Nine of the eleven games listed are automatic additions to The Adventure Gamer playlist, leaving only two that rest in the reader's hands. Chamber of the Sci-Mutant Priestess came in as Borderline, meaning one reader can spend 50 points (or a bunch of you can pool together 100 points) to add it to the list, and Emmanuelle has been disregarded, so a bunch of you would need to pool together 200 points if you want me to play it.
If you're feeling a bit disgruntled at the fact there are only two games up for discussion for 1989, well rest assured that 1990 will have much to spend your well earned CAPs on. There are currently six Borderline (including the King's Quest remake and Future Wars) and four Disregarded games for that year, so keep that in mind before you splurge out for the fun of it. Over to you!
Chamber of the Sci-Mutant Priestess (aka KULT: The Temple of Flying Saucers)
| Is it clearly a graphic adventure game? | Yes |
| Does it have 20 or more Moby Games ratings? | No (12) |
| Is it on the Wikipedia Notable Games list? | Yes |
| Result | Borderline |
It sure looks strange! It's up to you guys whether I play it or not.
Code-Name: Iceman
| Is it clearly a graphic adventure game? | Yes |
| Does it have 20 or more Moby Games ratings? | Yes (36) |
| Is it on the Wikipedia Notable Games list? | Yes |
| Result | Play It |
Seems to be an interesting mix of adventure and simulator, but predominately adventure.
Emmanuelle: A Game of Eroticism
| Is it clearly a graphic adventure game? | Yes |
| Does it have 20 or more Moby Games ratings? | No (16) |
| Is it on the Wikipedia Notable Games list? | No |
| Result | Disregarded |
You won't make me play this will you? Will you!?
Hero's Quest: So You Want to be a Hero
| Is it clearly a graphic adventure game? | Yes |
| Does it have 20 or more Moby Games ratings? | Yes (97) |
| Is it on the Wikipedia Notable Games list? | Yes |
| Result | Play It |
My favourite adventure memory. Will it stand up?
Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure
| Is it clearly a graphic adventure game? | Yes |
| Does it have 20 or more Moby Games ratings? | Yes (114) |
| Is it on the Wikipedia Notable Games list? | Yes |
| Result | Play It |
I've played The Fate of Atlantis but not The Last Crusade!
Leisure Suit Larry III: Passionate Patti in Pursuit of the Pulsating Pectorals
| Is it clearly a graphic adventure game? | Yes |
| Does it have 20 or more Moby Games ratings? | Yes (54) |
| Is it on the Wikipedia Notable Games list? | Yes |
| Result | Play It |
I remember playing this as a kid (how could I forget!), but didn't get far
Manhunter 2: San Francisco
| Is it clearly a graphic adventure game? | Yes |
| Does it have 20 or more Moby Games ratings? | Yes (27) |
| Is it on the Wikipedia Notable Games list? | Yes |
| Result | Play It |
I'll be playing the first one real soon!
Mean Streets
| Is it clearly a graphic adventure game? | Yes |
| Does it have 20 or more Moby Games ratings? | Yes (36) |
| Is it on the Wikipedia Notable Games list? | Yes |
| Result | Play It |
This will be my first Tex Murphy experience
Neuromancer
| Is it clearly a graphic adventure game? | Yes |
| Does it have 20 or more Moby Games ratings? | Yes (44) |
| Is it on the Wikipedia Notable Games list? | Yes |
| Result | Play It |
This game looks really interesting. I'm intrigued!
Space Quest III: The Pirates of Pestulon
| Is it clearly a graphic adventure game? | Yes |
| Does it have 20 or more Moby Games ratings? | Yes (81) |
| Is it on the Wikipedia Notable Games list? | Yes |
| Result | Play It |
I played this just a few years back, so should cruise through it
The Colonel's Bequest
| Is it clearly a graphic adventure game? | Yes |
| Does it have 20 or more Moby Games ratings? | Yes (48) |
| Is it on the Wikipedia Notable Games list? | Yes |
| Result | Play It |
This will be my first Laura Bow experience
I remember enjoying Kult a big deal -- it was one of the strangest games out there. Your assistant is some kind of wisecracking unborn baby! The game's full to the brim of the typical French quirkiness.
ReplyDeleteBUT, it's actually playable and has its own consistent logic, IIRC.
Well, I believe you have 60 points up your sleeve Charles. ;)
DeleteThat's blackmail, Trick! Watch out fellas, he's out for our hard earned points! ;)
DeleteI, however, have never played Kult, and I think Emmanuelle has no real interest when you've attained puberty. I'll keep my points in my sleeve for now...
Wow, so many good gamed coming up!
ReplyDeleteThe last one of these I played was Codename: Ice-Man I think. Not necessarily connected to my first sentence though.
Looking forward to Mean Streets, it's been far too long. By the way, you can get the Tex Murphy games for 50% off this week on GoG to celebrate the Tex Murphy Kickstarter. Just in case you haven't got them already.
Hope Project Fedora makes it. If it does it's going to be close, I think. I'm interested in seeing Tex back even when the only game in the series I played was Martian Memorandum. But I also got to fiddle a bit with Over a Killing Moon back in the day (from an ancient PC Gamer demo disc) and found it very interesting. The tech was jaw dropping, and the hint system very clever.
DeleteWow... not cool. Just realized that the Kickstarter trailer for Project Fedora actually SPOILS the cliffhanger ending of Overseer at the very beginning.
DeleteI strongly suggest not watching it for those wanting to play Overseer!
I hope Project Fedora makes it, also. The Tex Murphy games were some of the few to take the innate crappiness that is FMV games and turn it into a strength by making it all just part of the cheesy B-movie feeling that the series reveled in.
DeleteI loved mean streets. A really good game that makes you take notes and think like a detective. The action scenes are pretty lame, though.
DeleteOh, come on - you have to play the Emmanuelle game!
ReplyDeleteIn fact, given that there aren't that many games from 89 and that the two borderline games are clearly 'proper' adventure games, you really ought to play them both. Otherwise, you might as well change the name of your blog to The Adventure Dabbler.
I agree with Alan. I've read some stuff about those two games back in those years but I never had a chance to play them. I would really like to know more about them, what they are about and how well they play.
DeleteYeah - all joking aside, it's the obscure, oddball stuff, rather than the famous games like [Insert Type] Quest, or Leisure Suit Larry, that keeps me coming back to the blog.
DeleteI really do hear you Alan (and Antonakis) and I certainly don't want to limit the blog to only the most well known games that people have already played. But...it may not be obvious while we're looking at 1989, but things really take off in the next few years.
DeleteTo give you an example of what I mean, I spent a while going through all the adventure games in Moby Games and Wikipedia for the year 1995, just to see what The Year Ahead - 1995 might look like. Below are the results, bearing in mind that I'm assuming all of them are unquestionably adventure games for the sake of the example.
Play It - 18 Games
Discworld
Flight of the Amazon Queen
Full Throttle
I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream
Prisoner of Ice
Ripley's Believe It or Not!: The Riddle of Master Lu
Roberta Williams' Phantasmagoria
Shivers
Simon the Sorcerer II: The Lion, the Wizard and the Wardrobe
Space Quest 6: Roger Wilco in the Spinal Frontier
Star Trek: The Next Generation - A Final Unity
Teenagent
The 11th Hour
The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery
The Bizarre Adventures of Woodruff and the Schnibble
The Dig
The Journeyman Project 2: Buried in Time
Torin's Passage
Borderline - 12 Games
Chronomaster
Dark Seed II
Frankenstein: Through the Eyes of the Monster
Guilty
Lost Eden
Mission Critical
MTV's Beavis and Butt-Head in Virtual Stupidity
Shannara
The Big Red Adventure
The Dark Eye
The Orion Conspiracy
Touché: The Adventures of the Fifth Musketeer
Disregarded - 12 Games
Bureau 13
Chewy: Esc from F5
Cosmology of Kyoto
Dust: A Tale of the Wired West
Escape from Delirium
Freddi Fish and the Case of the Missing Kelp Seeds
In the 1st Degree
Kingdom: The Far Reaches
Oregon Trail II
Putt-Putt Saves the Zoo
The Daedalus Encounter
The Dame Was Loaded
So, to finish my point, the above list looks pretty good to me. There aren't very many games that have been disregarded that seem hugely compelling, and the few that came up as borderline could very easily be added to the list by readers (or in some cases just added to the Wikipedia list). More importantly, the readers that will have the power to add games to the list are the ones that have been the most involved with the blog, which seems a suitably rewarding system to me.
DeleteIf I change my tune now and just start playing every potential game, then years like 1995 will have 42 games and I'll never get through it, and that's only if I make it that far.
Wow -- what a year. It does hurt to see a few interesting titles among those that will remain unplayed (I always found the concept behind Bureau 13 intriguing). However the restriction is understandable if we want to keep things within the realm of the humanly possible.
DeleteOne solution? A sister blog devoted to the obscure rejects. Something like "The Adventure Gamer -- The B sides" We need to clone Trickster!! ;-)
You're missing one game: B.A.T. The DOS port is from 1990, but the first release (on Atari ST in France) is from 1989.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I know I'm late for this, but I don't think that "number of MobyGames ratings" is really a useful criterion, since that way it's quite likely that you will miss out on hidden gems, which are really one of the most fun part of a project like this (as Chet also likes to point out).
I decided to play the games in the order they were released on PC, not the order they were released in original versions. That way I'm not unfairly comparing technical qualities of games against those developed many years prior. I already ran into this issue when I played Maniac Mansion Enhanced Version instead of the original.
DeleteI think this becomes less of an issue after around 1990 anyway, as games were released on PC immediately anyway.
As for the criteria, well I'm afraid I had to attach something. While Chet is content with the knowledge that he will never reach the end of his list, I want to make sure that my progress through the years is reasonably steady. There are 2159 adventure games for Windows on Moby Games, and that includes none of the games released for DOS only, so it's an impossible task I'm afraid.
DeleteI honestly think this system will still include lots of hidden gems while giving me the chance to play all the classic adventure games I've missed over the years, but if anyone has any suggestions on how it might be improved, I'm all ears (well, one ear anyway). The CAPs system is there to up the interaction and to let you guys have some control over the blog, but if people don't like it...
I can totally understand that, there definitely already are a lot of games to consider. It's just that just as RuySan below I think it's even more interesting to read about the games that aren't already well known and written about like the Sierra and LucasArts games. I don't really have a perfect solution for that either, unfortunately. But interactivity is of course always good, that's why we're gamers :)
DeleteTrickster, have you considered the suggestion I made back at the "CAPs explained" -post (it's pretty much the final comment in there, so you might have ignored it)? I suggested that enthusiastic readers could play the "games that didn't make it" and make "guest reviews" of them for your blog, at the same time earning CAPs for their hard work. In this way a) even the rejected games would have a chance of being discussed and b) people who don't know games enough to give hints to you could still get some CAPs. (You might want to check the whole comment thread back at the other post, because there's also another related suggestion and some positive feedback from other readers.)
DeleteI agree it might be a good idea to at least test every game - no need to write multiple postings, just a brief description about the essentials and a couple of screenshots. Who knows, maybe there are some hidden gems among the underdogs!
DeleteWe could still use our CAPs to "force" you to complete the game and do a PISSED rating.
On the other hand, I also think what Ilmari is suggesting is a great idea!
I just looked at all this again Ilmari and while I love the idea of letting readers blog their way through games, I just need to figure out the best way to make that work. Would we have an arrangement where any game that hasn't been added to the list (at the time I start the first game for a particular year) is up for grabs for any reader to blog through themselves. They could earn maybe 50 points for a good effort or 100 points if they manage to finish.
DeleteMy main fear with this is that readers will stop spending CAPs to make me play games and instead choose to play them themselves. There are actually quite a few games under Borderline that I wouldn't mind playing (I just don't think I can play them all and want to give the readers some choice). I don't really want the blog to become a free for all.
Thoughts?
I'd suggest only allowing others to earn CAPs for disregarded and make readers pay to play borderline ones. ;)
DeleteTrickster: I don’t think there’s any real danger that readers would stop using their CAPs: if we know that a game will be played by you, we have a guarantee that it will be covered in the blog and also with reliable Trickster-quality. No such guarantee and definitely no such quality assurance lies in a game being rejected, even if there is a remote possibility of some reader picking up the game for a guest review. But if you are afraid how it might work, you could first just try it for one ”gaming year” and see how it works out – if it doesn’t, you can just discard the possibility.
DeleteAlright, I'm willing to give it a try. Whatever Potential games are left off the official playlist at the time I begin the first game of a year can be played through and blogged by readers. Do you think it's fair to say first in first served? I can't imagine the blog would be very interesting with three readers blogging through the same game. I can't think of another fair way to do it though. Spending CAPs is against the point. Cross that bridge when we get there?
DeleteYou could go with the low bidder? Say, normally you'd give 50/100 CAPs for a game (good effort/completion), someone could lower the bid to 40/90 if they really wanted to play it. I don't see anyone clamoring for these games, and writing reviews for them. If they are, then I don't think they quite realize how much work it takes.
DeleteOn a side note, 4000 points for LSL 3? That's crazy.
I'd go with the end of the year, in case someone doesn't have the CAPs when you put this post up, but really wants you to play a game. Then they can save them up for a while and buy the game, and have a good strong motivation to help you during that time to boot.
DeleteI think that first in first served is quite fair (another possibility might be that if the original player fails to complete the game, another reader might still get points for finishing it). In any case, I am bit worried that giving another 50 CAPs for solving the whole game might be bit risky - after all, it's too easy to cheat by using an existing walkthrough. Maybe only 25 or even just 20 points of extra for completing the game?
DeleteFair call. I'll start off by giving 50 points for having a fair crack at it and 70 points for going all the way.
Delete10 points for Ilmari for the suggestion.
I am a bit confused. Whatever happened to Police Quest 2? Wasn’t it coming up this year? Don’t see it in the list…
ReplyDeleteAaahhh...my bad! It was on the list under 1989. I've corrected it and will update the Future Destinations list accordingly. That means there are four games left for 1988 instead of three. Oops!
DeleteWell, that just gives you all longer to come up with the CAPs if you want to add either of the above. ;)
WOW! What a year!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteFuture Wars is not borderline. It's an adventure game through and through from Delphine Software (also the publishers other graphical adventures like Operation Stealth and Cruise for a Corpse).
ReplyDeleteI also preferred if you gave Emmanuelle a shot. I remember this game on the Amiga, and i also recall being in the Adventure genre. Besides, if you only get to play the famous Lucasfilm and Sierra games the blog isn't as interesting as it could be.
I agree with RuySan about Future Wars, it's an excellent game (well in my memory anyway, maybe it's not that good in reality...) and includes time travel! Well, if you stick to it, that means I have one year worth of games to be stocking up CAPs...
DeleteSince both of the games are "clearly graphical adventure games," I think they should both be on the list. At the least, play them for a bit and talk about them. I can see you covering some borderline and disregarded games in shorter, non-intensive entries.
DeleteHowever, if a movement grows, I'll offer up my meager 10 points to whichever game is closest to being "brought back."
Just to be clear, Future Wars is only Borderline because it's not currently on the Wikipedia Notable Graphic Adventure Games list. It could easily be added, or someone could spend 50 CAPs to make me play it. Either way, I'm sure I'll be playing that game under the system.
DeleteCanageek? :)
DeleteI foresee the Wikipedia list getting a lot of additions in the future. :p
DeleteSo it seems the wikipedia notable list is not reliable. I'm saying that by judging that 1995 list you just posted. Almost every game in the borderline list is 100% adventure, and some are hidden gems that you really ought to try. Others are hybrids (like Shannahra) that may provide a nice break of pace for you and this blog.
DeleteSorry for being so hard on your playing time, but poor CRPGaddict got us used to it for being so stubborn to finish every game.
The issue here is the "notable" bit. The Wikipedia list as I understand it is not supposed to be an exhaustive list of every adventure game there ever was, even though they're straight up 100% adventure. The Wikipedia list is a list of notable games, games that are noteworthy and important for the history of adventure games. Not that "borderline" doesn't mean that it isn't an adventure game, just that it didn't make the cut in popularity.
DeleteThat means it will always be a subset of adventure games, the most important ones. It also means it will be subjective, as we can't all agree what constitutes a prominent adventure game.
That being said, I think Trick's approach could be a good one. It means he has plenty of games to play through, but there will be noticeable progress through the years. This, combined with a...let's say liberal distribution of CAP's so that we can get the borderline or rejected games we particularly want on his play list approved will both satisfy the need to get on with it and our need to see particular games.
But even then, the notability list doesn't make much sense. So i guess it depends on which games had the most die hard fans for them to write a wikipedia article. "The Bizarre Adventures of Woodruff and the Schnibble" and "Prisoner of Ice" are notable while Darkseed II and The Dark Eye are not??
DeleteLike I said, it's all subjective. The main point is it's not a complete list and isn't supposed to be one.
DeleteI just want to clarify that there's every chance that I will play Shannara, The Dark Eye and Dark Seed II. I have full confidence that the readers will want games like those added to the list and will therefore spend CAPs to make it happen.
DeleteCould I just add them to the list myself? Of course I could! But where's the fun in that!? And why shouldn't I add Freddi Fish and the Case of the Missing Kelp Seeds and Putt Putt Saves the Zoo at the same time?
I'm simply trying to form a system that means every popular, classic adventure game is automatically on the list, and the readers have the opportunity to interact and choose some of the other games they want to see on the blog.
We'll never know if it's going to work unless we give it a go. I've had twelve people fill in the questionnaire to get twenty CAPs in the last two days, so I'm fairly certain there are a number of readers already hording their CAPs with games in mind. I'm feeling excited about the prospects already. :)
I can only add games if you guys give me multiple sources saying that such and such a game exists, when it came out and so on. I'll also have to check if it is indeed notable, I missed that on the list.
Delete@Canageek: You might want to add Eternam (1992) to the Wikipedia list. Here's at least three sources for the game :
Deletehttp://www.mobygames.com/game/eternam
http://hardcoregaming101.net/eternam/eternam.htm
http:// http://www.adventuregamers.com/games/view/16471
As for its notability, it is the first true adventure game of the French company Infogrames, which later produced such famous titles as the Lovecraft-games Shadow of Comet and Prisoner of Ice and the Alone in the Dark -series. It's also interesting as it combines 3rd person and 1st person perspectives and a scifi-themed plot with such historical eras as Middle Ages and French Revolution.
I think you should charge CAPs to add games for people Canageek. If you charge them just less than it costs to get me to add the game to the playlist, you could have quite a profitable little venture. ;)
DeleteI can do that? How much is it for you to add Fatty Bear to your list again? :D
Delete@Canageek: Well, a lady in the Quicky Mart asked me to share my CAPs, so how about this deal: You’ll add the Eternam to the Wikipedia list and I’ll give you a cut on all the CAPs I earn starting from this date until Trickster reaches the end of the 1989 gaming year – say, you’ll get a third of the points I earn during that period. You won’t get a third of my losses, so only risk is that you’ll get just 0 CAPs - and given my track record, I think you have a good chance of profiting plenty ;)
DeleteTrickster, are you OK with this deal?
Canageek, do you accept bonds? (getting ahead of the inevitable CAP market crash. ;-))
DeleteSeems like Tricks needs to create a CAP trading house before things get out of hand.
DeleteOh, and I have to find me some chinese CAP farmers to ensure I corner the market from the start. :p
Oh dear Gygax, what have I gotten myself into? I've edited the list to make it easier for me to add games, though I'm having some trouble getting it working; If anyone knows wikimarkup I could use some help.
DeleteI guess I could write up an article in exchange for caps, but man, I realized that I'd have to write a *full article* on each game, which is a lot of work; If there is a wikipedia article already on the game I'll add it for 5 caps. If not, bring me some good sources on the game and we will talk.
Alternatively, you could write up an article on the game, and I can do the formatting for you and add it to the list.
I might do an article, if that’s what it takes to add a game to the list, but what should be included in a full Wikipedia article? Is it enough to give the publishing details, some comments on the style of the game and the basic plot? And how much of the statements has to be backed up by sources – say, if I’ve played the game and know about it a bit more than the sources say?
DeleteI'd look at some of the top rated articles and follow them. Just look through the adventure game list and find the ones that look the best to you. Personal research (Playing the game yourself) wouldn't count, and they prefer print sources to online, though they will take online sources.
Delete@Ilmari: Not only am I ok with your idea, I thoroughly encourage it! I love to see you guys coming up with creative ways to spend and trade CAPs. :)
Delete@Canageek: OK, I have made an article on Eternam - the best I could do with available sources (there's not much to start with, when the game is not well known). Do you think it is sufficient? You can find it in Google Docs (if you prefer something else, do tell me):
Deletehttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1QN83USGX1l0Vz5aOlh-sVsg9T0QZv5-GI5XVAmlk5BQ/edit
I am not 100 % certain how well my English is and I didn't have time to spellcheck the article properly, so if you want to proofread it, before putting it to Wikipedia and adding the game to the list, I'd be very delighted. As for the payment, if you really settle for 5 CAPs, that's fine with me, but my offer above still stands. Let's say that I'll first pay 5 CAPs as a security, but if and when I start to get new points, you'll get a third of them (minus the 5 points I've already given) until Trickster reaches the end of year 1989.
That works for me, I'll go lookup how to make a new article.
DeleteOh, and you don't mind that this will be released under the Creative Commons or GFDL license wikipedia uses, right?
DeleteBetter make that 10 CAP, this turns out to be a *lot* more work then I thought. *Swears at refrences section some more, tries to figure out why it isn't working*
DeleteYou can watch my progress at http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Canageek/sandbox if anyone knows wikimarkup
@Canageek: No, I don't mind. It's not like I am going to get rich with this ;)
Delete@Trickster: When you return to Australia, be sure to move 10 CAPs from my account to Canageek's. And the agreement above stands, so after I've earned another 30 CAPs, start to give a third of my earnings to Canageek (until you reach the end of year 1989).
Article is live, adding it to the list right now. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternam
DeleteAh.. some fondly remembered goodies there. Codename: Ice Man, Colonel's Bequest, good on you for using the original release name Hero's Quest, Indy, and of course and all time fave of SQ3. Never played a Tex Murphy game, so I'm more than a bit curious to hear about that one.
ReplyDeleteSo many great games. I loved Hero's Quest, The Colonel's Bequest, and Tex Murphy. Warning about Mean Streets, it has some really annoying action parts. I always hated it when adventure games added action sequences. Well, unless done right, like in Hero Quest. However, the wonderfully cheesy film noir-ness that is Tex Murphy makes it worthwhile. The game I'm most excited to see is Iceman, simply because we were never able to get it working.
ReplyDeleteI remember Codename: ICEMAN to be about 2/3 simulation and 1/3 adventure. Seems to me you spend a lot of time messing with that sub. I was a younger teenager at the time and remember it to be incredibly frustrating because I wanted to do more than plot courses and issue commands, but I must've liked it enough to persevere and finish it. Very very linear though; I don't recall the opportunity to explore much of anywhere.
ReplyDeleteSteam alert: Space Quest Collection at 75% off. And I second that you should definitely play Future Wars. I'm quite fond of it as it's the first graphical adventure I've managed to finish on my own.
ReplyDeleteDammit, how did you beat me to that? They just tweeted that and I raced over here despite being at work to bring you all the news.
DeleteLink: http://store.steampowered.com/app/10110/?snr=1_550_552
Awesome, but seening as.. hopefully, be getting the games from GoG for free because I'm backing the Two Guys SpaceVenture project I'll hold off for now! Plus totally have the collection on CD.. and the original releases on floppies (that I can't actually use)/CD where appropriate.
DeleteI'd love it if you would play Chamber of the Sci-Fi Mutant Princess. I tried a bit of it when it was on CRPG Addict's list, and actually was laughing out loud at some of the ridiculous dialogue. If you do play it, I'll try to play too. I didn't get far at the time, because it was obviously an adventure game and I was just peeking at the ones that he had upcoming.
ReplyDeleteGOG have just released The Blackwell Chronicles in a big bundle. Anyone played them? They're on the list but a long way down!
ReplyDeleteI played the first one and enjoyed it. Good point-and-click action. It's pretty short, even by adventure game standards. I have the other two; they're on the list to play. Well worth it, I think. I guess we'll find out your opinion in the future!
DeleteI don't know if someone posted this elsewhere, but there's an "Adventure Game Bundle" here:
http://bundle-in-a-box.com/
Gemini Rue is also by the guy who did The Blackwell Chronicles.
I just took a look at that. Is that really what it says it is? You pay what you want for the bundle? This is new to me but I think I like it!
DeleteSure is. No gimmicks or gotchas. In this particular bundle, each game is offered as a DRM-free download. Most also have a Steam and Desura key as well.
DeleteIndie Gala V is also going on right now as is Indie Royale's Graduation Bundle. I just brought up the Adventure Game Bundle because I figured it'd be relevant...:)
I've played the first three of the Blackwells. I would consider them worth playing. They are all fairly short, they tell a good story and there's a couple of nice puzzles there as well. They are fairly easy, so definitely more about experiencing the story and the characters than devious puzzles.
DeleteI consider the first Blackwell to be a good game, 2 and 3 are average. And I haven't played the most recent one.
Couple of short comments:
ReplyDeleteAs others already said, Future Wars should definitely be a no-brainer for an accepted game. But let's fight that one later, when we reach 1990..
Looks like the screenshot from Indy 3 is taken from an enhanced version which was released later. It uses MCGA/VGA 256 color palette and has also soundcard support. I assume you have to play the original EGA version, although the remake would of course be much more enjoyable. I can't remember if there was any differences in interface, probably not.
Looking forward also to Mean Streets, as I haven't played any Tex Murphy games earlier. Already bought them from GOG some time ago, now I just need to find time to play it before you start, as I don't like spoilers either..
I didn't realise there was an enhanced version of Indy. I guess I should have, given that there was one for Maniac Mansion and Zak McKracken.
DeleteI also purchased the Tex Murphy games on GOG, so I'm all set for that.
I _think_ (again going from memory) that the 256 color and 16 color versions of Indiana Jones were released at the same time (it being a transition period and they wanted to reach the largest potential audience). Or at least the same year.
DeleteI had to check this, and it seems that the 256 color version was released in 1990. For Monkey Island, there were also two versions (EGA and VGA), but they both were released in 1990.
DeleteFenrus, what source did you find for that? I went looking, and
Deletehttp://www.lucasarts.com/support/update/indy-last.html
seems to imply that this patch (for the 256 color version) was originally released on 5/89.
Not that it's necessarily infallible, as I'm sure that page was created a long time afterwards.
BTW, I'm amazed and happy that you can still find 20 year old patches still available from the original company.
I just used wikipedia. At least your information is definitely more at the original source than mine. Although I doubt that a "486 upgrade" would have been available already in 5/1989 as (according to Wikipedia again) the first 486 processors were shipped in 4th quarter of 1989.
DeleteQuote from the English wikipedia:
The game was released in May 1989 simultaneously with the movie. It was available for DOS, Amiga, Atari ST, and Mac OS. A CD-ROM version was later released for the FM-Towns, with 256-color graphics, as well as a VGA PC version.
Freely translated from Finnish version:
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure was released 6th July 1989 for MS-DOS, Amiga, Macintosh and Atari ST.
In 1990 the game was released for FM Towns in 256 colors and with a CD soundtrack. This was released for MS-DOS as well without the soundtrack..
Moby games shows that the FM Towns version was released Jul. 1990.
Who knows, Wikipedia definitely is not too trustworthy - Whatever the truth, I vote that Trickster plays the 256 color version!
Hmm, actually the timing may work out. The patch could have been based on processor errata/details Intel revealed in the spring, or Intel while developing the processor could have tried out the game and communicated an issue back to Lucasarts. If 486s were available in 89, that actually makes it less likely (though certainly still possible) that a game version released the middle of 90 would have needed a patch (Lucasarts would have had time to try out the game on a 486 and fix it before release).
DeleteAnother issue that may be confusing things is the 256 color version was originally released on disk, and then later re-released on CD.
Who knows. Either way, I think the issue is clouded enough that Trickster can play the 256 color version with a clear conscience. :)
I can feel a poll coming up...
DeleteI incidentally noticed that most games have some copyright statement in the title screen - I then had to check this and launched both versions of Indy 3, and.. the EGA version was dated 1989, and the VGA 1990.
DeleteDespite this, I hope Trickster plays the 256 color version, because the graphics are much more enjoyable.
I remember Emmanuelle from my late teen days, the movies, not the game, the movies. :). Porn nostalgia says you must play this!
ReplyDeleteI think I might cheat and just watch the movie. ;)
DeleteI have a friend who reads some erotic books and comics by that name. I wonder if they are related?
DeleteYes, the book was first, and the movies, game and comics are based on it.
DeleteI remember Mean Streets having jaw-dropping graphics and sound in its day. And I don't know how they managed it, but they were able to play digitized speech THROUGH THE PC SPEAKER! An amazing feat, though whoever invented it probably didn't benefit from the fact that sound cards would predominate very soon.
ReplyDeleteI seem to recall one of the Wizardry games (whichever one was Bane Of The Cosmic Forge) also doing digital sound effects through the speaker. I distinctly recall the sound of a sword swinging.
DeleteAccess Software games used their patented "RealSound" system e.g. in Mean Streets, Countdown and Links (the golf simulator). I remember the opening tune of Links was just something incredible!
DeleteSamples can be found here (scroll down a bit):
http://www.oldskool.org/sound/pc/#digitized
Thanks for the link, Fenrus. Those songs sound amazing! Seriously, someone should've gotten a Nobel Prize for this lol.
DeleteI hope this is vague enough to not constitute a spoiler, but I am very much interested to see how your playing style works out in Colonel's Bequest...
ReplyDeleteMe too.
DeleteIt's such a great game.
I don't know whether you're expecting my play style to work or fail in the game. Intrigued!
DeleteI'm thinking they expect you to accidentally start the zombie apocalypse.
DeleteOh wait, that started 2 weeks ago, nevermind.
Not sure where to put this, but it really doesn't belong in a game post. Am I the only one that's never heard of The Museum of Computer Adventure Game History? According to the site, it's been around since 2001. I hope you find some use from it Trickster.
ReplyDeleteI ended up using it for some maps for the game Star Saga One. They have RPG and Adventure games on the site.