Amazon Trail, The Download (1996 Educational Game)

The Amazon Trail could have been a fun game. Trekking your way to the source of the river while on the lookout for various items and animals could have been a fun game. Unfortunately, the unavoidable nature of some of the dangers will make many players angry. To begin with, there is the possibility of disease. As you paddle down the river, it is very likely you will find yourself ill with some sickness like yellow fever, malaria, and chagas disease. I wouldn't have found it so annoying if there was some way you could avoid getting sick so often, but even carrying native plants, cures for the various diseases, you still get sick and stay sick for a long time.

To find a way to bring the Inca King the things he asks for, check out all the items for trade. Staples, such as food and harpoons (harpoon fish for extra food) shouldn't be ignored. Getting to the Inca King's village is most of the struggle, so expect to fail until you figure out what to do to avoid most of the dangers. The game doesn't have much of a manual, except for an in-game index with most of the information players need. Some aspects of the game are arcade like paddling down the river, avoiding obstacles, and passing through the blue mists.

Aside from always dying and the unavoidable diseases, this is a good game for teaching a great deal about the people, plants, and history of the Amazon. Each section of the river has people to meet.

Graphics: Except for the river scenes, graphics are very static.

Sound: Realistic voices and background music you can listen to for hours.

Enjoyment: Not very enjoyable due to the large number of false starts you will need to make.

Replay Value: You will replay until you win.

The protagonist of the game sees a strange dream: a black jaguar appears and introduces himself as a servant of the Inca king. He explains that the Inca people are dying of malaria and endangered by the European explorers. The jaguar is willing to transfer the hero to the past, where he/she will have to look for the cinchona plant and deliver it to the Inca king.

You play a dreaming person who is taken on a quest to help the Inca people. You join a guide and go down the Amazon river to the place where the Inca people are.

The Amazon Trail is an educational adventure game that was released in the 1990s. The game was created by MECC and was created because of the success of the game Oregon Trail. The Oregon Trail is the most popular game in the MECC Trail series but the Amazon trail is a far more difficult game than the Oregon Trail.

You will be told in a dream that the people living in the areas surrounding the Amazon River are endangered by Malaria and European explorers. You are then brought back in time, and will have to explore the Amazon. As in the other games in the Trail series, you will have to survive your trip in the areas surrounding the Amazon River. You will choose a guide at the start of the game and this guide will provide you with many useful information.

You will interact with people around the river and not all of them will be friendly. You can trade with them so that you can get the things that you need. You can also get valuable information from the people which you can use in the game. You will also take photos and try to identify the various flora and fauna that you will see as you go along your trip. There are also plenty of mini-quests to keep you interested in the game. You will need to find gifts that you can bring to the Inca King when you reach the hidden city.

There are enough challenges in the game but the best parts of the game will be when you get to a town and can get to interact with the people. One of the biggest challenges you will have to face in the game is the possibility of dying from diseases.

The graphics are mediocre and the story line is pretty linear but the game is still capable of providing enjoyment to gamers. Although the target market for the game is those in the grade school age, this game is better played by teens to adults because of the difficulty of the game. There is a tendency for young players to become frustrated with the game.

If you enjoy this game, you can also download the two sequels: the Amazon Trail II and the Amazon Trail 3rd edition. It's likely you will also enjoy the Oregon Trail Download and the other games from the Trail series. Download this game now and give it a try. You might enjoy the challenges that this game dishes out.

How to run this game on modern Windows PC?

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Oregon Trail Deluxe, Oregon Trail II, Yukon Trail, The, Amazon Trail 3rd Edition: Rainforest Adventures, Oregon Trail, The, Africa Trail, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? CD-ROM, Carmen Sandiego: Word Detective