Riverdeep and The Learning Company has released its 2003 lineup, and it includes many titles for the younger gamers. Most of these games fall into the ?Edutainment? category, but not all.
The company will release two Batman titles targeted for kids ages 7-10 and these are Batman: Toxic Chill and Batman: Justice Unbalanced. In these games, the players are challenged to stop four of Batman?s greatest foes (two per game). These villains include Mr. Freeze, The Riddler, Two-Face and The Penguin. The comic-style game has you solving puzzles of varying difficulty, and once you take care of the first four, the fifth and final puzzle is revealed.
Hamtaro: Wake Up Snoozer! takes you into the world of the Ham Hams, where the smallest Ham Ham, Penelope, is lost in a cave and Snoozer is asleep in front of the entrance. To wake up Snoozer, you must complete certain tasks, and once you are in the tunnels, you must pilot the Ham Hams in a style reminiscent of The Lemmings.
Scooby Doo: Case File #2 Scary Stone Dragon is the fifth Scooby Doo game to be published by this company, and seems like it will continue to challenge and intrigue gamers between 5 and 10. You guide the gang through China and solve the mystery that has followed them to the East. You will play a game to earn Scooby Snacks, collect clues and by process of elimination, determine who the culprit is.
But not all of Riverdeep?s games are for kids. They are also releasing Kasparov Chessmate, a chess game that will challenge you like the current reining chess king himself. The game allows you to get hints (of varying detail) and even has an online group that will evaluate your matches and let you play with others from around the world. Another game that will be fun for gamers of all ages is School Tycoon, where you take the role that we all dreamed of when we were in school. This sim has you taking control over either a school that has already been made and changing it for one reason or another, or starting a school from scratch.
This new line of products is sure to keep Riverdeep and The Learning Company ahead in the Edutainment side of the game industry.
