Rocket to Math Stardom

Math. It’s often a love/hate kind of thing. You love to hate it. Or, you hate to love it. Either way, it’s not something most kids would run out and say: “Wow! A new computer game about math! Buy it, Mom. Buy it for me!”

On the other hand, moms and dads might very well want to surprise the kids by bringing home Davidson’s “Math Blaster Plus! for Windows.”

“Math Blaster” is a series of drills with a lot of variety and a lot of difficulty levels. The simplest of the drills just presents single digit addition problems. More advanced students can select subtraction, multiplication, division and fractions. If you answer enough of these equations correctly, you get to “blast” off in a rocket before starting the next drill.

Other drills gradually increase in variety and difficulty, always giving you more and more practice. One drill is based around finding missing parts of equations and cleaning up trash from outer space. Another gives you practice in solving problems by creating your own equations from a limited selection of numbers. And last, but not least, a small sop to action junkies, there is a drill which asks you to solve math equations in a simple arcade environment.

Parents who are working on special areas of difficulty with their children (like those nasty 9 and 7 times tables) can create additional equations through a special tool included in the software.

In this case, practice, practice, practice won’t get your kids into Carnegie Hall, but it could be a bit more fun and get them on the honor role.

Math Blaster

Plus!

Rating: ***

IBM and compatibles (other formats available); 2 MB RAM, Hard Drive, Windows 3.0, mouse required. List: $59.95.

Computer games are rated on a five-star system, from one star for poor to five for excellent.