Once Upon A Time.....
A Review of Sleeping Beauty
Richard Cunningham
Just when you thought you'd seen it all, heard it all, read it all, they do it another way that makes it just a little more fun to watch, listen and read. I'm talking about the latest addition to the Memorex Software Series and N-TK Entertainment Technology Inc. line of consumer entertainment titles, The Sleeping Beauty.
If you are my age (extremely classified information, but still a 2-digit number), your first introduction to Sleeping Beauty may have been the Disney classic animated classic film. Others may remember it from a fairy tale read to you by your mother or grandmother. And still others may have had an introduction to it via the computer, as an educational product. Since the plot is in the public domain, it can be used by anyone and no royalties have to be paid to an author. In other words, it is free to use. That is why it has been used and featured so many times in so many different forms. My children have a copy of it that we got in one of the 5 or 10 foot CD packs, I can't remember which one. But this version of it really is a superb product, and at the retail price of $14.99, it is a bargain.
The CD is very simply, a retelling of the fairy tale of the Sleeping Beauty. Briefly, a princess is cursed to sleep by wicked fairy, and is awakened by the kiss of a handsome prince. This program tells the story in two ways. The first is a read-along setting, where the page has both pictures and words. A narrator reads the story and the viewer can follow along with the words. Several words are highlighted on each page, and clicking on them gives a definition of that word. There is no target age group mentioned in the material, but the rating on the cover is for 6 and up. I assume that the definitions are geared towards helping children in that age range understand the story. The pictures on each page are what, in my opinion, really help this program stand above others of this tale. Instead of a stagnant picture, you are watching a mini-animated cartoon of the action for that page. The pictures are easy to see and the action is easily followed on the screen. This is an improvement over other fairy tale type programs that I have seen, such as the one my children already have, which features colorful pictures but no motion. The story goes on for 81 pages, so you have that many mini-cartoons to watch.
The second way to enjoy the story is to watch it as a movie. As I mentioned before, it runs for 81 pages as a story. When you watch it as a movie, it shows only the picture frame and runs for about 13-15 minutes. There is a pleasant musical score in the background of fairy tale-type music, in both the movie and the story book which adds to the enjoyment. This is very entertaining, especially for younger ones who may have trouble following the words.
There is a puzzle that is added, a jigsaw type puzzle, but it really doesn't add to the story, and seems to be added as an afterthought. It features four screens shots, and they are jumbled and the player must rearrange them. Not an original game, but it does help kill the time. It would have been nice to have had a couple of other small games in addition to this one, or it would have been better to have left this off altogether.
The program ran directly from the CD ROM, the only installation involved setting up Video for Windows. There were no bugs or bombs in the testing I did of the program. I would add that this is the first game I have seen that requires you to have a video card that supports greater than 256 colors. From the pictures in the program, you will see how this helps the visual appeal of the program. It will not run in the 256 color mode at all. Just a warning.
This is a very pleasant program to have. It is well designed and thought out (except for the game) and would be a welcome addition to a home library.
School House Scorecard
| Product: |
Sleeping Beauty |
| Company: |
Memorex Software Series
|
| Cost: |
$14.99 |
System Requirements:
IBM: 486 or greater microprocessor (Pentium 75 recommended for optimum performance); MPC2 compliant CD-ROM drive, Windows 3.1, Windows 95 or Windows NT, DOS 5.0, 8mb ram, Video card supporting 16 bit color (65,000 colors)(local bus, EISA or PCI), Sound Blaster 16 or compatible, MS Mouse or compatible
Breakdown:
Ease of Use 4
Learning Value 4
Entertainment Value 4
Graphics 4
Sound 5
Overall Score:
Copyright © 1997 InfoMedia, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.