The Case of the Mixed-Up Shymer - Sandra Sharkey
                    (STAC, text/graphics)

                   Reviewed by Claire Dyard

You're Sherlock Holmes' secretary, wishing secretly to become his
partner and when you're told that riots are happening on the Isle
of Nursree (riots involving children!), you go with your faithful
cat, Doc Wot San. Alas, your boat crashes on some rocks, your cat
flees in panic and you're left alone to solve the problems ... 
which are to restore all the nursery rhymes that are getting
mixed-up, hence the title!

First of all, I must admit that I had been puzzled when reading
the title (what on Earth could be a "shymer"?) and I searched the
dictionary carefully but without any success: it was only when
completing the game that I understood! "A bit dense", I hear you
say and that's true.


Wandering on the island, you meet well-known characters such as
Humpty Dumpy, Tweedledum and Tweedledee, Miss Muffet, Mary Quite
Contrary but they're not behaving as they should be. Of course, if
you can remember all the rhymes you learned when you were young,
it would help a lot but this is not necessary as you can talk to
the characters and they tell you what they want. Then you have to
find what you've got to do, like in any adventure. My main problem
was the cow because I couldn't remember what it needed. (My school
days are a thing of the past and I was not good at english lessons:
so boring!). And, having rescued your cat and repaired your boat,
you can come home where Holmes, satisfied, makes you a full partner.

The text is very good (no spelling mistakes), the graphics well
done and the puzzles very well thought and amusing: try painting
the sheep, for example or examine the pigs! And if you enter the
well, you'll find ... I won't tell you what! I enjoyed this game
greatly. And ... NO MAZE!


This game is aimed at all adventurers but mainly at children: it
could be aimed at people studying english too, introducing them to
english literature in a very enjoyable way. It made me want to
learn a lot more about these nursery rhymes and their lovable
characters.

@~Shymer is available on SynTax PD 4 for œ2.50