Wizard of Id's WizMath

Moby ID: 41277
Commodore 64 Specs

Description official description

Spook needs to escape from the King of Id's dungeons. He slips out but Turnkey is in pursuit. He needs to solve math problems to open the way to his escape.

Wizard of Id's WizMath is an educational game to teach mathematics. Using your joystick, you must move blocks into place so they complete a correct math problem and answer. If you push against a block, you will send it flying until it hits a wall or another block. You can also face a block and hold down the button. While keeping the button down, you can then slide the block as needed. There is a sixty second time limit and you are being pursued by Turnkey. Early levels require only one math problem to exit but later levels require two or more.

Early in the game, you can select a floor on an elevator. The higher the floor, the more difficult the math problems. The game also asks your age. The older you say you are, the higher a floor it tries to start you on, although you can select a lower floor.

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Average score: 4.2 out of 5 (based on 4 ratings with 1 reviews)

Simple, but not very clever

The Good
This is the second game to feature one of Creators Syndicate's famous comics and, like WizType before it, is meant to be an education tool for children. The description for this game says it much better than me, so I'll get right to the chase. Unlike most games that teaches you mathematics, this one is unique. The game has you moving blocks in the correct place to solve a simple math problem, not having you type your answer or a part of the sum.

The only cut-scene in the game shows your character who is named Spook trapped in a dungeon while Turnkey, the guard, watches over him. While Turnkey is not looking, he is able to escape through a loose brick in a wall. It is impressive, and it shows how colorful graphics on the C-64 can be. I like the look on the guard's face when he notices your character missing.

After the cut-scene, an elevator stands before you. There are fourteen floors, with the last two floors reserved for editing purposes. Only one of these floors is highlighted blue, indicating your recommended starting floor based on the age you entered at the start of the game.

Each of the dungeons contain a series of blocks that can be used in two ways. Not only are they used to form an equation, but they can also be pushed into guards to stun them while you are finishing your job. Pushing is essential as you are faced with two or more guards later on. The way a block rolls as it is pushed is neat.

As Spook walks around in each dungeon, I noticed that his walking sound is very much like a train reaching its destination; and when you form an equation, the blocks flash as a sound of a level crossing is heard.

The Bad
The game isn't very clever when it comes to determining how hard your games are going to be. As a thirty-two year old, WizMath thought I would be better off with simple division. Another problem with the game is it doesn't let you advance a floor automatically after you solve enough equations. You have to restart the game to get to the elevator again.

The Bottom Line
In conclusion, WizMath is not a bad educational game, mixing mathematics with one of the famous comic strips. It certainly appeals to children who have a keen interest in them during their childhood years. Basically, the user goes around and manipulates blocks with numbers and operators on them to solve an equation; and how difficult these equations are will depend on the floor they have selected before the start of the game. Users who find their selected floor too easy are free to advance one or two floors.

Unfortunately, WizMath wasn't popular enough to warrant a release on more than one platform; and anyone who wishes to buy the game had to own a ColecoVision or C-64.

Commodore 64 · by Katakis | カタキス (43092) · 2011

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Related Sites +

  • Johnhart Studios
    Home of the comic strip the characters of the game came from.

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  • MobyGames ID: 41277
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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by LepricahnsGold.

Apple II added by hoeksmas.

Additional contributors: FatherJack.

Game added July 9, 2009. Last modified February 22, 2023.