Math Rabbit

Math Rabbit is a 1986 video game spin-off from the Reader Rabbit edutainment series. It was made by The Learning Company for MS-DOS and Apple II series. A Deluxe version was released in 1993 for MS-DOS, Macintosh, and Windows 3.x. In 1997, the game was remade for Windows and Macintosh as Reader Rabbit's Math 1. The final remake for Windows and Macintosh in 1998 is Reader Rabbit's Math Ages 4-6, with a personalized version released in 1999.

Math Rabbit
Apple II cover art
Developer(s)The Learning Company
Publisher(s)The Learning Company
SeriesReader Rabbit
Platform(s)Original:
Apple II, MS-DOS

Deluxe:
DOS, Windows 3.x, Macintosh
Reader Rabbit's Math 1:
Windows, Macintosh

Reader Rabbit Math Ages 4–6:
Windows, Macintosh
Release1986 (Original)
1993 (Deluxe)
1997 (Math 1)
1998 (Math Ages 4-6)
1999 (Personalized)
Genre(s)Edutainment
Mode(s)Single-player

Gameplay

The game takes place in a circus and teaches addition, subtraction, and counting in four different games, each of which with multiple difficulty settings.[1][2] The game is for ages 4–8.[3] The four games are:

  1. Clown's Counting Games - the player is required to count with a number as a guide to pitch the tone of the musical instrument.
  2. Tightrope Game - the player has to help Reader Rabbit match a picture of objects with a displaying number and discard the pictures that don't match.
  3. Circus Train Game - the player has complete a sequence of numbers each being added to a particular number.
  4. Mystery Matching Game - the player has to match turn over cards and find matching pictures of items and corresponding numbers.

Since Math Rabbit Deluxe, the games were retitled "Calliope Counting Game", "Tightrope Show", "Sea Lion Show", and "Balloon Matching Game", respectively, but the game objectives and rules remain the same.

Development

The game was originally designed by Teri Perl and programmed by Aaron Weiss. Upon the release of the Deluxe edition, Bill Dinsmore, The Learning Company president and chief executive officer, said: "With the release of Reader Rabbit 1 and Math Rabbit for Windows, we now offer five Windows educational software products that help to develop important learning skills".[4]

The original art of Math Rabbit was done by Analee Nunan. For Math Rabbit Deluxe 256 color VGA graphics were applied. The original music and sound composition were done by Teri Perl and Aaron Weiss. For Math Rabbit Deluxe, AdLib soundtracks were composed.

The activities teach numerical relationships to young users. It has a scope, sequence guide, and lab pack.[5]

Reception

Critical reception

The program received highly positive reviews from critics. In particular, the Chicago Sun-Times championed it in seven articles.

The Los Angeles Times said the game was "sweet", though negatively compared it to Millie's Math House.[7] FOGG praised the easy-to-use gaming interface,[1] and The Washington Post said it is "entertaining"[8] while incorporating valuable lessons into "colorfully fun graphics".[9] Superkids described the game as "excellent" and said it was a great first introduction to educational video gaming for the target audience.[10] Chicago Sun-Times recommended the "outstanding"[11] software for the 1989 holiday season[12] and noted it was among the "high-quality educational software sold",[13] and that it was one of the best educational releases for offering a "solid instructional model" for teaching kids the fundamentals of mathematics[14] through "smoothly" integrating the gaming and learning[15] without "bogging them down in mindless mathematical trivia",[16] such as by teaching geometry at a very early age.[17] Computer Shopper said the product was "remarkably good software",[18] and positively compared its depth and carde gameplay to Power Rangers ZEO PowerActive.[19] PC Mag said the game was the superior choice over Stickybear Numbers and Math and Me due to its customization options.[20] Computer Gaming World in 1994 stated that "Math Rabbit is very easy to use, and accommodates different learning styles. It's a fun program kids can really count on".[21]

Commercial performance

It is the seventh most popular in the education category sold across eleven Software Etc. stores in the Washington area in the week ending on August 23, 1995.[22]

References
  1. "Math Rabbit". www.fogg.cc. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  2. "Children's educational software still an exploding market". November 20, 1994.
  3. "READER RABBIT TRIO NOW AVAILABLE ON CD-ROM! - Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  4. "TWO AWARD-WINNING RABBITS, 'READER RABBIT 1' AND 'MATH RABBIT', NOW APPEARING IN WINDOWS! - Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  5. Epie Institute (1991). The Latest and Best of TESS: The Educational Software Selector. p. 193. ISBN 9780916087159.
  6. "Math Rabbit Grades K-2" Box Art
  7. SUNILA, JOYCE (October 15, 1993). "SOFTWARE REVIEW: Education Made Fun: New computer programs employ adventure and games of skill to help youngsters learn math". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  8. "A Guide For Parents Series: Education Review". November 1, 1987. Archived from the original on November 8, 2017. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  9. "Computers; Merry Software ... (For Kids' Entertainment and Education)". December 10, 1991. Archived from the original on November 8, 2017. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  10. "SuperKids Software Review of Math Rabbit". www.superkids.com. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  11. "Reader flummoxed by glitch in software". September 1, 1991. Archived from the original on January 8, 2010. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  12. "Crabb's bottom line". December 3, 1989. Archived from the original on November 9, 2017. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  13. "Holiday Computer Gift Suggestions". December 13, 1992. Archived from the original on November 8, 2017. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  14. "Offspring does parent proud // Aiming for slightly older kids, Reader Rabbit 2 hits mark". October 13, 1991. Archived from the original on June 5, 2007. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  15. "Math Blaster Plus! makes math fun for kids". June 23, 1991. Archived from the original on November 8, 2017. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  16. "Gifts for the computer-lover". December 3, 1989. Archived from the original on November 8, 2017. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  17. "This educational software's a joy to use". November 12, 1989. Archived from the original on November 8, 2017. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  18. "Reader Rabbit's Reading Development Library 3. (Learning Co) (Software Review)(Brief Article)(Evaluation)". Computer Shopper. September 1, 1996. Archived from the original on August 14, 2017.
  19. "Power Rangers ZEO PowerActive Math. (Saban Entertainment's educational software) (Software Review)(Brief Article)(Evaluation)". November 1, 1996. Archived from the original on November 8, 2017. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  20. PC Mag. Ziff Davis. February 14, 1989 https://books.google.com/books?id=kggOZ4-YEKUC&pg=PA442. {{cite magazine}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  21. Mann, Richard O.; McCauley, Dennis; Eiser, Leslie; Haverstock, Mark; Donovan, Felicia; Giovetti, Alfred C.; Savetz, Kevin; Germain, Jack (January 1994). "Reviews". Computer Gaming World. pp. 137–142.
  22. "BESTSELLERS". August 28, 1995. Archived from the original on May 4, 2018. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
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