Jim Henson's Muppet Adventure No. 1: "Chaos at the Carnival"

Sequel

Chaos at the Carnival is the Muppet Adventure No. 1, indicating that it was supposed to be the first installment of a series. It remains the sole episode, since no sequel followed.

Version differences

Chaos at the Carnival was released for four platforms: MS-DOS, C-64, Apple II (all 1989) and NES (1990). The versions differ significantly.

The DOS version is likely the original rendition. Games filled with randomness that cannot be countered with skill. Players get several retries per game.

C-64 and Apple II mimic the DOS version in terms of graphics and sound, gameplay sees some changes (see screenshots). There’s less randomness, but general time limits and no retries. Both version replace the Funhouse maze with an easy puzzle game in which players sort pieces to form a Kermit picture. There are no opponents in Bumper Cars, but the course is more challenging. There are no meteors in Space Ride.

The NES port was released one year later, in 1990, and is the most advanced of the bunch, both in technology and in gameplay. The NES version drops the duck shooting game and greatly alters the remaining games (see screenshots). Time limits have been removed and a health system added; players get ten lives. Players may not choose a muppet prior to each level. Two player support is gone.