The Worst Sesame Street Game that Never was... Grover Music Maker.

[AquaGGR]

At least it's good YTPMV material.

 

[dinoboy]

Sesame Street games for the Atari 2600? Well even though the 2600 was very limited in graphics and sounds, it probably was impressive for it's time. I mean a videogame for your kids featuring Sesame Street, the kids probably loved it. We had to make due of what was available back then as we didn't have all the fancy hi-tech of home gaming today.

 

[Drtooth]

I just wonder about video games for young children. Seems like for every game that kinda teaches something, like literacy and math (and we have got some pretty good Sesame Street games that did both), there's just a couple that just do NOT work as video games for a video game console, but would work as cheaper computer software. Well aware that at this time, a home computer was far less accessible than an Atari 2600.

There is nothing fun about this game, no matter how young you would be. There's a piano function, sure... but that's nothing you wouldn't have got if you had one of these or at least a toy piano or keyboard. It seems like this game never went through more than a concept stage, and it wasn't finished... but the fact that the only bonus is that it has preprogrammed music, none of it Sesame Street specific, it doesn't scream replay value, and the young ones would get quite bored with it pretty fast. Don't recall how much Atari games went for at retail back then. It seems like a good thing this never was released, or E.T. would have company in that landfill.

It just shouts Color a Dinosaur. Meanwhile, Egg Catch, Oscar's Trash Race, and Cookie Monster Munch actually let you do something. Egg Catch is actually quite a lot of fun.

 

[dinoboy]

with the simple gaming concept of the early Sesame Street games, maybe they should've made a (liquid Crystal Display) versions of those games. kind of a 1980's thing.

 

[Drtooth]

A lot of Atari games were pretty simplistic and would probably work as LCD handhelds if you think about it. Simple game play for preschool kids makes sense. Still, Grover's Music Maker just doesn't seem like it could hold the attention of a little kid for very long. It would have been great if they at least included some Sesame Street songs in there, but I guess they'd have to pay extra for the licensing fees.

Still, it's like a really poorly executed art game closer to Animotion (I hated that disappointing piece of crap) than the superior Mario Paint. If there was only some sort of musical game on that Grover cart. But I guess anything other than piano with prerecorded public domain songs was as far as the development went.

 

[dinoboy]

at least Big Bird looks good in this game. I think I vaguely remember my dad had a friend over to his apartment and he had a kid who brought over that Grover game to play on his Atari, as he wouldn't go anywhere without it and loved it. I think it had some kind of portable kiddie keyboard to play the music that you plugged into the Atari.

 

[mr3urious]

After seeing a recent review from one of my YouTube subs, these games certainly look and play better than other games of its category. They really do feel like something straight out of the arcade, and even have enough variety and difficulty levels to entertain older kids. The reason for this is mainly because they were developed as games first and educational materials second, which is the same reason why Oregon Trail and Carmen Sandiego are so fondly remembered.

http://gotgame.com/2014/03/04/sesame-street-games-atari-2600-review/

Also, something tells me that Music Maker was meant to have some music-based gameplay in there, but Children's Computer Workshop wasn't able to finish it in time. Or maybe they just thought the idea sucked and gave up on it entirely.

CCW was also planning on making a game starring The Count, which may have something to do with counting. But it was never released.

 

[Drtooth]

Also, something tells me that Music Maker was meant to have some music-based gameplay in there, but Children's Computer Workshop wasn't able to finish it in time. Or maybe they just thought the idea sucked and gave up on it entirely.

The more and more I think about it, the more that's my feeling. That it was meant to be more than what it was. Maybe have a nice follow the leader/Simon style game in there. Maybe the public domain songs were place holders for some Sesame Street related music.

These were clearly the first of their class in educational games, and there was a lot of trial and error that... well... sometimes they still can't get down. But then again, there's Big Bird's Egg Catch, which is a fun, playable game in its own right. It's Atari, clearly, but it has the feel of an Atari game and it's challenge level can be raised to challenge actual game players.

As far as Sesame Street video games go, they are all pretty hit or miss with their sliding level of educational content vs. play factor. Big Bird's Hide and Speak is a novelty for having his actual voice come through an NES processor, but isn't exactly the funnest thing out there. The ABC/123 games are all about education, except Ernie's Tub is kinda fun. But my 2 favorites (have never played the PS/N64 games) are Countdown and Counting Cafe. They both play like actual games. Especially Counting Cafe. There's actually a small level of skill on that one, especially at the end where you need the assistance of Sam (he's in there!) and Mumford to change food items.

 

[Luke kun]

What Children's Computer Workshop said when they cancelled that and the Count game:

"Look out kids here comes the wrecking ball!"

(MADtv reference)

 

[Drtooth]

If you look at how game technology evolved, the strangest and most astounding thing I found is that years ago you had to pay 50 bucks for a video game cartridge that's essentially one educational minigame (in the NES version 2) where as Sesame Street's website offers a bunch of better games for free. And fully voice acted as well. Remember how amazed we were with the fuzzy soundbites in Big Bird's Hide and Speak and Countdown?

I don't feel like posting it here, but there was a review I saw for the Elmo's Number Game for Playstation that fairly says something to the extent of yeah, this is a game for kids and it's supposed to be educational, but it isn't and it's not fun on any level.

Aside from that, the original game in question for this thread was essentially a 50 dollar toy piano. Unfinished or not, it seems like something a small child would get bored with quite fast. Egg Catch was fun, and plays like a video game (albeit a simple one), but if this was released, I don't see it being popular. It would have probably worked as a computer game, though.