Odell Down Under
Publisher: MECC
Reviewed by Deborah Pollard
SCHOOL SUBJECTS: The school related subjects that are introduced in this program related to the ecosystems in the coral reef.
GRADE LEVEL: Grades 3-8
PLATFORM USED FOR EVALUATION: MacPowerPC
HARD DISK OR CD-ROM?:CD-ROM
TIME TO PLAY: Time varies depending on the level one reaches.
RATING: 8
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROGRAM:
Have you ever wondered what kind of food a Bluegill Longfin fish eats? Or how a Palette Suregeonfish cleans itself? This program can tell you that and much more. The person playing the game is given the option to take a challenge or enter in a tournament which is a bit longer than the challenge. Once the challenge option has been made, one is given the background information pertaining to a specific fish. That fish is your "game piece" and you control what it eats and making sure it cleans itself. The object of the game is to make each fish adapt to the habitat and keep its health level and energy level up, as well as learn about different fish and there habits. Points are awarded for eating the right types of food and keeping clean. A level is completed when a certain number of designated points have been reached. Then you are given a bigger fish and you continue on a higher level. If at any point during the game you would like to know the facts about a certain plant or another type of fish, one clicks on the "info" icon and then you are able to move around the frozen screen and gather information.
The graphics in Odell Down Under are beautiful. One can travel through six different frames or sections of the ocean floor and discover what is there. There is help available is necessary, but one must go back to the CD-ROM to obtain it.
EVALUATION OF THE PROGRAM:
This program is definitely fit for both males and females of any race or culture. There are not gender references except when describing a specific fish, but it goes both ways. I think students of any nature can relate to it because everyone knows what fish are, but here they can learn more specifics. It is possible though, that the information presented in the description of each might be difficult for a younger student to comprehend. One flaw that I see in the program is that one has to play the game many times using a trial and error strategy in order to figure out what's what. Unless you already have a thorough background on marine life, like me, you don't know the difference between a cleaner fish (which you don't eat) and plankton (which you sometimes eat). This is all part of the learning process that goes on throughout the game. At the beginning of each level, you start out with good heath and energy, but if youÕre energy or health drops drastically, then you die. That is the only type of time limit that is given. I think that this program is lots of fun, but the structure isn't that clear, and it gets kind of repetitive. Although at each level you are anew, bigger fish, you are still swimming around in the same exact waters. If along with each level you were brought into different portions of the sea, it would be much more exciting. I think that an older student could get bored easily while playing this game. The highlight of the game is not one specific thing. It's the fact that with each new fish you become, one needs to learn about that fish and its special abilities in order to pass the level.
APPLICATION OF THE PROGRAM:
The use of Odell Down Under can definitely be incorporated into science lesson at school. After reading about the fish, the children are given the opportunity to actually see how the fish survive and make sure that they do. I definitely would use this program in my classroom because it would give the children time to explore on their own everything that they had just learned. They could see the fish in action!