HT Games
General Gameplay
All of the video-game incarnations of "Where's Waldo?" feature the same premise as the book, but in digital form. These games operate similarly to the "Photo Hunt" machines that you may see in bars. Basically, you are presented with an image on your screen, and you must use your controller to move a cursor over the image of Waldo, or the affiliated character that you are assigned to find.
"Where's Waldo?"
The first version to make it to a video-game console was simply called "Where's Waldo?" and was released for the venerable Nintendo Entertainment System. This game is only playable for one player. The entire map is presented in the easier skill levels of play, while the more difficult levels only present a portion of the map on the screen at one time, requiring the player to scroll.
"The Great Waldo Search"
The second incarnation of Waldo to grace home consoles was entitled "The Great Waldo Search." This game was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and the Sega Genesis. The three versions all feature the same levels and they mark a graphical improvement over the first Waldo game, due to certain sprites being animated as opposed to just being fixed. The Sega Genesis and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System versions offer larger sprites, and all releases of the game are solely one-player experiences.
"Where's Waldo? The Fantastic Journey"
The third Waldo game released for home video-game consoles was entitled "Where's Waldo? The Fantastic Journey." This game was released for the Nintendo DS, the Nintendo Wii, and the Mac and PC platforms. It adds a two-player mode, more detailed graphics and a new feature where Woof, Waldo's dog, barks as you get closer to finding the object you are assigned to locate.