosh II computers, running Quark Express and Adobe Illustrator 3.0. Printing BPCC Business Magazines (Carlisle) Ltd. Distribution COMAG, [redacted]\r\n\r\nCOMPETITION RULES\r\nThe Editor's decision is final in all matters relating to adjudication and while we offer prizes in good faith, believing them to be available; If something untoward happens we reserve the right to substitute prizes of comparable value. We'll do our very best to despatch prizes as soon as possible after the published closing date. Winners names will appear in a later issue of CRASH. No correspondence can be entered into regarding the competitions (unless we've written to you stating that you have won a prize and it doesn't turn up, in which case write to us at the address below). No person who has any relationship, no matter how remote, to anyone who works for either EUROPRESS IMPACT or any of the companies offering prizes, may enter one of our competitions. No material may be reproduced whole or in part without the written consent of the copyright holders. We cannot undertake to return anything sent into CRASH - including written and photographic material, hardware or software - unless it is accompanied by a suitably stamped addressed envelope. Unsolicited written or photo material is welcome, and if used in the magazine is paid for at our current rates. Copy published in CRASH will be edited as seen fit and payment will be calculated by the printed word rate. The views expressed in CRASH are not necessarily those of the publishers.\r\n\r\nEuropress Impact Ltd, CRASH [redacted]\r\n\r\nThis month's cover: Never Ending Story II. Cover design by Oliver Frey. Powertape inlay by Mark Kendrick."},"MainText":"Europress Software\r\n£12.99 cass (each)\r\n\r\nTwo plus two equals... erm, seven. Oh dear, readers, I think the Crash team need to return to the classroom for a couple of days. Or alternatively, play the latest range of educational games released by our parent company (grovel, smarm). Mark 'Swotty Git' Caswell dons a mortar board and arms himself with a can to review the Fun School 4 packs...\r\n\r\nThere are three game packs on offer, each containing six games. These are for under-fives, five to seven-year-olds and seven to eleven-year-olds. Quite why the Ed asked me to review these game I don't know, at 27 I'm an old crusty (I reckon its punishment for deserting CRASH). But with the Ed's stiletto heel two inches away from my groin, I'll start with the under-fives pack:\r\n\r\nFirst off we have 'Addition', where Teddy and five of his pals are sitting in front of a blackboard. Teacher Ted shows pictures and you press the corresponding number on the keyboard. Get it right and Teddy and his classmates are allowed out to play.\r\n\r\n'Teddy Paint' allows you to become an Oli Frey acolyte for the day. By pressing different keys choose a variety of shapes and colours, so let your imagination run wild.\r\n\r\nIn 'Fun Train', Teddy takes a train ride. All you do is match the picture on the Fun Train carriage to the one in the middle of the Fun Train ride.\r\n\r\nA bit of DIY (destroy it yourself) comes next as you help the decorators paint Teddy's house. Different parts of the house are highlighted and a range of colours are offered - if you want to paint the chimney yellow, go ahead.\r\n\r\nIn 'Teddy's Karaoke', you help him pick, play and sing a selection of songs for his party. Finally, Teddy's Books'sees Daddy Bear reading a story to Teddy and his friends. All you have to do is identify the book Daddy Bear's reading.\r\n\r\nFIVE TO SEVENS\r\n\r\nThe five to seven pack kicks off with 'Library', where Freddy The Frog offers to help out with a bit of book tidying. So you're presented with a pile of books that need sorting into alphabetical order.\r\n\r\n'Basketball'sees Freddy join the Harlem Globetrotters (the first person in the office to whistle 'Sweet Georgia Brown' will be punched). Out on the basketball court you identify the missing letter; a correct answer lets Freddy lob a ball into the basket.\r\n\r\nFreddy goes to the supermarket next in 'Shopkeeper', our froggy hero tells you what he needs from the shop and you decide how much it costs (the price of milk these days, mutter, moan, whinge).\r\n\r\nHelp Freddy build his log cabin in the game (unsurprisingly) titled 'Log Cabin'. Simple sums appear on the screen; if you provide the correct answer Freddy adds another log to his home (get it wrong and he dies of hypothermia).\r\n\r\nIn 'Opposites', Freddy's wife wants to dive into a pond, but she can't until you answer some 'opposite' questions. Finally, Freddy wants to cross the pond, too, so answer questions to help him escape the crocodile.\r\n\r\nSEVEN TO ELEVENS\r\n\r\nLast but by no means least, we have the seven to elevens pack. In 'Proportions' you help Sammy The Spy work out decimals, fractions and percentages.\r\n\r\nYour general knowledge is tested in 'Spy Quiz'; if you succeed Sammy can carry out his mission. Next Sammy finds himself abroad, so in 'Exchange Rates' buy (and identity) five major currencies.\r\n\r\nIn 'Spy Travels', help Sammy find the secret spy base. He travels across the world in various vehicles but can't navigate to save his life (thicky!). And in 'Desert Dates' help Sammy answer historical questions and discover the secret of the pyramids.\r\n\r\nDespite the fact I left school a decade or so ago, I greatly enjoyed playing Fun School 4. I was impressed with the presentation of all the games. The graphics are especially noteworthy - some are monochrome but others contain all the colours of the rainbow!\r\n\r\nThese packs are excellent value for money. Parents and teachers alike could do far worse than look at the Fun School range of games (phew, I think my job is safe) (bloody creep - Ed).\r\n\r\nMARK 83%","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"56","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Mark Caswell","Score":"83","ScoreSuffix":"%"},{"Name":"Mark Caswell","Score":"83","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Down at the basketball court. What a nicely drawn Europress logo!"},{"Text":"What a strange bunch of geezers!"}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Under 5's","Score":"86%","Text":""},{"Header":"5-7 Yrs","Score":"86%","Text":""},{"Header":"7-11 Yrs","Score":"85%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"87%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]