Play Baker Street Kids, The - The Boy Jesus | Commodore 64 Online Game (1984)

The Baker Street Kids, The - The Boy Jesus is an educational adventure game written by Brian A. Rice and published by Educational Publishing Concepts, Inc. for the Commodore 64. Released in the mid-1980s, the game is based on the animated series The Baker Street Kids, which itself is a spin-off of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. The game focuses on a biblical story, specifically the childhood of Jesus, as the Baker Street Kids travel back in time to witness key events from his early life.

Players control the Baker Street Kids as they navigate through various scenes and solve puzzles to progress the story. The game combines point-and-click elements with educational content, aiming to teach players about biblical history in an interactive format. The graphics and sound are typical of the era, with simple visuals and basic audio effects, reflecting the limitations of the Commodore 64 hardware.

The gameplay involves exploring environments, interacting with characters, and solving puzzles that are tied to the biblical narrative. The educational aspect is emphasized through dialogue and tasks that require players to learn about the historical and religious context of the story. The game is designed to be accessible to younger audiences, with straightforward mechanics and a focus on storytelling.

While the game is not widely remembered today, it represents a niche genre of educational software from the 1980s that sought to combine entertainment with learning. Its unique premise, blending a popular animated series with religious education, makes it a curious artifact of its time. The game is occasionally mentioned in retro gaming communities, such as Lemon64 and LaunchBox, as an example of early attempts to merge gaming with educational content.