In the children's software biz, there isn't much room left to boldly go where no one has gone before..

But a little company has staked out perhaps the only remaining frontier -- opera. Music Games International's new title, Mozart's Magic Flute: The Music Game, takes this form of classical music and makes it more appealing, accessible and almost aria-free.

It does so by emphasizing the story and the music of The Magic Flute, not the singing. Kids are cast in the role of little "Wolfie" Mozart on a dream quest to break the Queen of the Night's terrible spell and rescue Prince Tamino and Princess Pamina. It's not quite the way opera unfolds, but this is a dream sequence after all.

Papageno, the opera's comical bird-catcher, explains what's going on and acts as a guide. Kids' first task is getting out of a pretty park, en route to the queen's castle. But the gates won't open until they win the first of many music games.

Children have to find three birds in a tree that play the same short musical movements as three birds on the ground. Some of the choices are obviously different but others only slightly so, which encourages careful listening. This subtlety carries through on assorted other puzzles and games, including one involving actual opera singing. You really have to concentrate on the music and its nuances.

Throughout their travels, kids are treated to beautiful sights to go with the rich, orchestral sounds. Scenery as well as game settings are rendered in lush, watercolor-washed animation, a perfect accompaniment to the otherworldly escapade.

As Wolfie children continue the journey, they reach a gazebo, where the music jigsaw puzzles, as MGI calls them, are located. Here, kids listen to music from The Magic Flute, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik and other Mozart and then piece together the different instruments playing it. When they choose an instrument, it appears on the stage and a costumed animal plays its part. My favorite was the hippo harpist clad in a blue ballgown and feathered hat.

Once children find the four or more instruments in each piece, the animal musicians play it start to finish. Then it's on to the next of 16 such puzzles. Eventually, kids reach the castle, where a final challenge, Mozart trivia, awaits. How well they do likely depends on how well they've attended to Mozart tidbits gleaned from feathers picked up along the road.

All in all, the Magic Flute game is wonderful and a worthy addition to the family software library.

However, the addition of a linear adventure-game format to this second in Music Games International's Interactive Classics series makes it more difficult for the youngest players, who may need grownup help to get past obstacles.  While helping, parents can enjoy the immersion in Mozart, particularly since it isn't cartooned up or dumbed down.