History VideoGame / TheMagicSchoolBus

* EnforcedPlug: In ''Dinosaurs'', the MiniGame "Dino Madness" is (fictionally) sponsored by T-Rex Burgers. The host, [[PunnyName Barry Onyx]], plugs them every so often.

* TheCretaceousIsAlwaysDoomed: In ''Dinosaurs'', there's a RandomEvent in which the bus malfunctions and sends you to end of the Cretaceous by accident. You can stay there a while or click an "X" to skip the whole sequence, but either way the bus manages to leave ''just'' before the asteroid strikes.

* AnachronismStew: ''Explores the Age of Dinosaurs'' has a snake in Jurassic Colorado. Snakes evolved in the Cretaceous. Although more likely it could have been a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caecilian caecilian]].

* AnachronismStew: ''Explores the Age of Dinosaurs'' has a snake in Jurassic Colorado. Snakes evolved in the Cretaceous.

* ShoutOut: Amusingly, it's actually possible to recreate WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButthead almost perfectly in the driver's license screen in ''Explores the Rainforest''. The same one also includes a tall blue hair-do that looks suspiciously like that of [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Marge Simpson's]].

** ConvectionSchmonvection: The characters can stand right next to the lava flow in ''Inside the Earth'' with no ill effects, and a tree that was knocked over by the eruption is notably not burning. Liz is able to burn a twig, but she has to touch the lava with it in order for that to happen.

* A keel-billed toucan in ''Explores the Rainforest'' was identified as a chestnut-mandibled toucan, which also appears in the game.

** ''Explores the Rainforest'' portrays toucans as having three toes pointing forward and one pointing back, when they should have two in forward and two in back. Also, a keel-billed toucan was identified as a chestnut-mandibled toucan, which also appears in the game.
** The rabbit from ''Explores the Age of Dinosaurs'' has a nose more like a cat's. Real rabbits have "V"-shaped noses. This mistake is fixed in ''Explores the World of Animals''.

** ''Explores the World of Animals'' also stated jaguars do not roar, when they do in real life (and are shown doing so both in this game and previously in ''Explores the Rainforest'').

* ArtisticLicenseOrnithology: ''Explores the Rainforest'' portrays toucans as having three toes pointing forward and one pointing back, when they should have two in forward and two in back. Also, a keel-billed toucan was identified as a chestnut-mandibled toucan, which also appears in the game.

** ConvectionSchmonvection: The characters can stand right next to the lava flow in ''Inside the Earth with no ill effects and a tree that was knocked over by the eruption is notably not burning. Liz is able to burn a twig, but she has to touch the lava with it in order for that to happen.

When ''Literature/TheMagicSchoolBus'' was adapted into an animated TV series, the publishers of the books, Scholastic Press, collaborated with Microsoft and a software company called Music Pen to adapt the books as a series of point-and-click [[EdutainmentGame edutainment games]] starting in September of 1994. The games featured all of the characters from the show and covered topics visited by the show somewhat more broadly. Most of the games involved searching for objects that had been lost or misplaced by one of the students. The first game was an adaptation of ''The Magic School Bus Gets Lost In The Solar System'' and was released within two weeks of the first episode of the show[[note]]''[[Recap/TheMagicSchoolBusS1E1GetsLostInSpace The Magic School Bus Gets Lost In Space]][[/note]], which adapted the same book to television. Several more games were released, ending with ''The Magic School Bus Explores Bugs'' in 2000. In most of these games, the objective was to find objects such as rocks or animals that had either been misplaced or lost by one of the students. These primary objectives were accompanied by mini-games and reports voiced by the characters intended to promote interest in the subjects presented.

When ''Literature/TheMagicSchoolBus'' was adapted into an animated TV series, the publishers of the books, Scholastic Press, collaborated with Microsoft and a software company called Music Pen to adapt the books as a series of point-and-click [[EdutainmentGame edutainment games]] starting in September of 1994. The games featured all of the characters from the show and covered topics visited by the show somewhat more broadly. Most of the games involved searching for objects that had been lost or misplaced by one of the students. The first game was an adaptation of ''The Magic School Bus Gets Lost In The Solar System'' and was released within two weeks of the first episode of the show[[note]]''[[Recap/TheMagicSchoolBusS1E1GetsLostInSpace The Magic School Bus Gets Lost In Space'']][[/note]], which adapted the same book to television. Several more games were released, ending with ''The Magic School Bus Explores Bugs'' in 2000. In most of these games, the objective was to find objects such as rocks or animals that had either been misplaced or lost by one of the students. These primary objectives were accompanied by mini-games and reports voiced by the characters intended to promote interest in the subjects presented.

When ''Literature/TheMagicSchoolBus'' was adapted into an animated TV series, the publishers of the books, Scholastic Press, collaborated with Microsoft and a software company called Music Pen to adapt the books as a series of point-and-click [[EdutainmentGame edutainment games]] starting in September of 1994. The games featured all of the characters from the show and covered topics visited by the show somewhat more broadly. Most of the games involved searching for objects that had been lost or misplaced by one of the students. The first game was an adaptation of ''The Magic School Bus Gets Lost In The Solar System'' and was released within two weeks of the first episode of the show[[note]]''[[Recap/TheMagicSchoolBusS1E1GetsLostInSpace The Magic School Bus Gets Lost In Space''[[/note]], which adapted the same book to television. Several more games were released, ending with ''The Magic School Bus Explores Bugs'' in 2000. In most of these games, the objective was to find objects such as rocks or animals that had either been misplaced or lost by one of the students. These primary objectives were accompanied by mini-games and reports voiced by the characters intended to promote interest in the subjects presented.

* ArtisticLicenseOrnithology: ''Explores the Rainforest'' portrays toucans as having three toes pointing forward and one pointing back, when they should have two in forward and two in back.

When ''Literature/TheMagicSchoolBus'' was adapted into an animated TV series, the publishers of the books, Scholastic Press, collaborated with Microsoft and a software company called Music Pen to adapt the books as a series of point-and-click [[EdutainmentGame edutainment games]] starting in September of 1994. The games featured all of the characters from the show and covered topics visited by the show somewhat more broadly. Most of the games involved searching for objects that had been lost or misplaced by one of the students. The first game was an adaptation of ''The Magic School Bus Gets Lost In The Solar System'' and was released within two weeks of the first episode of the show[[note]]''[[Recap/TheMagicSchoolBusS1E1GetsLostInSpace The Magic School Bus Gets Lost In Space''[[/note]], which adapted the same book to television. Several more games were released, ending with ''The Magic School Bus Explores Bugs'' in 2000. In most of these games, the objective was to find objects such as rocks or animals that had either been misplaced or lost by one of the students with several. These primary objectives were accompanied by mini-games and reports voiced by the characters intended to promote interest in the subjects presented.

* FeatheredFiend: Generally when birds appear in the mini-games in ''Explores the Rainforest'', they are these. Played with in that this is only from the perspective of whatever hapless creature that you happen to be playing as.

* JetPack: A power-up in some of the platformers in ''Explores the Solar System''. They're essential for Uranus and Neptune and very highly recommended for Saturn. It's also useful for finding more bonuses on Mars.

* OddballInTheSeries: ''Human Body'' is very much this. The whole game has a certain WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs quality. The PopUpVideoGames trope is pushed in the direction of outright surrealism. Plus, there's that constant droning of eerie music.

* ScienceMarchesOn: Especially noticeable in ''Explores the Solar System'' as it was made back when Pluto was still considered a planet. Many more moons have been discovered around the outer planets since then as well.

* HellIsThatNoise: The buzzing noise that plays when you place an animal incorrectly in the nocturnal animals mini-game in ''Explores the Rainforest''. The sound that plays in the bug maze mini-game when the bird approaches doubles as a ScareChord.

* SlippeySlideyIceWorld: The Saturn and Pluto platformers in ''Explores the Solar System''. Saturn uses it to brutal effect as the entire level is one big BottomlessPit with ice chunks as platforms. The sliding is countered by the traction boots.

* VirtualPaperDoll: ''Inside the Earth'' and ''Explores the Ocean'' both have this as a feature. It allows the player to mix and match parts of several different outfits by using arrows on either side of the screen.

When ''Literature/TheMagicSchoolBus'' was adapted into an animated TV series, the publishers of the books, Scholastic Press, collaborated with Microsoft and a software company called Music Pen to adapt the books as a series of point-and-click [[EdutainmentGame edutainment games]] starting in September of 1994. The games featured all of the characters from the show and covered topics visited by the show somewhat more broadly. Most of the games involved searching for objects that had been lost or misplaced by one of the students. The first game was an adaptation of ''The Magic School Bus Gets Lost In The Solar System'' and was released within two weeks of the first episode of the show[[note]]''[[Recap/TheMagicSchoolBusS1E1GetsLostInSpace The Magic School Bus Gets Lost In Space'', which adapted the same book to television. Several more games were released, ending with ''The Magic School Bus Explores Bugs'' in 2000. In most of these games, the objective was to find objects such as rocks or animals that had either been misplaced or lost by one of the students with several. These primary objectives were accompanied by mini-games and reports voiced by the characters intended to promote interest in the subjects presented.

!!''The Magic School Bus'' video games provide examples of: