"Where in The USA is Carmen Sandiego? Deluxe Edition" is a really entertaining game which is meant to teach and test your geographical knowledge of the United States. When I was young, I loved watching the tv show and then solving my own crimes in this game. If you played it years ago, you'll love the nostalgia you get from seeing all the details again. However, it is still fun to play for adults and anyone who has never seen this game before.
The graphics are cartoony and old-fashioned, but they get the job done.
Some of them are hilarious, especially the V.I.L.E. Henchmen. The sound comes from the PC Speaker, and might be a little annoying to someone who didn't grow up with the game. The entire game is point-and-click, and it is very easy to use.
The object of the game is to track down criminals and arrest them. In order to do that, you have to ask people around the city for clues. These people always give you a clue about which city to fly to next, and sometimes they give you a clue about the criminal themselves, like their hair color or favorite sport. The clues are usually geographical in nature, such as, "He said he was interested in hiking to Klamath
Falls." Why a criminal on the run would be so intent on visiting geographic and historical sites is never explained in the game - but it makes for a lot of fun.
As you are tracking down the criminal, you need to collect the clues about who that criminal is and enter them into your computer. Once you get enough of these personal clues, the computer will issue a warrant for that criminal's arrest. If you apprehend the criminal without a warrant, or with a warrant for someone else, you can't make the arrest. You have a set amount of time to do this in, so sometimes you have to guess when issuing a warrant.
Another fun thing about this game is that you can gain promotions and work your way up the detective ladder. You start out as "Gumshoe" but your first solved case will earn you a promotion. The cases get harder as you go.
Overall, this is a fun game that will be enjoyed especially by those who played it as kids. There are a lot of little puns and jokes along the way which make it appealing to older audiences, and the graphics and clues are also good for a few laughs. It may not keep you occupied for months, but it does manage to be fun while educational, a rare combination.
