My girls are addicted to Friday night television. If we try to schedule something on a Friday night we must be finished by 8:00 - the magic witching hour when the lineup begins. But no longer. Last Friday night, my six year old challenged me to a rousing game of I Hate/Love Math instead of watching television. I was thrilled. Until she beat me, but that's another story.

So what's so attractive about I Hate/Love Math? Time travel and saving the world might qualify. Gretchen and Wilbur, two kid-size, math-hating villains are causing chaos in the ancient civilizations of Greece, Egypt, Aztec, and Atlantis. Your mission is to follow them in your time machine and using your math skills, save the world from their trickery. Sound simple? Then grab your ticket, and let's get started.

Your travel agent is Bark the dog. Before you go anywhere, you must tell him how many people are traveling, then sign in. There are three ways to play. You can Save the World, traveling to each of the four civilizations in turn; choose Free Travel to go to any location and stay as long as you want, to score as much as you can; or if you need practice with a particular mathematical concept, click the Challenge button and create your own game.

Once you've picked your game, click play and you'll be whisked aboard the time machine. But don't lose your ticket! You'll need it to keep track of your score. And just in case you forget what to do, click on Bark's picture on the ticket and he'll explain everything. Ready? Fasten your seat belts and click the go lever. First stop, Atlantis.

Meet Ratty, the resident plumber of the underwater city of Atlantis. That is, it was underwater until Gretchen and Wilbur sabotaged the plumbing system and let all the water out. Your mission is to fix it before the whole thing dries out. Pipe sizes are given in fractions, decimals and percentages. Click the check button to check your answer. Unsure? Click the clue button. Clues are always free and do not affect your score. If you're successful in solving all ten problems, then Ratty is happy, Atlantis is safe, and it's back to the mother ship for you. Next stop, Aztec.

Tilly, and her sister Tally are your hosts. Everything was cool in Aztec until those fiendish villains, Gretchen and Wilbur, locked the birds of paradise inside the temple. Your mission is to pick the correct shape and drag it to the center of the temple door. Now, turn it, flip it, or cut it to fit the keyhole. Oops. Didn't want to do that? Click on the back button to undo your last move. You've got 20 moves to get the right answer, but the fewer moves you use the more points you score. When you think you've got the perfect fit, drag it over the keyhole. If it fits, the lock will open. When all four locks are open, the birds will be free and you are ready to take on Greece.

Your hosts in Greece are the goddess Athena, patroness of the Olympic Games of Measurement, and her sidekick, Whatshisnameacles. Gretchen and Wilbur have imprisoned the athletes in underground dungeons. Your task is to rescue them and award their prizes. But first you must figure out how to measure the event.

Each trapped athlete will hold up a card. Click on the three cards that match the type of measurement in the instruction. Choose from weight, area, numbers, money, time, and length. Once all three athletes are free, read their scrolls to determine the correct order on the podium. When ready, click check. You've got two chances to get it right. After six correct answers, the Olympic flame is relit and the games saved. Last stop, Egypt.

Oh, no. All this time travel has taken it's toll. The addition circuits are fried. Time for some number crunching. Read the equation on the control panel, then grab the part with the correct answer. Solve ten tricky math problems, repair the circuits, and you can continue on your way.

Now they've really done it. Gretchen and Wilbur have locked you inside the Pharaoh's tomb. The only way out is to break down the back wall. And the only way to do that is to answer King Khufu's riddles. Click on the check button to see if you are right. You've got two chances to solve each riddle. Each time you pick a correct answer another crack appears in the wall. Ten right answers and the wall falls down and you're out of there!

Let's see, Atlantis, Aztec, Greece, and Egypt all safe. The world is safe once more and it's time to pick your prize.

And now for an update on that story we brought you earlier. DK Interactive has scored a perfect ten with I Hate/Love Math. Friday night television is history.

System Requirements:
IBM Compatible
Windows 3.1x/95/98
486DX/33MHZ+

DK Interactive
Ages 7-11 (but my six year old loves to play and so do I, so 6-adult is more accurate)
Reviewed by Pat Trattles