Your Sinclair


Count And Add

Categories: Review: Software
Author: Dave Golder
Publisher: Lander
Machine: Spectrum 48K

 
Published in Your Sinclair #74

Count and Add

Maths! Universally hated by all schoolkids (except the weird nerdy ones who don't count anyway because they're not normal). But don't worry, 'cos Count and Add is certainly a better introduction to numbers than being taught by a teacher who looks like Freddy Krueger and is twice as deadly with a piece of chalk.

There are five games here, though they're all pretty much variations on a theme. Even the graphical layout is much the same in all of them. In Sets 1 a number of things appear on screen and you have to count them. In Sets 2 you are told how many things there are supposed to be and you have to tap the space bar to reveal them.

Animals is virtually the same as Sets 1 but they try to trick you into thinking otherwise by dotting the animals all around the screen instead of lining them up neatly and having a bone to climb a ladder each time you get an answer correct (I'm not sure if there's some deep message to this imagery).

Train is where the real work starts. Yep, it's time to add things up (shudder!) If you're successful, a tram chuffs its way along the top of the screen.

Spider sees you having to rescue a Butterfly from a hungry arachnid using your mathematical prowess. If you get a fairly simple sum right the butterfly moves further away from the ever-approaching spider.

None of the games are exactly engrossing, and are not helped by some really dull graphics - they're little more than black and white line drawings on wishy-washy coloured backgrounds. The reaction time is sluggish to the point of Jeremy Beadle-type irritation. Still, the sound is excellent, and the little celebratory jingle you get if you get all the answers in a section right is almost worth playing the games for.

Could do better. See me!

Dave Golder

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