Carmen Sandiego Math Detective
Carmen Sandiego doesn't disappoint. There is enough adventure in the game to keep kids
staying around to solve the math problems. The game is nicely structured into the
adventure part - exploring various hangouts of Carmen's VILE crew to find the clues to
solve the disappearance of various national treasures - and the math solutions part. It
seems appropriate that breaking codes and deciphering clues would involve math.
Players are given enough time to solve problems - there is only one with an obvious time
limit - the atom smasher, otherwise players are nudged to proceed onward by the
appearance of Carmen's VILE henchmen. The graphics are elaborate and give the feeling
of actually using complex equipment to solve the problems - another way to keep
attention on the math.
There are exercises in the standard 4 - addition, subtraction, multiplication and division; a
Crime Wave Sensor to fill in the missing parts of an equation; the Molecular Scope to
transform word problems into numerical equations; a Light Spectrometer to order
numbers which gets challenging when doing fractions and decimals; and a Microchip
Decoder which requires geometry to find solutions. This last case presents geometry as a
tool to solve problems and makes Eculid's proposition meaningful. In fact all the lessons
create the feeling that knowing math is a handy skill to have around.
Regarding girl/boy stuff. While Chase Devineaux, the handsome male agent is your main
contact, it is the aura of Carmen that permeates these games. This sultry, smart and now
even sexier female is a worthy adversary and even though you may foil her this time - she
will be back.
Reviewed by Genevieve 9/99
Ages 8-14 (Math for 4th, 5th and 6th Grades)