REVIEWS:"PSUEDO-EDUCATIONAL" 

	WHERE IN WORLD/EUROPE/TIME/USA IS CARMEN SANDIEGO?

		    BROEDERBUND SOFTWARE INC.


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   This is my first try at reviewing a program/s from scratch, so I won't be
  surprised if this doesn't get published.

   I purchased Where in the World, etc, because a friend told me that it was
  helping his teenage kids learn more about geography, in a fun way.  I
  remember (from a looong time ago) that geography was not really that much
  fun, and my own kids will have to study it one day, so why not?

   DESCRIPTION

   The gameplay is fairly simple.  You (the player) are a detective working
  for Acme Detective Agency.  Various crimes are committed in locations
  around the world, by either a masked male or female, and your job is to
  track the criminal around the world AND to identify the criminal within a
  set time period, (game time, that is).  Clues are provided for each of
  these tasks during the game.  Sounds fairly simple so far, doesn't it!!

   The crimes range from plausible to ridiculous (I ask you, how does
  somebody steal Hoover Dam???!!!!), but don't really matter at all.

   You begin in your city where the crime was done, and get clues from 3
  locations in that city as to where the criminal went to next.  For example,
  one clue might be that the flag on an embassy car associated with the
  criminal was Red, White and Blue.  The second clue might be that the
  criminal was asking about sightseeing tours of Buckingham Palace.  The
  third clue might be that he/she bought a ticket for the F.A. Cup.  You
  then select "Travel", and are given a choice of 4 locations to go to next.
  You select the one you think is correct, (in this case, London), and are
  transported there, meanwhile losing some of your precious "time to solve
  the case".  At the same time as your travel clues, you may be given clues
  about the identity of the criminal. (i.e., she/he had blonde hair, he/she
  was listening to rock music, etc, etc).  THIS information is entered into a
  "data file", and if you have enough info on the criminal, he/she is
  identified, and a warrant for arrest is issued.  Woe betide you if you get
  the wrong one, or if you catch the criminal without a warrant.

   If you travel to the correct city, you are notified when you ask for your
  first clue for the THAT city.  A little animation of a criminal appears on
  the screen, and text informs you that you are on the right track. If you
  are wrong, you have to backtrack to your last city, and try again.  All
  this takes time, and if you make more than one mistake, you will probably
  run out of time, and fail.


   TECHNICALITIES

   The graphics are very good.  Each city you travel to generates its own
  picture on the screen, and the pictures are colourful, and relate to the
  city or country shown, e.g.  pictures of windmills for a city in Holland,
  along with people in traditional costume.  A brief text outline of some
  feature of the country concerned is given at the same time.

   The game is mouse or keyboard driven, but mouse is by far the easiest
  method to use.  The interface is VERY user friendly, and seems to be aimed
  at kids 10-14 years old.  On-screen instructions are also given ("Click
  here to continue"), but are not intrusive.

   The games will all run on an A500 and an A600.  I don't have anything more
  "advanced", so don't know about compatability with, say, a 68040 processor
  with 32 bit mem.  As far as I know, only 512K is needed to play fully.  The
  games can be installed on a hard drive (by copying files using Diskmaster
  or Directory Opus, for example), but do not have an install program
  supplied.

   Sound is minimal.  There are a few sound-effects, such as a jet engine
  sound when travelling between cities, and music when a criminal is found,
  but the game is such that these enhance the play, especially for
  youngsters, and any more would be totally wasted.

   Playability is huge.  The programmers have inserted a large degree of
  humour into the game, which stops it from being boring.  Each case is
  different, and the ability to increase your rating, (from Gumshoe to Master
  Investigator), adds a degree of challenge.  The games also lend themselves
  to entertainment for a group of people ("Who knows what country uses Kroner
  as currency?") which means that it can even substitute as a "party game"
  if neccessary.


   DRAWBACKS/PROBLEMS

   The main problem with these programs is the amount of reference material
  needed, especially for "Where in the USA is Carmen?".  The programmers have
  assumed in that particular game that the player/s have a large knowledge of
  the United States, and some of the questions will need an encyclopedia
  (preferrably an American one) to work out the clues.  In general, a decent
  atlas, and sometimes, a basic encyclopedia, are needed to play.  Another
  problem is the cost.  Around $80.00 for a game that is, after all,
  basically an educational program.  Another problem is that, with the way
  the political/sociographical scene in the world today is going, half the
  data in most of the games will be out of date within 5 years.  This, of
  course, will not apply to "Where in Time?", which is based on history,
  which nobody has been able to change (yet).


   The programs have document protection, in the form of "What word is at the
  top of page 1098".  Disk protection seems to be non-existant.

   OVERALL

   My main complaint about these programs is that there just isn't enough of
  them.  You could just about have one for any continent/geographical area,
  but so far, only 4 have been written.

   The programs are entertaining and educational, without giving that "not
  MORE schoolwork" feeling. (I was asked a question the other day regarding
  a word for a crossword, and surprised myself by knowing the answer.  When I
  thought about it, I'd seen the answer playing "Where in Time"!!!!).  The
  cost COULD be a prohibiting factor ($320.00 so far) but I believe it is
  well worth the expenditure.

   From the point of view of a ten year old (ooohhh!! That goes back a
  loooong way!!) these programs would just about be perfect.

   For what it's worth:

      GRAPHICS:      8
	 SOUND:      5
   PLAYABILITY:      7
    PLAY AGAIN:      7
      ACCURACY:      9 (EVEN AFTER A NUMBER OF YEARS)
   EDUCATIONAL:      6 (NOT QUITE BROAD ENOUGH)
       OVERALL:      7.5

   If you get them, have fun!!!!

   G Leggett
   Canberra


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