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This follows in the same promising steps as the earlier Mr Men programs from Mirrorsoft. Now the number of little characters is reduced to four, but the graphics execution is greatly improved. Mr Noisy's Word Game features Mr Funny and Mr Silly as well as Mr Noisy, and the intention of the series of activities is to practise opposites and comparatives.

Any of the nine activities can be selected from the menu, and these include options in which the child can conjure up on the screen any of the characters in any given dimensions, so a tall Mr Noisy can stand beside a wide Mr Silly.

The young children I tried this with obviously enjoyed these activities, yet a great amount of vocabulary was being used, orally and in reading and typing at the keyboard. There is a screen dump facility included. My favourite program, and that of many of my fellow players, was Read with Mr Bounce. Again there is a menu with just five choices and this time the intention is to encourage practice in reading through the repetition of a number of phrases.

All in all, a fine program with a very real educational purpose, yet an equally high enjoyment factor. I highly recommend it.

Phil Tayler