Number Munchers



One of the first widespread Edutainment Games for the Apple II, beside Oregon Trail. The player takes the role of a somewhat frog-like Muncher, who enjoys eating things. The player must obey the rules of grammar/math/what have you and munch only the items that match what the question is asking for, or else they lose a life - they must also avoid the Troggles, hostile critters that find Munchers tasty. Spawned a whole series of Muncher games. Has a Wild Mass Guessing Page.

The games in the series also include Fraction Munchers, Word Munchers, and Super Munchers. The last gives the titular hero a "super" form he can transform into to take out Troggles.

This game provides examples of:

 * Big Eater: Both the Muncher and the Troggles.
 * Canis Latinicus: The Muncher and the original Troggles all have "scientific names" as well as their regular names.
 * Cutscene: "Great Moments in Muncher History" in Number Munchers; similar but untitled cutscenes in Word Munchers; and Olympic-themed scenes in Fraction Munchers.
 * Elite Mook: Trogglus smarticus, especially if more than one of them are on the board at the same time.
 * Go Karting With Bowser: Muncher and Doggle in the second.
 * Halfhearted Henchman: Trogglus timidus. If you approach her, she will move in the opposite direction.
 * Heroic Comedic Sociopath: Some of the Cutscenes show the Muncher doing some very cruel things to the Troggles.
 * I'm a Humanitarian: If one Troggle enters a square occupied by another Troggle, one of them will eat the other one.
 * One Hit Point Wonder: Eating one wrong number or running into one Troggle or bullet fired by one will cost you a life.
 * One Up: An extra life is awarded upon reaching a thousand points, and another at 10,000.
 * Scoring Points: Because you want to put cool messages along with your name atop the Muncher Hall of Fame.
 * The Goomba: Trogglus normalus.
 * Video Game Lives
 * Waddling Head: Every character in the first game.