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ClueFinders ®
The Incredible Toy Store
Adventure™
User’s Guide
A B O U T T H E L E A R N I N G C O M PA N Y ®
Since 1980, The Learning Company has consistently produced the highest quality educational
software available. Our award-winning products help develop your child’s underlying thinking
skills and creativity, while reinforcing important areas of the basic curriculum, such as reading,
writing, and mathematics.
Every product under the ClueFinders® brand undergoes extensive research and testing, with
input from educational professionals, parents, and children. Each product features a precise
balance of educational content and entertainment value, so your child has fun while learning!
How do we do it? Enchanting characters. Challenging situations. Rich game environments.
State-of-the-art graphics and sound. Progressive skill levels and game segments that can be
customized to meet your child’s individual needs.
As parents and educators, we recognize that education is a continuous process. So we developed
a complete system of age-appropriate programs. Carefully sequenced by age groups, this system
makes it easy for you to confidently choose the right products for your children at each stage
of their educational development. As an integral part of The Learning Company’s system, each
of our products addresses a specific age group and subject area with appropriate themes to
heighten your child’s interest in learning.
A N O T E T O PA R E N T S A N D E D U C AT O R S
The Educational Focus section of this User’s Guide is where parents and educators can find
information to help children integrate what they learn at the computer into their daily lives.
The Educational Focus chapter explains how The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!™ was
developed specifically for the age of your child and how the software provides the correct level
of educational challenge for your child’s skill level. There is a table showing the educational
subjects and the skills addressed by the activities, as well as more detailed descriptions of the
skills each activity encourages your child to develop within the different difficulty levels of
the program.
© 2001, 2002 Riverdeep Interactive Learning, and its licensors. All rights reserved. Uses Miles Sound System. Copyright © 1991-2002 by RAD Game Tools, Inc. Uses Bink Video
Technology. Copyright ©1997-2002 by RAD Game Tools, Inc. Adobe® Acrobat® © 2002 Adobe Systems Incorporated. The Learning Company and ClueFinders are registered
trademarks and The Incredible Toy Store Adventure! is a trademark of Riverdeep Interactive Learning. Windows and Win are either registered trademarks or trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Pentium is either a registered trademark or trademark of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.
Macintosh and Mac are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Adobe and Acrobat are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated. All other trademarks are the property
of their respective owners.
The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!TM
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TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
G E T T I N G STA R T E D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Minimum System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
S E T T I N G U P & STA R T I N G T H E P RO G R A M
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
U S I N G T H E T L C L E A R N I N G L AU N C H E R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
E D U C AT I O N A L F O C U S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
G E T T I N G A RO U N D T H E G A M E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Keyboard Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Closed Captioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
I N T RO D U C I N G T H E C L U E F I N D E R S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Meet the ClueFinders Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Signing In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Changing the Program Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
The Backpacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Game Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
I N S I D E U LT I M AT E T OY S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
The 6th Floor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Eldon the Talking Elevator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
P L AY I N G T H E AC T I V I T I E S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2
Catapult Fling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Taxi Bug Express . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Escape from Alcatraz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Global Trek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Pneumatic Pipe Blast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Gumball Jackpot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Eldon the Talking Elevator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Decoding the Divide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Ultimate Toys’ Creation Lab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
T RO U B L E S H O O T I N G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Windows® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Macintosh® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
C O N TAC T I N G T H E L E A R N I N G C O M PA N Y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
CREDITS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!TM
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G E T T I N G S TA R T E D
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!™ comes on a CD-ROM that supports both Windows and
Macintosh platforms.
MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
PC Compatible:
❖ Processor:
❖ Operating System:
❖ Hard Disk:
❖ RAM:
❖ CD-ROM:
❖ Monitor:
❖ Audio:
166 MHz+
Windows 95/98/Me, 2000, XP*
100 MB Free**
32 MB
8x Speed
16-Bit Color Monitor
Windows-compatible sound card
Speakers
❖ Other:
❖ Recommended:
Mouse
Internet Access
Printer
Macintosh®:
❖ Processor:
❖ Operating System:
❖ Hard Disk:
❖ RAM:
❖ CD-ROM:
❖ Monitor:
❖ Audio:
❖ Other:
❖ Recommended:
PowerPC,180 MHz+
System 8.6 to OS X
100 MB Free*
32 MB
8x Speed
Thousands Color Monitor
Speakers
Mouse
Internet Access
Printer
* If you are running Windows 2000 or Windows XP, you must have administrative privileges to install this program correctly.
** An additional 7 MB of hard disk space may be required to install Adobe® Acrobat® Reader.
No t e: In the interest of product improvement, information and specifications
represented here are subject to change without notice.
The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!TM
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S E T T I N G U P & S TA R T I N G T H E P R O G R A M
The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!™ runs from your computer’s CD-ROM drive. However,
you need 100 MB of free hard disk space to store some program files. If needed, the TLC
Learning Launcher will also be installed on your computer. (See Using the TLC Learning
Launcher.)
WINDOWS ®
AutoPlay is usually enabled when you install Windows on your computer. (See your Windows
documentation for more information.)
To install the program with AutoPlay on:
1.
Insert the program CD into your CD-ROM drive.
2.
Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the setup process. Once you’ve completed
the setup, the program will run automatically any time you insert the program CD into
the CD-ROM drive.
To install the program with AutoPlay off:
1.
Insert the program CD into your CD-ROM drive.
2.
Double-click My Computer.
3.
Double-click on the CD-ROM icon.
4.
Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the setup process
MACINTOSH ®
To install the program with the AutoPlay extension on:
1.
Insert the program CD into your CD-ROM drive.
2.
Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the setup process.
To install the program with the AutoPlay extension off:
1.
Insert the program CD into your CD-ROM drive.
2.
Double-click Toy Story icon.
3.
Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the setup process.
The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!TM
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STARTING THE PROGRAM
WINDOWS ®
To start the program with AutoPlay on:
1.
Insert the program CD into your CD-ROM drive.
2.
At the TLC Learning Launcher, click Play.
There are two ways to start the program with AutoPlay turned off. You can choose to follow
either set of instructions.
To start the program with AutoPlay off (Option 1):
1.
Insert the program CD into your CD-ROM drive.
2.
Double-click My Computer.
3.
Double-click on the CD-ROM icon.
4.
Double-click Play.
To start the program with AutoPlay off (Option 2):
1.
Insert the program CD into your CD-ROM drive.
2.
Click the Start button. Then choose Programs, The Learning Company, ClueFinders, and
Toy Story in that order.
3.
At the TLC Learning Launcher, click Play.
The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!TM
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MACINTOSH ®
To start the program with AutoPlay extension on:
1.
Insert the program CD into your CD-ROM drive.
2.
At the TLC Learning Launcher, click Play.
To start the program with the AutoPlay extension off:
1.
Insert the program CD into your CD-ROM drive.
2.
Double-click on the program icon.
3.
At the TLC Learning Launcher, click Play.
Click here to begin
your adventure.
Click here to
uninstall this
product.
Click here to turn
background music on
or off.
Click here to
turn sound
effects on or
off.
Click here to exit
this program.
Click here to go
to the TLC
Home area.
Click here to go to
the New! area.
Click here to
get technical
support help.
Click here to learn about other programs from
The Learning Company.
The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!TM
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USING THE TLC LEARNING LAUNCHER
The TLC Learning Launcher is your gateway to The Incredible Toy Store Adventure and other
programs from The Learning Company.
If you are not yet ready to begin playing The Incredible Toy Store Adventure, take some time
to explore the other areas of the TLC Learning Launcher. The TLC Learning Launcher provides
an innovative interface with convenient tools to update and organize your Learning Company
educational software through The Learning Company’s secure server. On the Automatic setting,
the launcher will ask if you would like to receive an update. On the Manual setting, you can
click on the New! button any time you want to receive the latest updates.
Note: The online services advertised as part of this product may be changed or discontinued at
any time.
Click here to go to the
Parents area.
Click here to go to the
My CD-ROMs area.
Click here to visit
TLCKids.com on the
Web.
My CD-ROMS Area
If you have purchased and installed other products from The Learning Company, you may be
able to access those products in the My CD-ROMs area.
Parents Area
Go to the Parents area to learn more information about the TLC Learning Launcher. Here you
can change the Launcher setting to Manual. You can also find out which products from The
Learning Company are appropriate for different age groups.
TLCKIDS.COM
In the TLCKids.com area, be on the lookout for fun movies and demos of new products. You
may also find updates that you can download for your program.
The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!TM
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E D U C AT I O N A L F O C U S
When the ClueFinders visit Ultimate Toys, they suddenly find themselves in the middle of a
mystery, a mystery which requires all of their skills in logic, reading, math, geography, and
science to solve.
The Developmental Level of the Typical Third and Fourth Grader (7-10 Year Old)
Children in third and fourth grade can apply simple logic, form conclusions and classify objects.
Third and fourth graders are expanding both emotionally and geographically, exploring beyond
the boundary of their neighborhoods. Children of this age are curious about human relationships,
and are growing more physically adept at sports, with refinement in fine motor performance and
hand-eye coordination. Most enjoy reading and like to tackle new words. They have passed
the stage of decoding and are usually on their way to reading fluency. Writing is usually well
spaced, and many are learning to write cursive. Doodling and art shows that most are aware
of body proportions, and they are beginning to draw in perspective. In math, this age group
likes variety. Most can count by threes to thirty, and by fours to forty. They can add and
subtract one- to three-digit numbers. Most can multiply through the x10 tables and use
fractions of one-half and one-quarter. Money is also important to many children of this age.
How the Adventure Provides the Correct Level of Educational Challenge
Once a player has signed in, the computer tracks performance as the player advances through
the game. The computer then uses this information to automatically adjust the difficulty levels
of the puzzles and problems to provide an appropriate level of educational challenge. Players
may also adjust the difficulty levels manually at any time using the Levels and Progress option
in Laptrap or Alitrap.
If a player wishes to get additional practice on a particular type of puzzle or content area, a
“practice mode” is available at the sign-in screen for players to preview the activities before
starting the adventure. In practice mode, the player can choose a specific activity and level
on which to work.
Problem-Solving Help
A first step in effective problem solving is to understand the problem. The next step is to devise
a plan. The third step is to carry out the plan. In The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!™, players
are given opportunities to problem solve. An onscreen character explains each activity. This
explanation supports players in understanding what they are being asked to do. Often it directs
players toward recognizing the onscreen resources (words, numbers, and clues) to help find a
solution. Players can get additional help by clicking on characters or on the red video phone.
Their helpful tips will offer encouragement and can help players develop strategies for solving
problems.
The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!TM
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Auto-Adjusting Skill Levels
The activities in The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!™ have multiple levels, so the program
can move from simple to more complex concepts at a pace that suits each player. Players can
tackle more challenging problems even if they haven’t mastered all skills or concepts in the
program. Each activity area adjusts its level up or down independently from the others, thereby
creating a tailored learning experience that addresses each player’s specific needs.
Children can play the game at any of four levels:
Le v el 1: appropriate for most children in the beginning to middle of third grade
Le v el 2: appropriate for most children in the middle to end of third grade
Le v el 3: appropriate for most children in the beginning to middle of fourth grade
Le v el 4: appropriate for most children in the middle to end of fourth grade
THE EDUCATIONAL CONTENT
Subject Focus
Skills Addressed
Activities
Language Arts
Grammar, identifying parts of speech,
punctuation, and capitalization
Escape from Alcatraz
Spelling
Taxi Bug Express,
Decoding the Divide
Reading Comprehension
Escape from Alcatraz,
Global Trek
Following directions
Global Trek
Sequencing
Global Trek,
Escape from Alcatraz
Whole number addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division
Eldon the Talking
Elevator
Addition and subtraction with decimals
and money
Gumball Jackpot
Pre-Algebra
Eldon the Talking
Elevator
Recognizing and extending patterns
(time, number, letter, geometric, and
Roman numeral patterns)
Pneumatic Pipe Blast
Mathematics
The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!TM
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Subject Focus
Skills Addressed
Activities
Mathematics (cont.)
Estimation
Eldon the Talking
Elevator, Gumball
Jackpot
Sequencing
Pneumatic Pipe Blast
Social Studies
Mapping, recognizing geographic features
Global Trek
Science
Physics experimentation
Catapult Fling
Ecology, environmental study
Escape from Alcatraz
Visualizing spatial relationships
Ultimate Toys’ Creation
Lab, Catapult Fling
Logical thinking
Decoding the Divide,
Catapult Fling,
Pneumatic Pipe Blast
Problem Solving
The following is a synopsis of the content and levels in each activity.
Escape from Alcatraz
Players use grammar skills, and also learn about ecology, as they fill in missing words on
sentence cards. The completion of each sentence card triggers a reaction in the streets of
San Francisco. After all the cards are filled, players use reading comprehension skills to arrange
the sentences into a paragraph, which will help Lucky Lucy escape from Alcatraz.
❖ LEVEL 1 – Fill in blanks with nouns, proper nouns, pronouns, and punctuation. Topic
sentence must be placed in the first position; detail sentences may appear in any order.
❖ LEVEL 2 – Fill in blanks with verbs and contractions, in addition to parts of speech from the
previous level. Topic sentence must be placed in the first position, detail sentences may
appear in any order.
❖ LEVEL 3 – Fill in blanks with adjectives and conjunctions, in addition to parts of speech from
previous levels. Topic sentence and detail sentences must be placed in a specific order.
❖ LEVEL 4 – Fill in blanks with adverbs and prepositions, in addition to parts of speech from
previous levels. Topic sentence and detail sentences must be placed in a specific order.
The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!TM
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Taxi Bug Express
In this spelling activity, players choose correctly spelled words to help Taxini the Taxi Bug on
his voyage to the Ultimate Toys Marina. In each round the majority of the words deal with
one of the following spelling rules:
●
Adding suffixes to words that end in silent “e”
●
Adding suffixes to words that end in “y”
●
When to double the final consonant when adding suffixes
●
“i before e” rules
●
Making nouns plural
❖ LEVEL 1 – Collect 12 correctly spelled 1-2 syllable words
❖ LEVEL 2 – Collect 12 correctly spelled 1-4 syllable words in alphabetical order
❖ LEVEL 3 – Collect 12 correctly spelled 1-4 syllable words in alphabetical order
❖ LEVEL 4 – Collect 12 correctly spelled 1-4 syllable words in alphabetical order
Eldon the Talking Elevator
In this math activity players complete an equation by choosing the correct answer from Eldon’s
game grid. The player must connect 5 numbers in a row vertically, horizontally, or diagonally
before Eldon the Talking Elevator will take them to the next floor.
❖ LEVEL 1 – Addition and subtraction of whole numbers with and without regrouping; sums
and differences between 1 and 100.
❖ LEVEL 2 – Multiplication and division facts; multiplication of whole numbers with factors
between 1 and 10 and products up to 100. Division of whole numbers with dividends
up to 100 and quotients and divisors from 1 to 10.
❖ LEVEL 3 – Addition and subtraction of whole numbers with and without regrouping; sums
and differences between 1 and 999.
❖ LEVEL 4 – Multiplication and division of whole numbers; products and dividends from
1 to 999.
The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!TM
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Gumball Jackpot
Chewy the Gumball Machine already has some money inside. Players add just enough money
to bring the starting price up to the target price and release an exciting prize.
❖ LEVEL 1 – Add pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters with sums to $1.00.
❖ LEVEL 2 – Add half-dollars and dollars, in addition to coins from previous level, with sums
to $5.00.
❖ LEVEL 3 – Add $5 and $10, in addition to coins and bills from previous levels, with sums
to $20.00.
❖ LEVEL 4 – Add $20 and $50, in addition to coins and bills from previous levels, with sums
to $100.00.
Pneumatic Pipe Blast
In this pattern recognition activity, players must escape the hungry rat by recognizing and then
extending patterns that are displayed in a pipe system.
❖ LEVEL 1 – Recognize and extend time and geometric patterns.
❖ LEVEL 2 – Recognize and extend letter patterns.
❖ LEVEL 3 – Recognize and extend numeric patterns.
❖ LEVEL 4 – Recognize and extend time, geometric, letter, numeric, and Roman numerals
patterns.
Global Trek
Players sequence directions and then identify geographic landmarks to navigate a toy car.
Eight maps are featured in this activity: one of each of the seven continents, and a world map.
❖ LEVEL 1 – Locate places on a map using cardinal directions N, S, E, W, and the intermediate
directions NE, NW, SE, SW. Directions are given in the order the route is to be plotted.
❖ LEVEL 2 – Locate places on a map using cardinal and intermediate directions. Directions
are not given in the correct order. Players must determine the correct order before plotting
the route.
❖ LEVEL 3 – Locate places on a map using coordinate grids. Directions are not given in the
correct order. Players must determine the correct order before plotting the route.
❖ LEVEL 4 – Locate places on a map using longitude and latitude. Directions are not given in
the correct order. Players must determine the correct order before plotting the route.
The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!TM
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Catapult Fling
Keeping the scientific method in mind, players predict, experiment, observe, and then adjust
their hypotheses in order to launch a wheel and knock an item out of a bag.
❖ LEVEL 1 – Two pivot points, two launcher positions, large target, and 3 wheels of different
sizes.
❖ LEVEL 2 – Three pivot points, three launcher positions, large and medium targets, and 3
wheels of different sizes.
❖ LEVEL 3 – Four pivot points, three launcher positions, medium and small targets, and 3
wheels of different sizes.
❖ LEVEL 4 – Five pivot points, three launcher positions, small target, and 3 wheels of different
sizes.
Decoding the Divide
Players use logic skills as well as knowledge of letter combinations and spelling to decipher
a mysterious message and cross the moat of danger.
❖ LEVEL 1 – 5 uncoded blanks per puzzle
❖ LEVEL 2 – 6 uncoded blanks per puzzle
❖ LEVEL 3 – 8 uncoded blanks per puzzle (at least one per word)
❖ LEVEL 4 – 10 uncoded blanks per puzzle (two per word)
Ultimate Toys’ Creation Lab
In order to build the Unshrinking Device, players use logic and spatial visualization skills
to arrange pieces collected throughout the game.
This activity has only one difficulty level.
The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!TM
14
GETTING AROUND THE GAME
KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS
Windows
Macintosh
Quit and exit the program
a+¢
Ω+Q
Remove user’s name
Ç+R
Ω+R
Video: The user will generally be able to interrupt a movie through normal input methods.
Audio: The user will generally be able to interrupt a sound through normal input methods.
Location
Action
Effect
The Learning Company logo
Press b, Click Mouse
Skips to Opening movie
Opening movie
Press b, Click Mouse
Skips to Sign in
All other movies
Press b
Stops movie
CLOSED CAPTIONING
Closed Captioning is a special feature of this ClueFinders program. When Closed Captioning is
turned on, the captions will appear in the game when dialog is present.
The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!TM
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INTRODUCING THE CLUEFINDERS
MEET THE CLUEFINDERS TEAM—THEY NEED YOUR HELP!
The ClueFinders are a group of friends—Joni Savage, Santiago Rivera, Owen Lam, and Leslie
Clark—who, along with their mechanical helpers, LapTrap and AliTrap, team up to use their
individual strengths to solve the mysteries that come their way. In their new adventure, they
are on their way to San Francisco’s latest landmark, Ultimate Toys. But before they reach their
destination, the unexpected happens: Joni, Owen, and LapTrap suddenly find that they have
been shrunk down in size by a mysterious Shrinking Device!
Who is responsible for this diabolical plot that has the beautiful city of San Francisco in
jeopardy?
The ClueFinders need your help! Inside Ultimate Toys, Santiago, Leslie, and AliTrap embark
on their mission to find the parts needed to build an Unshrinking Device and to reach Joni,
Owen, and LapTrap on the 6th Floor. As the adventure unfolds, they will search for clues to
reveal who is behind the scheme of the Shrinking Device.
In the meantime, Joni, Owen, and LapTrap navigate through the toy store to find more parts
needed to build the Unshrinking Device, and because they are only three inches tall,
everything inside Ultimate Toys becomes a giant challenge!
Get ready to use your problem-solving skills to complete the activities and help the ClueFinders
build the Unshrinking Device. Join the ClueFinders and solve the mystery inside Ultimate Toys!
The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!TM
16
SIGNING IN
After you meet the ClueFinders and learn their story, you will automatically go to the sign-in
screen to begin your adventure.
Type your name here
Scroll Up
New Player Button
Scroll Down
Exit Button
Start Button
Practice Mode Button
❖ Click on the NEW PLAYER button to sign in. Type your name (up to 16 characters long),
and then click on START.
❖ To go to a previously saved adventure, find your name by scrolling down the list, then click
on it. Then click on START to continue.
The sign-in list is full when it has 99 names on it. You’ll need to remove a name before you
can enter a new one. Click on the name you want to remove, then press Ç+R (Windows)
or Ω+R (Macintosh). You will permanently erase that player’s adventure information from
the hard disk.
❖ Click on PRACTICE MODE at the sign-in screen to go directly to LapTrap and the Choose
Activity screen. Click on any activity to sharpen your skills in Practice Mode. You can return
to a saved adventure whenever you’re ready. (For more information, see the Practice Mode
section of this user’s guide.)
❖ Click on EXIT at the sign-in screen to quit the game.
CHANGING THE PROGRAM OPTIONS WITH LAPTRAP OR ALITRAP
You can access and change the Program Options through these characters’ onboard computers.
Click on LapTrap or AliTrap to see the Program Options screen when you are in Game Mode.
Go to the Map
(Choose an activity
in Practice Mode only)
Exit and save the game
Return to the Sign-In screen
Go to the Levels and Progress
screen
Return to game
Go to the ClueFinders’ Club
Go to the Settings screen
Check out the Credits
The Program Options Screen
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Settings Screen
When you click on the SETTINGS button in the Program
Options screen, you will go to the Program Settings
screen. Here, you can turn the Background Music ON or
OFF. (You will still hear the ClueFinders’ voices, even if
you turn off the background music.) You can also turn the
Background Animations ON or OFF, or choose to turn
the Closed Captioning ON or OFF. Click on the LapTrap
icon at the bottom right of the screen to return to the
Program Options screen.
Map
From the the Program Options screen, click on the MAP
to see a blueprint of Ultimate Toys. This will show you
where you are in the game so you can navigate to other
areas. Click on an activity icon to return to an activity
location you have already visited. Places you have not yet
explored will not appear. Click on the LapTrap icon in the
top right corner to return to the Program Options screen.
Choose an Activity Screen
If you are in Practice Mode, you can click on the CHOOSE
AN ACTIVITY button in the Program Options screen, then
you will see a list of activities. Click on the GO button
next to the activity you want to practice. Click on the
SIGN IN button to return to the Sign-In screen.
ClueFinders Club Screen
The ClueFinders Club screen is the place to learn about the
personalities of the ClueFinders team members. Click on
the image of the ClueFinder you want to know more
about. When you are finished, click DONE to return to the
main ClueFinders Club screen. Click on the LapTrap icon
in the top right corner of the screen to return to the
Program Options screen.
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Levels and Progress Screen
When you click on the LEVELS AND PROGRESS button in
the Program Options screen, you’ll go to the Levels and
Progress screen, where you can manually adjust the
difficulty levels of the activities. Normally, the program
automatically adjusts the levels to the most appropriate
challenge for you in response to your performance. You
can turn off this auto-leveling feature and manually set
the levels from 1 to 4 for each activity. The levels you set
will remain in effect until you change them again. The
Progress Report on the Levels screen will show you how
you are doing with the problems in each activity.
GETTING HELP
As you proceed through the challenges, you can get help whenever you need it.
Character Prompts
In The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!™, an on-screen character will explain the activities to
you. If you don’t understand the directions the first time, click on one of the characters for
more information.
Red Video Phone
Owen and Santiago each carry this communication device.
Click on the on-screen red video phone icon any time you
want assistance, and the ClueFinders will appear in a
window to give you tips and suggestions. If you are
having difficulty solving a problem, the ClueFinders will
appear automatically when they realize you need help.
THE BACKPACKS
Both Leslie and Joni wear backpacks to store the items
that you collect. Each item you collect will automatically
go into the correct pocket in the backpack. When you
have collected all the necessary items, you will be able
to use these pieces to build the Unshrinking Device.
You can open a backpack by clicking on it, then click
on the pockets to see the items you have collected so far.
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GAME FEATURES
Game Mode or Practice Mode
This adventure can be played in two modes. Game Mode is the default mode of play that tells
the story and presents the scenes in order. Game Mode will lead you through the activities
and Clue Spots to solve the mystery. As you play in Game Mode, your progress is tracked and
saved automatically to your user name.
Practice Mode allows you to choose a specific activity so you can concentrate on the activity’s
skills. Practice Mode does not track your progress, and you will not move through the game
to solve the mystery.
Auto-Leveling
The automatic leveling feature sets your difficulty level higher or lower within an activity based
on your performance. Each activity sets its own level independently, adjusting to fit your needs
in each educational category.
Manual Leveling
If an activity is too easy or too difficult, you can override the auto-leveling feature and
manually change the difficulty level. Open LapTrap or AliTrap, go to the Levels and Progress
screen, and select a new level. A dialog box appears.
❖ Click YES if you want to change the difficulty level and discard the work you’ve done on the
current problem. Changing the level happens immediately.
❖ Click CANCEL if you do not want to lose your current work. You will return to your activity
at the same difficulty level.
Automatic Saving of Player Data (Game Mode only)
When you exit each scene and when you quit the game, all of your status information will be
saved to your player data file. You will be able to re-enter your game and begin where you left
off by choosing your name at the Sign-In screen. Information from work on a puzzle in
progress will not be saved.
The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!TM
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I N S I D E U LT I M AT E T O Y S
After you sign in to play The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!™, you’ll find out how the
ClueFinders have become separated. Your goal is to help both teams of the ClueFinders work
through the adventure and solve the puzzles. You can help re-unite them and solve the mystery!
THE 6TH FLOOR
Here on the 6th Floor of Ultimate Toys, Joni, Owen, and LapTrap find themselves among the
toys—but the friends are only three inches tall! While they want to stay put, there are many
exciting and mysterious things for them to explore. As you pass the cursor over different areas
of the 6th Floor, it will change to show special areas that will lead to activities. Click on an
area to begin another part of the adventure. As you assist the shrunken ClueFinders in these
challenging situations, the solutions to the activities will lead you one step closer to helping
them out of their dilemma.
ELDON THE TALKING ELEVATOR
Each time you successfully help the shrunken ClueFinders out of a predicament on the 6th Floor
and collect an item for the Unshriking Device, you will automatically join Santiago, Leslie, and
AliTrap in Eldon the Talking Elevator. They are trying to reach the other ClueFinders by solving
the puzzles that Eldon poses. After you correctly solve each of his puzzles, Eldon will visit new
floors in Ultimate Toys. These floors are Clue Spots where you will collect more parts to build the
Unshrinking Device. As you visit the Clue Spots, the story behind the mystery will be revealed.
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P L AY I N G T H E A C T I V I T I E S
CATAPULT FLING
Joni, Owen, and LapTrap are picked up by Flo the Robot and deposited at the bottom of a bin
full of mismatched toy parts. They must aim at a bag of toy parts in order to release some of
the parts for the Unshrinking Device.
Dir ections: Aim and launch wheels of different weights to hit the hanging bag of toy parts.
Adjust the launcher arm, move the launcher, and choose a wheel in order to hit the target.
A ctivity F ocus: Physics experimentaion, Logical thinking
TAXI BUG EXPRESS
Joni, Owen, and LapTrap are at the edge of the toy boat pond and are too tiny to get across the
water to the marina. Taxini the bug will let them earn the taxi fare if they assist him with his
spelling.
Dir ections: Navigate Taxini to the correctly spelled words. Each correctly spelled word that
is reached earns $1 toward the fare. Use the mouse or the ikjl keys on the keyboard to
move Taxini around to avoid floating obstacles and collect the correct words.
A ctivity F ocus: Spelling
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ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ
The shrunken ClueFinders are trapped inside the “Escape from Alcatraz” board game display! The
ClueFinders can help rescue Lucky Lucy the Mouse from prison by using knowledge of grammar.
Dir ections: Choose an appropriate word from the rotunda and click-and-drag it to fill in a
blank on the game card. Fill in both blanks on each card and a section of the game board will
light up. Answer four game cards correctly and then put the sentences in order to make a
paragraph.
A ctivity F ocus: Grammar, Ecology
GLOBAL TREK
Joni, Owen, and LapTrap are lost and are too small to get back without the help of Marlena
the Mini Car. But Marlena is stubborn—she will carry them back only if they plot the courses
outlined on her navigation system.
Dir ections: Plot the course by reading the directions on the navigation system and clicking
the correct locations on the map. After successfully plotting four points on the map, you’ll
move forward to the next navigational problem.
A ctivity F ocus: Geography, Following directions
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PNEUMATIC PIPE BLAST
The shrunken ClueFinders jump into Ultimate Toy’s pneumatic pipe system to escape a hungry
rat! Joni, Owen, and LapTrap must avoid the rat to get out of the pipe system. They must
continue each pattern to navigate a way out.
Dir ections: Choose a sequence by clicking on a pipe segment. The ClueFinders blast through
to the next set, where there are three more pipe segments. Click on the one that continues the
chosen pattern and move to the next set.
A ctivity F ocus: Patterns, Sequencing
GUMBALL JACKPOT
Chewy the Gumball Machine towers in front of the tiny ClueFinders. They need what’s inside
Chewy to continue their adventure.
Dir ections : Using the money provided, calculate the correct amount to reach the target
price. The coins that have been used are shown, but the running total is hidden from view.
When the target price is achieved, turn the dial and receive a prize.
A ctivity F ocus : Calculating money
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ELDON THE TALKING ELEVATOR
Eldon the Talking Elevator will take Santiago, Leslie, and AliTrap to the next floor to look for
clues, but only after they solve the puzzle presented on his game board grid.
Dir ections: Answer the questions correctly to connect five numbers on the grid horizontally,
vertically, or diagonally.
A ctivity F ocus: Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division
DECODING THE DIVIDE
The ClueFinders stand in front of a moat that is filled with alligators. There is no bridge, but
there is a code over the entrance on the other side of the moat. Each of the alligators has a
coded word on its back. Can the ClueFinders break the code?
Dir ections: Click on an alligator to work on decoding the message on its back. Fill in the
blanks with letters chosen from above the entrance to solve the puzzle.
A ctivity F ocus: Logical thinking, Spelling
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ULTIMATE TOYS’ CREATION LAB
At last! The ClueFinders have reached the Creation Lab, and have gathered together to build
the Unshrinking Device.
Dir ections : Assemble the items collected from the activities and Clue Spots and put them in
their correct places to build the Unshrinking Device.
A ctivity F ocus : Logical reasoning, Spatial visualization
CONGRATULATIONS!
You have helped the ClueFinders solve the mystery, build the Unshrinking Device, and reunite
the team. You can play the game as may times as you like, with new problems to solve each
time you visit.
The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!TM
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TROUBLESHOOTING
T r y t his f ir s t! If you have problems running the program, try cleaning the CD.
Gently remove any fingerprints and dust using a clean, soft, lint-free cloth dampened
with water or a CD-cleaning solution. Avoid using materials such as tissue, which may
scratch the CD.
If you have additional questions, please visit The Learning Company Web site at
http://www.riverdeep.net/learningcompany/support
WINDOWS ®
1 . The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!™ program icon does not appear on the desktop
or in the Start menu.
❖ Reinstall the program.
2. You see a message telling you that there is not enough available space on the hard disk.
The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!™ requires 100 MB of hard disk space for the program’s
data and executable files. An additional 7 MB of hard disk space is needed to install the
Adobe® Acrobat® program.
❖ Create some free hard disk space by removing some files after backing them up.
3. You see a message telling you that there is not enough memory to run the program.
The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!™ needs at least 32 MB of installed memory (RAM)
to run. Your computer’s memory may be filled with other programs that are running in the
background.
❖ Close any other applications that are running, and restart the program.
4. The mouse doesn’t seem to work.
There are times in the program when the animation or sound cannot be interrupted. You will
see the hourglass cursor on the screen and any key presses or mouse clicks will be ignored.
❖ Wait until the animation or sound stops and your normal cursor returns. Then try pressing
the keys or clicking the mouse again.
5. Program speed is very slow.
The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!™ needs at least a Pentium 166 MHz computer with an
8x speed CD-ROM drive for basic performance.
❖ Close any other applications that are running.
❖ Turn off Background Animations at the SETTINGS screen in LapTrap or AliTrap.
❖ Make sure that you have the latest Windows video drivers for your graphics card.
(Contact the manufacturer to obtain the latest drivers.)
The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!TM
27
6. You do not hear music, sound, or speech.
❖ Check that the speakers are properly connected to your computer. Make sure the speakers
are getting power and are turned on, and that the volume is turned up.
❖ Make sure that your sound card is Windows-compatible and is properly installed for
Windows. Be sure that the sound card is specifically designed to work with the version
of Windows that you are using. Also check that the volume is properly set. (See the
manufacturer’s documentation for information relating to your sound card.)
❖ Make sure the mixer level setting is correct. Click on the START button. Choose PROGRAMS
from the Start menu. Next choose ACCESSORIES. Then choose MULTIMEDIA, and choose
VOLUME CONTROL. Make sure that the sliders on the mixer control panel are all the way
up and that no mute buttons are selected.
7. Strange graphics appear; the game action stops unexpectedly.
❖ Try using the 800 x 600, 16-bit display mode driver that came with your video card.
(See your Windows documentation for more information.)
❖ Make sure you have the latest Windows video drivers installed. (Contact your video card
manufacturer for more information.)
8. Colors don’t look right.
❖ Adjust your monitor’s color and brightness.
❖ Make sure the color display is set to 16-bit.
❖ Turn off your screen saver.
❖ Close any other applications that are running.
❖ Make sure you have the latest graphics drivers installed. (Contact your video card
manufacturer for more information.)
9. The game window seems small.
The program window may not fill the entire screen.
❖ For maximum window size, make sure that the display mode is set to 800 x 600.
(See your Windows documentation for more information.)
10. You are not able to connect to our online Web sites.
This feature requires a browser.
❖ Make sure that you have a browser properly installed. (See your browser and Windows
documentation for more information.)
❖ Make sure that the files with an .HTM extension (for example, bookmark.htm) are associated
with the browser of your choice. To check this, double-click on any .HTM file. If the browser
does not launch, create an association from the File Manager. (See your Windows
documentation for more information.)
The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!TM
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MACINTOSH
1 . You do not see The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!™ program icon.
❖ Make sure the CD is inserted in the CD tray, printed side up.
❖ Try restarting your computer and/or rebuilding your desktop.
❖ Make sure that the CD-ROM drivers are correctly installed.
2. You see a message that there is not enough space on the hard disk.
The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!™ requires 100 MB of hard disk space for program
data files.
❖ Create some free hard disk space by removing some files after backing them up.
❖ Adjust the Virtual Memory setting to take less hard disk space. (See your Macintosh
documentation for more information.)
3. You see a message telling you that there is not enough memory to run the program.
The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!™ requires at least 32 MB of installed memory (RAM) to
run. Try to increase available memory and then restart the program. (Depending on which
Internet browser you use, you may not be able to run both your browser and the program
with only 32 MB of RAM.)
❖ Quit any programs that you may be running.
❖ Turn off or remove from the System Folder non-Apple® control panels and extensions.
(Leave the CD-ROM drivers.) Restart your computer.
❖ Reduce the size of the disk cache in the Memory control panel. (See your Macintosh
documentation for more information.)
❖ Turn off AppleTalk.
4. The mouse doesn’t seem to work.
There are times in the program when the animation or sound cannot be interrupted. You
will see the watch cursor on the screen and any key presses or mouse clicks will be ignored.
❖ Wait until the animation or sound stops and your normal cursor returns. Then try pressing
the keys or clicking the mouse again.
5. The music and voice in the game are too loud or too soft.
❖ Choose Sound from Control Panels. Adjust the system’s speaker volume as needed by
selecting the Volume setting.
The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!TM
29
6. You do not hear music, sound, or speech.
❖ Make sure that the Volume setting in the Sound control panel in Control Panels is not set
to zero.
❖ If you have external speakers, make sure they are turned on, getting power, and that they
are properly connected to your computer. Also check the speaker volume controls.
❖ Turn off or remove from the System Folder non-Apple control panels and extensions.
(Leave the CD-ROM drivers.) Restart your computer.
7. The game window seems small.
The program window may not fill the entire screen.
❖ For maximum window size, make sure the display mode is set to 800 x 600 in the
Monitors control panel.
8. Program speed is very slow, or sounds and animation do not play smoothly.
The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!™ needs at least a 180 MHz Power Macintosh computer
with a 8x speed CD-ROM drive for basic performance.
❖ Make sure Virtual Memory is turned off in your Memory control panel.
❖ Turn off Background Animations at the Settings screen in LapTrap.
9. You are not able to connect to our online Web sites.
This feature requires an Internet browser.
❖ Make sure that you have a browser properly installed. (See your browser and Macintosh
documentation for more information.)
The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!TM
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C O N TA C T I N G T H E L E A R N I N G C O M PA N Y
If you have questions about The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!™ program, please refer to
the Troubleshooting section. If you do not find an answer to your question, contact Technical
Support by visiting our website at http://www.riverdeep.net/learningcompany/support
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
You may be asked to provide the following information:
● Your contact information (name and email address, plus phone or mailing address if you
wish)
● Description of the problem you’re having
● Product name and version number (The version number is often printed on the CD label.)
● Brand of computer
● Operating system (for example, Windows 98 or Mac® OS 8.6)
● Processor type and speed
● RAM memory (in MB or megabytes)
● Video card manufacturer
● Sound card manufacturer
● Printer type
● Hard disk space remaining
● Background programs (antivirus programs or screen savers)
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
For assistance with product orders, purchases, and refunds, please contact our Customer
Support department at http://www.riverdeep.net/learningcompany
Satisfaction Guaranteed!
If you are not completely satisfied with this product, Riverdeep - The Learning Company will
gladly refund your purchase price. Return the complete package to us at The Learning
Company, Dock Door #9, 120 Hidden Lake Circle, Duncan, SC 29334, within 30 days of purchase. Include a copy of the sales receipt, packing slip, or invoice showing the store name and
location. Please enclose an explanation for the return. Allow 4–6 weeks for refund. Limit 1 per
household. Dealers, wholesalers, and their immediate families are not eligible.
The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!TM
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CREDITS
Design Team
Carla Cruttenden
Ann Horowitz
Jack Martinelli
Shawn Sloan
Shannon Taylor
Sherri Wright
KNOWWONDER
DEVELOPMENT TEAM
Executive Producers
Dan Elenbaas
David Mann
Creative Director
Phil Trumbo
Quality Assurance
Brand Management
Anil Joshi, Tester
Jason Bay, Tester
Brian Kirkness, Tester
Bill Romer, Sr. Brand Producer
Tom Craven, Sr. Marketing Manager
Fran Dillard, Marketing Manager
Cindy Arnold, Assoc. Marketing
Manager
Special Thanks
David Stevenson
Amber Monette
Mok Marquardt
THE LEARNING COMPANY
DEVELOPMENT AND
PUBLISHING TEAM
Project Management
Shannon Taylor, Development Producer
Sid Weber, Development Director
Design
Kris Summers
Shannon Taylor, Design Manager
Nick Stern, Art Director
Kenny Dinkin, Creative Director
Director of Quality Assurance
Education
Jack Brummet
Producer
Shawn Sloan, Educational Designer
Sherri Wright, Educational Advisor
Darby McDevitt
Art Coordinator
Development
Ann Horowitz
Scott Miller, Lead Software Developer
Fraser Thompson, Software Developer
Brian Elston, Software Developer
Engineering
Art Production Coordinator
Audio
Aspen Price
Andrew Kawamura, Audio Lead
Jim Foote, Casting & Directing
Jenny Nguyen, Production Specialist
Director of Design
Art
Keith Himebaugh,
Lead Artist/ Animator
Todd Lovering, Background Artist
Jason Newkirk, Artist
Jason Southwick, Artist
Tony Ravo, Animation/Conceptual
Royden Lepp, Animator
Bill Meyer, Background Artist
Todd Emerson, Inker
Sound
Mark Yeend, Music and Sound
Nathaniel Papadakis, Music
Ian Rodia, Sound
Darrell Fetzer, Software Engineer
Greg Kitamura, Maintenance Engineer
Quality Assurance
Carolyn Nachand, QA Lead
Aliya Maksyutova, Tester
Kat Wong, Tester
Lara Fetzer, Tester
Mike Fraser, Tester
Sabrina Fahmi, Tester
Design Services
Sally Mark, Design Services Manager
Lisa Wilson, Assoc. Design Services
Manager
VOICE TALENT
Owen Lam - Shaun Smith
Joni Savage - Nikki Rapp
Santiago Rivera - Juliette Tibbets
Leslie Clark - Sarah Real
LapTrap - Les Hedger
AliTrap - Les Hedger
Chewy - Roger L. Jackson
Eldon - Wally Fields
Flo - Irene Trapp
Lucky Lucy - Lee Kitts
Marlena - Lee Kitts
Pericles Lear - Charles Martinet
Mr. Swiffle - Peter Barto
Taxini - Dave Nowlin
TLC, EDUCATION DIVISION
Lisa Thomas, Controller
Mark Hittie, Vice President, Marketing
Derek Miyahara, Vice President, R & D
Eric Stone, Sr. Vice President, GM
Special Thanks
Solveig Pederson
Frannie La Day
Drayson Nowlan
Jeff Patrick
All the kids who helped us test our
product!
Editorial
Gabriele Rennie, Editorial Manager
Elizabeth Robinson, Editor
Alon Kaplon, Contributing Writer
Corinne Mah, User’s Guide Writer
The Incredible Toy Store Adventure!TM
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