http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/04/technology/circuits/04game.html?pagewanted=2

Teenage Sleuth in Fine Formula
NY Times Published: December 4, 2003

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By the time I was finished playing Nancy Drew, my game pile had doubled, with boxes on every available surface. I was just getting ready to try some of those revolutionary, most-anticipated releases when I was once again distracted by a little game I could not resist: Alice in Vivaldi's Four Seasons, part of MGI's children's music edutainment series. As a big fan of both "Alice in Wonderland" and Vivaldi, I was intrigued by their merger.

The premise of Seasons is that Alice is trapped in a music clock and must play through various music games to win the 60 minutes necessary to repair the clock. In one puzzle, four musicians are playing two different Vivaldi songs and you must divide them into the proper duos. In another you must determine which instruments are being played in a quartet.

My favorite game involved listening to a Vivaldi piece and then selecting the matching melody from a collection of oddly arranged Vivaldi tunes. The alternate arrangements are wonderfully diverse and include one played on the sitar and another done boogie-woogie style. It is so much fun listening to these that one wishes MGI would put out an album called "The Distorted Vivaldi."

It is obvious from the imagination and care put into these altered arrangements and the other puzzles that Seasons was created by people with a deep understanding and appreciation of music. The game feels less like children's edutainment than like the work of musical evangelists who consider music a powerful, life-changing force. They want the player to understand and savor music, and will even award players points needed to win the game just for listening to five minutes of a concerto.

While the game box describes Seasons as suitable for ages 5 to 95, the simple puzzles and colorful cartoon graphics mean it will be most appealing to children. Yet the puzzles are fairly entertaining, and the music makes even the simplest task enjoyable.

Vivaldi warms the heart and refreshes the soul, and fortified by his music, I am ready to resume searching through my pile for the ultimate games. Next time I may have the most fun playing a much-hyped cutting-edge title. But as Nancy and Alice have proven, sometimes the humble, easily overlooked suspect is the one you need to keep an eye on.

ALICE IN VIVALDI'S FOUR SEASONS
Developed and published by Music Games International for Windows 98 and later; $19.95; for all ages. 

E-mail: Herold@nytimes.