A very educational and extremely fun software program. The whole family will want a turn!
Pros:
Everything!!
Cons:
None I can think of
The Bottom Line:
Buy this for your family. It's clean, non violent, and based on true history. (and FUN)
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
The object is to get from Wyoming to Oregon but it's definitely not as easy as it sounds! There's rivers to cross, food to gather, high heats, freezing temperatures, steep mountains and mosquitos! All this in a covered wagon that tends to get broken axles or wheels from time to time. I remember playing a much much older version of the Oregon Trail when I was in school and I loved it then.
When I saw that my daughter was getting to be very educated on the computer, I bought her her own computer for her room. When I came across this Oregon Trail 5th Edition, I bought it immediately. My daughter picked it up in no time and was soon playing all by herself.** When someone gets food poisoning, she learns to slow down and read about the plants before picking them. When she tips the wagon in the river, she learns to watch out for the depth and use better judgment.
As she gets older, she'll use the journal feature that allows her to keep notes and memos of her long journey.
The best thing about this program is you can use it as a game and education tool together or separately. My daughter will turn it on sometimes just to go hunting! She's even been told that there's an animal shortage in the area because of her. We got a real kick out of that.
**I decided to start the game out for her by buying EVERYTHING she would need from the town she's starting from. Since you have the option to save at any given time, I just saved the game right after the initial setup so that she can start the Oregon Trail with everything she needs. I have to admit that buying each item is very tedious work but buying the "basic packages" they offer for convenience is full of stuff you don't need and not full enough of stuff you DO need. Now sometimes she'll want to start a brand new game and "shop" at all the stores but she'll end up hitting the trail with 50 pounds of licorice, 40 guitars, hardly any food, and no keg to hold the water. But, she's learning all the while!
I'm purposely withholding many great aspects of this game so as not to spoil ALL the surprises.
If you're looking to buy any software for your children of any age, you wont be disappointed with this purchase.
