Line #5 VideoGame/WhereInTheWorldIsCarmenSandiego


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/where_in_the_world_is_carmen_sandiego_ss2.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:[[Film/TheBluesBrothers It's 12 o'clock noon in Paris. I've got a week to catch the crook, half a pack of gum, it's Thursday, and I'm wearing sunglasses.]]]]
3
4	->''Carmen's gang has pulled another caper! And it's up to you to crack the case...''
5	-->-- The original game's intro
6
7	''Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?'' is a 1985 [[EdutainmentGame educational computer game]] released by Creator/BroderbundSoftware and the first entry in the ''Franchise/CarmenSandiego'' franchise.
8
9	In the game, you must travel around the world to pursue and capture Carmen's henchmen and, ultimately, Carmen herself. Each location has witnesses and clues that provide information about the culprit's appearance and location. Your task is to piece together the clues and arrest the correct suspect before the in-game deadline.
10
11	The game was remade twice. The first remake was the 1992 deluxe edition, which featured digitized photographs and spoken dialogue. It was followed by the 1996 version, which further updated the graphics and added in Creator/LynneThigpen as the Chief from [[Series/WhereInTheWorldIsCarmenSandiego the game show of the same name]]. The 1996 version also reworked the gameplay somewhat, particularly the warrant aspect, and changed the in-game time limit to a fuel limit.
12	----
13	!!These games provide examples of:
14
15	* AcmeProducts: You are a sleuth at the ACME Detective Agency in the 1992 and 1996 versions.
16	* CopyProtection: Horrible, horrible copy protection. Arguably some of the most frustrating of all time. You can play all you want, but to get promoted and even have a chance to capture Carmen, you have to enter certain words from certain pages of the included travel guides every few cases. Sound easy enough? Then remember that these games were incredibly common in schools... where the manuals would often get ''lost.'' And even the teachers couldn't exactly summon new copies of a travel guide (now often several years, if not a decade out of date) at will. This is, of course, averted in the 1996 version, since it's a product of the CD-ROM era.
17	* DaChief: Your boss in the 1992 and 1996 versions. In the 1992 version, the Chief is a white-haired man with a British accent, and in the 1996 version, the Chief is... well, Lynne Thigpen. In the original 1985 version, you simply receive anonymous texts from Interpol, and there is no mention of any "chief" character.
18	* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Being the first game in the ''Carmen'' franchise, the 1985 version has a lot of this. You work for Interpol instead of the fictional ACME Detective Agency, the crooks don't have {{Punny Name}}s, the thefts aren't humorously impossible, and there are more violent animations. In general, the 1985 game plays its PoliceProcedural premise somewhat straight, whereas its successors treat it in a more wacky and comical fashion.
19	** Carmen's appearance in the DOS version isn't quite the same as what most people would recognize as her trademark look. Her profile picture in the game shows her wearing her iconic hat and trench coat, but instead of red they are both brown.
20	* InterpolSpecialAgent: You are an Interpol agent in the original 1985 version.
21	* ItsASmallWorldAfterAll: The clues you are given are about the ''entire country'' the crook went to rather than any specific place. Fortunately, knowing ''just'' the country is always enough to get you to another destination with more clues.
22	** In the older games, clues intended to direct you to Moscow will sometimes mention places that were part of the U.S.S.R. at the time, but which are now independent of Russia.
23	** {{Hand Wave}}d at one point in the 1996 version where you have to find the torch from the Statue of Liberty, even though you investigate San Francisco. The Chief mentions that it 'appeared seconds after the theft' in San Francisco. Okay then...
24	* LighterAndSofter: The 1992 and 1996 versions are more light-hearted and humorous than the original 1985 game, which is no surprise considering that's the direction that the franchise as a whole went in between the mid-80s and mid-90s. The tone of the PBS game show was probably an influence in that process.
25	* LuckBasedMission: In the pre-1996 versions, not every witness interviewed will yield characteristic traits of the suspect (hair color, vehicle, favorite food, etc.). It's possible to not have enough information to narrow down a suspect and issue a warrant at the time of the arrest even if you interviewed everyone during a case. This is especially problematic in early cases when there are fewer locations to travel and fewer witnesses to interview.
26	* {{Mooks}}: Many street-level thugs can be detected to show you are on the right trail! In the '96 version, they're replaced with the two bumbling janitors cleaning up after the thief and Carmen's pet cat Carmine.
27	* MultipleEndings:
28	** If you run out of time or, in the 1996 version, fuel, the case is summarily ended with the crook getting away.
29	** Issue an incorrect warrant, fail to even send one, or in the 1996 version, trying to arrest the wrong person, gives you the bad ending where the jury rules the crook innocent.
30	** Not running out of time (or fuel) and correctly filing a warrant will give you the good ending. The crook is found guilty and sent to jail. In the 1996 version, an ACME Good Guide captures the crook, usually in a comedic fashion, followed by the newspaper reporting on the capture of the crook with the sounds of applause.
31	* NintendoHard: After you get to "Private Eye" level, the game gets much harder. The interviewees are far less likely to give suspect identification clues, the suspects hop around much quicker, and the overall location clues get more and more vague. Plus, the crime computer needs even ''more'' data to identify your suspect.
32	** At the highest levels, you ''must'' hop to the next location after interviewing one person, and pray that you stumble upon enough ID clues to get the warrant. There is no margin for error and significant luck is required.
33	* PunnyNames:
34	** The names of some of the characters in the very first game are only "punny" in the sense that they refer to Brøderbund staffers. For example, Fast Eddie B (not to be confused with [[Tropers/FastEddie our Fast Eddie]]) is named after then-director of product development Edward Bernstein and Katherine Drib's name is an anagram of Brøderbund employee Katherine Bird.[[invoked]]
35	** In the 1992 version, the original crooks are carried over, but the new crooks have names like Robin Banks and Yul B. Sorry. Notably, one of these new criminals is Sarah Nade, who would later be added to the game show.
36	** In the 1996 version, the crooks not only have punny names, but their last words after being captured often theme with said name. For example, Dinah Myte says, "Oh no, you found me! I wonder where I blew it." Additionally, the '96 version features the ACME Good Guides, who also have punny names.
37	*** One of the Good Guides is named Renee Santz, her name being a pun on "Renaissance." Since the word "renaissance" means "rebirth" and the name "Renee" itself does, too, her name is kind of a circular pun.
38	* RogerRabbitEffect:
39	** In the 1992 version, the characters are cartoons running around in still photographs.
40	** In the 1996 version, Lynne Thigpen's Chief exists in live action, but everyone else is an animated character. This ''does'' kind of tie in with the game show, in which the crooks were all cartoons despite the rest of the show being live action.
41	* ThisIsGonnaSuck: If the people you question haven't seen the suspect, that means you picked the wrong country. You need to fly back to the last place and pick up the trail again, which will blow ''at least'' a full day. You may be able to recover at "Rookie" level, but above that, the case is blown (unless you get ''extremely'' lucky).
42	* TropicalIslandAdventure: Two of the locations in the game are Singapore and Sri Lanka.[[note]]While it's included in the 1985 and 1992 versions, note that Sri Lanka is not a location in the 1996 version.[[/note]]
43	* UnwinnableByDesign: If you spend too much time going to the wrong places, before you figure out some of the more obscure hints (Especially in the later cases where there is almost ''no'' room for errors), you'll run out of time or battery power.
44	** Can easily veer into the Cruel version of this trope. While there may be ample clues to show ''where'' the crook is going, you still have to figure out ''who'' the crook is via investigating clues and getting a warrant. You might find yourself questioning multiple witnesses, eating up valuable time, and lose the case because you took too long. See LuckBasedMission above.
45	* UpdatedRerelease: It's not as simple as there being the 1985, 1992, and 1996 versions.
46	** The 1985 game has an "enhanced" version, released in 1990, with added color and whatnot. The screenshot on this page is taken from that version.
47	** The 1992 deluxe edition has an updated 1994 version, which most notably added in the blonde-haired travel agent Shirley Eugest. Confusingly, this is often referred to as the "classic edition," presumably a {{Retronym}} intended to distinguish it from the 1996 version. So yes, the deluxe edition is ''older'' than the classic edition, and the enhanced version is older still. Got all that?
48	** The 3.5 version, released in 1998, is the '96 version with some added features, such as the "talking translator."
49	* VictoryDance: After you capture Carmen, a marching band parade plays ''Stars and Stripes Forever''.
50	* VideoGameRemake:
51	** As noted in the description, the game was remade twice, in 1992 and 1996.
52	** ''VideoGame/CarmenSandiegoTreasuresOfKnowledge'' has sometimes been counted as a (loose) fourth version, since its full onscreen title is ''Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? Treasures of Knowledge''. Plus, its in-game database is cribbed from the 1996 version.
53	** ''VideoGame/CarmenSandiegoJuniorDetectiveEdition'' is essentially a version of ''World'', just aimed at a younger audience.
54	* WorldTour: Obviously. You visit various famous locales around the globe.
55
56	!!Tropes exclusive to the 1992 version:
57
58	* FiveFiveFive: The phone numbers given are all prefixed with 555.
59	* KitchenSinkIncluded: When the culprit is tackled, several random items go flying through the air, occasionally including, yes, a kitchen sink.
60	* MadLibsDialogue: This version features Warren the Warrant Robot. He helps you with issuing warrants and always talks in Mad Libs Dialogue.
61	-->'''Warren:''' HELLO! I! AM! WARREN! THE! WARRANT! ROBOT!
62
63	!!Tropes exclusive to the 1996 version:
64
65	* ArtInitiatesLife: Renee Santz captures thieves by painting ropes on them, which become real ropes because cartoon logic.
66	* BumblingHenchmenDuo: The two klutzy janitors working for Carmen. [[AllThereInTheManual According to the user's manual]], they're named Rick and Nick ICK.
67	* CanonImmigrant: As noted above, this version features Lynne Thigpen's Chief from the game show.
68	* GracefulLoser: When you've finally caught Carmen, she makes one last call to you congragulating you for it and remarking that she's been impressed by you as a detective, though also using the opportunity to let you knows [[SequelHook she plans on breaking out and already has an idea for her next great heist.]]
69	* GreenAesop: Often delivered by Rock Solid.
70	* HypocriticalHumor: Completely unintentional, but a handful of times when you ask a passerby "what does the suspect look like?", they will give a descriptive statement that also applies to his or her own self.
71	* IdiotBall: This version has one in the form of the battery-powered translator. With no spare batteries. Or, say, a charger.
72	* InUniverseGameClock: Depending on the in-game clock (and time zone), if you stay long enough in a location you can watch the sky go from day to night and vice versa.
73	* ItWillNeverCatchOn: The tour of Moscow has Dee Plomassy singing the praises of the dawning era of democracy in Russia. In retrospect, her optimism about UsefulNotes/TheNewRussia seems just a bit premature.
74	* LiveActionCutscene: The footage of Lynne Thigpen.
75	* PoliceBrutality: Implied if you arrest the wrong person. The SpinningPaper will indicate that you attacked a friendly tourist, and said tourist will say they've never been to the country where the loot was stolen.
76	* RightHandCat: This version has Carmen's cat Carmine, who originally appeared in ''Junior Detective''. Considering ''Junior Detective'' featured the ''[[WesternAnimation/WhereOnEarthIsCarmenSandiego Where on Earth]]'' cast, this makes for some confusing continuity.
77	* SpinningPaper: This occurs at the end of every case. There are three variations:
78	** If you run out of fuel: "Babble-Link batteries bottom out: [player's name] left in the dark in [last country you were in]."
79	** If you apprehend the wrong person and/or make a mistake with your warrant: "[player's name] attacks friendly tourist: 'I've never been to [country stolen from],' says innocent victim."
80	** If you complete the case successfully: "[crook's name] captured: [country stolen from] thanks [player's name] for the return of [loot]."
81	* SquashedFlat: Rock Solid captures crooks by log-rolling over them to flatten them thin as paper. He then holds up the crook's flattened body to the camera, and it is shown again in the newspaper article on the crook's arrest.
82	* StockFootage: The in-game database includes some video clips, all composed of footage from old ''Magazine/NationalGeographic'' specials. This includes footage from:
83	** ''Australia's Aborigines'' (1988) - "Australia" video
84	** ''Born of Fire'' (1983) - "Greece" and "Iceland" videos
85	** ''Egypt: Quest for Eternity'' (1982) - "Egypt" video
86	** ''Great Lakes, Fragile Seas'' (1991) - "Canada" video
87	** ''Inside the Soviet Circus'' (1988) - "Russia" video
88	** ''Last Stand in Eden'' (1979) - "Kenya" video
89	** ''Living Treasures of Japan'' (1981) - "Japan" video
90	** ''Return to Everest'' (1984) - "Nepal" video
91	** ''Serengeti Diary'' (1989) - "Tanzania" video
92	** ''Those Wonderful Dogs'' (1989) - "New Zealand" video
93	* WorthyOpponent: Carmen acknowledges the player as such in one of her brief video calls.
94	* YouALLLookFamiliar: The bystanders reuse the same character models on occasion.
95	* YouAreFat: If the suspect is "heavy", bystanders will use descriptions such as "If pounds were dollars, s/he'd be a millionaire!"

Context VideoGame / WhereInTheWorldIsCarmenSandiego