Turbo Learning: Mega Math

The Good
As stated in the description, Mega Math is the last game in the Turbo Learning series. The TL series was conceived by Jeff Tunnell who left Dynamix to start up his own company. I don't know how many games in the TL series were made, but I think one of the other games were Quarky and Quaysoo's Turbo Science, a game that features the two cool aliens that feature here.

The first area you are going to see in the game is Knowledge Central, where a scientist named Krista asks you for your name. One unique about the game is that there are no Yes or No buttons, just Quarky and Quaysoo moving their heads, although there are speech bubbles labeled Yes and No respectively. There is also a speech bubble that says “Huh?”, which allows the characters you meet in the game to repeat themselves. You can then proceed to select one of three mini-games to play, or do other stuff such as selecting sets of equations you want to get asked on, which of the two characters you want to control.

The mini-games involve solving basic equations using a certain modifier (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and mixed), and once you complete one of them, you then go on to complete a test using the same equations you just saw in those mini-games. Out of all of them, I like the Das Liquidator Challenge. It's pretty challenging since you have to keep your eyes peeled for that “magic number” and try to hit it while trying to get away from remote-controlled rats.

The graphics have a “cartoon” feel to them, and they are on par with a Dynamix game called The Adventures of Willy Beamish. You are greeted by Krista, who gives you a nice introduction to the mini-games. The animations are smooth as well. I like the dance Odessa performs when you pass one of her tests.

In the opening titles, the music “Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star” breaks into a heavy metal piece, and I think that this is neat. I like the music in the Das Liquidator Challenge, one of my favorite mini-games. The sound effects are brilliant, and reflect the cartoony nature of the game. I like how Quarky screams in the Das Liquidator Challenge, and how he fights with his sister when you are choosing a partner to play with. I was impressed at how Tunnel's company managed to cram full speech into a game that only came out on floppy disks. Not many games do that.

The Bad
There could have been some variations to the mini-games through the use of difficulty settings and slightly harder problems.

The Bottom Line
Mega Math is a nice educational game that is divided into three mini-games children will enjoy, and all of these games rely on their knowledge of basic equations. If they feel up to it, they can take tests to advance to the next level. Outside the mini-games and tests, children can customize the game's settings to their own satisfaction. However, the lack of variation in the mini-games may get children board. Children can come home from elementary school and have fun with this game, while solving basic equations in the process.