'TrainTown' Is Ultra Cool; 'Alpha Team' Saves the Day

By JINNY GUDMUNDSEN

Dec. 21, 2000 12 AM PT

jinny@choosechildrensoftware.com

You can now give Lego and Lionel trains as software. It might be hard to imagine playing with trains on the computer, but they transition very well with “3-D Ultra Lionel TrainTown Deluxe.” Lego, a key construction toy in most houses, changes focus when transferred to the computer in “Lego Alpha Team.”

“3-D Ultra Lionel TrainTown Deluxe”

As children click through the model train simulation “3-D Ultra Lionel TrainTown Deluxe,” they will be amazed at how many things they can do with virtual Lionel trains. In this upgraded version of “3-D Ultra Lionel TrainTown,” children complete 84 logic puzzles that require them to guide Lionel trains through different worlds.

For example, in one job, children save Christmas by rescuing a stranded rail car of Santa’s elves. To replace the broken switch, children navigate a complicated series of tracks--avoiding high-speed commuter trains along the way.

“3-D Ultra Lionel TrainTown Deluxe” teaches children how to become virtual engineers. It offers an excellent set of tutorials in which children learn the basics of moving trains, picking up and delivering cargo, coupling and decoupling trains, toggling switches and lots of other cool train stuff. In the tutorials, a narrator guides play and explains new concepts.

Once a child understands the basics, it’s off to the six other Job Bins for fun. Children can choose jobs that range in difficulty from “Caboose Washer” to “Whistle Blower.” Children can even create their own layouts for others to explore. This aspect of the game allows for personal creativity.

Whenever a software company can combine fun with learning, it will produce a winner. Here, “3-D Ultra Lionel TrainTown Deluxe” blows the winner’s whistle by combining much-loved trains with the use of children’s brains.

“3-D Ultra Lionel TrainTown” is full of clever animations and sound effects. The virtual trains are replicas of classic Lionel models. So, for a modern ride through the nostalgic world of Lionel trains, grab your conductor hat and your computer mouse and click aboard.

“Lego Alpha Team”

Ogel, a bad-dude Lego guy, is plotting to take over the world by producing mind-altering orbs that turn regular people into zombies. The Alpha Team, six brave and talented Lego characters, has been trying to stop him. But all it has been able to do is get five team members caught.

Players guide Dash, the one remaining team member, through Ogel’s three hide-outs to rescue the other five members of the Alpha Team and stop the production of the mind-altering orbs.

Initially, the players direct Dash, the motion expert, by placing directional tiles to create a path to the mission objectives. As the players proceed through the sequential missions, they use more equipment and gadgets to solve the progressively more complicated missions. Eventually, players have to assemble equipment to use in the missions.

“Lego Alpha Team” is loads of fun. Kid testers greatly enjoyed the secret mission theme, the cool secret agent-type music and the animations. The bad guy and his henchmen are just the right combination of scary, taunting and nasty to motivate players to kick some evil Lego booty.

The one negative of “Lego Alpha Team” is that it does not provide much replay value. Although “Lego Alpha Team” has more than 40 puzzles, motivated kid testers were able to work through the game in about a week. Multiple levels, a create-your-own-puzzle area or more missions would have increased the longevity of “Alpha Team.”

It’s a great title for exploring logic. It admirably provides children with an environment that allows for hypothesis-testing. If players don’t get a puzzle right the first time, they can learn from their mistakes and try again. It even cushions frustration by offering hints.

Jinny Gudmundsen is editor of Choosing Children’s Software magazine.

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The Skinny

“3-D Ultra Lionel Traintown Deluxe”

Ages: 9 and older

Price: $30

Publisher: Sierra Attractions

Platform: PC

System requirements: Pentium 120 with 32 MB of RAM and 70 MB of available hard disk space

The good: Virtual Lionel Trains

The bad: Nothing--this is top-notch

Bottom line: A great ride through an inventive world of logic puzzles