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Rating: 4.5
Publisher: Music Games International LLC - Quaint Interactive, Inc.
Web site:
www.kidsmusicstage.com
Copyright: 2003
Price: $19.95
Platform: Win
Age range: 4-up
Grade Level: P, K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, S, Jr, Sr.
CSR Review: Featuring the Moscow Ensemble of Contemporary Music, this
is the second program in a well-designed music series (see Tchaikovsky's
Nutcracker the Music Game). Eight different music puzzles are set in the
context of a plot adapted from Mozart's first musical, The Magic Flute. The
game begins with a rather long introduction that tells the story of how a
young boy (Mozart) is given a flute to help break an evil spell by the Queen
of the Night. The only way to save the world from eternal night is to win at
the games, which drill children on core music appreciation skills such as
matching phrases of music in a game of concentration, or unscrambling
electronically garbled songs. Nice features include a musical encyclopedia,
built-in ebooks and a Mozart Juke Box. Flaws include an inability to save
the game for multiple players (important for classroom consideration) and
clunky navigation when it is time to move to the next puzzle. It is also
important to note that some of the games are HARD (even for a music major
reviewer!) and will frustrate younger players. A better age range would be
6-up for most of the content, so be on hand to help out.
The bottom line -- this is the best children'
s music game of the year, especially given the
affordable price, ranging from $10 for a download, to $20 for a boxed
version. Visit www.kidsmusicstage.com for more information.
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