Where in Space Is Carmen Sandiego?

Where in Space Is Carmen Sandiego?
Macintosh cover art
Developer(s)	Broderbund
Publisher(s)	Broderbund
Director(s)	David Ross, Christa Beeson
Producer(s)	David Ross, Christa Beeson
Designer(s)	Kim Walls
Programmer(s)	Bob Arient
Artist(s)	Michelle Bushneff
Composer(s)	Tom Rettig, Michael Barrett
Series	Carmen Sandiego
Platform(s)	MS-DOS, Macintosh
Release	May 1993 (MS-DOS) 1994 (Mac)
Genre(s)	Educational
Mode(s)	Single-player

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Where in Space Is Carmen Sandiego? is a game produced by Broderbund and released in 1993 for MS-DOS and 1994 for Macintosh. The game, for both children and adults, teaches players about the solar system. Even though the game was not a "deluxe" edition, its title was stylised as Where in Space is Carmen Sandiego? Deluxe Edition.

In the time before the company was acquired by The Learning Company, Carmen Sandiego games were generally divided into four eras: CGA (1985/6), VGA enhanced, (1989/1992), high-res VGA (1992-4), and CD-ROM (1995 onwards). This game falls within "the second group...that are based on the improved game engine that offers high-res VGA graphics, thousands of clues (as opposed to hundreds), and a more polished interface."

According to Mobygames, "Where in Space is Carmen Sandiego uses the original formula from the first 4 games in the series (Where In The World, Where in Europe, Where In Time, Where in the USA) and extends it to our knowledge of astronomy and space". The game includes 32 locations and 1100 clues, the latter of which can be deciphered through the VAL 9000 computer which "provides information about the history, science, and mythology of space that will aid you in your search". The game includes "digitised NASA images of the sun, planets and moons, star searches, talking aliens, planetary fly-bys and launches of interplanetary probes", while "the original music score includes different themes for each planetary system in digitised sound." The game's photos are sourced from NASA, The Planetary Society, and astronaut Buzz Aldrin, among other places. The game comes with a user's guide and a copy of "Peterson's First Guide to Astronomy" by Jay M. Pasachoff. The game was given as one of the prizes for the essay-writing competition called Delta's World Adventure Challenge with Carmen Sandiego.

The game had a slightly different look and feel from the previous Carmen Sandiego titles. For instance, the Chief has been replaced with an alien whose words are translated onscreen. Henchpeople have been replaced with "henchthings." The game includes the franchise's trademark pun-based humour.

A school edition was also released.

The player flies in a rocket ship throughout the solar system, questioning various alien lifeforms in order to solve the theft of an important part of the solar system (e.g. Saturn's rings). There is only a limited amount of fuel available for travel, so if the player doesn't ask the right questions on the right planets, or follows the wrong clues, the criminal(s) will get away, leaving the player to start over again with another crime. This version is somewhat similar to Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?, in which the player chases a culprit who stole something, and making a warrant to apprehend the culprit. Players travel in the Cosmohopper 911 Turbo, and access the VAL 9000 database for information.