In each product, the player has a number of islands to choose from. Each island contains a different activity. The game highlights any items or characters which are clickable. Throughout the activities the player is prompted by voiced instructions and every word, letter or number is read out. The SNES versions of the products contain less activities than the original DOS ones. The Super Nintendo versions support the SNES Mouse peripheral.
Development
To create the games and ensure suitability for children, Software Toolworks hired child development specialists, educational research experts and speech and language teachers.
Educational Goals
The three games are each made up of several minigame activities designed to reinforce or foster basic skills and help children in discovering aspects of everyday things, providing them many hours of entertainment. The respective games help children recognise colors, letters and numbers. "Fun with Letters" teaches phonics to users. "Fun with Numbers" teaches grouping, separating and organising objects to/from a set as well as thinking about numbers through songs. "Preschool Fun" teaches learning materials for children on their first school year with a good mix of Mathematics and English language. All three products aid in promoting self-esteem, interaction between children and parents, developing new skills and imagination as well as confidence and being positive about learning.
Release
In the United Kingdom the games were known as "Mario Teaches Words", "Mario Teaches Sums" and "Mario's Playschool" respectively. Software Toolworks also released a compilation on the PC titled "Mario's Early Years CD-ROM Collection". The game were also released in the French and German languages.
Reception
Computer Gaming World said that the PC version of Fun with Letters "has enough balance between active and passive activities to keep kids engaged for hours". Nintendo Power stated in December 1994 that Preschool Fun noted that the "simple learning activities provide lots of reward" but that "such simple activities without any game play elements will become tedious even to the youngest players over a short period." and that the "digitized voice is annoying."
