The BBC and Master Computer Public Domain Library

HERE AND THERE WITH THE MR MEN

 

 

Professional, Originally Released On Cassette Only

 

Game Type          : Educational Arcade Games (Ages 4-8)

Author             : PrImer Educational Software

Standalone Release(s)   : 1986: HERE AND THERE WITH THE MR MEN, Mirrorsoft, £9.95

Compilation Release(s)   : None

Stated compatibility    : Electron

Actual compatibility    : Electron, BBC B, B+ and Master 128

Supplier            : MIRRORSOFT, Holborn Circus, LONDON EC1P 1DQ

Disc compatibility     : CDFS E00, DFS E00

 

 

Instructions

"Directions can be confusing! Learning the different between Right and Left can be a hard task. Some adults never really grasp the idea and begin to panic when asked for directions!

 

Featuring the ever popular Mr. Men, this set of four games has been specially written for children of four years and upwards.

 

The games are not only fun to play, they are also designed to teach children about giving directions and how to plan simple routes.

 

Designed by two primary school teachers, these programs draw on their experience of teaching the early years and using computers in the classroom.

 

Included with the programs is a specially written instruction book featuring the Mr. Men. Intended to be read with your children, it introduces the games and the simple operations required to play them."

 

A Note To Parents

Directions can be confusing. Learning the difference between Right and Left can be a hard task. Some adults never really grasp the idea, and begin to panic when asked for directions!

 

The aim of these programs is to lead children in an amusing and stimulating way, from:

   "Go that way" (pointing), to:               

   "Move to your Right" (My Left)

 

The games are also about simple route planning, and therefore involve thinking ahead.

 

I hope you will read these stories with your children as they play the Mr. Men computer games for the first time. They are intended to introduce young children to the computer games in an amusing and lighthearted way.

- Roger Hargreaves

 

Mr Tickle's Jigsaw Puzzle

Mr Tickle is shattered! Nobody laughed at his last prank. See if you can put him together again and revive his tickling powers - ready for the next game.

 

The jigsaw pieces outside the box are waiting to make a picture for you. They will move only in straight lines to the centre, either up, down or across the screen.

 

See the yellow wall? You can line up the doorway with the yellow piece of puzzle by using the arrow keys (cursor left and cursor right for the top and bottom walls, cursor up and cursor down for the side walls).

 

When the doorway is lined up with the yellow piece of puzzle, press <RETURN>. This wall will turn red and the next wall will turn yellow. Do the same for the next piece of puzzle, and the next, and the next.

 

Did you line up the doorways properly? If you didn't the puzzle can't be finished.

 

As soon as all the walls are red, the yellow pieces will try to zoom through the doorways to the centre of the box.

 

When you have finished the puzzle, watch Mr Tickle flex those tickling muscles! Look out Mr Grumpy, here comes Mr Tickle!

 

Mr Tickle And Mr Grumpy

Mr Tickle has come to cheer up Mr Grumpy. But Mr Grumpy doesn't want to be cheered up. He has made his doorways so small that Mr Tickle cannot get through.

 

He thinks he's sage, does he? Well, you and Mr Tickle know better. Mr Tickle's hand can still fit through the doorways. He can make his arm grow longer and longer, and so he can still reach in and tickle Mr Grumpy.

 

In this game, Mr Tickle lets you choose where to tickle Mr Grumpy - in his ribs, on his head, under his feet, or anywhere.

 

Before you tickle Mr Grumpy you can move the doorways if you need to, just like you did in the last game, Mr Tickle's Jigsaw Puzzle. You can line up the doorway in the yellow wall with Mr Grumpy by using the arrow keys (left and right for the top and bottom walls, up and down for the side walls). When the doorway is ready, press <RETURN>. This wall will turn red and the next wall will turn yellow. If you are not going to use this doorway, you don't mind where it is, so just press <RETURN>. After

pressing <RETURN> four times all the walls will be red and Mr Tickle is ready for you to tell him how to reach Mr Grumpy.

 

You have to tell Mr Tickle where to stretch his arm to reach Mr Grumpy. He can read <L> for "left", <R> for "right", <U> for "up" and <D> for "down".

 

If you find it easier to use the arrow keys, you may do so.

 

If you make a mistake you can rub it out by using the <DELETE> key.

 

When your list is complete, press <RETURN> and see if you and Mr Tickle have reached Mr Grumpy.

 

Are you stuck and don't know what to try? Then try to tickle Mr Grumpy's head with this:

*  Line up the top doorway with Mr Grumpy. Press <RETURN>.

*  Press <RETURN>, <RETURN>, <RETURN> for the other three doorways which you don't need.

*  Press arrow up, arrow right, arrow down, <RETURN>.

*  This will show as u (for up), r (for right), d (for down) at the top of the screen.

*  Now watch Mr Tickle's arm. It goes:

      U(!)p to the top

      R(!)ight to the doorway

      D(!)own to Mr Grumpy!

 

Good fun, wasn't it?

  

An even better place to tickle Mr Grumpy is his feet. Feet are so ticklish, aren't they?

 

*   Press <RETURN>, <RETURN> for the first two doorways which you don't need.

 

*   Line up the bottom doorway with Mr Grumpy. Press <RETURN>. Press <RETURN> for the last doorway, which you don't need.

 

*   Press <D>, <D>, <R>, <U>, <RETURN>.

 

*   Mr Tickle's arm will go:

      D(!)own to the doorway

      D(!)own to the bottom

      R(!)ight to the doorway

      U(!)p to Mr Grumpy!

 

Now try to tickle Mr Grumpy in other places, but remember, in this game, Mr Tickle's hand cannot go across anything already drawn on the screen.

 

If you find it too hard to plan a whole list of directions for Mr Tickle, you can do it a step at a time. You do this by pressing the <C> key before you start your list. A boot will appear on the screen to show that you are doing it a step at a time. Now, as you give Mr Tickle each instruction, it will happen straightaway instead of waiting for the <RETURN>.

 

On the other hand, if you get too good at tickling Mr Grumpy, he will try to block up the doorways with chairs, but there always seems to be a way to tickle him!

 

When you are good at the game try a double tickle, or even a triple tickle, in one go. You can make Mr Tickle's arm bounce off inside walls, chairs, Mr Grumpy, or even Mr Tickle's own arm. Remember that inside the house Mr Tickle's arm will not stop at the doorways. It will only change direction when his hand bumps into something.

 

Mr Lazy

What a lovely afternoon for a snooze! Mr Lazy has found just the place, under a large apple tree. As he stretches out in the soft grass, he notices a juicy red apple up in the tree. As you know, Mr Lazy is far too lazy to climb the tree and pick the apple! He just lies down under the apple, waiting for it to drop.

 

Suddenly a friendly worm appears. He would like to help Mr Lazy, but being such a small worm, he cannot see that far. He will climb the tree and push the apple off, but you must tell him where to go.

 

You will need to give the worm a list of things to do. At each fork in the tree he will do the next thing on your list. He can read <M> for "move", and <R> for "turn right". If you find it easier to use the arrow keys, you can use up for "move", left for "turn left", and right for "turn right". If you make a mistake you can rub it out by using the <DELETE> key. When your list is complete, press <RETURN>, as in the last program, Mr Tickle and Mr Grumpy.

 

Remember, worms don't climb on their backs, so, from the moment the worm starts, he will be looking along the tree-trunk.

 

If, as an example, you told the worm: "m m r m m m l m"

   1) m   moves the worm forward to the first fork of the tree

   2) m   moves him to the second fork

   3) r   turns him to face the branch on his right

   4) m   makes him move in this direction to the first fork in the branch

   5) m   keeps him going that way!

   6) m   and again!

   7) l   turns him to face the branch on his left

   8) m   moves him along the branch

                  and, being a playful little worm, he will knock the apple down on to Mr Lazy's sleepy head!

 

But what is this? It's a magic apple tree. Two more branches have grown, and there is another juicy red apple!

 

Have another go!

 

 

Mr Men Versus Mr Tickle

The gang of four Mr Men are trying to stop Mr Tickle from moving. He has been such a nuisance rushing around tickling people. Can you help to trap him?

 

Mr Tickle wants to get past the gang of four. He will usually move forward on the red squares, but if he can't he is allowed to step back.

 

You are in charge of the gang of four who are trying to trap Mr Tickle. They are only allowed to move forwards on the red squares.

 

Choose which Mr Man you want to move. Press <RETURN> until he appears in the top right hand window. Then press the left arrow key to tell him to move a step to the left, or the right arrow key to move a step to the right. If you were like Mr Clever, you could tell him to move to HIS left or HIS right by using the <L> and <R> keys. Go on, try it. Try pressing <L> for HIS LEFT, and watch him move to YOUR RIGHT.

 

Did you see Mr Tickle also move a step? Choose another of your Mr Men to move forward, but be careful. If you leave a gap, Mr Tickle will give a wicked grin and hop right through!

 

 

Instructions' Source       : HERE AND THERE WITH THE MR MEN (Mirrorsoft) Inner Inlay

 

Review (Electron User)

Mr Tickle has a problem. He is in little bits all over the screen. Well, that's not too bad. We can soon put him together. Mr Grumpy has problems too. The regenerated Mr Tickle keeps tickling him. Mr Lazy's problems are worst. A long red worm keeps eating through apples which then fall on his head. In the end they all get their own back on Mr Tickle. The gang of four go after him!

That is the storyline behind this set of four programs aimed at 4 to 8-year-olds. It may sound trivial but it certainly is not. The plot stimulates and involves the children in decision making and planning. The educational objectives are well defined and are met by the activities that the programs demand.

The theme of the package is left, right, up and down. In the first program, the user has to move a gate either left and right or up and down to line up with parts of Mr Tickle. The only keys used are the cursor controls and <RETURN>. Graphics are good and produce comprehensive non-verbal cues for the user.

The second program allows the user to control Mr Tickle's long tickling arms and attempt to tickle Mr Grumpy. This time the child has to plan the actions and enter a short list of instructions such as "urd" (up-right-down) to guide Mr Tickle's arms to Mr Grumpy's nether regions. Again the cursor keys can be used or the letters U, D, L, R. If your tickling ability isn't too good then Mr Grumpy tries to place chairs in your way.

Mr Lazy appears in the third program. You control a worm that has to climb a tree and eat a particular apple. If successful, the apple falls onto the head of an unsuspecting Mr Lazy. Again, a set of instructions are entered and then carried out. I feel that this game is easier than the second, but that is a minor criticism as a parent or teacher can decide which order a child follows the programs. I found this program extremely difficult on a black and white monitor but fine in colour.

The final game, similar to Fox and Hounds, is played on a chessboard. The user controls four different Mr Men and attempts to trap Mr Tickle. Mr Tickle does not play the game too well and so it should be possible for most children to succeed in trapping him.

There is a comprehensive manual for an adult to read to the child. The sound cues can be switched off. I really enjoyed going through this package and so did the children I tried it on! This is the type of educational software I would like to see entering the home market.

John Woollard, ELECTRON USER 2. 6