Museum Madness facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Museum Madness |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Developer(s) | Novotrade |
| Publisher(s) | MECC |
| Platform(s) | MS-DOS, Macintosh |
| Release date(s) | 1994 |
| Genre(s) | Educational |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Museum Madness is an exciting educational video game that came out in 1994. It was made by Novotrade for MECC. This game takes you on an adventure inside an American natural history museum. Your mission is to learn about many cool topics like technology, geology, space, American history, and even ancient times! PC Magazine said that the game helps kids learn about things like ecology while solving puzzles and using their brains.
The Museum's Big Problem
The game begins in a teenage boy's bedroom. He's trying to get online to the National Museum Interactive Service System, but it's offline! Suddenly, a friendly robot from the museum named MICK (Museum Interactive Computer Kiosk) pops up on his screen. MICK tells the boy that the museum is in big trouble.
The boy is special because he's the only one who can understand MICK. MICK asks for his help to save the museum. It turns out the exhibits have come to life and are acting very strangely! MICK thinks a computer virus has infected the museum's system.
You play as the boy and enter the museum. You'll visit different exhibits, solving mysteries and puzzles. This means talking to historical characters, moving objects around, and putting things back where they belong.
The game is all about learning. You'll find information cards throughout the museum. You also learn by fixing the problems in each exhibit. MICK is always there to help you. He follows you, gives instructions, and offers advice when you need it.
Once you fix all 25 exhibits, you have one final challenge: destroying the virus itself!
How to Play the Game
You start your adventure in the museum's basement. First, you need to figure out the secret code for the basement door. Then, you'll navigate a maze to find keys for numbered doors. These doors lead you to the Main Hall of the museum. (Don't worry, you can skip this basement part if you want!)
Once you reach the Main Hall, you'll need to find some batteries to power up MICK. You can usually find these in one of the museum's old tour tape players. Also, the museum map on the wall is in pieces. You'll need to put it back together to continue your journey.
After that, you can choose which exhibit to fix first using the museum map. Once you try to repair an exhibit, you'll return to the Main Hall. You must fix every single exhibit before you can move on to the final challenge.
When all the exhibits are back to normal, you'll return to the Main Hall. MICK will be gone, but a cassette tape will be on the floor. You can listen to the tape using one of the museum's tape players. MICK's message warns you to go home. But you decide to follow MICK into the basement. You find him in pieces on a workbench!
After you put MICK back together, you'll need to use a computer to stop the virus. This involves answering general knowledge questions. If you answer correctly, the virus will disappear, the museum will be saved, and you win the game!
Museum Exhibits and Challenges
The museum map divides the exhibits into five main sections. You can choose any exhibit to work on, and you can leave and come back to an exhibit later if you need to.
- Robots: An out-of-control robot has stolen parts from other machines. You need to return the parts to their rightful places.
- Computer Technology: The exhibit's computer circuits are all mixed up. You must fix them to get the computer working again.
- Discovery of Radio: Help famous inventors like Guglielmo Marconi and Alexander Graham Bell with their experiments. Your goal is to help them invent the radio!
- Energy Technology: The exhibit's energy sources are out of balance. You need to restore them to save the environment in the exhibit.
- Simple Machines: A robot kangaroo is stuck on a high shelf! The exhibit's machines are broken. You must fix them to rescue the kangaroo.
- How Big is the Universe?: The computer screens showing the universe are jumbled. You need to rearrange them correctly.
- The Solar System: Five stars in this exhibit are in the wrong spots. Put them back in their correct positions.
- Rockets and Computers: First, fix a computer showing the history of rockets. Then, help a rocket connect with a space station. Finally, guide a space probe safely through an asteroid field.
- Air-Powered Flight: A giant fan has blown all the aircraft away, including an airship. You need to clean up the mess and put everything back in its proper place.
- Wright Brothers: The Wright Brothers are having trouble inventing the airplane. You need to help them succeed!
- Transcontinental Railroad: You decide whether to help the Central Pacific Railroad or Union Pacific Railroad reach Promontory Point, Utah. You do this by unscrambling a railroad map.
- Salem Witch Trials: The virus has deleted proof that Sarah Good is innocent. She's been accused of witchcraft! You must find the evidence to prove she didn't create the "specters" others saw.
- American Revolutionary War: The virus has messed with George Washington's memories. He now supports the British! You must find documents to convince him to support the American cause.
- Ellis Island: Experience what it was like for immigrants coming to the U.S. You must successfully reach America and pass your inspection at Ellis Island.
- Louisiana Purchase: Help Thomas Jefferson negotiate with Napoleon Bonaparte to buy the huge Louisiana Territory for the United States.
- Hall of Dinosaurs: The virus has scrambled the dinosaur skeletons! You need to re-assemble them correctly.
- Ocean Life: A sewage pipe is leaking, harming the marine life. You must fix the pipe to restore the exhibit's ocean creatures.
- Hall of Animal Habitats: The animals are missing from their homes. You need to return them to their correct habitats.
- Hall of Ecology: The virus has messed up the exhibit's food web. You must restore the balance of nature.
- The Earth's Geology: The exhibit's geological system is all mixed up. You need to unscramble it.
- Prehistoric People: A robot woolly mammoth has escaped! You need to get the cave people to help lure it back into its pen.
- The Development of Writing: Collect notes from all the writing in the exhibit. This will help a scribe translate a secret message from his master.
- Knights, Heraldry and Jousting: A medieval jousting tournament is happening. You must find a knight who can defeat the king's champion to end the tournament.
- Galileo's Telescope: Galileo is missing parts for his telescope. You have to find them throughout the exhibit.
- Industrial Revolution: You need to rebuild the machines in this exhibit.
