In Jumpstart 4th Grade: Haunted Island, you play as a student who missed a day of school when the substitute teacher was a witch and turned your classmates into monsters. Now it's up to you to find a series of items and return your classmates back to normal.
First, let's start with the educational aspect. It does pretty well, the cirriculum is fairly balanced. There are a variety of minigames on the island that teach various subjects such as math, English, history, geography, and music. There are adjustable difficulty levels for each game, which is always a good thing.
However, I would say this game is better at reinforcing subjects than it is at teaching them. To me it seems the games just sort of throw the subject matter at you without really explaining all that much. I think this is a great game for kids who have finished fourth grade to play over the summer, or perhaps kids who are halfway through fourth grade and have already been taught the lessons but still need to practice them. Some kids who are just starting fourth grade might be stumped at some of the games. Once the kids do get the hang of it, they'll probably have fun playing the various games.
It is slightly scary, as obviously indicated by the title and the CD cover. You'll probably know if your kids will like this game or not. I will say I don't think it ever goes too far- it's spooky, but there's nothing nightmare inducing in there.
My only real complaint is the price. Since the game is old and discontinued, you probably won't be able to buy it for under $20. It's a decent educational game, but probably not the best there is, so unless you're willing to pay for it, I'd suggest another game.
jessie