This article is about the 1996 computer game. You may be looking for 1985 game or the 1991 gameshow. |
Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? is a 1996 educational video game and the third version of the 1985 game Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? and its 1992 Deluxe version. It was released shortly after the fifth and final season of the PBS TV series came to an end.
Plot[]
Development[]
Gameplay[]
The Chase[]
Unlike in the previous games, the image of the locations took up most of the screen, with the game options only taking up the bottom third of the screen. Each location had an elaborately painted backdrop that could be scrolled around a full three hundred and sixty degrees. Each location provided clues in the form of several bystanders and scraps of paper lying on the ground. The scraps of paper exclusively provided clues about the suspect's appearance.
The bystanders, on the other hand, could either be asked where the suspect went, in which case they would provide a geography clue, or what the suspect looks like, in which case they would make a casual comment about one of the suspect's physical attributes, i.e. "You'd lose sight of her if stepped behind a lightpost." or "His height wasn't standard for basketball, but it was perfect for miniature golf." Although speech balloons were still used on them, bystanders spoke their dialogue aloud as well. The text of notes and of bystanders' dialogue could be dragged into an "electronic notepad" in the bottom right corner of the screen for reference.
The Warrant and the Arrest[]
Another change is that the player is not given dossiers describing the members of V.I.L.E. and that all the clues given about the suspect are physical traits, enabling the user to identify the crook on sight. This means that the player will have to compile a full warrant rather than one of just enough traits to distinguish which crook is responsible. In the final destination, the crook is seen walking around the location with several innocent bystanders, meaning the player will have to use the warrant to identify which person is the criminal. The crook's name is only given after the arrest, in which a newspaper (The Worldly Blab) appears with a headline declaring the criminal has been captured. If the person arrested does not match the warrant, they will be found innocent and released just as they would if the warrant were inaccurate or not issued. Eight of the thirty-nine crooks captured over the course of the game each provided a single line of verse. These eight verses, once pieced together, created a poem that read as follows:
- I'll steal the planet's treasures till there's nothing precious left.
- I never wear a watch because it's always time for theft.
- Loot is on my mind, though something else is on my head.
- Why should I take a picture, I'll just steal the scene instead.
- I always hide the things I steal regardless of their size.
- And I don't wear any sunglasses to protect my eager eyes.
- A special Trophy will be mine, the plan is now in motion.
- I adorn my neck with loot I stole from oysters in the ocean.
Upon reaching the final destination on the final case, the Chief calls to inform the user that the culprit is Carmen Sandiego and that the poem indicates she is wearing a pearl necklace. The player then finds the location inhabited by several women resembling Carmen, but that only one of them is wearing pearls. After the player and all the seven Good Guides successfully capture Carmen and the ICK Brothers, The Chief informs the user that Carmen's ultimate plan was to "steal" ACME Headquarters (the "Trophy" in question) and that the player has therefore not only captured Carmen herself, but saved ACME itself. Afterwards, the player is later inducted at the ACME Detective Hall of Fame on the World Wiz Database and retired. If the player does anything that causes this mission to fail at this point, Carmen will escape and breaks three of her criminal henchmen out from ACME prison, immediately producing three more cases for the user to solve before getting back on Carmen's trail.
Characters[]
The ACME Good Guides are a group of colorful characters who, if called upon, provide information about the current country and the direct surroundings. If the player calls an ACME Good Guide during a case, that guide will call back later to inform the player whether or not their warrant has any errors. If the player wishes to take tours with the Good Guides and travel to countries without the inconvenience of having to track a crook, "explorer mode" is available.
The Good Guides[]
The ICK brothers, Rick and Nick, and Carmen's pet cat, Carmine, appear on-screen if the player correctly chooses the country where the crook went to.
V.I.L.E.[]
The following members of V.I.L.E. are criminals that the player must catch for each of the cases and each of their crimes:
Suspect | Pun | Gender | Hair Color | Height | Weight | Wearing | Bystander Greeting | Captured by |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Anita Bath | I need a bath | Female | Red | Medium | Thin | Hat | Yes, what is it? | Ann Tickwittee |
Art Schrival | Archrival | Male | Grey | Short | Thin | Hat | Hello there! | Kim Yoonity |
Auntie Matter | Antimatter | Female | Grey | Medium | Average | Glasses | What seems to be the problem? | Ann Tickwittee |
Barb Dwyer | Barbed wire | Female | Black | Medium | Average | Hat | Do you need something? | Ivan Idea |
Barry Koodah | Barracuda | Male | Blond | Medium | Heavy | Hat | What's on your mind? | Ann Tickwittee |
Buzz "Ted" Loose | Busted loose | Male | Black | Tall | Heavy | Glasses | What can I help you with? | Herman Nootix |
Dee Pockets | Deep Pockets | Female | Red | Tall | Average | Watch | What's on your mind? | Renee Santz |
Dinah Myte | Dynamite | Female | Blond | Short | Average | Watch | Welcome! | Kim Yoonity |
Don N. Hout | Down and out | Male | Brown | Short | Heavy | Camera | How can I help you? | Rock Solid |
Flo N. Eddy | Flo and Eddie | Female | Grey | Medium | Heavy | Hat | Hey, there! | Ann Tickwittee |
Hal E. Tosis | Halitosis | Male | Grey | Short | Heavy | Glasses | Welcome! May I help you? | Kim Yoonity |
Harry Bacque | Hairy back | Male | Red | Tall | Average | Camera | Do you need information? | Renee Santz |
Herb Aside | Herbicide | Male | Blond | Tall | Thin | Camera | Oh, hello! | Herman Nootix |
Indy Slammer | In the slammer | Male | Brown | Medium | Thin | Watch | Do you need some help? | Ivan Idea |
Ivana Steele | I wanna steal | Female | Grey | Tall | Average | Watch | Good afternoon. | Dee Plomassy |
Jack Cheez | Jack cheese | Male | Red | Medium | Average | Camera | What can I do for ya? | Herman Nootix |
Jerri Riggs | Jury-rigs | Female | Black | Medium | Heavy | Glasses | Tell me what you need. | Herman Nootix |
Jonah Fark | Joan of Arc | Male | Grey | Short | Average | Hat | Good day to you. | Kim Yoonity |
Kay Serrah-Serrah | Que Sera, Sera | Female | Brown | Medium | Average | Camera | Hi! Glad to meet you. | Ann Tickwittee |
Ken U. Sparadigm | Can you spare a dime? | Male | Black | Tall | Thin | Watch | Are you looking for help? | Renee Santz |
Leia D. Land | Lay of the land | Female | Red | Medium | Thin | Camera | Do you need assistance? | Herman Nootix |
Les Cash | Less cash | Male | Black | Medium | Thin | Camera | Hello, stranger! | Ivan Idea |
Lisa Carr | Lease a car | Female | Brown | Short | Heavy | Watch | Hi, there. What's up? | Kim Yoonity |
Lou Pole | Loophole | Male | Blond | Tall | Thin | Hat | Yes? | Dee Plomassy |
M.T. Pockets | Empty pockets | Female | Blond | Tall | Heavy | Camera | Well, hello! | Dee Plomassy |
Mac R. Roni | Macaroni | Male | Brown | Tall | Heavy | Camera | Greetings! | Dee Plomassy |
May K. Deal | Make a deal | Female | Brown | Tall | Average | Glasses | Oh, hi! | Renee Santz |
Meg Maidey | Make my day | Female | Grey | Short | Heavy | Glasses | What? | Rock Solid |
Mel Function | Malfunction | Male | Red | Short | Heavy | Glasses | May I help you? | Rock Solid |
Miss Ann Stuf | Missing stuff | Female | Black | Tall | Thin | Hat | Hello, may I be of service? | Renee Santz |
Olive Yermunny | All of your money | Female | Red | Tall | Thin | Watch | What's going on? | Renee Santz |
Penny Pincher | Penny-pincher | Female | Black | Short | Thin | Glasses | Oh! Yes? | Rock Solid |
Phil O. Dendron | Philodendron | Male | Brown | Tall | Average | Glasses | Hello. | Herman Nootix |
Rob M. Blind | Rob 'em blind | Male | Red | Medium | Average | Glasses | Why, hello! | Ivan Idea |
Ruth Less | Ruthless | Female | Blond | Medium | Heavy | Glasses | Can I be of assistance? | Ivan Idea |
"Shaky" Al LeBye | Shaky alibi | Male | Grey | Short | Thin | Glasses | What do you need? | Rock Solid |
Skip N. Skule | Skipping school | Male | Brown | Short | Average | Watch | Good day. | Rock Solid |
Stu L. Pidjin | Stool pigeon | Male | Blond | Tall | Heavy | Hat | Hi, there! | Dee Plomassy |
Tsu Mi | Sue me | Female | Brown | Short | Thin | Watch | What do you need? | Kim Yoonity |
Locations[]
Countries visited on the third edition of Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?
Country | Continent | Explorable Area | Tour Guide | Loot |
---|---|---|---|---|
Afghanistan | Asia | Bamiyan Valley | Herman Nootix | Khyber Pass |
Argentina | South America | Buenos Aires | Dee Plomassy | The steps to the Tango |
Australia | Oceania | Sydney | Ivan Idea | Uluru |
Austria | Europe | Salzburg | Renee Santz | The baton used to lead the Vienna Boys Choir |
Bolivia | South America | Lake Titicaca | Kim Yoonity | The fish from half of Lake Titicaca |
Brazil | South America | Rio de Janeiro | Rock Solid | The plans for this year's Carnival |
Cambodia | Asia | Angkor Wat | Ann Tickwittee | The Silver Pagoda |
Canada | North America | Ottawa | Dee Plomassy | The game winning puck from the first Stanley Cup championship |
Chile | South America | Easter Island | Ann Tickwittee | The Strait of Magellan |
China | Asia | The Great Wall Of China | Ivan Idea | The keys to the Forbidden City |
Cuba | North America | Havana | Dee Plomassy | Havana's best Cigars cigars |
Denmark | Europe | Copenhagen | Renee Santz | The writing desk of Hans Christian Andersen |
Egypt | Africa | Giza | Ivan Idea | The Nile River Delta |
France | Europe | Paris | Ivan Idea | The gargoyles from Notre Dame Cathedral |
Germany | Europe | Heidelberg | Renee Santz | The keys from Beethoven's first piano |
Greece | Europe | Athens | Ann Tickwittee | The Olympic Flame |
Guatemala | North America | Tikal | Ann Tickwittee | The best coffee |
Hungary | Europe | Budapest | Dee Plomassy | All the goulash |
Iceland | Europe | Akureyri | Rock Solid | Geysir |
India | Asia | Agra | Renee Santz | Gandhi's glasses |
Indonesia | Asia | Borobudur | Herman Nootix | The island of Bali |
Iran | Asia | Persepolis | Ann Tickwittee | The Presidential Palace's finest rug |
Israel | Asia | Jaffa | Herman Nootix | The salt from the Dead Sea |
Italy | Europe | Rome | Ann Tickwittee | The Sistine Chapel's ceiling |
Japan | Asia | Nara | Herman Nootix | The snow from atop Mt. Fuji |
Kenya | Africa | Mt. Kenya | Rock Solid | Nairobi International Airport |
Mexico | North America | Chichen Itza | Ann Tickwittee | Every last drop of salsa |
Morocco | Africa | Rabat | Dee Plomassy | The entire city of Casablanca |
Nepal | Asia | Kathmandu | Herman Nootix | The Abominable Snowman |
The Netherlands | Europe | The Hague | Dee Plomassy | The dykes |
New Zealand | Oceania | Milford Sound | Rock Solid | All the kiwi birds |
Nigeria | Africa | Lagos | Ivan Idea | The delta of the Niger River |
Pakistan | Asia | Lahore | Kim Yoonity | K2 |
Panama | North America | The Panama Canal | Ivan Idea | The controls for the Panama Canal |
Peru | South America | Machu Picchu | Ann Tickwittee | The headwaters of the Amazon River |
The Philippines | Asia | Banaue | Kim Yoonity | A monkey-eating eagle |
Russia | Europe | Moscow | Dee Plomassy | The Trans-Siberian Railroad |
Saudi Arabia | Asia | Jeddah | Herman Nootix | The middle of the Trans-Arabian Pipeline |
Singapore | Asia | Singapore | Kim Yoonity | The statue of Sir Stamford Raffles |
South Africa | Africa | Cape Town | Rock Solid | The Cape of Good Hope |
South Korea | Asia | Suwon | Kim Yoonity | The secret recipe for kimchee |
Spain | Europe | Barcelona | Renee Santz | The bulls from Pamplona Pamplona |
Sweden | Europe | Stockholm | Dee Plomassy | The court stage from Drottningholm Palace |
Tanzania | Africa | Mt. Kilimanjaro | Rock Solid | The Ngorongoro Crater |
Thailand | Asia | Bangkok | Herman Nootix | King's Siamese cat |
Turkey | Asia | Istanbul | Renee Santz | Every anchovy from the Black Sea |
The United Kingdom | Europe | London | Dee Plomassy | The keys to the Tower of London |
The United States | North America | San Francisco | Ivan Idea | The Statue of Liberty's torch |
Vietnam | Asia | Hue | Dee Plomassy | The Mekong River |
Zaire | Africa | The Ituri Rainforest | Kim Yoonity | The Zaire River Ferry |
Reception[]
Trivia[]
External links[]
Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? (1996 video game) on Wikipedia
Carmen Sandiego games | ||
---|---|---|
Video Games | Broderbund | World (1985) • U.S.A (1986) • Europe (1988) • Prodigy (1988) • Time (1989) • North Dakota (1989) • Japan (1989) • America's Past (1991) • Space (1993) • Junior Detective (1995) • World (1996) • U.S.A. (1996) • Time (1997) • Word Detective (1997) • Math Detective (1998) • Amtrak (1998) |
The Learning Company | ThinkQuick Challenge (1999) • Treasures of Knowledge (2001) • The Secret of the Stolen Drums (2004) • Gameloft (2008) • Mystère au Bout du Monde (2009) • Adventures in Math (2011) • Luggage (Unknown) • Facebook (2011) • Returns (2015) | |
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt | Trivia • Google Earth • Handheld • To Steal or Not To Steal | |
Board Games | Original Franchise | World (1992) • U.S.A. (1993) • Junior Detective (1994) • Space • (1995) Time (1996) • V.I.L.E. Files |
Reboot | World Card Game • ACME's Most Wanted • Capitals | |
Other | The ClueFinders: Mystery Mansion Arcade (cameo) • Music • Universe |