Gloppy Intergalactic Garbage

Legacy’s “The Mutanoid Math Challenge” is math drill. Or is it a futuristic battle over ecological crimes?

In the year 2020 Earth is covered in garbage. So, some brilliant politicians decide to send it all into outer space. Some not so brilliant aliens decide to take up some intergalactic salvaging. They are surprised when nothing works properly. They want to drop glop on the Earth as their revenge for the broken appliances they can’t get rid off.

Designed for children ages 7 to 14, “Mutanoid” is a math contest between you and the computer-generated aliens.

When you start the game, you get to choose one of three levels of difficulty. Each level has increasingly complex math equations that you must solve. Points are earned for each number and symbol in the equation. The harder the equation, the more points you earn. The contestant with the most points wins . . . a blender! Go figure.

Our biggest problem with the game is it’s just a math drill, kind of like a spelling bee. How many equations can you answer and how fast? You don’t really learn anything. You answer the equations, but if you are wrong, the screen just flashes red and gives your computer opponent a chance at the problem. (The computer, by the way, is programmed to make occasional errors.)

If Legacy had wanted to do a “save the Earth” game, the designers could have made it more interesting. If they had wanted to do a math drill, they could have have made it a lot more effective.

The game manual is very complete but like the game, seems to be more suitable for the classroom. As a supplement to a regular math class, it has some merit. As a learning tool for the home, it’s not very compelling.

Math

Challenge

Rating: **

IBM & compatibles, Tandy; 512K RAM. List: $49.95.

Computer games are rated on a five-star system, from one star for poor to five for excellent.