Wanna-Be A Dino Finder provides an interactive, fun-filled opportunity for children to learn more about paleontology, the science of locating and excavating dinosaurs. Children will be captivated with the magnificent animation and the facinating dinosaurs. With the help of Katie the Cameleon, Rufus the Dog, and Addie the Kangaroo, the "Wanna-Be Three," children will be eager to assist Dr. Rock Hound who is desperately in need of prehistoric creatures for an exhibit.
The game begins with Dr. Rock Hound explaining what creature he needs, then the mission starts from Dr. Rock Hound's Tent. Within the tent itself, a player can explore many exciting and informational options. A timeline chart displays the time periods of the earth, and it can be clicked on to reveal pre-historic animals of each era. A box of bones can be clicked for various dinosaur facts. Certificates on the wall show a player's progress from ditch digger to Four-Star Fossil Finder and discuss how to become a paleontologist. A picture frame can be touched for an explanation of prominent paleontologists of the past or present. Finally, a wall map of the continents displays the six dig sites - Canada, USA, Africa, Europe, Asia, and South America. Clicking on a location transports the player and tent to the dig site so excavation can begin!
At the dig site, the beginning paleontologist has a jack-hammer, a pick, and a brush available to start digging at a roped off plot. A short explanation is given by the "Wanna-Be Three," and they continue to help throughout the dig. As the player digs for bones, he/she may uncover treasure boxes which can be clicked to reveal more facts. When all of the fossils are unearthed, the player must put them together to build a prehistoric animal based on an outline. Then, a player can choose to go on another dig or visit the activity center.
The Activity Center offers nine options ranging from Pangaea Puzzle to Hidden Pictures to Creature Maker. These activities, with excellent graphics and animation, will not only teach math, science, and geography but also entertain.
With over 50 fossils in six locations around the world, nine fun-filled activities, and numerous other fact-revealing options, Wanna-Be A Dino Finder will be an entertaining and informational source for the young dinosaur enthusiast.[To Top]
The program is extremely easy to navigate with a point and click user interface. Each screen has a "Help" button. Items light up as the cursor arrow passes over them and can be clicked to reveal a fact or another activity. The "Wanna-Be Three" also provides explanations throughout the activities. A Print option is available for certificates and some activities. [To Top]
Educational Merit: The program contains excellent, easy-to-understand basic information about the science of paleontology and fun activities which reinfore math, geography, and other basic thinking skills. [To Top]
Cunningham, Rich. A Review of Wanna-Be A Dino Finder. School House Software Review. June 30, 1997, p. 1.
"...an interesting and fun-filled introduction to the science and art of locating and excavating dinosaurs."[To Top]
System Requirements: For Windows, a multimedia PC, with 486DX/66Mhz - Pentium recommended, 8Mb RAM - 16Mb recommended, 10Mb hard disc space, double-speed CD-ROM drive - Quad speed recommended, 640 x 480 display size, 256K color display, 8-BIT audio - 16-BIT recommended, Printer (optional) - color printer recommended, Microsoft Windows version 3.1x or Windows 95. For Macintosh, MacOS System 7.1 or better, 68040/40 Mhz processor - PowerPC recommended - that supports a 640 x 480 pixel monitor displaying 256 colors, 8Mb RAM - 16Mb recommended, 10Mb hard disk space, double-speed CD-ROM drive - quad speed highly recommended, 8-BIT audio - 16-BIT recommended, Printer (optional) - color printer recommended.
For This Review: A 486DX/66 Mhz with 8Mb, a 4x CD-ROM drive, a Soundblaster sound card, Cirrus video version 1.02, 256 Colors, and Windows 3.1 was used.
Reviewer's Note: This system created minor frustration with the extremely slow speed of moving between activities and with the un-sychronized sound and animation. Additional RAM and video memory would probably alleviate these problems.
Installation: Instructions for installation are given on the package and are easy to follow. No difficulties were encountered. An un-install option is available. [To Top]