Swamp Gas Visits the USA is one of the best edutainment products ever made for home computers. More famous on the Macintosh, this Windows version has unfortunately been overlooked despite winning a fair share of awards. The game’s premise is nothing special: help an alien find the right state in the USA. It’s the implementation, however, that makes Swamp Gas much more fun than any trivia game about US geography. Your mission is to help Swamp Gas, the lovable alien, explore the geography of the USA. Visit all the states, capitals, and points of interest. Discover interesting facts during "close encounters". After each geography mission, you can enter the Alien Arcade and play one of three different non-violent arcade games. Designed for kids aged six and up, there are many options you can toggle in Swamp Gas to suit the player, including the number of missions, and three difficulty levels. Every mission is unique, and adults will find some challenge at the highest setting. The in-game help button provides hints to geography novices, and the game even offers multiplayer for up to four player. Funny cartoon graphics and sound effects add up to a fun family game that is a great alternative to the Carmen Sandiego series. First published by Inline Design, the game is now being sold at the developer’s site for only $14. If you like the game, be sure to check out the Europe version as well. Two thumbs up, way up! Reviewed by: Underdogs |