Sesame Street video games

There have been a variety of Sesame Street video games released for video game platforms, ranging from general Sesame Street titles, to Big Bird titles, to Elmo titles. Most of the Sesame Street video games were published and developed by NewKidCo.

Video games

Alpha Beam with Ernie

see Alpha Beam with Ernie

Big Bird's Egg Catch

Big Bird's Egg Catch (originally "Grover's Egg Catch"^[1]) is a 1983 video game for the Atari 2600 developed by Atari and Children's Computer Workshop.^[2]

In Big Bird's Egg Catch, the player controls Big Bird of Sesame Street fame as he saves eggs produced by chickens at the top of the screen. These eggs travel down variously contorted chutes to land safely in the basket perched on Big Bird's head. Most eggs count for a single point, but a golden egg will periodically appear that is worth five points. When an egg is dropped, a number of points are lost. At higher levels, the eggs move faster, the chutes become more convoluted, there are more egg-laying hens, and the chutes may even flash invisible. "Turkey in the Straw", the song that plays during the egg-catching, also increases in tempo.

Periodically, Big Bird will exit the screen to count his eggs. During this stage, Big Bird is seen with his basket and numbers flash on the screen progressively faster as he counts. When the total is reached, a song is played and Big Bird dances. The game ends when too many eggs are dropped or a set number of counting sessions is performed.

Cookie Monster Munch

Cookie Monster Munch is a video game developed by Atari and Children's Computer Workshop for the Atari 2600 and released in 1983.^[3] The game was programmed by Gary Stark.^[4]

The objective of Cookie Monster Munch is to guide Sesame Street's Cookie Monster through a simple maze, collecting cookies and placing them in a cookie jar at the bottom of the screen.

Cookie Monster Munch used an Atari Kid's Controller (sold separately), although the regular keyboard controller would also work.

Count's Castle

Count's Castle is a video game developed by Atari for the Atari 2600. The game was never finished and was about 80% complete before development was stopped^[5] and no prototype has been found. It was going to be a math based game.

Countdown

Sesame Street: Countdown is a platform game released for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Players control Count Von Count as they search for a number. The number is chosen in a spinning wheel. Each time players collect the right number, which may be in the form of a number or a collection of items that add up to the number. When players begin, they may choose to move by jumping repeatedly or running.^[6]

Elmo's Art Workshop

Elmo's Art Workshop is a Sesame Street CD-ROM game produced by Creative Wonders and the Children's Television Workshop. First released as Sesame Street Art Workshop in 1995, it was reissued by Creative Wonders in 1998, and Encore Software in 2002 and 2005. The game's activities allow users to draw, paint and create artwork. Elmo, who is only heard in voice-over, gives instructions throughout.

Elmo's Deep Sea Adventure

Elmo's Deep Sea Adventure is a Sesame Street CD-ROM game for home computers. The game was developed by Mattel Media in 2000 and re-released by Sesame Workshop in 2005 and again in 2006 by Encore Software. Elmo invites users to join him on his deep sea submarine to explore shipwrecks, sunken cities and lost treasure. Oscar, Grover, Zoe, Rosita and Telly also appear. Skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making are taught in 3 play modes, 5 activities, and 2 levels and then some.^[7]

Elmo's Letter Adventure

Elmo's Letter Adventure is an educational game for the Nintendo 64 and PlayStation featuring Sesame Street's Elmo. It was released in 1999.^[8]

Elmo's Number Journey

Elmo's Number Journey is an educational game for the Nintendo 64 and PlayStation featuring Sesame Street's Elmo. It was released in 1999.

Players must guide Elmo through three areas, split into two halves each, collecting the numbers needed to answer the mathematical problems posed by each area's host. Play begins on Sesame Street, where the player must choose one of three difficulty levels and then proceed to Elmo's playroom to access a tutorial, or talk to one of the hosts in order to access their area. The difficulty level determines how many problems the player must solve to proceed to the next area, and how many mistakes a player can make before game over. Unlike many videogames, there are no enemies to defeat and no races against the clock, play revolves around choosing the correct answer to problems and navigating areas with different vehicles.^[9]

Elmo's Preschool

Elmo's Preschool is a Sesame Street CD-ROM game for home computers developed by Creative Wonders and Children's Television Workshop in 1996.^[10] Elmo guides the user to a place where the user can makes a choice out of the five unique playrooms he or she wants to go into.

Elmo Through the Looking-Glass

Elmo Through the Looking-Glass is a Sesame Street CD-ROM game for home computers. The game was developed by Creative Wonders and Children's Television Workshop in 1998 and later re-released by Encore Software and Sesame Workshop in 2004.

It was first released as "Reading Adventure", when it was re-released the name changed.

In this game, Elmo goes through the looking-glass in his room to find the little red monster he sees there. Skills emphasized include object identification, visual discrimination, vocabulary, matching, and reading.^[11] In 1998, this game was included in the 2-disc Elmo's Reading: Preschool and Kindergarten CD-ROM set, along with Elmo's Reading Basics.

The name is inspired by Alice in Wonderland sequel Alice Through the Looking Glass.

The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland

Elmo's ABCs

Elmo's ABCs is a Video Game developed by Bonsai Entertainment Corp. and published by NewKidCo. It was released on the Game Boy Color in 1999.^[12]

Elmo's 123s

Elmo's 123s is a video game published by NewKidCo. It was released on the Game Boy Color in 1999.^[13]

Get Set to Learn!

Get Set to Learn! is a Sesame Street CD-ROM game for home computers. The game was developed by Creative Wonders and Children's Television Workshop in 1996.^[14] This game promotes the thinking and problem solving skills necessary for learning.

Grover's Music Maker

Grover's Music Maker (originally called "Monkey Music") is a video game for the Atari 2600 developed by Atari in 1983 but was never released. The game was programmed by Stephen Keith and Preston Stuart and uses the Atari Kid's Controller.

The game has several songs pre-programmed into it that children can listen to as Grover dances across the stage. Players can also make their own songs by pressing different buttons on the keypad.

Grover's Travels

Grover's Travels is a 1998 Sesame Street CD-ROM game for home computers developed by Encore Software and Children's Television Workshop. In this parody of Gulliver's Travels, users join Grover as he meets Big Bird, Elmo, Mr. Snuffleupagus and more. There are six activities designed to teach numbers, shapes, sound recognition, story comprehension and emotions.

Let's Make a Word!

Let's Make a Word! is a 1995 Sesame Street CD-ROM game for home computers developed by Electronic Arts and Children's Television Workshop.

Guy Smiley welcomes users to his latest game show. Big Bird, Elmo, Oscar the Grouch, Rosita, Zoe and the Two-Headed Monster also appear. There are 6 different "word experts", and four locations filled with words, and over 300 words in this game to choose from.

The game was reissued by Creative Wonders, including as part of the 2-disc Kindergarten Deluxe CD-ROM set, and later by Encore Software with different packaging.

Pals Around Town

Pals Around Town is a computer game published by Hi-Tech Expressions in 1987 and programmed by Children's Television Workshop. It was released for the Atari, Commodore 64, and the IBM PCjr in cartridge form.

The basis for the game was strictly educational. The player could pick a character (Sesame Street characters available included Bert and Ernie, among others) and could interact with various objects in a variety of settings. Two such settings were a school classroom and an outdoor playground. Some items that could be interacted with included a fishbowl and a globe.

Oscar's Trash Race

Oscar's Trash Race is a video game for the Atari 2600 developed by Atari and was released in 1984.^[15] The game was programmed by Christopher Omarzu and uses the Atari Kid's Controller.

The goal is to help Oscar and the little grouches collect trash in a race. It was meant to give practice in numerical skills and directional concepts.

Search and Learn Adventures

Search & Learn Adventures is a 1997 Sesame Street CD-ROM game for home computers. The game was developed by Creative Wonders and Children's Television Workshop in 1997, and re-released in 1998, 2000 (by Mattel Media), and 2004 (by Encore Software). Sherlock Hemlock guides users as they find the clues to solve puzzles and mysteries. Concepts emphasized are safety, healthy eating and recycling; skills developed include critical thinking and problem solving. There are more than 20 activity combinations and multiple skill levels.

Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster

In January 2010, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announced plans to make Sesame Street games for the Xbox 360, which will use Kinect accessory. The title was announced on February 15, 2011 as Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster, and was released on October 11 of that year.

Kinect Sesame Street TV

Sesame Street A-B-C and 1-2-3

Sesame Street 1-2-3 and A-B-C are two educational video games for the NES. They were re-released as a compilation cartridge titled Sesame Street A-B-C and 1-2-3.

Sesame Street A-B-C

Sesame Street A-B-C is an educational Nintendo game featuring two educational video games.

The goal was to create a series of connections, for Rubber Duckie to make his way to Ernie's bathtub. The game teaches basic logic, directions (North, South, East and West) and sequencing.

The video game was created by Hi Tech Expressions, for ages 3 to 6.

It was originally made for DOS,^[16] but was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in March 1986. On NES, it was released on the cartridge Sesame Street ABC, supplementing Letter-Go-Round. At some point in time, the game was released for the Unisys ICON operating system, a platform commissioned by the Ontario education system. No copies of this format exist, as the last ICON computers and software were destroyed in the early-2000s.

Ernie's Challenge level: The Rubber Duck will be shown in one square some where on the screen. Ernie will be in another square somewhere else of the screen. The object is to get the Rubber Duck over to Ernie. You do this by selecting which path you’d like to use, from a wide selection, to get there. Ex. Say that there are 3 squares all together, starting from the left and going right. The Rubber Duck is in square #1 and Ernie is in square #3. Now, you want to go to square #3, which is to the right. So, select a panel that will get you there. Each panel will have to arrows in it, one representing where you’re leaving from, one representing where you’re going. We want to go the right, so select the panel with two arrows pointing to the right. Hey, look! You made it to Ernie! This is actually a lot simpler than it looks, so don’t worry too much. Once you’ve made it to Ernie, a little song and dance will take place. After words, pressing the A button will repeat the little show, but in reverse. Pressing Start will start a new game.

Sesame Street 1-2-3

Sesame Street 1-2-3 featured two different games: Astro-grover, and Ernie's magic shapes. In Ernie's magic shapes, you had to match the right symbol to a base symbol. Astro-grover was a simple math game. It was developed by Rare and published by Hi-Tech Expressions. <Copyright on the NES Box>

Sesame Street Counting Cafe

Sesame Street: Counting Cafe is a Sega Genesis-only game based on the characters of Sesame Street, which is produced by the Children's Television Workshop (now known as Sesame Workshop). Players learn how to count numbers with Grover as he tries to count, climb, and jump while collecting food items for counting. Bert has a tendency to throw an egg in the mass and alter the order.^[17]

The skills learned and developed in this game can be used for later childhood, adolescence, and eventually adulthood. North America was the only region in which the game was released; it uses the American English language.

Sesame Street: Big Bird's Hide and Speak

Sesame Street: Big Bird's Hide and Speak is a game for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was one of the simplest-to-play NES games ever released commercially. It was also the first NES game to feature a digitized voice, in the form of Big Bird. This game stars Big Bird and co-stars Little Bird, and features Bert, Ernie, The Count, Grover, and Elmo.

This game was developed by RSP Inc. and published by Hi Tech Expressions.^[18]

All 4 sides of the D-pad move Little Bird to the next window clockwise; A and B Buttons both choose a window. The center buttons (Start and Select) exit to the game select screen.

The game's objective is to choose the correct character or letter, with six different levels. The first two levels are based on simply choosing the window instructed by Big Bird, while the next two needed memorizing since the windows close. In the fifth level the player has to spell the three-letter word instructed by choosing the right letters. In the last level the player must attempt to spell the most number of different words before a time limit, the letters in the windows change after a new word is created.^[19]

Sesame Street: Sports

Sesame Street: Sports was published by NewKidCo and was released on PlayStation and Game Boy Color in 2001.^[20]

Voices

• Caroll Spinney as Big Bird
• Kevin Clash as Elmo
• David Rudman as Cookie Monster
• Eric Jacobson as Grover
• Steve Whitmire as Ernie
• Martin P. Robinson as Telly Monster
• Fran Brill as Zoe

The Three Grouchketeers

The Three Grouchketeers is a 1998 Sesame Street CD-ROM game for home computers released in 2005 by Encore Software and Creative Wonders.

This game is a parody of Alexander Dumas' 1844 novel The Three Musketeers. Telly, Zoe and Grover are on a quest to find King Oscar's missing Royal Pig. Each has a unique talent: Telly knows about shapes, Zoe is good with animals, and Grover reads very well. They must cooperate to complete their tasks.^[21]

References