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Rating:  -
I bought this game as a compromise for my kindergartener and 2nd grader. For my kids, who don't have a play station or play a lot of computer games, this provides excellent, fun instruction on how to control an avatar and play a bunch of different types of games using both the keyboard and the mouse. It was hard for them at first because they kept getting lost in the Jumpstart "world," but now they have mastered it and have a lot of fun just visiting their favorite places. Most of the games themselves are pretty lame -- my kids only play them when they need to earn points to buy things, or at the end of a level to complete the required number of games to advance to the next level.
As a learning game, it takes awhile to ramp up to a challenging level. In fact, my kindergartener is in the 7th level and only now encountering academic challenges that are hard for her. For a first grader, I think I would recommend this only to reinforce things they already know and to strengthen computer skills. But, I give it 4 stars because despite the weaknesses that I see, it is a good wholesome game that my kids LOVE!
And while it annoys me that you have to pay an extra, hefty fee to get the full game, I think it is worth it. The kids blow through the first two levels, but the subsequent levels last much longer. My kids have been playing for more than 3 months and are only a little over halfway done!
Rating:  -
The games are good. My daugter who is 6 loves them. But after she finishes Unit 1, she keeps getting "here at jump start camp, we have a few more things to do before we start the next adventure, why don't you quit the game and start over?". We could not get rid of this no matter what we tried. Unit 2 never enables for us. Called their customer support, emailed them.......so far we were asked to send some files off our hard disk to them and no response after that........
We have been trying to get them to resolve this issue for weeks now.
Rating:  -
We've had good luck with Jumpstart learning products in the past, so it was a no brainer buying this, and we're very impressed with how far the graphics have come! My 6 and 5 year old have such a great time trying to earn gems to buy different things, as well as winning trophies and keys for completing tasks. They are in head to head competition over who can get through the levels first, and are learning many different skills along the way from reading to math and problem solving...not to mention familiarizing themselves with the computer. Jumpstart makes it fun by allowing the kids to decorate their own cabin, get their own pet, and place the artwork they create around on the many billboards throughout town. It's very interactive, keeps their interest, makes learning fun...overall an excellent product!
Rating: -
My wife and I are very selective about the content of the "screentime" (our household term for the time they can have in front of the computer, TV, and/or Wii) we allow our almost five-year daughter and our six-year-old son (who is nearing the end of his kindergarten year), and thus we strive for a healthy mix of quality education, exercise, and of course, fun.
Suffice to say that our children absolutely love JumpStart World 1st Grade and it is almost always their first choice for their individual screentime. They faithfully work through the educational exercises to earn gems with which they can buy things at various venues in the intriguing 3D world. When they reach various milestones they enthusiastically announce to us what they've accomplished, which is a source of satisfaction and joy to us as well as to them.
As our children are ahead of the curve we did start them both on the first grade level package and don't regret that decision. Our eldest is progressing faster, of course, and after a month is on Unit 5 of 12 (which, as noted in other reviews, meant we spent the $64.99 for the additional 10 units, but were glad to do so), while our daughter is on Unit 2.
We highly recommend this series and place it at the top (by a wide margin) of all the PC children's titles that we have.
As an aside, if you have been frustrated by the annoying requirement of far too many children's software packages (including this one) that the CD must be in the drive, go to alcohol-soft.com and download their Alcohol 52% (bizarre name, I know...) which allows you to create virtual drives on your hard drive with images of the respective CDs. The free version allows up to 6 virtual drives, while the $27 full version handles up to 31. Works great, and frees you from the CD changing hassle.
Rating: -
My six-year old is an electronic junkie, and has played LOTS of computer games. This one is BY FAR his all-time favorite. Mine too, as it is very educational. He will play until I make him stop! It runs great on the computer, and can be personlized with fun things for your child. I highly recommend it!
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