The Amazon Trail facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Amazon Trail |
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Cover art for version 1.0 release from MECC
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| Developer(s) | MECC |
| Publisher(s) | MECC |
| Series | The Oregon Trail |
| Platform(s) | MS-DOS, Macintosh, Windows 3.x, Windows |
| Release date(s) |
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| Genre(s) | Educational |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
The Amazon Trail is an exciting computer game made by MECC. It's an educational adventure that takes you to the amazing Amazon River and its many smaller rivers. This game was inspired by the super popular The Oregon Trail game.
In The Amazon Trail, you go on a journey up the Amazon River. Your goal is to reach the secret Inca village of Vilcabamba. As you travel, you learn all about the people, animals, and plants that live along the river. The game is known for being a bit harder than other games in the series, like The Oregon Trail. There are also two follow-up games: Amazon Trail II and Amazon Trail 3rd Edition. This game first came out in 1993 for MS-DOS computers. Later versions were released for Windows 3.x in 1994 and for Windows and Macintosh in 1996.
Contents
What's the Story?
The game starts with a cool animation. You see someone sleeping in bed, dreaming of a jaguar. This jaguar says he's from the Inca King! He tells you that the Inca people are in danger from a serious sickness and from European explorers.
The jaguar asks you to travel back in time. Your mission is to find a special plant called cinchona. This plant can help the Inca King and his people. The jaguar appears throughout your journey as a misty vision. He gives you a list of things the Inca King needs and shares his thoughts about the rainforest.
How to Play the Game
Your adventure begins in Belém, Brazil. Here, you choose one of two local guides: Isabel or Antonio. Your guide will give you helpful tips as you travel the river. They also help you keep your supplies full and stay healthy. Each guide starts with slightly different items. For example, Antonio has more tents, while Isabel has more food.
As you explore, you'll meet different people along the river. You can take pictures of the amazing plants and animals. You can also go fishing and paddle your canoe.
You need to be careful when you paddle your canoe! The Amazon River can be tricky. You must avoid hitting other boats, floating logs, and swirling whirlpools. It's also important not to paddle up the wrong river branch. If you do, you might get lost!
Exploring and Discovering
You can travel through the forest to find unique plants and animals. When you see something interesting, you can take a picture to identify it. You can also use a harpoon to fish in the river. After you catch a fish, you need to figure out if it's safe to eat. The game has a guide that lists almost all the species you can find.
Trading and Helping Others
Along the river, you'll meet many different people. You can trade items with them, like food or clothing. Many of these people, including famous historical figures, have interesting items you might want to trade for.
Dangers on Your Journey
There are some dangers you need to watch out for!
- If your canoe flips over, you could lose your supplies or get hurt. You might even drown, which means the game ends!
- When fishing, be careful not to spear an electric eel or a stingray. These can make you lose health, even though stingrays can be eaten.
- You can also get sick with diseases like malaria or yellow fever. If you get sick, you'll need to rest for several days to get better.
- Paddling up the wrong river branch for too long can lead to trouble. You might be captured by headhunters or Western explorers.
Traveling Through Time
A cool part of the game is that you can travel through time! This lets you learn about history as well as science. Before you reach a new town or river branch, you'll pass through a "blue mist" on the river. When you arrive at a new place, you can talk to two people. Usually, one is a local person and the other is a Westerner. They often have different ideas and advice.
The game's timeline goes from 1993 (when the game was made) all the way back to the Middle Ages. You might even meet famous historical figures like Henry Ford, Theodore Roosevelt, and Claude Lévi-Strauss. This helps you understand the different ways people viewed the Amazon throughout history.
Reaching Your Goal
When you finally reach the hidden Inca city, the game grades you. It looks at how active you were on your trip. It also checks how many plants and animals you correctly identified. The game also sees if you collected extra gifts for the Inca King. Depending on the game version, it might also check how long you took, how healthy you stayed, and if you finished any small side missions. For each task you complete, you earn a gem on a special shield!
Learning from the Game
The Amazon Trail is designed to teach you many things. It uses real photographs and sounds from the Amazon region. You can learn facts about 30 different famous people connected to the Amazon. The game also teaches you about South American history, different cultures, and how the Amazon ecosystem works.
This game helps you improve your understanding, survival skills, and how to navigate. It does all this without making the tasks too complicated or giving you hard clues to follow. It's a fun way to learn about a fascinating part of the world!
