Overview
Mixed-Up Mother Goose (a.k.a. "Roberta Williams' Mixed-Up Mother Goose") is a simple adventure game designed for preschool-age children. The gameplay only requires moving a character from screen to screen by clicking the mouse (or via keyboard in the original version), so it is simple for young children to understand. The goal is to help various nursery rhyme characters by searching the area for their missing items. Once players find an item and return it to a character, a song is played that corresponds to that particular nursery rhyme. The music, colorful graphics, and simple interface make this a perfect game to help young children learn matching (and computer) skills.
Versions
A number of different versions of the game were released over the years. The breakdown is as follows:
AGI Version (1987)
This is the original game. It was built using Sierra's AGI interpreter and features simple 16-color graphics and 1-3 channel sound. The character is controlled via keyboard, as AGI games did not support mouse input. The character only moves when a keyboard directional key is depressed (unlike other AGI games, which used a toggle system for movement). This simple change made learning the controls easier for children.
SCI Version (1990)
The first remake brought improved graphics and control mechanics. It was built using Sierra's new SCI interpreter and featured higher resolution graphics (although still 16-color) and could be controlled with a mouse. Because of this, the game was much more accessible to children than its predecessor. Aside from this, no other significant changes were made to the actual game.
VGA Version (1992)
Just two years later, the game was remade yet again. This time, it was updated for modern computers and the graphics were completely redone in 256-color VGA format. The sounds and music got a complete overhaul as well. Songs were digitized (to support audio cards) and also featured actual voices. The interface was also updated to be cleaner and more intuitive.
Deluxe Version (1995)
Apparently not content to just let "Mixed-Up Mother Goose" be, Sierra saw fit to update the game yet again three years later as "Mixed-Up Mother Goose Deluxe". In this version, the resolution was improved, the graphics were updated slightly, and the music was completely redone (again). The game also came with a soundtrack CD.
Additional Information
The woman on the original box art is none other than game creator Roberta Williams herself.
Log in to comment