It’s a wonder that the video game “Where in Europe is Carmen Sandiego?” didn’t burn out my parents’ computer in the late 80s. Odds were if I was on the computer, I was playing this game. I absolutely loved every one of the Carmen games I played. “Europe,” the third game in the Carmen series, was released by Broderbund Software—a company known for its excellent educational software.
Even though the Carmen Sandiego games are educational, don’t let that put you off. They are loads of fun, as the objective of the game is to capture wacky criminals who steal the most outrageous objects.
It’s a wonder that the video game “Where in Europe is Carmen Sandiego?” didn’t burn out my parents’ computer in the late 80s. Odds were if I was on the computer, I was playing this game. I absolutely loved every one of the Carmen games I played. “Europe,” the third game in the Carmen series, was released by Broderbund Software—a company known for its excellent educational software.
Even though the Carmen Sandiego games are educational, don’t let that put you off. They are loads of fun, as the objective of the game is to capture wacky criminals who steal the most outrageous objects. Will someone tell me how you hide the Leaning Tower of Pisa?
You begin the game as a rookie detective, and as
you keep catching the bad guys (and girls), your rank will increase and so will the difficulty of the cases. Once you capture all the criminals in Carmen’s gang, she becomes your target. The game is over when you arrest Carmen. Your name will then appear in the Hall of Fame.
When you begin a case, you are told what has been stolen and from where, and if the suspect is male or female. You have a set amount of time to catch the thief, so try not to make mistakes and repeat tasks as every action you make takes time off the clock.
You start the game in the city/country the crime takes place (which is obviously only in Europe). In that city, and in each one you will travel to, you are given four options to help track down the thief: investigate, use notebook, visit crime lab, and go to airport. You can ask locals for information by selecting “investigate.” They will give you information as to what the suspect looked like or what he/she was wearing. That physical information is entered into the Crime Lab’s computer. A warrant can be issued when you have enough information on the suspect. Without a warrant, the suspect will get away.
The locals will also give you hints as to where the criminal is headed. When you have a good idea of where that place is, you can go to the airport. There, you will see a few places you can travel to. If you choose the wrong place, you won’t get any help from the locals. If you choose the right place, you will see goofy criminals running around.
This game appeals to me even 20 years later. So kids and adults should get a lot of fun out of this game. It is especially appealing to those who love geography and history. Downloading this game will give you hours, and do I ever mean hours, of fun.
