Hula Hamsters (Windows, Mac)

"When the kids are away, the rodents will play" is the theme of HULA HAMSTERS, an edutainment title for kids ages 4 to 8. The rodents are two hip hamsters who reside in a child's bedroom. While swinging hula hoops around their cute, furry bodies, the hamsters invite the player to join them in exploring the currently uninhabited bedroom.

This exploration leads to simple games, interactive books, and loads of fun animation sequences. For example, click on the board game on the floor and you will be taken to a game of concentration. A microscope leads to a game about identifying magnified images, and the telescope transports the player to a wacky Miss Galaxy Talent Show where each of the planets is a contestant. A math addition game uses a Velcro dartboard.

The best activity is a humorous interactive comic book about the "Hula Hamster Heroes." Kids help the hamster heroes undo the dastardly deeds of the evil Lab Rat, who is using his Devolver invention to turn everything into prehistoric objects.

3A Studios, a little company from Romeoville, Illinois, produced this software, which is only available online from the company's Web site at www.hulahamsters.com. The software requires no installation -- it plays directly from the CD. Because most of the activities don't have levels, they don't offer much depth or replayability. But they are fun to explore, making this software best for families with more than one child in the targeted age range.