Today’s game is another Hasbro board game transposed into a computer game, along the same line as Operation. This is Clue, and unlike Operation, it is the classic game directly transposed into a computer game with no added value. Like Operation, however, this game came in a box of General Mills cereal and the disc implores us to collect “them” all. I’m not entirely sure how many there are but a little googling on the topic of “general mills hasbro cd-rom promotion” reveals that The Clue and Operation titles must have run as parts of separate promotions.
My first task is to determine whether this game is the same as the Clue title that is already in MobyGames, which bears the full title of Clue: Murder at Boddy Mansion. The extended title is not featured anywhere in this game. But based on some screenshots I found on some other sites, this appears to be the same game (it was difficult to determine since there is an assortment of graphical quality levels).
The game comes in quite a few languages including US & UK English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, and Swedish. Various bits of the localization point to the Clue/Cluedo dichotomy, the latter being the game’s name in Britain and perhaps elsewhere in Europe. I would like to know if it’s pronounced as “cloo-doo” or “cloo-doh”.
As previously indicated, the game is simply a direct adaptation of the classic board game onto the computer screen. At least 3 characters need to play. It can be just you against 2-5 computer players. It can even be 3-6 computer players, if you’re simply the voyeuristic type. There is TCP/IP-based multiplayer with other human players, if you’re really willing to go through that much trouble. At the highest detail levels, the graphics are beautifully rendered but terribly confusing with all the translucent walls. Regrettably, the game actually looks much better, or is less madness-inducing, if you play with all the graphical gimmicks shut off.
All in all, this game hearkens back to an era where anything digital was greeted with uncritical, wide-eyed wonderment. Those were the days. These days, the schtick wears thin really quick and you’re much better off with the original board game which is still quite common to come by.
The game features a number of Cinepak/PCM AVI files that depict the 6 differents characters committing a ghastly murder with each of 6 possible weapons (thankfully, the designers felt it unnecessary to also show each scene in each of the 6 possible rooms). The weirdest movie is how they handle the initial card shuffle. Remember that at the beginning of a Clue game, you randomly select the guilty party, the weapon, and the room where the crime was committed. The other cards are shuffled and dealt to the player. How to handle it in this game? With special ghost hands whose hands deal fate. Observe:
One more fascinating bit of trivia about this particular CD-ROM: iTunes thinks that the disc is Kelly Clarkson’s Thankful album. The CD hashing algorithm experienced a collision and it mapped to Kelly’s album. However, there are 4 very nice redbook audio tracks on the disc, ripe for the rip.
WildKard says:
Well Mike, I can also tell you that there are General Mills versions of Boggle CDROM, Scrabble, Sorry! and Yahtzee! . These are the ones in my posession, and like you, I have a Clue that merely says “English version” without giving any extra details. All of these games seem to be made by Infogrames or Hasbro (which I believe are owned by the same company now).
Anyway… I haven’t been brave enough to install or even begin cover art scans on these yet… but no doubt they’re in the same cheap cereal box sleve cases as your own.
Multimedia Mike says:
My Clue CD-ROM has both French and English on the physical disc. So I suspect it was intended for both American and Canadian markets.
Both this disc and the Operation disc were purchased used so unfortunately I did not receive any additional sleeve cover art.
WildKard says:
Yeah, I should have mentioned that mine in both english/french also (Canadian cereal, go figure). However… I do have the sleeve… and I just turned it over…. it has a list of all the games there are to collect. I guess “Monopoly Jr” and “Tonka Search and Rescue” are also on the list.
More importantly however it lists Clue as “Clue Murder at Boody Mansion”, so this does indeed appear to be the same game as you had originally thought. The actual CD still only says “Clue”
s_migs says:
I would love to BUY the Mac version of Clue. Cluedo is what is called in India. Also looking for a a gr8 version of golf, football, racing & cricket game.
s_migs says:
I have the following versions at the moment, Pacman, Scrabble, Monopoly, Little shop of Treasures I & II
n_hansen says:
The British/European game Cluedo is pronounced: “cloo-doh.”
Multimedia Mike says:
Thank you ever so much, n_hansen. That’s the only mystery surrounding this mystery game that I really cared about. :-)
Ellen says:
I wish I still had this version. I lost it over the years. I have Clue Classic now and it drives me crazy watching the door open everytime someone enters a room. They made Mr. Green an old geezer. So there is three ugly guys and two attractive girls. I get to hold spacebar to speed up the computers turn cause of all the useless animations I have to sit through. The notes are annoying to record because you have to type everything instead of convenient check boxes. As much as you dislike this version it is way better than Clue Classic.
Free PC Clue game download says:
The original name of the board game is Cluedo (created in 1949) i.e. (cloo-doh) – to rhyme with another British board game of the time called Ludo .
And as far as I know, it is only called Clue in the US?