Where's the Learning in Carmen Sandiego?

Before the cartoon, before Rockapella, in the days of EGA graphics, the Carmen Sandiego games were among my favorites to play. I was content with beeps and screeches from the PC speaker because the games were really about deductive reasoning. From Where in the World, I went on to play Where in the U.S., Where in Europe, Where in Time, and Where in Space.

Gene Emery reports that the latest game, The Secret of the Stolen Drums, while graphically superior, is short educational value.