DESCRIPTION

Babyz is a single-player game and screensaver in one. The game comes with a headset and microphone, and utilizes IBM's "Viavoice" voice recognition so that the player can better interact with the Babyz and teach them to talk. You purchase the game with the Babyz that you like on the front of the CD case, according to looks. You won't know the Babyz personality, likes or dislikes, or how they will interact with other Babyz until the game is played.

Initially, one baby is purchased with fifteen others on the disk available for adoption in the future. However, only three Babyz can be played with at once; the others are "sent to Grandma's." You may also link up to www.babyz.net and adopt more Babyz, put your Babyz up for adoption, chat about your Babyz, download items for them, and post photos in the gallery.

Upon setting up the game, you will see a backdrop of a backyard going through all the seasons. After a minute, you'll watch a stork advance toward your door with a bundle. He then rings the doorbell and you will see the installation screens for Babyz, Viavoice, and DirectX. Once the game is launched, you enter the "Babyz Adoption Serial Number" (each has his or her own) found on the front of the CD case. The Babyz then appears in the playroom background and you can name him or her.

You'll notice a menu at the side with several buttons. Some examples include the stork button, used for adopting more Babyz from your CD, a globe button that connects you to the online adoption center, and a many-faceted house button that gives you a choice of rooms in which to move the Babyz. These rooms are where they can play and interact, as well as do the tasks specific to each room.

The many other symbols connected to the house give you egress to rooms where your Babyz can sleep, be maintained (dressed, bathed, changed [G-rated], given medical attention, play with toys, learn listen to records, and get fed). You can take the Babyz into the backyard to play, take their pictures, and teach them to talk.

Babyz start out at about the age of six months crawling on their tummies and then progress to regular crawling and eventually walking and toddling. They grow to about 15 to 18 months. You can also use Babyz as a screensaver and let your Babyz play on the computer desktop. ~ Karen McCall, All Game Guide