FUZOMA Educational Software

To Make a Bootable Floppy:

1. Download and run the FUZOMA 1.5 Floppy Tool.
2. There is no step two. Enjoy your disk!

Note: USB floppy drives will not work for this.
FUZOMA users can copy disks by clicking the bottom-right icon from the menu’s second page.
Linux users can make disks from the FUZOMA 1.5 Floppy Image using superformat and dd.

To Install to the Hard Drive:

1. Download and install D-Fend Reloaded.
2. Download and run the FUZOMA 1.5 Installer.
3. Start FUZOMA by double-clicking its D-Fend Reloaded list entry, which looks like this:
   

Windows 95, 98, and ME users can just extract the FUZOMA 1.5 Floppy Image using 7-Zip, and then run INSTALL.BAT.
OS X users can install Boxer and then run the FUZOMA 1.5 Gamebox.
Linux users can install DOSBox from their repository, then imgount the FUZOMA 1.5 Floppy Image to run A:\INSTALL.BAT.

To Make a Bootable “Live USB” Stick:

1. Download the FUZOMA 1.5 Floppy Image.
2. Download and run UNetBootIn 408.
3. Tell UNetBootIn where the FUZOMA Floppy Image is, like so: 
     
4. Specify which USB drive you want to use and click OK.

To Make a Bootable “Live CD”:

1. Download and install ISO Recorder.
2. Download and open the FUZOMA 1.5 CD Image, which will open in ISO Recorder.
3. Insert a blank CD and click the “Next” button.

Windows 7 users can use the built-in Disc Image Burner instead of ISO Recorder.
OS X users can use the built-in Disk Utility or Disk Copy.
Linux users can use cdrecord.

KIDSMENU
This is the home screen of FUZOMA, customized with colorful ASCII art. Activities can be launched using the mouse of the keyboard.  Very easy for kids, and useable for the pre-literate.  Programs are grouped by subject and labeled, which makes it easy for to guide kids to the appropriate activities.

Freeware (source code is commercial), David Dunfield
[Direct Download: FUZOMA-exclusive newest 2003 version binaries]

John’s Animated Game
A fun “keyboard banger” for kids who have no idea how the keyboard or mouse work.  Every time a key is pressed, something happens on screen.  This particular program is vocab-centric, which makes it stand above other similar programs, and it does not simply rely on music to entertain.

Freeware, Flix Productions
[Direct Download: Older version 1.0 used for FUZOMA]

Letter Fishing
Learn to control the mouse, to click, and reinforce some uppercase/lowercase letter matching along the way.

Freeware, Lou Duchez

Concentration
This game, also known as “Memory,” is played with a deck of 52 cards, face down, which can be flipped over by clicking on them with the mouse.  Good for number recognition, with the added bonus of few letters of course (A, K, Q, J)!

Open Source Freeware, Loren Blaney

Counting with Apples
This game encourages children to count with integers, small numbers, then big numbers.  It then reviews the English spelling of the numbers, and finally, the Spanish spellings!

Public Domain, John Schnittker

Animal Math
Counting, number sequencing, addition, and subtraction, all with cute animal faces.  Great for kids who are still counting on their fingers.  Rewards are mostly musical but there are some basic animations that provide at least some visual feedback.

Open Source Freeware, Donald L. Pavia

Math Boat
Can you beat the raincloud to the island?  For each correct answer, you get closer.  For each incorrect answer, the cloud gets closer.  If you lose, the island get soaked before you arrive!  Simple arithmetic drills.

Public Domain, John Schnittker

Word Gallery
A great program for vocabulary exploration.  With the game in its most basic mode, kids can just click the pictures and the program colors them and shows the word.  It also features matching and spelling games.  The images are crisp and bright, and the navigation is simple.

Shareware: Additional words can be ordered via snail mail from KinderWare.
[Direct Download: Newest version 3.0]
[Older Version 2.0 used for FUZOMA]

Wunder Book
A picture/word matcher with some of the same features as Word Gallery (but with different words), Wunder Book additionally has some simple “same/different” games, as well as Spanish, French, and German vocabulary options!

Shareware: An additional 200 colorful pictures can be ordered from Polysoft / Hung Le 

Vocabumonkey
A picture/word matcher with a funny monkey as your host.  Unlike Word Gallery or Wunder Book which just go on and on, this game has a definitive “end” – a big bowl of ice cream!  Be prepared to reward the player accordingly

Freeware, John Schnittker.
[Also see the open source online version]

Word Rescue Episode One
A highly appealing side-scroller in which a young boy (or girl) must avoid bad guys and lava and such.  To beat each level, words and pictures need to be collected and matched up.  The initial challenge is the lava, not the vocab, but once the kids get the hang of it, they learn the words just so they can keep playing.

Shareware: Additional episodes can be ordered from Redwood Games.
[Older version 1.0 used for FUZOMA]

Troll’s Tale
A simple graphical text adventure game.  The goal is to dodge the trolls and collect all the treasures.  It’s a “multiple choice” choose-your-own adventure game, so there is no typing.  Good English reinforcement for kids who are far enough along to at least read most of it.

Commercial-turned-Freeware, Al Lowe (Sierra).
[Also see the original CGA version with better colors.  Set DOSBox to “machine=cga” to see it in its full CGA composite glory.]

Billy
A chatbot gives the kids someone to chat with, even if it’s not a real human being! The artificial intelligence is silly, but amusing for the kids who can read and write well enough to converse with him. 

Open Source Freeware, Gregory G. Leedberg
[Also see the newest DOS version -- 3.31]

Super Worms Math Arena
This is a Snake-like game in which worms need to eat the correct answers to math problems.  Two players can play simultaneously.  Version 1.4 was previously the most recent, but the author was kind enough to make a couple custom changes for me, and now a newer version is available here.

Freeware, Mike Wiering
[Also see page with working download link for pre-FUZOMA version 1.4]
[Direct Download: FUZOMA-exclusive version 1.5]

Super Worms 3D Racing
Like the worms from Math Arena? You can also race them or engage in battles!  Like Math Arena, two can play at the same time, so you keep two kids busy at each machine. This is a bonus game, and it will only launch after Math Arena if enough points were accumulated solving math problems.

Shareware: Extra tracks and powerups can be ordered from Wiering Software.
[Also see the oldest version available prior to FUZOMA: 2.2 (1999)]
[Direct Download: Even older version 2.0 (1996) -- FUZOMA-exclusive]

MathTest
These drills alternate with “fun time,” which in this case consists of shooting rockets and lasers or throwing rocks.  MathTest’s drills are unusual because they offer so much guidance for the individual steps in long division, etc, making them better teaching tools than usual.  The timer keeps the drills exciting, and the “review mode” forces kids to redo missed problems, which makes sure learning really happens.  Highly configurable.

Freeware, Kenneth Perrine

Number Munchers Tribute
The classic Number Munchers!  Prime numbers, multiples, inequality, etc.  This is good for the kids who have a mastery of basic arithmetic and need a bigger challenge.

Freeware, Nick Andren

Bali’s Calc
A scientific calculator that can be operated with the mouse or with the keyboard.  Works just like a good calculator should.

Shareware-turned-Freeware, Bálint Tóth

Bozzball
A focus on shapes and colors, in addition to some other alphabet, vocab, and counting exercises.  The author recently removed the download link, but he promises that it will return soon… possibly followed by a mobile phone version!

Shareware: You can order twice the number of lessons from Bozz Software.
[Also see old web site with broken download link]
[FUZOMA-exclusive direct download]

Trialware: You may be able to use this program indefinitely and get technical support by registering it with Motes Educational Software / Dr. Andrew “Andy” Motes; however, the rights to the software were sold by Major Motes to an unknown party in 1999.
[Also see page with working download link]

Tater Head
Remember Mr. Potato head?  Well, this is basically him again, except you have six potatoes and lots of parts, including animated eyeballs.  On the surface this is a goofy make-a-face game, but underneath it’s a good exercise in mouse control, and specifically click-and-drag.

Freeware, Axelgraphics
[Direct Download]

BabyType
There are lots of typing games out there, but a few things make this one unique.  It automatically speeds up or slows down to give you just enough of a challenge.  It has an on-screen keyboard that shows you where all the keys are and where your fingers go.  (You can even set it to display a UK-style keyboard layout.)  It also has a variety of cute animations to entertain.

Freeware, Doka Studios
[Also see BabyType 2000 for WIndows]

FUZOMA Edit
A mouse-driven text editor built just for this disk, with undo, word wrap, center/left/right formatting, a character map, viewable clipboard, built-in calendar and game, and resizable windows.  It’s a good introduction to modern user interfaces: blue/gray color scheme, task bar, clock in bottom right, etc.  I also included a starter document, a short “story” I wrote with some ASCII art taken from chris, as well as a typing practice document.

Open Source Freeware, Paul Blair
[Direct Download: FUZOMA exclusive]
[Made with the help of Bob Ferguson’s Pascal Routine Library ]

Amy’s First Primer: “Help the Frog” and “Load the Truck” 
These two puzzle activities were the highlights of Amy’s First Primer, and they’re included here as slightly modified standalone programs.  Kids can help the frog complete the simple maze, or help the trucker match the order of the shapes.

Open Source Shareware-turned-Closed Source Shareware: If you find this program useful you should register via snail mail with Rob Robinson (direct download).
[Also see newer closed source version 2.3]

Donald Duck’s Playground
This was a big award-winner when it came out.  Children control Donald as he gets odd jobs around town in order to purchase an increasingly elaborate playground for his nephews.  (A depressing preview of adulthood?)  Kids enjoy the direct control of the character, and if they play the game long enough, the game requires that they pay for the toys by selecting different coins as needed in order to produce exact change… good math practice.

Commercial-turned-Freeware, Al Lowe (Sierra / Disney)

Earth’s Continents and Oceans / Omniscent
After viewing a world map with labels for the continents and oceans (based on this Wikipedia image), kids can view this transitional video of a ship leaving its dock for outer space, which drops them automatically to the next map, below.

Freeware, Sanction

Our Solar System / Mars
A labeled map of the solar system (based on this NASA image) is shown, and then kids are given the opportunity to explore the red planet by hovering along the terrain using the mouse.

Freeware, Tim Clarke
[Also see page with working download link]

Tank Time
Up to ten people can take turns playing this artillery game.  In an attempt to blow up other tanks, each player must choose an angle and velocity of their tank’s attack.  It’s a good math-meets-physics lesson.  Tank Time keeps the controls and the interface relatively simple.  Weapon upgrades can be purchased, teaching basic financial math, but the game can be played without ever seeing that more complicated side of things.  The mouse and/or the keyboard can be used to play.

Shareware-turned-Freeware, Klaus Reimer

Atomix
Learn the names of molecules and how to combine atoms to make them.  This may sound boring, but Atomix uses this premise in combination with a unique puzzle game to make the element (pun intended) of learning completely non-intrusive.

Commercial-turned-Freeware, Softtouch / Thalion Software GmbH
[Also see page with working download link and legal clone “Atomix 2004” for Windows]

Commercial (part of MS-DOS)-turned-Freeware, Microsoft (newest BASIC interpreter, QBASIC, is part of Olddos.exe)
[Older version 2.02 - Commodore used for FUZOMA]

PC-Man
This was the very first graphical version of Pac-Man for DOS, and it remains a lot of fun.  PC-Man is a great follow-up game for kids who no longer have any difficulty with the Help the Frog maze.

Commercial, but distributed here with special permission from the author: Greg Kuperberg / Orion Software
[Also see page with working download link]

Kidgames Mosaic
Tangram is an ancient Chinese game in which pieces must be put together to resemble the provided silhouetted image.  Mosaic is like a simplified tangram game; the difference being that it’s possible to see the construction of the original image.  It’s a good follow-up for kids who have mastered the color/shape matching “Load the Truck” game.

Public Domain (source code is commercial): Donald L. Pavia

Pitman
A highly addicting logic game much like Sokoban in which you must collect yellow piles of diamonds by pushing blocks around and trying not to get stuck.

Open Source Freeware: hitchhikr SoftWorks

Small Tetris
Playing Tetris leads to increased brain efficiency and a thicker cortex, concludes this recent study.  How can you argue against that?

Open Source Freeware: Tore Bastiansen
[Also see page with working download link]

Matey
A good-looking mouse-driven chess game.  Version 1.1 was previously the most recent, but the author was kind enough to make a couple changes for me, and now a newer version (which is much better for kids who want to be self-taught chess wizards) is available here and on his site.

Open Source Freeware, Loren Blaney
[Direct download: Custom FUZOMA version 1.3PB]
[Also see Pre-FUZOMA version 1.1]