Game Review and Overview
Talk about rare. An Introduction to Australian Mammals for the PC is a niche gem that feels more like a digital field guide than a traditional game. Likely created in the late 1990s or early 2000s (exact details are murky), this educational title is a charming mix of learning and light interaction. Aimed at wildlife enthusiasts, students, or anyone curious about Australia’s unique fauna, it offers an engaging, if low-tech, window into the world of marsupials, monotremes, and more.
The “gameplay” revolves around exploring a virtual landscape or menu-driven encyclopedia, where each click brings up fascinating facts, photos, and illustrations of iconic animals like kangaroos, koalas, and platypuses. For those looking to dive deeper, there are sections covering habitat, diet, and behavior, all written in a friendly, approachable tone. While there’s no high-stakes action or puzzles to solve, the thrill comes from learning about creatures that look like they belong in a fantasy RPG.
Visually, the game is simple, with static images, basic animations, and an interface that screams “educational CD-ROM.” But what it lacks in graphical pizzazz, it makes up for with its earnest dedication to its subject. The audio – if your copy includes it – might feature snippets of animal sounds or narration, adding a nice touch of immersion to your armchair exploration of the Australian outback.
If you’re expecting cutting-edge mechanics or flashy visuals, you’ll be disappointed. However, as a learning tool, An Introduction to Australian Mammals is surprisingly endearing. It’s a love letter to the weird and wonderful creatures of Australia, wrapped in a nostalgic package that might take you back to the days of classroom computer labs and chunky monitors.
In the end, An Introduction to Australian Mammals is best viewed as a curiosity; a relic of a time when educational games were all the rage. It’s not groundbreaking, but for animal lovers and retro enthusiasts, it’s a delightful little detour into the land Down Under. Just don’t expect any boss battles – unless you count a really stubborn wombat fact quiz!
PC Game Cheats and Hints
Jumping water:
During the Bandicoot Walk Game, move you mouse fast enough to jump over the water without losing energy. Be careful to aim at the finish line when you do this or you will end up in the water.
Standing still:
During the Bandicoot Walk Game, on level 21 and 22 where the water creeps up all around you, you can survive by releasing the mouse as the water is about to cover you. Then, just click and continue when the water is gone again
Revolving doors:
The rotating levels in the Bandicoot Walk Game are easier with following the movement like walking through a revolving door. on level 9 go around anti clockwise, level 19 go clockwise and on level 20 go anti-clockwise a complete circle before exiting.
Final levels:
The sequence for the last three levels in the Bandicoot Walk Game are as follows:
LEVEL – SEQUENCE
Level 23 – Top row forward, forward, down, forward and out.
Level 24 – Bottom row forward two, up, down, up, forward and out.
Level 25 – Forward, forward, forward, forward, back, back, forward, wait, forward and out.
Wombat Maze walkthrough:
Complete the Wombat Mazes in the most direct route for the fastest score by turning the following directions at each split in the tunnel:
Level 1 – LEFT or RIGHT (all paths lead to the wombat and out again).
Level 2 – LEFT, RIGHT, (at wombat, turn around) LEFT, RIGHT, exit.
Level 3 – RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT, (at wombat, turn around) LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT, exit
Ants:
During the Echidna Game, only one ant at a time will appear until you have eaten five ants. After that, two ants at a time will appear until you have eaten twenty ants. Then, many ants will appear once until you have eaten fifty ants. Then, it goes into turbo speed which is the maximum and is very hard to survive.
Bonus game:
The Echidna Game on the CD-ROM has a free downloadable version on the official website. It has a bonus high score feature unavailable on the actual CD-ROM. and you can post your scores on the Internet.
Introduction:
The introduction to the CD-ROM has many start sequences including a vacuum cleaner, water splash, ropes, and a train.
Minimum moves:
The starting level of the sliding puzzle game is possible in four moves (absolute minimum) by moving the pieces in an anti-clockwise direction.