Cover art for It's the Big Game, Charlie Brown.
It's the Big Game, Charlie Brown is a Peanuts computer game. It was released on July 30, 2007, and is a click and point 2D computer game for ages six and over.
Game[]
The game centers around Charlie Brown's baseball team. The player get to choose one of two ways to play this game, which are adventure mode and baseball mode (But adventure leads into baseball mode when beaten).
Adventure Mode[]
In adventure mode, the point is to form Charlie Brown's team, for the season. The player plays as Charlie Brown, followed around by Snoopy. Charlie Brown mentions at the beginning that his team hasn't shown up, and he will not be able to play this season if he doesn't have a team. He says that he, Snoopy, Frieda, Shermy, have all agreed to play, but he still needs five more players. Then the player gets to use the mouse as an arrow key to wander around the neighborhood to recruit five more players, (Namely, Lucy, Linus, Schroeder, Pig-Pen, and Peppermint Patty). The player also get to meet other characters, such as Sally, Violet, Marcie, and Woodstock, who all help Charlie Brown recruit the players. Each player has first has a social problem, which has to be solved, sometimes with the help of other characters. Once the social problem is solved, there is a mini game with the character, and after that, the character and Charlie Brown go to the baseball field to practice an aspect on the field, that the player will use during the real baseball game. Once all these things have completed, that character joins your team. Once all five characters join the team, the player move onto baseball mode. The way to recruit each player is as the following:
Schroeder[]
Social Problem[]
Schroeder, who is in his house playing his piano, would like to join the baseball, but due to Lucy being there and bugging him, cannot join. Charlie Brown have to tell Lucy if she leaves, he will let her pull a football away, while he's trying to kick it. That convinces her to go. Once Lucy leaves, Schroeder thanks him for getting her away, and says he will join the baseball team, but first, Charlie Brown have to show him you know something about Beethoven, which leads to his mini game.
Mini Game[]
Schroeder wants to test Charlie Brown's piano skills, so he plays a couple of notes, and the player has to play the same notes back to him. If the player plays the notes right, the player moves onto the next round, but if the player plays the wrong note, the player get a strike. After 3 strikes the plyer are out. Every round, there are more notes to remember making it harder. Once the player completes every round, Charlie Brown plays an entire song. Then he goes onto the baseball field to practice pitching.
Baseball Practice[]
Charlie Brown is the pitcher, while Snoopy is hitting, and Schroeder is catching. Woodstock and some of his friends are watching. The player has to pitch to Snoopy, and try to throw him three strikes in a row. However, if Snoopy hits one of your pitches, the count goes back to zero. Once Snoopy strikes out, Schroeder's practice is over, and he officially joins the team.
Lucy[]
Social Problem[]
After Charlie Brown convinces Lucy leave Schroeder's house, she goes to her own house, and says she will not join the team unless Schroeder joins. Once Schroeder is officially on your team, Lucy will agree to join the team immediately, but first, would like to test Charlie Brown's knowledge about the players on the team (Because a good manager has to know his player).
Mini Game[]
Lucy asks a multiple choice questions about the players on the team, such as "Which player has the most sibling? Who is the prettiest player on the team? Who is the messiest player on the team?" If the player get an answer wrong, the player get a strike.
Baseball Practice[]
This time Charlie Brown is practicing catching. Snoopy hits the ball into the outfield, and the player, who for this practice playing a Lucy, has to get under the ball and try and catch it. Once Lucy catch a certain number of balls, Lucy officially joins the team.
Linus[]
Social Problem[]
Linus cannot join the baseball team, because he is to busy building a house of cards, and connot be distured. Charlie Brown has to knock over his house of cards to get him to join. The way to do that, is, to go to his house, and find Sally sitting on the couch watching TV. Charlie Brown gets Sally to come with him by turning off the TV, which makes her follow Charlie Brown and Snoopy, since now she has nothing better to do. They all then go back to Linus, and Sally calls him her "Sweet Babboo", which annoys Linus making him yell at her. The loudness of his voice causes the cards to knock over, and Sally to leave. Linus will then decide to join the baseball team, since it will take to long to rebuild the card house.
Mini Game[]
While leaving to go practice, Snoopy starts throwing objects out the window. Linus and Charlie Brown, use Linus' security blanket, to catch the falling objects, so they don't break. If an object touches the ground, the playre get a strike.
Baseball Practice[]
Now you practice hitting. Snoopy is pitcher, while the player, as Charlie Brown, are the hitter, and Linus runs around the bases. Everytime Charlie Brown hits the ball, Linus runs to the next base, but if he misses the ball, Linus goes back a base. Once Linus makes it around all the bases, he is officially on the team.
Pig-Pen[]
Social Problem[]
When Charlie Brown goes to Pig-Pen's house (which can be easily recognized by a dust trail next to it), Pig-Pen is there, but says he cannot even think about baseball, due to the fact that he is in love. To snap Pig-Pen out of his love, Charlie Brown must bring the girl he is in love with, Violet, who is making mud pies which made Pig-Pen attracted to her. When Violet sees Pig-Pen, she says she will never love him, which snapps Pig-Pen out of his love for her. He then says he will join the team, but needs help fixing his clock.
Mini Game[]
To fix the clock, the player takes the gears, and puts them into place in the clock, until the first gear is connected to the last gear. This game helps improve logic.
Baseball Practice[]
Pig-Pen will teach Charlie Brown how to steal bases. He and Snoopy will throw the baseball to each other, and while they're throwing it, the player, who is playing as Charlie Brown, has to run to each base, and if nessecary, slide into the bases. The tricky part is, Snoopy or Pig-Pen might fake throw it, and get Charlie Brown out. At the end of this game, whether or not you sliid into the bases, Charlie Brown appears as messy as Pig-Pen.
Peppermint Patty[]
Social Problem[]
Peppermint Patty will refuse to join Charlie Brown's team, until the team is full, with every other player. However, even after the team is complete, she still won't join, until she is convinced to join. That is when Marcie comes in. Marcie tells Peppermint Patty, that it is better to play on a team that stinks and look like the best player, than play on a good team and just blend in. Peppermint Patty agrees to that, and says she will join.
Mini Game[]
Peppermint Patty says she can't play yet, but first has to organize her sports stuff. The player then has to put Patty's falling objects into the appropriate sports equitment box. If an object is put in the wrong box, the playrt gets a strike.
Baseball Practice[]
None. After organizing Peppermint Patty's stuff, it then goes to baseball mode, which is the first game of the season, and the end of adventure mode.
Baseball Mode[]
In baseball mode, the player gets to play as every player on Charlie Brown's team, and not only Charlie Brown. First, before the game, the player can decide the team's batting order for the game, then the difficulty, and how many innings the team will be playing with.
To pitch, the player can choose four types of pitching. They are, straight ball, curve ball, sinker, and twister, and you decide how fast the ball should go. The player then clicks in the batters box where they want to throw the ball. If the opposite team get three strikes they get out, and if they get for balls they get walked. If it is a pop up, and someone on Charlie Brown's team catches it, the hitter is out. If the ball touches the ground first, the member of Charlie Brown's team throws it to the base the player on the other team is running for, by clicking on the baseman. If the baseman catches it before the runner gets there, he is safe. If not, the runner is out. If the runner makes it around the bases, his team ges a point. If the other tea, get three outs, Charlie Brown's team get to bat while the other team is in the field.
To hit, just click in the batters box to swing, if it is a good pitch. The character who is hitting automatically run to the net base, but if the player wishes to go further than that, click on the base the player wants the character to run to. Players are allowed to steal from any base except for home. If the character get home without getting out, Charlie Brown's team gets a point. Whoever has the most points at the end, wins.
If Charlie Brown's team loses, they all run home to cry. However, if they win, they all start dancing.
Reviews[]
It has the classic Peanuts colorful look, with great handrawn characters. It also contains great Peanuts music. However, many people don't like it because there is not much skill needed for it.
Trivia[]
- Although in this game Peppermint Patty appears on the team, in the strip, she never appears on the team, and has her own team. She takes Patty's place.
- Although Violet, who is on the team, appears in this game, she does not play. And Patty, who was not in this game was replaced by Peppermint Patty.
- Although normally, the baseball team Charlie Brown is playing against is never shown, in this game they are.
- In between every half inning, a Peanuts comic that has to do with baseball is shown.