[{"TitleName":"Fun School 4 for 5-7 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":"0012543","Reviews":[{"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":["Ooo, little teddies everywhere! I like a challenging game to play now and then, something to test my skills to the full. That's why I got lumbered with Fun School 4! The three packs cater for different age groups and all are full of fun, informative graphics and brilliant animated sequences. The Fun School series has all the educational value you need but presents it in such a way to keep the child interested. A favourite game of mine is Teddy D's Karaoke, where you select the nursery rhyme to bop along to and the words come up on screen. We've been playing it constantly in the office - it's driving everyone around the bend! I recommend Fun School 4 to anyone wanting to continue their child's education at home. I wish I'd had such great games to play in my early learning years (whadda ya mean, I'm still only little!).\r\nNick Roberts\r\n90%"],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"56","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Mark Caswell","Score":"83","ScoreSuffix":"%"},{"Name":"Nick Roberts","Score":"90","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":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Sinclair Issue 74, Feb 1992","Price":"£2.2","ReleaseDate":"1992-01-02","Editor":"Andy Hutchinson","TotalPages":68,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"BACK TO OUR ROOTS\r\n\r\nWe're not talking about the roots in the land, we're talking 'bout the roots in the man!\r\n\r\nEditor: Andy (Manchester) Hutchinson\r\nNew Art Editor: Andy (Bristol) Ounsted\r\nGames Editor: James (Hamelin) Leach\r\nStaff Writer: Linda (Hackney) Barker\r\nArt Assistant: Maryanne (Portsmouth) Booth\r\nAdvertising Manager: Cheryl (Tunbridge Wells) Beesley\r\nProduction Coordinator: Lisa (Bath) Read\r\nPublisher: Jane (Chelmsford) Richardson\r\nPublishing Assistant: Michele (Amersham) Harris\r\nGroup Publisher: Greg (New Forest) Ingham\r\nCirculation Director: Sue (Guildford) Hartley\r\n\r\nYour Sinclair (London), Future (Somerton) Publishing [redacted]\r\n\r\nSubscriptions: The Old Barn [redacted]\r\nDistribution: MMC [redacted]\r\n\r\nCover Illustration: Max (Wokingham) Ellis\r\nISSN 0269 6983\r\nABC Jan-June 1991 65,444\r\n\r\nYour Sinclair canters briskly into the paddock with a whinny and a neigh from the same stable as these fillies: Commodore Format (Bath), Amstrad Action (Somerton), Amiga Format (Bath), PCW Plus (Somerton), Sega Power (Bath), Amiga Power (Bath), Amiga Shopper (Bath), Classic CD (Bath), Needlecraft (Bath), Mountain Biking UK (Faversham), PC Format (Bath), Public Domain (Bath) and ST Format (Bath).\r\n\r\nBut what we really want to know is... who invented liquid soap, and why?"},"MainText":"FUN SCHOOL 4 - 5 TO 7 YEAR OLDS\r\nEuropress Software\r\n£12.99 cass/£16.99 disk\r\nReviewer: Dave Golder\r\n\r\nFun School for the more mature little Spec-chum. The linking character here is Freddy the Frog - I mean, at five you re just too old for Teddies, aren't you? (Unless you're James, of course.)\r\n\r\nBest of the six games here is Typing which features a dopey-looking crocodile who's hot on Freddy's tail. You can save Freddy by typing in certain letters, words or sentences. Type them correctly and Freddy hops hurriedly out of the range of the crocodile's teeth. Finally he reaches an island where someone has left a hefty-looking mallet. And guess what you use that for? All the crocodile-bashing happens off screen, but the great graphics and wicked sense of humour make this an excellent little game.\r\n\r\nIn Opposites Freddy and his wife want to go swimming, but the farmer who owns the pool will only let them if they answers questions about opposites. The pool is covered with lily pads, some of which have words on. The computer gives you another word, small for example, and you have to guide Freddy to the lily pad that says tall. When you've got a certain amount right Mrs Frog leaps into the pool. The nifty graphics liven things up and the whole thing's pretty spiffy.\r\n\r\nShopkeeper is all about working out how much things cost, whether you've got the right money and what the change should be. Freddy starts out going down the shops and ends up as the manager of a supermarket. Verdict? Okay, if a little static.\r\n\r\nIn Log Cabin Freddy has to build a log cabin before he can have his dinner. There's a few multiple choice maths problems that you have to answer correctly to get a log. Freddy picks up the log and, like a champion caber tosser, hurls it into position.\r\n\r\nBasketball has you filling in the gaps in a series of number or letters. You know the son of thing - A, B, C, ?, E. Get it right and Freddy throws a ball through a basket ball hoop. The animation is spiffy, but it's all a bit slow.\r\n\r\nLibrary is just a case of putting books in alphabetical order. Nice graphical presentation but the actual game is about as exciting as counting how many time the letter z crops up in the end credits of Neighbours.\r\n\r\nAgain, the manual is presented in the form of a story and the idea just about comes off. Despite some irritating niggles, this disk still beats Play Bus anyday.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"Learning has never been so much fun.","Page":"53","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Dave Golder","Score":"8","ScoreSuffix":"/10"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"When you get six of the best in Fun School it doesn't hurt a bit, just six great games."}],"BlurbText":[{"Text":"TEN THINGS THEY DON'T TEACH YOU AT SCHOOL\r\n\r\nHow to be a millionaire pop star.\r\n\r\nAdvanced cheese and onion crisp appreciation.\r\n\r\nWhat to tell your mum when she catches behind the bikeshed with Susie Barnes.\r\n\r\nHow to eat three shredded wheat.\r\n\r\nHow to pat your head and rub your stomach at the same time.\r\n\r\nWhere to buy peanut butter, candyfloss and banana milkshake-flavoured toast toppers.\r\n\r\nWho won the FA cup in 1962.\r\n\r\nHow to stop all the little scaley bits from the kettle getting into your tea when you don't have a tea-strainer.\r\n\r\nHow Extreme manage to make such crap records.\r\n\r\nWhy Spiderman's face goes absolutely smooth when he puts his mask on."}],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Life Expectancy","Score":"8/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"9/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictiveness","Score":"8/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Instant Appeal","Score":"9/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"8/10","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 FIVE TO SEVEN\r\n\r\nYou're now entering the magical world of Freddy Frog (ribbit!). First up is a little lesson on how to learn your alphabet (quite handy when trying to read a review!), down at the library while visiting Terry Toad, who's behind the counter. There's a pile of books on the counter that need sorting out in alphabetical order. Terry hasn't got enough time so you've kindly offered to do it. Simply sort them out by looking at the first letter, placing A before B and M before N etc. It's really all very easy, but useful too.\r\n\r\nIn level two things get a but harder, words such as hat and hard appear. So now you have to look at the third letter to sort them all out. The next day Freddy goes to a basketball game, but things are all very confusing there too! Five people sit in the front row holding up a selection of score cards. One has a question mark on it, can you guess what it's supposed to be? If you can, you score a basket. There are four levels to go through with each one getting increasingly harder.\r\n\r\nThe next day sees Freddy handling money, both as a shopper and a shop keeper. First, you have to work out what you can afford to buy, then, as the shopkeeper, you must work out what people have spent on items in the shop Then visit your holiday cabin. Here you must use maths to figure out where to put logs in the cabin. Like the basketball, there's four levels that get progressively harder.\r\n\r\nNow Mrs Frog (who?) wants to go swimming but as she approaches the diving board a farmer comes along in his tractor who won't let her use the board until she answers some 'opposites' questions. Simply hop around on the lily pads choosing the right words - and remember they're all opposites. Finally, Freddy decides to go for a walk across, would you believe it, crocodile infested waters and yet again he must answer questions order to cross the bridge.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"34,35","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Julian Watsham","Score":"79","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Froggy in the library, being helpful."},{"Text":"Piling up logs in the woodhouse, get them all in order."}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"79%","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 (5 - 7 year olds)\r\n\r\nEuropress Software\r\nPhone: [redacted]\r\nTape: £12.99\r\nDisk: £16.99\r\n\r\nMore complicated than FS4 (u5s), this version introduces a completely new interactive character, Freddy the Frog (presumably a teddy is a bit soft for all those 'well hard' over fives). At this stage the kiddies should know their alphabet and the basic principles of maths so they've got to help Freddy out as he visits the library, takes over running a friend's shop and goes on holiday to a log cabin. Adults would do well to look at this program too, although it is simple enough for a 5 to 7 year old to master it will serve as a reminder that it was a long time ago since you had to do anything like this and you'd be surprised how long some of these simple problems will take to figure out. (While your children go through them faster than Nigel Mansell.)","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"21","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"81%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]