JumpStart Advanced 2nd Grade Fundamentals Review

JumpStart Advanced 2nd Grade Fundamentals Review

Review by Dylan

Travel the Globe And Solve Problems

JumpStart Advanced: 2nd Grade Fundamentals is an educational PC game that will have you traveling the globe, recovering parts to fix your “Soapy Shooter.”

Yes, you may have guessed right, Dr. O is back to his old ways of wreaking havoc. In this JumpStart game Dr. O has vandalized the faces on Mount JumpStart and you must collect the parts to the Soapy Shooter to clean this monument, returning it to its natural beauty. Through solving problems and figuring out educational games you collect parts from all over the world to rebuild the soapy shooter.

Edutainment

This version of JumpStart Advanced is a great addition to the series, retaining both the educational and entertaining elements. Despite the amount of fun you will certainly experience, Jumpstart is primarily a learning based game which is helpful and educational for children in or going into the second grade. You will explore several subject matters in this game including important lessons on art and music, which are not always accessible in schools.

Assessment Test Creates Customized Difficulty Level

As this game opens you are given an assessment test. Incorporating a test like this is great. It assesses your competency on all of the subjects in the game (math, science, art, music, and language arts) and sets the difficulties of the game depending on your success. For example, someone who struggles with addition or subtraction would play easier games in those subjects. This would allow them to practice the things they are less comfortable with, improving and conquering those troubling subjects. The assessment test is also a great way to challenge yourself and track your improving. After playing and studying for several weeks you could retake the test and visually see your improving. It's just a great element of the game, of any learning game.

Mini-Games For Added Variety

Apart from the engaging storyline, this game incorporates numerous mini-games that make this great and keep things interesting. The games tend to be really fun and the learning element is often disguised in the game. Kids might not realize they are “learning” because of all the fun they are having.

One of the better mini-games has you exploring the Louvre in France. Through making you way around the basement and exploring to find paintings, you learn a great deal about still art, portraits, and multi-color paintings. This subject matter is really interesting and is not often mentioned in the second grade. Playing will give you a head start on the material, adding to its value. Other mini-games incorporate music, math, and language arts.

Learn About the Places You Travel To

The traveling you do in this game is great because each location provides new information and facts about the place you're in. If you travel to France you might learn facts about the food and the customs of the culture. South American leads to a discussion about the Mayan Temple and going to Louisiana will provide you with information about the French Quarter or New Orleans. It's great that culture and travel are nicely incorporated into the game.

Not the Greatest Graphics

The few drawbacks this game does have can be seen in the graphics and commentary. The graphics are very cartoony and less than impressive. This could be seen as a flaw by some because they aren't at all state-of-the-art, however, they don't detract too much from the game.

Also, though the commentary can be beneficial and is really positive, it often becomes too repetitive. The narrator seems to have about two or three phrases he repeats over and over. Again, this is minor, but could cause some slight annoyances.

The final drawback of the game can be seen in the directions. The instructions for playing the mini-games are often hard to understand. This is especially apparent in New Orleans when you are trying to compose a musical piece. Even with knowledge of music, figuring out the game could be difficult. Older players and 2nd graders alike might run into problems with figuring out some of the mini-games.

Conclusion - A Well-Done Educational Game That is Fun to Play

Overall, JumpStart Adventure: 2nd Grade Fundamentals is a great learning game that might seem less like an educational experience and more like an engaging PC computer game. Apart from some simple aesthetic problems, this game does most everything right. It makes the learning experience more enjoyable and would be a great addition to a family game collection. This is the perfect game for a children around the 2nd grade level and is worth downloading.