The most basic of concepts usually ooze with greatness - so it's no surprise that this is a classic.
Regardless, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? Whoa! Wait a minute! Before you go flying off to Egypt to have a look around for a suspect in the desert, note that the above was not a question - actually the title of the game!
Originally developed by Broderbund Software - who now exist in name only - the concept required the vision of a former Disney artist and some childhood reminiscing from the brothers Carlston (founders of Broderbund). Simply put, you searched around for a criminal mastermind known as Carmen Sandiego. To do this, the user followed clues left by Sandiego's minions in order to eventually track down Carmen, the queen of deception.
In order to do this, the user would have a time limit to complete each mission. Because of this, there is a strategy element - the different time zones and the time it took to fly to those destinations all affected the amount of mission time you have left before failure - some missions were pretty difficult; especially if the witness you spoke with had some dodgy eyesight!
The game is very immersive and I certainly recommend it for children. It has some great educational purpose, especially in the problem solving field and geography. Children learn about the locations while visiting them - it's so much better than giving them a console which lets them decimate their victims. Don't think for a second that adults cannot play it either! Hey, it's no CSI - but it's fun and if played enough it can become that secret little hobby to take up when you occasionally fake sick, while the rest of the family goes out.
The graphics aren't great, and in the newer remake, it goes by the theme of the Carmen Sandiego TV show. Which actually is a good thing - even if it does make it more appealing to kids. The sound is good, the music is easy listening but it's the lack of audio which really brings the sound score down.
It has replay value, but whether the game has any value in today's world is contrary to the opinion of the hoi polloi. The easy way to keep the kids happy is to buy them a PS1/PS2 these days, but if you take the time to read this review then do think about getting them a fun educational game like this - you'll save money and it teaches children in the process.
In my opinion, it's a great game. But rating it compared to today's titles brings the score down. But as you can see from the rating, it stands the test of time. You will most likely find it at a budget of a couple of pound (say, 5US$) and it's well spent money.
Good hunting!