Tektoma Review

• Racing
• Arcade
• Memory
• Platform
• Fantasy Adventure

In addition, they offer shorter tutorials on how to:

• use tiles to build a race track
• use tiles to improve the look of a platform game
• create and use custom icons
• create a stand alone version of a game
• make your game play in full screen mode
• add an inventory system to your game

System Requirements:

• Currently, the tutorials are for computers running Windows XP or Vista only. Macintosh versions coming in the future.
• Broadband internet connection with up-to-date browser
• For GameMaker tutorials, you need a copy of GameMaker installed and the GameMaker resources folder. (GameMaker requires 128mb of RAM, DirectX 8 with at least 32mb of video memory, and a screen resolution of at least 800×600.)

We are currently running Windows 7 on our computers, so some of the things in the tutorials did not match up.  There were a few glitches in the system.  I’m not sure if that was due to program incompatibility or user error.  We did experience a few difficulties while initially getting everything set up, but once we had everything on the computer, we were able to work around the few issues that we had.

Munchkin was able to follow the tutorials by herself and had fun creating her racing game.  She got frustrated multiple times during the programming process, but she went back through and figured out where she went wrong.  She was able to pause the program easily as she worked her way through the tutorial step-by-step.  I liked that she had to work on her problem solving skills in order to properly use the tutorials/program. If she made a small mistake, she needed to go back through and figure out where she went wrong.

This would be a great gift for a child who enjoys video games or is intrigued by how things work.  Tektoma subscriptions are available for $14.95 per month or $140 per year.  You can also earn referral credits when your friends join Tektoma.  Want to try before you buy?  Tektoma offers a 14 day free trial.