Bumbled effort at learning fun
The general idea of edutainment titles such Animal Math is that they provide both education and entertainment (hence the name), with the aim of getting kids to learn through playing. However, while the bizarrely named Bumble Plot is certainly admirable in its intention, it sadly fails to acknowledge the fact that learning can actually be fun. As such, unless you are really looking for a very dry and somewhat tedious introduction to the delights of geometry, then you can probably look elsewhere. The game is aimed at 8-12 year olds and aims to develop their skills of geometry and which is done by presenting them with a series of real-world style problems and which are delivered as a set of lessons. You can expect to take part in such joys as drawing pictures while making use of coordinates and other similar activities, all of which are presented using the vaguely attractive theme of insects for some reason. In its favour, the game is presented quite well, with lessons that are both concise and practical and which should prove appealing to kids who don't mind the dated look. The insect characters are quite cool, if a little blocky at times, while the explanations are straightforward enough and with good variety in the activities themselves. There's also plenty of motivational praise for when you get things right, which should help kids get through the whole experience (if they are good that is). However, the real problem is there just isn't any real fun on offer here and most kids are likely to turn off right after starting. Sad really, as there was a lot of potential here.
