Cyberchase: Carnival Chaos (Windows, Mac)

Cyberchase is a hit PBS show that creates a fantasy world in cyberspace. It stars Motherboard, a benevolent character who is plagued by the antics of the evil character named Hacker. In CYBERCHASE: CARNIVAL CHAOS, the first computer program featuring the Cyberchase characters, your children help Motherboard retrieve the all-important Mega-bolt, an item stolen by Hacker and his lackey, Delete. Luckily, Delete accidentally dropped the Mega-Bolt into the R-Fair-City Cybersite -- a place full of carnival rides, games, and attractions.

Barker, a fast-talking hustler who runs R-Fair-City, is annoyed at having the Mega-Bolt bounce through his site. He won't give it back until players have helped six characters by playing six different carnival games and solving two logic puzzles.

Kid-testers were impressed by how the program turned everyday carnival games into fun, logical challenges. Because the games are easy to play but hard to win, kids jumped right in -- but they found that they had to stop and think to become a victor. Players will find very clever variations of pop-the-balloon, Skee-Ball, bumper cars, a maze-type game, a code-breaker game, and a super-soaker activity.

The program offers two modes of play: adventure and puzzle practice. It has adaptive leveling and plenty of help along the way. The video sequences from the TV show are very grainy, which is a small annoyance. All in all, though, kids thought this was a carnival worth investigating.