Bruce Von Stiers

I was talking with a friend of mine the other day about a new program that I got in for evaluation. This program is a game based on Fisher-Price Rescue Heroes. My friend Gail told me that her grandson loved the Rescue Heroes and had several of their action figures. An endorsement like that is not a bad way to go.

I had also reviewed an earlier Rescue Heroes title, so I am a little familiar with who and what they are. This new title is called Rescue Heroes Tremor Trouble. It was released by Knowledge Adventure in conjunction with Fisher-Price.

The folks designing this game definitely have a sense of humor. The names of the central characters in the game are Billy Blazes and Rocky Canyon. They are joined by Jack Hammer, Seymour Wilde and Ben Choppin. The names of the characters reflect what skills they have. Ben Choppin is a wood cutter and so on.

The premise for the game is that there has been some kind of earthquake at an amusement park. People have been stranded and rides damaged. It is up to the Rescue Heroes team to fix the problems and make sure all of the park guests are safe and sound.

The game has four specific areas in which the Rescue Heroes will need to help out in. They are High Sierras, African Savanna World, Gold Rush Gulch and Deep Sea Wilderness. Each of these areas has different tasks that the Rescue Heroes must perform in order to get the park back in service.

Helping the gang out is the Ultimate Robotic Vehicle. This robot will be useful during the various operations by providing things like a heavy duty winch and a powerful solar spotlight beam to lighten up darkened areas.

In African Savanna World, Ben Choppin and Billy Blazes must rebuild a log bridge that was damaged. The guys will be helped out by Gil Gripper. Have Gil grab the logs as they float downstream and put them in the proper place for the bridge. Then the animals that were trapped can move to the other side of the stream.

In the High Sierras, there is a gearbox that is messed up. Use the Ultimate Robotic Vehicle to put the gears back in the proper place so that the cable cars can move. Then get the cable cars restarted in the right direction by hopping from one to another and throwing a switch.

Help Gil Gripper attach a cable to the submarine to bring it back to the surface in the Deep Sea Wilderness. Then have the Ultimate Robotic Vehicle shoot a water cannon at brush fires near the Miner Forty-Niner Rollercoaster.

When all of the missions are completed, the game awards the player with a poster with the Ultimate Robotic Vehicle on it. You can print this poster out in sections then tape it together.

Rescue Heroes Tremor Trouble is a fun and exciting game for children ages 4 to 7. For the educational value, children will learn about safety and how teamwork makes things go a lot smoother. They get to do a little role playing while learning about good will and how to help others.

The backgrounds in the game were well drawn and the characters, while animated, are realistically represented.

You will find Rescue Heroes Tremor Trouble at retailers like Toys R Us and Target. You can also order it online from Knowledge Adventure at www.education.com. The list price for the game is $ 19.99.