Jonny Quest: Cover-Up At Roswell
Encyclopedia
Jonny Quest: Cover-Up At Roswell is a computer game released by Virgin Interactive
for the series The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest
in August 1996 for $34.95.
away from rocks or shooting rats with a slingshot. Though characters appear on screen, there is no dynamic movement save for mini games. Allowing access to personal and government files at two points in the game, Roswell contains a vehicle guide to Real Adventures and several in-universe e-mails. These communications range from dossiers on the Quest team to a demand from a restaurant owner that Race reimburse him for damages caused when the bodyguard mistook a busboy for a criminal mastermind.
The Quests are hindered by Jeremiah Surd and the Men in Black
of General Tyler, who plan to misuse the technology.
at The Pentagon
. Virgin handled all marketing, sales, and distribution, while Turner helped cross-promote the game. Turner New Media announced that Virgin's "non-violent adventure games suitable for pre-teen girls and boys, fits...our vision of what family entertainment should be." Virgin designed certain segments in 3D
and included special Chromatek plastic viewing glasses with game copies. Footage voices were dubbed over by Michael Banyaer as Hadji, Charles Howerton as Dr. Quest, and the season two cast. Virgin hoped the game would provide 20–25 hours of game play for adults and 80-100 for children.
and different modes of difficulty as weaknesses, but concluded that Roswell offered "good entertainment and variety". Critics were divided over the puzzles' difficulty, naming it both "ingenious" and "elementary". Peter Scisco of ComputerLife wrote that his kids had difficulty with the small mouse cursors, and criticized some of the puzzles for relying on "reflexes, not logical thinking." FamilyPC's testers agreed that the early puzzles were difficult but offered a sense of achievement. Entertainment Weekly's reviewer found the challenges too easy, considering them unimaginative "Pac-Man rip-offs and dopey jigsaws," and rated the game B+. Scisco appreciated the nonviolent content and the inclusion of Jessie's strong female character, but named the extraterrestrial story "too familiar". The Sydney Morning Herald warned against buying the game for children "scared easily by baddies," but recommended it for children who would enjoy mental challenges. A critic for USA Today
warned that players who aren't fans of the show may find waiting through the many video clips and cut scenes tedious. A reviewer for the New York Daily News wrote that New York
was depicted as "teeming with gangs of wilding youths and set in a bleak, roach-infested urban blight of a stereotype most New Yorkers might find grossly exaggerated; maybe even insulting." The reviewer considered some of the puzzles too difficult for children, but forecast teenage enjoyment. Though he enjoyed using the game's three-dimensional glasses, he suffered a headache after quitting the game. After navigating the first few puzzles, a critic for The Age
asked, "Who said this was just for kids?"
Virgin Interactive
Virgin Interactive was a British video game publisher. It was formed as Virgin Games Ltd. in 1981. The company became much larger after purchasing the budget label, Mastertronic in 1987. It was part of the Virgin Group...
for the series The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest is an animated action-adventure television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Cartoons and broadcast on Cartoon Network from August 26, 1996 to April 16, 1997. A revival of the 1960s Jonny Quest franchise, it features teenage adventurers Jonny Quest, Hadji Singh,...
in August 1996 for $34.95.
Gameplay
Gameplay consists of clicking areas on images of locations—whether the Serengeti plains or Manhattan—to navigate paths in search of the objects. Occasionally, players encounter mini games, such as the task of guiding a diving bellDiving bell
A diving bell is a rigid chamber used to transport divers to depth in the ocean. The most common types are the wet bell and the closed bell....
away from rocks or shooting rats with a slingshot. Though characters appear on screen, there is no dynamic movement save for mini games. Allowing access to personal and government files at two points in the game, Roswell contains a vehicle guide to Real Adventures and several in-universe e-mails. These communications range from dossiers on the Quest team to a demand from a restaurant owner that Race reimburse him for damages caused when the bodyguard mistook a busboy for a criminal mastermind.
Plot
Men in Black
Men in Black , in American popular culture and in UFO conspiracy theories, are men dressed in black suits who claim to be government agents who harass or threaten UFO witnesses to keep them quiet about what they have seen. It is sometimes implied that they may be aliens themselves...
of General Tyler, who plan to misuse the technology.
Development
Virgin created the game on a budget of $1 million, initially titling it Escape from Quest World. Developers recycled fifty minutes of footage and art from six season one episodes to construct a new story concerning alien artifacts and an alien's liberation from an autopsyAutopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
at The Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
. Virgin handled all marketing, sales, and distribution, while Turner helped cross-promote the game. Turner New Media announced that Virgin's "non-violent adventure games suitable for pre-teen girls and boys, fits...our vision of what family entertainment should be." Virgin designed certain segments in 3D
Stereoscopy
Stereoscopy refers to a technique for creating or enhancing the illusion of depth in an image by presenting two offset images separately to the left and right eye of the viewer. Both of these 2-D offset images are then combined in the brain to give the perception of 3-D depth...
and included special Chromatek plastic viewing glasses with game copies. Footage voices were dubbed over by Michael Banyaer as Hadji, Charles Howerton as Dr. Quest, and the season two cast. Virgin hoped the game would provide 20–25 hours of game play for adults and 80-100 for children.
Reception
The game's music featured a "high-intensity orchestral sound" prone to monotony. One reviewer cited a lack of replay valueReplay value
Replay value or replayability is a term found in combination with video games, but it may be also used to describe other kinds of games, movies, music, or theater plays. In video games, the term replay value is used to describe the entertainment value of playing a game more than once...
and different modes of difficulty as weaknesses, but concluded that Roswell offered "good entertainment and variety". Critics were divided over the puzzles' difficulty, naming it both "ingenious" and "elementary". Peter Scisco of ComputerLife wrote that his kids had difficulty with the small mouse cursors, and criticized some of the puzzles for relying on "reflexes, not logical thinking." FamilyPC's testers agreed that the early puzzles were difficult but offered a sense of achievement. Entertainment Weekly's reviewer found the challenges too easy, considering them unimaginative "Pac-Man rip-offs and dopey jigsaws," and rated the game B+. Scisco appreciated the nonviolent content and the inclusion of Jessie's strong female character, but named the extraterrestrial story "too familiar". The Sydney Morning Herald warned against buying the game for children "scared easily by baddies," but recommended it for children who would enjoy mental challenges. A critic for USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
warned that players who aren't fans of the show may find waiting through the many video clips and cut scenes tedious. A reviewer for the New York Daily News wrote that New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
was depicted as "teeming with gangs of wilding youths and set in a bleak, roach-infested urban blight of a stereotype most New Yorkers might find grossly exaggerated; maybe even insulting." The reviewer considered some of the puzzles too difficult for children, but forecast teenage enjoyment. Though he enjoyed using the game's three-dimensional glasses, he suffered a headache after quitting the game. After navigating the first few puzzles, a critic for The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
asked, "Who said this was just for kids?"