Producer: Sinclair
Memory Required: 16K
Retail Price: £4.95
Language: Machine code
Author: Psion
Age Group: 5-14 years

This is another mathematical game in which the player is expected to be able to recognise whether the answer to a sum is correct or not. It takes place on a 3D race track, where the player drives a small car along the road, which has four lanes. At the bottom of each lane is a figure, and below the figure blocks a question block which contains two figures which are being added, subtracted, multiplied or divided. The idea is to steer the car into the lane whose figure most nearly approximates the answer to the sum being asked at the bottom. Added excitement comes in the form of oil slicks and rocks, which keep you on your toes. At each half-kilometre a warning beep sounds and if the car is not in the correct lane it will be stalled. If you are in the correct lane the sum will change and require a lane change.

There are four levels of play, which refer more to the game play than the sums, and four cars to choose from. Hazards include oil slicks which might make the car skid and mix up the answers, rocks on the road and a night driving sequence.

Before play starts you can select addition, subtraction, both, multiplication, division or both. Scoring is by time taken (an on-screen clock keeps track) and average speed.

CRITICISM

The general concept of Estimator Racer is appealing, but in play the game lacks. The range of sums is impressive, and there's no doubt that estimation skills could be honed up fairly well with this program, but possibly the lack of playing content is against it. The 3D race track is interesting at first but will soon become repetitive, as there are really very few features to hold the excitement, beyond trying to match the figures. Children who may have seen their elder kin playing games like Chequered Flag will feel cheated that there are no bends to drive around. In short, a good idea that has turned out as a rather boring game.

COMMENTS

Control keys: A/Z up and accelerate/down and brake, O/P left right
Joystick: Sinclair 2
Keyboard play: fairly responsive
Use of colour: average
Graphics: average
Sound: continuous, not brilliant
Skill levels: 4

ESTIMATOR RACER
Psion
Memory: 16K
Joystick: Not specified
Price: £4.95

NUMBER PAINTER
Psion
Memory: 16K
Joystick: Not specified
Price: £4.95

Two new programs by Psion and ASK, designed to improve mental arithmetic, mix arcade action with a mental workout. Estimator Racer takes the form of a car rally, at first on clear roads, then with hazards, and some night driving before the end.

A sum appears at the bottom of the screen and you have to steer the car into the lane labelled with a number nearest the answer.

If you are not in the correct lane at the half kilometre mark you are stopped and gently reminded. All that wastes time, of course, and the object of the game is to finish the rally as fast as possible.

Four types of car can be chosen, and a practice rally of any part of the game. You can choose any kind of sum, + - * /, and of course the faster the car the harder the sum. At 300 kph the half kilometre mark happens rather too often.

Number Painter is a similar program using a ladder game. You are given a target number and then have to reach the target from your start number. Various numbers are dotted round the screen, +4, *7, - 3 , /5, and the object is to paint out those numbers until you reach the target. There is a choice of painting gangs to vary speed.

SPECTRUM LESSONS

Will Mike Edmunds administer the cane of give gold stars to Sinclair's latest?

It always seems to be a very long time between releases by Sinclair, and when they do appear they often seem like the famed curate's egg.... good in parts! Not so this selection, which appear to provide a wealth of educational experiences. With the exception of Number Painter and Estimator Racer, both of which bear the Psion and A.S.K. labels, all the other titles are published under the Macmillan Education banner. The loading screens however, bear the logo of Fiveways Software... always an indication of software of educational merit.

Each of the Macmillan titles are well presented and come with the usual comprehensive parent guide, for it must be said that the intended market is more home than school use. Having said that however, there is certainly a great deal of material that can and will be used in many classrooms. There is plenty of advice for those parents who may be unsure of the part that they can play in developing the child's reading skills. Parents are also encouraged to work through the programs with the child and to reinforce the skills gained at the keyboard with follow-up writing activities together with lots of praise an encouragement.

The guides give the general aims of the programs and outline the role of the micro in the education of children. There follows a step by step run-down of the program, and information detailing how to transfer the programs to microdrive. This last feature should be standard on all 'educational' programs this being a plea from many teachers with Spectrums in their classrooms. Perhaps now that the price of cartridges has fallen, software houses will at last make life just a little easier for all those who have to wait, and wait, while their cassettes load.

LEARN TO READ

There are five new programs which follow on from the Learn To Read series, these are Alphabetter, Wordsetter, Spellbox, Soundabout and Bodyswop. All have a similar format and graphical content to that found in the previous series, containing such entertaining characters as Deb the Rat, Ben the Dog and, of course, the Fat Pig.

The redefined character set is clear and easy to read, an essential for the child who is just beginning the reading process. The graphics are delightful, and good use is made of both colour and sound throughout the whole series. A recent review said that the animals are not particularly well represented but I could find no fault and the animation sequences only add to the appeal of the programs.

Briefly, Alphabetter deals with sequential alphabetical order and ordering of words according to their second letter. These programs have several speed options which enables them to be used at various levels and with children of differing abilities. A graphic reward follows each section and the child is given a score to aim at for the next time around.

Wordsetter helps children to sort words and pictures into sets. This concept is an important stage of the learning process and there are two levels available, each of which can be played at three speeds. The program is ideally for two players, each of whom aims to be the first to complete their set or theme. A picture or word is generated at random in the middle of the screen and each child must decide if it fits into his or her set. Correct answers give the child the picture, incorrect responses take one of the pictures away. There is a healthy sense of competition and the program not only helps with sorting but also encourages accurate and rapid responses.

The next title, Spellbox, contains activities to aid word building and accuracy. There are two sections both of which are based upon the traditional games, Noughts and Crosses and Pelmanism. Although these could quite easily be played by more traditional methods, (i.e by using pencil and paper) it must be said that the instant feedback of the computer provides an additional incentive for most children. Perhaps one vital element that computers cannot provide is the warm encouragement of an adult and this aspect is strongly stressed within the notes.

Both parts of Soundabout help children to recognise and use initial sounds. Pictures shown require the child to press the appropriate letter on the keyboard, but it is a shame that programs of such overall quality take no note of the fact that the keyboard uses uppercase! I suppose it might be argued that this is a deliberate attempt to match upper to lower case but an overlay would be a distinct advantage in this instance!

Bodyswop contains some very effective animation and requires the child to spell the word corresponding to the highlighted part of the featured animal. Help options are available with the required answers either displayed or hidden. Three programs introduce, reinforce and test vocabulary based upon parts of the body. The final section is more of a reward than a teaching program, and is an updated form of the 'make a Beetle' game.

Taken as a suite of programs these contain many and varied ideas and exercises which will help to introduce and reinforce the necessary skills required in an effective and appealing way.

THIS IS A JOB FOR...

Maths programs are perhaps the most common type of educational software available at present so it takes something quite different to make an impact, particularly with teachers. Macmillan appear to have come up with a new idea for their latest ventures into mathematics, just as the current trend for adventures is the 'Part one, followed by the sequel approach, and for arcade games to have successive programs based around the same character, so, now we have Macman!

Macman is the star of four programs, The Caber Eater, The Treasure Caves, The Magic Mirror and the Great Escape. In the Caber Eater, the emphasis is on Addition and Subtraction. This is achieved in several ways but essentially deals with 'find the difference' type problems and 'truth sets' or 'sentences'. The idea is that children become aware of relationships between numbers, thereby increasing skills and confidence. All of this leading to increased enjoyment.

Macman in the Treasure Caves concentrates upon subtraction and, as with The Caber Eater there are five levels of increasing difficulty. The adult can set the required level if necessary or the child can progress throughout the program at his or her own rate. Both of these programs follow a similar format, practice, reinforcement and reward. There are also Help facilities which automatically come into play when errors are made. Each of these programs include entertaining games which also provide opportunities for the child to plan strategies to maximise their scores.

Good graphics and sound together with the chubby little figure of Macman marching steadily around the screen have certainly appealed to the classes that have used these programs so far. For the pupils the mathematical content is almost an aside, but learning is most definitely taking place! The other titles in the Macman series, Macman and the Great Escape and Macman's Magic Mirror complement each other. The former deals with shape and conservation of area, whilst the latter is concerned with reflection, translation and rotation.

The Great Escape has six levels of difficulty ranging from the making of shapes with 'bricks', through estimation and conservation, to rotation, reflections and translations. I was very impressed by this program - it covers the subjects comprehensively and in a most enjoyable manner. Macman is again the star and the representations on-screen are superb, maintaining the interest of the children throughout.

The format on each level is the same - Macman is guarding a wall, behind which one or more prisoners are trying to escape. Unfortunately, holes keep appearing in the wall and it is the child's job to help Macman plug the gaps before a prisoner can escape! The number of prisoners is always on the increase and, needless to say, Macman's job becomes increasingly difficult. Watch out when one of them escapes.....!

In the Magic Mirror the child needs to guide Macman to reproduce the image on the other side of a mirror. The idea is well implemented and a great deal of thinking is required on some of the higher levels to get a correct pattern before time runs out and the mirror cracks. The different levels are achieved by using different numbers of mirrors and the angles at which they are set. This program also helps with the concepts of coordinates, plotting and grid-work. First rate in all aspects.

The two Psion/ASK programs are not nearly as impressive in terms of packaging or length but nevertheless are equally as effective as learning aids. Each will fit into the 16K Spectrum and are more clearly recognised as games with an educational content.

These are the type of programs that make children think and who is to say that this cannot also be a hugely enjoyable process?

Number Painter sets a target number which must be made by combining numbers and mathematical operations. This follows the style of the 'platform and ladders' games that are currently so popular, and has much of their appeal in play. Four different speeds are available depending upon the character chosen, from Mr. Plod to Mr. Speedy. This is a very effective way of developing a fluency with numbers and operations.

Estimator Racer is essentially Chequered Flag with sums! The child needs to guide a chosen car along a racetrack, all the while having to estimate the answer to a displayed problem. This program encourages the essential skill of estimation and after a few runs you begin to get a real feel for numbers, the mental arithmetic that takes place is tremendous, and thankfully the choice of cars available includes a fairly slow one. Good competitive fun against others or against the computer, and fun which develops skills that are needed every day.

SCIENCE HORIZONS

The last four programs come under the Science Horizons heading and are simulations, of a sort. Even a review of this sort cannot do full justice to these programs, as I feel that the full potential of these demands a concentrated approach for those intending to use them in the classroom.

Oil Strike is a business simulation concerned with the search for oil. It is reminiscent in some ways of The Mary Rose (for the BBC) and gives graphical representations of test drills and rock stratas etc. There are comprehensive notes, enough to ensure that this could form the basis or be an integral part of a classroom topic for a considerable time.

Planet Patrol is a graphical version of Mastermind but, much, much more complex. It also stimulates logical thinking and forward planning. Put these factors together with an illustration of the solar system, relative positions, sizes and motions of the planets and you have some idea of the wealth of material available for further study. None of these four programs is immediately playable, you must take a little time to soak up the instructions and the intricacies of play. Once you are familiar with them however, they are great fun and very demanding in terms of thought!

Disease Dodgers almost stands on its own as an arcade game. It is concerned with keeping the Dodger family alive when faced with a multitude of diseases and germs. The program shows how health, diet and exercise are interrelated and also illustrates that people living in different countries of the world face different problems of health and diet. Of all the programs this perhaps is the least effective graphically, there are colour attribute problems and some of the foods represented are not clear. This aside it is very playable and should provide much 'food for thought'!

Finally, Weathermaster. This is a novel use for a computer, basic meteorology (Nothing novel about that, have a look at Metplot, ZX October '84 - ED). After using this program I have no doubt that television weather forecasts will take on a new clarity. The program familiarises the user with the charts, symbols and terminology used by the media. These ideas are set in a game format with impressive results.

In conclusion I can only say that although these reviews may seem overly-enthusiastic I have been pleasantly surprised at the new levels that educational software, whether for home or school, have reached. Take two gold stars Macmillan and Sinclair! If you are somewhat skeptical about my comments, I can only suggest that you get hold of some of these new titles and see for yourself!

A FIRST CLASS ROMP

Theo Wood finds that educational software is a boon to teachers.

One feature which stands out when you look back on 1985 is the increasing sophistication of software in the learning field.

While previous years saw a mass of new software the quality was not necessarily good. There was a feeling that publishers were keen to jump on the bandwagon and produce software quickly for a perceived, rather than an actual, market.

Some of those programs were distinctly dull, but 1985 saw an increase in the games element and the fun/educational borderline became blurred.

PRESCHOOL LEARNING

For the pre-school and infant age group Romper Room from Beyond is another attempt at using the Spectrum for initial alphabet teaching. Romper Room is much more lively than previous programs of this type. It features a character called Max who illustrates each letter with an action. The screen picture above is one example.

On the first game, Watch the Letters, both capital and small letters are shown together with a small sentence to be read by the parent. Max then sets the word, such as dancing for D. That is much more fun than a static graphic of an object.

The three other games in the package, Press a Letter, Find a Letter, and Letter Quiz work from that basis. Letter Quiz is the hardest of the games, where the player has to observe Max's action, determine the initial letter, and then press the letter on the keyboard.

Education publisher Macmillan has produced games which follow on from the kind of skills learnt in Romper Room.

Tops and Tails and Castles and Clowns are designed with the help of Betty Root, who is the 1985 President of the United Kingdom Reading Association. Those games are involved with the recognition of initial sounds and Tops and Tails introduces sound blends. Both feature games and, interestingly, two people can play. That is really useful when you have two children squabbling over who should play with the computer.

Mr T Meets His Match by Good Housekeeping, deals with memory skills. The players have to pick out pairs of animals as they turn over cards on the screen. The one-player option allows Mr T to be a forgetful or clever computer opponent. At a higher level the animals on the cards change to geometric shapes.

The other game, Switcheroo, provides food for thought as the task is to change one animal into another in four moves. That can be done by changing the size, colour, or animal. Mr T Meets His Match is an interesting package which deals with non-verbal skills using entertaining graphics.

Paddington's Garden Game is a gentle arcade frolic in which Paddington has to go around the garden to find a pot of marmalade, catching butterflies as he goes. The butterflies are released at the end of the game.

Joystick control ensures easy use. The game is innocent enough for the younger age group for which it is designed. Paddington fans should enjoy it, while practising hand/eye coordination.

SIMPLE ARITHMETIC

While today's educational thinking encourages calculators for yesterday's burdensome tasks of long division and multiplication, elementary numeracy cannot be ignored. Several programs work on that problem and are so designed as to deal with varying skill levels from five to 11.

Mirrorsoft's Ancient Quests pack age has a game called The Count which provides practice of simple counting to more complicated sums such as division and multiplication. Moving around the castle you must solve the problems posed before reaching the library where the Count can be overcome.

The other game, King Tut's Treasure includes arcade action. You must move Professor Diggins around the screens, avoid the hazards and dig for the matching shapes, match a fraction with a decimal or fraction with a name.

Psion and ASK collaborated on two of the year's best programs which deal with numbers. Estimator Racer is another arcade classic in which you have to race around a track as fast as possible. The faster you go the more frequently you have to answer questions. The speed and level can be selected and depend on the type of car and player's control.

Estimator Racer is different from other similar programs in that it is not the correct answer which is needed but the one nearest to the answer. That skill is useful when using a calculator, and encourages quick thinking without the need for complete accuracy.

Number Painter is another program with the same pedigree. This time the aim is to reach the target number by painting out other numbers - such as +2, +3 - until the target is reached. Based on a platform and ladders game, and operating at a number of different skill levels, Number Painter is great fun and has enough action to appeal to players who are hooked on games.

ADVENTURES

Adventure games have proved popular and the format is selling well in adventure books with multiple choice options. Taking an active role in the development of the plot, young readers are encouraged to improve their reading skills.

Mirrorsoft's Phineas Frogg must be considered a classic of its type for eight to 10 year olds. A story book is provided to fill in the plot background before you start the game, and a multiple choice of action is shown on each screen. There are also several arcade games which have to be played to solve the mystery, which is to save the scientist Mole from the Secret Lair of the Terrible Hamsters - SLOTH for short.

Jack in Magiciand could be played by the same age group, or as with Phineas, with younger non-readers as an alternative to reading a story. Based on the old tale it too has options. As a text-only adventure it lacks some of the interest of Phineas, but that is compensated by using a more descriptive text.

SIMULATIONS

Simulations are one way of introducing a subject and practising skills. Weathermaster by Sinclair/Macmillan is one of my favourites. Using it you can play at being a weather forecaster.

Onscreen you see a picture of the British isles and the frontal systems moving over the chart. The aim of the game is to provide a correct forecast. That must be done for each region until the whole country has been covered. If you can do that you can become a weathermaster - no mean feat.

Oilstrike is another in the Science Horizons series from Sinclair/Macmillan. It is a simulation similar to Weathermaster but this time you have to survey and drill for oil. The secret is to find suitable oil-bearing strata before drilling, otherwise costs mount turning the operation into what could prove to be a fruitless exercise.

The success of sports simulations in the software charts proves their popularity. Two sports simulations which require more skill than usual are Yacht Race and Run For Gold, both from Hill MacGibbon.

Yacht Race is an introduction to the art of sailing and comes with a printed chart of the different courses. There are six levels of difficulty which allow the novice to learn by coping with steering the dinghy before moving on to trimming the sails and setting the balance.

Run For Gold similarly requires a learning curve to fully master the pace and steering of your two chosen runners. Setting the pace too high for your runners will quickly tire them out. The object of the game is to increase your fitness level in local meets, before moving on to reach Olympic standard.

The Spectrum is not noted for its musical capability but one program stands out which uses what little there is to the full. Music Typewriter, from Romantic Robot, enables you to print out a score on to a wide selection of printers and interfaces.

The product is a real aid to budding composers who are working with a musical instrument. You can ENTER the notes with the help of the keyboard overlay which is provided, and edit the tune bar by bar.

A substantial section dealing with setting key changes, rhythm or tempo, as well as right or left-hand play options, means that the package can cover a wide variety of musical styles. You cannot use chords, but that is a failing of the hardware.

MORE LOGO LOGIC

Sinclair's own version of Logo was a critical success in 1984 and provided Spectrum owners with the chance to experiment with a full implementation of the language. Two Logo lookalikes were released in 1985 which offer Logo facilities of Logo at a reduced price.

Spectrum Logo Graphics from Sigma deals purely with turtle graphics. Using a keyboard overlay the main commands can be ENTERed with single key stroke. Spacing between commands is added automatically. That may be of some help to younger children but the entry of commands will not deter most children. The big drawback with the program is, however, that routines cannot be SAVEd.

The second Logo program was Picture Logic, from Addison Wesley. The program is a reworking of Heather Govier and Malcolm Neave's earlier program Logo Challenge.

Picture Logic adopts the structured approach to turtle-type graphics. The book accompanying the software takes you through the first stages and beyond by a series of exercises, called challenges, with many hints and tips to help beginners. In neither of the two programs is there any list processing facility which can be found in the full Sinclair version. If, however, you want turtle graphics and want a structural approach Picture Logic is the best buy.

One package which is easy to use and provides access to the Spectrum's graphics capability is New Generation's Light Magic. The program allows you to draw onscreen, change brush size and generally play around with colour and pattern without any programming skills. A program such as that can give some insight into how a graphic system works as well as being instantly usable.

BOOKWARE

For 11 to 16 year olds the Century Communications book Maths Tutor for the Spectrum is to be recommended. It is not a revision package but a self-contained maths course in book form with a tape for a few pounds extra.

A maths course could well be very difficult to follow but author Robert Carter has brought a masterly use of language into play which ensures that the whole subject does not become too dry. The explanations in the book are oustandingly clear and simple, and use of the programs in the book reinforces understanding of the mathematical concepts required up to O Level.

Revision programs are the mainstay of the program lists for secondary school age. The best of those on the science side are the Pan/Hill MacGibbon packages, called Pan Course Tutors. They cover all the usual science subjects and come with a text book.

There are diagnostic tests at the beginning of the programs which help students to identify weak spots in their study course.

The student is then directed to a suitable module. The modules make extensive use of screen windows, with one for the explanation, one for a question and a third for hints.

Penguin has released more titles in its study range, which mostly cover English Literature. Those operate on database techniques which allow you to browse through and follow characters in a novel or play. As the study of English Literature is largely interpretive, and the space for text is extremely limited, it would seem that those and other, similar, packages offer little real advantage over revision notebooks.

WORLDLY WISE

A program for older students which does not concern revision is Worldwise, a study of nuclear weapons. It operates as a database as well as providing a basis for playing negotiation simulations. It is meant as a factual program and not, in itself, an opinion former.

The Richardson institute for Conflict and Peace Research, at Lancaster University, operates an update system for members of the user group WUG - Worldwise Users Group, membership £2.00. Extra copies and microdrive versions can be obtained through the group at a special price.

Programs such as Worldwise can be used to provide the basis for intelligent discussion in an area which is renowned for bias and emotion, frequently unsupported by hard facts.

All in all, 1985 has been a good year for educational software. As it becomes less easy to rely on simple rule and drill exercises, producers of software are showing imagination and wit in their programs. In doing so the packages are becoming more attractive to use and more fun to play.