Scholastic’s The Magic School Bus: Explores the Solar System is the first video game in The Magic School Bus series. It is the first in the "Explores" series, and it is available for 16- and 32-bit versions of Windows.
Summary
Ms. Frizzle takes her class, and Arnold's cousin, Janet, on a field trip to the planetarium. But it turns out to instead be one up into outer space to explore the solar system. However, after blasting off, Ms. Frizzle goes missing after the bus gets hit by a meteor shower. She then contacts her class and tells them how to find her. They'll have to play the games on the planets and moons and win Frizzle Tokens. For each one they find, she will give them a clue. After getting three, the player will have to try to guess which planet or moon she's on.
Locations
The class visits each the planets and/or moons in order to find Ms. Frizzle. Whichever character the player controls in Mission Mode depends on who did their report on that planet.
Mercury
The first planet from the Sun and closest to it, named after Hermes/Mercury, the messenger of the Graeco-Roman gods. Wanda does a report on this planet.
Venus
The second planet from the Sun, and hottest due to its heat-trapping atmosphere, which is composed of sulfuric acid, and named after Aphrodite/Venus, the Goddess of Love. Keesha does a report on this planet.
Earth
The third planet from the Sun, and where Ms. Frizzle and her class start on before they go on the field trip. Janet does a report on this planet for extra credit.
The Moon
The only location in the solar system that astronauts have landed on. Phoebe does a report on it. It is the easiest to complete on Mission Mode when collecting Frizzle Tokens since it has no hazards or obstacles, and that the only way to be brought back to the start is if the air timer reaches zero.
Mars
The fourth planet from the Sun, known as "The Red Planet" and named after Mars, the Roman god of war. Ralphie does a report on this planet.
Jupiter
The fifth planet from the Sun, named after Zeus/Jupiter, the Roman god of thunder. It is the first of the gas giants with its storm, the Great Red Spot. Dorothy Ann does a report on this planet. The Bus lands on one of its moons, Io, due to it not having a solid surface.
Saturn
The sixth planet from the Sun that has the most rings. Instead of landing on it, the Bus lands on one of its moons, Mimas. Tim does a report on this planet.
Uranus
The seventh planet from the Sun with rings like Saturn. Carlos does a report on this planet. Because it has no solid surface, the Bus lands on one of its moons, Miranda. The class stands sideways due to the way Uranus and its moons rotate.
Neptune
The eighth planet from the Sun and the last of the gas giants, named after Poseidon/Neptune, the God of the Sea. Janet does a report on this planet. Since it has no solid surface, the Bus lands on one of its moons, Triton.
Pluto
A dwarf planet that exists in the Kuiper belt. Arnold does a report on this planet.
Science experiments
There are many different science experiments on each planet and moon to try out.
Revolving Planet
In this science experiment, the player can see how the speeds of Earth and Mercury compare. After making them revolve around the sun, a birthday cake appears on both of them, and the player can then click on it to see how many birthdays the player would have had on that planet in a year.
Venus Blanket
In this science experiment, the player can try to keep Venus' heat in by changing the Sun's and gas cloud's sizes and using the thermometer to see how hot Venus is. The player can also see what could happen to a slice of pizza on there.
Crater Creator
In this science experiment, the player can use a sling shot to make craters on the Moon. They can make different sized ones by using different sized meteors, different aims of the green rubber band on the sling shot, and different directions the sling shot is aimed at the Moon.
Mars Match
In this science experiment, the player sees two black and white pictures of similar things on both Mars and Earth. The player then has to try to find out which picture is on which planet, Earth or Mars. If the player guesses right, the two pictures then change from black and white to color to show what's different about Mars' and Earth's riverbeds, sand dunes, volcanoes, canyons, and other things on both planets. If the player gets it wrong, they lose a strike. If they lose three strikes, they're out.
Pack and Fill
In this science experiment, the player can see how many of the other planets could fit inside Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system. They can use a dispenser to start and stop the flows of planets.
Design-O-Ring
In this science experiment, the player designs Saturnian rings. They use a dispenser to drop rocks, dust, and ice around Saturn to fill its rings and make it rotate.
Tilt and Match
In this science experiment, the player uses a spinning beach ball to match the different angles each planet in the solar system rotates. They use a boot to kick the beach ball to change the angle it's tilted in and click on it to make it spin. While it's spinning at different angles, the player then has to choose which planet rotates at that same angle.
Planet Cut and Slice
In this science experiment, the player uses a pair of scissors to cut each planet in the solar system in half to see what scientists believe is in the middle of each one. After cutting each one in half, the player can then click on the layers in to see what scientists believe they're made of.
Pluto Loop
On this science experiment, the player tries to send the bus into a perfect circular orbit around Pluto. They player can click on the ramp to choose the angle and the bus' rocket thrusters to choose its speed. Then they need to click on the bus to make it zoom to send it into orbit around Pluto. On certain speeds and angles, the bus will orbit all the way around Pluto, but on other speeds and angles, it won't.
Mission Mode
By clicking on a satellite-like object called a "Whatsit", the player can enter a platformer minigame in order to obtain Frizzle Tokens required to find Ms. Frizzle. The player has an air supply that starts at 999 and gradually goes down each second, going faster if they run into any hazards. If the air supply runs out (either by reaching 0 or falling into a pit), Liz returns the player character to the starting point. The player's jump depends on the gravity of the planet they are on. Once the Frizzle Token is obtained, all remaining air is converted into points. Various power-ups include:
- Stars with smiling faces: gives 500 points. Not necessary for completion.
- Jump boots: increases the player's jump.
- Traction boots: Found only on Pluto. Keeps the player from slipping.
- Weight: decreases the player's jump. Avoid these at all costs.
- Air tanks: increases the player's air supply.
- Snowman: Found only on Venus and Jupiter's moon, Io. This makes the player immune to lava.
- Jetpack: Can propel the player vertically by holding the up arrow key. However, this uses up air quicker.
Trivia
- This game in the original software is the software adaptation of the book The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System.
- However, like the TV adaptation, "Gets Lost in Space", there are again differences from the book:
- Neptune is Janet's favorite planet in the TV adaptation "Gets Lost in Space".
- Instead of being Ralphie's favorite planet, Mars is Carlos' in the book Space Explorers.
- This is the only classic series game:
- To feature Arnold's cousin, Janet.
- Without the Driver's License feature. Explores the Human Body starts this trend.
- This is one of two games without the option to go to the back of the bus, the other being Explores the Rainforest.
- Even though the bus' windshield should take the shape of an arc while in space shuttle form, it has the rectangular shape when outside the bus exploring each planet or moon.
- The player can skip the cutscenes travel to planets or moons by clicking on the small screen above the steering handles after selecting their desired destination on the Planet Picker.
- Pluto is the only planet where one of the students is exploring on his own without other classmates involved except for Liz – in this case, Arnold who does a report on this planet and whom the player controls on Mission Mode to collect Frizzle Tokens per planet or moon.
- Even though Venus should be the hottest planet that nobody could survive on, it's possible the Bus could have used a specialty to freeze the location they intended to explore on. However, Keesha states in her report the fact that Venus uses the greenhouse effect to keep the heat in, and that it's hot enough to burn cookies and melt lead.
- 12 years after this game's release, the 2006 study by the IAU rescinded Pluto's status as a planet.
- In the "Cool Facts About" section regarding students' reports on planets (as well as The Moon), the planets orbit the sun going clockwise while The Moon that Phoebe does a report on has a special screen showing it orbiting Earth going counterclockwise.
- If the player clicks on the screen while the planets and/or The Moon are orbiting, only the Earth stops while all other planets and The Moon repeat the process if the player clicks on the screen anytime.
- Mercury orbits the Sun four times during students' reports on planets and/or The Moon – the most of all. Most of the others orbit the Sun 2-3 times depending on the planet. Pluto is the only one to orbit once around the Sun and for being the outermost planet.
- Neptune is the only gas planet to be played on the actual planet rather than one of its moons the class lands on, and only has one floating platform at the bottom-most location and can only be traveled vertically.
- The Mission Mode theme for collecting Frizzle Tokens on Jupiter and Pluto is the same.
- Mercury and Venus, the only planets with no moons, use the same music accompaniment when played on Mission Mode. The main difference is that Mercury's uses the saxophone rhythms while Venus has muted trumpet-like rhythms.
- When exploring outside on Mercury, a creepy face will sometimes appear on the Sun.
Gallery
