Dr. Brain
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 games were created by an in-house team at Sierra.[citation needed] After the second game was released, Sierra acquired another company, Bright Star Technology, known for its educational games. The series was turned over to a Bright Star team, explaining the change in direction from the second game to the third.[1]
Dr. Brain is a somewhat scatterbrained scientist in old age. He may be described as a mad scientist stereotype, but without the malevolence. Dr. Brain was 'reincarnated' as Dr. Cranium in Quest for Glory IV (both Dr. Brain and Quest for Glory series are designed by Corey Cole, though Dr. Cranium mentions once that one of his descendants would get "his very own game".).
[edit] Sierra Games
- Castle of Dr. Brain (1991) - The first game placed the player trying to solve puzzles relating to Logic and Math in order to win a job at Dr. Brain's Castle.
- The Island of Dr. Brain (1992) - The second hosts a variety of problems, including language, math, and art, to restore power on Dr. Brain's Island.
- The Lost Mind of Dr. Brain (1995) - The third game abandons the adventure game theme of the first two, and is more of a straight puzzle game. For example, there are only eleven puzzles, most must be repeated many times, and the player can switch between puzzles at any time; all of these contrast with the original games. The puzzles are based on the theory of multiple intelligences, and the player must restore Dr. Brain's mind with the help of his niece Elena and his lab rat, Rathbone, who has gained all of the Doctor's knowledge.
- The Time Warp of Dr. Brain (1996) - The fourth and final Sierra game places players with puzzles similar to Lost Mind, trying to bring Dr. Brain out of a time loop.
[edit] Other Sequels
Knowledge Adventure later released three games based on the original series:
- IQ Adventure - The first game is a third-person adventure where the player has to find and use objects to restore a trans-dimensional device that has trapped him in a strange dimension.
- Dr. Brain Thinking Games: Puzzle Madness (1998) or Puzzleopolis - The second game turns Dr. Brain into a brain sitting in a jar, and casts the player as Dr. Brain's clone, Pro, fighting against the evil Con. The player plays mini-games which are logic orientated to gain devices to duel Con and his flunkies with.
- Action Reaction - The final game is played in a first-person perspective, and the player and Dr. Brain have been kidnapped by S.P.O.R.E, an evil organization bent on world domination. Using the three laws of physics, switch flipping, rocket turrets, and the "helping hand" to knock out guards, the player battles through 45 levels to capture the evil Dr. Craven.
The new series recast Dr. Brain as a twenty-something genius instead of an old mad scientist. In the newer games, there are generally less education-oriented and more problem-solving puzzles, although most are third or first person games involving throwing switches and stunning guards (IQ Adventure and Action Reaction). There also seems to be a recurring theme about toast.
