Thursday 10 April 2014

Game 43: The Secret of Monkey Island - A Herring!

Guybrush Threepwood Journal Entry 1: "I'm one step closer to fulfilling my dream of being a real pirate! I met a bunch of them today in some scummy bar, and everyone directed me to a threesome of unexpectedly cheerful ruffians in the back room. It was them that informed me of the three trials I must pass to become a pirate! All I need to do is defeat the Sword Master in combat, steal the Idol of Many Hands from the Governor's mansion, and find the Legendary Treasure of Melee Island. Shouldn't be too hard right? Right?!"


Seems a nice place to spend the next few weeks.

The entertainment started the moment The Secret of Monkey Island launched. Even as the title screen appeared and the credits began to pop up one at a time, a huge smile burst across my face. It’s the music I tell you! The Monkey Island theme song, with its Caribbean influence, is utterly delightful. It’s one of those tunes you catch yourself humming hours after playing, but instead of shaking your head in annoyance of a tune you can’t get out of your head but wish you could, you find yourself embracing it all over again. Moments after the credits had finished, Guybrush Threepwood appeared on a cliff top, already dressed in clothes befitting his desired occupation. The dark blues that made up the landscape and the majority of the sky immediately reminded me of Loom, which shouldn’t surprise given the same company was behind that other classic game. Guybrush strolled across the screen and stopped in front of a fire where a bearded, bespectacled man was looking out across what I assumed must be the ocean. “Hi! My name’s Guybrush Threepwood, and I want to be a pirate!” That one statement was everything I needed to know to get going. There was no need for any longwinded introduction. The bearded man, who seemed to have great trouble remembering what Guybrush had just said his name was, informed our wannabe that he looked more like a flooring inspector, but that he should go and talk to the pirate leaders in the SCUMM Bar if he was serious about becoming one of them. With that, Guybrush left him to whatever he was doing and descended the stairs to the south.


As you can see, I did end up deciding to play the VGA version.


I really can't remember whether this guy plays any further role in the game.

As he did so, large blue writing appeared announcing that I was about to partake in “Part One: The Three Trials”. Control was handed over to me as Guybrush left the descending pathway and passed between two quaint, candlelit houses. The list of verbs at the bottom of the screen was very familiar, but I’ll quickly describe two seemingly minor changes that make a huge difference to the game’s playability. Firstly, moving the cursor over an item that Guybrush can interact with automatically lets the player know what it is. There’s no need to click on a “Look” style verb first to examine a screen. Just start looking! Secondly, once you do cross over something that can be interacted with, the most obvious verb is automatically highlighted on the list. Even then the player still doesn’t have to click it, as simply right clicking on the item sets the action in motion. To give you an example of this in action, moving my cursor over the poster on the wall automatically created the sentence “Walk to poster”, but highlighted “Look at”. If I clicked the left mouse button on the poster, Guybrush would walk towards the poster, as that’s what the current sentence stated would happen. If I right clicked on it, Guybrush would look at the poster instead, as the verb in the action sentence would be replaced by the highlighted one. It’s extremely intuitive and means the player really can just concentrate on solving puzzles rather than fighting the interface. In case you’re wondering, the poster read “Re-elect Governor Marley”, to which Guybrush remarked: “When there’s only one candidate, there’s only one choice.”


Part One: The Thr..oh you guys are perfectly capable of reading!


Ever wondered where the Adventure Gamer images came from? Well now you know!

I crossed the bridge to the right of screen and soon arrived at my intended destination. The SCUMM Bar! Inside were a whole variety of pirates in various states of intoxication. I began trying to talk to them, finding that the ones closest to the door were completely unconscious. The man in the red jacket just to the right of the entrance was responsive though, and my attempt to converse with him gave me a close-up for the extent of the exchange. He asked me whether I was new in town, at which point a fairly extensive list of responses appeared at the bottom of the screen. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade had already introduced branching dialogue options, but they were fairly limited in their use. They appeared for only a few specific scenes, and the player had to figure out the exact combination of responses that were required to achieve their goal. What I was confronted with in Monkey Island took that system and turned it into what we still see today in modern adventure games! There’s no wrong answer, and the player can generally pick anything from the list and just enjoy the consequence, whether it be positive or negative. Once the result of a chosen option has completed, the list pops back up, with the exception of the previously chosen response. To make things even better, once the player has run through all the available options, instead of being given a list that contains nothing more than a “Nice talking to you” type response, Guybrush instead automatically makes his leave. It’s incredibly slick, and encourages playful insults and humorous jests, generally without penalty.


The interface is so simple that it took me a while to get used to it!


On second thoughts, pirating doesn't look all that glamorous anymore!


There's a lot of blue in this game. Even facial hair has a blue tinge to it.

Before I continue I’d like to state that there’s no way I intend to describe the entire conversations I hold with each of the game’s characters. The branching dialogue system means I will be reading a lot of dialogue, and while I wish I could relay all the hysterical and entertaining banter that I’ll come across, I’ll be limiting things to story progression and specific gems of hilarity. It didn’t take long for one of these gems to arrive! After the pirate in the red jacket suggested my name was “the stupidest name” he’d ever heard, he then revealed that his was in fact Mancomb Seepgold (think about it!). When I informed him that I’d come to Melee Island seeking my fortune, he told me I “should go talk to the important-looking pirates in the next room”. I asked him about Governor Marley before I followed his advice, and he told me that her mansion could be found on the other side of town. He went on to warn me that pirates are no longer welcome at her place since the last one that had visited her had fallen in love with her. There was clearly more to the story, but Mancomb suggested I talk to Estevan at “the other table” to find out more. When I followed this lead and found the rather unattractive one-eyed Estevan, one of the dialogue options I had was “Who’s the pirate that’s bugging the Governor?” No doubt this option would not have been there had I not already spoken to Mancomb, which highlights another great addition to the LucasArts dialogue system.


Just as in Loom, there's no real animation to the closeups. Each character has a few different images that change depending on what they're saying.


Perhaps I have too many teeth and...um...eyes...to be a pirate!

Estevan told me about the evil pirate LeChuck, and how the Governor told him to “drop dead” when he tried to crack onto her. In an attempt to impress the Governor, LeChuck sailed off to find the Secret of Monkey Island, only for his ship to be sunk in a mysterious storm. Somehow, despite the entire crew dying during the tragedy, LeChuck returned as an apparition, and continues to sail the waters between Melee and Monkey Island. It’s for this reason that Estevan and all the other pirates are spending their time on land rather than on the open sea. Interestingly, when I asked about getting a drink, Estevan told me I should grab a mug and sneak into the kitchen when the cook wasn’t looking, as that’s what everyone else did. Before I even considered attempting such a feat, there was one last table of pirates I needed check out. There I met Cobb, who those of you that have played Loom, or read my posts about it, might recognise. This was the guy that offered to let me look into the sphere if I would just let him see my face. I hadn’t witnessed his demise, as my view had switched to outside the castle at the time, but his screams and the fact he was never to be seen again suggested something horrible. I was very interested to find out how he ended up on Melee Island, so I asked him to “tell me about LOOM”. The guy launched into a longwinded spiel about Loom as a masterpiece of gaming, while the word <ADVERTISEMENT> flashed in green at the bottom of the screen. It seemed that Lucasarts had finally outdone Sierra on the cross-selling leader board!


Everyone seems terrified of LeChuck, and with good reason.


It's amazing what you can get away with if you do it in a clever way.

While Cobb gave me nothing of any real value, the small canine on the ground next to him was very willing to gossip about everyone and everything! Our conversation would have held much more value however, if we’d both been able to speak the same language. Dog: “Woof-woof arf woof warroof, Melee Island! A-ruf wuf LeChuck! Grrrrrr! Guybrush: “Wuf, LeChuck?” Dog: “Worf woof woof ruff-ruff wor-roof wuf? Ruff arf-arf, bow-ruff Governor Marley! A-OOOOOOO! A-OOOOOOO!” Comedy gold if you ask me, but let’s get onto more important matters! Leaving the screen to the right  brought me to the “important-looking pirates”. These guys had a habit of finishing each other’s sentences and showing great concern regarding the increasingly low state of grog in the SCUMM Bar. Initially my suggestion that I wanted to be a pirate was met with derision, but as soon as they remembered that the cause of the “dangerously low” grog level was a lack of willing pirates, they became more agreeable. They told me what I would need to do if I were to become the pirate I so desperately wanted to be. “There are three trials every pirate must pass. You must prove yourself in each of these three areas: swordplay, thievery, and, er, treasure huntery; then return with proof that you’ve done it.” Thankfully I was able to ask them questions about each of these trials.


I don't know why I found this so funny.


I want to restore, just to see what happens if you pick the first option.


Shit just got real!

To master the sword I must get a sword (obviously), then seek out and defeat the Sword Master. To master the art of thievery I must acquire the Idol of Many Hands in the Governor’s mansion (which is guarded by vicious dogs). Lastly, to master treasure hunting, I must find the Legendary Lost Treasure of Melee Island and return it to them. I could recall trying to outsmart the Sword Master from my previous experience with the game, but the other two tasks tweaked no memories at all. I turned my attention to getting into the kitchen, since I’d noticed the chef going in and out during the course of my time in the bar. I waited for him to vacate it once again, and then attempted to enter. He briefly reappeared to tell me very directly not to enter the kitchen, but I of course ignored him. I must say how great it is in a game like this to know there is no way to die or dead end yourself. The player can try anything at all, no matter how risky or stupid it seems, with the worst that can happen being a humorous slap on the wrist. Once in the kitchen I found I could interact with a hunk of meat, a barrel, a pot, a table, a pot o’ stew, and outside on the small pier I could see a herring. I quickly discovered that I could pick up the hunk of meat and the pot, but didn’t appear to be able to do anything with either the barrel or the table.


These guys find themselves to be quite amusing.


If you tell me not to do something, it just makes me wanna do it real bad!


Hmmmm...how very hygienic!

Using the hunk of meat on the stew was successful, and I was then able to collect some of the resulting meat stew. Oddly, I picked up this stew on its own without using the pot, so I had no idea how Guybrush was actually holding it. Regardless, with that all sorted, I walked outside to see if I could get the herring. As I did so, a bird flew down and began pecking at it. Any attempts to pick up the fish were met with “I think that bird will peck my hand off”, and since I wasn’t able to interact with the bird itself, I was at a bit of a loss as to how I might acquire it. Eventually I realised I was being had! The fish was both a literal and the proverbial red herring!!!! *facepalm* Laughing, I left the fish behind and made my way back through the SCUMM Bar. It was time to explore more of Melee Island, and to pass the three trials and become the pirate I’d always wanted to be. I realise I haven’t covered much ground in this opening post, but it’s not unusual for me to only cover about thirty minutes while I describe the technical aspects of a game and cover off the initial plot introduction. It’s already very obvious why The Secret of Monkey Island is such as classic though. It’s polished, original, gorgeous, and damn entertaining, right from the get go, and I can’t wait to get back into it and relive the adventure as though it were the first time.


Indeed it is, and a red one at that!


It's time to go pass some trials!

Session Time: 0 hours 20 minutes
Total Time: 0 hours 20 minutes

Note Regarding Spoilers and Companion Assist Points: I've written a set of rules regarding spoilers and companion assist points. Please read it here before making any comments that could be considered a spoiler in any way. The short of it is that no points will be given for hints or spoilers given in advance of me requiring one. Please...try not to spoil any part of the game for me...unless I really obviously need the help...or I specifically request assistance. In this instance, I've not made any requests for assistance. Thanks!

75 comments:

  1. Haha... a red herring, indeed! :-)

    I'm seeing a few differences with the version I remember playing back then. I didn't know the one-eyed pirate was named Estevan, although that could be just my memory. I do remember his aversion to dart boards, though! Also, the closeups in this one are like an order of magnitude better (as in, more realistic) than those in the EGA version. And I've always loved the color gradient they used for the sky.

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    1. In the demo, he's called One-Eyed Frank... Maybe his full name is Frank Estevan or something?

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    2. Ybbxvat sbejneq gb gur oevqtr gebyy chmmyr. :C

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    3. Zr gbb. Vg jvyy erfhyg rvgure va n snprcnyz be pbzcyrgr orjvyqrezrag :-)

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    4. V arire haqrefgbbq gung chmmyr hagvy V yrnearq jung gur vqvbz zrnaf va Ratyvfu. Vg'f nabgure bar gung'f phygher-fcrpvsvp. Ng yrnfg vg pna or fbyirq ol gelvat gb tvir rirelguvat.

      Gevpxfgre nyfb frrzf pbaivaprq gung gurer ner ab jnlf gb qvr be ernpu n qrnq raq. Vs jr jrer rivy rabhtu, jr pbhyq gevpx Gevpxfgre vagb jnvgvat 10 zvahgrf haqrejngre - be jnfgvat nyy uvf zbarl vagb Bgvf be gur tebt znpuvar orsber olvat rirelguvat ur arrqf...

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    5. Jr fubhyq gbgnyyl qb gung. Whfg gb fubj uvz gung gval synj fvapr vg pna or pbafvqrerq n qrnq-raq, juvpu vf n ab-ab sbe Yhpnfnegf tnzrf.

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    6. Ununun, Bx, V'yy tb nybat jvgu guvf, whfg gryy zr jung gb fnl naq V, gur gehfgjbegu(vre) bar jvyy fgneg qebccvat fbzr uvagf.

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    7. Znlor gur ernfbavat sbe Bgvf pbhyq or fbzrguvat yvxr "Lbh arrq gb tvir nyy lbhe zbarl gb Bgvf, fb ur pna yngre oevor gur thneq gb yrg uvz bhg." Tebt znpuvar: "Bapr lbh chg lbhe ynfg pbva va vg, gur znpuvar jvyy svanyyl tvir lbh fbzrguvat."

      Ohg gurer'f gbb znal ceboyrzf jvgu guvf cyna. V qba'g ernyyl guvax Gevpxfgre jbhyq snyy sbe vg, ur'q unir gb qb vg orsber ohlvat gur fjbeq be gur fubiry, naq vg jbhyq erdhver n erdhrfg sbe nffvfgnapr naljnl sbe uvz gb ernq bhe EBG13 "uvagf" (hayrff jr "nppvqragnyyl" chg gurz va cynvagrkg.)

      Gur haqrejngre frdhrapr ur'yy nyfb nyzbfg fheryl fbyir orsber gurer'f n punapr gb zvfyrnq uvz. Creuncf vg'f orggre naljnl gb qrfpevor nsgrejneqf jung unccraf vs lbh jnvg 10 zvahgrf.

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    8. Gunaxf sbe oevatvat hc gur 10zva guvat. V qrpvqrq gb frr jung unccrarq naq yb naq orubyq vg tnir zr na K-Obk npuvrirzrag. 10 npuvrirzrag cbvagf V jbhyq arire unir tbg vs abg guvf guernq.

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    9. V pbhyqa'g chg zber guna 1 cvrpr bs rvtug vagb gur tebt znpuvar. Qvqa'g rira gel gb tvir Bgvf zbarl.

      Yes, I'm decoding old hints hoping to stumble upon a clue as I'm stuck again.

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  2. EGA comparison time!

    In the EGA version, the first time you arrive to the dock there's a sunset. The sunlight subtly illuminates everything with an orange colour. Later when you re-enter the screen it's gone and it's night, and the highlights are bluer. The change affects the whole screen, I was lazy and screenshotted only the middle portion.

    There's an extra animation when One-Eyed Frank is scared. His eyes move nervously.

    While the VGA closeups are gorgeously drawn, I think the EGA ones often have a little more character. I especially think Cobb's smile is funnier.

    Finally, a difference in the CD version: the hunk of meat was completely redrawn to be consistent with its other appearances. This was probably because it has a graphical inventory, which made the discrepancy more visible.

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    1. Man, I have to disagree with you; I think the VGA night scene is much nicer, with the moon shining on the water.

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    2. I didn't exactly say that it looks better or worse. The point is, the VGA version only has the night version of the scene. Apparently they decided that drawing the whole place twice in VGA wasn't worth the effort.

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    3. What do you think of THIS version of Le Chuck? http://www.reddit.com/r/ImaginaryPirates/comments/22uq30/lechuck_by_filip_acovic/

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    4. What, you want my opinion of a random piece of fan art from the Internet? While it's really well drawn (great detail and shading!) I think his face looks a little round and goofy. It's not as cool and energetic as Steve Purcell's paintings and drawings of him.

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    5. Laukku: Yep, since you are always critiquing the art, I'm going to ask you about all the fan art I randomly come across. Of course, that is the only adventure game fan art I've run into, so I thought the timing was rather good, but you know, I might run into more.

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    6. Canageek: Not that I am particularly fond of the idea of you harassing Laukku, but isn't it pretty easy to run into adventure game fan art? In less than a minute I ran into
      Space Quest fan art: http://wiw.org/~jess/fanart.html
      and King's Quest fan art: http://allhailkingsquest.tumblr.com/tagged/fanart

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    7. Devianart is (as usual) full of fanart. I kind of agree with Laukku. It's technically good, but doesn't feel "LeChucky". A quick browse through Devianart produced a couple of examples I prefer:
      For the LeChucky feeling: http://gameras.deviantart.com/art/Captain-LeChuck-320080627
      And for pure scaryness (Monkey Island movie anyone?): http://boc0.deviantart.com/art/The-Demon-Pirate-LeChuck-402336062

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    8. Oh, I didn't mean to harass Lakku, he just seemed like someone who would like the art. I was going to post it anyway, then noticed his thread on art and thought I'd reply to it.

      I also don't go looking for fan art, I just happened to be browsing r/ImaginaryPirates on Reddit and came across that one, and well, it seemed like too good timing not to post it.

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  3. Love this game! I would totally play along if I had the time.

    And I'm ticked I failed to guess my score! Despite the lack of CAPs potential, I'm going for a 72. After the turds you've had to slog through, Trickster, take your time with this one.

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  4. Finally a remark about his name!

    Interestingly enough there's two partially overlapping stories about how he ended up as Guybrush Threepwood. The one that crops up everywhere but I can't find an actual source for is this one, cited in this case from The Scumm Bar: http://scummbar.com/resources/faq/
    "How did Guybrush get his name?
    DPaint, the program used to develop a lot of the original Monkey Island game's graphics, stored character files as 'brush' files. The main character file (which obviously was of a guy) was simply called guy.brush, and that's how the name Guybrush came along. (Other sources claim the filename was guybrush.bbm -- this may or may not be true depending on which platform the file was created on. The assumption comes from DPaint only being able to use three character file extensions, but as the Amiga actually didn't use file extensions, it could easily have been called guy.brush.) Threepwood was decided in a company contest - the name comes from the book "The Brinkmanship of Galahad Threepwood" (US title). "Threepwood" is also rumoured to be the name of Dave Grossman's character in RPGs."

    And then there's this version which stems from an interview with Mark Ferrari. He worked as an artist on the game, cited from The International House of Mojo, http://mixnmojo.com/features/sitefeatures/LucasArts-Secret-History-The-Secret-of-Monkey-Island/7 :
    "Many moments of outright silliness ended up preserved forever in that game, as in the name of our hero himself, Guy Brush. In those days, a sprite, (movable bit of art that could be carried around the screen with the cursor or stamped down repeatedly) was called a "brush". When one of our character animators, (might have been Steve Purcell or Martin "Buckey" Cameron), finished drawing up a sprite of the game's main character, Ron Gilbert and the then division art director, Gary Winnick, were talking about what to call the guy. The conversation went something like this.

    Gary W: "So What are we going to name him?"

    Steve P: "Fred. ... Fred the Pirate."

    Ron G: "No. He's an action guy. He needs an action name."

    Steve P: "Bob then."

    Gary W: "How about Flynn, you know, like Errol Flynn."

    Ron G: "No. Something original. And the Flynn estate will probably sue us anyway." Ron turns to Bucky Cameron and says, "We're going to need a girl pirate too. Just make a girl version out of the guy brush."

    Steve Purcell: "That's it! Call him Guy!"

    Ron G: "Yeah! Guy Brush! Why not?"

    Everyone laughed, assuming then that it was only a joke. But while we looked for a better name, everyone started calling him "Guy Brush," until it stuck".

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    1. Actually, Amiga filesystem used file prefixes instead, so the file would be named brush.guy if anything.

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    2. Which actually lends credence to the second, sourced version.

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  5. My only regret is I sadly cannot read these posts until I finish playing (need to start as well).

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  6. Just started playing along myself and the bit where the important looking pirates tell you about grog reminded me of this news story from a few years ago

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP5bR1o-elg

    And, playing with the 2009 version and switching to the VGA version occasionally for comparison (F10 for anyone who's playing but didn't know) I think Mancomb looks better in VGA than the cartoony look from the Special Edition - I can't find a screenshot of it from Mobygames though and I'm too lazy to take my own screenshot so you'll have to take my word for it :)

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    1. What the?! F10 changes the version?! Shite! Thanks for the tip, man!

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    2. And for those playing on XBLA, it's the Back-button on the 360-controller.

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    3. Ah! that's how you do it. I figured they'd left that out of the XBLA version. I'll have to give it a try. I'm really not a fan of the cartoony graphics. They just don't seem to fit together very well.

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  7. I'll be playing along at the weekend, hopefully before Trickster has finished!

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  8. Trick, I'm sure that you'll appreciate the lack of ROT13 tags when I say that you're a fool - you need the herring to cut down a tree in the forested areas of Mêlée Island.

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    1. When I got the notification about a new comment and read the contents, I didn't look very hard at who posted it. Then, when I was searching for it here to reply, I couldn't find it because I was so sure it was a Kenny-post.

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    2. Hey, hey. I don't corner the market for inducing pain and rage. I'm all for spreading it around like a flower-child armed with a magical infinite petal basket at an eternal mass wedding while singing "Tra-la-la". Everyone's free to hinder and haras- I mean, HELP AND ASSIST good ol' Trix.

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    3. It was more me trying to say that his post title reminded me of Monty Python, Mr. Erik. (You must cut down the mightiest tree in the forest... With... A HERRING!)

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    4. I got what you were on about Aperama and shall reward you for picking up on my reference in the title. :)

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  9. Maybe I will play through for the Nth time myself. It doesn't take long if you remember most of the puzzles like I do. And that music ... is so engaging, every time. Just enchanting. So few games build an entire world so rife with atmosphere and self-consistency like Monkey Island does.

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  10. Sale! Daedalic Super Bundle: http://store.steampowered.com/sale/daedalic
    1954 Alcatraz
    A New Beginning - Final Cut
    Chaos on Deponia
    Deponia
    Goodbye Deponia
    Journey of a Roach
    Memoria
    The Night of the Rabbit

    Until April 14th
    (11th sale, since this is all one sale. I'll recount if you decide to go by game)

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    1. Thanks, ended up getting 1954 Alcatraz for 50% off, already got the rest. Trickster, can you move 5 CAPs to Canageek?

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    2. *Dances around like a drunken sailor with glee*

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  11. I totally forgot to notice this: The Journeyman Project: Pegasus Prime is finally released for Windows, 17 years after the Mac release: http://www.gog.com/news/release_the_journeyman_project_1_pegasus_prime

    It's on sale for 20% off on GoG for a week, http://www.gog.com/game/journeyman_project_1_pegasus_prime_the

    along with discounts on The Journeyman Project 2: Buried in Time: http://www.gog.com/game/journeyman_project_2

    and The Journeyman Project 3: Legacy of Time: http://www.gog.com/game/journeyman_project_3

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  12. Totally unrelated note: The Tex Murphy: Tesla Effect demo is available on Steam.

    I tried it out but quickly realised the demo takes place some time into the game so stopped playing until I can get my hands on the full game and play it properly.

    So if you're unsure and want to try before you buy - http://store.steampowered.com/app/261510/

    Pre-purchasing there also gives you a free Pandora Directive - one of the best games ever.

    Pre-purchasing on GOG gives you a choice of free Tex Murphy game http://www.gog.com/game/tesla_effect_a_tex_murphy_adventure

    I've waited since 1998 for a new Tex game. You'd think I could wait another 1 week 4 days and 11 hours without getting impatient but no, apparently I can't.

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    1. Why would anyone of us here be unsure about Tex like we didn't know how the gameplay is like?

      By the way, what's the gameplay like?

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    2. How is the flight simulator? Does it work with modern game pads?

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  13. I think this is the first legitimately good looking game you've played. Now if you need me, I'll be over here preparing to be tarred and feathered.

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  14. New release on GOG.

    Journeyman Project 1: Pegasus Prime (1997)

    Seems to be a remake of the original Journeyman game, which was released in 1993. I already knew about a 1994 remake of the game called The Journeyman Project: Turbo! Are there really two remakes of the same game?!

    Actually, Moby Games doesn't have Pegasus Prime as a Windows game (it was Mac only), yet the new release on GOG definitely says compatible with Windows. All very strange.

    http://www.gog.com/game/journeyman_project_1_pegasus_prime_the

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    1. Oh, I just noticed Lars-Erik has already spoken about this. Carry on...nothing to see here!

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    2. No CAPs for you! Muahahahaha!

      Seriously though, The Journeyman Project went something like this:
      Original release for Mac in 1992. Windows version released 1993. Both of these proclaimed shitty performancewise, so the Turbo!-version was released for both in 1994, focusing on code improvements.

      When making The Journeyman Project 2 released in 1995 they realized that the first one was pretty meh, so they remade it with new fancy graphics, puzzles, cutscenes etc. This was the Pegasus Prime version of The Journeyman Project 1.This was supposed to come out for multiple platforms, but for some reason they released it only for Mac (again), with the exception of PlayStation and Apple Pippin in Japan.

      And for some reason, 17 years later they finally finish the Windows-version, which is now released. No word yet on a Linux-version, which is supposed to also be in development.

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  15. Weekend deal on GoG, Atari and Calypso promo: http://www.gog.com/promo/weekend_atari_kalypso_promo_110414

    For adventure gaming, that means 60% off on Ceville.

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  16. Hello, it took two weeks but I just got through the backlog. Shame I just missed the voting on this one...

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  17. Return to Mysterious Island and Return to Mysterious Island II is a part of the new Indie Bundle. On top of that, if you buy it during the next 24 hours you can get it for just $1.50 instead of $2.49.
    https://www.indiegala.com/main

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  18. Won! (again, for at least the seventh time)

    Took about three or four hours though, partially due to a lot of wandering back-and-forth.

    Now to do a write-up and enjoy Trickster's postings.

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    1. And here I am having played before for a similar amount of times, and I'm stuck. If I wasn't playing a Lucasarts game I'd restore an old game thinking I'm at a dead end.

      Sometimes I think it's harder when you know mostly how to solve each puzzle but can't remember one of the steps in the middle. I'm probably too focused on trying to do something I can't do 'till later.

      Well, looks like it's time for the trusty "Go to each location and touch everything I have on everything I can see until something happens" tactic.

      Delete
    2. My write-up is here, short and sweet but heavy on both GIFs and spoilers! http://playedbypanthro.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-secret-of-monkey-island-1990-vga.html

      TBD: There are a few awkward puzzles in the game, where are you stuck? I can give various hints.

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    3. What act are you stuck in?

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    4. Thanks for the offer Andy and Darkshadow.

      I'm going to have another crack myself, but here's where I am at the moment.

      V'z jnaqrevat Zbaxrl Vfynaq va Npg VVV. V guvax V arrq gb trg gur ebcr bss gur qrnq thl gb trg gur bnef ohg V guvax V zvtug arrq gb qrfgebl gur qnz svefg ohg qba'g xabj ubj. V nyfb arrq gb trg gur Zbaxrl gb sbyybj zr gb gur tvnag zbaxrl urnq ohg V'ir eha bhg bs onananf (V'ir hfrq guerr nsgre hfvat gur pngnchyg gb xabpx na rkgen 2 qbja)

      Delete
    5. Gur ceboyrz vf gung lbh unir zbarl yrsg. Hfr vg nyy hc, gura tb gb gur obggbz bs gur bprna naq fgnl gurer sbe 10 zvahgrf.

      Delete
    6. LOL Canageek X-D

      Hints for TBD:
      1. Lbh'er ba gur evtug genpx. Lbh unir gb znxr gur qnz rkcybqr.
      2. Gb qb vg, lbh arrq thacbjqre. Lbh nyfb arrq gb vtavgr vg fbzrubj. Gurer'f gjb jnlf gb qb guvf.
      3. Lbh pna rvgure hfr sevpgvba be bcgvpf gb lbhe nqinagntr.
      4. Lbh pna trg nyy vgrzf eryngrq gb guvf chmmyr sebz Urezna'f sbeg (jrfg fperra bs gur znc) naq arne gur qnz.
      Solution: Chg gur thacbjqre sebz Urezna'f pnaaba va gur qnz, gura n)bcra gur fcltynff naq hfr gur yraf ba gur fha, be o)hfr gur ebpx jvgu gur pnaaba onyy gb perngr n fcnex.

      Delete
    7. Thanks for the hints Laukku (and Canageek :))

      I read your first hint, Laukku, which let me focus on one thing to do, but didn't solve my problem. Determined not to read your second hint, I tried going everywhere again, this time after switching to VGA mode for a change. My problem was...

      Zl cvkry uhagvat fxvyyf yrg zr qbja. V'z fher V ybbxrq va gur nern, ohg V qvqa'g abgvpr gur sbeg ba gbc bs gur ibypnab.

      Vg vf zber pnzbhsyntrq va gur fcrpvny rqvgvba, vg'f n fznyy ubgfcbg naq V nyfb qvqa'g fcraq n ybg bs gvzr fpnaavat zl zbhfr gurer guvaxvat gung V'q arrq gb trg gur bnef orsber ivfvgvat gur ibypnab nern.

      Vg jnf bayl jura V qrpvqrq gb fjvgpu onpx gb ITN zbqr va pnfr gung urycrq gung V abgvprq vg. Vg'f fgvyy cerggl jryy uvqqra gubhtu.

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    8. And... now I've finished. Took me about 6 hours all up.

      I've read the rest of Laukku's hints and I'd like to add that lbh pna nyfb hfr gur ebpx jvgu gur fgncyr erzbire, fcltynff be pbzcnff.

      V guvax vg'f dhvgr pbby gung vg yrgf lbh hfr gur syvag jvgu nalguvat zrgny engure guna bayl bar fcrpvsvp bowrpg. Naq irel pbby gung lbh pna nyfb gnxr gur yraf bhg naq hfr vg jvgu gur fha. V nyjnlf nccerpvngr zhygvcyr frafvoyr fbyhgvbaf.

      Delete
    9. Jung unccraf vs lbh gel naq rng be hfr gur thacbjqre ba lbhefrys?

      Delete
    10. Lbh pna'g, lbh ner abg n fryrpgnoyr bowrpg.

      Delete
    11. Gurer vf n qrsvavgr qbjafvqr gb Yhpnfnegf tnzrf jura lbh ner abg gur bar cynlvat. Ab nzhfvat qrnguf gb ynhtu ng!

      Delete
    12. Gurer vf xvaqn bar fvreen fglyr qrngu fperra va gur tnzr (vg vaibyirf n pyvss), vs V'q tbggra pheerag fbbare V jbhyq unir cynprq n org gung Gevpxfgre jnf tbvat gb cbfg gung vzntr.

      Delete
    13. Bar guvat V zvff nobhg cnefref vf gung lbh pbhyq nyjnlf gel fvyyl vagrenpgvbaf gung jbhyqa'g rira or cbffvoyr va n cbvag & pyvpx vagresnpr (fhpu nf "rng thacbjqre" va guvf pnfr) - rira vs gurl jbhyqa'g erfhyg va pbzcyrgryl zrnavatshy erfcbafrf nyy gur gvzr.

      Delete
    14. Canageek: V vzntvar gur erfhygf jbhyq or rkcybfvir ng gur bgure raq. Sorry, couldn't help myself

      Delete
    15. syvag naq pbzcnff jbexf gbb. V ungr orvat fghpx juvyr srryvat yvxr V'ir gevrq rirelguvat...

      Delete
  19. Finally I've updated the CAP Distribution and Leaderboard for Circuit's Edge.

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  20. Bundle Stars has just put out a new bundle which includes The 7th Guest plus The 11th Hour (both Accepted in TAG and coming along in 1993), together with eight other games, all for $5:
    http://www.bundlestars.com/all-bundles/toxic-bundle/

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    1. Another sale!
      The Book of Unwritten Tales: The Critter Chronicles: Pretty sure you guys want to hear about this one, we should hear a great reivew of it about the time I retire. I should work out Trickster's time dilation factor. http://store.steampowered.com/app/221830/

      What what? YES, the core The Book of Unwritten Tales is ALSO on sale, as is The Book of Unwritten Tales Digital Deluxe Edition ( The Book of Unwritten Tales Digital Extras, The Book of Unwritten Tales) AND The Book of Unwritten Tales Collection (The Book of Unwritten Tales Digital Extras, The Book of Unwritten Tales, The Book of Unwritten Tales: The Critter Chronicles, The Book of Unwritten Tales: Critter Chronicles Digital Extras) beacuse nickle and diming you for extra stuff isn't annoying AT ALL. http://store.steampowered.com/app/215160 *checks* By digital extras they mean 'the sound track and making of information'. For $10.

      Syberia is on sale, again. Is that game any good? It sure goes on sale a lot. http://store.steampowered.com/app/46500/
      Syberia II is also on sale, same question. it looks cold, like its name was based on a real-world location but spelled wrong....

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    2. I played Syberia years ago. I seem to remember it was good.

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    3. I thought the puzzles were good but I really didn't care for the story.

      Delete
  21. The XBLA version doesn't have "advertisement" flashing during Cobb's spiel on Loom. A shame because it would have made the conversation funny. Don't know whether it's missing in the PC special edition. Wonder what other little jokes are missing.
    Also, with all the discussion on adventure games, I now know why scum is misspelled in SCUMM Bar

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    Replies
    1. The special edition still flashes ADVERTISEMENT while Cobb's talking

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  22. Threatening ti kill the three master pirates just gets the blue one to say Get lost boy, you're bothering us, just like if you said you wanted to be a fireman.

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  23. So was the bar a wretched hive of SCUMM and villainy?

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