There have been a variety of Sesame Street video games released for video game platforms. Most of the Sesame Street video games were published and developed by NewKidCo.
In Big Bird's Egg Catch, the player controls Big Bird as he saves eggs produced by chickens at the top of the screen. These eggs travel down variously contorted chutes to land safely in the basket perched on Big Bird's head. Most eggs count for a single point, but a golden egg will periodically appear that is worth five points. When an egg is dropped, a number of points are lost. At higher levels, the eggs move faster, the chutes become more convoluted, there are more egg-laying hens, and the chutes may even flash invisible. "Turkey in the Straw", the song that plays during the egg-catching, also increases in tempo.
Periodically, Big Bird will exit the screen to count his eggs. During this stage, Big Bird is seen with his basket and numbers flash on the screen progressively faster as he counts. When the total is reached, a song is played and Big Bird dances. The game ends when too many eggs are dropped or a set number of counting sessions is performed.
Cookie Monster Munch
Cookie Monster Munch on the Atari 2600
Cookie Monster Munch is a video game developed by Atari and Children's Computer Workshop for the Atari 2600 and released in 1983.[3] The game was programmed by Gary Stark.[4]
The objective of Cookie Monster Munch is to guide Cookie Monster through a simple maze, collecting cookies and placing them in a cookie jar at the bottom of the screen.
Cookie Monster Munch used an Atari Kid's Controller (sold separately), although the regular keyboard controller would also work.
Cookie Monster's Quest
Cookie Monster's Quest has you play as Cookie Monster, as you wander around Sesame Street looking for your chocolate chip cookie, that you did not eat. [5] Along the way, you help your friends complete quests in this point-and-click game made around 2001. [6]
Count's Castle
Count's Castle is a video game developed by Atari for the Atari 2600. The game was never finished and was about 80% complete before development was stopped[7] and no prototype has been found. It was going to be a math based game.
Countdown
Sesame Street: Countdown is a platform game released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1991. Players control Count von Count as they search for a number. The number is chosen in a spinning wheel. Each time players collect the right number, which may be in the form of a number or a collection of items that add up to the number. When players begin, they may choose to move by jumping repeatedly or running.[8]
Elmo's Art Workshop
Elmo's Art Workshop is a CD-ROM game produced by Creative Wonders and the Children's Television Workshop. First released as Sesame Street Art Workshop in 1995, it was reissued by Creative Wonders in 1998, and Encore Software in 2002 and 2005. The game's activities allow users to draw, paint and create artwork. Elmo, who is only heard in voice-over, gives instructions throughout.
Voices
Kevin Clash as Elmo
Elmo's Deep Sea Adventure
Elmo's Deep Sea Adventure is a CD-ROM game. The game was developed by Mattel Media in 2000 and re-released by Sesame Workshop in 2005, and by Encore Software in 2006. Elmo invites users to join him on his deep sea submarine to explore shipwrecks, sunken cities and lost treasure. Oscar, Grover, Zoe, Rosita and Telly also appear. Skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision making are taught in three play modes, five activities, and two levels.[9]
Players must guide Elmo through three areas, split into two halves each, collecting the numbers needed to answer the mathematical problems posed by each area's host. Play begins on Sesame Street, where the player must choose one of three difficulty levels and then proceed to Elmo's playroom to access a tutorial or talk to one of the hosts in order to access their area. The difficulty level determines how many problems the player must solve to proceed to the next area, and how many mistakes a player can make before game over. Unlike many video games, there are no enemies to defeat and no races against the clock, play revolves around choosing the correct answer to problems and navigating areas with different vehicles.[11]
The Nintendo 64 version of Elmo's Number Journey has been somewhat popular amongst speedrunners in recent years due to the game's short duration.[12]
Elmo's Preschool
Elmo's Preschool is a CD-ROM game developed by Creative Wonders and Children's Television Workshop in August 1996.[13] Elmo guides the user, who chooses to play in one of the five unique playrooms available.
Voices
Kevin Clash as Elmo
The game sold more than 150,000 units by January 1997.[13]
Elmo Through the Looking-Glass
Elmo Through the Looking-Glass is a CD-ROM game. The game was developed by Creative Wonders and Children's Television Workshop in 1998 and later re-released by Encore Software and Sesame Workshop in 2004.
It was first released as Reading Adventure. When it was re-released the name changed.[citation needed]
In this game, Elmo goes through the looking-glass in his room to find the little red monster he sees there. Skills emphasized include object identification, visual discrimination, vocabulary, matching, and reading.[14] In 1998, this game was included in the two-disc Elmo's Reading: Preschool and Kindergarten CD-ROM set, along with Elmo's Reading Basics.
Get Set to Learn! is a CD-ROM game. The game was developed by Creative Wonders and Children's Television Workshop in 1996.[17] This game promotes the thinking and problem-solving skills necessary for learning.
Voices
Don Pearson as Guy Smiley
Caroll Spinney as Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch
Frank Oz as Grover and Cookie Monster
Jerry Nelson as Count von Count
Fran Brill as Zoe
Martin P. Robinson as Telly
Jerry Nelson and Martin P. Robinson as the Martians
Grover's Music Maker
Grover's Music Maker (originally called Monkey Music[citation needed]) is a video game for the Atari 2600 developed by Atari in 1983 but never released. The game was programmed by Stephen Keith and Preston Stuart and uses the Atari Kid's Controller.
The game has several songs pre-programmed into it that children can listen to as Grover dances across the stage. Players can also make their own songs by pressing different buttons on the keypad.
Grover's Travels
Grover's Travels is a 1998 CD-ROM game developed by Encore Software and Children's Television Workshop. In this parody of Gulliver's Travels, users join Grover as he meets Big Bird, Elmo, Mr. Snuffleupagus and more. There are six activities designed to teach numbers, shapes, sound recognition, story comprehension and emotions.
Let's Make a Word!
Let's Make a Word! is a 1995 CD-ROM game developed by Electronic Arts and Children's Television Workshop.
Guy Smiley welcomes users to his latest game show. Big Bird, Elmo, Oscar the Grouch, Rosita, Zoe and the Two-Headed Monster also appear. There are 6 different contestants, four locations filled with words, and over 300 words in this game to choose from.
The game was reissued by Creative Wonders, including as part of the two-disc Kindergarten Deluxe CD-ROM set, and later by Encore Software with different packaging.
Voices
Don Pearson as Guy Smiley
Caroll Spinney as Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch
Kevin Clash as Elmo
Fran Brill as Zoe
Carmen Osbahr as Rosita
Jerry Nelson and Adam Hunt as the Two-Headed Monster
Music Maker
Music Maker is a Sesame Street CD-ROM released in 1999 by Sesame Workshop and Mattel Interactive.
Elmo, Bert and Ernie, Grover and Cookie Monster lead kids into a music activity center of eight games and activities. The game also includes newly recorded and mixed versions of Sesame Street's greatest hits including "Rubber Duckie", "C is for Cookie" and "Elmo's Song" among others.
Voices
Kevin Clash as Elmo
Steve Whitemire as Ernie
Frank Oz as Bert, Grover and Cookie Monster
Pals Around Town
Pals Around Town is a computer game published by Hi-Tech Expressions in 1987 and programmed by Children's Television Workshop. It was released for the Atari, Commodore 64, and the IBM PCjr in cartridge form.
The basis for the game was strictly educational. The player could pick a character (Sesame Street characters available included Bert and Ernie, among others) and could interact with various objects in a variety of settings. Two such settings were a school classroom and an outdoor playground. Some items that could be interacted with included a fishbowl and a globe.
Oscar's Trash Race
Oscar's Trash Race is a video game for the Atari 2600 developed by Atari and was released in 1984.[18] The game was programmed by Christopher Omarzu[citation needed] and uses the Atari Kid's Controller.
The goal is to help Oscar the Grouch and the little Grouches collect trash in a race. It was meant to give practice in numerical skills and directional concepts.
Search and Learn Adventures
Search & Learn Adventures is a 1997 CD-ROM game. The game was developed by Creative Wonders and Children's Television Workshop in 1997, and re-released in 1998, 2000 (by Mattel Media), and 2004 (by Encore Software). Sherlock Hemlock guides users as they find the clues to solve puzzles and mysteries. Concepts emphasized are safety, healthy eating and recycling; skills developed include critical thinking and problem-solving. There are more than 20 activity combinations and multiple skill levels.
Voices
Jerry Nelson as Sherlock Hemlock, The Amazing Mumford, Count von Count and Mr. Johnson (The Food Lover)
Caroll Spinney as Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch
Kevin Clash as Elmo and Watson the Dog
Fran Brill as Zoe
Frank Oz as Bert, Grover and Cookie Monster
Steve Whitemire as Ernie makes a cameo in the beach ending but doesn't have any lines
In January 2010, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announced plans to make Sesame Street games for the Xbox 360, which will use the Kinect accessory. The title was announced on February 15, 2011 as Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster, and was released on October 11 of that year.
Voices
Kevin Clash as Elmo
David Rudman as Cookie Monster
Eric Jacobson as Grover
Caroll Spinney as Oscar the Grouch
Martin P. Robinson as Telly Monster and Slimey the Worm
Jerry Nelson and Matt Vogel as Count von Count, Mr. Johnson, The Amazing Mumford and Sherlock Hemlock
Martin P. Robinson as Telly Monster
Martin P. Robinson and Bryant Young as Mr. Snuffleupagus
Carmen Osbahr as Rosita
Leslie Carrara-Rudolph as Abby Cadabby
Joey Mazzarino as Murray Monster
Martin P. Robinson and Matt Vogel as the Martians
Sesame Street A-B-C and 1-2-3
The box art for the compilation of Sesame Street A-B-C and 1-2-3
Sesame Street A-B-C and 1-2-3 are two educational video games for the NES. They were re-released as a compilation cartridge titled Sesame Street A-B-C & 1-2-3.
Sesame Street A-B-C
Sesame Street A-B-C is an educational Nintendo game featuring two educational video games.
The goal of Ernie's Big Splash is to create a series of connections, which include pipes, waterways, sea animals, and some of Ernie's friends including Oscar the Grouch, Bert, Grover, and Cookie Monster that will help Rubber Duckie to make his way to Ernie's bathtub. The game teaches basic logic, directions (North, South, East and West) and sequencing.
In Letter-Go-Round, the goal is to find the correct letter, spell words, and finding the missing letter of a word. There is also a mode where the player has to make a 'secret' word, by finding the correct letters. This game teaches letter recognition, word recognition, capital and lowercase, and spelling.
The video game was published by Hi Tech Expressions, for ages 3 to 6.
Ernie's Big Splash, one of the mini games present, was originally a stand alone title released for IBM PC DOS in 1986,[19][20] but later ported to the Nintendo Entertainment System with other new mini games in 1990. On NES, it was released on the cartridge Sesame Street ABC, supplementing Letter-Go-Round. At some point in time, the game was released for the Unisys ICON operating system, a platform commissioned by the Ontario education system. No copies of this format exist, as the last ICON computers and software were destroyed in the early-2000s.[citation needed]
Sesame Street 1-2-3
Sesame Street 1-2-3 featured two different games: "Astro-Grover," and "Ernie's Magic Shapes", and was released for the NES in 1989.
In Ernie's Magic Shapes, you had to match the right symbol to a base symbol. This game teaches shape and color recognition, and is the only game in the NES line-up of Sesame Street games, that has a tutorial mode, so players can learn how to play.
In Astro-Grover, Grover and his little aliens buddies called 'Zips' teach basic math like counting, adding, and subtracting. Some games include finding the correct number to answer a question, or trying to find a group of the correct number of Zips.
All four sides of the D-pad move Little Bird to the next window clockwise; A and B Buttons both choose a window. The center buttons (Start and Select) exit to the game select screen.
The game's objective is to choose the correct character or letter, with six different levels. The first two levels are based on simply choosing the window instructed by Big Bird, while the next two needed memorizing since the windows close. In the fifth level, the player has to spell the three-letter word instructed by choosing the right letters. In the last level the player must attempt to spell the most number of different words before a time limit, the letters in the windows change after a new word is created.[22]
Sesame Street: Cookie's Counting Carnival is the first of four Sesame Street games targeting the Wii and Nintendo DS to be published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, with a PC version also available. It was developed by Black Lantern Studios and released in 2010 alongside Elmo's A-to-Zoo Adventure. The Nintendo versions utilize motion controls and are packaged with special Wii Remote and Nintendo DS stylus jackets that are intended to make them comfortable to use for young children. This game teaches basic math.
Sesame Street: Counting Cafe is a Sega Genesis game published by EA. Players learn how to count numbers with Grover as he tries to count, climb, and jump while collecting food items for counting. Bert has a tendency to throw an egg in the mass and alter the order.[23]
Sesame Street: Elmo's A-to-Zoo is the second of four Sesame Street games targeting the Wii and Nintendo DS to be published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, with a PC version also available. It was developed by Black Lantern Studios and released in 2010 alongside Cookie's Counting Carnival. The Nintendo versions utilize motion controls and are packaged with special Wii Remote and Nintendo DS stylus jackets that are intended to make them comfortable to use for young children. This game pairs knowledge of the alphabet with an overview of animals.
Sesame Street: Elmo's Musical Monsterpiece is the last of four Sesame Street games targeting the Wii and Nintendo DS to be published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. It was developed by Griptonite Games and released in 2012. As with Ready, Set, Grover! and the Nintendo versions of Elmo's A-to-Zoo and Cookie's Counting Carnival, this game utilizes motion controls and is packaged with special Wii Remote and Nintendo DS stylus jackets that are intended to make them comfortable to use for young children. This game intends to teach about musical instruments and using them to play songs.
This was one of the final videogame appearances of Jerry Nelson's voice of Count von Count before Nelson passed away in August 2012 of the year this game was released.
Voices
Kevin Clash as Elmo
Leslie Carrara-Rudolph as Abby Cadabby
Jerry Nelson as Count von Count
Sesame Street: Letters
Sesame Street: Letters is an interactive Sesame Street computer game that was originally developed by the Children's Television Workshop in 1991. it was reissued by Creative Wonders in 1994, and The Learning Company or Knowledge Adventure in 2001.
Sesame Street: Numbers is an interactive Sesame Street computer game that was originally developed by the Children's Television Workshop in 1991. it was reissued by Creative Wonders in 1994, and The Learning Company or Knowledge Adventure in 2001.
Sesame Street: Ready, Set, Grover! is the third of four Sesame Street games targeting the Wii and Nintendo DS to be published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. It was developed by Griptonite Games and released in 2011. As with the Nintendo versions of Elmo's A-to-Zoo and Cookie's Counting Carnival, this game utilizes motion controls and is packaged with special Wii Remote and Nintendo DS stylus jackets that are intended to make them comfortable to use for young children. This game teaches the basics of personal health, exercise, playtime and relaxation.
The Three Grouchketeers is a 1998 CD-ROM game released in 2005 by Encore Software and Creative Wonders.
This game is a parody of Alexandre Dumas's 1844 novel The Three Musketeers. Telly, Zoe and Grover are on a quest to find King Oscar's missing Royal Pig. Each has a unique talent: Telly knows about shapes, Zoe is good with animals, and Grover reads very well. They must cooperate to complete their tasks.[25]
Voices
Frank Oz as Allistair Cookie Monster and Grover
Fran Brill as Zoe
Martin P. Robinson as Telly
Caroll Spinney as Oscar the Grouch
Related Research Articles
Caroll Edwin Spinney was an American puppeteer, cartoonist, author, artist and speaker, most famous for playing Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on Sesame Street from its inception in 1969 until 2018.
The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland is a 1999 American musical adventure comedy film directed by Gary Halvorson in his feature film debut. This was the second of the two theatrical feature films to be based on the children's television series Sesame Street, after Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird in 1985. It stars Mandy Patinkin and Vanessa Williams alongside Muppet performers Kevin Clash, Caroll Spinney, Steve Whitmire, and Frank Oz.
Rosita is a Muppet character on the children's television series Sesame Street. Fluent in both American English and Mexican Spanish, she is the first regular bilingual Muppet on the show. Rosita comes from Mexico and likes to play the guitar.
Big Bird in China is a 1983 television special based on the children's television series Sesame Street produced by Children's Television Workshop and China Central Television. It was originally broadcast on May 29, 1983, on NBC. Big Bird, Barkley and Little Xiao Fu travel through China to find Feng Huang, the Phoenix bird.
The Muppet Alphabet Album is a Sesame Street learning album based on the children's television series. It was first released in 1971 by Columbia, then reissued in 1976, and by Golden Music in 1990, and by Sony Wonder in 1996, and by Koch Records in 2008. Sony Wonder and Koch Records's reissues included Elmo singing a version of the song, "ABC-DEF-GHI", and called it "Sing the Alphabet". The album features one song for each letter in the alphabet, performed by a variety of Sesame Street characters. Each of the songs uses a different musical style.
Sesame Street... 20 Years & Still Counting is a 1989 television special celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Sesame Street. Hosted by Bill Cosby, the special aired on Friday, April 7, 1989, on NBC.
Elmo Saves Christmas is a Sesame Street Christmas musical fantasy comedy drama television special which was released on PBS on December 2, 1996. It was released to VHS that same year. Inspired by the 1892 short story "Christmas Every Day" by William Dean Howells, Elmo wishes for Christmas to occur every day, only to be taken to the future to learn the adverse consequences of his wish. The program was filmed in Sesame Street's usual home, the Kaufman Astoria Studios in New York City. Footage from the film It's a Wonderful Life also appears in the program and after the credits.
Sesame Street Stays Up Late! is a 1993 Sesame Street New Year's Eve television special with guest appearances of characters from the international versions of Sesame Street. The special was produced by the Children's Television Workshop in association with Norddeutscher Rundfunk, Israel Educational Television, NHK, Televisa S.A. de C.V., Norsk Rikskringkasting and Radiotelevisão Portuguesa, the respective broadcasters of the respective international co-productions featured in the special. This special also marked Steve Whitmire's first performance as Ernie.
Elmopalooza! is a Sesame Street 30th anniversary special that aired on ABC on February 20, 1998. It was taped in the middle of the 29th season of Sesame Street, and features music video remakes of several classic songs from the show performed by celebrity guests.
Don't Eat the Pictures: Sesame Street at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is a one-hour Sesame Street special that aired on PBS on November 16, 1983. The title comes from a song in the special, "Don't Eat the Pictures", sung by Cookie Monster. It was available as a video tape by Random House in 1987, and it was re-released on VHS by Sony Wonder in 1996 and on DVD in 2011. The special has everybody reprising their roles from the children's television series, Sesame Street. The story takes on getting locked in at New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art as they embark on an adventure to find their friend Big Bird, who has gotten lost finding Snuffy. They must stay there until the morning while avoiding a night watchman. The special features the regular human cast of Sesame Street along with several puppet characters, including Cookie Monster, Telly, Bert & Ernie, The Count, Grover, and Oscar the Grouch. Snuffy also appears, even though his names are revealed to be Mr. Snuffleupagus and Aloysius Snuffleupagus; however, at this point in the show's history, he is still the imaginary friend of Big Bird, never seen by the other characters on Sesame Street.
Elmo's Christmas Countdown is a 2007 television Christmas film, featuring the characters from Sesame Street. It was first aired on December 23, 2007, on ABC and starred Ben Stiller.
Abby in Wonderland is a 2008 American musical fantasy film that adapts Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland with the Muppets of Sesame Street. Abby Cadabby stars in the role of Alice. The feature-length adventure was released on DVD by Genius Products on September 30, 2008. In addition to receiving a DVD release, the film received a limited theatrical run in September 2008 through the Kidtoons family matinee series, and was aired on PBS Kids Feast of Favorites during the week of Thanksgiving 2008. It was aired again on December 29, 2008 on local PBS stations.
Sesame Street 4-D Movie Magic was a 4D film theme park attraction formerly located at Universal Studios Japan, SeaWorld San Diego, SeaWorld San Antonio, Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. The attraction, which was made to run at Universal Studios Japan, was later acquired by SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment to run at their Busch Gardens and SeaWorld theme parks. In addition, Busch Gardens parks also include multiple other Sesame Street themed attractions, as part of their Sesame Street Forest of Fun/Sesame Street Safari of Fun park areas. The attraction contained 4-D effects to go along with the film which included spraying water, bursts of air, leg ticklers and fans.
"I Love Trash" is a song with music and lyrics by Jeff Moss. It was sung by the Muppet character Oscar the Grouch on Sesame Street. The song was first sung in the first season of the series and has been re-taped several times.
Sesame Street Jam: A Musical Celebration is a television special which was first broadcast on PBS on March 6, 1994 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the educational television series Sesame Street. Its home-video version, Sesame Street: 25 Wonderful Years was released on October 29, 1993. Caroll Spinney plays Big Bird, reading the title card in a voiceover. Celebrity guests and the Muppets sing songs together.
Sesame Street: 25 Wonderful Years is the home video version of Sesame Street Jam: A Musical Celebration, a special aired on PBS during their pledge drive on March 6, 1994, that commemorates Sesame Street’s 25th anniversary in 1994. This program was originally released on October 29, 1993, under the title Sesame Street's 25th Birthday: A Musical Celebration!25 Wonderful Years focused on celebrity segments, many coming from segments filmed for the show's upcoming 25th season, of artists such as En Vogue and Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
Sesame Street, Special is a pledge-drive special that is based on the children's series, Sesame Street. It aired on PBS stations in March 1988 as part of PBS' March fundraiser.
Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration is a 2019 musical television special to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Sesame Street. Hosted by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the special aired on November 9, 2019, on HBO, followed by a November 17 airing on PBS. It stars the cast and Muppets of Sesame Street, including Kermit the Frog, from the past and present. Many retired cast members and characters reunited on the street for the first time in years since their last appearances. This is the final Sesame Street special to feature long-time Muppet performer Caroll Spinney, who performed Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch for 50 years as well as the cast members Emilio Delgado and Bob McGrath, who played Luis and Bob, respectively, for 45 years.
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