Editorial Review
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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Customer Reviews
Weird 
2006-01-14
Xmas gift for our daughter (3 1/2). She finished it in two days. Basically you just move room to room clicking on things, and each room has a piece of the spell that you "find". There aren't really any puzzles to solve. I agree with the other reviewer about the tedious audio introduction, and they call the witch "stupid", which we try to avoid around here. I gave 3 stars because she isn't bored with it yet, but I'm sure it will be in the CD pile on the floor soon.
A magical treat 
2005-01-11
This is one of the most imaginative and entertaining cd roms we found for our 4 year old. The cd would be suitable for 3 and up, and provides varying levels of difficulty for the flying broom stick game. Now that he is almost five, and I am trying to teach him how to read, he can also read along with max and his uncle pong as they try to find the secret formula that will help break the evil spell and restore Mervin the magician back to himself. It's loaded with all kinds of surprises and is a great indoor activity that can easily fill up an afternoon.
