Mixed-Up Fairy Tales
Encyclopedia
Mixed-Up Fairy Tales was a graphic adventure game
released by Sierra On-Line in 1991. It was made for younger players than those of Sierra's King's Quest
or Space Quest
series. In it, the player controls a child - selected from one of six and named at will by the player - transported to the land of make believe by the magical dragon
Bookwyrm, who needs their help unknotting the mess that's become of five famous fairy tale
s; Cinderella
, Beauty and the Beast
, Bremen Town Musicians, Jack and the Beanstalk
, and Snow White
thanks to the machinations of a spiteful troll named Bookend. For instance, the prince can't find Cinderella
because her glass slipper
was stolen, Jack
's axe is missing so he can't chop down the beanstalk, Snow White is lost and needs help finding the seven dwarves' house, etc. Bookwyrm, who had the book all the stories were recorded in, could always be consulted for directions to the player's next objective when he or she got stuck.
The game has a simplified interface
different from other Sierra games of the period; instead of several different icons to move the character, look at objects, places and people, operate scenery fixtures, or talk to other characters, Mixed-Up Fairy Tales has only a general icon to interact with the environment, move the player's character and initiate conversation with other characters, and another to look at the player's surroundings. The player cannot "die", and it is impossible to reach a point where onward play is not possible because of lacking an important item or piece of information. The game saving feature was simplified as well, with each game saved automatically when the player quit and merely labeled by their character's name.
Although it allowed children to interact with the characters of their favorite fairy tales, most of the stories' major events would happen off-screen, with the player's movement limited to a four-by-four screen area.
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
released by Sierra On-Line in 1991. It was made for younger players than those of Sierra's King's Quest
King's Quest
King's Quest is an adventure game series created by the American software company Sierra Entertainment. It is widely considered a classic series from the golden era of adventure games. Following the success of its first installment, the series was primarily responsible for building the reputation...
or Space Quest
Space Quest
Space Quest is a series of six comedic science fiction computer games that follow the adventures of a hapless janitor named Roger Wilco, as he campaigns through the galaxy for "truth, justice and really clean floors"....
series. In it, the player controls a child - selected from one of six and named at will by the player - transported to the land of make believe by the magical dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
Bookwyrm, who needs their help unknotting the mess that's become of five famous fairy tale
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
s; Cinderella
Cinderella
"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...
, Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast is a traditional fairy tale. The first published version of the fairy tale was a rendition by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve, published in La jeune américaine, et les contes marins in 1740...
, Bremen Town Musicians, Jack and the Beanstalk
Jack and the Beanstalk
Jack and the Beanstalk is a folktale said by English historian Francis Palgrave to be an oral legend that arrived in England with the Vikings. The tale is closely associated with the tale of Jack the Giant-killer. It is known under a number of versions...
, and Snow White
Snow White
"Snow White" is a fairy tale known from many countries in Europe, the best known version being the German one collected by the Brothers Grimm...
thanks to the machinations of a spiteful troll named Bookend. For instance, the prince can't find Cinderella
Cinderella
"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...
because her glass slipper
Slipper
A slipper or houseshoe is a semi-closed type of indoor/outdoor shoe, consisting of a sole held to the wearer's foot by a strap running over the toes or instep. Slippers are soft and lightweight compared to other types of footwear. They are mostly made of soft or comforting materials that allow a...
was stolen, Jack
Jack and the Beanstalk
Jack and the Beanstalk is a folktale said by English historian Francis Palgrave to be an oral legend that arrived in England with the Vikings. The tale is closely associated with the tale of Jack the Giant-killer. It is known under a number of versions...
's axe is missing so he can't chop down the beanstalk, Snow White is lost and needs help finding the seven dwarves' house, etc. Bookwyrm, who had the book all the stories were recorded in, could always be consulted for directions to the player's next objective when he or she got stuck.
The game has a simplified interface
User interface
The user interface, in the industrial design field of human–machine interaction, is the space where interaction between humans and machines occurs. The goal of interaction between a human and a machine at the user interface is effective operation and control of the machine, and feedback from the...
different from other Sierra games of the period; instead of several different icons to move the character, look at objects, places and people, operate scenery fixtures, or talk to other characters, Mixed-Up Fairy Tales has only a general icon to interact with the environment, move the player's character and initiate conversation with other characters, and another to look at the player's surroundings. The player cannot "die", and it is impossible to reach a point where onward play is not possible because of lacking an important item or piece of information. The game saving feature was simplified as well, with each game saved automatically when the player quit and merely labeled by their character's name.
Although it allowed children to interact with the characters of their favorite fairy tales, most of the stories' major events would happen off-screen, with the player's movement limited to a four-by-four screen area.