The Amazon Trail is an educational computer game. It was created by MECC--Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium (later Corporation) - which was eventually bought out by The Learning Company. This game was inspired by the popularity of the hugely popular video game The Oregon Trail.
In The Amazon Trail, the player is told in a dream that the Inca people are in danger. Malaria threatens their existence. The player is then taken back into time so he/she can search for cinchona, which is a tree that has medicinal properties in its bark, and will cure Malaria.
There is a king who rules over the land. You need to earn his approval in order to get into the hidden Incan city. You need to search for gifts to bring to the Inca King. Your first step is to find a guide and then set off on your quest. Your guide will help you by giving you facts and tips. Along your journey down the river you will have to stop in many cities. There you will need to trade with the locals to get items you will need. You can also ask them for information about the area.
Along your quest, you will learn about the people who live along the Amazon River and its tributaries. You will meet different kinds of people
along your way (some people are friendly; others are very much your enemy). You are to take pictures of trees, flowers, plants, birds, and animals that are long the river. Players are given rations for their quest. You need to budget their usage so you don’t run out before you reach the Incas.
On your journey you can also play in mini arcade games. In one you go fishing and have to deal with many obstacles such as logs. Also, your life is in danger. Many exotic diseases could wipe you out instantly; and native tribes and headhunters could, well, take off your head.
Once you reach the hidden city where the Inca are at, you will be graded on how well you performed certain tasks: how much activity you had on the quest, how many plants and animals you correctly identified, your health, and how long the quest took.
You do have the goal of finding the cinchona, but since this is an educational game, there is much to learn along your quest. You are given a general introduction into the people around the Amazon River and its environment. As you travel in the rainforest, you can learn about its flora, fauna, and cultures when you click on various items on the screen.
The Amazon Trail is considered more difficult than the
Oregon Trail games - even the arcade games. The game is geared toward 4th through 12th graders, but is still fun for adults who are history buffs. So if you like a challenge and don’t mind learning something, this game should be added to your collection.
