Keeping it light and friendly, Thomas & Friends: Misty Island Rescue is a great way to introduce the youngest gamers in your family to the resident Mac (or PC). We tested on a relatively pimped out (for a 2 year-old) iMac that made Thomas & Friends look fantastic. The graphics switch back and forth between a cartoon look and smoothed textures that resemble the show. This is the hook for kids, combined with a pretty high ratio of cut-scene animations to gameplay. It's almost like an interactive show more than a game. Each gameplay segment is introduced by an animation sequence, and if the voice actors aren't pulled directly from the show, they're great impersonators. There isn't a ton of variety, but predictability is more of what's needed when you have gamers in the target age group of 2-5 years. What really matters is that kids get to see all their favorite characters from the show, including new ones like Captain. Moving the mouse and watching Harold motor through the skies over Misty Island never gets old for little ones, and the simple mini-games allow plenty of time to enjoy the sights and sounds of Thomas & Friends. Visual learning, pattern recognition, and colors are all part of the gaming experience, so parents can feel good about turning their kids loose here. There are plenty of engaging elements at work, but they are almost all directed at teaching the Pre-K set some useful things.

The game contains a full story that plays out as you progress, with just enough adventure to keep kids excited, but not so much that they'll freak out or get frustrated. The overarching goal is to gather enough wood to build a Search & Rescue Center on the island, but Thomas finds himself turned around at a few points during the adventure. Kids get the satisfaction of helping Thomas and his friends by solving puzzles like routing train tracks, loading and unloading freight, or simply clicking objects in a game of hide-and-seek. Straightforward game modes like fitting together puzzle pieces and match-two card games are mixed with less ordinary games that ask kids to look at facial expressions or do simple logic puzzles. Games can be repeated over and over again, which is nice for the youngest players who will find their favorite and stick with it. Older gamers who get that there's a definite goal will enjoy having a chance to measure their progress toward the goal of building the center, and we loved the small touches like the banner you find on the finished Search & Rescue Center that says "Thanks to ___" with the player's name on it. There's a limited amount of gameplay here, especially as you talk about what will sustain interest for a 5 year-old, but any fan of Thomas will enjoy a chance to put these characters through their paces.

Some very smart planning went into the design of these mini-games, which we observed with our own little 2 year-old tester... There are moments when the timing of clicks exceeds what very young players are able to do, but the game mostly operates at a gentle pace. There aren't any penalties for getting it wrong, just more rewards when you get it right. The game leads you along with lots of visual feedback, flashing correct answers to questions so that players know where to click, and when. To older kids, Thomas & Friends: Misty Island Rescue will seem like a waste of time, because it stresses the play experience over any competition or intense challenge. We will say that Mac owners have the handicap of the no-button mouse, which can lead to frustration as kids attempt to left-click but can't find the right hand position. We decided a "whole hand" approach was the best, which seemed to generate proper clicks most of the time. A better strategy from a development standpoint would have been to design the game so either left or right click would work. These new-fangled Mac mice are great for what they do, but nothing in the mouse department from Apple has ever been very friendly for gaming. The idea that older kids can get into Misty Island Rescue may be a bit optimistic, but setting the bar at 2-5 is just about right, from what we observed.

Installing the game was a breeze, and it plays without a DVD, which is nice. If your screen resolution is dialed up, booting Misty Island Rescue will result in some herky-jerky adjustments, to make sure that the game has its ideal resolution. The technical requirements are modest for both platforms, although it won't play on Macs that haven't been upgraded to at least OS 10.4. There is no keyboard interaction at all in the game, other than typing a name in the beginning when setting up a profile. Support for multiple profiles allows this to be installed and run for several kids in the household, a nice feature if you need it. Most of Misty Island Rescue is clicking alone, but there's one specific game that requires clicking and dragging. The idea is to build some proficiency and dexterity, but most 2 year-olds aren't masters yet. Help from a parent is going to be necessary, but that's not a bad thing. Much as reading a good book together makes for a fun time with the kids, playing Thomas & Friends: Misty Island Rescue with a little one can make it more fun for them. Even games that require clicking and dragging, like putting puzzles together, make it easy to recognize where pieces need to be placed. This goes back to our earlier observation about things being designed with little people in mind. Thomas & Friends has become a huge brand, which means it has spawned knock-offs and its fair share of cheap toys. Misty Island Rescue is anything but a cheap production, and if you haven't yet dipped your toe in the family gaming pond, we recommend starting here.