A new trick? That just might work! Nearly forty years after debuting on the tube, the capering cast of characters from Rocky and Bullwinkle have gone digital. The much-touted moose and squirrel twosome was reunited with coupled cohorts Boris & Natasha and Sherman & Peabody for the October release of Houghton Mifflin Interactive’s Rocky & Bullwinkle’s Know-It-All Quiz Game.

Aimed at a dual demographic of kids ages eight to 12 and their parents, the multiplayer trivia game features over 2,800 questions that cover educational categories such as famous people, world geography and current events. Game show host the Fearless Leader guides players through the quiz, and also emcees a nostalgic slide show of excerpts from the TV show that garnered a cult following in the `60s and `70s. Sniffle.

All the characters underwent minor cosmetic surgery to give them a competitive edge in the current kids interactive market, characterized largely by high-tech graphics and vivid animation. However, one thing that will translate unchanged from the series to the CD-ROM is the original show’s layered sense of humor. Says Houghton Mifflin president Conall Ryan: ‘Kids tend to enjoy the physical slapstick action of the cartoon characters, but the game’s double entendres and subtle innuendoes give it a very sophisticated sub-level of humor that’s purely for adults.’

Grown-up players with highly discerning ears will be able to pick out one familiar voice on the game-June Foray, the original voice of Rocky is still doing her thing. The rest of the cast was hand-picked by the estate of the show’s deceased producer, J. Ward.

The release of Rocky & Bullwinkle’s Know-It-All Quiz Game is the front-runner of a massive licensing campaign that Universal has launched in support of the fall 1999 premiere of its Rocky & Bullwinkle feature film. Apparel, toys and theme park rides will round out the initiative.