SUMMARY INTRODUCTION POWER SOURCE START UP KEYBOARD HOW TO PLAY Selecting an activity Moving to a different activity Levels Playing modes Scores LEDs ACTIVITIES Summary table of activities Games Mission Agenda Music Box MAINTENANCE 1 1 2 2 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 5 8 8 8 8 The Little Mermaid computer INTRODUCTION Hi! Welcome to the world of Lexibook Junior®! We would like to thank you for choosing The Little Mermaid computer from Lexibook Junior. This instruction manual will help you to understand how to play all the activities included in your new The Little Mermaid computer. Read the instructions carefully and keep this handbook safe and handy, as you may need to refer to it again. Please pay also attention to the recommendations regarding the batteries and maintenance of your The Little Mermaid computer, as this will help to keep it in optimal conditions for a long time. Now, it is your turn to play! POWER SOURCE Your The Little Mermaid computer operates with 3 x 1.5 V alkaline batteries size AA. Instruction Manual JC252GB INSTALLING BATTERIES 1. Open the battery compartment door located at the back of the computer by using a screwdriver. 2. Install the 3 AA batteries observing carefully the polarity indicated at the bottom of the battery compartment. 3. Close the battery compartment. 4. Turn the game on. Do not use rechargeable batteries. Non-rechargeable batteries are not to be recharged. Rechargeable batteries are to be removed from the toy before being charged. Rechargeable batteries are only to be charged under adult supervision. Different types of batteries or new and used batteries are not to be mixed. Only batteries of the same or equivalent type as recommended are to be used. Batteries are to be inserted with the correct polarity. Exhausted batteries are to be removed from the toy. The supply terminals are not to be short circuited. Do not throw batteries into a fire. Remove the batteries if you are not going to use the game for a long period of time. If your unit receives an electronic shock or shows malfunction, immediately take the batteries out of the compartment and place them again. 1 START UP Switch the toy on by pressing once the On/Off button. A welcome screen will appear, and then you will be asked to enter your name and choose an activity. If you forget to switch the toy off after you have finished playing with it, your The Little Mermaid computer will switch itself off after 2 minutes. Adjusting the volume To adjust the volume of the sound, use the slider located to the right under the screen. Move it towards the left to turn down the volume, and towards the right to turn it up. Adjusting the contrast resolution of the screen To adjust the contrast resolution of the screen, use the slider located to the left under the screen. Move it towards the left to decrease the amount of contrast, and towards the right to increase it. Answer Mode Level Player 1 Player 2 Delete Shift Space Enter Arrow keys located on the mouse. Use it to display the correct answer. To switch over between 1-player and 2-player mode during those activities allowing 2 players at once. To display a window showing the different available levels for those activities featuring several levels. While in 2-player mode, the player on the left must press this key before answering the question. While in 2-player mode, the player on the right must press this key before answering the question. To delete the character positioned to the left of the cursor. In order to delete several characters, keep on pressing this key several times. To write a letter in capitals and to access the letters with accents located on the number keys. You should press simultaneously on SHIFT and on the letter of your choice. To insert a space between two words. To confirm your answer once you have typed it. To accept a selected activity or action. To scroll through the titles of the different activities. To move the cursor. KEYBOARD HOW TO PLAY SELECTING AN ACTIVITY Press on ACTIVITIES in order to display the activity list. You now have two ways of selecting an activity. Using the mouse: Pull the mouse out of its cradle in order to answer the questions. You can use the "Up" and "Down" arrow keys on the mouse to scroll through the menu of the different activities. To start a game, move the cursor onto the title of the activity of your choice and press the ENTER key. Using the keyboard: Each activity has an associated code number; you must first enter this code and then press the ENTER key. For example, if you want to play the activity called "Missing Letter", you must enter the code 3, and then press the ENTER key (see the table on p.5). Name of the key On/Off Activities Mission Agenda Music Box Repeat Help Function To switch the game ON and OFF. To access the activities submenu. To select an activity or to move to a different one. To access the MISSION mode. To access the AGENDA mode. To access the musical activities submenu. To listen again to one instruction or word, and to view again an animation. To help you with your answer during specific activities where this key is available. 2 MOVING TO A DIFFERENT ACTIVITY In order to quit an activity, you can press once more on ACTIVITIES and then select a different activity using the "Up" and "Down" arrow keys on the mouse, or by typing the relevant activity code using the keyboard. You can also enter at anytime the MUSIC, AGENDA or MISSION modes by pressing the relevant keys in order to play or quit an ongoing activity. LEVELS Certain activities are divided into several levels (see the table on p.5). To change between levels while an activity is in progress, press on LEVEL. The window showing the different available levels for the activity will appear. There are 2 ways of selecting the level of your choice. - Using the mouse, move the cursor onto the numbers 1, 2, or 3, and press the ENTER key. - Press directly the numbers 1, 2, or 3 on your keyboard, and then press the ENTER key. 3 PLAYING MODES Certain activities offer the choice of 1 or 2 players (see the table on p.5). By default, each activity always begins in 1-player mode. In order to change from 1-player to 2-player mode while an activity is in progress, simply press the MODE key. Press again this key if you wish to return to the 1-player mode. SCORES Some activities do not offer the possibility of scoring points. For more information, please refer to the table on p.5. 1-player mode You will have two chances to answer each question correctly. For those activities in which you can score points, the following rules will apply: o You will get 20 points each time you provide the right answer on the first attempt. o You will get 10 points each time you provide the right answer on the second and last attempt. o If you fail to provide the right answer on both opportunities, the right answer will be displayed and you will not score any points. o If you do not know the right answer, press on ANSWER and it will be displayed. However, you will not score any points. Once a series of 5 questions has taken place, the game will show your final score and reward you with an animation. NOTE: In some activities, the HELP key can give you tips to help you answer the question correctly. But be careful! You can only use it twice in each game, and you will be deducted 5 points from your final score each time you use it. 2-player mode The player who thinks he/she has found the correct answer must press quickly his/her own key, i.e. PLAYER 1 or PLAYER 2. The game will indicate the number of the faster player, who therefore will have the first chance to answer. He/she must now provide his/her answer. He/she has to do so within 3 seconds. o If the answer is correct, the player will be awarded 20 points. o However, if the answer is not the right one or if the player takes longer than 3 seconds to answer, the game will display the symbol of the other player, who should now be able to provide his/her answer. o If the answer is correct, the player will be awarded 10 points. o If the answer is not the right one, the game will display the correct answer and none of the players will score any points. NOTE: While in 2-player mode, as long as none of the players has yet pressed his/her own key, you can press on ANSWER in order to display it (once any of the players has pressed his/her own key, it will no longer be possible to use ANSWER). LEDs The LEDs located to the right of the screen will guide you throughout the game. During the activities, the LEDs will light one at the time to indicate the number of questions already asked (remember that each game is made up of 5 questions). However, while in MISSION mode you will be asked 10 questions. This time a set of fixed and flashing lights will enable you to see your progress. In any case, a fun set of lights will reward you every time you provide the right answers. ACTIVITIES SUMMARY TABLE OF ACTIVITIES Code 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Name Flash Word Scramble Word Missing Letter Synonyms Homonyms Anagrams Plural Letter Blaster Flip Flop Hangman Letter Invasion Flash Number Addition Subtraction Multiplication Division Matching Shapes Pairs Comparison Sparrowhawk Target Number Syllable Hunt French - English English - French Level(s) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1-2-3 1-2-3 1-2-3 1-2-3 1-2-3 1 1-2-3 1-2-3 1 1-2-3 1 1 1 Playing mode 1 player 1 or 2 players 1 or 2 players 1 or 2 players 1 or 2 players 1 or 2 players 1 or 2 players 1 player 1 player 1 player 1 player 1 player 1 or 2 players 1 or 2 players 1 or 2 players 1 or 2 players 1 player 1 player 1 or 2 players 1 player 1 player 1 player 1 player 1 player Help Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No Yes Yes Answer Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes OTHER PLAYING MODES - Mission - Music Box: Play a tune, Music Box, Follow Me - Agenda 1 FLASH WORD A word will appear briefly on the screen. Retype the word from memory without making any mistakes, and then press on . 2 SCRAMBLE WORD The letters from a word have been jumbled together. Think of the right order for the letters, retype the word correctly and press on . 3 MISSING LETTER The screen will show a word with a letter missing. Type the missing letter. You do not need to press on . 5 4 4 SYNONYMS A word will appear on the screen. Find a synonym for this word, i.e. a word having the same meaning. Type the synonym and press on . 5 HOMONYMS A word will appear on the screen. Find a homonym for this word, i.e. a word that is pronounced as the word being shown but that is spelt differently. Type the homonym and press on . 6 ANAGRAMS A word will appear on the screen. Find the anagram for this word; that is to say, use all the letters from this word to write another word. Type the anagram and press on . 7 PLURAL Find the plural form of the word appearing on the screen. Type it and press on 8 LETTER BLASTER The screen will show a word with an extra letter. Use the arrow keys extra letter, and then press on . and . 17 MATCHING SHAPES Find the shape matching the one displayed on the left of the screen. To do so, you can scroll throughout the shapes listed to the right of the screen using the mouse. Once you think you have found the correct answer, press on . 18 PAIRS The screen will show two rows of 5, 7 or 9 cards depending on the level being selected. The cards shall be paired. Use the arrow keys and , to place the cursor under the card from the top row you want to turn over. Then press on . Next, repeat the process to turn over a card from the second row. If the two cards are identical, they will remain visible. However, if the two cards are different, they will turn back over again. This will allow you to choose a new pair of cards. 19 COMPARISON The screen will show two squares featuring some objects or numbers. Uses the and arrow keys or the mouse in order to select the relevant comparison sign, i.e. >, < or = and press on to confirm your selection. 20 SPARROWHAWK This is a game where reflexes and speed are a must. You can move upwards and downwards the UFO located to the left of the screen using the two "Up" and "Down" arrow keys. You must try to avoid the objects arriving from the right-hand side of the screen by moving your spaceship vertically. If you get hit by any of these points, the game will be over and your score, i.e. the number of objects you have managed to avoid during the game, will be displayed. 21 TARGET NUMBER A number will appear to the top left of the screen, this will be referred as the TARGET NUMBER. Several numbers will then appear on the screen. In Level 1 & 2, you must select the numbers of your choice using the mouse. When adding these numbers, you must obtain a result matching the TARGET NUMBER. In Level 3, you can find the result by multiplying the numbers being shown. 22 SYLLABLE HUNT 4 syllables will appear on the scre ...