Sesame Street: Oscar's Letter Party

***Oscar's Letter Party*** is a 1988 *Sesame Street* interactive home video released for the View-Master Interactive Vision video game system. The system came with a simple controller which included a joystick and three colorful buttons. As the video plays, the characters address the player directly, and ask the player to make a choice by pressing one of the buttons. The video has a number of different soundtracks recorded, and the player's choices toggle back and forth between the soundtracks, giving the impression that the player has changed the course of the story.

## Gameplay

* **Scene 1**: The game opens up with Oscar the Grouch discovering that his trash can is surrounded by happy faces. Using the controller, the player erases them for him.
* **Muppets**: Grover and Christopher play a game where he gets tickled, then holds up a sign saying "STOP" when he wants the tickling to end. *The player can hit the blue button to tickle Grover, and the red one to make him stop*.
* **Scene 2**: Oscar reveals that the player will be able to attend a grouch party, but must do some things first. First, Fluffy displays the letters O, V, C and K and wants the player to choose one.
* **Scene 2** (continued): Once the player has picked one, Oscar hears a car, alerting him that the party decorations have arrived. As he leaves, he presents a film that may have the chosen letter in it.
* **Cartoon**: Psychedelic alphabet. *The player can hit a button when their letter appears on screen for a message from Oscar*. *The beginning and endings are cut*.
* **Scene 3**: To make sure the player is worthy enough of attending his grouch party, he conducts a grouch test. However, if the player proves they aren't grouchy they'll get an invitation to Bob's party instead.
* **Scene 3** (continued): Before the test, Bob appears, hoping the player will attend his normal party.
* **Scene 3** (continued): For the first part of the test, Oscar has the player make a grouch word.
* **Scene 3** (continued): After the first test, Bob comes by the can to make sure the player is coming to his party.
* **Muppets**: "Octopus Blues" *The player can hit their green button to make 8 fish appear when they hear the number 8*.
* **Scene 4**: Next, Oscar presents a grouch music test. He plays a song that can be sung two ways...
* **Muppets**: Big Bird sings "May I Be Your Friend?" to Samantha the Eel in his nest. *The player can press the blue button to hear Oscar's grouchy lyrics, and the red button for Big Bird's nice lyrics*.
* **Scene 5**: Oscar writes the results on his scorecard and asks the player to remember their letter for the next segment.
* **Cartoon**: A Rube Goldberg device is used to display the letters of the alphabet. *The player can hit their green button when their letter appears*. *Only the first part of this cartoon is shown*.
* **Muppets**: Kermit sings "The Frogs in the Glen." *When the player hears the word "frog", their green button will make an animated frog appear*.
* **Scene 6**: While Bob blows up the balloons for his party, Oscar runs the "Grouch Two-Plex" at his can. Two films appear above him (one about a butterfly and the other about pigs), which will give more proof as to how grouchy the player is.
* **Scene 6** (continued - alternate 1): If the player picks the pig film, Oscar gives it a good review: 4 oinks.
* **Scene 6** (continued - alternate 2): If the players picks the butterfly film, Oscar gives it a bad review: 4 yucks.
* **Muppets**: Grover asks Maya to help him follow an arrow. The arrow keeps changing direction until Grover falls down, exhausted.
* **Scene 7**: Now it's time for the "Party Quiz". Oscar gives choices for party games, decor and presents. He plays a film while he tallies the score.
* **Muppets**: Kermit sings "Caribbean Amphibian." *The green button will make an animated frog leap to a lillypad Footage of island maps replaced*
* **Scene 8**: Oscar gives the final tally, which gets the player into either Bob or Oscar's party.
* **Scene 8** (continued - alternate 1): If the player gets Oscar's, then they get to attend a party with Oscar, his elephants and The Grouchketeers.
* **Scene 8** (continued - alternate 2): If the player gets Bob's, then they get to attend a party with Bob and the kids.

 Credits

###  Instruction Notes

#### No Graphics

* "Please check to see if your *View-Master Interactive Vision* System is on. If not, slide the green switch to the on position. If it is already on, let the tape play, and enjoy the show."

#### Rendered Graphics

* "The yellow stripes on the side of your screen, are starting points for some interactions in this program. To replay an interaction, rewind or fast-forward to leave yellow stripes, then start play again."

### Opening Logos

* View-Master Interactive Vision
* Children's Television Workshop

### Ending Credits

* Directed by: Ted May
* Executive Producer: Jon Stone
* Producer: Sonia Rosario
* Interactive Development: Glenda Revelle
* Segments Directed by: Ozzie Alfonso, Emily Squires, Jon Stone
* Written by: Mark Saltzman
* Segments Written by: David Axelrod, Jeff Moss, Norman Stiles, Peter Swet, Ray Sipherd
* Starring Jim Henson's Sesame Street Muppets: with Caroll Spinney as Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch · Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, Martin P. Robinson, Kevin Clash, Pam Arciero, Brian Muehl, Mark Zeszotek, Cheryl Blalock, David Rudman, Ed Christie, Noel MacNeal, Kathryn Mullen and Jim Henson
* Cast:
	+ Bob McGrath as Bob
		- Christopher Wein, Marilyn Sokol, Ivy Austin, Maya Bernstein
* Songs by: Tony Geiss, Bruce Hart, Stephen Lawrence, Jeff Moss, Joe Raposo, Jon Stone
* Special Thanks to: Rob Madell, Al Hyslop, Cher Jung, Seth Meyers, Emily Swenson and Frank Biondo, Dave Conner, Danette DeSena, Victor DiNapoli, Yvonne Doughty, Dave Driscoll, Robert J. Emerick, Danny Epstein, Craig Evans, Allison Glass, Ken Hahn, Lee Halls, Andres Henriquez, Ruthie Hiatt, Gabrielle Howard, Bill Kellard, Paul Lacy, Tim Lester, Frieda Lipp, Valeria Lovelace, Dick Maitland, Eleanor McIntosh, Ralph Mensch, Pat Mielke, Nat Mongioi, Thelma Moses, Grisha Mynova, Chet O'Brien, Mortimer J. O'Brien, Martha O'Connor, Eulogio Ortiz, Jr., Mike Pantuso, Leslie Raicer, Arlene Sherman, Karen Specht, John R. Tierney, Larry Rackley
* "Sesame Street" and the "Sesame Street" sign are trademarks and service marks of the Children's Television Workshop.
* © 1988 Children's Television Workshop · Muppet Characters © 1988 Muppets, Inc. · All rights reserved.

###  View-Master Interactive Vision Television System Credits

* Available Interactive Programs for use with your View-Master Interactive Vision Television System
	+ **Sesame Street**
		- Let's Learn to Play Together
		- Magic on Sesame Street
		- Let's Play School
		- Oscar's Letter Party
* View Master Video System Production
	+ VMIG Executive Advisor: Gary Evans
	+ Head of VMIG Interactive Video Development: Tina Eden
	+ Head of VMIG Video Production: Greg Martinelli
	+ Head of Computer Graphics: Jogene L. Kapell
	+ Senior Computer Graphic Artists: Doug Johnson, Frank Lam
	+ Computer Graphic Artists: Donna David, George Eden, Jessica Kantor
	+ Head of Computer Programming: Ernie Cormier
	+ Computer Programmers: Jonathan Eiten, Andrew Frank, Mark Garvin, Stuart Ross, Luc Selis, Dirk Van Mieghem
	+ Production Associates: Richard Brous, Dan Klass, Jim Kohn, Matt Morrissey
* View-Master® Interactive Vision™ Television System and Program Software View-Master Ideal Group, Inc., Portland, OR 97207
* The View-Master® Interactive Vision™ is based upon concepts developed by ACTV, Inc. US Patent Pending
* Licensed for private home exhibition only. Any public performance, copying or other use is strictly prohibited. All other rights reserved.
* View-Master Interactive Vision