Arthur's Camping Adventure

Arthur's Wilderness Adventure, formerly known as Arthur's Camping Rescue, is a video game released in 2000 by the Learning Company and co-distributed by Mattel Interactive. It is a point-and-click game about Arthur and his class, plus D.W., on a camping trip. Mr. Ratburn twists his ankle shortly after, and the class finds a way to get help.

Gameplay[edit]

The class is driving to the campgrounds at Mt. Rockslide. When they arrive, Arthur reveals that D.W. is on the trip since his parents are out of town. Mr. Ratburn hands the class notebooks and announces that he will give a certificate to whoever finds the most mammals or flowers. After Arthur gives Mr. Ratburn a map, they arrive at a camp, at which Mr. Ratburn trips and twists his ankle. He asks Arthur to pitch a tent for him, and the player must assemble the tent pieces. D.W. stays behind in Mr. Ratburn's tent.

As Arthur returns to the campgrounds, Binky informs the class that their food has been stolen. They brainstorm solutions to get help: Francine wants to fly a kite as a signal, Binky wants to find a high place and flash a mirror for help, and Brain wants to fix his two-way radio. If the player chooses Brain's radio idea, he reveals the five parts he needs to fix it: a motor, a magnet, springs, a wire, and a dish. If Arthur and Buster go left and then upper right, they notice a broken bridge. Arthur finds a wire on the ground. Going right, Francine meets up with Arthur and Buster, saying that she will find more mammals or flowers than them, then leaves. Arthur can collect a long stick on the ground to use later.

Continuing north, Arthur finds a tree blocking a shack door, and then a cave. Inside the cave, Arthur and Buster encounter two raccoons sleeping with the food bag. Further left, Arthur and Buster find blueberry bushes and eat from it. From the tree branch room, Arthur will see a magnet in a nest in a tree. To the south, Muffy is struggling with setting up a tent. She has an electric toothbrush with a motor that Brain can use in his radio, but only gives it to Arthur after the player completes another tent-building game. Going past a stream, Arthur collects a saw. He and Buster must navigate back to the shed, interrupted by Francine bragging about seeing three mammals or kinds of flower. Inside the shed is a screwdriver, which Arthur collects.

Past the area with the magnet, Arthur and Buster find a metal dish. They come across a high mountain, and then a cliff. At the cliff, there is a rope Arthur and Buster can reach for, which causes them to slip and fall down the mountain near the cave. As Arthur and Buster slide down the cliff, they can grab onto a hanging branch, leading them to discover a trilobite fossil. Arthur puts it in his backpack to show to Mr. Ratburn. To get the rope, Arthur and Buster must use the large stick. They can use the rope on a tree at the area with the broken bridge, after which is a minigame in which the player must click to help Arthur keep his balance while walking on the log. Past the log is another shack, a canoe, and an outhouse with a key hanging near it. Arthur must collect the key and use it to unlock the shack, which contains a flashlight and a paddle. After that, he can use the paddle to lift up a heavy crate, unveiling a dark trapdoor. With the flashlight, he descends into the trapdoor and the player must complete a maze game.

After the maze, Arthur reaches an area deeper into the cave and close to the food bag, which he can hook using the large stick. Going past the outhouse, Arthur will find a loose ladder. He must tighten it with the screwdriver. Climbing the ladder leads to a ranger's cabin, which has a few springs that can be collected, and a lookout spot. To return Arthur and Buster to the campgrounds, the player must play a canoeing minigame after using the paddle on the canoe. Francine takes the canoe and paddles off. Arthur and Buster can give Binky the food bag, and to get the magnet from the nest, Arthur has to climb up some steps on an area to the right.

With all the pieces to fix the radio, Arthur and Buster must give them to Brain, and then the food. Arthur, Brain, Buster, and Francine head to the highest point of the mountain, and the player must control Arthur in a climbing minigame. At the top, Arthur calls for help, and a ranger arrives at the campgrounds to help Mr. Ratburn. Arthur shows the fossil to the ranger, who agrees to put it in the visitor's center museum. They start a campfire, and the ranger tells a story. At the end of the story, the player is asked if they would like to play again; if "No" is chosen, the credits roll.

The game contains a nature notebook, which can be filled out by clicking on the various animals or flowers seen throughout the game. When one is found, an in-game screenshot of it is shown, accompanied by a description read aloud by Arthur.

Characters[edit]

Arthur Read
Buster Baxter
Muffy Crosswire
Francine Frensky
Brain
Binky Barnes
D.W. Read
Nigel Ratburn
Mt. Rockslide ranger
Jane Read (mentioned)
David Read (mentioned)
Scarnos (mentioned)

Gallery[edit]

Original cover
Later cover
Later version titled Arthur's Wilderness Rescue
Arthur CD-Rom pack that comes with Arthur's Wilderness Rescue and Arthur's Computer Adventure