Reach for the stars and you'll be a Superstar of Smarts
Big Thinkers!
Big Thinkers! is a series of Edutainment Games by Humongous Entertainment that's rather...interesting. It stars the rather twisted Ben and Becky Brightly, whose goal seems to be to entertain you while educating you. It's a little bit like the Jump Start series, except Ben and Becky are quite odd. They transform into anything you can imagine, and own several things you'd never expect a teenager to even dream of having. You play several minigames to earn SmartStars, where you can collect enough to eventually take part in the Super Star of Smarts challenge.
There are only two games in the series, Big Thinkers! Kindergarten and Big Thinkers! First Grade. A second grade version was planned, but it was scrapped after it turned out developing three games at once was too ambitious. Needless to say, much like other minor Humongous franchises, it simply didn't catch on very well. Even poor Buzzy the Knowledge Bug got more attention than Ben and Becky, and still don't get much love nowadays despite Humongous' growing fandom.
On August 18th, 2015, both
games were made available for purchase on Steam.
Big Thinkers provides examples of:
- Alliterative Name: Ben and Becky Brightly.
- Balloon Belly: One of the possible results of the Brightly's shapeshifting. Even taken to the point where Ben inflates his body into a globe!
- Bigger on the Inside: Many examples, but most notably their sandbox.
- Excited Kids' Show Host: Ben and Becky.
- Excited Show Title!
- Color Motif: Whenever they transform, Ben is always blue and Becky is always red
-
Follow the Leader: The series takes a much more Jump Start styled approach than most other Humongous games. - Kiddie Kid: Ben and Becky may very well be considered this, since they own a very childish looking house for being teenagers. They even own a sandbox.
- MacGuffin: The SmartStars.
- Perpetual Smiler: Ben and Becky are always seen smiling throughout the game.
- Recurring Riff: The Title Theme Tune shows up just about everywhere in the games.
- Rubber Hose Limbs: The Brights can bend their limbs in ways no human can...
- Rubber Man: ...And stretch them out to extreme distances.
- Shout-Out: Par for the course for a Humongous Entertainment series.
- Two of the Brain Banks are in the shape of Pep and Freddi Fish.
- One of the books in the bookshelf activity is called Backyard Brightlyball.
- Putt-Putt can appear in one of the minigames in 1st Grade.
- Title Drop: Oh so many.
- Title Theme Tune
- Trade Snark: In the help files, SmartStars are always called SmartStars™.
- Voluntary Shapeshifting: Both of the Brightlys exhibit this in extreme ways. Have fun counting them all!
- Wheel o' Feet: The Brightlys sometimes do this.
- You Gotta Have Blue Hair: Both Ben and Becky sport it.
