Excellent edutainment adventure
The Spy's Adventure series is a lesser known set of games that play out very much like the edutainment titles in the Carmen Sandiego franchise and while they may not have met with quite the same level of success, they are still well worth checking out for younger gamers. In this particular episode, the player takes on the role of the master detective tasked with tracking down the legendary thief and smuggler, Dr X, who has reportedly been seen in the US along with a valuable collection of stolen jewels. The game plays out very much like Carmen Sandiego, with players travelling to various American locations, searching for clues, bribing informants and making contact with your colleagues to help you out. Once you think you have enough clues to Dr. X's whereabouts you can head there to make the arrest, but caution must be applied as you only have three guesses. The quicker you can complete your mission, using as few turns as possible, the higher your efficiency rating, with the amount of jewels recovered also boosting your score. While the graphics might not be up to the standards of Carmen Sandiego, the Spy's Adventures scores more highly with its excellent multi-player modes, where players can either work together to find Dr X or compete against each other, which really adds some excitement to the game. When you add in the well written storyline and background notes, you have all the makings of a fine educational adventure that is certain to keep families entertained. The other titles in the series, The Spy's Adventures in South America and Europe are also worth tracking down.
