Google has been known to bring that nostalgia feeling, with surprise features appearing for limited times on the tech giant's services. Gamers can probably remember the Pac Man Doodle back in 2010, that addicting Rubiks Cube Doodle. Its latest offering is likely to bring back the feels, especially for the 1980s gamers.
Google has partnered with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to release a reboot of the game Where in the World is Carmen San Diego. The new generation may be more familiar with Ms. San Diego's latest animated iteration on Netflix. However, for the "older" gamers, this was not only a game but an educational one at that.
Where in the World is Carmen San Diego has players hunt down Carmen San Diego and her VILE associates by following clues. Along the way, players learn a lot of things, such as the currency of a particular country, what colors are on their national flag, and even their capital cities. Mind you, this was a time when there was no internet, so “Googling” for answers was not possible. An interesting feature of the game was reminding players that even if they were trying to capture thieves, it was important to follow rules. Many a wannabe gumshoe would suddenly fail to catch their target upon learning that they had not applied for a warrant of arrest.
The new Google game is titled The Crown Jewels Caper, and has players hunting the titular thief as the famous Crown Jewels have been stolen. Unlike her Netflix version, this one is back to her dastardly ways as a “sticky-fingered filcher” and “double dealing diva.”
To start the game, players can open Google Earth on a web browser, or for those using smart phones, open the Google Earth app, available for both Android and iOS. Those using the app can click her icon just above the compass to start the game.
According to Google Earth Program Manager Vanessa Schneider, this latest version of the game is "for all those gumshoes who grew up with the chase, and for the next generation feeling that geography itch for the first time." For Schneider, the game was not only about learning fun facts but also being "excited to learn about new cultures and customs."
