Jonny Quest: Cover-Up At Roswell

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Jonny Quest: Cover-Up At Roswell

Exploring Tanzania (from episode Ndovu's Last Journey)
Developer(s) Virgin Media
Platform(s) PC
Release date August 1996
Media Two CD-ROMs

Jonny Quest: Cover-Up At Roswell is a computer game released by Virgin Interactive for the series The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest in August 1996 for $34.95.[1][2]

Contents

[edit] Gameplay

Gameplay consists of clicking areas on images of locations—whether the Serengeti plains or Manhattan—to navigate paths in search of the objects.[2] Occasionally, players encounter mini games, such as the task of guiding a diving bell away from rocks or shooting rats with a slingshot. Though characters appear on screen, there is no dynamic movement save for mini games.[2] Allowing access to personal and government files at two points in the game, Roswell contains a vehicle guide to Real Adventures and several in-universe e-mails.[3] These communications range from dossiers on the Quest team to a demand from a restaurant owner that Race reimburse him for damages caused when the bodyguard mistook a busboy for a criminal mastermind.[3]

[edit] Plot

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The Quests are hindered by Jeremiah Surd and the Men in Black of General Tyler, who plan to misuse the technology.[2]

[edit] Development

Developers recycled fifty minutes of footage and art from six season one episodes to construct a new story concerning alien artifacts and an alien's liberation from an autopsy at The Pentagon.[4][5] Turner New Media announced that Virgin's "non-violent adventure games suitable for pre-teen girls and boys, fits...our vision of what family entertainment should be."[5] Virgin designed certain segments in 3D and included special Chromatek plastic viewing glasses with game copies. Footage voices were dubbed over by Michael Banyaer as Hadji, Charles Howerton as Dr. Quest, and the season two cast.

[edit] Reception

The game's music featured a "high-intensity orchestral sound" prone to monotony.[2] One reviewer cited a lack of replay value and different modes of difficulty as weaknesses, but concluded that Roswell offered "good entertainment and variety".[2] Critics were divided over the puzzles' difficulty, naming it both "ingenious" and "elementary".[6][2] Peter Scisco of ComputerLife wrote that his kids had difficulty with the small mouse cursors, and criticized some of the puzzles for relying on "reflexes, not logical thinking."[7] FamilyPC's testers agreed that the early puzzles were difficult but offered a sense of achievement.[8] Entertainment Weekly's reviewer found the challenges too easy, considering them unimaginative "Pac-Man rip-offs and dopey jigsaws," and rated the game B+.[9] Scisco appreciated the nonviolent content and the inclusion of Jessie's strong female character, but named the extra-terrestrial story "too familiar".[7]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Benezra, Karen (1996-01-29). "Hut, Mills join Quest.". Billboard 37 (5). VNU eMedia, Inc.. 
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Bueno, Tony (1996-11-01). "ELECTRONIC ADVENTURES". Dallas Morning News p. 3C. The Dallas Morning News Company. 
  3. ^ a b Cover-Up At Roswell. http://questfan.com QuestFan. Retrieved on 24 June 2007.
  4. ^ "HELP JONNY QUEST SAVE THE WORLD" (1996-10-05). Palm Beach Post p. 3D. Palm Beach Newspapers, Inc.. 
  5. ^ a b "Virgin Sound and Vision inks licensing agreement with Turner New Media; VSV brings Hanna-Barbera's The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest into computer age with CD-ROM" (1996-03-18). Business Wire. Gale Group. 
  6. ^ "VISIONS OF COMPUTER GAMES SWIM IN THEIR HEADS" (1996-12-21). Albuquerque Journal p. 7. Albuquerque Journal. 
  7. ^ a b Scisco, Peter (1996-12-21). "Junior Sleuths on the Loose: The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest: Cover-Up At Roswell". ComputerLife vol. 4, issue 3, p. 113. 
  8. ^ "Jonny Quest: Cover-Up At Roswell" (June 1997). FamilyPC vol. 4 issue 6 p. 72. 
  9. ^ Cheng, Kipp (1996-10-04). "JONNY QUEST: CRISIS AT AREA 51". Entertainment Weekly (347).