Carmen Sandiego's ThinkQuick Challenge
Cover art
Developer(s)The Learning Company
Publisher(s)The Learning Company
SeriesCarmen Sandiego
EngineMohawk
Platform(s)Mac OS, Windows
Release
  • NA: June 1, 1999
Genre(s)Educational[1]
Mode(s)Single-player
Multiplayer

Carmen Sandiego's ThinkQuick Challenge (sometimes referred to as Carmen Sandiego's Think Quick Challenge) is a "game show-themed"[2] edutainment computer game for kids ages 8–12 (although PC Mac suggests it is suitable for ages 10 and up[3]). The title, which is a part of the Carmen Sandiego franchise, was released by The Learning Company on June 1, 1999.[4] It can be played by up to 4 players, and runs on the Mohawk engine.[5]

Development

The 1000 questions over 7 subjects[6] in the game were written and developed by teachers.[7] The game was first to give Carmen Sandiego players a multiplayer option.[8] The title reviews curriculum for fourth- through sixth-graders.[9]

There was a promotion where if players picked up their copy from CompUSA8, they would be entered into a draw with the chance to win Carmen Sandiego prizes.[10] There was also a competition called "2000 TECHNOLOGY & LEARNING Teacher of the Year Awards program", with Learning Company as one of the sponsors and offering copies of the game as prizes for state winners.[11]

Plot

Carmen Sandiego and her six Master Thieves (Gnash, Madame Le Zaarde, Snarla Swing, Dr. Depth, Count Hypno, and Jane Reaction) have sent KnowBots (SynicBot, HALieBot, Pure-EBot, BruiserBot, DimBot, and Touchy-FezlyBot) to steal the world of its data and information from various texts. In response Acme Agent Chase Devineaux recruits additional agents to counter this worldwide threat. Carmen Sandiego, eager for a challenge awaits the agents.

There is no actual end to the game, as after the defeat and capture of Carmen's minions, the game will just restart with them free as if the previous events never happened.

Gameplay

The object of the game is to get past Carmen's KnowBots and correctly answer questions to capture Carmen's Master Thieves. At the beginning of each mission, Chase Devineaux, the ACME Detective Agency's top agent will describes the suspect and the vital stolen knowledge. There are three difficulty levels, that cater for three age groups respectively and start players with a certain number of Energy Points. Up to four players or teams can play.[12]

Players outwit KnowBots in a game-show type competition.[13][14] In a regular game, players visit two locations, each with two KnowBots, alternating every three questions. Each KnowBot is knowledgeable in different subject areas: History, Geography, Math, Crime scene (which is similar to a memory game), English, Life Science, Physical Science, or Art and Music.[15][16] If the player(s) answer correctly, they gain a certain number of Knowledge Points dependent on the type of question being asked (For example, Multipick questions are worth 950 Knowledge Points, and Rapid Fire Sort questions are worth 200 Knowledge Points each). If they get a question incorrect, they lose one point of Capture Energy, which is essential to the capture of the Master Thief.[17] Once at the Master Thief's hideout, the player needs to solve a unique puzzle to enter. The player with the most Capture Energy will have the opportunity to capture the thief, but if there is a tie in Capture Energy, the player with the most Knowledge Points will have the opportunity to capture the thief.

Players and school teachers also have the option to create their own questions sets of up to 50 questions using Multipick, YinYang (True/False), Sequencer, Matchmaker, and Gridlock (Finding all the answers in a grid).[18]

Critical reception

In a review of a package entitled Adventure Workshop: 4th-6th Grade which featured the games The ClueFinders Reading Adventures Ages 9-12, Carmen Sandiego's ThinkQuick Challenge, and Super Solvers Mission: T.H.I.N.K., Hilary Williams of AllGame said that it is "one of those rare compilations where all of the included titles are superb", adding that ThinkQuick was "another great [Carmen] game that will interest older kids due to its international espionage theme" and that the game "retains the educational value of previous titles in the series, without losing entertainment value".[19] Newsday commented "[the game is] great, because four kids can play it together on the computer, and it has more than 1,000 questions in seven subject areas, so you are never bored".[20] SuperKids praised the "superb graphics", "intricate storyline", and gameplay that would "amaze and delight" Carmen Sandiego fans, though it may prove tiresome for those who had become tired of the quiz-based gaming genre.[21] Infotech said it was a gaming title of interest.[22] ThinkQuick was selected as one of the games offered for this project where games were donated to the Harmony Public Library for students' learning.[23] Teacher Librarian deemed it "another Carmen Sandiego hit"[24] and a "CD-ROM title of interest".[25] The Daily Herald wrote that the "high-qualify, easy-to-use" title "shows why [the Carmen Sandiego] franchise has been so successful", praising the gameplay mechanic whereby players are alternating between competing in a trivia contest and cooperatively catching Carmen's crooks.[26] Poughkeepsie Journal thought the game bore similarities to the fast-paced quiz game You Don't Know Jack, and thought the kids who have grown weary of the saccharine "Good job" would "love the edgy attitude of a [KnowBot] challenger who snaps" quips like "Enjoy your little victory, Blue. It won't last".[27] The Cincinnati Enquirer noted that this game saw a costume change from Carmen Sandiego's iconic red dress to a black catsuit.[28] The Straits Times thought the game was "exciting and challenging".[29]

In a negative analysis, Robin Ray of the Boston Herald commented that ThinkQuick was part of a growing trend of gaming franchises in which previous titles which "could wholeheartedly [be] recommend[ed]", "[were not] a complete waste of time", and "[were] near-perfect combination of fun and learning" contrasted greatly with the new releases which instead "cause...slow burn". She said "this is not Think Quick, this is Spit Quick".[30] Home Computer Buying Guide said the game had a weaker and less interesting theme than previous Carmen Sandiego titles.[31] Anne Sushko of The Book Report recommended the game as "well developed and of high interest", though noted that it was not compatible with Windows NT.[32] The Boston Herald gave the game a scathing review, writing that the game has lost the girl customer, that the questions are "random, narrow,[and] boring", and that "the Knowbots sneeringly insult you if you give an incorrect answer", concluding that whoever designed the game "should be asked to clear off his or her hard drive".[33]

References

  1. ↑ "Carmen Sandiego's ThinkQuick Challenge: Description". WineHQ. Archived from the original on December 21, 2008. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Iowa City Press-Citizen from Iowa City, Iowa on May 1, 2001 · Page 28". Newspapers.com. Archived from the original on 2017-04-19. Retrieved 2017-04-18.
  3. ↑ Kids' Software: Ages 10 and Up. PC Mag. December 14, 1999. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  4. ↑ "Carmen Sandiego's Think Quick Challenge - PC". G4TV. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Carmen Sandiego's ThinkQuick Challenge". ScummvmVM. Archived from the original on November 2, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Software for primary schoold kids". 2001-07-01. Archived from the original on 2016-09-11. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. ↑ "Carmen Sandiego's ThinkQuick Challenge". 1 November 2000. Archived from the original on 11 September 2016. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  8. ↑ "Best Software". Teacher Librarian. 2000-06-01. Archived from the original on 2016-09-11.
  9. ↑ "The Times from Shreveport, Louisiana on July 28, 2000 · Page 44". Newspapers.com. Archived from the original on 2017-04-19. Retrieved 2017-04-18.
  10. ↑ "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on September 19, 1999 · Page 762". Newspapers.com. Archived from the original on 2017-04-19. Retrieved 2017-04-18.
  11. ↑ "2000 Teacher of the Year Semi-Finalist Winners Announced By Technology & Learning Magazine". prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2017-06-19.
  12. ↑ "The Cincinnati Enquirer from Cincinnati, Ohio on September 30, 1999 · Page 35". Newspapers.com. Archived from the original on 2017-04-19. Retrieved 2017-04-18.
  13. ↑ "Reno Gazette-Journal from Reno, Nevada on July 31, 2000 · Page 39". 31 July 2000. Archived from the original on 31 December 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
  14. ↑ Ivers, Karen S. (1 January 2003). A Teacher's Guide to Using Technology in the Classroom. Libraries Unlimited. ISBN 9780313023040 – via Internet Archive.
  15. ↑ Wall, C. Edward (1 January 2001). Media Review Digest. Pierian Press. ISBN 9780876503874 – via Google Books.
  16. ↑ HighBeam
  17. ↑ "Carmen SanDiego's Think Quick Challenge". KidsClick. Archived from the original on March 6, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  18. ↑ Karen S. Ivers and Melissa Pierson (2003). A Teacher's Guide to Using Technology in the Classroom. p. 83. ISBN 1591580749. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  19. ↑ Williams, Hilary. "Adventure Workshop: 4th-6th Grade". AllGame. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  20. ↑ "Kidsday / STUFF KIDS BUY / t's Still Carmen Sandiego". Newsday. November 1, 1999. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  21. ↑ "Carmen Sandiego's ThinkQuick Challenge". SuperKids. Archived from the original on October 30, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  22. ↑ "InfoTech at IASL/AASL 1999 part 2: Other aspects of information technology - ProQuest". ProQuest.
  23. ↑ "Gates Foundation, Tami Hoag donations result in three new computers at Harmony library". March 10, 2010. Archived from the original on October 29, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  24. ↑ "Best Software". 1 June 2000. Archived from the original on 11 September 2016. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  25. ↑ "InfoTech at IASL/AASL 1999 Part 2: Other Aspects of Information Technology". Teacher Librarian. 2000-06-01. Archived from the original on 2016-09-11.
  26. ↑ "The Daily Herald from Chicago, Illinois on February 14, 2000 · Page 108". Newspapers.com. Archived from the original on 2017-04-19. Retrieved 2017-04-18.
  27. ↑ "Poughkeepsie Journal from Poughkeepsie, New York on September 28, 1999 · Page 3E". Newspapers.com. Archived from the original on 2017-04-19. Retrieved 2017-04-18.
  28. ↑ "The Cincinnati Enquirer from Cincinnati, Ohio on September 30, 1999 · Page 35". Newspapers.com. Archived from the original on 2017-04-19. Retrieved 2017-04-18.
  29. ↑ NING, PHUA JEAN (26 February 2003). "Knowledge is power": 42. Archived from the original on 17 December 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2018. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  30. ↑ Ray, Robin (November 7, 1999). "KID TECH; ThinkQuick causes slow burn". Boston Herald. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  31. ↑ Heiderstadt, Donna (1 April 2000). Home Computer Buying Guide 2000. Consumer Reports Books. ISBN 9780890439319 – via Google Books.
  32. ↑ "Carmen Sandiego's ThinkQuick Challenge". 2000-11-01. Archived from the original on 2016-09-11. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  33. ↑ "ThinkQuick causes slow burn". 1999-11-07. Archived from the original on 2016-09-11. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
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