

Spy Fox's creators throw in so many clues, secret codes and red herrings that, last time, even I had to resort to the tip sheet that accompanied the press kit.

It's a step up in challenge from the Bothell-based company's "Freddi Fish" titles, which also involve tracking down a scheming villain. Like its predecessor, the new Spy Fox game is full of the kind of intrigue, high-tech gadgets and clever detective work that appeal to 5- to 10-year-olds. This crafty character, the hero of Humongous Entertainment's 1997 computer game "Spy Fox in Dry Cereal," is back for a second caper, "Spy Fox 2: Some Assembly Required." If this Spy Fox keeps my son as challenged and amused as he did the first time around, he will be worth the bad puns and thinly veiled James Bond allusions, as well as the $24.99 list price. Not the Easter Bunny, the tooth fairy or even the cast of "Star Wars." No one's return appearance has been so eagerly anticipated by my 7-year-old son as that of "Spy Fox."

Spy Fox 2: Some Assembly Required Humongous Entertainment 80 Windows 95, Windows 98, Macintosh $24.99.
