Ant Bully
Ages: Everyone 10+

Seldom is a learning game as charming as this one. The game is a spin-off from the movie about a boy who gets his comeuppance for destroying ant hills by being reduced to ant size and having to learn the ways of ants. This is a kid's game but it will hold enough interest for adults who jump in to get their offspring over the hard parts.

The characters who are charged with teaching Lucas help the story along. Hova, Luca's mentor, is kind, firm but forgiving and willing to give him a chance. Zoc, the wizard, on the other hand, sees no good in Lucas and has created a number of trial missions to test his dedication to change and to learn.

Tasks range from finding and protecting pupae, food gathering, and defending the colony from various enemies. Enemies consist of a variety of bugs, spiders, wasps and the ultimate enemy -- the Cloud Breather. Lucas' weapons are simple -- mostly relying on his staff, but there are also a dart bow and seed bombs. There is a decent balance between fighting and exploring. Navigation is easy -- when he has earned a skill, simply bring Lucas up to an obstacle and he will jump. Move him next to a wall and he will climb with surprisingly ant-like motion. Lucas will eventually be able to use telepathy to get ants to help him -- build bridges and push things. Again, it is easily done by stepping on the telepathy pad. A sweet sequence, where he uses a rose petal to fly, is nicely made obvious to the player.

There are a number of items that the player has to pick up -- many inside of raindrops. It is not obvious -- so check out the manual. The scenes are colorful and the underground tunnels make you feel that you are indeed inside an ant colony. Kids will process the information while playing the game and get a good understanding of ant life. Of course the main character is a boy -- girls wouldn’t destroy ant hills. Actually, as a kid I did -- but I wouldn’t now.

Reviewed by: Editor - 08/06