It could be said that it's an indictment of current games that a 20-year-old
title could still sell today.
That's exactly what
Granny's
Garden is – launched back in the 1980s, it was the first piece of software
to convince teachers that there was a point to computers in schools.
In addition to being fun for young children, it also taught problem solving
as well as general computer use, sending players on a quest to rescue the king
and queen of the mountains from where they've been imprisoned by an evil witch.
The game, originally available for BBC computers and here recreated for
Windows PCs, is essentially a text adventure. Although there are basic graphics
and animations all the players' moves are made by typing in commands in response
to prompts. The commands required are very basic, meaning that even younger
children can respond and play along.
If you're one of those who managed to complete it back in the day, the new
edition, which is exactly the same in terms of play, will provide a nice
nostalgia hit, while current parents of young children, as long as they're not
already spoilt by the spectacular graphics of current games, may find this a
pleasant diversion that even results in a little learning.
The same company also has a remade version for teachers that ties into
current National Curriculum targets and levels – look out for a Computeractive
review shortly.
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