The Time Warp of Dr. Brain
Encyclopedia
The Time Warp of Dr. Brain is the fourth installment of the educational game
series Dr. Brain
by Sierra Entertainment
. The game's structure is similar to its predecessor, The Lost Mind of Dr. Brain
: the player must complete several puzzles which appeal to a specific part of the brain; however, this game also adds a time-period based theme to each puzzle and the game's theme overall is time travel
.
; therefore, the games are loosely based on space and time.
At the start of the game is a mini-game similar to the video-game Space Invaders
. This serves as the main menu of the game. The player must shoot the appropriate spaceship to choose options.
After completing all 10 puzzles, Dr. Brain is seen passing the starting screen in his time travelling machine, and returning home through a space-time rift.
Educational game
Educational games are games that have been designed to teach people about a certain subject, expand concepts, reinforce development, understand an historical event or culture, or assist them in learning a skill as they play...
series Dr. Brain
Dr. Brain
Dr. Brain is a series of educational games made by Sierra On-Line in the 1990s. The objective of each game is solving a series of puzzles in order to proceed further into the game. The series was later picked up by Knowledge Adventure who turned it into a more action-oriented game.The original two...
by Sierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment Inc. was an American video-game developer and publisher founded in 1979 as On-Line Systems by Ken and Roberta Williams...
. The game's structure is similar to its predecessor, The Lost Mind of Dr. Brain
The Lost Mind of Dr. Brain
The Lost Mind of Dr. Brain is the third installment of the educational Dr. Brain series, created and published by Sierra Entertainment.As in the first two games, Lost Mind features science related puzzles. Where the previous installments featured a large, semi-free-roaming environment, however,...
: the player must complete several puzzles which appeal to a specific part of the brain; however, this game also adds a time-period based theme to each puzzle and the game's theme overall is time travel
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
.
Theme
The beginning scene of the game comically reveals the storyline behind solving the puzzles: Dr. Brain had used a "transportation device" to travel back in time by one week to find his lost car keys. In an accident, he travelled to an alternate dimension; the only way out of this strange area is to solve all the puzzles successfully. The theme of the game is time travelTime travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
; therefore, the games are loosely based on space and time.
Gameplay
Like the previous titles, The Time Warp of Dr. Brain is a simple point-and-click. The objective of the game is to successfully complete a set of 10 puzzles. Throughout the game, Dr. Brain poses as an advisor to the player, constantly passing witty comments and suggestions. There are three difficulty levels: novice, expert, and genius, with each level containing its own set of predetermined puzzles. Each level has a set of 20 sub-games. Each game can be completed at the player's choosing, and the difficulty levels can be alternated between at any time; completion of each puzzle is based on the score accrued. A total of approximately 12000 points is needed to finish one of the games, with a win in novice, expert, and genius levels granting 250, 1000, and 2250 points, respectively.At the start of the game is a mini-game similar to the video-game Space Invaders
Space Invaders
is an arcade video game designed by Tomohiro Nishikado, and released in 1978. It was originally manufactured and sold by Taito in Japan, and was later licensed for production in the United States by the Midway division of Bally. Space Invaders is one of the earliest shooting games and the aim is to...
. This serves as the main menu of the game. The player must shoot the appropriate spaceship to choose options.
Puzzle sets
Most of the puzzle sets require logical thinking and planning, while others require dexterity, and some require a mixture of the two. The puzzle sets include the following:- Primordial Soup – Dr. Brain takes the form of a green single-celled organism, and his aim is to defeat the single yellow-celled organism. There are many objects in the primordial soup to aid or hinder both cells, such as catalysts for mitosis and viral spores. The game takes place in 990,000,000 BC.
- Spelunking – Dr. Brain takes the form of a prehistoric lungfishLungfishLungfish are freshwater fish belonging to the Subclass Dipnoi. Lungfish are best known for retaining characteristics primitive within the Osteichthyes, including the ability to breathe air, and structures primitive within Sarcopterygii, including the presence of lobed fins with a well-developed...
which must be guided through an underwater cavern. The caves feature predators which will attack the lungfish, though all fish, predator and lungfish, are invincible. The fish's only threat to survival is air: it requires replenishment of air through oxygen bubbles from the cavern floors or it will drown. The puzzle takes place in 200,000,000 BC. - Lizards and Eggs – Dr. Brain is a mother lizardLizardLizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
attempting to hatch her eggs warm by placing them on geologic hot spotsVolcano2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
to warm them. The eggs will rot if they are allowed to grow too cold. The game takes place in 60,000,000 BC. - Beaver Dam – Dr. Brain is a beaver attempting to build a damBeaver damBeaver dams are dams built by beavers as protection against predators such as coyotes, wolves, and bears, and to provide easy access to food during winter. Beavers work at night and are prolific builders, carrying mud and stones with their fore-paws and timber between their teeth...
across the river with the sticks that float downstream, while maneuvering logs away that can potentially damage the dam. It takes place in 2,000,000 BC. - Caveman Rock – Dr. Brain is a bass guitarist caveman with a full rock band. In this game, one listens to a recording of a song, and attempts to assemble it with sound bytes of each player's parts. It takes place in 1,000,000 BC.
- Monkey-See-Monkey-Do – Dr. Brain attempts to defeat a very intelligent monkey by creating as many three- to five-letter words as possible. The game takes place in 10,000 BC. The Genius and Expert levels require knowledge of letters in American Sign LanguageAmerican Sign LanguageAmerican Sign Language, or ASL, for a time also called Ameslan, is the dominant sign language of Deaf Americans, including deaf communities in the United States, in the English-speaking parts of Canada, and in some regions of Mexico...
in order to be completed; the game booklet comes with a section in the back which teaches those letters. - Alchemy – Dr. Brain is a young alchemistAlchemyAlchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
attempting to take one chemical and turn it into another chemical. This is accomplished with a machine with several slots; the machine accepts the chemical and alters several aspects via a pre-determined equation. Exceeding the range of any one aspect will turn the chemical into sludge. The game takes place in 1400 AD. - Gridlock – Dr. Brain and several other cars must navigate through a city on the planet MarsMarsMars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
, attempting to get to their destinations without crashing into opposing traffic or duplicating paths. This is done by programming intersections before allowing the vehicles to begin moving. The game's name is a term for a traffic snarlGridlockThe term gridlock is defined as "A state of severe road congestion arising when continuous queues of vehicles block an entire network of intersecting streets, bringing traffic in all directions to a complete standstill; a traffic jam of this kind." The term originates from a situation possible in...
and takes place in 5000 AD. - Spaceshop – Dr. Brain must build a space stationSpace stationA space station is a spacecraft capable of supporting a crew which is designed to remain in space for an extended period of time, and to which other spacecraft can dock. A space station is distinguished from other spacecraft used for human spaceflight by its lack of major propulsion or landing...
using a provided 3-D blueprint. The space station is composed of several individual pieces; each piece can be rotated along all three axes to be connected to the structure. The game takes place in 10,000 AD. - Brainwaves – Dr. Brain is a holographic brain which dispenses clues to the player in order to solve logic puzzles. Other brains provide additional input. The game takes place in 100,000 AD.
After completing all 10 puzzles, Dr. Brain is seen passing the starting screen in his time travelling machine, and returning home through a space-time rift.
External links
- The Timewarp of Dr. Brain on MobyGamesMobyGames-Platforms not yet included:- Further reading :* Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media; 2 edition , ISBN 0-07-223172-6...