Customer Reviews:
 Not perfect, but very fun and educational May 30, 2009
Hi! I'm StoryMaker, and I'm a HUGE JumpStart fan. JumpStart Advanced 2nd Grade 3 CD set is a very fun and educational game I enjoyed when I was younger, so I'm here to review it. Since it has 3 discs, it will be more like 3 reviews, so you might want to just skim over it or only read some of the sections. Also, keep in mind there is an older, 1-disc version of this game, Jumpstart Advanced 2nd Grade, and a newer, 4-disc version, Jumpstart Advanced 2nd Grade V2.0. Let's get started!
DISC 1: FUNDAMENTALS
This is basically the "main disc" (evident by the fact it was the only disc in the original version). It stars CJ Frog and Edison Firefly, two agents in the JumpStart Intelligence Agency, who, with the help of JIA head Frankie the Dog and inventive Hopsalot the Rabbit, must undo the damage caused by the evil Dr. O's mischief. Hopsalot has decided to make machines to clean up O's messes, but he's missing a few parts, which CJ, Edison and you must get from games located around the world.
One problem with this game is that there are only 8 different activities, and 3 of them (the Russia game, the Africa game, and the New Orleans game) are so-so (I think that the New Orleans game is fun now, but when I was in 2nd Grade I didn't). However, I think the other games are actually fun enough to make up for it! Take the Frogger-style South American game that can teach a wide variety of subjects while still being fun. I also would like to point out the Antarctica game, which taught me my roman numerals, the France game, which taught me the words "monochromatic" and "polychromatic", or the Australian game, which is great for practice. The plotline is also funny and creative (and even better if you played an earlier JumpStart Advanced game and are familiar with the characters). The logic game in Hopsalot's lab is also intuitive. Plus, if you click on different things in different locations, you can learn more about that area of the world. I give this JumpStart a thumbs-up!
DISC 2: FIELD TRIP ADVENTURE
The first thing you ought to know is that this is a renamed and very slightly modified version of the JumpStart Around the World game packaged with the 2000 version of JumpStart 2nd Grade. Second, you need to know this game is not very educational. Basically, you pick different trips and travel around the world, playing a Pacman-style game with math problems to collect tokens. It sounds like a good concept, but there weren't as many geography facts packed in this game as there could've been. It's pretty fun, but the Brady Bear character is annoying, and it can lead to some minor frustration. For example, when moving from place to place, you must pay a few tokens and play a (completely non-educational) game. But if you lose the game, you don't get your tokens back. Also, sometimes there can be minor glitches in the Pacman game and it's harder to get the coins you deserve. Overall, a fun game, but since it's hardly educational, it's better as a reward for doing well in the Fundamentals disc.
DISC 3: MYSTERY CLUB VOL. 1: DETECITVE ACADEMY
This is a fun game where the user solves various mysteries involving the disappearance of Edison Firefly. Along the way, you will play fun games (some, but not all, educational). This is more educational than Field Trip Adventure, but not as educational as Fundamentals. I like the games - some are thinking games, some are arcade games. There's one game I have a few quibbles with. In it, you "interview a witness", but in order to "make the witness feel comfortable", you need to pamper them, giving them things they eat, making it snow if they're too warm, and talking in the fashion they like, or else they won't answer your questions. The game itself is kinda fun, but one thing that I don't like is if it's a "cool" person, they don't like it if you talk "nicely", and there's this one witness with pale skin and buggy eyes that can give you nightmares (OK, that's just an expression, it didn't give ME nightmares). Overall, though, it is a good game.
So, is this 3 CD set worth it? Yes, by all means. None of the discs are perfect, but it's a pretty round package, with lots of thinking, learning and fun. I recommend it for any 2nd Grade JumpStart fan or parent of a 2nd Grader. I also recommend JumpStart Advanced 1st Grade [OLD VERSION] or the newer Jumpstart Advanced 1st Grade V2.0 for a 1st Grader. Signed, StoryMaker. "Gotta trust the kid's review!"
 Jump Start 2nd Grade September 15, 2005
Illuminata 29
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
My 7 year old loves this game - all 3 cds are great. He especially loves the mystery aspect of the game - it reminds me of the Carmen Sandiego mysteries I played as a kid. It also is a bit challenging - it includes the stuff that will be in his 2nd grade class.
Comparing 2nd Grade and 1st Grade June 12, 2005
Blue Head Giraffe (Overland Park, KS USA)
16 out of 24 found this review helpful
I'm having my daughter write this review. She has actually used the JumpStart programs and just finished 2nd Grade. If you think it is well written, maybe the program had domething to do with it.
Hello! Here are some notes on JumpStart Advanced 2nd Grade and how it is better and worst then JumpStart Advanced 1st Grade. One of my sisters got Advanced 1st Grade 3-CD Set for Christmas and we got 2nd Grade from the library. They are a lot alike because they both are JumpStart Advanced because the sign-in and credits both look alike, but not sound alike! I like 1st Grade music better. The 1st Grade sign-in has Kelly Club music, 2nd Grade...detective music...not as good. The credits in 1st Grade are a triumph. Starts out small, gets bigger. 2nd Grade struggles. Keeps repeating science music and sounds struggle-ish. But I do like 2nd Grade, very fun and more my age. (1st Grade is too easy) But in 1st Grade, CJ the adventurous frog can swim. Not in 2nd Grade, where they are...secret agents? All spies can swim! And 1st Grade has more characters. 2nd Grade's missing Casey the sportsy cat, Eleanor the pink elephant, Kisha the creative koala, and Pierre the musical polar bear. Maybe cuz' they are actually Preschool characters (made for JumpStart Preschool). But they have Hopsalot the inventor rabbit, a Kindergarten character! But remember: I still like 2nd Grade a lot! Here's something great about 2nd Grade: I thought that Edison would be adventurous in JumpStart Advanced 2nd Grade, but he was just the opposite! LOL! He was silly! Anyways, comparing...2nd Grade is very silly! Hopsalot said, "Clues! Clues! Clues! It gives me excuses to stay up past my bedtime to decipher them!" and 1st Grade's not very funny. Both pretty much even, and both great!
This game is fun May 20, 2005
6 out of 11 found this review helpful
This game is kind of fun but I get bored very easily when i started playing this game but I wish it had more games on here they seven games and thats not enough though but i still enjoy it.
 Disappointed October 20, 2003
18 out of 21 found this review helpful
Very disappointed with the educational value. So many rcade-style activities distract from skill building except for coordination skill and fine motor control. Also not very intuitive software even though it claims to have auto-help.
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![JumpStart Advanced 2nd Grade [OLD VERSION]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/512PDNN532L._SL500_.jpg)
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