__ __ __ ____ __
| | | | | | | ) | | |\ | | | | |
\ / \ / |--| |-- |-/ |-- | | \| | |--| |--
\/ \/ | | |__ | \ |__ | | | | | | |__
_ __ __ __
| | | / \ | ) | | \ | /
\ / \ / | | | |-/ | ||) | | \__
\/ \/ \_/ | \ |__ |__/ | ___)
___ _ ____ __ __ ____ __ _
/ _| / \ | _ \ / \ / \ | __| | \ | |
| / / _ \ | |_) | / /\ \// \ \ | |__ | \ | |
| | | |_| | | / | | | | | | | __| | |\ \| |
| | | _ | | |\ \ | | | | | | | | | | \ |
| \_ | | | | | | \ \ | | | | | | | |__ | | \ |
\___| |_| |_| |_| \_\ |_| |_| |_| |____| |_| |_|
____ _ __ _ _____ _ ____ ___ ____
/ ___| / \ | \ | | | _ \ | | | __| / \ / \
| (__ / _ \ | \ | | | | \ | | | | |__ | /\_\ | /\ |
\__ \ | |_| | | |\ \| | | | | | | | | __| | | ___ | | | |
\ \ | _ | | | \ | | | | | | | | | | ||_ | | | | |
___/ / | | | | | | \ | | |_/ / | | | |__ | \/ / | \/ |
|____/ |_| |_| |_| |_| |____/ |_| |____| \___/ \____/
VinnyVideo's FAQ/Walkthrough for
Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego - Deluxe Edition (1990)
===============================================================================
Table of Contents
===============================================================================
[INTRO] Introduction
[START] Getting Started
[WALKT] Walkthrough
[DOSSI] Dossiers
[CLUES] Interpretation of Clues
[GOOFY] Goofy In-Game Messages
[QUEST] Frequently Asked Questions
[VERSN] Version History
[COPYR] Copyright
[CONTC] Contact Information
Navigation tip: Press Ctrl and F to bring down a search bar. Then type in the
name of the section you're looking for - like [DOSSI] for the Dossiers.
===============================================================================
Introduction [INTRO]
===============================================================================
Cue the Rockapella music! I've finally gotten around to writing my long-
anticipated guide for Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego, still probably the
best "edutainment" title ever. The game is fun and intuitive, and it's actually
educational. You can really learn a lot about history and geography (especially
the latter) from playing it. The graphics and sound are impressive by 1990
standards. Most of the clues are still relevant, with the exception of the
occasional reference to the Soviet Union, Leningrad, or the World Trade Center.
Plus, you can probably get it for a tiny fraction of the 1990 suggested retail
price of $79.95.
This guide is written for the Deluxe Edition of the game, a 1990 re-release of
the original that has better graphics and sound. For the record, I wrote my
guide playing Version 1.02 (the DOS version from around 1990). Please note that
there are many different versions of Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego, and
if you're not playing the 1990 Deluxe Edition, some of the information in this
guide might not be applicable to you.
===============================================================================
Getting Started [START]
===============================================================================
Before you can play, you might have to install the program. Insert Disk 1
(probably a 3.5-inch floppy) and change to the proper drive (probably A:). Then
type INSTALL and press ENTER. Tell the installation program the source drive
(probably A:), then create the directory to which you'll install the game
(probably something like C:\DELUXE). Then just wait for the files to copy,
changing disks when prompted. These are floppies, so it'll take a few minutes.
If you're using Dosbox, you might need to follow a different process.
Once you've finished installation, change to the proper directory and type
CARMEN (or double-click CARMEN.EXE from My Computer) to start the game. In
Windows 98, you shouldn't have to use MS-DOS mode to run Where in the World is
Carmen Sandiego.
Press ENTER or any other key if you want to skip the opening sequences. Once
the game starts, click the ON/OFF button to turn on your Videophone and
Dataminder. Now type in your name (you can also click the buttons) or your
occupational alias. Then press Send/Receive to create your profile. After the
Chief's briefing, check the Walkthrough section for more information. Here's
what all the buttons and dials do:
--------------------
Videophone
--------------------
On/Off lets you sign in when you first start the game, and it also allows you
to exit the program, saving the case for later. The next time you sign in,
you'll have the option of resuming the case.
Mute turns off game sound.
Travel makes travel arrangements to fly to another country. Click on the city
in the main box or on the map to fly there. Don't take off until you know with
some certainty that that's where the suspect went. If you fly to ACME HQ, you
can quit the current case and start a new one - useful if you get hopelessly
off track.
Crime Net has the same effect as dialing Crime Net from the Note Pad or the
numbers. More on that later.
Warrant calls Warren the Warrant Robot. You need him when you're ready to catch
the culprit, because you're not allowed to arrest a suspect without a warrant.
If you've entered enough evidence in the Evidence fields, Warren will give you
a warrant for the arrest of the V.I.L.E. henchman. Otherwise, Warren will
provide a list of possible suspects based on known data. Because using Warren
costs 1-2 hours of game time, don't try to get a warrant unless you're fairly
sure you can get one; use the Dossiers to narrow down suspects instead. Only
one warrant can be active at a time, although new data shouldn't contradict the
current warrant.
The numbers on the bottom of the Videophone are basically useless. You can use
them as a redundant way of calling Crime Net, Travel, or the Warrant Robot,
although you can also call certain numbers (such as 911) to get a surprise
hidden message.
--------------------
Dataminder
--------------------
Send/Receive is the equivalent of the modern "OK" button. You use this after
signing on or to submit warrant data.
Click the More button to view the rest of messages that are too long to fit in
one box or to scroll through lists of dossiers or countries.
Cancel/Delete is mostly used to return to the previous screen; for example, to
leave the Travel or Country box and return to the country's main general
information screen.
Evidence is where you enter evidence needed to obtain a warrant. Whenever you
get a clue pertaining to the suspect's identity (hair color, eye color, car
type, etc.), make sure to enter it in the proper field here. Keep clicking on
the evidence type until it displays the desired option (if you click on the
wrong one, keep clicking until it's blank again). When you have 2-4 clues
(besides gender), you should have enough evidence to get a warrant. To do so,
either click Warrant or press Send/Receive from the Evidence box.
Dossier lets you view the personal data of each V.I.L.E. baddie. My Dossiers
section is more useful.
Country shows the capital, population, area, currency, and flag of any country
in the game. This can be useful in interpreting clues, especially those related
to national flags or currency.
--------------------
Options
--------------------
Click Options to do four things:
Select Case Details to review your detective briefing (usually to check your
deadline).
Pick Detective Roster to see the list of detectives signed in to the game. Only
eight will be shown at a time, so press MORE if necessary. You can click on a
name to see the number of cases a player has completed, as well as his or her
detective rank. The game won't let you have more than 32 detectives, so select
Cancel/Delete if you want to purge a player from the list (if you're playing
with a big group, you could just use several different DETECTIV.DAT and
CARMEN.SAV files).
Hall of Fame shows the list of players who have completed 80 cases and reached
the Hall of Fame. Expect this list to be scant, unless you're playing at a
school or community center or something.
About Carmen shows the copyright date and the program's version number.
--------------------
Note Pad
--------------------
You use these options to get clues about the suspect's features and identity
and to help track him or her to the next location.
Query Witness will give you a location or identity clue.
Search a Location only shows location clues, usually in the form of a poem or
pun; press Esc or click the box to close the message. This shouldn't be your
first option unless you've already gotten a warrant.
Dial Crime Net is the same as talking to a witness.
Occasionally there will be a fourth person (Vinnie the Squealer, Anna Ijo, or
Bart Samson), who provide identity tips exclusively.
By the way, in the unlikely event you're living in the Stone Age and you don't
have a mouse, you can use the arrow keys to move the cursor and the ENTER key
as the left mouse button.
===============================================================================
Walkthrough [WALKT]
===============================================================================
This walkthrough is different from the walkthroughs in my previous guides. In
most walkthroughs, the writer guides the player through every level and step of
the game. That isn't very practical in a Carmen Sandiego game, so I'm going to
direct you through a sample case, showing the methods and strategies used
during the game. Most of these clues appear in the actual game, although this
case is shorter than most.
After you sign in as Vinny or whatever your name is, the Chief informs you that
the entire fishing fleet of Iceland has been stolen! You're allotted six days
to solve the case (time zones don't affect things). Select "Travel" and you'll
automatically go to Reykjavik.
Once you arrive, select one of the options on the Note Pad. Let's start by
talking to a witness or informant - in this case, the reporter. He says that
the suspect told him he was fascinated by Sigmund Freud. The reporter adds that
the suspect's hair was the hue of honey. Now push the "Evidence" button and
keep clicking "Hair" until it specifies "Blond." Do the same with "Sex" -
"Male." If you click the wrong option, just cycle through until it's blank
again. Now, let's pretend we don't know anything and aren't quite sure where
Freud was from (Austria). Let's call Crime Net. We learn that the suspect
wanted to visit Arnold Schwarzenegger's high school gym. We remember that he's
from someplace in Europe. We should be able to figure out where to go next.
Select "Travel" and a list of five possible travel locations will appear:
Montreal, Bamako, Jakarta, Tokyo, and Vienna. Vienna is the only European
nation listed, so that should be our next stop. Click on "Vienna" on the map.
The plane begins its journey. It lands soon, thanks to the short distance
between the cities (and less Homeland Security bunkum in 1990!). Let's again
select the first option on the Note Pad - "Query Governess." First, though, a
V.I.L.E. henchman appears. This is your cue that you're on the right track. The
governess then informs you that the suspect was planning on visiting the land
that was literally the land of the free. You bring up the Travel dialog box and
select "New York."
In the Big Apple, we check our Notepad and question a flight attendant. She
says that she doesn't know anything, but she will be willing to sell you
something for "a good cause." Whenever you get a response along the lines of "I
don't know," you know you're on the wrong track. Also, a V.I.L.E. henchman
didn't appear - more proof we're not where we're supposed to be. When you're
off track, you MUST go to the previous location (in this case, Vienna) or
you'll get hopelessly lost and won't be able to solve the case.
We again contact Employee Travel, returning to Vienna. Just as we remember that
"Thai" means "free," we board the plane to Bangkok.
In Bangkok, we dial Crime Net. After the V.I.L.E. underling appears, an ACME
agent says that the suspects' eyes resembled emeralds and that he was reading
about a turncoat named Vidkun Quisling. We know that emeralds are green, so we
enter "Green" under the "Eyes" field in the Evidence menu. You refer to your
encyclopedia and learn that Vidkun Quisling assisted in the Nazis' conquest of
Norway. You check the Country menu and learn that the capital of Norway is Oslo
- which should be our next stop. First, though, you decide to talk to a witness
in an attempt to learn enough about the suspect to get a warrant. The
pharmacist says he was trying to teach himself slalom skiing - which doesn't do
us too much good, since we knew we were going to a place that has a lot of
skiing. Time to get on the plane to Oslo.
Once we land, we see a fourth option on the Note Pad - Phone Vinnie the
Squealer (not VinnyVideo!). Whenever you call Vinnie, Anna Ijo, or Bart Samson,
you're guaranteed to get a clue about the suspect's identity. We talk to
Vinnie, who says that he drove off in a limo. We input "Limousine" in the
appropriate Evidence box. We've found three clues now (besides the suspect's
gender) - which should be enough for a warrant. To get a warrant, click the
WARRANT button on the left side of the screen, or just press SEND/RECEIVE when
the Evidence box is displayed. We've got a warrant for Ihor Ihorivich! But it's
not over yet - we've got to keep tracking him until we actually find him. We
continue looking for clues.
Let's select the middle option this time - Check TV Studio. We're told that he
wanted to visit Tiananmen Square. The reason we hadn't selected this option
before is because it only provides a clue about the suspect's whereabouts; it
won't tell us anything about his identity. Once you have a warrant, it's no
longer as crucial to collect identity clues, since any new clues you get
shouldn't contradict previous information. Anyway, we know that Tiananmen
Square is in Beijing, so that's our next stop.
In Beijing, as soon as we talk to the butcher, a piano falls down, barely
missing your head! What's more, we just get a warning message like "I'd be
careful if I were you." When this happens, you know you're very close to the
crook and that the next item or two on your To-Do List will reveal the culprit.
At this point, get your warrant if you don't have one. If you try to get a
warrant but Warren the Warrant Robot says there are still multiple
possibilities, make an accusation - fill in some more evidence and get a
warrant with this hypothetical information.
Select the second Notepad option. We find a book - "How to Play the Piano in
Three Difficult Steps." Now select the third option. It's Ihor Ihorivich! We've
solved the case. Maybe you should read his "Miranda" rights first. After you
fly back to San Francisco, you'll be one step closer to getting a promotion. To
borrow a slogan from the Pokemon era: Gotta catch 'em all!
A couple more notes:
The Chief gives you a "Do be more careful next time" message in three different
situations:
(1) When you get a warrant for the wrong suspect.
(2) When you fail to get a warrant and find the suspect.
(3) When you run out of time.
Basically, this is a "game over" screen - you've failed the mission and will
get another case to solve.
It's important to get a warrant for the correct suspect. If you don't, you'll
find the crook, but you won't get credit for solving the case. If you obtain a
warrant for Li Non Mee, and find out that the suspect is Len "Red" Bulk, you
won't be able to arrest Len because your warrant is for the wrong person.
The penalty for getting a warrant for the wrong person is the same as if you
don't get a warrant at all, so when you're running out of time it sometimes
pays to make an accusation. If you find the criminal but don't have a warrant,
you won't be able to make an arrest, and the case will end.
If your case goes past the deadline the Chief gives you, the thief will get
away even if you have a warrant. Try to be efficient when solving a case.
Some information can be difficult to decode. You might want to skip these
clues; you'll probably get a less ambiguous clue later. For example, the
professor tells you: "She had unusual teal eyes." You might not know whether
teal is green or blue in this situation. So you wait, call Crime Net, and get
this message: "Suspect spotted around Quezon City. She had green eyes." Now you
can enter the SEX and EYES prompts in the Evidence Database. You also know to
go to Manila, a city in the Philippines. Now you're cooking!
===============================================================================
Dossiers [DOSSI]
===============================================================================
Here's a list of all the clues associated with each of the game's suspects:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name Hair Eyes Gender Vehicle Food Feature Sport
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yul B. Sorry black gray Male Motorcycle Junk Scar Tennis
Nick Brunch black green Male Motorcycle Mexican Jewelry Mountain Climb
Fast Eddie B. black brown Male Convertible Mexican Jewelry Croquet
Robin Banks brown brown Male Convertible Seafood Wig Mountain Climb
Sandy Dunes brown blue Male Skateboard Chinese Wig Skin Diving
Sam O'Nella blond green Male Skateboard Chinese Scar Skin Diving
Bjorn Toulouse blond blue Male Limousine Junk Tattoo Tennis
Ihor Ihorovich blond green Male Limousine Seafood Tattoo Croquet
Len "Red" Bulk red blue Male Convertible Seafood Tattoo Mountain Climb
Scar Graynolt red gray Male Limousine Mexican Jewelry Croquet
Li Non Mee black brown Female Skateboard Mexican Wig Croquet
Bessie May Mucho black gray Female Convertible Junk Jewelry Skin Diving
Carmen Sandiego brown brown Female Convertible Mexican Jewelry Tennis
Irma Dillow brown green Female Skateboard Junk Wig Mountain Climb
Merey LaRoc brown green Female Limousine Mexican Jewelry Mountain Climb
Katherine Drib brown blue Female Motorcycle Seafood Tattoo Mountain Climb
Sarah Nade blond gray Female Limousine Chinese Scar Skin Diving
Dazzle Annie Nonkerblondblue Female Limousine Seafood Tattoo Tennis
Rosa Sarrosas-Arroz red brown Female Motorcycle Chinese Scar Croquet
Lady Agatha Wayland red green Female Convertible Mexican Jewelry Tennis
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Category Type Counts
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just in case you were wondering which types were most common:
Food Chinese: 4 Junk: 4 Mexican: 7 Seafood: 5
Hair Black: 5 Blond: 5 Brown: 6 Red: 4
Eyes Blue: 5 Brown: 5 Gray: 4 Green: 6
Hobby Croquet: 5 Mountain Climbing: 6 Skin Diving: 4 Tennis: 5
Vehicle Motorcycle: 4 Convertible: 6 Limousine: 6 Skateboard: 4
Feature Scar: 4 Jewelry: 7 Wig: 4 Tattoo: 5
===============================================================================
Interpretation of Clues [CLUES]
===============================================================================
Some identity clues are revealed explicitly, like "She had brown hair" or "I
saw an ugly tattoo on his arm." Those are not explained here. Also, some clues
have been condensed a little.
--------------------
HAIR
--------------------
Black - Onyx, Ebony, Raven, Coal, Inky tresses, Jet black, Shadowy, Sooty,
Midnight, Velvety sable wisps
Blond - Ashen, Flax, Champagne, Towhead, Fair-haired, Golden tresses, Light-
colored, Sun-bleached, Honey, Maize, Uses peroxide
Brown - Real brunette, Mocha locks, Mousey brown, Nutmeg, Taupe, Mahogany,
Chocolate, Sienna
Red - Bright auburn, Ruby, New pennies, Real carrot top, Titian-colored hair,
Sunny chestnut locks, Burnished copper, Probably uses henna
--------------------
EYES
--------------------
Blue - Indigo, Deep navy, Mediterranean, Sapphire, Royal blue, Deep blue,
Turquoise
Green - Lush jungle, Pine forest, Mint, Teal, Jade, Emerald, Money
Gray - Stormy sky, Cool steel, Silver, Light gray, Pale Gray, Slate, Charcoal
Brown - Deep earthy, Dark cocoa, Sienna, Milk chocolate
--------------------
HOBBY
--------------------
Tennis - Complaining about a sore elbow; Was looking for a clay court; Was
practicing his backhand, Asked about the recent tennis match, Was carrying a
tennis racquet, Was looking for a doubles partner, Was hoping to see all of the
Big Four, She talked a lot about a man named Bill Tilden
Mountain climbing - Talked about great mountains; Bragged about dangerous
sports, Member of the Swiss Alpine Club; Bought boots, crampons, pitons and
carabiners; Was reading Edmund P. Hillary's diary, Mentioned going on a pitch,
Was carrying an oxygen tank, crash helmet and rope, Was looking for a partner
to belay with, Had a wind burnt face
Croquet - Hates dangerous sports, Short shot, Said something about lawn spots,
roque court, Talked about a croquet match, Was trying to locate a good roque
court, Was carrying wickets and a stake, Spoke triumphantly about becoming a
rover, Was going to practice split shots, Missing hoop and mallet
Skin diving - Talking about the bends, Had a Scripps Institution of
Oceanography shirt, Wore a rubber suit, Carried a mask and snorkel, Was reading
about submarine archaeology, Lectured on aeroembolism and pressure physiology,
Talked a lot about a man named Cousteau, Mentioned a fish sticking match, Had
just bought a video called Le monde du silence
--------------------
FEATURE
--------------------
Wig - Called him Twiggy/Wiggy, Hair looked real... almost, A wig...gle when
walked, Was really wigged out, Was looking for bobby pins, Curls remained calm
on a windy day, Wig kept sliding off
Jewelry - Wore a fancy ring, Looking for an antique jewelry shop/local
lapidary/gem broker/good diamond cutter, Was going to meet with a gemologist
Tattoo - Favorite album was The Rolling Stones' "Tattoo You"
Scar - All of these are pretty obvious
--------------------
FOOD
--------------------
Mexican - Nachos, Burrito, Fajitas, Hot tamales, Hot and spicy food, Won a
chili cookoff, Was planning a taco party, Gave a salsa recipe, Mexican
restaurant
Junk - Attack of the munchies, Candy bars, Potato chips and dip, Fast food
restaurant, A truck load of hot greasy french fries, Creme doughnuts, Blender
for mix-ins
Chinese - Ginger, Tea/won tons, Szechaun restaurant, Mandarin restaurant,
Shrimp toast, Nimble with chop sticks, Had rice with dinner, Read his fortune
after dinner, Had been to a tea reading and spoke of great won tons
Seafood - Dockside restaurant, Fish 'n' chips, Mahi-mahi, Fried calamari, Box
of Maine lobster, Shucking oysters, Hollandaise for Salmon
--------------------
VEHICLE
--------------------
Motorcycle - Rode a Harley, Mentioned a broken kickstand, Was riding a
motorbike, Carried a helmet, Wore black leather jacket and chaps, Liked to
weave in and out of rush hour traffic, Said favorite movie was "Easy Rider"
Convertible - Nice hotrod, Great roadster, Was removing his ragtop, Loved
driving with the wind in his hair, Was worried about his car being outside in
the rain
Skateboard - Wore a "Skateboarding Isn't a Crime" T-shirt, Had on knee and
elbow pads, Was carrying hard rubber wheels and ball bearings, Jumping over
sidewalk curbs, Was heading out for some sidewalk surfing, Was looking for a
smoothly paved parking lot, Mentioned a drained swimming pool
Limousine - Long car with tinted windows, Had his driver along, Her chauffeur
wisked her away, Arrived in a private limo, Was driving a limo, Could stretch
out in his stretch, A doorman said he was watching T.V. when he arrived
===============================================================================
Goofy In-Game Messages [GOOFY]
===============================================================================
These messages can appear if you dial certain phone numbers with your
Videophone. Most of these people are game developers and programmers. I'm not
sure what numbers you need to dial to get these humorous messages, though. If
someone knows, please send me an e-mail!
911: If it's a REAL emergency, you had better find a REAL phone!
Operator: I'm sorry. 976 numbers are blocked out by your video phone. It seems
somebody ran up quite a bill recently.
Information: What city, please?
Glenn: Sorry, can't talk right now. You know, this game would be even better if
it had the NEW toolbox in it
Lance: Leave me a message at the beep. What are you doing calling me at home
anyway. You know I'm always at work!
Tony: I haven't got time to talk. The network's down again.
Leila: I think the graphics are the best part of this product. But then again,
I AM the Graphic Goddess!
Janese: Sorry, I'm busy now. Call me later. When's the softball game?
Barbara: Kona and I aren't home now, but we'll return your call soon.
Kim: No time to chit-chat. I'm on my way out the door to do some serious
windsurfing and relaxing. I've earned it!
Laurie: Well, I'm off to the gym. But we'll have Thai food soon. Really. I
promise!
Christa: Oh, it's so SPECIAL that you called. Let's do lunch. Or maybe beer and
pizza after volleyball.
Jeff: Well, I guess your install program worked. Mondays, Thursdays, what's the
difference?
Tom: Howdy Dude! Gee, these digital sounds and MIDI music sound great, don't
they? MY department did all of it, don't you know?
Michelle: Hi. This is Michelle. I'm not home right now because I'm taking a
well-deserved vacation away from programmers.
Jonelle: Hi. This is Jonelle. I'm not home right now because I'm taking a well-
deserved vacation. We ARE done aren't we?
Michael: Hold it right there. Leave me a message and I'll call you back.
John: The folks in my department sure put out a GREAT product, don't they?
Tom: If you think this product looks good, just wait until Han Solo ships.
Broderbund Software: Thanks for calling. We are dedicated to bringing you the
finest software for your home computer.
Tech Support: If you truly need technical assistance with this product, try
using a real phone. Thanks!
Maureen: I can't get to the phone right now. I'm off on yet another free-lance
job.
Louis: O.K., so it's good. But is it an ORIGINAL product?
Alan: Looks great. I can't wait for the Nintendo version.
Rod: I can't talk now. I'm STILL working on Algebra. HELP!!!!!!
Matt: I ain't no JUNIOR programmer, ya' know!
Bob: I like the way the plane flies behind the continents. How did you do that
with the standard ODDS drawing modes?
J.C.: Bug free???? Ha! If I just had a LITTLE more time...
Joel: Hi. I'm not here right now, so I'll call you back later. But your
Treehouse graphics are ready. Why aren't you?
Nancee: I can't talk right now. I'm just on my way out the door to pick up
ANOTHER cake.
The number you have reached is not in service. Please check the number and
dial again.
You have 0 unread network messages.
Crime Net will be out of service for the next 2 hours. Try again later.
Your telephone bill is past due. This is your second notice.
The number you have reached has been disconnected. Please contact the operator
if you feel this message is in error.
All circuits are busy at this time. Please try your call again.
This is Sav-Rite Collection Agency. Call me. I want to help you.
===============================================================================
Frequently Asked Questions [QUEST]
===============================================================================
Q: What are the differences between each detective rank?
A: As you go along, each case takes a little longer (with the same amount of
time to solve it), and promotions will take longer to obtain. However, your
accumulated crime-stopping experience will keep later cases from being too
difficult.
Place Cases Notes
Gumshoe 3 0 Take your time to get the hang of the game
Investigator 4 1
Sr. Investigator 5 5 Explore thoroughly to find enough identity clues
Inspector 6 10 Often a lot of clues about crops and minerals
Sr. Inspector 7 16
Detective 8 24
Master Detective 9 34 Be quick and don't get off track
Super Sleuth 10 49 You get a Commendation every ten cases
Hall of Fame - 80 Your ultimate goal
Q: How can I make the game run faster?
A: If you're still playing Carmen on your 386, you'll get a much faster
performance if you run it on a Pentium-era processor (or Dosbox). Also, you can
press the Escape key to speed up most cutscenes (like the airplane or common
henchmen) and messages like "Receiving Transmission." Don't worry; the Esc key
will never end your game.
Q: How long does it take to complete a case?
A: In game time, your time limit is six days, regardless of your rank. For
experienced players, approximately one minute for each location visited.
Players who are less proficient at geography may take a little longer, and
using the Esc key to skip cutscenes can reduce your time by almost half.
Q: Kampuchea isn't in the countries list of my almanac. Why is that?
A: The country of Kampuchea is usually known as Cambodia. Also, Myanmar is also
known as Burma (often in parentheses).
Q: How many locations are there in this game?
A: There are 45 V.I.L.E. hideouts: Kabul, Afghanistan; Sydney, Australia;
Vienna, Austria; Rio De Janeiro, Brazil; Montreal, Canada; Beijing, China;
Havana, Cuba; Copenhagen, Denmark; Cairo, Egypt; Paris, France; Athens, Greece;
Guatemala City, Guatemala; Tegucigalpa, Honduras; Reykjavik, Iceland; New
Delhi, India; Jakarta, Indonesia; Baghdad, Iraq; Jerusalem, Israel; Rome,
Italy; Kingston, Jamaica; Tokyo, Japan; Phnom Penh, Kampuchea [Cambodia];
Nairobi, Kenya; Bamako, Mali; Mexico City, Mexico; Yangon, Myanmar [Burma];
Kathmandu, Nepal; Oslo, Norway; Karachi, Pakistan; Panama City, Panama; Port
Moresby, Papua New Guinea; Lima, Peru; Manila, Philippines; Warsaw, Poland;
Kigali, Rwanda; Singapore, Singapore; Seoul, South Korea; Colombo, Sri Lanka;
Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania; Bangkok, Thailand; Istanbul, Turkey; Moscow, USSR; New
York City, USA; London, United Kingdom
Q: I'm having trouble with a clue. What should I do?
A: First, I recommend having a dictionary, encyclopedia, atlas, and almanac
handy while playing. This helps a lot. Think about the kinds of names and words
mentioned in clues. For example, if you see a French name, your next
destination will probably be a place where French is the principal language
(and it's not necessarily France!). Likewise with Spanish or English
names/places. More obscure-sounding names may point in the direction of Africa
or Southeast Asia. Remember that clues can point to the main city or other
cities in that country. While some clues tell you explicitly where to go next,
others are more obscure, and some will even try to trick you! Use my guide to
help decipher identity clues. Here are a few tips on some of the more obscure
clues:
* Go to Havana if the suspect was looking for a country with free health care.
* The Loch Ness Monster is rumored to live in Scotland, but London is close
enough.
* If a suspect wanted to become a pepper tycoon, go to Bangkok (not Central
America).
* If someone fled in a limo that was flying a certain flag, you should go to a
nation that has the same colors as that flag (check the Country menu). It does
NOT necessarily mean that you should enter "Limousine" in the vehicle blank in
Evidence.
Q: I'm close to the crook, but I don't have a warrant. What do I do?
A: If there's not much time left, fill in enough information to get a warrant
for somebody - as I said earlier, a wrong warrant is better than no warrant at
all. If you have a lot of time, go back to the last location and try to collect
sufficient character clues to earn a warrant before you return to catch the
V.I.L.E. baddie.
Another option: Save your game and copy the CARMEN.SAV file to another
directory. Then resume the game and find out who the crook is. Copy the old
CARMEN.SAV to the main directory to resume the game from the same point as
before. Now it'll be a piece of cake! This "save state" trick works best on
longer cases. Use it at your own risk.
Q: I tried to get a warrant, but I got an "All suspects eliminated" message.
What now?
A: This is not a good situation! See if you can remember how you got some
clues. Try leaving an additional Evidence field empty - preferably one of the
more dubious clues. Then issue a new warrant, and if you're lucky, you'll get
one. Otherwise, keep leaving trying with other fields blank, or just give up.
Q: What are the answers to the promotion quizzes?
A: Like many games of its time, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego employs
"off-disk copy protection" - a low-tech method of trying to prevent people from
making unauthorized copies of software. Every time you get promoted to a new
rank, you must answer a question. If you guess wrong three times, you'll have
to solve another case before reaching the next rank. The answers to all of
these questions can be found in the 1990 World Almanac (which comes with the
game), but if you've lost your almanac, here are the answers to the promotion
questions. Two of these were contributed by Adam Lau. Note that the questions
might be different in different versions of the game.
The U.S. flag was nicknamed Old Glory by <William> Driver.
The U.S. flag of 1777 was used until <1795>.
The Erastus Corning II Tower in Albany, N.Y. is <589> feet tall.
The Sears Tower in Chicago has <110> stories.
The main export of Belize is <SUGAR>.
Pedro Alvares Cabral is credited as being the first European to reach Brazil in
the year <1500>.
New Zealand's currency is the <DOLLAR>.
The largest island in the Caribbean Sea is <CUBA>.
Fiji became independent in <1970>.
Iceland is 39,769 square miles; the size of the state of <VIRGINIA>.
<HONSHU> Island is the "mainland" of Japan.
Suriname is slightly larger than the state of <GEORGIA>.
Ray Ewry, a notable sports personality, won <8> Olympic gold medals.
Patty Berg won Woman Athlete of the Year <3> times.
William S. <GILBERT> was the British lyricist who wrote "Pirates of Penzance."
Edward White was the first American to walk in space in the year <1965>.
The country of <China> produces more wheat and rice than any other country.
Peggy Fleming won the gold medal in figure skating in the <1968> Winter
Olympics.
Q: I was reading your Carmen Sandiego guide online and I just have to ask
you a question. Have you ever caught Lady Agatha Wayland? I've had this game a
long time and it's just NEVER been her. I'm wondering if this is a glitch just
in my game or if you've never caught her as well. (from Katie Futrell)
A: I know I've caught Lady Agatha Wayland before, although not as frequently as
some of the other V.I.L.E. henchmen. There are several different versions of
Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego, so it's conceivable that your particular
game has a glitch. However, I'm pretty sure it comes down to the
counterintuitive effects of probability. It's very possible that you could
complete 50, 60, or more cases without getting a particular crook.
Q: I was wondering how many cases do you have to complete before you reach
Carmen herself? Is there a specific status you need to reach first? (from
Stephen Rudge)
A: If you're playing the Deluxe Edition of Where in the World is Carmen
Sandiego, it's possible to reach the Hall of Fame without ever catching Carmen
herself. Carmen rarely (if ever) appears in this particular version. In fact, I
reached the Hall of Fame without catching her once. Some Carmen Sandiego games
require you to catch Carmen to reach the highest rank, but not this one.
For this reason, if you're following a brown-haired woman who likes jewelry and
Mexican food, it's probably Merey LaRoc, not Carmen.
Q: I can see that your guide says it takes 80 cases to get to the Hall of Fame.
Does reaching the Hall of Fame do anything else in the game that you're aware
of? (from Santiago McRib)
A: When you reach the Hall of Fame, your character's name will be added to the
Hall of Fame list, and you won't be able to log in to the game with that name
anymore. If you get too prolific at putting V.I.L.E. henchmen behind bars, you
might wind up on someone's hitlist! But don't worry - you can still play the
game with a different alias. As far as I'm aware, nothing changes for other
players once someone has reached the Hall of Fame.
Q: What does V.I.L.E. stand for?
A: Villain's International League of Evil. How vile!
Q: What happens if you try to sign in using the name of a V.I.L.E. henchman?
A: You get the following message: "ACME makes it a policy never to enlist the
services of known felons. Thank you for your interest, however."
Q: Can you do anything silly using your phone?
A: Try calling 911, 411, or 976-xxxx (replace the x's with any number of your
choice) and you'll get a silly message.
Q: What other notes and tips do you have?
A: Here are a few miscellaneous tips, tidbits, and observations about the game:
* Each clue provides ONE hint related to the next destination OR the suspect's
identity - never both (or neither). Sometimes Crime Net or a witness will
provide more than one clue at a time, but the clues will be in separate speech
bubbles. For example, you'll never get a clue like "She was seen at Buckingham
Palace wearing a Wimbledon T-shirt and driving a convertible."
* In earlier cases, investigate thoroughly to get enough clues to get a
warrant; as you move up the ranks, you'll need to do as few items on your To-Do
List as possible while still being careful to avoid going off course.
* Each time you perform a task on a location's To-Do List, a little more time
is consumed than the last task (regardless of the order listed on the Note
Pad). For example, if you just call Crime Net, one hour will tick away. If you
do all three things, the third action will take three hours.
* The closer a future destination is to you, the more willing you should be to
go there without obtaining certain evidence. For example, suppose you're in
Paris. After calling Crime Net, you bring up the Travel box. You've got it
narrowed down 50-50 between London and Paris. It's less important to find many
clues when traveling to a near destination than when you're flying to the other
side of the globe. If you guess wrong, it won't cost any more time than it
would've to gather more information.
* It can be useful to keep notes on paper while playing. For example, you may
want to write down a certain clue. It can also be useful to keep track of the
locations you've been to, in case you need to backtrack after making a mistake.
* Don't get the land of the rising sun (Japan) mixed up with the land of the
midnight sun (Iceland).
* You can complete a Super Sleuth-level case in about three game days if you're
very careful and efficient. This requires luck (specifically, from short travel
times and easy-to-understand clues).
* You won't overwrite someone else's case when you save and quit.
* The sign-in screen is case-insensitive (except for the first time you enter
your name), as is the Promotion Quiz entry.
* The Deluxe Edition of Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego drops San Marino
and Moroni while adding numerous new locations. Also, Peking is now known as
Beijing. Later Carmen games had even more places to visit.
* Many witnesses and informants have the same graphics but different
occupations; for example, one character can be a Waitress, Baby-sitter, or
Coed. In contrast, some people, like the Exchange Student, have many different
appearances.
* One hint (referring to Canada) mentions Exhibition Stadium. However, the
Toronto Blue Jays had moved to the Skydome (now the Rogers Centre) in 1989.
* The Chief in this game is, of course, not the one played by Lynne Thigpen on
the old Carmen Sandiego TV show.
* In this game, Carmen Sandiego is listed as having brown hair; her hair is
black in other games.
* Nick Brunch looks a lot like the V.I.L.E. lawyer.
* If the judge flashes text really quickly at the end of the case, it's
"GUILTY!!" I think the message appeared for a longer period of time on slower,
1990-era computers.
* The game contains a few mild violations of the rules of grammar. For example,
it says Bjorn Toulouse can eat junk food everyday [sic] without losing weight,
and several places lack commas that should've been used. Also, "wisked" isn't a
word, and "Note Pad" is usually one word.
* The Mexican food described in this game would probably be more accurately
termed "Tex-Mex."
* When you visit a location, the photo shown doesn't always match the location.
For example, when you visit Rome, the game shows an image of Venice, and the
Great Wall of China is displayed when you're in Beijing.
* When you change locations, the plane shown will vary depending on the
distance of the flight. Also notice how different map projections will appear
different times.
* Yul B. Sorry is the only black V.I.L.E. henchman in this game.
* Because of the way the map is shown, there are never trans-Pacific flights -
something that would save you precious hours in the game. A flight from ACME
Headquarters to Sydney takes nine hours. Fortunately, you can more than make up
for this time loss - maybe because there wasn't so much airport security back
then.
* You have to sleep eight hours per day, and the sleep break never occurs while
you're traveling. You may be waking up as late as 1 P.M.!
* The Stones really did have an album known as "Tattoo You."
* You can use Notepad (or similar programs) to open the CARMEN.DAT file and
view all of the game text. Most of it is gibberish, but some of it may be
interesting.
* If this program is to be used in an educational setting, it may be
advantageous or necessary to pair students up, especially since most students
have studied very little about geography in the modern school system.
* The people who authorize searches, like Mandy Crispel, Katie Maguire, Michael
Barrett (not the former catcher), Leslie Wilson, and Mark Schlicting, are game
developers.
* I completed every case I got until #43, when I got hopelessly lost. I
successfully caught the crook in about 90% of the cases I was assigned.
* Remember that Argentina won the 1986 World Cup of Football (soccer to
Americans) and that they'll put you in the pokey if you call the referee an
"umpire."
* King Bluetooth did not invent Bluetooth headsets, nor did the Beach Boys sing
"Help Me Rwanda."
* I don't use the non-ASCII symbols found in "Broderbund" and "Pokemon" since
they may not display properly on all web browsers or word processors.
===============================================================================
Version History [VERSN]
===============================================================================
I've worked pretty sporadically on this guide.
Date | Version | Size |
--------|---------|------|-----------------------------------------------------
2-18-08 | 0.1 | 6KB | Began guide.
2-19-08 | 0.12 | 7KB | Did very little.
3- 7-08 | 0.15 | 15KB | Finally gave it its own file. Added main framework.
4- 1-08 | 0.2 | 17KB | Wrote introduction.
5-10-08 | 0.3 | 24KB | Started Interpretation of Clues.
5-17-08 | 0.4 | 33KB | Did a lot of stuff.
5-30-08 | 0.5 | 34KB | Processed notes and such.
6- 2-08 | 0.6 | 35KB | Did a little.
6- 3-08 | 0.7 | 39KB | Did some more.
6- 4-08 | 0.85 | 43KB | Almost complete.
6- 5-08 | 1.0 | 47KB | Finished things up.
5-13-09 | 1.1 | 48KB | Made some adjustments.
1-20-15 | 1.2 | 49KB | Clarified that this is designed for the 1990 Deluxe
| | | Edition, and improved formatting.
4-20-15 | 1.25 | 49KB | Added a couple of promotion hints from Adam Lau.
4-22-19 | 1.3 | 46KB | Fixed a problem with a skin diving clue being in the
| | | tennis section. Thanks Stephen Einbinder for the
| | | note. Also standardized Copyright/Contact, removed
| | | an outdated guide list, and made other tweaks.
4-24-19 | 1.31 | 47KB | Added a couple of interesting questions that readers
| | | have asked over the past year or so. Made other
| | | small improvements.
3-22-20 | 1.32 | 47KB | Fixed a typo - thanks Jared from Sacramento for
| | | pointing it out!
===============================================================================
Copyright [COPYR]
===============================================================================
(c) 2008-2020 VinnyVideo. All rights reserved.
All trademarks and copyrights mentioned in this guide are property of their
respective holders.
You can post this guide on your Web site as long as you give proper credit to
VinnyVideo and you don't change anything I wrote. The latest version of this
guide will always be available at GameFAQs and Neoseeker, but don't count on
there being frequent (if any) updates.
===============================================================================
Contact Information [CONTC]
===============================================================================
If you have any questions or comments about this guide, please send an e-mail
to
[email protected]. That's zero-zero-two, by the way. Remember that not
all e-mail messages will be read. Please follow these guidelines:
* Do include "Carmen Sandiego" in the subject line.
* Do send polite suggestions for ways to make this walkthrough better.
* Do tell me about any errors or omissions you find in this guide.
* Do send information about any glitches, tricks, or codes you discover.
* Do ask any questions you have about gameplay.
* Do make a reasonable effort to use decent spelling and grammar
so I can understand what you're trying to say.
* Do use patience. I respond to my e-mail quite sporadically.
* Do not send spam, pornography, flaming, chain letters, or anything that
contains profanity or vulgarity. Junk like that gets deleted on sight.
