Amazon Trail II

Amazon Trail II is a simulation video game developed by The Adventure Company and published by MECC for the Macintosh and Windows.[3] It was released in September 1996.[4] The game is a spin-off of The Oregon Trail.

Amazon Trail II
Cover art
Developer(s)The Adventure Company
Publisher(s)MECC
SeriesThe Oregon Trail
Platform(s)Windows, Macintosh
Release1996
Genre(s)Simulation[1][2]
Mode(s)Single-player

It is the second video game in the Amazon Trail video game series, succeeding The Amazon Trail and preceding Amazon Trail 3rd Edition.[5]

It was included in a games bundle with the Quantex 5500,[6] and in the Trail Mix Social Studies Bundle with The Oregon Trail 3rd Edition and MayaQuest: The Mystery Trail.[7] The Quantex QP6/333 M-1c package also included the game in its software package.[8]

Production

The aim of this educational video game is to teach players about the "culture, ecology, and history of the Amazon River".[5] Richard D. Thompson was the game's video director.[9]

The game was donated to The Strong National Museum of Play.[10]

Plot

The game starts with a mysterious incident at the Museum of Ancient Art, which results in the player ending up in the Amazon.[11] Players are then sent to find a local cure to a disease,[12] with the end goal being to reach the city of Vilcabamba.[13]

Gameplay

Featuring "the same gameplay and educational styling"[14] as The Oregon Trail, players take a virtual trip up the South American Amazon River in a canoe[5] in an interactive learning journey.[15] The game has 3 levels of difficulty.[16] Players receive points by remaining healthy, using their resources wisely, and conversing with characters correctly.[16] The best players have their names put into a high score list.[16] A fishing meter shows how hard the harpoon is thrown when fishing.[16] Tour guides ask the player questions which they must respond to further the game.[16] The game includes four river guides, 17 assignments, and 50 characters.[16]

Critical reception

Janice Reutter wrote in the Science and Children journal that the game is "an exciting, adventurous journey" with "attractive graphics", "mysterious and intriguing sound effects", and "beautiful 3D...scenes".[16] The Boston Herald favourably compared it to its "pretty simple" and "not very attractive" predecessor Amazon Trail, deeming it a "good buy for families who don't yet have Amazon Trail".[17] Computer Shopper said a software package that included the game was a "great starting point for the first-time buyer".[8] The Washington Post's review included testimony from their "kid software tester" Sarah Phillips, who said that parts of the game could be "pretty neat" or "extremely frustrating".[18] MECC deemed it "one of the most compelling interactive adventures ever".[19] TESL-EJ described it as "wonderful" and "imaginative".[20]

References
  1. "Computer-Assisted Language Learning: An Overview". Archived from the original on 2016-10-18.
  2. "Advantages and Limitations of CALL". web.warwick.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 2016-06-07. Retrieved 2016-09-08.
  3. Penix-Tadsen, Phillip (2016). Cultural Code: Video Games and Latin America. MIT Press. ISBN 978-0-262-03405-0.
  4. Review, Children's Software (2001). The Complete Sourcebook on Children's Software. Children's Software Revue. ISBN 978-1-891983-05-4.
  5. Software and CD-ROM Reviews on File. Facts on File, Incorporated. 1997. p. 635.
  6. Inc, Future US (1999-07-01). Maximum PC. Future US, Inc. {{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  7. Leppert, Mary; Leppert, Michael (2001). Homeschooling Almanac 2002-2003. Crown Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-7615-2856-2.
  8. "Quantex QP6/333 M-1c: Quantex ups the entry-level ante.(Hardware Review)(Evaluation)". 1999-03-01. Archived from the original on 2016-10-08. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  9. "The Artistic Team".
  10. "Amazon Trail II: Science & History". www.museumofplay.org. Retrieved 2016-09-08.
  11. "Amazon Trail II". Metacritic. Retrieved 2016-09-08.
  12. "Amazon Trail II (PC)". IGN. Retrieved 2016-09-08.
  13. "Amazon Trail II (Game) - Giant Bomb". www.giantbomb.com. Retrieved 2016-09-08.
  14. "The Oregon Trail - Edutainment's First Video Game Hit - Apple II". Archived from the original on 2016-09-14. Retrieved 2016-09-08.
  15. CD-ROMs in Print. Meckler. 2001. ISBN 978-0-7876-3356-1.
  16. Reutter, Janice (1997). "Amazon Trail II". Science and Children. 35 (3): 59. ProQuest 236906679.
  17. "Kid tech". 1997-03-30. Archived from the original on 2016-10-08. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  18. "Keep on Trackin'". 1997-03-14. Archived from the original on 2016-10-08. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  19. "Amazon Trail II | Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium". www.mecc.co. Retrieved 2016-09-08.
  20. "Oregon Trail II". www.tesl-ej.org. Retrieved 2016-09-08.

Further reading
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