I would like to start by saying that I was VERY good at geography when I was in grade school.  I am 30 now, so its not like that it was that many years ago.  However, it seems like the world has changed since the last time I had a geography quiz.  Gone are Yugoslavia and the USSR, and in their place are a bunch of smaller countries that all have their own capitals.  Just nuts!!!  I am very happy to see that the Amazon and Nile Rivers are still right where I remember them.  In the battle of Heather vs. HeroCraft Travel Genius, who is the winner???

Read on to find out…

The version of the game I played was for the Palm OS.  The game is also available for WM, UIQ v3, and Series 60 v3.  I started out in Normal mode (as opposed to Hard) so I could get off to a slow start.  The first category I encountered was “Geography – Entire World”.  On the first level, you are looking for landmarks like the Atlantic Ocean, Australia, and the Arabian Peninsula.  I figured I was doing pretty good as I whizzed by these questions, 7 in total.

The way questions are answered is pretty simply.  You start with a map of the entire world.  Using your finger, or stylus, you tap on the map region which is most responsive to the question.   For example, if you were looking for Rome, tap on the center square, then the map will zoom into this area.

Then you need to tap on the center square again to highlight where Italy is (Its the one that looks like the boot, in case you forgot.)  So, you just can’t guess one of nine squares to try and get all the answers right.  It takes more knowledge than that.  When you answer correctly, a little red flag will appear to mark the exact location on the map.  If you answer the question incorrectly, the correct square will be outlined in red, and the real answer will show the red flag.  Also, there are some cities, for example Paris, that are split by the square dividing lines.  If you do not pick the correct half of the city, you will see the square outlined in yellow.  You will receive some points for the answer.  It is kind of like partial credit, which I am sure most will agree that is what helped us graduate from college.   

At this point, I am feeling pretty good about myself.  After completing a level, you go back to the bookshelf to pick your next category.   There are 6 new choices after you pass the first test.  You ultimately need to pass 12 levels in order to win.  As you increase your point total, more and more blocks of questions will open for you.  There are a total of 21 different categories to choose.  Plus, don’t think you can just try to memorize any one of the sections, because the questions are not the same every time.  Amongst the 21 categories are scattered over 700 different questions. 

Well, the next part of the game involved me eating a lot of humble pie.  I did fairly well on wars, sights, and flags of the world, but then I reached Capitals – Europe.  I thought it would be easy, but here’s where the changing world catches up with me.  I have actually lost count of how many times I have lost this particular board.  This also brings me to my main complaint about the game.  If you are given a capital city, and you answer incorrectly, please tell the gamer what country the city is in.  In the Balkan area, there are many ‘newer’ countries that are not as familiar to me.  It would have been great to actually learn which country those cities belong to.  On the board where you need to match the flag with the country, whether you answer right or wrong, they tell you the country.  This would be an excellent feature to carry to multiple boards.  Examples of other boards include:  Geography of the Mediterranean, Capitals-Entire World, Geography – Eurasia, Sights – Entire World – Level 2, and Lost Names – Enitre World.

It is with a great loss of pride that I must admit that I am no Travel Genius.  To get more of the boards to appear, I actually had to use Google to help.  Now isn’t that a complete kick in the head.  Despite my own personal lack of skills, the game has some wonderful features.  After each game, there is a chart of progress to show if you are getting better or worse.  It compares you to Average, Advanced, and Expert.  I am not telling what my rating is, but I am sure most could probably guess.  I enjoyed the music.  It had a bit of a retro gaming feel with the sound, like classic Mario Bros. or Sonic.  On occasion, they would toss in a little gong hit.  It was quality thinking music, as I burned brain cells.  The maps themselves are very colorful, and I like the graphic detail given to the items on the bookshelves.

Conclusions

Despite a bit of frustration, I really enjoyed this game.  It has given me new resolve to learn more about the world, not only for myself, but so I can laugh at the game when I win.  I would recommend this game for all.  From grade school to retirement, no one can go wrong with Travel Genius.  Its a great challenge!!!

Pros – Easy to Play, Challenging, Lots of Questions

Cons – Names of countries are not displayed when you answer questions incorrectly

Travel Genius can be purchased from HeroCraft for $12.82 or $15.95, depending on OS.

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1. Presenting Travel Genius From HeroCraft
2. Coming Soon: Travel Genius — Master the World
3. Review: SPB Geo Game for Windows Mobile
4. Review/Interview – Twice By HeroCraft
5. Review: Belkin Travel USB Hub