Pros: Fun, captivating game for ages 7+.
Cons: Players have to "break" the toys that Cruella programs to chase the puppies.
The bottom line: Cute, harmless game in an age of violence. Keeps girls and boys problem-solving for hours. If you want a computer game for age 7+, this is a great choice.
Friends of ours had the 102 Dalmations
game. We heard how much they enjoyed it so
when we were recently in the market for a game,
we chose this one. The friends told me that
this game is more fun with a joystick so I
purchased a SideWinder and installed it along
with the game.

My son was instantly captivated by these
puppies. He has a choice of controlling Oddball
or Domino and loves taking them for romps through
the levels of this game. The 3-D views, music
and sound effects are bound to charm most children.

Cruella has captured Oddball and Domino's
fellow dalmations and put them into crates all
over England. Players help these puppies rescue
their cohorts by finding and opening the crates.
Along the way, they are helped by Waddlesworth
and other friendly characters. Horace and Jasper
must be trapped in order to keep dogs in England
safe. Jean-Pierre LePelt is another bad force to
be reckoned with. And Cruella has programmed
certain toys to nab pets. These toys must be
broken by Oddball and Domino in order to help
their fellow doggies. If the bad guys knock
the pups down 4 times in a level, the player
starts over.

The dogs have many ways they can respond
to their environment. They can jump, tumble,
bark, sniff, dig, talk, look in different
directions and shoot at arcade targets. You
can use keypad keys or joystick buttons for
these actions. The pups also need to eat
during their arduous adventures. Bones and
pizza are placed in their paths for sustenance.
Eating the food helps restore energy lost by
being knocked down.

The levels are scenes in London. I saw
Regent's Park, a toy store, Picadilly Square,
Big Ben, the Royal Museum, the Underground and
an amusement park. Stickers are earned, then
collected in the sticker book. There is also
a mini games area with mazes and other games.

There are several levels to the game.
Acing one level brings up the next, allowing
for a challenge. Lots of problem solving is
used to finish a level. Frankly, I don't know
how the kids keep all these levels straight.
Amazingly, they do, which shows their minds are
engaged while playing. Other skills I've
noticed include coordination of the joystick
and memory about what's been seen earlier in
the game. Also, my son has invited 2 girls
over to play the game with him. At age 7,
there aren't many games the genders like to
cooperate on.

We purchased this game as a distraction
for my son's recent medical woes. We hoped it
would provide a fun and harmless challenge. We
are fairly strict about videos and games in our
home. Concerned about violence in many marketed
to the elementary kids, we screen them carefully
and limit playing time. My only concern with this
game is that players must "break" the "evil toys"
which Cruella sends out to harm the puppies. Toy
breaking isn't a great activity for kids to play,
but I decided that in the context of the Dalmations
game, it is OK. I'd just prefer that it wasn't in
the game.

My bottom line is that this seems like
harmless fun where girls and boys can cooperate
and learn together. More engaging than a video,
yet still a more restful activity than outdoor
play or homework, this game is good for our son
in his less-active playtime.