JumpStart Adventures 4th Grade: Haunted Island

JumpStart Adventures 4th Grade: Haunted Island
Developer: Knowledge Adventure Publisher: Knowledge Adventure Platforms: Windows, Mac OS Classic Released in US: 1996 This game has unused graphics. This game has unused cinematics. This game has unused music. This game has unused sounds. This game has revisional differences. This game has a prerelease article

JumpStart Adventures 4th Grade: Haunted Island has a rather (in)famous reputation for being genuinely creepy and unsettling for an edutainment game aimed at 4th Graders, thanks to its nightmarish setting and uncanny character designs. It would ultimately be replaced by Version 2.0 (Sapphire Falls) in 1999.

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Prerelease Info

Unused Audio

Unused Graphics

The file BOSCO.DF contains a few unused graphics.

Sign In Tombstone

Two graphics for a tombstone that reads "SIGN IN". Presumably, this would've been used to give the player access to the sign-in screen.

Ms. Grunkle's Front Steps

In contrast to the shot used in-game, this one uses an alternate camera angle. Plus, most of the background elements are missing, such as the gnarled trees, the info tombstone, and the exteriors of the Mummy Tomb and Clock Tower.

Placeholder Screens

Several placeholder screens are located in the file ISLAND.DF, which contains the screens for the island itself. The first one is a primitive looking graphic with the words "You should never see this screen." The next seven images each have small text graphics stamped in the bottom left corner, with larger text stamped in the center on two of them. Notably, two of the images contain an alternative version of the info tombstone, in which its INFO sign is missing along with the lighting.

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Unused Videos

There is an unused zoom-in shot of the Fountain of Health, which is found in the Labyrinth. Normally while in the Labyrinth, you are allowed to turn left, right, or move forward at almost point, barring a wall being in your way. This clip would be for moving foward, but you are unable to do this when you are already right in front of the fountain. (Attempting to do so will simply fade the screen to one of the fountain's riddles.)

Revisional Differences

Toolbar

Two icons were added to the toolbar at the bottom of the screen in later releases. One of the new icons was for adjusting the difficulty level of the activities in the game (the option to do so had previously been accessible, but only by using the Ctrl+L keys), and the other new icon was used for viewing a map of the island.

Original	Updated

Dialogue

The game's introduction, provided by the player's guide Flap, was modified for newer releases. This was likely for the purpose of making the overall introduction shorter, as many of the changes remove small bits of information, but the newer dialogue also reflects the changes made to the toolbar. Below is a list of lines that differ between releases.

Original	Updated
Oh, wait! I didn't recognize you.	Oh, I didn't recognize you.
Oh, I'm so glad you've come! Ms. Grunkle, the substitute teacher, really did a number this time! She cast a spell on all your classmates, turned them into monsters, and brought them to this creepy island.	Ms. Grunkle, the evil substitute teacher, really did a number on your classmates! She turned them all into monsters.
Boy, are you lucky you missed that day of class!	Aren't you lucky you missed that day of class!
Ms. Grunkle locked the kids in the attic of her house on the other side of the island. I managed to escape, but she's hot on my trail, so I have to keep a low profile. That's why you're here. The kids need your help!	Ms. Grunkle has locked everyone in the attic of her house, and that's why you're here. Your friends need you to rescue them!
Ms. Grunkle has hidden all of the kids' most prized possessions all around the island, and we need them to break the spell that turned the kids into monsters. You're the only one who knows the kids well enough to find their objects and rescue them from this island, but you'll need a little help.	All of their most prized possessions are hidden about the island, and you need to find them to break Ms. Grunkle's spells.
I'd better go now, Ms. Grunkle could show up at any moment, but if you need me, just click on the bat down there, and I'll find you.	Well, I'd better get flying, but if you need me, just click on the bat down there. I'll find you.
Oh! There are a couple of other things you should know. You can tap into Madame Pomreeda's senses from anywhere on the island. Just click on the crystal ball.	Oh yes, there are a couple of other things you should know. You can always tap into Madame Pomreeda's senses by clicking on the crystal ball below.
If you want to see how your classmates are doing, click on the yearbook. You can see which kids you freed from their spells.	If you need to see how you and your classmates are doing, click on the yearbook.
As you travel around the island and solve the riddles and challenges that Ms. Grunkle has set up, you'll earn keys that will let you enter Ms. Grunkle's house. The number of keys you have will be indicated on the key down there. Every five thousand points will earn you a new key.	Move fast around the island, because if your candle goes out, whoosh! You will be cast into Ms. Grunkle's dark labyrinth. The map scroll down there will help you find your way around, for a slight fee. It will transport you to where you want to go. As you travel around the island, solving the riddles and challenges, you'll earn keys that will let you enter Ms. Grunkle's house. The number of keys you have will be indicated down there. For every five thousand points, you'll get a new key. You'll need twenty-five keys to enter Ms. Grunkle's house.
Ms. Grunkle has set up all kinds of obstacles to challenge her little monsters to finally get them to learn. If you ever need to make them easier or harder, hold down your control key and press the letter L. You can adjust any game to the level you wish. Finally, you'll need to move quickly. There is only one candle per visitor on this island. If your candle burns out, you'll be cast into the labyrinth, and who knows what'll happen there. Good luck…	Ms. Grunkle has set up all kinds of challenges for you to conquer. If you ever need to make your lessons easier or harder, just click on her hat down there. You can adjust any game to the level you wish. Good luck, and happy haunting…ah, ehehe…I mean, hunting.