Oz: The Magical Adventure

Oz: The Magical Adventure is based on the well-known book by L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz; the game's release in 2000 celebrates 100 years since the publication of Baum's book.

The game begins with familiar characters; Dorothy, a young girl whirled out of Kansas by a tornado, the Tin Woodsman, the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion, setting off down the Yellow Brick Road in search of the Emerald City and the Wizard. Before they reach it, Dorothy is snatched away by a winged monkey sent by the Wicked Witch of the West. Glinda the Good Witch gives a map and a magic mirror to the remaining travelers and sends them on to the city, where the Wizard promises to help if they will get rid of the Wicked Witch. He gives the party a medallion - a key to the Wicked Witch's castle. The medallion, however, is missing it's nine jewels - they are hidden around the Land of Oz, and your party must find them all to get into the castle and rescue Dorothy.

The map on the bottom left of the screen is interactive; it shows three sections of Oz - the Country of the Quadlings, the Land of the Munchkins and the Land of the Winkies, matching the three colors of jewels the trio will have to find. Clicking on a picture on the map will take the party there, or the player can click on the main screen where the cursor becomes an arrow. The magic mirror on the top left is the in-game help; clicking on it brings Glinda who explains what to do or how to play a mini-game. The red door on the bottom right leads to the exit, and the medallion on the top right keeps track of how many jewels have been collected.

Areas of the map can be visited in any order. Each section offers three games, each of which yields up a jewel upon completion: The Land of the Munchkins* + Wind Vanes: turn all the vanes to face the same direction

• Juice-a-rama: collect fruit for the Juice Lady, then deliver the requested amount of juice into each of three tubes.

• Whirly Flowers: place flowers into garden holes in specific pattern order.

• The Country of the Quadlings

• Water Pipes: re-configure pipes by clicking on colored connectors so that water flows into a basin.

• Toadstool Hop: direct a toad across a field of toadstools by clicking on the spots that match his color.

• Itchy Bugs: help a grouchy tree get rid of an infestation of fruit-disguised bugs by finding the fruit whose pattern doesn't match.

• The Land of the Winkies

• Winkie Miner: remember where each item is when the light flashes on in this dark mine, then retrieve the item the Winkie miner needs when the lights go off

• Penguin Ice Climb: maneuver a penguin up a platform by clicking the icon that makes it climb, jump, or slide.

• Rock Pounds: balance a mine car full of rocks by adding the correct amount of weights.

Interspersed through the lands are clickable animations and games that have no goals beyond entertainment; a field of flowers that bend their heads to follow the mouse, a bubble-blower in a field of poppies, a cluster of fireflies inside a dark log that create multicolored mouse trails, a humming bird who's short melody can be matched by clicking on some bell-shaped flowers in the right order. On completion of the game, the player is given a personalized award that can be printed out.