Blue's Clues (video game series)
Blue's Clues is educational adventure video game series based on the television show of the same name developed and published by Humongous Entertainment.
Blue's Clues | |
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Genre(s) | Educational, adventure |
Developer(s) | Humongous Entertainment |
Publisher(s) | Humongous Entertainment |
Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, PlayStation, Game Boy Color |
The first game, Blue's 123 Time Activities, was released in 1999. The game works on Windows 95 and above, and on System 7.5.3 (with PowerPC) to Mac OS X Tiger.
List of games
- Blue's 123 Time Activities (1999)
- Blue's ABC Time Activities (1999)
- Blue's Art Time Activities (2000)
- Blue's Reading Time Activities
- Blue's Birthday Adventure
- Blue's Treasure Hunt
- Blue's Clues #105: Sorting Clothes
- Blue's Clues #106: Instrument Sound Matching!
- Blue's Clues #110: Matching Snowflakes
- Blue's Clues #116: Fairy Tale Matching
- Blue's Clues #203: Lights On, Lights Off!
- Blue's Clues #208: Counting with Cash Register
- Blue's Clues #213: Lost and Found
- Blue's Clues #215: Felt Friend Tic-Tac-Toe
- Blue's Clues #216: Kaleidoscope Pictures!
- Blue's Clues #218: Teeter-Totter
- Blue's Clues #219: Blowing Matching Bubbles!
- Blue's Clues #220: Racing Cars!
- Blue's Clues #304: What's that sound?
- Blue's Clues #307: Hide-and-Seek!
- Blue's Clues #312: Concentration
- Blue's Clues #319: Blue's Pajama Party
- Blue's Clues #322: Holiday Quilt
- Blue's Big Musical (for PlayStation)
- Periwinkle's Disappearo
- Blue's Alphabet Book (2001, Game Boy Color)
- Blue's Clues: Joe's 3D Scavenger Hunt
- Blue's Clues Preschool
- Blue's Clues Kindergarten
- Blue Takes You to School
- Blue's Clues: Blue's Collection (for V.Smile)
History
Blue's ABC Time Activities was debuted at the 1999 electronic entertainment exposition in Atlanta, and was set to hit shelves that September 1.[1] Business Wire called it " one of the most anticipated kids software debuts in recent memory".[2]
Gameplay
Blue's Reading Time Activities "teaches the basics of art" and allows players to create their own.[3] Players are invited to participate in the Really Big Art Show, while helping Blue and other characters create artworks.[3] The game offered "curriculum-structured learning".[4] The game was for children aged 3 to 10.[5]
Commercial performance
Together, Blue's Birthday Adventure and Blue's ABC Time Activities sold-through over 150,000 units in their first month of release, and were the second and third best selling educational titles.[6] The two titles became the No. 1 and No. 4 selling educational CD-ROM titles of 1998, respectively.[7] ABC was the fourth best-selling video game title in the week before January 3, 1999, after Barbie Photo Designer, Tomb Raider III, and Fallout 2,[8] and became the no. 3 best-selling title out of all PC games in the third quarter and nine months, ending December 31, 1998.[9] PC Data, which generated the sales data, commented "The popularity of the Blue Clue's CD-ROMs is evident from the incredible sales numbers it consistently generates".[10]
Critical reception
Blue's 123 Time Activities
The game was the winner of the 1999/00 BESSIE Award for Math.[11]
Blue's ABC Time Activities
SuperKids deemed it "pleasant" and said it would appeal to fans of the TV show.[12] Review Corner said the educational value was "excellent", while noting it was "entertaining and appealing for preschoolers".[13] Allgame deemed it a " very good package",[14]
PC Data reported that Blue's ABC Time Activities was the United States' best-selling educational software during 1998.[15]
Blue's Art Time Activities
Tech With Kids said the game wasn't as intuitive as previous titles.[16] Entertaining Kids thought a negative of the game was inability to provide a "good freeform art activity".[17]
Blue's Reading Time Activities
Tech With Kids thought the game was special because it taught word awareness, not simply the alphabet or letter sounds.[18] Discovery School thought the title was well-designed and entertaining.[19][20] Edutaining Kids thought the game was "clever".[21] Just Adventure gave the game an "A".[22] Daily News thought the game saw the host "gently walking players through graphically simple but engaging activities".[23] Allgame thought that "normally, the Blue's Clues series of games are excellent", but found various technical difficulties with this title.[24]
References
- "KID NEWS". 1998-05-22. Archived from the original on 2016-10-08. Cite journal requires
|journal=
(help) - "Finally, Preschool Software With A Clue! Humongous Entertainment And Nickelodeon Introduce Two New CD-ROMs Based on the Hit Preschool TV Show, Blue's Clues. - Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 2016-09-13.
- "Blue's Art Time Activities and Blue's Reading Time Activities from Humongous Entertainment Combine Interactive Fun with Fundamental Learning. - Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 2016-09-13.
- "Humongous Entertainment and Nickelodeon Bring Creativity and Learning Together with Blue's Art Time Activities and Blue's Reading Time Activities. - Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 2016-09-13.
- "Humongous Entertainment Helps Bring Smiles to Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center in Seattle. - Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 2016-09-13.
- "Humongous Entertainment and Nickelodeon Soar to the Top of PC Data's Sales Charts With Blue's ABC Time Activities and Blue's Birthday Adventure CD-ROMs. - Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 2016-09-13.
- "Humongous Entertainment and Nickelodeon Deliver Preschool Software Kids Can Count On With Blue's 123 Time Activities in June 1999. - Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 2016-09-13.
- "CHARTS: THE TOP 10". 1999-01-03. Archived from the original on 2016-10-08. Cite journal requires
|journal=
(help) - "GT Interactive Reports Third Quarter and Nine Months Operating Results. - Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 2016-09-13.
- "Top-Selling Blue's Clues CD-ROMs From Humongous Entertainment and Nickelodeon Surpass One Million Mark. - Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 2016-09-13.
- "ComputED Gazette - 6th Annual BESSIE Awards". computedgazette.com. Retrieved 2016-09-13.
- "SuperKids Software Review of Blue's ABC Time Activities". www.superkids.com. Retrieved 2016-09-13.
- "DiscoverySchool.com - Review Corner". 2003-12-18. Archived from the original on 2003-12-18. Retrieved 2016-09-13.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
- "Blue's Clues: Blue's ABC Time Activities - Review - allgame". 2014-11-15. Archived from the original on 2014-11-15. Retrieved 2016-09-13.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2001-05-25. Retrieved 2001-05-25.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "Blue's Art Time Activities Review - TechWithKids.com".
- "Edutaining Kids: Blue's Art Time Activities Software Review".
- "Blue's Reading Time Activities Review - TechWithKids.com". www.techwithkids.com. Retrieved 2016-09-13.
- "DiscoverySchool.com - Review Corner". school.discoveryeducation.com. Archived from the original on 2016-12-20. Retrieved 2016-09-13.
- "Blue's Reading Time Activities - Review Corner". 2004-04-05. Archived from the original on 2004-04-05. Retrieved 2016-09-13.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
- "Children: Learn to Read Programs". www.edutainingkids.com. Retrieved 2016-09-13.
- "Review: Blue's Reading Time Activities". 2002-02-21. Archived from the original on 2002-02-21. Retrieved 2016-09-13.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
- "TOY, LEARNING TOOL, FRIEND IT'S THE GIFT THAT NEVER STOPS GIVING TO YOUR CHILD: A NEW COMPUTER, SOFTWARE. - Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 2016-09-13.
- "Blue's Clues: Blue's Reading Time Activities - Review - allgame". 2014-12-12. Archived from the original on 2014-12-12. Retrieved 2016-09-13.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)