Changes: Letters (computer game)

Revision as of 15:27, 7 April 2014

Letters is an interactive Sesame Street computer game that was originally developed by the Children's Television Workshop in 1991.

Initially released as one of two CD-I games by Philips Interactive Media, under the label "A Visit to Sesame Street," the game was subsequently re-released and modified for CD-ROM. It was re-released by Electronic Arts (1995), Creative Wonders (1997), The Learning Company (1998), and Encore Software (2002). The game was also included in the Sesame Street Learning Series: Toddlers Deluxe CD-ROM set.

The main menu of the game is a scrolling two-dimensional computer animation of Sesame Street hosted by Telly Monster. He follows the player as they choose what doors to go into for different games. Locations include Big Bird's nest, Snuffy's cave (which is depicted here as located behind the courtyard), and Ernie and Bert's apartment.

The game, and its companion Numbers, feature posthumous voice-over work by Jim Henson as Ernie and Kermit the Frog. A special thanks message to Henson is seen at the end credits.

CD-ROM Releases

Songs

Each room in the game is equipped with a radio on which three stations are tunable: WHAT, KTOY and KKID featuring Jerry Nelson as the deejay. Each station plays commercials announced by Marty Robinson and News Flashes by Kermit the Frog (Jim Henson). Songs included are:

"ABC's of the Swamp"
"Would You Like to Buy an O?"
"X Marks the Spot!"
"Sing Your Synonyms"
"The Zizzy Zoomers"
"The Word is No"
"The Question Song"
"Still, We Like Each Other"
"J Friends"
Maria, Big Bird and Luis sing "Rhyme Out"
"M-M-M Monster Meal"
Edgar Turtle sings a nonsense song "Hey Diddle Diddle"
"C is for Cookie"
"Mad"
"Be My D"
Elmo talks about the letter E
"Two G Sounds"
"Letter B"
"Thinking of U"
"Rappin' Alphabet"
"It's Springtime"
"Cookie Monster sings a rhyming song, "If You Want to Make Rhyme"
Maria, David, Luis and Forgetful Jones rap "Write it Down"

Cartoons

Voices

Marty Robinson as Telly and Mr. Snuffleupagus
Carroll Spinney as Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch
Jim Henson as Ernie and Kermit the Frog
Jerry Nelson as the Count
Frank Oz as Bert
Kevin Clash as Elmo

Additional appearances by (archive material): Ivy Austin, Cheryl Blalock, Douglas Boyd, Fred Calvert, Kimie Calvert, Christopher Cerf, Ed Christie, Merry Delmonte, Jerry Graff, Jeffrey Hale, Jane Henson, Richard Hunt, Paul Jacobs, Jim Kroupa, June Magreder, Jeff Moss, Brian Muehl, Judith Munsen, Julie Payne, Patricia Rabe, Joe Raposo, Rebecca Reardon, Lynn Roberts, Derek Smith, Andrew Smith, Marilyn Sokol, Alan Sokoloff, Allen Swift

Credits

Executive Producers: Michael Artin, Seth Meyers
Head Writer: Mark Saltzman
Writers: Sandy Damashek, Mitchell Kriegman
Interactive Design: Rob Madell, Seth Meyers, Glenda Revelle
Creative Development: Sandy Damashek, Rob Madell, Seth Meyers, Glenda Revelle, Sonia Rosario, Mark Saltzman
Animation Synchronization: Valerie Vigoda, Michael Artin, Kevin Clash
Songs by Charles Blaker, Christopher Cerf, Anna Dibble, Harrison Fisher, Ed Bogas, Candy Cugel, Si Fried, Maxine Fisher, B. Gibson, Don Hadley, Jefferson David Hale, S. Hopper, Al Jarnow, H. Lewis, William Luckey, Jeff Moss, Lanny Meyers, Judith Munsen, Joe Raposo, Steve Shirak, Nick Stevens, Norman Stiles
Television animations by: Sasha Burland, Buzzco Assoc., Fred Calvert, Bruce Cayard, Sally Cruikshank, Fred Garbers, Imagination Films, James Miko, John Paratore

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-[[File:Cdrom.letters.jpg|frame|2002 reissue]]
+[[File:AVisitToSSLetters.jpg|thumb|300px|1991 CD-I cover]]
+'''''Letters''''' is an interactive ''[[Sesame Street]]'' computer game that was originally developed by the [[Sesame Workshop|Children's Television Workshop]] in [[1991]].
-'''''Letters''''' is a ''[[Sesame Street]]'' CD-ROM game for home computers. The game was developed by Creative Wonders in 1997 and re-released by Encore Software and Selectsoft Publishing in 2002. In 1998, this game was included in the 3-disc ''[[Sesame Street Learning Series: Toddlers Deluxe]]'' CD-ROM set along with ''[[Elmo's Art Workshop]]'' and ''[[Numbers (CD-ROM)|Numbers]]''.
+Initially released as one of two CD-I games by Philips Interactive Media, under the label "A Visit to Sesame Street," the game was subsequently re-released and modified for CD-ROM. It was re-released by Electronic Arts (1995), Creative Wonders (1997), The Learning Company (1998), and Encore Software (2002). The game was also included in the ''[[Sesame Street Learning Series: Toddlers Deluxe]]'' CD-ROM set.
-The main menu of the game is a scrolling two-dimensional computer animation of [[Sesame Street (location)|Sesame Street]] hosted by [[Telly Monster]]. He follows the player as they choose what doors to go into for different games. Locations include [[Big Bird's nest]], [[456 Snuffle Circle|Snuffy's cave]] (which is depicted here as located behind the [[The Arbor|courtyard]]), and Ernie and Bert's apartment.
+The main menu of the game is a scrolling two-dimensional computer animation of [[Sesame Street (location)|Sesame Street]] hosted by [[Telly Monster]]. He follows the player as they choose what doors to go into for different games. Locations include [[Big Bird's nest]], [[456 Snuffle Circle|Snuffy's cave]] (which is depicted here as located behind the [[The Arbor|courtyard]]), and [[Ernie and Bert's apartment]].
+The game, and its companion ''[[Numbers (computer game)|Numbers]]'', feature posthumous voice-over work by [[Jim Henson]] as [[Ernie]] and [[Kermit the Frog]]. A [[:Image:Henson-SpecialThanks.jpg|special thanks message]] to Henson is seen at the end credits.
-The appropriate performers provide voices for the characters, but of particular note is a vocal track by [[Jim Henson]] as Ernie. Although released in 1997, this dialogue was recorded, in the very least, seven years prior for a similar project.
+==CD-ROM Releases==
-Each room also contains a radio, which plays several songs and video clips from the show. Many of these clips are not commercially available elsewhere.
+<gallery widths=150 captionalign=center position=center hideaddbutton=true orientation=square spacing=small>
+SesameStreetLettersCreativeWonders.jpg|1997 release
-<gallery>
+Letters1998reissue.jpg|1998 reissue
-Sesamestreetletters1995cdromfrontcover.jpg|1997 cover
+Cdrom.letters.jpg|2002 reissue
 Barrio Sesamo P.jpg|Spanish cover
-Barrio Sesamo T.jpg|Spanish promotion
-Snuffycave.png
 </gallery>
+==Contents==
+[[File:Snuffycave.png|thumb|300px]]
+[[File:LettersCDsnap.jpg|thumb|300px]]
+*"The Trash Game": The user must match items in the spilled trash with their first letters and place them in [[Oscar the Grouch|Oscar's]] trash bag.
+*"Shape-O-Matic": The user can turn objects in [[Ernie]] and [[Bert|Bert's]] apartment into shapes.
+*"What's My Rhyme?": [[Big Bird]] says an incomplete rhyme and asks the user to find the missing word, an object in his nest area, to finish it.
+*"Snuffy Says":  [[Mr. Snuffleupagus|Snuffy]] says a word and the user must find an object in his cave that starts with the same sound.
+*"Storybooks & Telephones": Listen to stories in books and answer the phone to talk to characters from Sesame Street.
+*"Radios & Televisions": Each character location contains a radio and television set, which plays songs and video clips from the show. Many of these clips are not commercially available elsewhere.
 ==Songs==
-Each room in the game is equipped with a radio on which three stations are tunable: WHAT, KTOY and KKID featuring [[Jerry Nelson]] as the deejay. Each station plays commercials narrated by [[Martin P. Robinson|Marty Robinson]] and [[Sesame Street News Flash|News Flashes]] by [[Kermit the Frog]] ([[Jim Henson]]). Songs included are:
+Each room in the game is equipped with a radio on which three stations are tunable: WHAT, KTOY and KKID featuring [[Jerry Nelson]] as the deejay. Each station plays commercials announced by [[Martin P. Robinson|Marty Robinson]] and [[Sesame Street News Flash|News Flashes]] by [[Kermit the Frog]] ([[Jim Henson]]). Songs included are:
-* [[ABC's of the Swamp]]
+* "[[ABC's of the Swamp]]"
-* [[Would You Like to Buy an O?]]
+* "[[Would You Like to Buy an O?]]"
-* [[X Marks the Spot!]]
+* "[[X Marks the Spot!]]"
-* [[Sing Your Synonyms]]
+* "[[Sing Your Synonyms]]"
-* [[The Zizzy Zoomers]]
+* "[[The Zizzy Zoomers]]"
-* [[The Word is No]]
+* "[[The Word is No]]"
-* [[The Question Song]]
+* "[[The Question Song]]"
-* [[Still, We Like Each Other]]
+* "[[Still, We Like Each Other]]"
-* [[J Friends]]
+* "[[J Friends]]"
-* [[Rhyme Out]] (Maria, Big Bird and Luis version)
+* [[Maria]], Big Bird and [[Luis]] sing "[[Rhyme Out]]"
-* [[M-M-M Monster Meal]]
+* "[[M-M-M Monster Meal]]"
-* [[Hey Diddle Diddle]] (cartoon, nonsense song)
+* [[Edgar Turtle]] sings a nonsense song "[[Hey Diddle Diddle]]"
-* [[C is for Cookie (song)|C is for Cookie]]
+* "[[C is for Cookie (song)|C is for Cookie]]"
-* [[Mad (song)|Mad]]
+* "[[Mad (song)|Mad]]"
-* [[Be My D]]
+* "[[Be My D]]"
 * [[Elmo]] talks about the letter E
-* [[Two G Sounds]]
+* "[[Two G Sounds]]"
-* [[Letter B]]
+* "[[Letter B]]"
-* [[Thinking of U]]
+* "[[Thinking of U]]"
-* [[Rappin' Alphabet]]
+* "[[Rappin' Alphabet]]"
-* It's Springtime (female voice, slow song)
+* "It's Springtime"
-* Cookie Monster sings a rhyming song, "[[Cookie's Rhyming Song|If You Want to Make Rhyme]]"
+* "Cookie Monster sings a rhyming song, "[[Cookie's Rhyming Song|If You Want to Make Rhyme]]"
-* [[Maria]], [[David]], [[Luis]] and [[Forgetful Jones]] rap "Write it Down"
+* Maria, [[David]], Luis and [[Forgetful Jones]] rap "[[Write it Down]]"
 ==Cartoons==
+<gallery widths="145" position="center" spacing="small" hideaddbutton="true" captionalign=center>
-<gallery>
+Image:3993r.jpg|[[Calcutta Joe]]
 Image:2485x.jpg|Madrigal Alphabet
 Image:lettersCDROM-big.jpg|Big
@@ Line 68: / Line 84: @@
 Image:lettersCDROM-z.jpg|Z
 </gallery>
+==Voices==
+*[[Marty Robinson]] as [[Telly Monster|Telly]] and [[Mr. Snuffleupagus]]
+*[[Carroll Spinney]] as [[Big Bird]] and [[Oscar the Grouch]]
+*[[Jim Henson]] as [[Ernie]] and [[Kermit the Frog]]
+*[[Jerry Nelson]] as [[Count von Count|the Count]]
+*[[Frank Oz]] as [[Bert]]
+*[[Kevin Clash]] as [[Elmo]]
+;Additional appearances by (archive material):
+:[[Ivy Austin]], [[Cheryl Blalock]], [[Doug Boyd|Douglas Boyd]], [[Fred Calvert]], Kimie Calvert, [[Christopher Cerf]], [[Ed Christie]], Merry Delmonte, Jerry Graff, [[Jeff Hale|Jeffrey Hale]], [[Jane Henson]], [[Richard Hunt]], [[Paul Jacobs]], [[Jim Kroupa]], June Magreder, [[Jeff Moss]], [[Brian Muehl]], Judith Munsen, [[Julie Payne]], [[Tish Sommers|Patricia Rabe]], [[Joe Raposo]], Rebecca Reardon, Lynn Roberts, Derek Smith, Andrew Smith, [[Marilyn Sokol]], Alan Sokoloff, [[Allen Swift]]
+==Credits==
+*Executive Producers: Michael Artin, Seth Meyers
+*Head Writer: [[Mark Saltzman]]
+*Writers: Sandy Damashek, [[Mitchell Kriegman]]
+*Interactive Design: Rob Madell, Seth Meyers, Glenda Revelle
+*Creative Development: Sandy Damashek, Rob Madell, Seth Meyers, Glenda Revelle, Sonia Rosario, Mark Saltzman
+*Animation Synchronization: Valerie Vigoda, Michael Artin, [[Kevin Clash]]
+*Songs by Charles Blaker, Christopher Cerf, Anna Dibble, [[Harrison Fisher]], [[Ed Bogas]], [[Candy Kugel|Candy Cugel]], Si Fried, Maxine Fisher, B. Gibson, [[Donald Hadley|Don Hadley]], [[Jeff Hale|Jefferson David Hale]], S. Hopper, [[Al Jarnow]], H. Lewis, [[Bud Luckey|William Luckey]], Jeff Moss, [[Lanny Meyers]], Judith Munsen, Joe Raposo, Steve Shirak, Nick Stevens, [[Norman Stiles]]
+*Television animations by: Sasha Burland, [[Buzzco Associates, Inc.|Buzzco Assoc.]], Fred Calvert, [[Bruce Cayard]], [[Sally Cruikshank]], [[Fred Garbers]], [[Jeff Hale|Imagination Films]], James Miko, John Paratore
+==See also==
+*''[[Numbers (computer game)|Numbers]]''
 [[Category:Sesame Street Video Games]]
 [[Category:Encore Software]]