WHERE IN EUROPE IS CARMEN SANDIEGO?

 It's the start of another day as a gumshoe detective. I enter the office, walk
up to the computer console, and sign in, just in time to hear the telephone
ringing. Maybe it's a new assignment. I pick up the phone.

 "Andy, this is the chief. I've just received a call from East Germany. Bach's
harpsichord has been stolen by a masked male. Head for East Berlin right away.
You must track the thief to his hideout and arrest him. You must apprehend the
thief by Monday, 11 PM. Good luck, Andy." I rush to the airport in time to catch
a plane for Berlin, and the chase is on.... (This review is based on the
Macintosh version.)

 The object of WHERE IN EUROPE is to figure out which of Carmen Sandiego's 25
accomplices (or herself) committed the crime, and to follow the clues left
behind by going to the airport and catching a flight to the appropriate country.
You enter characteristics regarding the criminal (sex, favorite movie, hair
color, etc.) into a crime computer (which is a Mac II), and you apply for an
arrest warrant. If you catch the crook before you have a valid warrant, or if
your time runs out, you lose. The game includes a quick reference card on each
thief; it provides a name, a small picture, description, and a short piece of
information.

 WHERE IN EUROPE pays excellent attention to detail, with a smooth user
interface that any Mac user will love. (You use the keyboard only to enter your
name at the start.) Most (all?) countries in Europe are depicted by great
black-and-white drawings, specifically created for the Mac. As an added bonus,
some graphics display in color on the Mac II. The game also offers good sound
effects and animation sequences in various places.

 WHERE IN EUROPE works best with more than one player; single-player games
become too boring after a while. The advertising on the box claims the program
is good for teaching geography; this is an understatement! You'll swear some
places don't even exist until you find them on a map. The documentation includes
a Rand McNally ATLAS OF EUROPE, which you'll need (along with any other good
atlases of Europe you might have) to help you get started. There's also an
excellent manual describing gameplay and operational details.

 This version of the program requires a minimum of 512K of RAM, and runs on the
Mac 512KE, Mac Plus, Mac SE, and Mac II. I was unable to test compatibility with
the Mac IIx, Mac IIcx, and Mac IIci, but it should work fine with these
machines, as well. The 512K Macs require two floppy drives or a hard disk. The
program uses key-disk protection.

 WHERE IN EUROPE IS CARMEN SANDIEGO? is an interesting, educational, and
all-around fun game that looks and plays great. It should make an excellent
addition to the game collection of both young and not-so-young Mac players!

 WHERE IN EUROPE IS CARMEN SANDIEGO? is published and distributed by Broderbund.

*****DOWNLOADED FROM P-80 SYSTEMS (304) 744-2253