Description

"Sesame Street: 1-2-3" is an educational video game released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1989, designed to teach basic arithmetic skills to young children. Developed by Rare and published by Hi Tech Expressions, the game features beloved Sesame Street characters such as Big Bird, Ernie, and the Count, each hosting different game modules focused on number recognition, counting, and simple mathematical operations. The game is split into two primary segments: "Astro-Grover," which helps with number recognition and counting through a space-themed adventure, and "Ernie's Magic Shapes," which focuses on matching and identifying shapes.

The gameplay in "Sesame Street: 1-2-3" is tailored for a very young audience, with simple controls and easy-to-understand tasks. In "Astro-Grover," children help Grover in a spaceship determine the number of Zips (alien characters) appearing on the screen, reinforcing counting and number identification skills. "Ernie's Magic Shapes" involves helping Ernie to complete puzzles using different shapes, enhancing the child’s ability to recognize and differentiate between shapes. This game was part of a suite of Sesame Street-themed educational titles developed for the NES, reflecting an early effort to leverage video game technology for educational purposes in an engaging manner. Despite its relatively simple animation and sound design, "Sesame Street: 1-2-3" served as a valuable tool for learning, providing an interactive way for children to develop essential early math skills.