I want to play it too!!

Our kids are pretty interested in the computer and the myriad of games make it easy to get them to play while building math or reading or other skills. I just purchased one that we had in Sega format, back when Sega was popular, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego. This game is great! I even enjoy playing it.

The game starts with you checking in with the chief after you have signed in with your name or any alias you choose. The game will keep track of your skill level for you. The biggest problem with startup is that you have to change the color settings, and if you have kids that try to reset stuff like mine do, you know what a pain it can be to try and fix everything back once your icons on the desktop are three feet tall.

Anyway, you get through the setting changes and it’s pretty straight forward from there. This game has a feature I really enjoy – the “live action” videophone that the chief uses to communicate with you, giving you the details on the latest case. You fly to the scene of the crime and get to interview tourists/witnesses, read dropped notes, and decode messages. You also get to learn some foreign words in every country you go to.

There are 4 pop up menus for you to keep up with what you’re doing; including the Digisketch to piece together a composite of the suspect. Once you figure out the details of the bad guy (or girl) you can get a warrant to serve when you catch up with them.

Another feature is the World Wiz Database, where you can enter in a key word and get info about it. For instance, one of the tourists told me that the crook was going to Pest. Since I was all caught up in the game, I didn’t even think of Budapest, but I used the World Wiz Database and it gave me several options, of which I of course picked the right one.

I bought this for my 9 year old, but the 6, 10 and even me have been really having a ball with it. Of course its not all cops and robbers, the Database will let you learn about the different countries, and you can watch videos about those countries, getting details about the people, climate, government, etc. You can even get a guided tour. If you choose, you can abandon the pursuit of justice and just travel around the world via Fly by Night travel agency.

Of course, there is a link to Carmen Sandiego’s web site, but I haven’t been there yet. The instructions say that aspiring detectives can get lots of helpful hints there.

I truly prefer if my kids are going to be planted in front of a monitor that they are learning something. This game in my opinion, is educational, fun and mentally stimulating. Well worth the money spent.