Broderbund had created a series of educational PC games that forced you to study everything from geography to astronomy to track down a criminal named Carmen Sandiego. The formula worked remarkably well as gamers actually WANTED to learn geography (my nightmare at school.)

Next month, BAM Entertainment will release the new Carmen Sandiego: The Secret of the Stolen Drums. Lots of weapons, 3D characters, puzzles and amulets.

But geography is still part of the game. Players collect clues scattered through each level of the game. Once found, the game automatically uploads each clue to a GPS device that pinpoints Carmen Sandiego’s exact location. They also use traditional maps and an Atlas.

From GIS Monitor IGN Com.