5 stars (A magical treat) - This is one of t ...

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If you haven't yet been charmed by the adventures of Max, then Max and the Magician will surely charm you silly. It's a game with a surprisingly simple premise, and you can tell the creators put more thought into delighting kids than they did into coming up with a complicated story line. And that's fine by us. The plot is simple. Max, the dog with the precocious little boy's English accent, is sent to deliver a package to Mervin the Magician by his Uncle Pong. However, when Max arrives at the castle, he discovers that Mervin has been transformed into a toilet brush by the vindictive witch Hagabelle. It's your job to find the pieces of the spell that are hidden around the castle--once put together, Mervin can turn back into his normal self. Like most Max adventures, the immediate task is only a small part of the fun unearthed in the program. As you move from room to room in the castle, clicking on various objects to find the spell pieces, you'll uncover some amazing things: cackling witches, a chest full of magic brooms, transforming walls, and a spell-casting machine. And pointing and clicking is made especially easy for kids. For example, when you move your cursor over a clickable object, the small Max icon turns into a hand; when the cursor is over an object on which you can cast a spell, a magic wand appears. The game also lends itself to repeat play--each time you play, the pieces to the spell are hidden in different places. Once again, Tivola has created a great Max game for young kids. Though it moves slowly at times, it has an appropriate pace for kids of this age group, who appreciate a simple task coupled with whimsy and a sense of discovery and accomplishment. (Ages 3 to 7) --Ara Jane Olufson

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