tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33874954432268527942024-03-19T14:24:29.952+11:00The Adventurers GuildThe Tricksterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01419316208187255801noreply@blogger.comBlogger1534125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-15271920090613116682024-03-17T00:00:00.000+11:002024-03-17T00:00:00.138+11:00The Year Ahead - 2024<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">By The TAG Team</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDt9xsY4dkFWCQ5cRt3WcVjD7f-4GIi86dAgRLbI081j5P0NJTiHki_9_YW9dtmEEjXQ7wVi-8oH84_L4YvEYnzUA1cSnyPatmDWsh1WuV4jdu2pqVmc5wml5q9steAl-uemuI8i-3maZCO5iaSH8Ud462kYzYaSDo8kmzxl69gXwHUJeTk1PYnqIAfHXm/s580/3-1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="580" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDt9xsY4dkFWCQ5cRt3WcVjD7f-4GIi86dAgRLbI081j5P0NJTiHki_9_YW9dtmEEjXQ7wVi-8oH84_L4YvEYnzUA1cSnyPatmDWsh1WuV4jdu2pqVmc5wml5q9steAl-uemuI8i-3maZCO5iaSH8Ud462kYzYaSDo8kmzxl69gXwHUJeTk1PYnqIAfHXm/s320/3-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Our reviewers, admins, and commenters</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-188f0d9e-7fff-1265-71c2-5f21c2156454"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Okay, so that title isn't a mistake. We want to talk about the blog, and what's to come this year. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">We missed celebrating The Adventurers Guild’s 12th birthday, but there’s still a lot to celebrate, and a lot more planned for the future. But it’s been a few years since we talked about the blog, so we wanted to take some time to get caught up with each other.</span></div></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Some things may have slowed down here a little in the few years since the pandemic. Many readers and reviewers had their lives changed, including having more or less time to spend on their hobbies. Some of our past reviewers haven’t been able to keep up their previous schedules, but we’ve also seen a couple of newer writers join our ranks.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Two writers have recently taken on some of the administrative behind-the-scenes work on the blog. We’d like to welcome Morpheus and Michael to our list of admins, and while there haven’t been any formal announcements until now, they’ve been polishing some of the pages and spreadsheets that weren’t given all the attention they needed recently. The other admins are still also maintaining the blog and connections, including Ilmari, Joe, and Will, who have been keeping the wheels turning since the transition from Trickster’s original project.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We’re trying to keep the reviews and playthroughs coming, and have some goals for this year. Perhaps it’s a little late for New Year’s resolutions, but better late than never, right?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">First, we’re trying to ensure that we have posts at least once a week, sometimes more often than that. We love the community that has developed here, and look forward to it growing bigger and bigger.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Second, we have a somewhat ambitious (but maybe not completely realistic) goal of finally finishing the 1993 games this year. You’ve been earning all those CAPs with your score guesses, comments, and other contributions to the blog, and what could be better than a year ahead post for 1994 to spend them on?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">It’s for this goal that we need your help. Help us write a review of a game! Test the waters (and hone your writing style) by first writing a playthrough of a missed classic. A game from your past, or a game from before 1993 we didn’t play yet (but should have). Email us at </span><a href="mailto:adventuregamer@googlegroups.com" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">adventuregamer@googlegroups.com</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> with your ideas.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And even if you can’t help write a review, there are many ways you can help us grow the community and make it better. Share links to your favorite TAG blog posts on other sites, and encourage others to join the conversations. Comment on the posts, let us know you’re there, and tell us what you enjoy reading about, so we can adapt. Constructive criticism? This is a perfect post for those comments. Just remember, this is a volunteer-run blog, so not everything is possible, but we’re open to new ideas... but we need your help to do it.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thanks for making this blog something we look forward to reading and writing every time!</span></span></p><div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/is6gtilerPk" width="320" youtube-src-id="is6gtilerPk"></iframe></div><br /><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div></span>Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16240427925874212338noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-73840200493113271152024-03-15T00:00:00.004+11:002024-03-15T00:00:00.144+11:00Discussion Point: Linear Games<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Written by The TAG Team</span></span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-214b2af6-7fff-3ad3-f096-9028557e71a6"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpDDmm2XR45JcPVF3MXufWgJ18dkLdKY9HborxXA8zwpqzpNTOTRg8OqfjhucWQd8HCnRfnCQxtKCO-UCcGAa3H1DpBkB_fZEsxPfi5nIM81FTM9yPh5eF_83d6AK05xzxTE5bjq_VjcRjM33h16o6SJ9hzk0hANnndB8ncg4rUlsehf9TKpPNILaGY-nO/s1920/2-2.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpDDmm2XR45JcPVF3MXufWgJ18dkLdKY9HborxXA8zwpqzpNTOTRg8OqfjhucWQd8HCnRfnCQxtKCO-UCcGAa3H1DpBkB_fZEsxPfi5nIM81FTM9yPh5eF_83d6AK05xzxTE5bjq_VjcRjM33h16o6SJ9hzk0hANnndB8ncg4rUlsehf9TKpPNILaGY-nO/s320/2-2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>While not really adventure games, the </i>Grand Theft Auto<i> series are sandbox games, which by definition is not linear.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Continuing with our series of discussion questions, let's have a chat about game worlds.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In some adventure games, you have to complete area A before you can have access to area B. In other games, you have free rein to go nearly everywhere you want, exploring along the way. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Sometimes, it was done for logistical reasons. </span><a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/search/label/Leisure%20Suit%20Larry%202" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Leisure Suit Larry 2</span></a><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, for example, was specifically designed to avoid disk swaps, with each area fitting on a different floppy. When you advanced, you would change the floppy, and not have to flip disks back and forth.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">In </span><a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/search/label/Maniac%20Mansion" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Maniac Mansion</span></a><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, you could explore nearly everywhere in the mansion from the beginning, although sometimes you might get caught by the Edisons and get to visit a special room in the basement.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Some games are a hybrid. In </span><a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/search/label/Legend%20of%20Kyrandia" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Legend of Kyrandia</span></a><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, for example, you can explore a large area, and then when you solve a puzzle, you can explore the previous area as well as a new large area combined -- and you need to go back and forth to solve some puzzles.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Does a linear path make the game easier? Harder?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Is there a thrill in opening up new areas, or more joy in seeing things you can’t access yet?</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Which games handled their choice well? And are there any games that handled it poorly?</p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There’s pros and cons to each approach, but what are your thoughts?</span></span></p><div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhasVX4fLSf9k1bSq9633fof7LlzPvOYTJEpgAXf0K-L-pOXTN1Py7skPPB9RbHl-kOXR7oA7quIxYZu2FSkSllHTWXSOwGIsi4qP2sXXgsjYcFxDgL5UDxmEUjGI6U-W9PjP832S1bnF8-QTMj2SZhgIcv0pNwrGav03jT4jMzK_8XOsgfpFCN4d-OcNJv/s640/2-1.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhasVX4fLSf9k1bSq9633fof7LlzPvOYTJEpgAXf0K-L-pOXTN1Py7skPPB9RbHl-kOXR7oA7quIxYZu2FSkSllHTWXSOwGIsi4qP2sXXgsjYcFxDgL5UDxmEUjGI6U-W9PjP832S1bnF8-QTMj2SZhgIcv0pNwrGav03jT4jMzK_8XOsgfpFCN4d-OcNJv/s320/2-1.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In <i>Leisure Suit Larry 2</i>, you can't access one area until you finish the previous one.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div></span>Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16240427925874212338noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-47174998630022347682024-03-13T00:00:00.077+11:002024-03-13T00:00:00.131+11:00Black Sect - Infiltrating the cultBy Ilmari<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDLLb6TAkslEnHKhcWaSRsxqMHZDCdhh6X46F8IeUhCxlbcNCU7A-KyvaEJPYawfSCIfJjpXZx0mnfSE7EbMdllpcPa3lU9_wEbWt6nKQoUafeAFDnEDBVR3NK72AwSy7LPD4mDLvuAcJqdHJ7uFy_VPurCxidC-fmtWMXijVhVlt7QAEQnwblA-4Ft3g/s640/secte_092.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDLLb6TAkslEnHKhcWaSRsxqMHZDCdhh6X46F8IeUhCxlbcNCU7A-KyvaEJPYawfSCIfJjpXZx0mnfSE7EbMdllpcPa3lU9_wEbWt6nKQoUafeAFDnEDBVR3NK72AwSy7LPD4mDLvuAcJqdHJ7uFy_VPurCxidC-fmtWMXijVhVlt7QAEQnwblA-4Ft3g/w400-h250/secte_092.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Well of the devil</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span>Last time I had just managed to empty this well of water. I thought I should use or pull the crank to lower the rope down. Well, no, the crank just got loose and I found it in my inventory. All the time I could have just simply descended to the well.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVkT3SmQRrUXQlIDmfZgP9vmohbct9POpviF8rAF1flJgoqenUREhGfD51SOL1oIfwvHuSjm22xtnaPGBhc5aK9gSckRFcICFaIQf0QSb1NYDmDNHqBB5KPZi6my1GEPDuGZk3QB8Rp-6oWGOrtY1I72pmfyYW8gjupkYk6pRN-hhk5Vbzc7da4Hgm84E/s640/secte_100.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVkT3SmQRrUXQlIDmfZgP9vmohbct9POpviF8rAF1flJgoqenUREhGfD51SOL1oIfwvHuSjm22xtnaPGBhc5aK9gSckRFcICFaIQf0QSb1NYDmDNHqBB5KPZi6my1GEPDuGZk3QB8Rp-6oWGOrtY1I72pmfyYW8gjupkYk6pRN-hhk5Vbzc7da4Hgm84E/w400-h250/secte_100.png" width="400" /></a></div>If I learned something from <i>Maupiti Island</i>, it was that in Lankhor games all rows, stacks etc. of things are possible places to try number codes. I already had two number codes, and the other one worked for the rungs of the ladder (I could turn them so I had to just know the right order to do it). After getting to the end of the code, a secret compartment opened in the wall of the well. I had found a key.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrI3vkMuKPL1pnNjicQSISllwCdF2NhGMR4wzzauq0om7oqKZ3b3NHti_a4q3s8SzKCgLTtxtW016b7-JosPhFHlZ9bVBMoKLeok1jREHyVUJbyqYqp97XrfmH34oMYDldNpgJqCvVsIk0O5esWu1X8DDB8YJ0eWAbk3cIrfX0MAlhhorWL1bfxBsH9OY/s640/secte_103.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrI3vkMuKPL1pnNjicQSISllwCdF2NhGMR4wzzauq0om7oqKZ3b3NHti_a4q3s8SzKCgLTtxtW016b7-JosPhFHlZ9bVBMoKLeok1jREHyVUJbyqYqp97XrfmH34oMYDldNpgJqCvVsIk0O5esWu1X8DDB8YJ0eWAbk3cIrfX0MAlhhorWL1bfxBsH9OY/w400-h250/secte_103.png" width="400" /></a></div>Note the bell in the upper right hand corner of this screen. For some reason, when I used the well crank on it (banging the bell, I suppose), a voice answered to me saying “Moloch is our perdition”. I am guessing this is meant to be a similar hint as in the original game, where eavesdropping a hole in the caverns lets you hear a name of another demon that you will need later on. Here the puzzle just feels a bit more ridiculous - is there a dedicated sect member shouting this piece of information always when they hear the bell toll?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsAiJ_VjyHsV3Eb17dqHOxuBPe2LLrrnrRUpTy0N2ecqR0lwi7xolj_btVnsX22iJ7nXSxAUb3ZFXJkK1YSDGAC5C7WlUhlQhrknZrD_rqI1Rm4hZBzEHjNICUMeq4ow0UYVgUy2Ma-skInypOGYTxe0mxRLF3r9ANtTAjG5mhNF9e08kW9MdtzKCwprs/s640/secte_105.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsAiJ_VjyHsV3Eb17dqHOxuBPe2LLrrnrRUpTy0N2ecqR0lwi7xolj_btVnsX22iJ7nXSxAUb3ZFXJkK1YSDGAC5C7WlUhlQhrknZrD_rqI1Rm4hZBzEHjNICUMeq4ow0UYVgUy2Ma-skInypOGYTxe0mxRLF3r9ANtTAjG5mhNF9e08kW9MdtzKCwprs/w400-h250/secte_105.png" width="400" /></a></div>In the original game, I had to take a bit of rope from this storage room and combine it with a piece of magnet to fish a crucifix from the well bottom. Here, I merely had to turn one of the horse shoes and put my safety pin in a hole behind it in order to open yet another secret compartment with the crucifix. I also found in the very suspicious hay stack a paper with some writing: “NYBBAS, the great parade artist. MELCHOM, paying treasurer. MOLOCH, prince of the land of tears.”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghD1lBVwOBId910ULICq6zGVK0W4XVKyBc-cMf6SeZDoZRn_Ev4YfarAhufFeLlcpQTjFE1Ne-OIkOA37HYw7C5n1CYcVK0HQEvDYPwBqGjRWC7JmAqg2QbTkhWxGVoLS1YOr_W-cJ8qW6_Bwh7RLWnYK6Dp8Z-z0PFEcTWCxW7i5mTWvaM2VPgKTzV3s/s640/secte_134.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghD1lBVwOBId910ULICq6zGVK0W4XVKyBc-cMf6SeZDoZRn_Ev4YfarAhufFeLlcpQTjFE1Ne-OIkOA37HYw7C5n1CYcVK0HQEvDYPwBqGjRWC7JmAqg2QbTkhWxGVoLS1YOr_W-cJ8qW6_Bwh7RLWnYK6Dp8Z-z0PFEcTWCxW7i5mTWvaM2VPgKTzV3s/w400-h250/secte_134.png" width="400" /></a></div>It took me a while to get to the secret room under the church: I knew I had to attach the crucifix to a cross (I had done this in the original game), but I erroneously thought it was the cross on the altar I had to do it. In fact, there was another, smaller cross at the side of the altar, which was explicitly told to have no Christ. Then, when I had entered the room, I faced the problem of finding the correct key for the wardrobe - I’ve found a few of these already, and because of the inventory limit, I’ve had to stack them up at different places. Finally, the right key was found and I could pick up a cultist robe from the wardrobe.<br /><br />I also found a chest under the wardrobe. It had few buttons,and it was quite simple to use one of the codes I had found on it - well, simple and simple, it’s pretty complicated to manipulate objects in this game. Still, I finally managed to open it and found a bunch of pentagrams in it. One of them had the name of Moloch on it.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrfTbYwPoZ1aOvXG8sDE4F6H_1gbfZixuYwZcNlqnZJikuAhjJP4RVQj1fnVeiMrsn_7i-DWBy2FpSmB_e-pY8G1Bq2aZOlxP04Z_4KLkfnYi3_yCnw-V3EbZ9oGasBFZIHQheP9o7c6noh73Dbz876yLq0b4t1JBK-eGTuc-d4vawPCG6bvMxwWGUcJk/s640/secte_149.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrfTbYwPoZ1aOvXG8sDE4F6H_1gbfZixuYwZcNlqnZJikuAhjJP4RVQj1fnVeiMrsn_7i-DWBy2FpSmB_e-pY8G1Bq2aZOlxP04Z_4KLkfnYi3_yCnw-V3EbZ9oGasBFZIHQheP9o7c6noh73Dbz876yLq0b4t1JBK-eGTuc-d4vawPCG6bvMxwWGUcJk/w400-h250/secte_149.png" width="400" /></a></div>Next step was easy. I returned to the graveyard, attached the pentagram with the name Moloch to the skull and waited for the cultist. When I talked to him, he promised to take me to their hideout. I had to drink a potion to make myself unconscious, while I was being transported, because only the higher dignitaries were allowed to see where the hideout was.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJPjo16nsXpAtU_b6OxMalNP5t7tEPNHxCXLcBj44UwWC6UQcUMktTsDeFcOUMnwEcrOVbVkOmzop8ODAmrzIaRbD86peGLNDys7E4mSUUlstM0QsErTnRvhASZMBRkfHtfpA_Rh783fe4ajbR7u-3A2E8I-DzIHdsqY4DXNMPKyNlWVK7JkHOW0m-2XQ/s640/secte_155.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJPjo16nsXpAtU_b6OxMalNP5t7tEPNHxCXLcBj44UwWC6UQcUMktTsDeFcOUMnwEcrOVbVkOmzop8ODAmrzIaRbD86peGLNDys7E4mSUUlstM0QsErTnRvhASZMBRkfHtfpA_Rh783fe4ajbR7u-3A2E8I-DzIHdsqY4DXNMPKyNlWVK7JkHOW0m-2XQ/w400-h250/secte_155.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Just what you’d want to find in a food closet</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>I woke up next to a large chest, which I couldn’t open. Moving west, I found a cellar full of intriguing stuff I had no idea what to do with. You see the larva on the column and the pulley that is just screaming for a rope. I could open one of the sacks, but I had nothing to take the grains within it. The table had some buttons, marked with letters, and there were other markings – figures, this time – for the four pieces of meat, which I could pull. Clearly a room full of puzzles to be solved.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiorQsWBnLBi88k3R40U-4xAQr4-nPpBkdPxEwyopPNm0oLF1l3RU31Yrz72UPNKx-JCCVsFobJ5ohpgEF-2UsXAF9VxnMZwSWWRS4mF4PJBn9nU6k1NNXmxKvX2G_tbqLpvxbeDpvYpBcysTZbWnTGdYQ2zELssl3Chn8hUAtKvDeuVYZiS8RAWgbtOyk/s640/secte_159.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiorQsWBnLBi88k3R40U-4xAQr4-nPpBkdPxEwyopPNm0oLF1l3RU31Yrz72UPNKx-JCCVsFobJ5ohpgEF-2UsXAF9VxnMZwSWWRS4mF4PJBn9nU6k1NNXmxKvX2G_tbqLpvxbeDpvYpBcysTZbWnTGdYQ2zELssl3Chn8hUAtKvDeuVYZiS8RAWgbtOyk/w400-h250/secte_159.png" width="400" /></a></div>I moved back to the chest and then east, just to hear the door close behind me. At least I found some digitalis growing on the wall. Also, starting from this room, I started to see cultists occasionally. For instance, sometimes a guard occupied this room, telling me not to touch anything.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxuxlG_869PLlcoL2mZ_WYc9wwx4h7_JJivk80QaGVN1yurXfZxsTm9axo8hbqARbEx4UBF1-qMQG3Zl9pWUnE0HzI3Af9q76fQXEPXRulYnvcntbfYnoqCsnfK-FQ3gkQuDRX89gn9odegPEUVSiDCVxryRBOHckg94QHHbgQmYU_S5xnosYfCKy-5MU/s640/secte_243.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxuxlG_869PLlcoL2mZ_WYc9wwx4h7_JJivk80QaGVN1yurXfZxsTm9axo8hbqARbEx4UBF1-qMQG3Zl9pWUnE0HzI3Af9q76fQXEPXRulYnvcntbfYnoqCsnfK-FQ3gkQuDRX89gn9odegPEUVSiDCVxryRBOHckg94QHHbgQmYU_S5xnosYfCKy-5MU/w400-h250/secte_243.png" width="400" /></a></div>Another cultist stood in a dining room. He guarded a door to the kitchen and demanded a precious object to let me in. If the game follows the original, I should find an ally in the kitchen. For now, I just picked up a pitcher.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtvfyWsLP5bAal-WJ2v0WXhgbF_WJg0c6h5Jt37jvSP4vIB1EQHu4w3hiOV6RojN75p3Ifac9LiplVGhc8WHrtu1WWYAjMaoNEVIi7czAPdzoItlmMGyZ2o6MmDqgGyP-imwd0Ebr3XS022h4ON8pvtPZTiFTfPBAfLNrcGf-w51ayw2AuC7wJbSPUkk/s640/secte_170.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtvfyWsLP5bAal-WJ2v0WXhgbF_WJg0c6h5Jt37jvSP4vIB1EQHu4w3hiOV6RojN75p3Ifac9LiplVGhc8WHrtu1WWYAjMaoNEVIi7czAPdzoItlmMGyZ2o6MmDqgGyP-imwd0Ebr3XS022h4ON8pvtPZTiFTfPBAfLNrcGf-w51ayw2AuC7wJbSPUkk/w400-h250/secte_170.png" width="400" /></a></div>The same cultist as in the dining room - or one just like him - guarded sometimes another room. Well, if you can call it guarding - I could rummage the room without him trying to prevent me in any manner.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidVfU4UPY8RC9_oIg32H-QWo-mnDdnf0FzQQnOAtEEiTwjT7MLqwH3yyp-pexK2E3GHX9tnfGImHiAX1dd3WPqMz0-zzYC4xrDvUHk3FOSg0R7BCGxTThhag_dpu3YfPaLg6SP7j_5b2Vkg6-OAI540moyzel3QDzA0Dr4eJdLTWjx-iNmBU5OZZbb0s4/s640/secte_186.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidVfU4UPY8RC9_oIg32H-QWo-mnDdnf0FzQQnOAtEEiTwjT7MLqwH3yyp-pexK2E3GHX9tnfGImHiAX1dd3WPqMz0-zzYC4xrDvUHk3FOSg0R7BCGxTThhag_dpu3YfPaLg6SP7j_5b2Vkg6-OAI540moyzel3QDzA0Dr4eJdLTWjx-iNmBU5OZZbb0s4/w400-h250/secte_186.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>The same room after I went through everything</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>So what did I do? Behind the shield I found a parchment with a line of those same figures I had seen in the cellar. Within the armour I found a key that unlocked the door at the back. Turning the chandelier on the table opened up a drawer with another paper telling me that digitalis combined with larva could be used for something. And oh yes, there was a rope on the floor.<br /><br />I managed to also enact what I called the most ridiculous puzzle of the original game. I had to wait for the guard to move to the dining room, and then I could hide myself in the armour. After waiting for the guard to return and then to leave again, I could get a medallion he dropped.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFTzyms9CK7NyWJzn6q7k2QRAA8lHcy4M6kEmUK2Vol6n9dnP7F7acdjwdfmseeeFmhc815MI4K-OGJ-Tl0gk40aL3iyBYmIgsBPOtS9Z9uX_OSY78j_ot0B4Ylq8Oh1sNryl_OBMlr-aec96OJqhloiHX8oERiv7aadf0J3SesPoQVldgFpKbFc-5eLI/s640/secte_188.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFTzyms9CK7NyWJzn6q7k2QRAA8lHcy4M6kEmUK2Vol6n9dnP7F7acdjwdfmseeeFmhc815MI4K-OGJ-Tl0gk40aL3iyBYmIgsBPOtS9Z9uX_OSY78j_ot0B4Ylq8Oh1sNryl_OBMlr-aec96OJqhloiHX8oERiv7aadf0J3SesPoQVldgFpKbFc-5eLI/w400-h250/secte_188.png" width="400" /></a></div>The opened door led me to a cell with a dead inmate. The plate was pretty easy to pick up, but otherwise, this was yet another case of doing a thorough search for finding everything. Starting with the skeleton, I found in the poor guy’s possession a piece of paper with nothing in it - if this resembles a puzzle in the original game, I am supposed to find an empty bottle, through which to look at it. I also managed to turn one of the bars, opening a secret compartment containing a briquette and a note telling me that the dead person had found some recipe and that there was an ally in the cult hideout, who would wait for a black ring as a mark.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCwg8-T71MdSf1w21vgg4sINhIFAM0g4SoakzgWeQ6xwmgAxmTcwX6sy7VcR1lLNQNkxmNKkgygfktWPZCXsnc1wbIBMrFCN75fBq3o9G7zDEuBE4f3BEyMHFK6GhDQwaHlOPQ-0FEIVK_k41e8DvtGzYDIIGyipGvcgJZLxpB9i1rdbI86p9V3OdUqLk/s640/secte_195.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCwg8-T71MdSf1w21vgg4sINhIFAM0g4SoakzgWeQ6xwmgAxmTcwX6sy7VcR1lLNQNkxmNKkgygfktWPZCXsnc1wbIBMrFCN75fBq3o9G7zDEuBE4f3BEyMHFK6GhDQwaHlOPQ-0FEIVK_k41e8DvtGzYDIIGyipGvcgJZLxpB9i1rdbI86p9V3OdUqLk/w400-h250/secte_195.png" width="400" /></a></div>The briquette was useful in a nearby room, where I could light a fireplace with it. Doing my usual search, I found another piece of paper in a candlestick: this time it talked about using belladonna in a powdery form. I also found a ring and a key just lying on the floor. A little while later I found out I could lift one of the stones on the floor, revealing yet another, black ring.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6yGXtDzOdRjyn9Qneub3QC3X48TSJegvUfCZ7moB-RWVGrRu1-OooWpZK_89OC4KEJEtGBIBuadvXzRivYhytoYTXhE5zTp_LFJcd9ZcHQuoh5LCw0uC7k7N2eeW9PzazWbS0lCwHCGY6diRYnpMOExM6wXiQTdeSbLj-ab0tho7FMfBSxjnMoIijcOI/s640/secte_216.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6yGXtDzOdRjyn9Qneub3QC3X48TSJegvUfCZ7moB-RWVGrRu1-OooWpZK_89OC4KEJEtGBIBuadvXzRivYhytoYTXhE5zTp_LFJcd9ZcHQuoh5LCw0uC7k7N2eeW9PzazWbS0lCwHCGY6diRYnpMOExM6wXiQTdeSbLj-ab0tho7FMfBSxjnMoIijcOI/w400-h250/secte_216.png" width="400" /></a></div>I had an idea that the key might open the locked door that had closed on me. It didn’t, but I noticed that I could apply one of my rings to a shield on the background and this opened the door. Getting back to the screen I had witnessed at the beginning of my journey in the cultist lair, I noticed that the key let me open the chest there. Inside, I found a knife.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl6egJTL03yC7lWbPj6JJUu5VEktOi1N01Fhz0gXhJ9WyZftUiU6TtHc6bkjuWlT4-mdyr5DM0KIGNOt7ZijLhDh8WTlnbNb8vc2UVO2-yxQXptvRUcQT-a2iKnRHqNfRvP8f92KiHtmvAGEmOKNgGYRvY1k34-8YDSnA8cVjiqBxYIgjFE0Diop6R3WE/s640/secte_225.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl6egJTL03yC7lWbPj6JJUu5VEktOi1N01Fhz0gXhJ9WyZftUiU6TtHc6bkjuWlT4-mdyr5DM0KIGNOt7ZijLhDh8WTlnbNb8vc2UVO2-yxQXptvRUcQT-a2iKnRHqNfRvP8f92KiHtmvAGEmOKNgGYRvY1k34-8YDSnA8cVjiqBxYIgjFE0Diop6R3WE/w400-h250/secte_225.png" width="400" /></a></div>I now had several things to try in the food cellar. I had a rope to go with the pulley, and with their help I could lift a sack, revealing a shield under it. The pitcher I had found in the kitchen could be used to pick some of the grain in the sacks. I also could now try pulling the meats in the order indicated by markings in one of the papers I had found. At first, nothing seemed to have happened, but moving back I noticed that a previously locked door had opened.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPFsRVm0VS9n8JrtiwkgIuQZ55D2YRPm6iQnttJml4x7j2DZ_Me6IqbDfESSQGiTx5Ln9bfqHfaxz9wvhEb_Gkz01IB7AJDsDB_2zEEdNQyOU30-z-bpWibgYQVUazwttqmjnOIFp4p_pn3PzVQY-1-89RabNkl1t0ZiFwStbpy5e0VvLE3ftsLapmIXk/s640/secte_232.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPFsRVm0VS9n8JrtiwkgIuQZ55D2YRPm6iQnttJml4x7j2DZ_Me6IqbDfESSQGiTx5Ln9bfqHfaxz9wvhEb_Gkz01IB7AJDsDB_2zEEdNQyOU30-z-bpWibgYQVUazwttqmjnOIFp4p_pn3PzVQY-1-89RabNkl1t0ZiFwStbpy5e0VvLE3ftsLapmIXk/w400-h250/secte_232.png" width="400" /></a></div>I had found a library. My thorough examination of the room began unfruitfully, since I failed to open a locked chest I had no key to. The big book on the table also revealed to me no information, so I just began trying all the books on the shelf. In one of them, I found the recipe I had been looking for. It gave precise measurements for the larva, digitalis and belladonna powder, and it also mentioned a fourth ingredient, a chicken leg.<br /><br />This seems like a good place to stop. I still haven’t searched all the rooms in the cultist lair, so that will be my next priority. I must also find the belladonna powder and chicken leg, and some valuables for one of the guards, and a bottle to read that empty piece of paper…Ilmari Jauhiainenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01655841880034965950noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-32517854499243175892024-03-08T00:00:00.002+11:002024-03-08T00:00:00.160+11:00Discussion Point: Arcade Sequences<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Written by The TAG Team</span></span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-e98b1907-7fff-3be2-c4a4-7f33433bd71d"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE5UrCAyvZniWH6NjnKONuSvQhjxtTz_xFnQ3C6piPjmLzHYv-vYI1JeCEPuqWtMbt8td_ZlVVIUUN70bdGDw8FBxryqKe-qe7fbyPaVUepF1j23A0C_cEhMsULi_vB8kGqLaIw5o5dgO7Z-fIKg5IdlPLpZ81xJ-wtCBtcgaAVSdaTHe2zxuhhMb13BiC/s1000/2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE5UrCAyvZniWH6NjnKONuSvQhjxtTz_xFnQ3C6piPjmLzHYv-vYI1JeCEPuqWtMbt8td_ZlVVIUUN70bdGDw8FBxryqKe-qe7fbyPaVUepF1j23A0C_cEhMsULi_vB8kGqLaIw5o5dgO7Z-fIKg5IdlPLpZ81xJ-wtCBtcgaAVSdaTHe2zxuhhMb13BiC/s320/2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What happens if I put playing cards into the spokes?</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Back when the blog became a collaborative team effort, we started posing questions to you, the readers. If you don’t remember about this, that’s understandable. </span><a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2020/10/discussion-point-inventories.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">It’s been a little bit longer than we anticipated since our last post</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But we’re back, and plan to make this a regular feature of the blog once again. And we’d like to start the conversation with one of the most polarizing additions to adventure games: the arcade sequence.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">They started creeping into our genre back when computers weren’t quite so powerful, so maybe they weren’t as challenging. Or were they? No mice, instead just clunky keyboards that went click-click-click. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So many questions:</span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Did they add any value to the adventure games? </span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Would the games be as fun or as well revered without them?</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Are they better or worse than gambling sequences?</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What were some good arcade sequences?</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Are there any games that could benefit from having them added?</span></span></p></li></ul><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Or, what other thoughts do you have?</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfqaNupgiHBaLUqIR2-xgaRU1pg_7ohCAGj74CjO9QRIpHSzKPJ5HWYrDteniNrUA6Tlu5_VjVpYVi_GYmTGaRh_QecvW-Lc7Fg6x25BJ89DL-_giw70LBplJsMpGhn7g20oGa8qdqm8r1cQ9pi2W6hVPfG-b65Gew96Yo7Bcye81UvO6gAGV0EFOGwnZd/s320/1.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfqaNupgiHBaLUqIR2-xgaRU1pg_7ohCAGj74CjO9QRIpHSzKPJ5HWYrDteniNrUA6Tlu5_VjVpYVi_GYmTGaRh_QecvW-Lc7Fg6x25BJ89DL-_giw70LBplJsMpGhn7g20oGa8qdqm8r1cQ9pi2W6hVPfG-b65Gew96Yo7Bcye81UvO6gAGV0EFOGwnZd/s1600/1.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some arcade sequences seem to, ahem, DRIVE gamers crazy.</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><p></p><div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div></span>Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16240427925874212338noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-70882213304047972122024-03-06T00:00:00.067+11:002024-03-06T00:00:00.149+11:00Black Sect - Village of fetch questsBy Ilmari<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdCRiU8ABR5fJb1CYix8301-U57X1gIiOJvhLPHYihX-jvwqmc_oae8r00rkaKk4OOYnF6PtbN21jbNDLxGISc9AS-ZZBcM1uoH0ZeNTtBSRdHahggf30MBmpibjj4n7jiQSgfau3cIYLUIQVe1jjN9ueZ55hDrP8BaOsQggCE2zisXGryKTEOSbEu1O0/s640/secte_018.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdCRiU8ABR5fJb1CYix8301-U57X1gIiOJvhLPHYihX-jvwqmc_oae8r00rkaKk4OOYnF6PtbN21jbNDLxGISc9AS-ZZBcM1uoH0ZeNTtBSRdHahggf30MBmpibjj4n7jiQSgfau3cIYLUIQVe1jjN9ueZ55hDrP8BaOsQggCE2zisXGryKTEOSbEu1O0/w400-h250/secte_018.png" width="400" /></a></div>What I like about <i>Black Sect</i>, compared to <i>Le Secte Noire</i>, is that from the start there’s things to do and try. The black cat seems still just decoration, but I did manage to open a window and find some cheese and a metal bar.<span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj94-1rstXakEWZwYaqomHHy1sNPL3BQat5VfXSQ92wu4g15Fp6PPni_OUl2KEGFgOUGtCRXvqmAncRXCOuDeLX9PsZ4pqChYCAeg6AVPeIsUc6vTE71jU2p2iOO0X7t1hd81yoswb3jwdbRthQPiYoLcdMUpL5dNO5mk9W9z8p3GOiLG1cxHS9xXW0rMA/s640/secte_012.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj94-1rstXakEWZwYaqomHHy1sNPL3BQat5VfXSQ92wu4g15Fp6PPni_OUl2KEGFgOUGtCRXvqmAncRXCOuDeLX9PsZ4pqChYCAeg6AVPeIsUc6vTE71jU2p2iOO0X7t1hd81yoswb3jwdbRthQPiYoLcdMUpL5dNO5mk9W9z8p3GOiLG1cxHS9xXW0rMA/w400-h250/secte_012.png" width="400" /></a></div>Few words on the inventory. I can access it by pressing a scroll at the bottom of the picture. In the picture above, I do not yet have anything, but as you can see, there’s a spot for exactly five items.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAqczlqmX5dGmNdJLRf_Rfp5OzsifVBa4YVMgT0WmKfzlqKwhLsbz5gzqfIoKUDXXqFQ1dOvZxRmuvnFM5yBFEPwvFyk1ijUYFo2mQNMJNVIdKPEmUBu-qwtZIHVLf3nl5qXEKAw8s4Z2LEUW7Ld8VwAtM7PMZnwKv1YjYbSuQb_u09xKbd64Xwi1trnQ/s640/secte_023.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAqczlqmX5dGmNdJLRf_Rfp5OzsifVBa4YVMgT0WmKfzlqKwhLsbz5gzqfIoKUDXXqFQ1dOvZxRmuvnFM5yBFEPwvFyk1ijUYFo2mQNMJNVIdKPEmUBu-qwtZIHVLf3nl5qXEKAw8s4Z2LEUW7Ld8VwAtM7PMZnwKv1YjYbSuQb_u09xKbd64Xwi1trnQ/w400-h250/secte_023.png" width="400" /></a></div>If I press an item in the inventory, I take it in my hand, which I have to do, if I want to use the item in some way. In the picture above, I am holding the metal bar. The drawer under it tells me that I have dropped some items on the screen, and by pressing it, I can access them.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJjO3ZsiUbRBqhQt8X7bnxqFUV77si2u1BCoMXtIOt-nBkUryU2f_xmlvxsbfcJbiRGoMkQQN0RW86uzsk6ainpXSSbgBAY5FYyu28uGs58Jlmopu4oAOUfn7LvjbELtgb-RMeqsPwDkS_MpYZGbNn04dGXtrXC0sfXnj77Vs_dXmOu0sMRVF4wP5iuK8/s640/secte_021.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJjO3ZsiUbRBqhQt8X7bnxqFUV77si2u1BCoMXtIOt-nBkUryU2f_xmlvxsbfcJbiRGoMkQQN0RW86uzsk6ainpXSSbgBAY5FYyu28uGs58Jlmopu4oAOUfn7LvjbELtgb-RMeqsPwDkS_MpYZGbNn04dGXtrXC0sfXnj77Vs_dXmOu0sMRVF4wP5iuK8/w400-h250/secte_021.png" width="400" /></a></div>When pressing an item in the drawer of dropped items, it appears on the bottom right screen. This will also happen, if I have found some items by searching some place. By then pressing the item (above, the piece of cheese), I see some icons showing possible actions I can do to the item: look, take, search, read, use, feel or touch. It seems complicated, but maybe I’ll get used to it.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4_u2iNMZPYSQlzZx2K-fIoJG3mGq-t0clmW9-GhzcLpg8pKBWCA8Gowa-veLd4OlrFWODmDh4uYlPi73-0tjkcQtOhkHfmwYlQatoYV5pxsPxkfHha383gaLsoDQoYHugcPWig7ZT80DX3U32pFgbsp-JTjNDgyFQEtE82LyvIczN94U6CX_bjBGTpUk/s640/secte_057.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4_u2iNMZPYSQlzZx2K-fIoJG3mGq-t0clmW9-GhzcLpg8pKBWCA8Gowa-veLd4OlrFWODmDh4uYlPi73-0tjkcQtOhkHfmwYlQatoYV5pxsPxkfHha383gaLsoDQoYHugcPWig7ZT80DX3U32pFgbsp-JTjNDgyFQEtE82LyvIczN94U6CX_bjBGTpUk/w400-h250/secte_057.png" width="400" /></a></div>Enough of the inventory. I also managed to open a door to a local tavern. A new room! And a living person to talk to! My enthusiasm wasn’t curbed even by the fact that I had no money to buy anything.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3X2-IRXQcxvC6HUV-7hO8P-dbO21mRMOyBv4a3lzO1d_89G5dR0yBADhy0662pXEJTzSl6sweJCTEFrmrPMrtOGyRr_x-tjJd0ZLPPAaBB2ZVAjOuLfJWmAVKRVmkqCao9WawamxUeQ1r_CiqwNH0qFqhGpHjjmFxSmN0Se_wdK-yqs9XKkU8FpbSH2c/s640/secte_055.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3X2-IRXQcxvC6HUV-7hO8P-dbO21mRMOyBv4a3lzO1d_89G5dR0yBADhy0662pXEJTzSl6sweJCTEFrmrPMrtOGyRr_x-tjJd0ZLPPAaBB2ZVAjOuLfJWmAVKRVmkqCao9WawamxUeQ1r_CiqwNH0qFqhGpHjjmFxSmN0Se_wdK-yqs9XKkU8FpbSH2c/w400-h250/secte_055.png" width="400" /></a></div>A word on the movement. I can move my character by pressing the human figure at the bottom of the screen. I can then choose the cardinal direction I want to go to, or if there’s an open door, whether to go in or out. The interface is pretty cruel here and especially pressing east or west requires too precise positioning of the mouse. Luckily, you can also press ALT and the first letter of the direction you want to move to.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-y6r3Lybp_edQx0f07d7G13rNltF69R6dXuCflfj-W8NKGtFA9ExKVla2c5iYczjrlZIddbaeaSC5e5Pd-spufv7CtX0deqiFyDa4tAYB7gsLWmNRW_zzG7KULKhXoUXQZ2uNprtyGe77Wh3JlEScqstOSMN4RYFNWSCVR4Fe07_uTQUuXoNfufr-8m8/s640/secte_060.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-y6r3Lybp_edQx0f07d7G13rNltF69R6dXuCflfj-W8NKGtFA9ExKVla2c5iYczjrlZIddbaeaSC5e5Pd-spufv7CtX0deqiFyDa4tAYB7gsLWmNRW_zzG7KULKhXoUXQZ2uNprtyGe77Wh3JlEScqstOSMN4RYFNWSCVR4Fe07_uTQUuXoNfufr-8m8/w400-h250/secte_060.png" width="400" /></a></div>With the exception of the tavern, the game has been surprisingly faithful to the map of the original, with rooms in exactly the same positions. The room east to the starting position had been just decoration in the original, here it had something of interest. I could do nothing with the hanged person nor with the closed door or the fox, but I managed to find a coin. A pixel sized coin, that is. Yes, it’s going to be one of those games where I’ll have to squint my eyes to see that one differently coloured spot on the screen. Fun times ahead. Well, at least I managed to buy some bread from the tavern keeper with my coin.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBqpoyp29tT30khBTxpWKrOtPIqGBYFgZQMcx4q1YovPrd5xgZ_r41px0JczPDXDt1-Odj-82l02C85shZs4etsiR4Bl6HQ4Hq8Bfmqok_cnhybXf7JarjytvsQ7znlTSdzLj1hqOWdMLL-kpd6EFqaYMRqaQAlQEM9olIBYrtyc81anckAiL2alLa8y4/s640/secte_071.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBqpoyp29tT30khBTxpWKrOtPIqGBYFgZQMcx4q1YovPrd5xgZ_r41px0JczPDXDt1-Odj-82l02C85shZs4etsiR4Bl6HQ4Hq8Bfmqok_cnhybXf7JarjytvsQ7znlTSdzLj1hqOWdMLL-kpd6EFqaYMRqaQAlQEM9olIBYrtyc81anckAiL2alLa8y4/w400-h250/secte_071.png" width="400" /></a></div>Exiting the tavern again, I noticed an interesting feature of the game: NPCs appear in the rooms at different times. That is, every NPC appears only in one room and does not move from one room to another, but sometimes they are there, at other times they are gone (this is occasionally a bit annoying, when you’d want to interact with the person and they are not there). In any case, at the front of the tavern I found an organ grinder, who was looking for his lost sheet music.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHdZpKjhlCpDj-ypXinpMlPW2OHDJ36-bux_PHPZQTrr_78YYwHmIe3myMn-Ch4EMLlxoh3Y_uz4gEo2utnvXzcBRBxNZQLX14irToxzLFCiUtY9WZeyuFf6J7VqxE2rbxtLRGbKIXkj62D3eVcUHVpIPhlSG2BVD4Pg1CuMg6N2pcvdl5fsQlU_bzy9k/s640/secte_024.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHdZpKjhlCpDj-ypXinpMlPW2OHDJ36-bux_PHPZQTrr_78YYwHmIe3myMn-Ch4EMLlxoh3Y_uz4gEo2utnvXzcBRBxNZQLX14irToxzLFCiUtY9WZeyuFf6J7VqxE2rbxtLRGbKIXkj62D3eVcUHVpIPhlSG2BVD4Pg1CuMg6N2pcvdl5fsQlU_bzy9k/w400-h250/secte_024.png" width="400" /></a></div>Let’s move north from the starting screen, now. See that white spot? At the left side of the screen, under the tree? Yes, neither did I at first, but there it is, a piece of soap. By a strike of coincidence, a washerwoman is occasionally at the river, looking for her lost piece of soap. By giving it to her, I gained a safety pin.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY-ogkj3Gni9dvZa0NyPFLlDwHlZ4G5ywVW_AFeJNRjnLrc1V0bnD2pscB4frTGu5xlPnnEjNv6O9qklGWKC8gSxAqNFILZ3LdAtWwbCOhQTxynaqO2Udu4M7QuK6_DjVnx_zmkE5uN2lbGM2g5stQp_ng1Z1y6D_-HxcMsbSR7NCr5CQZBrLCCe2TXTg/s640/secte_026.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY-ogkj3Gni9dvZa0NyPFLlDwHlZ4G5ywVW_AFeJNRjnLrc1V0bnD2pscB4frTGu5xlPnnEjNv6O9qklGWKC8gSxAqNFILZ3LdAtWwbCOhQTxynaqO2Udu4M7QuK6_DjVnx_zmkE5uN2lbGM2g5stQp_ng1Z1y6D_-HxcMsbSR7NCr5CQZBrLCCe2TXTg/w400-h250/secte_026.png" width="400" /></a></div>East of the river was the graveyard. Just like in the original game, a black-robed figure arrived there at 23.00 and left after an hour. I probably have to find something to deceive them that I am a member of the sect. Within the skull on the ground I found a ring, and in addition, it contained a place for a pentagram.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtM5FHOcGe5CpGVebI_VI3wJceixZTybn2FoyJUM239JjGWqclQ1VHv3Tc1QrXzNzrVSYc8l-ZMrxqphWZ3FmqZvQ4J0n4-XFVWvgjFkiDflQMAL_Q5dPpczsBvC4qWkagf1cfhQod6pp5nTp_Ox815A1y2UP5L_4gKuhy-I-KU_PvI8eX-qfj4DCMUQY/s640/secte_029.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtM5FHOcGe5CpGVebI_VI3wJceixZTybn2FoyJUM239JjGWqclQ1VHv3Tc1QrXzNzrVSYc8l-ZMrxqphWZ3FmqZvQ4J0n4-XFVWvgjFkiDflQMAL_Q5dPpczsBvC4qWkagf1cfhQod6pp5nTp_Ox815A1y2UP5L_4gKuhy-I-KU_PvI8eX-qfj4DCMUQY/w400-h250/secte_029.png" width="400" /></a></div>North of the river was an impasse. In the original game, the road further north was blocked by a tree, here it was guarded by the village knife grinder (strangely specific occupation). He demanded a ring as a price for the passage. What a coincidence I happened to have one with me! The knife grinder said he’d go away just this one time, leaving me only one chance to go north. Then again, like all NPCs, he isn’t always there, so I can just wait for a time when he’s not guarding the passage.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqfIjIhAHM_XotS5oqUq4ItVgLDhs1eWWFFGU-cLE3cfO_jII0iE7_Ihyphenhyphen8cQggZCr6bG2dGXogU53hUtv_QNVuCPgtsDEFWJmLM923cN4a59Czn_kgS8G_rsW6K1kdjfk8BW-z9rtQrALCrGvkDxRfQWzQ5bYf_5y0AtPQ2Q_5nGepYWVzY7thX6y_e4A/s640/secte_065.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqfIjIhAHM_XotS5oqUq4ItVgLDhs1eWWFFGU-cLE3cfO_jII0iE7_Ihyphenhyphen8cQggZCr6bG2dGXogU53hUtv_QNVuCPgtsDEFWJmLM923cN4a59Czn_kgS8G_rsW6K1kdjfk8BW-z9rtQrALCrGvkDxRfQWzQ5bYf_5y0AtPQ2Q_5nGepYWVzY7thX6y_e4A/w400-h250/secte_065.png" width="400" /></a></div>In fact, I didn’t go north at once, but walked west. If you’ve read <a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2021/12/missed-classic-104-la-secte-noir-1990.html">my posts on the original</a>, this is the spot where I met the most inane puzzle of the whole game. I checked the tree trunk here - and let me tell you, the positioning of the mouse pointer has to be so precise that I was almost giving up hope, but I did finally find the sieve in the hollow tree. I then started sieving the river. I did not find a key to the secret base of the sect (which would make little sense), but a piece of gold (which makes a lot more sense).<br /><br />I tried giving the gold to the nearest person, that is, the knife grinder. He was happy to take it and said he could sharpen a knife for me. Indeed, I found a knife just north of his room,so his offer came in handy. With my new knife in my possession, I backtracked to the hanged person and cut their rope. Now I was able to search their body and found sheet music. Coincidentally, it was just the sheet music the organ grinder was looking for (don’t ask me how it ended up with the hanged person). As a reward, he gave me a missal.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd_PI0_E2arjnmpvBNZn-laGlBfKYpnaorxHMwNeWV9CaoVygpfkpS3TDAuJcFVDb6gq5VFgjKq0vrl3tRc9dL6ZJcWPbjEYgSB3QA2aTVEDtGOeBIbe1hsUoaJBAdGWrxWL5_NHYIWtzyGV0Yi38QYRgxUhQCSRXwHFa8f4Bi7abLjopU9HQWMXPHUtg/s640/secte_074.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd_PI0_E2arjnmpvBNZn-laGlBfKYpnaorxHMwNeWV9CaoVygpfkpS3TDAuJcFVDb6gq5VFgjKq0vrl3tRc9dL6ZJcWPbjEYgSB3QA2aTVEDtGOeBIbe1hsUoaJBAdGWrxWL5_NHYIWtzyGV0Yi38QYRgxUhQCSRXwHFa8f4Bi7abLjopU9HQWMXPHUtg/w400-h250/secte_074.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>It’s otherwise in Latin, but there are few lines in French: “Before eleven o'clock struck, I dropped that of the Prince of Tears' into the socket and a disciple came to fetch me.”</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>This was obviously a hint about what I should do at eleven o’clock at the graveyard - there’s the skull with a socket that has pentagram in it. The only thing I don’t understand is why the organ grinder had a book with this information with him. Is he a part of the sect? If so, why would he give this info to a complete stranger?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1fiLQNy3yYCGYsNUWLj6joMPbPeX_4W-jlIsGQTw737oPywgVRORWy_uow36yt-9hf2JtWwU0wEGp-GoZSotstL7nHdt8FtGqFc5ZAXQoPRfdZ_JuujHdjvd5Y_3bRdh4285cl-95hvaVptYqi52X87390GsVrE8P23P-ctk3ueW7OF2D77YO06lLs60/s640/secte_037.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1fiLQNy3yYCGYsNUWLj6joMPbPeX_4W-jlIsGQTw737oPywgVRORWy_uow36yt-9hf2JtWwU0wEGp-GoZSotstL7nHdt8FtGqFc5ZAXQoPRfdZ_JuujHdjvd5Y_3bRdh4285cl-95hvaVptYqi52X87390GsVrE8P23P-ctk3ueW7OF2D77YO06lLs60/w400-h250/secte_037.png" width="400" /></a></div>I returned exploring the land north of the village and found some ruins, with a beggar living in it. He was hungry, so I gave him bread and cheese. In return the beggar gave me a tablet he had found on the road. It had a column of four numbers, with 2 on top, then 4 and 3, and 8 at the bottom.<br /><br />I suspected from my experience with the original that a) I should search the bushes, b) that the bushes would contain a poisonous snake, c) that I would have to wear gloves for protection and d) that the gloves would be somewhere on or in the floor of the ruins. Floor was full of suspicious tiles, which I tried lifting with my metal bar. One of them became loose, and all my predictions were right. In the bushes, I found an empty bottle.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi957dl59yBTbYSTvTdn8m22sJ62ZBnjKb27yhCpgSD0F9pekMj70_gb1lz3XbXfZzBAznrAvpAkFgOFhcGes0wwvuky7q5c5gHOEyBBye8o6mMt1Tysw7zvVks25BtDqEWcV7PkclZlgYSqNgkaVLT8PQwsTeIVY8NQz1aFjkpsRgwvyzekYZwBTeeNXM/s640/secte_082.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi957dl59yBTbYSTvTdn8m22sJ62ZBnjKb27yhCpgSD0F9pekMj70_gb1lz3XbXfZzBAznrAvpAkFgOFhcGes0wwvuky7q5c5gHOEyBBye8o6mMt1Tysw7zvVks25BtDqEWcV7PkclZlgYSqNgkaVLT8PQwsTeIVY8NQz1aFjkpsRgwvyzekYZwBTeeNXM/w400-h250/secte_082.png" width="400" /></a></div>Moving forward, I found a locked church, with a priest who wanted some wine before letting me in. Now, I know from the original game that there’s a hideout of the sect in the church. Does this mean that the priest is a member of the cult? If so, why would he help me get in the hiding place, even if he would be into wine? In any case, I had only an empty bottle, so I continued west to a calvary.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJhro8Qp50c8t1hP8SejlCjD6nH9GbyUDsTNrJrkSSxvvOxzCURQvELxdfAcXhfn4t8eVLHny3SlZhbDqkpXtfpxMmpdt-wMVxVFU3mlPtErwjvOmkEwKrUSDKlSJkZWmAqD4ak7fHHdyPuK7iL104P2D9aZQGBnPCiEw5Qe9yLg91FYGqNa2Cx0alOXw/s640/secte_046.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJhro8Qp50c8t1hP8SejlCjD6nH9GbyUDsTNrJrkSSxvvOxzCURQvELxdfAcXhfn4t8eVLHny3SlZhbDqkpXtfpxMmpdt-wMVxVFU3mlPtErwjvOmkEwKrUSDKlSJkZWmAqD4ak7fHHdyPuK7iL104P2D9aZQGBnPCiEw5Qe9yLg91FYGqNa2Cx0alOXw/w400-h250/secte_046.png" width="400" /></a></div>At the cross, I found a small key (no idea yet, where it fits). Also, do you see that pixel sized protrusion on the ground? Yes, it’s again time to spot small objects! This time, I found another coin. Taking it back to the tavern, the bartender was happy to fill my bottle with wine.The keys to the church were mine!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ZXydHqcWcTIhfanFjHcEbgYZf_j5Rd3hp7-UXnOwpfdxWsBATSDh0r4Z8KdW_8w36rgeEOlGQZBXm33kcrGpfgF6_dU4ephb-crNb8ZLDcUna_eEtGHTFal_9ZkFz8ZUNMMKtUwR4V0MMPL-KlSy3r41dI7JVfZ4z8w2S0ItEtGwEkB9bnTSiVoMG7w/s640/secte_087.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ZXydHqcWcTIhfanFjHcEbgYZf_j5Rd3hp7-UXnOwpfdxWsBATSDh0r4Z8KdW_8w36rgeEOlGQZBXm33kcrGpfgF6_dU4ephb-crNb8ZLDcUna_eEtGHTFal_9ZkFz8ZUNMMKtUwR4V0MMPL-KlSy3r41dI7JVfZ4z8w2S0ItEtGwEkB9bnTSiVoMG7w/w400-h250/secte_087.png" width="400" /></a></div>If you read my take on the original, you know what happens next: I pull the protruding hand of the statue, and a nearby well is emptied of water. Well, there was something else - I found a mass-book on the church bench, containing a numeric code (13321) - but that’s a minor point. I am a bit disappointed that the game has so far followed the pattern of the original very closely. Sure, there has been additional stuff, but this has mostly been just simple fetch quests. Well, the game still has a chance to impress me!Ilmari Jauhiainenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01655841880034965950noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-60801530294918327672024-03-03T00:00:00.059+11:002024-03-04T20:09:14.584+11:00Sam & Max Hit the Road - Final Rating<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Written by Michael</span></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_oGgZ_0PgfjxfOkuHRJCNY8o6K73d1OQvIN0_scJlimVA0pjhVBh4D3FCh6QTnTyX6SVdrueWqOqaELjTgVXlx_7cdTRtc7N_SNznX6llz6VoBLBM2SQWYZG8GZMbMz6j_PttStpwyFMEuhAUhJvCU10q_nFaSG7sQaVBZP56Zhd_csU5D_K9EKR_qoC/s1600/01.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_oGgZ_0PgfjxfOkuHRJCNY8o6K73d1OQvIN0_scJlimVA0pjhVBh4D3FCh6QTnTyX6SVdrueWqOqaELjTgVXlx_7cdTRtc7N_SNznX6llz6VoBLBM2SQWYZG8GZMbMz6j_PttStpwyFMEuhAUhJvCU10q_nFaSG7sQaVBZP56Zhd_csU5D_K9EKR_qoC/s320/01.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: left; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i> I asked OpenAI for “a tall anthropomorphic dog wearing a blue sports jacket and wide tie with a shorter anthropomorphic white rabbit as a sidekick.”</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><br /></span><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">So, our road trip was successful, I guess. We set out to find the stolen bigfoot from the carnival, and found him. We were tasked with restoring the exhibit, so the carnival wouldn’t go out of business. We did that. Of course, the Kushmans probably expected us to do it a different way, but a win is a win, am I right?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p></span><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjshM0-gSXN8Ja4Qh9zeimncbUDgSrSWqJ5uFPxx44P7JfB6rwn5va5LdD82rK10lKi6Le86SBeEtbsIbhPLfG2G1aSc7rA9pMCFohzhRPjaY039uJRiE2RFDbPFh3W-WD_LB959zWxT3w041e2Wm3yH32Co7zMKT4vdjt0kD7P-bMOfoBaREh32bjn25hF/s1600/09.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjshM0-gSXN8Ja4Qh9zeimncbUDgSrSWqJ5uFPxx44P7JfB6rwn5va5LdD82rK10lKi6Le86SBeEtbsIbhPLfG2G1aSc7rA9pMCFohzhRPjaY039uJRiE2RFDbPFh3W-WD_LB959zWxT3w041e2Wm3yH32Co7zMKT4vdjt0kD7P-bMOfoBaREh32bjn25hF/s320/09.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: left; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i>Actually, I’m kind of sad to be done.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">And so with that, we come to an end. How does this game stack up to the past?</span><p></p></span><span><span><a name='more'></a></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">First, let’s look at the reviews of the day. Anyone following me here knows my favorite read was a well-polished zine called <i>QuestBusters</i>. Rather surprisingly, in </span><a href="https://mocagh.org/questbusters/qbusters110.pdf" style="font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">their spring 1994 issue</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, they got around to reviewing the game and I couldn’t find a single negative comment in the review. For example, some of the commenters so far had an issue with an early puzzle in the game, and the review uses it as an example of a high point: </span></p></span><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p></span></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“The results are usually as unpredictable as they are hilarious. In one case, Max pulls some secret orders right out of the belly of a cat that refuses to give them up.“</span></p></span></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic4bJx3svYbDlI4WzLnJKCzD7ulUMeFRqgLs8Uz6-NzltN9k2DlSr-7nPwd_8C1SvgA34l-Xcn0Z6VszNjA1gnAY-yCSRowSlfKEIfGyAR14IADeVXkJzvKJE6XkrD_GR0WXWJWfX-X6iqYiJ_Y4TAamYXpxLJxGcGTR0lvtvHiizCsj3m8u3Xwu_zGvzL/s1600/10.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic4bJx3svYbDlI4WzLnJKCzD7ulUMeFRqgLs8Uz6-NzltN9k2DlSr-7nPwd_8C1SvgA34l-Xcn0Z6VszNjA1gnAY-yCSRowSlfKEIfGyAR14IADeVXkJzvKJE6XkrD_GR0WXWJWfX-X6iqYiJ_Y4TAamYXpxLJxGcGTR0lvtvHiizCsj3m8u3Xwu_zGvzL/s320/10.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">CGW used </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_in_Hell" style="text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Bongo</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> as a comparison for the character stylings of Max. There’s worse things you could emulate.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p></span><br /><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_115.pdf" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Computer Gaming World is a little more critical</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> of the game. They’re not as big on the “in your face” style, and think the “self-referential jokes, sneering remarks, deadpan derision, and ridicule” might be overdone. I’m not sure I agree, but then again, they equate that to “the teenage boor with a wisecrack for every situation.” I was definitely one of those, so the game resonates with me on that level. They noticed some problems with the interface that I will discuss later, but then go on to a line that irks me, not because it’s untrue, but because </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbgoAchOhEk" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">the pilot episode of </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The West Wing</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> gives it better context: “Endlessly sarcastic New York intellectuals like my friends will find its tone wholly agreeable, but whether it plays in Peoria remains to be seen.” For the record, </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/profile/16240427925874212338" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">according to my Blogger profile</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, I geographically qualify. Of course, much like Sam & Max, CGW is multi-personality. Two years later, they listed it at #95 in the top 150 games of all time.</span></p></span><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Other mainstream magazines had largely positive reviews, even the ones that weren’t as adventure-centric (like the US edition of PC Gamer).</span></p></span><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">My own thoughts? Let’s see. First, I feel the need to highlight this:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p></span></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><h3 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Even though there’s going to be a bunch of negativity below, I really did enjoy the game.</span></h3></span></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Puzzles and Solvability</span></span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The puzzles in this game are largely solvable, as long as you get into the right headspace beforehand. Honestly, this is somewhere the game shines, compared to some of the other categories we haven’t talked about yet.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw-rKs1blI0tB3zyINYYLuJK0M60kq0-SnYdKV5kGlJeeMbcfyK0cG4an1gsMVhbMTeSHy4sGiIsmmbSNi53Ict14N7uq7Y-WdC0swO9GXw78J8Mcol1R9Qn83LMdCcnAsdGm2i4DZZv4yvul_wUmGwohbP3bIfPB6_uMdusOZpWdtaDq32NI5T_rAn5Xw/s1600/11.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw-rKs1blI0tB3zyINYYLuJK0M60kq0-SnYdKV5kGlJeeMbcfyK0cG4an1gsMVhbMTeSHy4sGiIsmmbSNi53Ict14N7uq7Y-WdC0swO9GXw78J8Mcol1R9Qn83LMdCcnAsdGm2i4DZZv4yvul_wUmGwohbP3bIfPB6_uMdusOZpWdtaDq32NI5T_rAn5Xw/s320/11.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">What’s the matter, </span><a href="https://www.bettison.com/power_of_words/cat-got-your-tongue/" style="text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">cat’s got your tongue</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">?</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">There was a little bit of grumbling in the comments about the first real puzzle of the game, about getting the orders from a “courier” bringing orders from the police commissioner. I found it easy and straightforward, but I can see how others might not. I had the forethought to talk to the cat, and in conversation with him, I was told that he swallowed the paperwork. So I figured it out right away, where if you didn’t think to speak to the cat, you wouldn’t have gotten the important hint you needed.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">It was an easy puzzle for me, talking to the cat, because of a flaw we will talk about more in another category: not enough red herrings. There’s so few things to click on, to look at, to use, that almost everything you can click on needs to be clicked on. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYRKvEIPe25F3j8YTs5UEBZPqawB4B6bjMl4smIJxIZUhQETaJPgnhSpGtlSVKUJaCDNb0mrn85gzus-mk3jthyphenhyphenZS2DgNoJJQBmhyphenhypheneJ2-9G4ymKSMcDHew4XRlAvmES-waUuMua3j1IHTGPDRdt2CblxGyKKiYDUXhaJLbwLChPdi8qkK3eeqh9xMoKYdI/s1600/12.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1431" data-original-width="1600" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYRKvEIPe25F3j8YTs5UEBZPqawB4B6bjMl4smIJxIZUhQETaJPgnhSpGtlSVKUJaCDNb0mrn85gzus-mk3jthyphenhyphenZS2DgNoJJQBmhyphenhypheneJ2-9G4ymKSMcDHew4XRlAvmES-waUuMua3j1IHTGPDRdt2CblxGyKKiYDUXhaJLbwLChPdi8qkK3eeqh9xMoKYdI/s320/12.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: left; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i>I solved this game the Sierra On-Line way.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">There were a handful of puzzles I solved because I picked up the key item before I knew I needed it, like the portrait of John Muir. Honestly, had I not picked it up when I did, I don’t know that I ever would have thought to try that. I solved this game using the things I learned from 80s adventure gaming, specifically two things: talk to everyone and pick up everything. But there was logic to almost everything. Having the guy use telekinesis on the ice pick was straightforward, as was dressing up as a big fish to have </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: line-through; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Woody Allen</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> the fisherman catch me and send me to the restaurant kitchen.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">In </span><a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2023/04/simon-sorcerer-finally-rating.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">our playthrough of </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Simon the Sorcerer</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, Will played a game where, “once you’ve found the right items you will swiftly progress because the solution is really clear.” It felt like that to me, but unlike that game, it wasn’t just fetch quests. Like I said before, you needed to get into the headspace of Steve Purcell. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">A notable plus is that the game isn’t entirely linear. While I suspect I visited the early locations in the same order many others did, I could have explored differently and had other locations opened up to me in a different order. I didn’t replay, so I don’t know if I would have gotten different hints to puzzles that way.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The objects might be goofy while the sarcasm is laid thick, but this game didn’t fail this category. I’ve been back and forth on this score, between 5 and 6, so I think I’ll average the two. That’s 5.5, which, rounded, is </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">a score of 6</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Interface and Inventory</span></span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Now, the unpleasant part of this post. This is going to go long here.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Readers might have noticed, in the reviews and comments on other games, that myself and teammate Morpheus Kitami agree to disagree about almost everything. Like </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33ZvO26hP7M" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Felix Unger and Oscar Madison</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, or like cats and dogs living together, it usually results in mass hysteria.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">But this time, we agree. Let me quote one of his comments on the playthrough: </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“The problem is this game is fundamentally badly designed. Having your action icon only "lighting up" if it can activate what's below it is well-thought out, but that's it. (it also serves to highlight how empty each room really is sometimes) The interface feels like they're copying Sierra, but Sierra had a bar that you could use to quick select a particular action. Sam is slow, and between room hotspots are janky.” </span></p></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">My response was to call the interface “Sierra-Lite”. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">See, Sierra thought out their mouse interface. Scroll through all the icons with the right mouse button, quickly switch to and from the walk cursor with the middle button. Press TAB to quickly access the inventory if you didn’t want to swipe up to the top of the screen. After using an icon, the game almost always kept the same icon chosen.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">LucasArts? They kept the right hand button and threw the rest away. Messed some of it up badly, too. Use an icon on something? There’s a 95% chance the icon will change to something else afterwards. Inventory access? Click the icon on the screen, bringing up a full screen inventory. Change icons to the one you need to click on an object, which is usually the PICK UP icon, then scroll out of the box and hope the game notices you left the box where it will finally give you control of the item. It was sometimes tedious, and while not the worst, certainly far from the best.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6CaQV34OSmZBgretUALSWqIn2dSF0xwGImHtD9N0_fD86TR2CjsvlPVe0mGNgg11-BrSJcRfUXyiPTjzfEDY86vQvbas131Iv9Q2SH5EU4mAVCnQ-E09xsJUBjIfdweUwjSU2_ofGII58PzHSOfJ_BOgO8rCBARQvE4BDp7SNqDJwO_MREMo-xKiRWftf/s1600/13.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6CaQV34OSmZBgretUALSWqIn2dSF0xwGImHtD9N0_fD86TR2CjsvlPVe0mGNgg11-BrSJcRfUXyiPTjzfEDY86vQvbas131Iv9Q2SH5EU4mAVCnQ-E09xsJUBjIfdweUwjSU2_ofGII58PzHSOfJ_BOgO8rCBARQvE4BDp7SNqDJwO_MREMo-xKiRWftf/s320/13.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: left; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i>I learned the difference between solids, liquids, and gasses back in the 6th grade.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The game wasn’t forthcoming with full descriptions for everything you encountered, and a couple of times got it flat wrong. The screenshot just above shows, at the top of the screen, the description you are given for... the Mole Man Powder. Visually given to you in a cloth sack. Not a liquid in a decanter. Someone skipped the proofreading stage here.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">In most screens, there was very little to interact with, so if you could, chances are, it was necessary. Most of the background was unclickable, even for the LOOK icon. Except for signs.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNxfVLStJAsy2VhwMGFk50XZVBUnT8tEIYvNNkxaawinIwJaZgMVrT0nrqQ4AsXMYUcWZV9rbkJiELMjCv2uIzMzp8r8TiZV8E8s8Z2Hcback2qKqsWZq-MTC2GI6xX-vNjIyS1qjhBflAhXB7o7XesuVgQyeXBnoj7CB6O7jIUlaX-SyMMt3V0oBKDjq7/s1600/14.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNxfVLStJAsy2VhwMGFk50XZVBUnT8tEIYvNNkxaawinIwJaZgMVrT0nrqQ4AsXMYUcWZV9rbkJiELMjCv2uIzMzp8r8TiZV8E8s8Z2Hcback2qKqsWZq-MTC2GI6xX-vNjIyS1qjhBflAhXB7o7XesuVgQyeXBnoj7CB6O7jIUlaX-SyMMt3V0oBKDjq7/s320/14.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>I already made a reference to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98Z2-q8rlZk">Forget Paris</a> in an earlier post, so how about if I just link to Jimmy talking about California? <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1_WIGn322s">In a scene that is very, very relevant to this game at hand</a>.<br /><br /></i></span><span style="text-align: left;"></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">See, if you read almost every single sign in the game, Sam just reads out loud the words you can read in the artwork. That’s it. The rest of the background? No descriptions, unless it’s something not nailed down. Oddly enough, <a href="https://tcrf.net/Sam_%26_Max_Hit_the_Road#Disabled_Objects">they had more descriptions in the original drafts of the game and discarded them</a>.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">You can sometimes be mislead by this, however. The LOOK icon eye will open up on background items. But when you click it, it’s really matching to an item half an inch below. Because many of the hotspots are poorly programmed.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">And wait... I got this far into this section without talking about the way conversations are handled. Previous LucasArts games had a dialog tree that allowed for some dialog puzzles and some humor at the same time, but never fear of failure because it was, after all, LucasArts. This game gives you picture icons that give you no clue, whatsoever, about what you’re going to say. It ends up being a surprise.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The basic Sierra interface, depending on the reviewer, gets a solid 6-7 points in this category. LucasArts usually gets an 8. This is a step down from both, so</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> the score is a 5</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Story and Setting</span></span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The basic story line: Sam and Max are freelance policemen who are tasked with finding a bigfoot that was stolen from a carnival.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The story is based on a comic book series, but you don’t need to know that. In fact, you need to know very little, because the story isn’t very important to this game, just the road trip there. As long as you are comfortable with the fact that they both take pleasure in the ‘S’ from S&M (especially Max), you’ve got it covered.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8h5F2HwpSroXiJZw_FP-fe3Qs-FiIXbU5u-37iTmnU8PwJ3CdasI15VBTZDQ7uWUdy55AGHBXpwWNDpOLHpEY7jdei6dRk8skrVDWJzyyqTSFcxSiprtq_Fw2j4G3LBN3DDx-nHAOZ0ua5whJ9AIBDa-S0rUZENOUyBI6ds0QWJusvbDp0RlY2OwBh39B/s1600/15.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8h5F2HwpSroXiJZw_FP-fe3Qs-FiIXbU5u-37iTmnU8PwJ3CdasI15VBTZDQ7uWUdy55AGHBXpwWNDpOLHpEY7jdei6dRk8skrVDWJzyyqTSFcxSiprtq_Fw2j4G3LBN3DDx-nHAOZ0ua5whJ9AIBDa-S0rUZENOUyBI6ds0QWJusvbDp0RlY2OwBh39B/s320/15.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">As for the setting, it’s novel enough: let’s go on a trip, visiting many different, </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq7Eki5EZ8o" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">intentionally tacky</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> roadside attractions along our nation’s interstate highway system, each one with a connection in some way to the missing bigfoot or the “people” he has come in contact with in his past or present. It would have been nicer if some of the locations had been fleshed out a little more, like the single screen World of Fish and Frog Rock, or the Snuckey’s locations that were purposely identical but didn’t let us walk past the gas pumps, let alone visit the bathrooms.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">But those are mostly complaints for the environment category. This category? No real improvement over their last cartoon game, </span><a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2023/03/day-of-tentacle-final-rating.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Day of the Tentacle</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. That game had a stronger background storyline, somewhat set in place by characters who were in the previous installment. Both games have strong settings. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I’ll give it a score of 5</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Sound and Graphics</span></span></h3><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpEL4FginkkmDbOoq_MVxZrd12eBzF_w10YMZZ1VMByVRonJBJQm5qznsK3W5MVdTOIentZ0T3gsQzu9Sc-IGRepYa4DDp3zCWA-WCaRWRhqVPKFBfdqhhLXNQZPdLFG723d-wn5q_OfM3GVyW_Kg1CkyAiu0PYYXvLYz4aWjrP28MwJAVfsrsydMv37ms/s1600/16.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpEL4FginkkmDbOoq_MVxZrd12eBzF_w10YMZZ1VMByVRonJBJQm5qznsK3W5MVdTOIentZ0T3gsQzu9Sc-IGRepYa4DDp3zCWA-WCaRWRhqVPKFBfdqhhLXNQZPdLFG723d-wn5q_OfM3GVyW_Kg1CkyAiu0PYYXvLYz4aWjrP28MwJAVfsrsydMv37ms/s320/16.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: left; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i>So much detail in each shot, like the pigeons living their best lives, the blood on the sidewalk, and the quaint, old-fashioned umbrella stand outside the local bodega.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Let’s start with the positives: the graphics are excellent. Vibrant colors, detailed art. Background details added, sometimes just for fun, but consistently there. It’s a good thing, too, because the lack of descriptions I talked about above were less painful because of the well-designed locales.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">There’s a lot of animation, especially when Max gets bored. It’s well handled, and doesn’t slow down the game, which would have been a concern in previous years.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I had some issues in the second half of the game, primarily in the motel and party rooms, where the speech and text were horribly out of sync. I hadn't changed the settings, and adjusting the text speed helped a little, but I'm not sure whether it was a true bug or related to modern emulation, so I won't ding the game for this.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The music is passable. Most of the game, it’s really just elevator music-grade smooth jazz or the like. Nothing that really stands out, except maybe the creepy sounds of the Mystery Vortex. Surprisingly, the music on my MT-32 was barely different from the Adlib/SoundBlaster tunes. In their previous games, Lucas took each soundcard to the limits. In this game, while the music in the game wasn’t bad, it wasn’t their focus. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Sound effects were properly cartoonish, but more than a couple were noticeably cribbed from </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">DOTT</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> as well.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Some things up, some things down. If only they had the hauntingly scene-setting music from </span><a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2018/04/indiana-jones-and-fate-of-atlantis.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Fate of Atlantis</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, it would have helped. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">But for now, a score of 7</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Environment and Atmosphere</span></span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">They did a great job of teeing up the ball, and then missing the shot (Unlike Conroy Bumpus). The locations were barely fleshed out, right from the beginning. Your office? One room. Into a hallway that has only a few seconds of interaction for the entire game, down the steps to the main street, where you can’t see inside any of the businesses. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">In the </span><a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2012/03/game-13-police-quest-i-introduction.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">first notable police game played on this blog</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, the inside of the station had 8 rooms. If we count the stairs, this one had 2.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Almost nothing can be interacted with, unless it’s directly needed for a puzzle. Unlike other comedy games of the time, </span><a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/search/label/Leisure%20Suit%20Larry%206%3A%20Shape%20Up%20or%20Slip%20Out%21" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">like the one Alex just finished</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, where looking at almost everything resulted in a humorous description, or using items with other items had non-generic failure messages.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The convenience stores are three nearly identical insides and outsides, except for the clerk having a mustache at times or the giant shrimp outside becoming a jackrabbit. I get the joke about one being like all the rest, but still.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9dcEEpp7m4Lw-nJ-_XdMoPByWH94pmcpbewlsxruIRymkxylKNf2CD2Le5kIjhoPOsUJs5TTUk9GH2W_SIJoYZtXTAqsWXzsjr5-kqsny9n3ADLHxj0qqd9Q2-Zrlrg5bbnrRJ_eKhAT0jHlnGfYUryJ-ivGzKgswB1zyfvC7plJ-v2kbus-EFHAmWCXM/s1600/17.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9dcEEpp7m4Lw-nJ-_XdMoPByWH94pmcpbewlsxruIRymkxylKNf2CD2Le5kIjhoPOsUJs5TTUk9GH2W_SIJoYZtXTAqsWXzsjr5-kqsny9n3ADLHxj0qqd9Q2-Zrlrg5bbnrRJ_eKhAT0jHlnGfYUryJ-ivGzKgswB1zyfvC7plJ-v2kbus-EFHAmWCXM/s320/17.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: left; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i>There’s not much to do here...</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">As a result, the world often felt small, even though you visited almost a dozen different places around the country.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The characters that inhabited this world were generally thought out and had personalities, and some were distinct parodies of the time the game was made. Shuv-Uhl, for example, was a carbon copy of nearly every 50-something Deadhead or former Flower Child from the Woodstock era. (This one hits close to home -- I grew up 2 miles from </span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Woodstock" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">the original Woodstock festival site</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">.) I’ve met plenty of focused convenience store managers like not-Bernard that live and breathe their corporate employer’s identity, although sadly, less of them lately means that the quality of service at these places has plummeted. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">So, I’m torn. I feel cheated. The locations weren’t always fleshed out. But the ones that were did the job quite well. That felt like a carnival, the Mystery Vortex was a place I’d like to visit, and I could even consider a trip to the ball of twine. But places like the World of Fish and the Celebrity Vegetable Museum were giant letdowns. They had great ideas on paper, and then never figured out ways to implement them.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The score is a 5.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> I wanted it to be higher.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Dialogue and Acting</span></span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">So, this is a high spot for the game, if you have that New York sense of humor we talked about before. There’s snappy repartee, and for a story about a dog in a bowtie solving crimes, most of the dialog was plausible, if not even believable. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The voice acting? Generally okay. No characters stood out to me as particularly bad or annoying. Some were inspired choices, like title character Sam, who sounded every bit like the gumshoes he was meant to be a canine parody of. The fisherman was perfectly voiced as a Woody Allen duplicate, and the bigfoots generally made you feel their slow mental abilities through their speech. Using both the voice and appearance of Bernard from </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">DOTT</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, they missed out on a chance for a real cross-game appearance.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2iigGDRWhYi6fglrtjSrCaeTSKBdUI6RrmTG5G2tIF52Zxie0M2okMF5LjsEUO2VZzpbAdWY92AtyjfNp3nAwL4KPNePPgIZS-WWL-F33Rq-XDJrS-W3dAt0SuM73w9txUTDkY9Nj4WfGESOaAvHLOo8aRGdFvQ_xirJO4rLFLcNlBwuSjAJE478RzA6/s1600/18.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2iigGDRWhYi6fglrtjSrCaeTSKBdUI6RrmTG5G2tIF52Zxie0M2okMF5LjsEUO2VZzpbAdWY92AtyjfNp3nAwL4KPNePPgIZS-WWL-F33Rq-XDJrS-W3dAt0SuM73w9txUTDkY9Nj4WfGESOaAvHLOo8aRGdFvQ_xirJO4rLFLcNlBwuSjAJE478RzA6/s320/18.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">So many euphemisms for that room. Restroom, powder room, waste chamber, facilities. </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuEQixrBKCc" style="text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">We have embraced soft language</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Again, I’ll bring up Max’s ADHD, because it falls under acting. Most every room we visit, he gets bored and wanders. Sometimes he starts jumping on a bed, or whining about needing to use the facilities. It’s a nice little touch, as opposed to sidekicks like Cedric and Keith, who are forgettable right up until they aren't, and then they become annoying.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">If only we had had dialog choices in this game.Still, I’ll be generous here because of how stingy I’ve been so far, </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">and score it a 7</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">So, some math is needed now. 6+5+5+7+5+7=35/0.6=58.333. I think I was generous enough already, so I’ll let that be. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhezj8vqeZd-AfNNA-6f-5DrH5rzhUbnX8SnMtYjWBliRCN9clDlI7muGy6FARe1wkGNlgr23N_Isqxg5l0-1Ixtuwop6FFta-5esGhipNfqaFu0Ib93D0F7Va4o9O5ghprOBuU2MKlQiPlq3FRuYDnjicz-1SR7u-VlTMoC39oXv8BCg7OXUmTvlWJ32mq/s350/58.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhezj8vqeZd-AfNNA-6f-5DrH5rzhUbnX8SnMtYjWBliRCN9clDlI7muGy6FARe1wkGNlgr23N_Isqxg5l0-1Ixtuwop6FFta-5esGhipNfqaFu0Ib93D0F7Va4o9O5ghprOBuU2MKlQiPlq3FRuYDnjicz-1SR7u-VlTMoC39oXv8BCg7OXUmTvlWJ32mq/s320/58.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Looking at the score history, it seems fair, although I certainly would have scored both the recent Al Lowe games slightly higher than this., but remember, comedy and humor is subjective.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">It seems that everyone had pretty high hopes for the score of the game. Of the eligible votes, the average was 69, and the two other votes were higher than that. Thankfully, we don’t play this by </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Price is Right</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> rules.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4J4lCp2mb_CWjj3kRxDwBcTRxYWGfoI-yVYo4s0MDJfBt9ATAzh5DlMUUnqx-ZI_EzR1pC28FujgzOyGHtIb_ivGujS4GSymTt0qdnMagZAeWUN24z0-G86hNzCoynJdPGgxsuDMzZgNNEiC0GJ0r8jR7RAhneYgfajUqWdAHb-_6N2pISLnuHeoBDG0f/s1600/19.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4J4lCp2mb_CWjj3kRxDwBcTRxYWGfoI-yVYo4s0MDJfBt9ATAzh5DlMUUnqx-ZI_EzR1pC28FujgzOyGHtIb_ivGujS4GSymTt0qdnMagZAeWUN24z0-G86hNzCoynJdPGgxsuDMzZgNNEiC0GJ0r8jR7RAhneYgfajUqWdAHb-_6N2pISLnuHeoBDG0f/s320/19.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87R0MZsO2BU" style="text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The price is wrong, $^#&@</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">!</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">So the winner, at just one dollar over the manufacturer’s suggested retail price, is Vetinari, who guessed 59. Like myself, he’s looking forward to the episodic games, but we’ve got a few other titles to handle until we get there.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">So, before we get to the CAP distribution, let’s finish up the odds and ends about the mini-games that I haven’t already mentioned in the previous posts. We’ll start with two duds, and then get to a slightly stronger entry.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: large;">Dress-Up Game</span></span></h3><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV7o29MpfTW06VnPUAlHs72GKUUqmYjcUai3l60Z7QhpcjdrrBvATQ2BDqCfCAOHyhLDHBwXipAurh5Fdzm1M6jlvoWB514kWubIGqU8ZvcHmagGbLGXOQgLwN86TrfBZqnREFk2mtSiPDB4-5i2HEZQ4x2oMejVyOg-2wQ6nuvdKDVWcqws13RozAeppI/s1600/02.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV7o29MpfTW06VnPUAlHs72GKUUqmYjcUai3l60Z7QhpcjdrrBvATQ2BDqCfCAOHyhLDHBwXipAurh5Fdzm1M6jlvoWB514kWubIGqU8ZvcHmagGbLGXOQgLwN86TrfBZqnREFk2mtSiPDB4-5i2HEZQ4x2oMejVyOg-2wQ6nuvdKDVWcqws13RozAeppI/s320/02.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“So I’ll arrive in the nuddy?” “The one costume that’s in fashion anywhere.” - </span><a href="https://amzn.to/3uVmqed" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Sir Terry Pratchett, </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Night Watch</span></a></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">In our inventory, a purchase from the midwest Snuckey’s, is the Sam & Max Dress-Up Game. This also doubles as the copy protection on the disk version, matching outfits to pages in the manual.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">This quickly-programmed add-on is a reference to a </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_doll" style="font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">style of children’s book</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> from the days of yore, </span><a href="https://amzn.to/42UjlaM" style="font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">such as this one</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglFwLNx9-En2HeNAtAQ5wsfxG26n10XnVlpUgt7_ot2ZIYDDRFrKa0wnhn03JWiucfLxwhDgmQHsMCCx61WvkdZWmJ4YzlpzfvGIrRf5ppVMI0HRhZ4yctSx0MzEZutljFbyRdXnBJVPwqEp4a_jubc3AFFdK416zdb9ZarpH1mAqqEsxqqT2FEJGBsNxU/s2070/03.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2070" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglFwLNx9-En2HeNAtAQ5wsfxG26n10XnVlpUgt7_ot2ZIYDDRFrKa0wnhn03JWiucfLxwhDgmQHsMCCx61WvkdZWmJ4YzlpzfvGIrRf5ppVMI0HRhZ4yctSx0MzEZutljFbyRdXnBJVPwqEp4a_jubc3AFFdK416zdb9ZarpH1mAqqEsxqqT2FEJGBsNxU/s320/03.jpg" width="247" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: left; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i>This type of book is the inspiration.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">If you scroll to the screens to the right, there are different items of clothing, costume, and what-not that you can click on, and will be stuck upon Max. To the left, there’s screens of stuff for Sam.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjv440Np0beNbiqfFLeZHHRp8fobVc_pW8cKUQtZ2AKdmwDfeQW0MH92BTb61WT75qm8LFn_TnPKXvt_0ChgvXWEXSTLSBB01NxVbHIHnhwL9dmAv7Mmj10Rh-1QffNebijvKIkM4m6FH-aIRqhTpmncAyqYOT1d0zXgt0SG8MeexYZAv9-FyBRI-ieQjT/s1600/04.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjv440Np0beNbiqfFLeZHHRp8fobVc_pW8cKUQtZ2AKdmwDfeQW0MH92BTb61WT75qm8LFn_TnPKXvt_0ChgvXWEXSTLSBB01NxVbHIHnhwL9dmAv7Mmj10Rh-1QffNebijvKIkM4m6FH-aIRqhTpmncAyqYOT1d0zXgt0SG8MeexYZAv9-FyBRI-ieQjT/s320/04.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: left; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i>Some of the clothing choices for Sam.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvfYZ17jQ9VM9uY5_F7QBCkiaZGttC8v0LOA0_oWjC-Yymi6P5yAWV-bA5PE7fRXtlyyC3HDzDRQ8tFmSxF__G6y7FRdDw33mC1QyXpLNAZuwNJEkd5-HE0nRQgpI15HvoD_C3q-Ca8at8hoHk8T7KsY-7FXRd1_0DbEWTAtRCHruwna29P-XEBgOw0KLa/s1600/05.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvfYZ17jQ9VM9uY5_F7QBCkiaZGttC8v0LOA0_oWjC-Yymi6P5yAWV-bA5PE7fRXtlyyC3HDzDRQ8tFmSxF__G6y7FRdDw33mC1QyXpLNAZuwNJEkd5-HE0nRQgpI15HvoD_C3q-Ca8at8hoHk8T7KsY-7FXRd1_0DbEWTAtRCHruwna29P-XEBgOw0KLa/s320/05.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: left; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i>Is this more or less frightening than the naked duo?</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">This provided me about, oh, say, 28 seconds of entertainment before I stopped playing with it.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: large;">Paint-by-Numbers Book</span></span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">From the Creole-styled Snuckey’s location, we got what is basically a coloring book.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDbIfNIYMIiPTNRwErycLUI0OuHts26sEMSPduf1m-eVZTjX0b0bSncO4pIP_sU4eeAPESHxa9toFzFO-NcY8RzkSbqj-ia70H-wV5iQkFTZ6Le6Ng7mTrZ_Wjr1UJV-DdGrf3pxySibOg-9rN8b8FF85rXcjlHZG6GBAF6p8HpukhMduAxs9AmeOZm-j/s1600/06.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDbIfNIYMIiPTNRwErycLUI0OuHts26sEMSPduf1m-eVZTjX0b0bSncO4pIP_sU4eeAPESHxa9toFzFO-NcY8RzkSbqj-ia70H-wV5iQkFTZ6Le6Ng7mTrZ_Wjr1UJV-DdGrf3pxySibOg-9rN8b8FF85rXcjlHZG6GBAF6p8HpukhMduAxs9AmeOZm-j/s320/06.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFaFBoWnD8Q" style="text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i>La la la la, connect the dots...</i></span></a></td></tr></tbody></table><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">There’s not much to say about this one. Really. Click on a crayon, click on part of the picture, and autofill does the rest.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: large;">Surfin’ the Highway</span></span></h3><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4IpcyHV-tg_8b4c2pLiZhuhfnenAxBQlLNFH6zQ7QU0D6vusXnblZMWhx_C8A2i-poABdQ9oCAof0LbyOZCo3-gmnEwtBbfB0ZmEKBVRWF7zv11q6M0qNhXrnk3S9QJJ7HytPKYD8Icm5Tiuhor-PpDkAo1BwCQZIiZ4vq87Tb6dlTw0uPe3KXCLi3S-X/s2277/08.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2277" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4IpcyHV-tg_8b4c2pLiZhuhfnenAxBQlLNFH6zQ7QU0D6vusXnblZMWhx_C8A2i-poABdQ9oCAof0LbyOZCo3-gmnEwtBbfB0ZmEKBVRWF7zv11q6M0qNhXrnk3S9QJJ7HytPKYD8Icm5Tiuhor-PpDkAo1BwCQZIiZ4vq87Tb6dlTw0uPe3KXCLi3S-X/s320/08.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: left; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i>Viewer discretion advised. Kids, don’t try this at home.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Based on a rumored highway practice, it wasn’t memorable. While Sam drives the car down the highway (which you can move left and right with the mouse, sometimes unpredictably), Max has to jump over the overhead signs. If he misses, he smashes them instead. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEO81QfOPL7YlNsXqTAusTCVi5bUSz8q4fa1ZXXHcI8Pf1Vl_0wb6f22HQIzhPGymmtMpVe05UE9HJ47R1iLm3W-qT6q6BkDDakY6QvM9MdIEBDQluYSN_1cQ9jDg1gnVx1G8liz9ivmcrzPIIWpucgTa3eN2ZT88EiA6u9fRoPnv3ne19Cbr94GGeGCkF/s1600/07.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEO81QfOPL7YlNsXqTAusTCVi5bUSz8q4fa1ZXXHcI8Pf1Vl_0wb6f22HQIzhPGymmtMpVe05UE9HJ47R1iLm3W-qT6q6BkDDakY6QvM9MdIEBDQluYSN_1cQ9jDg1gnVx1G8liz9ivmcrzPIIWpucgTa3eN2ZT88EiA6u9fRoPnv3ne19Cbr94GGeGCkF/s320/07.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: left; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i>This bunny really does like to hop.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">You earn points and level up, and I read somewhere that you could go at least a dozen or so levels without doing a darn thing, so it wasn’t the best programmed game, but it was a cute inclusion.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Well, that’s enough delay. Let’s get to the important stuff. And then. I’ll hop in my car and drive somewhere on vacation now that I’m done with this post.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">CAP Distribution</span></span></h3><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">100 CAPs to Michael</span></div><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">Blogger Award - 100 CAPs - For playing through Sam & Max Hit the Road for everyone's enjoyment</span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">25 CAPs to MorpheusKitami</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">True Companion Award - 20 CAPs - For playing and commenting on Sam & Max Hit the Road along with Michael</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">It's a Family Affair Award - 5 CAPs - For teaching us about an internet celebrity who's a real legit mo-fo</span></p></li></ul></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">20 CAPs to LeftHanded Matt</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">True Companion Award - 20 CAPs - For playing and commenting on Sam & Max Hit the Road along with Michael</span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">10 CAPs to Vetinari</span></p></span><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">Psychic Prediction Award - 10 CAPs - For being the closest guesser to the Sam & Max Hit the Road PISSED rating</span></p></li></ul><span style="font-family: inherit;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">10 CAPs to Alex</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">Uninvited Houseguest Award - 10 CAPs - For hosting a holiday dinner party with our favorite retired police officer, Jim Walls</span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">10 CAPs to arcanetrivia</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">RTFM Award - 5 CAPs - For reading the manual when the reviewer did not</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">I Lost on Jeopardy Award - 5 CAPs - For having deep cuts of Weird Al in her playlist</span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">10 CAPs to Laukku</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium; white-space-collapse: collapse;"></span><span style="font-size: medium; white-space-collapse: collapse;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">Puzzle Wager - </span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">(-10) CAPs</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;"> - For betting that Michael would be stumped by a puzzle in Sam & Max Hit the Road</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">Autonomy Award - 5 CAPs - For knowing the difference between “free reign” and “free rein”</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">Quick and Dirty Operating System Award - 5 CAPs - For catching an obvious Microsoft reference that Michael missed</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">Nothing Compares 2 U Award -</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt;"> 5 CAPs -</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; text-wrap: wrap;"> For detailing some differences between the CD and floppy versions</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">I Picked the Wrong Week to Quit Sniffing Glue Award - 5 CAPs - For referencing a scene in an undeservingly overlooked movie from the makers of <i>Airplane</i> and <i>The Naked Gun</i></span></p></li><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">5 CAPs to ShaddamIVth</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">MapQuest Award - 5 CAPs - For correctly identifying US states and bordering countries on a postcard map</span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">5 CAPs to Ross</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">Bio-Conversion KITT Award - 5 CAPs - For knowing where the gas filler door should and shouldn’t be on a stock Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am </span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">5 CAPs to ATMachine</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">Not Ready for Primetime Commenter Award - 5 CAPs - For helping explain a recurring bit from the first decade of Saturday Night Live </span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p></span><span><div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">5 CAPs to Anonymous</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">It's Not a Tumor Award - 5 CAPs - For noticing an embarrassingly bad typo in the spelling of an actor-turned-politician’s name</span></p></li></ul></div></span>Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16240427925874212338noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-80654776278947709112024-02-28T00:00:00.027+11:002024-02-28T00:00:00.150+11:00Game 140: Black Sect (1993) - Introduction<p> By Ilmari<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuVzJNkcFcJZm2Kgmd5QllW2gAlwltNNbxTFkmTjsXvhGjL7mF9dAE5D-qAuna-dAWRIMRbxAzRdTAqzCLThdMNmmy2RVLqTwKCw5efmx9VHMbhAqvxNEvWhVZDod5lqq-iWwjeHgTWJI-WGxx1iC7MPKEkqPq_48bLti9ZAdpwwNb6o36NOS3yDbb3XI/s800/1962731-black-sect-dos-front-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuVzJNkcFcJZm2Kgmd5QllW2gAlwltNNbxTFkmTjsXvhGjL7mF9dAE5D-qAuna-dAWRIMRbxAzRdTAqzCLThdMNmmy2RVLqTwKCw5efmx9VHMbhAqvxNEvWhVZDod5lqq-iWwjeHgTWJI-WGxx1iC7MPKEkqPq_48bLti9ZAdpwwNb6o36NOS3yDbb3XI/w300-h400/1962731-black-sect-dos-front-cover.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>I have no idea why this game was made.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>Well that sounded a bit harsh, especially as I haven’t even played the game yet. It just seems a curious choice for Lankhor to remake and upgrade <a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/search/label/La%20Secte%20Noire">a low budget text adventure,</a> which by all indications had no particular fan base and was old-fashioned even when it was published.</p><p>An even more curious creative choice is that the new game was never published in English. Mobygames tells me that an English translation was at least partially made and hidden somewhere within the game files – why see all that effort and not use it? Well, at least the existing translation has helped fans later in making an English version of the game. I’ll still aim for the most authentic experience and so will play the original French version.</p><p>Checking the manual, the framing story hasn’t changed a bit: a spellbook protecting a village from demonic forces has disappeared and your task is to find it. The manual is still of interest, since it contains a long essay on the sociology of sects. Well, you might have to take the essay with a grain of the salt. One of its two sources was authored by a Catholic priest who thought that New Age movements were a Jewish conspiracy for world domination, while the other was written by a sensational journalist, who just lumped wildly different ideologies like Scientology (oppressively totalitarian hierarchy invented by a failed scifi novelist turned into a money grubbing fraud) and Hare Krishna -movement (bunch of vegan, Hindu-loving hippies who like to sing) into the same category of sects.</p><p>For some reason, the copy of the game I’ve picked starts without the intro animation. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXbA02BB6YU">I checked it on Youtube</a>: basically, it just shows a blackrobed person killing someone and stealing a book, so nothing new there. I am also not hearing any music or sound effects, although there should be such, but I guess I’ll have to listen to them from Youtube later.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhulDpYXczDnE0IEydwXTkfiQAox1kB-vR2WTg5pODbhwLz44nOdKEPhgJfWf0QTkFiZ8eHXBmI-FpLlurIESGHoffaEaeegjgLR35d1m68wK_59QJ9hH0H-J-2jpaFs83aAHH5MDiRJAsEpliR1nh2bF7c8NYgVOl4frgGbyNpEKEKC3XZ1dAe_zJMVME/s640/secte_009.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhulDpYXczDnE0IEydwXTkfiQAox1kB-vR2WTg5pODbhwLz44nOdKEPhgJfWf0QTkFiZ8eHXBmI-FpLlurIESGHoffaEaeegjgLR35d1m68wK_59QJ9hH0H-J-2jpaFs83aAHH5MDiRJAsEpliR1nh2bF7c8NYgVOl4frgGbyNpEKEKC3XZ1dAe_zJMVME/w400-h250/secte_009.png" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>I can already say that the graphics have made a great leap forward from the original. Text parser has also had to make way for an icon-based interface. There’s no less than sixteen actions (found within the clapboard on the right side) I could do:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Look</li><li>Take</li><li>Drop</li><li>Lift</li><li>Press</li><li>Break</li><li>Open</li><li>Close</li><li>Turn</li><li>Speak</li><li>Give/show</li><li>Use</li><li>Search</li><li>Pull</li><li>Put</li><li>Hide</li></ul><p></p><p>This seems a bit unwieldy. To make things worse, you can’t really use some of these actions (like use, put and give), unless you hold some object in your hand. Since I haven’t picked anything yet, I really don’t know how that works in practice, just like I have no idea about the whole inventory system.</p><p>It will be interesting to see whether having played <i>Le Secte Noire </i>will in any manner help me in solving <i>Black Sect</i>. Well, at least if I get stuck, I can use the hint system (the lifebuoy), which seems as helpful as in the original text adventure (“search and you’ll find” it tells me in the first room of the game). There’s also a time limit - after three days of waiting the sect runs away with the spell book. This seems a bit anticlimactic: I thought the spellbook was required for protecting the village from the cult and then they just go away. Oh well, I guess any motivation is good motivation. Let the game begin!</p>Ilmari Jauhiainenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01655841880034965950noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-71504421443569961452024-02-23T00:00:00.001+11:002024-02-23T00:00:00.136+11:00Sam & Max Hit the Road — Won!<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Written by Michael</span></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQmUD9BtjT1WMXnOWqLpg5K9cf98AKetRutiRVEEMxI3Zn8mblGSfgWfI27RgRGIf-t97QoT93KgZD7c3RIll8IJW8YxOkFrKdG4VAE8FSTy0kDTSYYftcwFh_tgjIuu7hMKaCMVXHiJnW32vdlud_gWysLFHGX4nzlWnCzl0G0aBndAfcLP8TqRkfIxca/s600/01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQmUD9BtjT1WMXnOWqLpg5K9cf98AKetRutiRVEEMxI3Zn8mblGSfgWfI27RgRGIf-t97QoT93KgZD7c3RIll8IJW8YxOkFrKdG4VAE8FSTy0kDTSYYftcwFh_tgjIuu7hMKaCMVXHiJnW32vdlud_gWysLFHGX4nzlWnCzl0G0aBndAfcLP8TqRkfIxca/s320/01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt;">Last time, we ended with a cliffhanger. Who DID shoot Mr. Burns? Was it the drunk father? The drunk guy in the bar? The chain-smoking aunt? Or maybe the gun-toting dog and bunny?</span></p></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">So, much like the tar in the pool below us, the end of this game is almost within reach.</span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLb5sbzhSqqC5LH9pX0LwA7u8Z2ham6Aoo57bNWzKw6wc7Zzech1v4o8YdeNZX3e9DbHxCM-XsHSjzFA1I76qRGw-WI3wBwaIJWwNorB4EJyqe0HUC8XwkXWawB4GWJNdv38X-0ArTl_y_3OrVaDurnjH6gu_bAJuPtSiuoPhByWqKRmCGbSx9E4AW320k/s1600/02.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLb5sbzhSqqC5LH9pX0LwA7u8Z2ham6Aoo57bNWzKw6wc7Zzech1v4o8YdeNZX3e9DbHxCM-XsHSjzFA1I76qRGw-WI3wBwaIJWwNorB4EJyqe0HUC8XwkXWawB4GWJNdv38X-0ArTl_y_3OrVaDurnjH6gu_bAJuPtSiuoPhByWqKRmCGbSx9E4AW320k/s320/02.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://americanhistory.si.edu/explore/stories/smoke-gets-your-eyes-20th-century-tobacco-advertisements" style="text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i>New Diet Coke. Lower Tar, Tastes Great</i></span></a></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Last time around, I suspected that I was going to need to dress as a bigfoot in order to enter the party. Seeing a vat of tar made me think of something getting “tarred and feathered” and so, with my pile of fake bigfoot hair, I’ll try to do the same thing. When I has hanging over the tar pit, I noticed that I was given control of the mouse and icons as I bounced around a few times. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span></span></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So, I grabbed my trusty Snuckey’s soda cup and tried to snag some tar. But, Max couldn’t reach. So, why not use, yet again, our trusty device to grab things that can’t be reached? The golf ball retriever armed with the hand of Jesse James took care of this for me. I now had some tar, which I applied to the stilt walker’s outfit, and then added the mange. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I tried to sneak behind the changing screen at the bungee jump, but Sam commented, “I don’t think this is the time or place.” So, after shedding myself of the jump harness, I decided to head back to the Jungle Inn.</span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia5jpR0_WZQX_Pdi6OO-XDvuYdFDNbLSkVtvS3zv5aKqgKCGz-S5OlMYme_3gtm4QeBf7VKhFLlqy45waYNEYCqHiSSCgGvqXLszwFXEsltkXOKIdiNRIcY7h8BNixq1aRacV1xCMLO2mVU8Er_A7yPBbDRlDl3xkgD6rJCxMs0m9Jp_kxXVXqso8bqeyb/s1600/03.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia5jpR0_WZQX_Pdi6OO-XDvuYdFDNbLSkVtvS3zv5aKqgKCGz-S5OlMYme_3gtm4QeBf7VKhFLlqy45waYNEYCqHiSSCgGvqXLszwFXEsltkXOKIdiNRIcY7h8BNixq1aRacV1xCMLO2mVU8Er_A7yPBbDRlDl3xkgD6rJCxMs0m9Jp_kxXVXqso8bqeyb/s320/03.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: left; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i>I need to touch it up just a hair...</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">At the Inn, I see once again that the changing booth is right in front of the doorman. Huh? How is this going to work, he’ll see me change! But, maybe he’s dumb. Let’s try it out. I change into the outfit, and he gives me a hard time, calling it a pitiful attempt. No hints as to how to improve it, however. But I have a thought in the back of my mind. What if I add a wig?</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Another road trip back to the Bumpus mansion, and to the wig I never got. Well, there are so many darn LucasFilm movie references here already, so why not try stealing it </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gU35Tgtlmg" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">the way Indiana Jones would steal an idol that really belonged in a museum</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">? </span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUJ5r6IZVgpMFGuLO3nhWpCKLbVRHctGIuKfofTcr1Y6AaRjKp5chMuQj4MWvUBR9KNW4uDWxPfkVMCkddaJpOSAbebTUqQdeeBjynECVoVz563iRua6JBE5RKeizZaKMy1hiFzZdwCjJebgaxaN5OUTS-SsFhNPieyDiZ4zqIKXCJwE-XEVwcL7IhfK4y/s1600/04.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUJ5r6IZVgpMFGuLO3nhWpCKLbVRHctGIuKfofTcr1Y6AaRjKp5chMuQj4MWvUBR9KNW4uDWxPfkVMCkddaJpOSAbebTUqQdeeBjynECVoVz563iRua6JBE5RKeizZaKMy1hiFzZdwCjJebgaxaN5OUTS-SsFhNPieyDiZ4zqIKXCJwE-XEVwcL7IhfK4y/s320/04.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The game should have played a few bars of the </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Indy</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> theme here.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Since it’s a Conroy wig on top of a fake Conroy-sized head, I suspect the Conroy eggplant would be a good swap. And, almost frame for frame to Indy, it works the same. I still set off the alarm, I still get kicked out by Lee-Harvey for touching the exhibit, but I also managed to grab the wig this time around.</span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXNg4civ57uXHi7DH9gDaUOBAbaEJIJLybyHD8jpBbEUdqDcJ6T3mXQoD0r9IhrN-YJgDqaJP3mP3-654qgLVue0goflsin6Caow0phM_Rm28R67jAFDE54ILDHGKxFjdNBE-idp5PRMP2n6Qc3UpWJaDRsl-O8AYjbde01Kbw-oHMVnpzwVkQT6zrr7Di/s1600/05.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXNg4civ57uXHi7DH9gDaUOBAbaEJIJLybyHD8jpBbEUdqDcJ6T3mXQoD0r9IhrN-YJgDqaJP3mP3-654qgLVue0goflsin6Caow0phM_Rm28R67jAFDE54ILDHGKxFjdNBE-idp5PRMP2n6Qc3UpWJaDRsl-O8AYjbde01Kbw-oHMVnpzwVkQT6zrr7Di/s320/05.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I go ahead and added the wig to the costume, and then back to the motel. I try on the costume, and this time, I get some slightly useful feedback. Slightly. It’s a good costume, but... “If I was in any way inclined to be nice to you fellers, I’d reward your ingenuity by letting you in.”</span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So, let’s start a conversation with him... again. I just checked my screenshots from the last post, and I talked with him them, but he didn’t offer me anything more than complimenting the band that was playing inside. See, there’s a visual cue (even from before) that he seems to be afflicted with some foot pain, but until now, I had no reason to pay it much mind. But perhaps this is how I can get on his good side.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Talking to the bouncer, we learn that, “Aside from my flea and tick problem, my feet hurt. It’s not like us Sasquatch can order up some orthopedic shoes any time we want.”</span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhLKlv4bjPDqPP3jtQTpPYw5rfn7WVXsKhRXd3kfky186GLQ932A1cQqdLXKbA4JZSUNnTvtKp7gYWO6teYV_EHZh-Vooz_vQcJiVYCFCLbDS97gHiGat2pmCQGhG_bX_ayG9Wokns9LrGugqs8XbSWqjRjtFSQnonVWb7_aHkKHVr-fElTYRUsSDCb61Y/s1600/06.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhLKlv4bjPDqPP3jtQTpPYw5rfn7WVXsKhRXd3kfky186GLQ932A1cQqdLXKbA4JZSUNnTvtKp7gYWO6teYV_EHZh-Vooz_vQcJiVYCFCLbDS97gHiGat2pmCQGhG_bX_ayG9Wokns9LrGugqs8XbSWqjRjtFSQnonVWb7_aHkKHVr-fElTYRUsSDCb61Y/s320/06.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I’m of two minds about this puzzle. There were no shoes or the like anywhere in this game. No </span><a href="https://amzn.to/3UGZzO0" style="font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Dr. Scholl’s inserts</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, either, so he can’t be </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcS_HkQlZEo" style="font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">gellin’ like the felon</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> he probably is. And he doesn’t mention a problem like bunions or corns. I never, ever would have guessed the solution right away, it was a random inventory guess for me: the rasp. He needed to file off his dry skin, I suppose. Not the worst puzzle ever, but certainly far from great.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Regardless, he’s pretty happy now, so if I change into the costume again, this time he says we can go in.</span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8RUKsXUrN1Tplysetr8nVkzIpARIG9HI7muNLSTGYpv1EByO6S62onVSaHHG49gxz1YT_M3ybnKC-aTdU-YgPHMSQLjZf65SgfaY-CK5cCm4J6gqoscB8FVYGXwK1ue59attFOwocPMo7sb2UYVmaqBKfvLmkDNQkl31lqoE2fudzTmlP1Ib0Hq2NkqMs/s1600/07.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8RUKsXUrN1Tplysetr8nVkzIpARIG9HI7muNLSTGYpv1EByO6S62onVSaHHG49gxz1YT_M3ybnKC-aTdU-YgPHMSQLjZf65SgfaY-CK5cCm4J6gqoscB8FVYGXwK1ue59attFOwocPMo7sb2UYVmaqBKfvLmkDNQkl31lqoE2fudzTmlP1Ib0Hq2NkqMs/s320/07.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: left; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i>I wonder if they hired a hair-metal band?</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">We are now allowed inside the party. There’s a few bigfoots not blended into the background I can talk to, and a table with lots of pretty-looking food painted on it, and a wine bottle I can grab. That’s after I listen to some old geezer bigfoot on stage give a keynote speech about how they dropped the ball and didn't act soon enough. “Blithely we sat back ignoring our own inner call for action.” He’s a real optimist, telling the crowd that, “... the demise of our entire race is becoming a reality!”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“Unless we pull together, not just acknowledging the need for change, but embracing change not just with our hearts and minds, but with our actions, we will fall behind, moving backwards into extinction!”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">He finishes his doom-and-gloom sermon, and then suddenly, the disco ball shines bright lights all over, and something that passes for music is playing. The bigfoots in the rear shadows start dancing, and I found this out by clicking the eye on the various food items, hoping for a description, but the hot spots were off again. Also, I’m rather hungry for devilled eggs now.</span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGhZU-wqckaYJ9PsrK4s5QO4rbn-xD8mk6EWJGA2tXxk84sLF_2JDsczmta2gnn3-6aANVHvdKmFqihwAOCAt6fuWkJrfCTs-lSHN9MCxEBIOXJZ5-jC1bRyoURn1MjTJFJczmnJrdnTDktrrqjpW_sefPphSn4970jDsPgnoRR7ZcU92VY-SldbWqSsCK/s1600/08.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGhZU-wqckaYJ9PsrK4s5QO4rbn-xD8mk6EWJGA2tXxk84sLF_2JDsczmta2gnn3-6aANVHvdKmFqihwAOCAt6fuWkJrfCTs-lSHN9MCxEBIOXJZ5-jC1bRyoURn1MjTJFJczmnJrdnTDktrrqjpW_sefPphSn4970jDsPgnoRR7ZcU92VY-SldbWqSsCK/s320/08.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Elders by the pool? Sounds like a remake of </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHamE8gmA8Q" style="text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Cocoon</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I’ll do this in reverse. At the very far end of the room from where I entered is a delightful ol’ biddy of a bigfoot. I talk to her, and because of the arrangement of the costume, it’s Max doing the talking while we are a bigfoot. That could be a problem.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">How do we greet this one? “Hey, baby, what’s your sign?” She quickly responds, “Property of Vanuatoo.” That’s the name of the elder chief that gave the speech before. </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9ZjOCSLYlc" style="font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Also known as her husband</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. She’s standing guard at the door to the pool area of the hotel. And, in another act of the game talking about something I haven’t really learned yet: “If I had a tree for every time a teenage bigooft’s made a drunken pass at me, we wouldn’t be in the mess we’re in today, y’know?” This line will make more sense later in the game. After we’ve gotten past her. We ask her about Bruno and Trixie, and her answers are less coherent and more distracted rambling. As for Bumpus? “He’s an immoral cretin, of course, but boy, can he sing.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">At the left end of the refreshment table is a slender, silver-haired bigfoot. He’s skinny because he’s “been fasting for the day when the aliens rescue us.” He tells us Bruno is on a top-secret reconnaissance mission to the aliens’ home planet, along with Trixie. </span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzTpu1DtXdMvsc-VmXXkV3JBC81XsePnRNx3aYv0tEUhjQntm6hn10PBSPriPxfCWTK8AQThRfjdJav082S60Et3L1gPj1i5dEPcKjyK8i7ODXfAhsmn7WZDw98WeeEFpOODleBUSjF2YLXPrswevjSdqcJ0r7Tq98Tqs9Y2eCmkxH-PYtWMBrgry56n-C/s1600/09.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzTpu1DtXdMvsc-VmXXkV3JBC81XsePnRNx3aYv0tEUhjQntm6hn10PBSPriPxfCWTK8AQThRfjdJav082S60Et3L1gPj1i5dEPcKjyK8i7ODXfAhsmn7WZDw98WeeEFpOODleBUSjF2YLXPrswevjSdqcJ0r7Tq98Tqs9Y2eCmkxH-PYtWMBrgry56n-C/s320/09.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: left; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i>Remember this later on.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Bumpus? He thinks we should ice him.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">At the entrance to the room, the first bigfoot I passed is apparently the one from the Gator Golf booth, rescued by Bruno and Trixie. At one point, Max asks where all the bodacious bigfoot babes are, and Sam tells him to take it easy, because he doesn’t really like girls.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“Dude, are you, like, having an argument with your belly button?”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Of course, the belly button replied, “No.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Bruno? “I hear he’s hiding out from a crazy bear and bunny who want to drag him off to an evil carnival.” Bumpus? “Eew. Heinous.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">By the way, </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYYoiRBH3PM" style="font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">do all the bigfoots talk like valley girls</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">At the back of the room, </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3-a4qWCtIg" style="font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">to the right of the stage</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, is a pixel-hunt exit to the kitchen. Really. You’d barely notice the door. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">In the kitchen is a walk-in freezer, with an ice pick in the window. Not nailed down, so I took it. There’s plenty of pots and pans painted in the scene, but only the freezer is usable in this room. Well, that, and a door in the back of the room. So let’s check that out...</span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpM6HylnSNiP-tLeSFzro-seybwbmHpr1_C74qNKn0YgK3sqHdNL-UXkQ4m1PA0ur9dpVTSCDNEjsXFq-IMZJiL6hwhjHhdMqWUI_wbh13FH1UlXj4eBHAcfLW1TZxnq9eWmmpa55Lk9dsAeqLirf09tki02IBRCQRThHcRXM3N4C6KsO7YWwE6E7TPWVZ/s1600/10.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpM6HylnSNiP-tLeSFzro-seybwbmHpr1_C74qNKn0YgK3sqHdNL-UXkQ4m1PA0ur9dpVTSCDNEjsXFq-IMZJiL6hwhjHhdMqWUI_wbh13FH1UlXj4eBHAcfLW1TZxnq9eWmmpa55Lk9dsAeqLirf09tki02IBRCQRThHcRXM3N4C6KsO7YWwE6E7TPWVZ/s320/10.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: left; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i>This is about as believable as Laverne as a tentacle.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And just as we are about to step out, in steps our favorite country-western star turned bigfoot wrangler, and his brainy sidekick. Conroy sees us, and although we might be a little scrawny by his standards, still thinks we are worth catching. He sends Lee-Harvey off to the bus out back (I suppose the tour bus we saw at the mansion) to get a net to catch us, while using a stun gun to keep up in position. </span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUemhoFhCIJy85EPbbBS1zhdtX5mYcJtHW9eGb_GSA-1ZoqBGUqS-WLlnO2idg2ujc9ZgYGg8vUYTehyphenhyphenP9jZ1fODa5BDoXapYx_KPVr-C7vhGYMcc1seOCiRDOU07hUCBx5wg0DwhDE5LRI86ov1pzLnmweNRuxF182rQQFDBKbf-J46YRnbVfS6yASBt3/s1600/11.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUemhoFhCIJy85EPbbBS1zhdtX5mYcJtHW9eGb_GSA-1ZoqBGUqS-WLlnO2idg2ujc9ZgYGg8vUYTehyphenhyphenP9jZ1fODa5BDoXapYx_KPVr-C7vhGYMcc1seOCiRDOU07hUCBx5wg0DwhDE5LRI86ov1pzLnmweNRuxF182rQQFDBKbf-J46YRnbVfS6yASBt3/s320/11.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: left; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i>If it weren’t for you meddlin’ kids...</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Fortunately, I had left the freezer door open from my exploration of the kitchen. I click Max on it, and we disrobe and Max goes behind the freezer door. Bumpus sees our ingenious bigfoot costume and decides he’s going to dress as a Sasquash and infiltrate their ranks.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Hmm, I wonder if any of us have had that idea before.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">He grabs the costume and goes into the freezer to change. Max closes the door to the cryogenic chamber: “Now future generations will be able to enjoy his atonal warbling.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Just then, the tribal leader walks in, looking for another tray of shrimp balls.</span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPVLLWUXnyO6u0sdY3p_cQFpGSBr95m4bVSOEFNz3j6SlylF4cg0_cxn0gDICJi0lGWohtlnrDeU6GJPtYqmB9Sz8PmNAqCy1yvvIp5p296fIL9vX4-rRXSTLNvW6cgMWd9UU7-4_9TFd_ziBsRXjmvWzEITAz1NdH1n-OAFS-F0v_ACQLUw9zd97R6dET/s1600/12.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPVLLWUXnyO6u0sdY3p_cQFpGSBr95m4bVSOEFNz3j6SlylF4cg0_cxn0gDICJi0lGWohtlnrDeU6GJPtYqmB9Sz8PmNAqCy1yvvIp5p296fIL9vX4-rRXSTLNvW6cgMWd9UU7-4_9TFd_ziBsRXjmvWzEITAz1NdH1n-OAFS-F0v_ACQLUw9zd97R6dET/s320/12.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">They </span><a href="https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/06/06/coed-girl-boy-scouts-of-america-michigan/9894220002/" style="text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">lowered the membership requirements</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> because of their thinning ranks.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pleased at their saving the yetis from yeti another threat, he makes Sam and Max honorary bigfoot chiefs, makes a big speech in front of the party saying so, and escorts them to the sacred pool area.</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjws9rspAYnk3hZ_pieAx8Ht-dLUgO11lgyLd6fMLiY7uJiGaslqYAW2lTQqd686jMeU_QAxprgRiLnWSDUwuc7WSij7Hkm5H-UkEgYRrfy3417GNRBPrGax-BdgpcqRZElYMiLARRIFABCgyMQsZ47lXXGLoDA6jrn2-2nXuiB0t-D7kKHpsykixuBkbZF/s1600/13.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjws9rspAYnk3hZ_pieAx8Ht-dLUgO11lgyLd6fMLiY7uJiGaslqYAW2lTQqd686jMeU_QAxprgRiLnWSDUwuc7WSij7Hkm5H-UkEgYRrfy3417GNRBPrGax-BdgpcqRZElYMiLARRIFABCgyMQsZ47lXXGLoDA6jrn2-2nXuiB0t-D7kKHpsykixuBkbZF/s320/13.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: left; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i>Let’s run this game plot up the flagpole and see if they salute it.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">So, these totem poles were passed down through the generations of bigfoots, and they can’t seem to decipher what it means, but they are likely intended to save their race.</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“These totem poles might be able to save us, but: a) We don’t know what they mean, b) Most of us have been partying too much to figure out what they mean, and c) We bigfoots have a hard time operating in public, if you know what I mean.”</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The leader leaves us alone with Bruno to decipher the totem poles, while he heads off to the hot tub.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Looking at Bruno, we are faced with a dilemma.</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“Psst, Max. Maybe we should wait a while before returning Bruno to his well-meaning, yet horribly twisted owners.”</span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“Why?”</span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Because I have a sick, gnarled premonition that something important’s going to happen to the bigfoots, and it would be nice if Bruno were here to see it before we slapped him back in a block of ice.”</span></span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Talking to Bruno, we learn about what the female bigfoot was mumbling about: trees. “There aren’t enough of them. Bigfoots need trees to hide behind. Without trees, we’re easily hunted, captured, and put on display by thoughtless humans.” </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Max also wonders about that hot tub mentioned by Vanuatoo. He stresses that it sounds like the place to be. So, I suspect that it’s important.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Starting from the left, Sam’s first thoughts of the totem poles: </span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Some kind of tornado</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dentistry</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A patron saint of bigfoots</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A before and after shot</span></span></p></li></ul><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Well, I have a couple of ideas in mind, but I guess I should ask Bruno his opinions:</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s a totem pole. It’s made of wood.</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It has something to do with teeth.</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He sure seems to get along with vegetables.</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A bald guy with spaghetti on their head.</span></span></p></li></ul><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">It seems like he’s not helpful... but at least the third one is an excellent hint to a puzzle I already solved.</span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHhtwljElIY50u6dNW0kpoIZKDGK-SFK-sFiSY0vP2lUAzj-TSvq5-e37qbtFrbFvpm7eCZh2tleouVb7jSP6MN8Wi0IeMkEUgksGytOLuGWqGpFOxz_CD7Loiv2KDuzxLm8xzaomF4Ob1pWvnZ3k1auyqgmfr4ixDbIzgH1K8VXQE5fHgzQttN05std2m/s1600/14.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHhtwljElIY50u6dNW0kpoIZKDGK-SFK-sFiSY0vP2lUAzj-TSvq5-e37qbtFrbFvpm7eCZh2tleouVb7jSP6MN8Wi0IeMkEUgksGytOLuGWqGpFOxz_CD7Loiv2KDuzxLm8xzaomF4Ob1pWvnZ3k1auyqgmfr4ixDbIzgH1K8VXQE5fHgzQttN05std2m/s320/14.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1231587/" style="text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I wonder if this hot tub has any special properties</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">?</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The chief has his views on the totem poles:</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Representative of the whirlwind nature of us bigfoots. Wild and always moving.</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sharp edge of ancient history.</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The harmony from the coexistence of two similar beings.</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rapid growth.</span></span></p></li></ul><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Again, most of that is crap, but there’s a good hint in here. The fourth one. Let’s start there. I give the chief the pillow from Conroy’s bedroom, covered with the hair growth tonic. He takes it from me, and squeezes it out into the pool. “Hair growth, hair tonic... very resourceful.”</span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBGxzoJePuxR3jxQis6qKVXRBGNBvRC9m03OKsUM3-rYgH0AQhjZUFhYNbvUWY-f-_PMQb8pSadq_skuerh-EA1WRJba0FyAHGBINkA_fH7GyDKT8mgJtmGEawheebrdkLrvGZywrM-Rsk4fYFc5KbIjuJLwEzOzIAKI8R464nQWY_ULOAeOrL9zVyLoJI/s508/15a.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="508" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBGxzoJePuxR3jxQis6qKVXRBGNBvRC9m03OKsUM3-rYgH0AQhjZUFhYNbvUWY-f-_PMQb8pSadq_skuerh-EA1WRJba0FyAHGBINkA_fH7GyDKT8mgJtmGEawheebrdkLrvGZywrM-Rsk4fYFc5KbIjuJLwEzOzIAKI8R464nQWY_ULOAeOrL9zVyLoJI/s320/15a.gif" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And the fourth totem pole fades away, out of existence.. as though it had never been born.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">As for the third totem pole? Let’s add the hints together: patron saint of bigfoots, gets along with vegetables, coexistence... I’m thinking John Muir. I give the chief the squash. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbTqMWKMKICShjhB7DHnWwf0Jn1-YLr8AuxJWlb8XigOCGaKw1qC35Ap8RU7QXQkH2-pARYBXZUoWWOYYFXlAEHQe4kn9a4kYmpZzj8pTMpPv4TYsWWMwsCr6SDcGFoHEX8zbfy0uJrGiy5s6sVYGxP9EA6kOehBTxYE-Fj6cr-pzP06cw_B4UN4oPvNoE/s1600/16.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbTqMWKMKICShjhB7DHnWwf0Jn1-YLr8AuxJWlb8XigOCGaKw1qC35Ap8RU7QXQkH2-pARYBXZUoWWOYYFXlAEHQe4kn9a4kYmpZzj8pTMpPv4TYsWWMwsCr6SDcGFoHEX8zbfy0uJrGiy5s6sVYGxP9EA6kOehBTxYE-Fj6cr-pzP06cw_B4UN4oPvNoE/s320/16.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: left; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i>“A combination of man and nature. Inventive!”</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">He ritualistically dances and deposits it to the hot tub, and another totem fades away.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The other two poles are harder. Let’s start with the first one. I already know the solution, but how to manage it? We need that snow globe filled with vortex. And I have a wine bottle with a cork, could that be the solution?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I try using the ice pick to remove the cork, but no luck. But I didn’t get a generic error message, I was told flat out that “I don’t think the ice pick will remove the cork.” I’m again reminded of a puzzle from </span><a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2023/07/lost-in-time-my-heart-will-go-on.html" style="font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">the last game I played for the blog</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, where I needed to remove a cork from something. A straight nail didn’t work, but a corkscrew did. And I think I know how to turn that ice pick into a corkscrew!</span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCrRvFLTmcLDoTZJ0XwYx7jus8JcpVINCyoZ4YPenH6_a1KEtW4Avmo9MCu7xlmeR0SsdhOC0VLjIsNbTuS9qVMCt6U5pvNxF-7zjbqFRAyaZ0S1ZCPnhLp3JM_3yJKq8f3Hqta4sdClPBiYsRvZNQj0oppt0f8LjePuxrsd6EfTK2P-jZrdpJmNOUHcDf/s1600/17.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCrRvFLTmcLDoTZJ0XwYx7jus8JcpVINCyoZ4YPenH6_a1KEtW4Avmo9MCu7xlmeR0SsdhOC0VLjIsNbTuS9qVMCt6U5pvNxF-7zjbqFRAyaZ0S1ZCPnhLp3JM_3yJKq8f3Hqta4sdClPBiYsRvZNQj0oppt0f8LjePuxrsd6EfTK2P-jZrdpJmNOUHcDf/s320/17.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: left; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i>Screw you, @&*$#&!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I ask our friendly restaurant maintenance man to help with telekinesis. He twists it, and I’m now able to use it to remove the cork, which I then apply to the globe.</span></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymSF10W6n98gFPXlMtBqGSIrucr8fZOnIM8vE2W8SX4tVuqaqlM5jSXeR9_w6jJi4hY9mfEDnDyoAOraEyhwaf327CtLBZ6ZSg3LwiH-JIDVFJiL9ORXpSSjQhEOjFR9yUz5GR0sdiviMLOKrrNaUEFnLeoxv7F61Y_hK1xBZw2oeZpz4QjqH_mAO8U2s/s1600/18.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymSF10W6n98gFPXlMtBqGSIrucr8fZOnIM8vE2W8SX4tVuqaqlM5jSXeR9_w6jJi4hY9mfEDnDyoAOraEyhwaf327CtLBZ6ZSg3LwiH-JIDVFJiL9ORXpSSjQhEOjFR9yUz5GR0sdiviMLOKrrNaUEFnLeoxv7F61Y_hK1xBZw2oeZpz4QjqH_mAO8U2s/s320/18.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Max: “I was hoping something like that would happen.”</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Back to the Batmobile, I head to the Vortex, use the Mini-Vortex, and use the snow globe while it’s running. I think this will do the trick. But before I check with the chief, I’ll save myself a trip and work on the last remaining pole.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Something that looks like a dinosaur. Dentistry. Tooth. Back to the tar pits.</span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNfc27oLIB6K0uHJ-ZoIlcwPJLwlCVUATgOdRAa4Nn5Ak1Ij9QLokuFeHw_mznQLGSaxnvsnWEfbpG28cJKYWXb_OF4QGsVxzCkDoArgpIvsTz0bw_-rzyx1OibQDleEI-00BmXFzWfhVhD2jYsxmji8eYvna374nCcPBoxiSByrr9VUL8Fk2PppVzmm2p/s1600/19.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNfc27oLIB6K0uHJ-ZoIlcwPJLwlCVUATgOdRAa4Nn5Ak1Ij9QLokuFeHw_mznQLGSaxnvsnWEfbpG28cJKYWXb_OF4QGsVxzCkDoArgpIvsTz0bw_-rzyx1OibQDleEI-00BmXFzWfhVhD2jYsxmji8eYvna374nCcPBoxiSByrr9VUL8Fk2PppVzmm2p/s320/19.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: left; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i>Where’s a pair of pliers when we need one?</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Remember the dinosaur with the sharp teeth? Guess I need one of them. This was an annoying one to solve because of the game mechanics. I need to operate the speaker, where the animatronic beast opens his mouth, but if I click on anything during the speech, he closes his mouth. I have to wait until he’s done. Then, I take the 91 yards of twine and lasso it up. I then use Max with the other end of the </span></span><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">rope and</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> toss him in the direction of the DeSoto. He then ties the rope to the car door, and Sam slams it shut, yanking the tooth.</span></span></span></span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“We finally got the tooth.”</span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“The whole tooth?”</span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Nothing but."</span></span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">So, I think I’m set. But out of curiosity, I stop by the kitchen on the way back to the hot tub. I open the </span></span><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">freezer and</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> find an ice-cold musician.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibfvpKoY73IxExx__NOs27MtR9GaRL7Rfbq2fQDU-P9eS8IPcbLHb8LUIEY14gAhl88Z8I5cWnVCOIadyb2fsHp_Y_uqmYxnBDRAPxTm02GSOcVYmxxv60UzqpQzwY25-CE4XazNq3T6_NWg-H1m3OtDCv0noYUsjb-7bZFHK0M0yugUWG6lMqn4nzofXc/s372/21.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="372" data-original-width="250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibfvpKoY73IxExx__NOs27MtR9GaRL7Rfbq2fQDU-P9eS8IPcbLHb8LUIEY14gAhl88Z8I5cWnVCOIadyb2fsHp_Y_uqmYxnBDRAPxTm02GSOcVYmxxv60UzqpQzwY25-CE4XazNq3T6_NWg-H1m3OtDCv0noYUsjb-7bZFHK0M0yugUWG6lMqn4nzofXc/s320/21.png" width="215" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Well, maybe not that one.</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVvrBbnJSzur-1BZhw6X9m5YUfOcvg4-_VLIH-jPtkGAmCDnq0mLlRWvCBVct_5mwJGK7alUUDedDvAJ1O6YdAtqYObaxZww9-xbhUgDrGY3E1h9EVj9AgHENVk3nb2GaQ3XkOPW8OUS1evetnEAVzQVDlXkLV0BEyLu10m9e8KKl5FsVmw4QEMtOvXDze/s1600/20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVvrBbnJSzur-1BZhw6X9m5YUfOcvg4-_VLIH-jPtkGAmCDnq0mLlRWvCBVct_5mwJGK7alUUDedDvAJ1O6YdAtqYObaxZww9-xbhUgDrGY3E1h9EVj9AgHENVk3nb2GaQ3XkOPW8OUS1evetnEAVzQVDlXkLV0BEyLu10m9e8KKl5FsVmw4QEMtOvXDze/s320/20.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">But there’s nothing I can do with that right now, so I put him away. I head back to the chief.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The hand-held vortex takes care of the first totem pole. That leaves just one more. The genuine dinosaur tooth takes care of that.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">But wait, nothing is happening? We got all the ingredients... but?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“In order for the spell to work, we need a living bigfoot sacrifice.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Max has a bright </span></span><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">idea and</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> runs back to the kitchen.</span></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvi7J8-4E6mMZBqR-mxI43eHEVxE6VpEmQ2Ubc-reaBsn0uYBimWCmnGl9U4VBp5aKNhya8TF30oUCzZAnm9CpwR40B3b_zZa93e7zSHfKDiM7Dl_gUFaOJB9B6kSC6r1tBXIXqlMZwZ441PFdfbYtHWdGThCQjTnjxQ1gOnemK3nMBfjf5yE9HKvdIdBx/s1600/22.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvi7J8-4E6mMZBqR-mxI43eHEVxE6VpEmQ2Ubc-reaBsn0uYBimWCmnGl9U4VBp5aKNhya8TF30oUCzZAnm9CpwR40B3b_zZa93e7zSHfKDiM7Dl_gUFaOJB9B6kSC6r1tBXIXqlMZwZ441PFdfbYtHWdGThCQjTnjxQ1gOnemK3nMBfjf5yE9HKvdIdBx/s320/22.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: left; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i>Max kick-started the potion.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc3cNhVyGQBMnlNqtEEcW09Cn5eqWnHiuOunBlw-CuIXAXinYCYeohXkDE8DQM8qpAVI1ecLZfM_5kmtPy0RvMVFWzvQPTTuL791ntBd3WitDBivin0x_3wQXs9nFO9ODPmLE-rkqT9qZho1LOBus52IeRm1Y8EBJ3aK5WuT31SbuM-KiC962s-n5infQj/s1600/23.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc3cNhVyGQBMnlNqtEEcW09Cn5eqWnHiuOunBlw-CuIXAXinYCYeohXkDE8DQM8qpAVI1ecLZfM_5kmtPy0RvMVFWzvQPTTuL791ntBd3WitDBivin0x_3wQXs9nFO9ODPmLE-rkqT9qZho1LOBus52IeRm1Y8EBJ3aK5WuT31SbuM-KiC962s-n5infQj/s320/23.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Adding the “bigfoot” to the pool in front of an audience of bigfoots and Trixie, the pool starts to react. Tidal waves, whirlpool action, thunder and rain... and suddenly, the </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWwUJH70ubM" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">effects of civilization</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> start to reverse. Trees start growing everywhere, at least throughout the Pacific Northwest.</span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ElNWuAx0xtH0f6GzMQAIIa7ISoYe1b4CE29QNMiE75iAeQdb70CXsotR-9_68vo1m5_USu291aKwu6CgEosfRC5e9KNGEAj98HwgnSiFgD-a1rRe9xQ9DwzmWttE351Xh_w8XrMwjDQ03-OwMPX3KDCTtcrFlKfUflHOHpCIZlI9wNGVJeCAp-enMC04/s1600/24.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ElNWuAx0xtH0f6GzMQAIIa7ISoYe1b4CE29QNMiE75iAeQdb70CXsotR-9_68vo1m5_USu291aKwu6CgEosfRC5e9KNGEAj98HwgnSiFgD-a1rRe9xQ9DwzmWttE351Xh_w8XrMwjDQ03-OwMPX3KDCTtcrFlKfUflHOHpCIZlI9wNGVJeCAp-enMC04/s320/24.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOyIhT4XYd42hmgNCh2uAP7nOwrkXmS7I1ULa7qunyS33EQO8Az1kdvTjT2koiPKkoN6Ph5kDyM-mWcgVmO_CAjzrdEAcs8gm4LmFZ8E0hlkHkR4w_RTDEo_r3jLvd4dj69phvBAVfdrVMuOxdHzwaNA-cv-OwlUHykYBToiAj1A3-VpSXwsXPftKn8QSM/s1600/25.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOyIhT4XYd42hmgNCh2uAP7nOwrkXmS7I1ULa7qunyS33EQO8Az1kdvTjT2koiPKkoN6Ph5kDyM-mWcgVmO_CAjzrdEAcs8gm4LmFZ8E0hlkHkR4w_RTDEo_r3jLvd4dj69phvBAVfdrVMuOxdHzwaNA-cv-OwlUHykYBToiAj1A3-VpSXwsXPftKn8QSM/s320/25.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjm-1YJAr9DRbP1eMQICITRVRiNi9EvjbyzcZgRVdY9yU1h5uyAhizJx7iJfpDEopVjUiaknwtw3bECBbzpPBQ7OhMvqPjA6LcOipd2hOQ0nw0AJyD98qBaLlnVj7ePnb2lERcNOJFXruJUQ5QRuPSNE-uw5wb1mw0okI2jzIWjVW9u8d8lLQJmReHK-3K/s1600/26.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjm-1YJAr9DRbP1eMQICITRVRiNi9EvjbyzcZgRVdY9yU1h5uyAhizJx7iJfpDEopVjUiaknwtw3bECBbzpPBQ7OhMvqPjA6LcOipd2hOQ0nw0AJyD98qBaLlnVj7ePnb2lERcNOJFXruJUQ5QRuPSNE-uw5wb1mw0okI2jzIWjVW9u8d8lLQJmReHK-3K/s320/26.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjklSa8E7WdoVPh_-Pfr6nGBwjnYI1F-rDWACLgP_tPOeUSFL0RVNcVc24myZJexIVJwyOjc6Q4B1N7Hrc2CmMtEtbt_YfoEk9rboVD6z0BOd_LHDiopNz3EcDMM55UNybjBmceknggbTqH3XMAbznhqnbVTYEcl7XnfYtVBcVc4O0RaOGXlttyiEL5evPI/s1600/27.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjklSa8E7WdoVPh_-Pfr6nGBwjnYI1F-rDWACLgP_tPOeUSFL0RVNcVc24myZJexIVJwyOjc6Q4B1N7Hrc2CmMtEtbt_YfoEk9rboVD6z0BOd_LHDiopNz3EcDMM55UNybjBmceknggbTqH3XMAbznhqnbVTYEcl7XnfYtVBcVc4O0RaOGXlttyiEL5evPI/s320/27.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></b><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And then, suddenly, it’s time for the “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFJ0ijW--cY">I’ll miss you most of all, Scarecrow!</a>” scene.</span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwFtS5_kMrrGQ8pllVSEz4qdnAHdhh1SSkHPTVwj5pvtlZjw18j6yZw0spXVIwjZd31gyIFJZ6GBs7iKJ-fMm0fHZDGZ_s_YxuffnbVuTI-tpF0M0R8jfbP-Hqbw9nnFr7CNlPCrtoRV9o0m_XyD7K0rP2FaGGaAmfEsb4eOBZyXEcFXQ0_6ShZ6El5mHc/s1600/28.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwFtS5_kMrrGQ8pllVSEz4qdnAHdhh1SSkHPTVwj5pvtlZjw18j6yZw0spXVIwjZd31gyIFJZ6GBs7iKJ-fMm0fHZDGZ_s_YxuffnbVuTI-tpF0M0R8jfbP-Hqbw9nnFr7CNlPCrtoRV9o0m_XyD7K0rP2FaGGaAmfEsb4eOBZyXEcFXQ0_6ShZ6El5mHc/s320/28.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">First, Bruno and Trixie say their goodbyes.</span><p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“Will you and Trixie be heading back into the forest to live an idyllic nature-oriented existence together?”</span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Hell no! <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVmOMJ_Vcnw">We’re going to Vegas to get hitched.</a> If it hasn’t been trashed by all this crazy redwood nonsense.”</span></span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Then, on to the bigfoot elder:</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">You boys should be proud of what you’ve helped us achieve here today.”</span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“You mean the wholesale destruction of the symbols of modern civilization in the Western United States? You bet we are.”</span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“Do we win a prize?”</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">And he gives us the gold medallion from around his neck, a passed-down family heirloom. Max quickly scarfs it down, as a foil-covered chocolate.</span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW0cNs28JLsPDT0AEdwDhXjVFScOrtkDpGKDaZJGrauClrS6GRP1B4X6S_CsbGZRw1jb-N4KESjEF6SI31oAt-tPNVxZAeA8sggCljkT_0E6Yvt4EF_l5PC_NatQaQgiRa_QHbHaiVPEszH0oPpgkAndwTZTliBTDx9vBgqXK3kPXJ4dasb8CGGX7y85lp/s1600/29.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW0cNs28JLsPDT0AEdwDhXjVFScOrtkDpGKDaZJGrauClrS6GRP1B4X6S_CsbGZRw1jb-N4KESjEF6SI31oAt-tPNVxZAeA8sggCljkT_0E6Yvt4EF_l5PC_NatQaQgiRa_QHbHaiVPEszH0oPpgkAndwTZTliBTDx9vBgqXK3kPXJ4dasb8CGGX7y85lp/s320/29.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: left; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i>“Burl, did Bruno always have four arms?”</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And as for the original quest. Remember that? Well, we returned the bigfoot to the carnival. Well, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">*a* </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">bigfoot, anyways.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivAyJ8kHf_Swm9QKp9O3tw04IcmsichyphenhypheneO9vsE4vGA2UZ2oQq0B0fzXPkbjVhCMqlXNo43yhtFpKU3zXhKpl8vR4r-KSlKKuWdPz5mS-Khxo7rcCauFZ-6z-JficvEEP5ApVOTk9cGJO1n5cKQhjBh9OIiOJEi7KuLPDrDANByUDl6F0tfvrnidTCVLSGP/s1600/30.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivAyJ8kHf_Swm9QKp9O3tw04IcmsichyphenhypheneO9vsE4vGA2UZ2oQq0B0fzXPkbjVhCMqlXNo43yhtFpKU3zXhKpl8vR4r-KSlKKuWdPz5mS-Khxo7rcCauFZ-6z-JficvEEP5ApVOTk9cGJO1n5cKQhjBh9OIiOJEi7KuLPDrDANByUDl6F0tfvrnidTCVLSGP/s320/30.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">An </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcia_Clark" style="text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">OJ prosecutor</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> worked on this game?</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">And with that, we are treated to a carnival-style shooting gallery mini-game over the credits.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I’ll be back next time to tie up the loose ends, like the other mini games, and then go on to the final rating. Thanks for coming along for the road trip!</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Session Time</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">: 1 hour
</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Total Time:</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> 6 hour 45 minutes</span></p><p><br /></p>Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16240427925874212338noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-80149800215209468932024-02-17T00:00:00.095+11:002024-03-18T12:04:49.497+11:00Missed Classic: Urotsukidoji (うろつき童子) - Sad State of Affairs<p> By Morpheus Kitami</p><p>I took a break on <i>Urotsukidouji</i> over December. It didn't really feel appropriate. Not really the kind of game you want to slink off to after Christmas dinner, or during the inevitable conversation one's family has about which political party should be strung up via their internal organs. Though I must admit this would make for an interesting conversation.</p><p></p><blockquote><p>"Hey, Morpheus, that's in Chinese, isn't it? That must be cool."</p><p>"It's about a lot of people talking, and it's in Japanese."</p><p>"Really? Why are you playing it then?"</p><p>"I'm blogging about it and I'm sure the 10 people still reading the blog are mildly interested in how it goes."</p></blockquote><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKoBPRZ8fPxJ2Z_DA0GhwsmlzKsaejLofSLcvfbWnyktFNb7XJKkD1jxMAltSh3ildPJkw5mwLq-5JQU5rIVZV4fFxeDsdFQtdw4w0wnatRuD5LtBfQtkw-Jy7najSACC9Aj3nBHyBfzRNqnNsqYvDc6ssFFdgrV4ac-6mJ8-5WnwJvZLr_QpXmpPPRo/s768/uro_3_1.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKoBPRZ8fPxJ2Z_DA0GhwsmlzKsaejLofSLcvfbWnyktFNb7XJKkD1jxMAltSh3ildPJkw5mwLq-5JQU5rIVZV4fFxeDsdFQtdw4w0wnatRuD5LtBfQtkw-Jy7najSACC9Aj3nBHyBfzRNqnNsqYvDc6ssFFdgrV4ac-6mJ8-5WnwJvZLr_QpXmpPPRo/w400-h266/uro_3_1.bmp" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Since last time, no clues have arrived. Ozaki is much the same as before. Kanzawa and Kumiko are uh, of the same bloodline, maybe. Karumera or Saomoto or something hasn't said anything. Our hero is Jaku, while the black demon is Kuroko...or black child. He tells Jaku that they're in a hurry and should search for it. Presumably the Chojin. In a timed dialog, which you know means I just love it.</p><p>I wouldn't say we're in a hurry though. As with all games who get criticism about things happening in a neat straight line at your convenience, this is going to be extra true here. My options at the moment are. Look*search, speak*listen, assault and the ever present system. I hear in America they have these adventure games where the speak action also counts as a listen action, the lazy bums. I bet they don't even have games where you're required to beat up a black child to advance.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>What, you thought that last part was a joke? I mean, Kuroko's name is black child. What you think I wouldn't engage in a little of the ol' click baiting. Better than us including faces that look like I shoved the floppy up...somewhere, and headlines like "YOU WON'T BELIEVE THIS RACIST JAPANESE GAME FROM 1990! (not clickbait)" Anyway, we have to talk, because we haven't had enough talking. Man, this is an exploitation game, you go in expecting gore and sex, and 90% of the running time is about people talking. Just like an exploitation film.</p><p>Kuroko has a weird way of talking, really hammering home those "isn't it?" and "don't you agrees?" that make up Japanese speech, along with shortened versions of commonplace words and calling jaku admiral, or old chap according to information I found out a second after finding out about the word admiral.</p><p>Anyway, super racist jaku asks Kuroko the important questions. "Why are you black?", "Why are you small?", just to torment him. I'm not joking, though the game is. I guess I'm laughing with it. After some conversation Jaku reveals he should search for another Choujin candidate. Kuroko asks if that person* is wearing clothes and laughs. Jaku says it isn't a woman and calls him an idiot.</p><p>*I'm not sure if the word he's using is supposed to be translated as something derogatory in the sense that the person thinks the other is a jerk or not, so enjoy a long translator's note.</p><p>Now feels like an appropriate time to whack Kuroko. Still the conversation rages on. They talk of the Choujin's charisma soaking into people, throwing off the scent. He should be a high achiever in sports, have a pretty face and draw the ladies near. Yet he manages to hide from them. Finally, Jaku, almost mocking this conversation, ends with a "I know, I know", and saying they begin in thirty minutes. That hasn't been how long this conversation has taken or anything.</p><p>Now we're back at the gym because we need to check Ozaki for the ten trillionth time. Good.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVoTZ2Avnik9XJe43A1xIISsup7c12z1Mp2J7U5Tpdov0a5hRwowb9gYlxBhNbvIbZpVX2hIOfqrzsmC92Jm3-rx9bgAMRO0onm5s628WYOW_J8OC9C1gE2OK0xllj7tp3C1x3ubY3NWVerLnpUxksQeduh6VzFbwJLE13-pF71U9d2LcogB9De3XQ-NY/s768/uro_3_2.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVoTZ2Avnik9XJe43A1xIISsup7c12z1Mp2J7U5Tpdov0a5hRwowb9gYlxBhNbvIbZpVX2hIOfqrzsmC92Jm3-rx9bgAMRO0onm5s628WYOW_J8OC9C1gE2OK0xllj7tp3C1x3ubY3NWVerLnpUxksQeduh6VzFbwJLE13-pF71U9d2LcogB9De3XQ-NY/w400-h266/uro_3_2.bmp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>Back here again.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>Well, at least I can only look and call now. I call Ozaki, and Kuroko tells me that Kyoko or someone is there and will see you. Is that the mean girl? They talk some more, about how charming Ozaki is. Yes, I know, this is becoming more chaste than a <i>Leisure Suit Larry</i> game. Dunkshot! Too bad they didn't show it. Come to think of it, what the heck is going on with this image? I didn't notice it the first time around, but one guy is about to put in the ball while everyone else is elsewhere. The people at this school must suck at it. More talking, then I can call over Ozaki.</p><p>Now I can talk to him. "Hey, did you hear anything?" "No." This game is wasting my time. I don't mean in the sense that all games are wasting ones time, I mean in the sense that of the time I dedicated to wasting my time, this game has decided that this time doesn't deserve to be wasted doing anything but doing the exact same things over and over again. "Truly, this state of affairs is sad." I was going to make a reference to <i>Neon Genesis Evangelion</i> in the title, but I think this works better.</p><p>After he leaves, Jaku tells Kuroko to watch over Ozaki. Guess Jaku's going to do it solo now. I can move now. To the whole school again. Right, let's start with the tennis court...and the Japanese mean girls pop up again. Kyoko. "Just a moment, Jaku. Lend me your face." Ah, she's going to try to skin Jaku. Jaku's cool about it, being like, "What do ya gals want?"</p><p>She says someone called Seishi became an authority on evil. Jaku thinks that he doesn't want to fight Ozaki's bodyguards again. They may make good on their threat. How long have you been close, Jaku says. She talks about Seishi again. What the heck? Seishi isn't Ozaki. Something about Seishi knowing humanity and giving them to that place of punishment. I forgot, Japanese mean girl cultists. Then Jaku asks what Ozaki has to do with their crazy dreaming. I like Jaku, more games should have protagonists that can insult people getting in your way like this.</p><p>Kyoko then talks about how Seishi can scatter people with his charm. What does she mean? His tight muscles, his dreamy basketball skills, his brilliance, figure, strength. I'm not finishing the rest of that. Jaku isn't happy he heard that and he has a stronger stomach than the rest of us. She finishes by telling Jaku to stay away. Jaku, is, like all of us, speechless. Actually, I have some, how I have done so much here and yet so little? Now all I can do is go back into the school.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl0tADHVdG-oNd_VURvvcCUj7VzzOKO8v_Cc1AqyfJP77MKZvieqEiOC4auP2LXtH7-3bbasrOGW-KQTapH27-Wu8QHACPbj0kdVve07SW8Qo1ecrrgZSzJF1Wksk-LvaQO2elPtZ7Zy112KcB3WiZDXg8ce9NJwOiqmalxVW3Nn2Q8b7bEb-6SxEXv9M/s768/uro_3_3.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl0tADHVdG-oNd_VURvvcCUj7VzzOKO8v_Cc1AqyfJP77MKZvieqEiOC4auP2LXtH7-3bbasrOGW-KQTapH27-Wu8QHACPbj0kdVve07SW8Qo1ecrrgZSzJF1Wksk-LvaQO2elPtZ7Zy112KcB3WiZDXg8ce9NJwOiqmalxVW3Nn2Q8b7bEb-6SxEXv9M/w400-h266/uro_3_3.bmp" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>Hey, it's Akemi and Nagumo. The plot's actually advancing at a nice pace. They're getting along, having a nice romance, it's very good vibes all around. Even in the beastman world, Mimi would talk about how cute she is for waiting.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn0uVPSj1IXIgaukNC_9Tr6qtJnjW54K5n281DE_TCQYn8PF73gppMSHNvzvwQYPfwQ-dGBhjK6gTdj-2RYOv4DgCIJk-rErkCW2vrivZrt8MR7DBV3CScFHWBG5x0K-osy0Sx2hGvi0FNawr0KOQkcVtEPL3jpEwuZHoKYwhgu2ONA1Oi5KNsOANOfxE/s768/uro_3_4.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn0uVPSj1IXIgaukNC_9Tr6qtJnjW54K5n281DE_TCQYn8PF73gppMSHNvzvwQYPfwQ-dGBhjK6gTdj-2RYOv4DgCIJk-rErkCW2vrivZrt8MR7DBV3CScFHWBG5x0K-osy0Sx2hGvi0FNawr0KOQkcVtEPL3jpEwuZHoKYwhgu2ONA1Oi5KNsOANOfxE/w400-h266/uro_3_4.bmp" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>And here's Mimi. Oh, this is another one of those screens that automatically advances after about 15 seconds. Making some assumptions from that, doesn't that mean this game is about 3-6 hours long? This cost ¥5800 according to my sources, which let's be generous and say that would be at least $60. Even for my JSL ass we're only reaching the six hour mark now because I missed the one person I had to talk to.</p><p>Checking my walkthrough, this is about halfway through. Wait, wouldn't that mean that with my reading speed this is actually a 4-5 hour game for me? And thus a 2-3 hour game for a native Japanese speaker? Seems like this game is bilking people out of some money. I'm sure there's worse cost-to-game ratios around, but this one I think I'd not be enjoying if I spent money on it. I like Jaku as a protagonist, more adventure game protagonists need to be like him, I like the story, but the gameplay is pointless and characters morph into different people every other screen. Case in point.</p><p>Now the conversation that automatically advanced was not important. Just Mimi flying, apparently she doesn't care about who sees her doing anything. Anyway, she's going to come with us to the human world now, something Jaku isn't too happy about. He asks her if she knows about the god of the new world. One mixed together from all three worlds. (The demon world, the beastman world and the human world for those of you who have forgotten) The Choujin. Jaku hasn't gone nuts, he just thinks so much time has passed that it should be happening soon.</p><p>This is basically to ward off his sister, who still wants to come despite the danger. He's constantly telling her that "she'll disappear", which makes me wonder what exactly is about to go down. She seems to believe it, having him promise to call her if it happens. Surprisingly, he does. And then we're back at school. Guess that was a flashback? Right, well, the plot was fun, back to going up and down the school again. Let's start on the third floor.</p><p>Jaku starts talking about how this building should be ten stories tall and full of secret rooms. I think that was supposed to be my line, or perhaps about how it feels that way. 3-C just has a generic purple hair girl, nothing to talk to her about. A good sign.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwUuxb2f2wMyMitB2Wz5E3q6iF7js_VQFpuwYQhDYqBqLmrQEleGTyB_k4qLU9tMWCIJMj3ZCVdw-n05rCO08gj-u_y0Ced0mY2Apg1cWe7oFO4gcPp0MgWMrg-MQotdyvGE9JR11uAtG5w83BHJ34FMumGtH0GCk4STPqm0yJhsj91gnSgbgIIodnbB8/s768/uro_3_5.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwUuxb2f2wMyMitB2Wz5E3q6iF7js_VQFpuwYQhDYqBqLmrQEleGTyB_k4qLU9tMWCIJMj3ZCVdw-n05rCO08gj-u_y0Ced0mY2Apg1cWe7oFO4gcPp0MgWMrg-MQotdyvGE9JR11uAtG5w83BHJ34FMumGtH0GCk4STPqm0yJhsj91gnSgbgIIodnbB8/w400-h266/uro_3_5.bmp" width="400" /></i></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>Art is basically trickery, sometimes using colors you wouldn't necessarily think to depict something that actually exists. I'm not so sure a tree is really red through a window though. Then again, her arm is probably broken, so I'm reading too much into the rest of it.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>Hey, there's someone in 3-B, who has a dirty bag. Jaku remembers his name, Yuuchi Niki. After looking at him a moment, Jaku asks him what's he looking at that's so interesting, Niki asks what business it his of his. I assume this was the conversation for a moment, before realizing I know better. Jaku notices that he's looking at Akemi and Nagumo. He's upset that Akemi has gone out with another man. Jaku ponders his sorrowful looks for a moment before Kyoko shows up. Apparently her last name is Okamura.</p><p>Knowing Kyoko, she's probably trying to convince Niki to do something evil. I guess we're playing devil and angel, only both figures are devils. She's all about salvation and more than one way to die, Jaku's all about being friends and putting your worries in the past. Really, they both make good points. And after Jaku says that Akemi is really popular with the guys the conversation just looks again. Looking at these people some more, because why not, and I can talk again. Kyoko says he's a coward and can't be helped.</p><p>And that changes the music and brings us back to Niki looking conflicted. She left? But Jaku was talking about how Niki is/was a bullied child? I thought for sure that Niki was going to turn into Spawn and perform Mortal Kombat fatalities on people. Nothing else I can do, so I leave. Outside Jaku wonders about him and what he's going to do.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL_jLOq-osuUTbxlZTReWjw8-kNMXPmzvzlBgdVAqbebRAWl88ihOLmWVSGBixEP3EERAlXhKHDS44oijAqBzSgg52ATkjq2FenW-CsTm4f5myn2ordwiTZSFAys2OyAUrkCMLbbus09b0DpdF48UCQADb_rSVTunpdiQIkvUcrxCVtsars9R-b1HjfQg/s768/uro_3_6.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL_jLOq-osuUTbxlZTReWjw8-kNMXPmzvzlBgdVAqbebRAWl88ihOLmWVSGBixEP3EERAlXhKHDS44oijAqBzSgg52ATkjq2FenW-CsTm4f5myn2ordwiTZSFAys2OyAUrkCMLbbus09b0DpdF48UCQADb_rSVTunpdiQIkvUcrxCVtsars9R-b1HjfQg/w400-h266/uro_3_6.bmp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>Not the kind of jump scare you were expecting.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>Then Nagumo jump scares me.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAfDm-iwMWol56Qugz81ZwWP3qz7JBijL-zu12UN5m1pDRm4XnqUz-dYUtt7mGBjUnogv2TKPp9kvxvIgqq9uUEQGwnpy-UkK-caDlVywfbG507S4EPOQGtp8PrIxyVIbj7OAhci5yzs7rljMUSWv8OK9SAsAEI0deVi1YNi5B1DnR74ObGtT7YrKq23g/s768/uro_3_7.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAfDm-iwMWol56Qugz81ZwWP3qz7JBijL-zu12UN5m1pDRm4XnqUz-dYUtt7mGBjUnogv2TKPp9kvxvIgqq9uUEQGwnpy-UkK-caDlVywfbG507S4EPOQGtp8PrIxyVIbj7OAhci5yzs7rljMUSWv8OK9SAsAEI0deVi1YNi5B1DnR74ObGtT7YrKq23g/w400-h266/uro_3_7.bmp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>Wait, didn't Jaku have a different hairstyle last time?</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>And Jaku too. Nagumo's been searching for Jaku. Jaku assumes it has something to do with Akemi. He lost her. Jaku then ponders if this is related to Niki. After getting Nagumo to slow down, he asks him what happened, and Nagumo talks about last night. I believe that they got separated after some funny incident with Ozaki. Reluctantly, Jaku tells him to come with him and asks him when it happened. 7:00 AM at the main gate. The conversation ends with Jaku wondering what happened to Kuroko.</p><p>When moving around I get a lot more rooms now. Not that these are of much use since I'm supposed to be heading towards the gate. By the way, for most of the game there's been one track playing, that cheerful school music. It's not bad, but it sounds incredibly inappropriate for this game, especially when we're wondering what the heck happened to some people.</p><p>Anyway, when they said main gate, what they really meant was the tennis court. I search, and nothing comes up, until a green voice rings out, saying that drool is hanging from Jaku's mouth...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgybN_DZUSPucQJnm9ekuOra_RIxeqO_86O_RLNvWumwfRIEQXeQM4d2CvGDTVK1SPUPWPfFM5aa7RBxoaZPM5co9ufZ8PGk7rN4aWVqu3v57X_AyHtL3-PxQrAiI4OMQ2Z58y3ShBZy7WXeKx7mXInEBefyeb-b563NkOZmuaoZS84Ctn4QX5Bu5zyZ4c/s768/uro_3_8.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgybN_DZUSPucQJnm9ekuOra_RIxeqO_86O_RLNvWumwfRIEQXeQM4d2CvGDTVK1SPUPWPfFM5aa7RBxoaZPM5co9ufZ8PGk7rN4aWVqu3v57X_AyHtL3-PxQrAiI4OMQ2Z58y3ShBZy7WXeKx7mXInEBefyeb-b563NkOZmuaoZS84Ctn4QX5Bu5zyZ4c/w400-h266/uro_3_8.bmp" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>It's...Sakoneto, complete with the aggressive music...for some reason. By the way, checking my last entry, I can see that I managed to misspell the name I think this guy had twice. Examining Sakoneto explains why the music changed, apparently he's from the demon world. Jaku says he's been searching for Sakoneto, Sakoneto says he was advising someone on their budget and why were you searching around so sneakily anyway? Their relationship isn't good enough for him to know that. They're dancing around the subject.</p><p>Sakoneto says he was with a second year called Kumiko and if Jaku knows about her. I've seen her name before but just her name. She's the student council president. Oh, I get it now, it was one of the ladies from last time, wasn't it? Probably got attacked by Sanjou or something. If it sounds like I'm screwing up people's names, yeah, but there's no guide for this stuff. Imagine if your name was random hieroglyphs and there were twenty possible variations on your name from that.</p><p>Something bad happened to her last night, her voice was heard screaming but she's nowhere to be found. He leaves and now Jaku has to think here in the tennis court about these revelations. While the aggressive music still plays. Jaku has to figure out where the night duty room is. We'll just think about this some. Now I can move, not that I know where it is, we're going to have another fun game of running through the school again. I'll just start off actually looking for this, we'll brute force it later.</p><p>And someone's on the second floor. I'm glad. You know, despite the jokes I'm making about this game's artstyle, I do note that the clothing folds on this guy's clothing is better than 95% of artists you'll see online and probably 75% of western adventure games. This is Miyasawa, and he's wondering why Jaku is showing his face here. "Someone's wish has come true." Referring to Akemi disappearing. "They were watching a movie in an amusement park, then they went to the ferris wheel." I'm glad I spent a minute working out a half dozen difficult kanji for that sentence. I think that might have been him, rather than Akemi, because Jaku wishes him well.</p><p>There's no such room anywhere. Great, that means brute forcing again. Well, at least I can start off with the new rooms that have appeared on the third floor. A data processing room, a music room and a LL classroom. (5 CAPs if you know what that's supposed to mean.) They're all locked. There's nothing else, so I guess I'll look around. I'll start on the second floor since that's where I left off even if I was doing things "logically".</p><p>Looking twice in classroom 2-A and a mysterious green voice pops up talking about disposing of leftover food. She's not in here, so she must be elsewhere. I go to 2-B, just a random female student. Voice still occurs if I look in here. Same with the rest of the rooms on this floor. So, since there are no rooms on the first floor there must be on the third floor? There, Jaku mentions that soon it'll be 7 o'clock, and he should go to the gate. Then what was the point of what I was just doing? Busywork because you can't program in time?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GpricR-gniww_GTluMnq52HXebCcuhcvdm53Hij-iLR4irX1IRd3zI_yF8hABu-TDp7vC1ls6KsAidxRcgaDoja2JsU4ZNUnXFwINy-0liuoJ97wDT2RFJIIogR2SKMoL-cj1Efa8tvaWZhPXbgwnzgG17RXOUbArcpHIGVcaIWzvDkNPfZi4NWuEng/s768/uro_3_9.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GpricR-gniww_GTluMnq52HXebCcuhcvdm53Hij-iLR4irX1IRd3zI_yF8hABu-TDp7vC1ls6KsAidxRcgaDoja2JsU4ZNUnXFwINy-0liuoJ97wDT2RFJIIogR2SKMoL-cj1Efa8tvaWZhPXbgwnzgG17RXOUbArcpHIGVcaIWzvDkNPfZi4NWuEng/w400-h266/uro_3_9.bmp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>Wow, this depiction almost looks like it's normal scale. Almost.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>New aggressive music plays. It's Nagumo and what the game informs me is Ozaki, despite looking completely different. I seem to be forgetting the long term goals of this game beyond "THE CHOUJIN". Kuroko is here and still alive despite earlier implications that something happened to him. Nothing much happens in this conversation, but because Kuroko is invisible, whenever Jaku talks to him, the other two get confused by him talking to himself.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRKigQzzwkdLFB_ylLQS4S67Kt1ZlPvqY6oFXHUVGQwBUMZutVPJwxuE0RdnYvsYtcdHfJVhUam5qjmCQRLk01VQn1WLhmiSm4L4k7CYuTtNmte4gbDsNCDsvC55aOb7n7xu9yatz2rYc0vWwTQUtFEBNRQoU82qLIA9tGTlal3Huvx_bGl3De9Jrqi8/s768/uro_3_10.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRKigQzzwkdLFB_ylLQS4S67Kt1ZlPvqY6oFXHUVGQwBUMZutVPJwxuE0RdnYvsYtcdHfJVhUam5qjmCQRLk01VQn1WLhmiSm4L4k7CYuTtNmte4gbDsNCDsvC55aOb7n7xu9yatz2rYc0vWwTQUtFEBNRQoU82qLIA9tGTlal3Huvx_bGl3De9Jrqi8/w400-h266/uro_3_10.bmp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>Hey, these are the best human figures yet!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>I suspect the problem is it's hard to convey a search when you only have so many limited images. On the other hand, from experience, this could be far worse. Hammering out actions in one room is, if nothing else, limited in how it can screw over the player.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZq9CJq5v7zter79yuKvBnN1escwx4obr12jhZCt1f0wlIhyKU4M7HgbsbhHH-LUu6bq1I6EsrxiY009Ur1s7g1XUTGJu_1MOE09AkSlezox7QW8AfI_-aUDLiFEJIiZRVX3I2MthYaRWwbCW92-EKHafTZvuy-z6Im6ryWRaCkWBSnntC2AaCRCs5oPo/s768/uro_3_11.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZq9CJq5v7zter79yuKvBnN1escwx4obr12jhZCt1f0wlIhyKU4M7HgbsbhHH-LUu6bq1I6EsrxiY009Ur1s7g1XUTGJu_1MOE09AkSlezox7QW8AfI_-aUDLiFEJIiZRVX3I2MthYaRWwbCW92-EKHafTZvuy-z6Im6ryWRaCkWBSnntC2AaCRCs5oPo/w400-h266/uro_3_11.bmp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>The three armed, three headed man is apparently engaging in some self-loving.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>The music changes back to something relaxing and we're in a restaurant? It's a hostess bar*, and the hostesses are going after Ozaki. Is Akemi supposed to be in here? Why would she be missing in that event? But why would we be going in here otherwise? Ozaki is apparently quite familiar with them which seems strange to me. Jaku wonders the same thing and Ozaki accuses him of having the personality of a saint. I'm not really sure that applies at all in this case, but who cares about Akemi? Ozaki seems like he should be the protagonist of a game such as this, while Jaku should just be the protagonist of any random game.</p><p>*for the unfamiliar, imagine Hooter's, but the women fawn over you and a lot more drinking. If you don't know what Hooter's is, women in little clothing serve you crappy wings. Bring your 6 year old.</p><p>And after some talking in which we determine what we knew before, I.E., nothing, Ozaki starts violating public decency laws with one of the hostesses. Conversation continues. I get very important information.</p><p></p><blockquote><p>Hostess: "AH! AH!"</p><p>Ozaki: "It's unexpected. I didn't know you were such a prude, Jaku!"</p><p>Nagumo: "We've searched everywhere."</p></blockquote><p></p><p>Jaku ponders this very important informative, then he can drink...watered down liquor. Which means everyone's over 18, at least, though I question why a place such as this would be selling watered down liquor. Nagumo questions why Jaku is drinking and possibly if he's underage. Jaku doesn't really answer that. More searching around and Kuroko comes in. More drinking and Jaku passes out. So much for Jaku being a smart protagonist. Oh, no, the hostesses turned into demons.</p><p>We get an action sequence, in which we just get a shot of Ozaki with energy shooting off his arm, and he presumably attacks and kills the demons. He says die a lot, so that's probably it. Kuroko comments that he's strong.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgljlpr_jo67e5hrd_mxIf_X0vh5hsrR9N1Sc3hFNXT8xLNN9LpblyVfarVp2ZGqTPyNcZ2hcvCcFP0XVTKrT1Whr1oYzQySCH0aGl3oqZPkTHuI8mmaNCop2PtdCaYkzCmyZ02pEYTY6CbXbfB_QaKggPOlzvPsO8GKhfGkB0K1IqjTkyOd0zLmab7-u4/s768/uro_3_12.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgljlpr_jo67e5hrd_mxIf_X0vh5hsrR9N1Sc3hFNXT8xLNN9LpblyVfarVp2ZGqTPyNcZ2hcvCcFP0XVTKrT1Whr1oYzQySCH0aGl3oqZPkTHuI8mmaNCop2PtdCaYkzCmyZ02pEYTY6CbXbfB_QaKggPOlzvPsO8GKhfGkB0K1IqjTkyOd0zLmab7-u4/w400-h266/uro_3_12.bmp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>Is it just me, or is the face made wrong? One side is further up than it should be.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>And Ozaki is dead. So much for him being the Choujin. Jaku and Kuroko ponder this. It cuts to a flashback, one year ago. (Or is it later? Events that proceed imply it isn't, but I didn't take a screenshot of the part that shows this)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiao-sQktoZTObFLcL1Gnnm_JmJw1oPwC643dTUv9ehVOPSdbZNo4lWFBoYALQIJI3yG_j1O52HVRbxYZ4vkF4J8SO8WD20gvDuG1qXDDa_BC0BEco3lFlZTsOye37aPq1_2PEa2HXoRWvuSudnzLpWQpC6yxn1_pNQpCI1I-HmX2PTJ1u-_2dZ3VLIK5w/s768/uro_3_13.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiao-sQktoZTObFLcL1Gnnm_JmJw1oPwC643dTUv9ehVOPSdbZNo4lWFBoYALQIJI3yG_j1O52HVRbxYZ4vkF4J8SO8WD20gvDuG1qXDDa_BC0BEco3lFlZTsOye37aPq1_2PEa2HXoRWvuSudnzLpWQpC6yxn1_pNQpCI1I-HmX2PTJ1u-_2dZ3VLIK5w/w400-h266/uro_3_13.bmp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>Looks like I'm alone...in the dark.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>They're talking casually, and then Jaku says something like "Memories of Ozaki coming back to life." I double check that I didn't miss anything important. Just Kuroko coming back from Nagumo's house. Then the screen turns into a naked woman because...Nagumo is watching a video? Kuroko is beside himself with joy watching someone else watching a video. Jaku, of course, is very annoyed with his idiot companion. As an aside, seriously? Have I said yet that buying this game for its intended purpose sounds disappointing? I'll say it again.</p><p>The music changes and a strange atmosphere emits from below. Time to search the school again. Starting with the third floor and the LL classroom, hey, I can hear inside it! There's a woman's voice inside...and you know where this is going. (There is no actual point to this exercise.) Actually, wait a minute, shouldn't I be checking downstairs first rather than doing the same old same old? Well, it turns out now I can enter the night duty room. The screen suddenly shifts for a full-screen graphic...and Kumiko's been strung up by...her...torn muscles? What a shame, I know she was probably many people's favorite character.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUIqcFmwYnqiy2s4mZ2niEk63QDJoCgCA39wwCuf7yxot9c0VThawlanf48a2R3ouACAd2Y03YRZMmDimZsijfCTQwYNKQpyiEp7POV1z01oDpS7SdJjtuBZXCYHJuEkDPqgLaZduqpaPJRntZb65x3iIRssXvuu1EdmZlUsSoSgRJpfYDCw8FuB96du0/s768/uro_3_14.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUIqcFmwYnqiy2s4mZ2niEk63QDJoCgCA39wwCuf7yxot9c0VThawlanf48a2R3ouACAd2Y03YRZMmDimZsijfCTQwYNKQpyiEp7POV1z01oDpS7SdJjtuBZXCYHJuEkDPqgLaZduqpaPJRntZb65x3iIRssXvuu1EdmZlUsSoSgRJpfYDCw8FuB96du0/w400-h266/uro_3_14.bmp" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>It's Sakaneto, who is now a demon spy. Or rather "Baki" or Preta, a hungry supernatural being who hungers far beyond any human, as punishment for their sins in a past life. Jaku asks what he's doing here. Much like Jaku, he's come to the human world to know of the Choujin. Jaku then asks the obvious follow-up, why attack Kumiko? Because the demon world will rule over the human world and humans will be livestock. Blah, blah, blah. "You will die." Blah, blah, blah. "I'm going to enjoy this." Then I can attack. More talking, apparently in this case it refers to criticism.</p><p>And then he exploded. Now to ponder these events. He says something poetic about Kumiko's flower being snuffed out and going after the demon world for this. Wait, really? I didn't expect Jaku of all people to do that, guess he's more of a hero than I gave him credit for. We return to Kuroko and Jaku in the dark. Kuroko asks if they're returning, but Jaku says things have become out of focus. I may have missed something in the last dialog but I know about it anyway because I watched the movie. Kuroko asks if he's made an interesting discovery, and Jaku questions what he means. (The word used for interesting could mean interesting or funny)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipWqBEkWLz7eCVzCfaFRty7Fa4zfm-nMkfzoNZZjf39nWNAs2ckd1Y6JEEBjE_3FItkcTieu59bZgCsJb4Pjo8Mi4nK9U13K9y9oU1PxNmpZhL7Y9wCyvefCIWMyDr2uUlZCygAIEEQkOGo2hlpOqXfMnRhHEIE5gzXDi_xhxWUf7samJkbcW5nHjOaOc/s768/uro_3_15.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipWqBEkWLz7eCVzCfaFRty7Fa4zfm-nMkfzoNZZjf39nWNAs2ckd1Y6JEEBjE_3FItkcTieu59bZgCsJb4Pjo8Mi4nK9U13K9y9oU1PxNmpZhL7Y9wCyvefCIWMyDr2uUlZCygAIEEQkOGo2hlpOqXfMnRhHEIE5gzXDi_xhxWUf7samJkbcW5nHjOaOc/w400-h266/uro_3_15.bmp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>The perfect pose to watch the movie related to this game with your family!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>And back to watching someone else watch an adult video. It's the exact same image until we suddenly get a figure I believe is Nagumo. Kuroko implies that Ozaki is just one human and says that things have become murkier. So time for Jaku and Kuroko to talk this over. It seems the mysterious figure is wounded, and that's significant. The blood of the Choujin can turn people into demons. So, Ozaki licked some of the Choujin's blood and recieved just enough power.</p><p>It cuts to Akemi, in the morning, and Jaku asks her about someone. (Apparently the game is trying to hide this from the player or I missed something important) She says whoever it is will be here after school. Jaku argues with Kuroko and goes off to Hitomi.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYOW2kfkkMJBGF6kVuiaY2eGi8bIniAcsoipKQVfCKeCqN-GZjEH5UfqZ7bLUgRMZKlv5QM0dd2dkX81qJw7CoBvAnDooVYno5flXnB1_AVCGCJ6b_toWXhIlx2u8agtRN4SG8X3WpLcknLcqBbbR3Bc-lF9asbyMWZ6IGe6wGaI6L4RdPLU0COyTuMY4/s768/uro_3_16.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYOW2kfkkMJBGF6kVuiaY2eGi8bIniAcsoipKQVfCKeCqN-GZjEH5UfqZ7bLUgRMZKlv5QM0dd2dkX81qJw7CoBvAnDooVYno5flXnB1_AVCGCJ6b_toWXhIlx2u8agtRN4SG8X3WpLcknLcqBbbR3Bc-lF9asbyMWZ6IGe6wGaI6L4RdPLU0COyTuMY4/w400-h266/uro_3_16.bmp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>Hey, someone who finally looks the same in all her images, shame I can only show this one.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>It's the girl in an adult video? Or was Jaku just watching two people via video? Unimportant. She brings up Seishi, which I suspect may have just been Ozaki's first name judging by how she mentions he's dead. She brings up a demon, which means...she's not human? Eh? Yeah, seems so, he's bringing up the demon world and everything...but she doesn't understand. He's trying to get her to understand though. He asks her where Ozaki drank blood, and she says it was Nagumo's. Something the movie got underway in the first thirty minutes and even showed it, so we the audience could figure it out before Jaku, assuming we could be bothered to figure out the mystery in a thing like this.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNOZiWYtp9kutkuiy8bmoDCQlw7f_CFSI8od9Th-Vu6kAWyVKfEcXMyDKOHXOofNoJtJOoA2vU1vGxM0_eVDwBh-tIBWSQDjvosQt8AMJsAO5qCptmIxWeaVfftmkFlz0WJfTWllVnRXDM73FnGU1FTOJHUW8OBM7eav_eBqXo1p8ErcBy2_Ron9wWTN0/s768/uro_3_17.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNOZiWYtp9kutkuiy8bmoDCQlw7f_CFSI8od9Th-Vu6kAWyVKfEcXMyDKOHXOofNoJtJOoA2vU1vGxM0_eVDwBh-tIBWSQDjvosQt8AMJsAO5qCptmIxWeaVfftmkFlz0WJfTWllVnRXDM73FnGU1FTOJHUW8OBM7eav_eBqXo1p8ErcBy2_Ron9wWTN0/w400-h266/uro_3_17.bmp" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>Hey, who is this? He approaches and his name appears. This is a joke, right? One complex character and one easy character. His name is Kudo, among other posibilities, but since he shares the same name (right down to the characters) as the lead character of <i>Case Closed/Detective Conan</i>, Kudo he shall be. Kudo tells Jaku to meet him in classroom 3-C. He looks like he means it, the music sounds like it too and Jaku talking about his atmosphere. But before leaving, he tells Jaku that he's been put in charge of 3-B today. Jaku says something about tearing up school rules and warring over bad public morals. Which means Jaku already knows what's going on or he's making references I don't understand at all.</p><p>Looks like there's still quite a bit of game left, so we'll finish this next time. It'll all be over then. Looks like my estimates were rather generous for myself.</p><p><b>This Session:</b> 5 hours 30 minutes<br /><b>Total Time:</b> 10 hours 00 minutes</p>Ilmari Jauhiainenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01655841880034965950noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-18973552353845459382024-02-07T00:00:00.248+11:002024-02-09T02:21:30.283+11:00Sam & Max Hit the Road — Hangin’ Out Down the StreetWritten by Michael<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHsR5-s7EsZDzanXVHtcRH9GY7kMGOUp7mhTCt478rs1iLLlmcO5-eh62qkqVQs5ij1K5TGV7tZfoqb3RY6yeTyVTE9qTy3YZdRbAzfqROks9ol7moj804gIRD7bHUD-2qP2wunZSqzJyTUSWKcK320YoS40EfazU8n7Bbj6EhR0fNAXNMY7DYd1ox4c/s1600/01.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHsR5-s7EsZDzanXVHtcRH9GY7kMGOUp7mhTCt478rs1iLLlmcO5-eh62qkqVQs5ij1K5TGV7tZfoqb3RY6yeTyVTE9qTy3YZdRbAzfqROks9ol7moj804gIRD7bHUD-2qP2wunZSqzJyTUSWKcK320YoS40EfazU8n7Bbj6EhR0fNAXNMY7DYd1ox4c/w400-h250/01.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>I’m sure some people accuse me of this for my writing style.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Welcome back! When we last were here, our favorite crimefighters had just been given a slightly less than subtle hint about where to continue their search for the missing bigfoot and giraffe-necked girl. That destination was, of course, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VTcBO4q5kY">Graceland</a>. Or is it <a href="https://www.dollywood.com/insiders/dollywood-over-the-years-then-and-now/">Dollywood</a>? I suspect it’s meant to be a mash-up of the two. It’s more of a Elvis/Graceland-style home/museum, but with the musical tastes (and perhaps some of the forward attitude) of Dolly Parton. Whatever it is, let’s start exploring!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJbNJYd9g7Gd4Iqr8rcvJlF914stj4V0veFN_PyimPDcDgh5-fX0g2F59cTw4xFLnabYb9QstW2RnFjZgTGvitBC_FvuHlv30gU1L_ym5_QuS3X3I3x-PJiNL27w0LDMN-CSMEoeusLJYClb2AqhFTNG33-y51dQqKEVxuKMTtyTAPOf-wx82Z4tlElyk/s1600/02.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJbNJYd9g7Gd4Iqr8rcvJlF914stj4V0veFN_PyimPDcDgh5-fX0g2F59cTw4xFLnabYb9QstW2RnFjZgTGvitBC_FvuHlv30gU1L_ym5_QuS3X3I3x-PJiNL27w0LDMN-CSMEoeusLJYClb2AqhFTNG33-y51dQqKEVxuKMTtyTAPOf-wx82Z4tlElyk/w400-h250/02.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"> </span><i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McGKx5cbckc" style="text-align: start;">Wish me love a wishing well to kiss and tell; a wishing well of butterfly tears</a><span style="text-align: start;">.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Looking around the front of the mansion, we see what has become a trademark in this game: lots of artistic detail that you cannot interact with in any way. So, the bird droppings on the statue of Bumpus in the middle of the water fountain just bring a smile, but no description.<span><a name='more'></a></span>To the left of the statue is a wishing well. I try to USE it, and of course the game tells me that money is customary. I click my riches on the the well, and Sam makes a wish. “I wish this game was over.”<br /><br />The screen goes black, the words THE END appear. Sam quickly stops the progress, and notes that this is a rather literal wishing well. I feed some more coin into the well, wondering what Max is thinking.<br /><blockquote>“.........”</blockquote>Somehow, I expected both more and less at the same time. Sam simply remarks that it was a waste of money. After this, the wishing well is of no further use to me.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiijyVwwW5sNB6Zii9FXDWjkOTQj3psu2aRMDzhfNe9fosGZDEMDWDr7fQ72L_lKNpXWgFwp_-kw8NYS1ihZKjYzBKeD8YlCCyuKC2NeWXUJXhO64LAgEPcBFTrsrVAptDzSwr3oc5M8ehxzGrw15F8I8P0wJ5eJ4n5boxwahmg0x8ek32JpEbl3z_OI-w/s1600/03.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiijyVwwW5sNB6Zii9FXDWjkOTQj3psu2aRMDzhfNe9fosGZDEMDWDr7fQ72L_lKNpXWgFwp_-kw8NYS1ihZKjYzBKeD8YlCCyuKC2NeWXUJXhO64LAgEPcBFTrsrVAptDzSwr3oc5M8ehxzGrw15F8I8P0wJ5eJ4n5boxwahmg0x8ek32JpEbl3z_OI-w/w400-h250/03.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>The portrait is captioned, “Me, myself, and I”</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Inside the mansion, we find a large portrait of our main man, Mr. Conroy Bumpus. No ego at all. Around it on the walls are gold, platinum, silver, and/or bronze records from his various recording feats. They all have rather stereotypical country themes:<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>“Heaven’s Just Like Texas, Except That There’s No Taxes”</li><li>“Gun-Totin’, Hard-Lovin’ Fast-Drivin’, Country-Western Liverpudlian”</li><li>“Tobacco Spit Blues”</li><li>“Daddy’s Two-Steppin’ In His Two Foot Grave”</li><li>“Flushed Down the Toilet of Love”</li><li>“Let’s Drink Beer and Shoot Things”</li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGgCWMeIPNtxjicfveHA-GCB855dH2-xN81tlzg2xMZn-U4AUm3YNHcc7jmjmWCwdAj42ZFwHYL7hvFbWj_6iWX8z6Mg-K3K-b8a2G7_PP7m9HBawHxO1ztc85mU1uyjWGp0Zbc58ziDuLEPLmE3VpMnJSB6r31gGMt3A47pm098N9pEakXXFH-8528oc/s1600/04.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGgCWMeIPNtxjicfveHA-GCB855dH2-xN81tlzg2xMZn-U4AUm3YNHcc7jmjmWCwdAj42ZFwHYL7hvFbWj_6iWX8z6Mg-K3K-b8a2G7_PP7m9HBawHxO1ztc85mU1uyjWGp0Zbc58ziDuLEPLmE3VpMnJSB6r31gGMt3A47pm098N9pEakXXFH-8528oc/w400-h250/04.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/in-n-out-burger-first-drive-thru-history" style="text-align: start;">I’d like a burger and fries, please</a><span style="text-align: start;">.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Further off to the left is a larger-than-life speaker box of the man himself. Pressing the button, we hear the British country star welcome us to his mansion, “but fer Pete’s sake, DON’T TOUCH ANYTHING!” Since I don’t like him very much, I suspect I’ll be needing to touch everything.<br /><br />I’ll pause a second to point out some nice touches. The speaker box pulsates as he speaks, and the next thing we’ll interact with, the robot-looking thing, goes about his business cleaning the room in the background. The background activity is a great improvement over the static worlds of the past in the genre, but it’s not at the levels some games will later reach.<br /><br />As for that robot-looking thing? It’s a Macrohard Maintenance Droid™. Right now, I can’t interact with it much except get in the way of it performing its cleaning routine, but I suspect that will change.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG8bW1g7m4X0h_gDPZ9CnLaHOlQQUVn6sAql5r6BAf3PAtGJ1WKyhfUiBHLbCs6mWh2ROKZEYIZUDv-aGWcMtLVVCk7f-zEh6MynUjoZeqMnXcmBYqhV57OMAnid2IiEyKlAOba0cixeOYyhPgk-cLIzoRzZvAjr_evwp8899HRmYJSiXfLYG7WlPHZJU/s1600/05.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG8bW1g7m4X0h_gDPZ9CnLaHOlQQUVn6sAql5r6BAf3PAtGJ1WKyhfUiBHLbCs6mWh2ROKZEYIZUDv-aGWcMtLVVCk7f-zEh6MynUjoZeqMnXcmBYqhV57OMAnid2IiEyKlAOba0cixeOYyhPgk-cLIzoRzZvAjr_evwp8899HRmYJSiXfLYG7WlPHZJU/w400-h250/05.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>That kinda looks like Sir Terry Pratchett back there.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Continuing to the left, past the Bumpus speaker box, we find some more memorabilia scattered around what is essentially a shrine to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Muir">naturalist John Muir</a>. While seemingly an incongruous addition to this game, one could argue that he is at least in part responsible for some of the locations we have and will visit, as one who believed in preserving spaces and being the “father of the national park.”<br /><br />Around this room are several mounted animal heads on the wall. When we look at the portrait of Mr. Muir, Max muses aloud: “Say, Sam, just who is John Muir?” and, while Max’s attention is diverted, the various animal heads launch into an educational segment about him.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVyD7jz4vLjPUd7tuScU11edNOtZazCtvJPHcuTGJJFaJ_2muA5g0UCd6ezR9dcCUk10LSYt2yuh0ogVMnUm0YLq_ZVSmS5Bakp9XdK5Ltxz7o7daq3oGQf8TL43Ixmb34Y4b_dCd4PRaQgjhG4hrA_vRO0wHu8lva8c-ZB2s1-lnGlEzWySOq7rxXihk/s1600/06.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVyD7jz4vLjPUd7tuScU11edNOtZazCtvJPHcuTGJJFaJ_2muA5g0UCd6ezR9dcCUk10LSYt2yuh0ogVMnUm0YLq_ZVSmS5Bakp9XdK5Ltxz7o7daq3oGQf8TL43Ixmb34Y4b_dCd4PRaQgjhG4hrA_vRO0wHu8lva8c-ZB2s1-lnGlEzWySOq7rxXihk/w400-h250/06.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Welcome to our playthrough of</i> EcoQuest.</span></td></tr></tbody></table>He was a naturalist who loved all the beasties.<br /><br />On the floor is a “Genuine Imitation American Style Chest” which is “Not intended for any kind of use. A great addition for your Genuine Imitation American Collection.” Of course, it can’t be opened. The generic response from the game: “This is a completely unusable thingamabob.”<br /><br />Conroy’s first guitar is here as well. “It says here that he practiced diligently for two weeks, then gave it up and hired a backup band.” Wait, musicians are that lazy and unscrupulous? <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJk66tLOTL4">You know it’s true</a>.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ4XlBtFwn2r0Nr91_mVQYWxnHk9SZDuTl0Csx5KbYqby56qtqGACm0-Cn6Z-ByFs2EstJkqQ2ROai_SwRzqlh78HjqJoRot714Q0QUzQMxGsJDcVDg2BAuuZhIa15CCgJ3dC_h-WKkUkSsvereNSy4CyZ5S9wy97Woay_uUepIDK-hPzo3frs0NE8NA4/s1600/07.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ4XlBtFwn2r0Nr91_mVQYWxnHk9SZDuTl0Csx5KbYqby56qtqGACm0-Cn6Z-ByFs2EstJkqQ2ROai_SwRzqlh78HjqJoRot714Q0QUzQMxGsJDcVDg2BAuuZhIa15CCgJ3dC_h-WKkUkSsvereNSy4CyZ5S9wy97Woay_uUepIDK-hPzo3frs0NE8NA4/w400-h250/07.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>The song is nowhere near as good as “Cellblock Love” from Alex’s playthrough of</i> LSL6.</span></td></tr></tbody></table>In the next room, there’s a seemingly animatronic Bumpus leading a musical performance. He sings a pretentious tune about his childhood in Brighton, hunting beasties, and now finally being the “Lord of the Odd” collecting things with grotesque features, including this here bigfoot and giraffe-necked girl. <br /><br />Wait, what?<br /><br />Well, I guess we’ve solved the original mission of the game. We found the missing carnival freaks. But, we can’t rescue them just yet. There’s a security laser beam between us and the sideshow, and if we cross that, Lee-Harvey will eject us from the building. Remember him? He’s the one who got teed off and used Max as a golf ball.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNwfJCQ5iuaOAIYqJc7SGFiTup-qvHPdXJokihhhTglO49Zt2DZY_lYj6Jqlj47dEfZfgzuFi5_hOv4_jH6KQIu_Tb_fsB1WDJFKySKqqqdEANh9Lz-1T9m-fqvmwlKAtQ5rt5aq9StpfuOpuC8ZfGr33D_BMRE3Q7OWc9NUmflphCy3S_3vn7IAtqQp0/s1600/08.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNwfJCQ5iuaOAIYqJc7SGFiTup-qvHPdXJokihhhTglO49Zt2DZY_lYj6Jqlj47dEfZfgzuFi5_hOv4_jH6KQIu_Tb_fsB1WDJFKySKqqqdEANh9Lz-1T9m-fqvmwlKAtQ5rt5aq9StpfuOpuC8ZfGr33D_BMRE3Q7OWc9NUmflphCy3S_3vn7IAtqQp0/w400-h250/08.jpg" width="400" /></i></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="text-align: start;">It’s electric. Boogey-woogy-oogie.</span><br style="text-align: start;" /></i></td></tr></tbody></table>The security system also seems to be keeping the pair from escaping themselves by shocking them periodically. After the musical show, I try to talk to them, but they seem to have their mouths glued shut somehow. “Mmmurmur?”<br /><br />So I give up on this for now, and explore some more. A couple of rooms later, I come across our golfing buddy.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Bfm8B9yHHSb216XvZTgP4R44s_l6ccMrQe5lOJlMv4_KK4orDZo2q1tSlFb_3an54kaRFoSo9tScXKkLW7Ia2laIQAoHIWLgovx9LhyA3RtZ2It5jUuxuZOJT393H0JAky9ntvI2tEBsOUDkxCo-r3mOaKtk2C7e9phlUMKDWIy28K0NWJTFwP4jf-c/s1600/09.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Bfm8B9yHHSb216XvZTgP4R44s_l6ccMrQe5lOJlMv4_KK4orDZo2q1tSlFb_3an54kaRFoSo9tScXKkLW7Ia2laIQAoHIWLgovx9LhyA3RtZ2It5jUuxuZOJT393H0JAky9ntvI2tEBsOUDkxCo-r3mOaKtk2C7e9phlUMKDWIy28K0NWJTFwP4jf-c/w400-h250/09.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>That’s what friends are for...</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Who doesn’t seem to recognize us, even after we just tripped the alarm system mere moments ago.<br /><blockquote>“Don’t I know you?”<br /><br />“I don’t know. Were you ever in the Pensacola Camp for Problem Children?”</blockquote>We talk with him some more, but it soon becomes apparent that <a href="https://wbenton.tripod.com/humor/Jokeindex146.html">he’s a few McNuggets short of a Happy Meal</a>. He’s a sandwich short of a picnic. He’s... well, you get the point.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0fuvVdR6pgb9eAW7chd6LPAjoqI2eXdQz-pW5BQBRnrafHu_XBFTDr3NZbWJGEz2RaX_edJZbEmSwe0QsQkrwT4_Stai7sMA2CThpEqa67XWz0HxFmC-Ch3Bwe4LiKbONBtlDj8jmplNVW9nAumGOBJTvVgTi5u_qo0tKp_PeXIOG8oro2w64Wc9ldmA/s1600/10.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0fuvVdR6pgb9eAW7chd6LPAjoqI2eXdQz-pW5BQBRnrafHu_XBFTDr3NZbWJGEz2RaX_edJZbEmSwe0QsQkrwT4_Stai7sMA2CThpEqa67XWz0HxFmC-Ch3Bwe4LiKbONBtlDj8jmplNVW9nAumGOBJTvVgTi5u_qo0tKp_PeXIOG8oro2w64Wc9ldmA/w400-h250/10.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>He has some unresolved issues, apparently.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>But he does tell us about that nifty gadget in the background. It’s Bumpus’ virtual reality security system. As in, he uses a VR system to interface with the security system. But if we try to look at it? “Visitors ain’t allowed to use Mr. Bumpus’ state-of-the-art virtual reality equipment. Scram.”<br /><br /><div>So, it seems we’ll be needing to get him out of this room in order to use the VR system to free the circus freaks. Check.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuUldTV5mdv2jqXLi__25s2PZacdd4uBM7PV2CGG_NKBCozdCyz7YreKNG-rfTmwDwh0zyCNFTjVTVtXe6XQMN5clpx9DqVNNOlzEREAV5bxGBNr3bARyIuzLL9BHtXiHmMonSDb9K9rtz39aBbxpwMnvnR2KrafEANwG8ka78D7HX466a0Tf_FQKbI18/s1600/11.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuUldTV5mdv2jqXLi__25s2PZacdd4uBM7PV2CGG_NKBCozdCyz7YreKNG-rfTmwDwh0zyCNFTjVTVtXe6XQMN5clpx9DqVNNOlzEREAV5bxGBNr3bARyIuzLL9BHtXiHmMonSDb9K9rtz39aBbxpwMnvnR2KrafEANwG8ka78D7HX466a0Tf_FQKbI18/w400-h250/11.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"> <i>I’m impressed they think Conroy Bumpus can read, let alone owns any books.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>In the last room we can get to, there’s a giant monster truck-shaped bed, so far off the ground you need to use an escalator to reach it. The boys are awed.<br /><blockquote>“<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_grMGhW3X0">WOW! It’s MONSTER TRUCK Weekend!</a>”<br /><br />“Happening every SUNDAY!”<br /><br />“SUNDAY!”<br /><br />“SUNDAY!”</blockquote>In an alcove, there’s a Conroy Bumpus toupee on display. I go to take it.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAXvbuAaV44-5Y7ShxKcOPUDIo1u29IKh_54GpWKpwv_oCL-rcEo4jLZ_iDeeiyrmoAoXhGQDq017_1aLTEFd8b44a9NTBvJlcCUaaPcfKs7NztCAaaKybzR68gBP5Fwf7ai15Ev8EXwo6h1wurRNEDRQAfiNqtP0WR9Q0-tFI2rH4-lyCN0GP0Pl9JHk/s1600/12.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAXvbuAaV44-5Y7ShxKcOPUDIo1u29IKh_54GpWKpwv_oCL-rcEo4jLZ_iDeeiyrmoAoXhGQDq017_1aLTEFd8b44a9NTBvJlcCUaaPcfKs7NztCAaaKybzR68gBP5Fwf7ai15Ev8EXwo6h1wurRNEDRQAfiNqtP0WR9Q0-tFI2rH4-lyCN0GP0Pl9JHk/w400-h250/12.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Hey, look, he remembered us this time!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsgvxpU3lcThKQN64Xm-gyxoTWYuJEd6Wy0YsfrSkP5yT_DEvZAjuVN2M1yVQ6a5-Jcs_hk3_pAFJI8jiM-pPUteNbaBtcoxMk2y7Rh1gG3frN2-hBH-L5UWCl0lHjUcxn_LsITooitB9L29lFJ2Mgl3gN69xBjAOSE2lMgsNrlHShrg93fLRP8N5WrLw/s1600/13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsgvxpU3lcThKQN64Xm-gyxoTWYuJEd6Wy0YsfrSkP5yT_DEvZAjuVN2M1yVQ6a5-Jcs_hk3_pAFJI8jiM-pPUteNbaBtcoxMk2y7Rh1gG3frN2-hBH-L5UWCl0lHjUcxn_LsITooitB9L29lFJ2Mgl3gN69xBjAOSE2lMgsNrlHShrg93fLRP8N5WrLw/w400-h250/13.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV27tAwUaRlgq_NSsKVgYdgWg8wFRgQ4JZAoTRyQ29SrB5Vxif2BiwYWxf42MlDMaTgVdRrW9vl5G9XFD04QCbAFaNrmFJBd63eHrD0MSuXOFox7nPWk7mPwAKYePNMUgnsxBNUh7FBZ8MejHBMcgIZKXhIbEr80lucQZSwWPZabUAzX2OEhmxQkLqSo4/s1600/14.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV27tAwUaRlgq_NSsKVgYdgWg8wFRgQ4JZAoTRyQ29SrB5Vxif2BiwYWxf42MlDMaTgVdRrW9vl5G9XFD04QCbAFaNrmFJBd63eHrD0MSuXOFox7nPWk7mPwAKYePNMUgnsxBNUh7FBZ8MejHBMcgIZKXhIbEr80lucQZSwWPZabUAzX2OEhmxQkLqSo4/w400-h250/14.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Well, that’s another puzzle I’ll be needing to solve here in the mansion. But for now, I head back inside, go back to the bedroom, and grab the pillow from the bed. It looks like it has LeChuck’s spit on it, but it’s only Miracle Grow Hair Tonic. Eww.<br /><br />While Sam is on the bed, we seem to be the right height to look at the books above the doorway. Particularly, the one pixel-hunt of a book that’s slightly larger than the rest. “It looks like an Official Macrohard Maintenance Droid™ Manual. If I had the slightest inclination to strain myself, I could probably reach it. However, I’m sure I can drag this out into a longer yet more satisfying experience.”<br /><br />Of course, I try to reach it, and Sam tells me, “I don’t want to strain myself.” I suspect a recycled puzzle. You remember that golf ball picker I used for the mood ring? After I used it, it separated into a picker with a hand attached, and the magnet separated. So, let’s see if Jesse James can give us a hand with this.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZiAtFGD0JNszd5yUoisykfx3V4Ca0DRhygwul1OLB2qd071WzhoXqmZum5dNXLvzetZtAjwqcAMWuFij0dSQR-19v5pyjqXpIAWYHm42qsTwDfjhdN9UuwRA8tLBxk4b9ceEMneJnoFfuoI-9rXlQuR6rvAyGVioVreLrDnHn1mJ6nZGgpj3u7Sgor-s/s1200/15.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1200" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZiAtFGD0JNszd5yUoisykfx3V4Ca0DRhygwul1OLB2qd071WzhoXqmZum5dNXLvzetZtAjwqcAMWuFij0dSQR-19v5pyjqXpIAWYHm42qsTwDfjhdN9UuwRA8tLBxk4b9ceEMneJnoFfuoI-9rXlQuR6rvAyGVioVreLrDnHn1mJ6nZGgpj3u7Sgor-s/w400-h250/15.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Sorry, little buddy.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Well, the hand IS still twitching.<br /><br />Fifteen hours of reading later, Sam seems to understand everything but the Troubleshooting chapter. So, I go out to the main room and track down the droid. When he stops to dust something, I click the book on him. Sam begins showing off to Max. “Now that I’ve read that ponderous manual, I can move the robot around like this...” And the droid goes to the wide area we entered the mansion into. Max is impressed, and he says so.</div><div><blockquote>“I’m impressed.”<br /><br />“That’s nothing. Watch this.”</blockquote><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg37bk7qVKHtpWjkoUm2kI2PjzM8Xz5zeud09SsxFFcpEFrKQyq5GF0o-mRQ2_BBYQzA_UjlDwj9iDDkBtdtDNBMO3GR5hdnN0IP0Zq7z-eKwTdzXBWuivXAvzW4M6XcF3HCh9TG9Shr4Js4kSrkLsAMe3Ek8jeHObjWfYvJrEm5ns5mioEeaCcR2x7RvU/s1600/16.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg37bk7qVKHtpWjkoUm2kI2PjzM8Xz5zeud09SsxFFcpEFrKQyq5GF0o-mRQ2_BBYQzA_UjlDwj9iDDkBtdtDNBMO3GR5hdnN0IP0Zq7z-eKwTdzXBWuivXAvzW4M6XcF3HCh9TG9Shr4Js4kSrkLsAMe3Ek8jeHObjWfYvJrEm5ns5mioEeaCcR2x7RvU/w400-h250/16.jpg" width="400" /></i></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Is there any hope of them not overdoing the </i>Star Wars<i> references in this game?</i></span><br style="text-align: start;" /></td></tr></tbody></table>As Max says, and I agree: “That’s gratuitous.” But Sam shows us something that might be a little more useful. He opens up the front maintenance panel of the droid.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxpr1Am1TE9Kg4jI_Ok41F2UuOXJc_ZqNLOegGVQqwAMDeYrPg9-ACIrQaF7IFqAZRKdUO4hzevLBIj-Crsg-c9si9CkbIwC8slt8X5Vb4D4EQnHxC3bG6IDZ5dlZ5W11oFERn1MBY-ehmqnnR4Uu7jsA5jK1SWgxdamnsvxK9rDqIctR97WpKenAe5vY/s1600/17.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxpr1Am1TE9Kg4jI_Ok41F2UuOXJc_ZqNLOegGVQqwAMDeYrPg9-ACIrQaF7IFqAZRKdUO4hzevLBIj-Crsg-c9si9CkbIwC8slt8X5Vb4D4EQnHxC3bG6IDZ5dlZ5W11oFERn1MBY-ehmqnnR4Uu7jsA5jK1SWgxdamnsvxK9rDqIctR97WpKenAe5vY/w400-h250/17.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Biggest brain of all the characters in the game</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>We now see a layout of the mansion, with wires connected or disconnected to various rooms. They seem to line up with the rooms I’ve observed the droid (sorry, Macrohard Maintenance Droid™) cleaning and the ones he does not clean. So, if I connect the wire to the room all the way on the left, I’m thinking he’ll help me get past the security laser beam in the show room. Maybe he has credentials for entering the room (perhaps the security system realizes that “This is not the Droid™ you are looking for.”)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGec4KbySaK_CSgfCBS95-VgmDUYAhEAy8VGYL3JLn7hRyRotG_uAozI4O8XtF0LFn-n5wdX8vRsTluc0EVrhZb2EaXdMUmEWvGiAnYduJ0tfzJ5Xyr7cQc7wPkPbI-EywvPmB98VE0QTMu3O3I3Q9kR52Ade9L3zNs75EBbBpHLNzz6xTyX8fmaTOy9s/s1600/18.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGec4KbySaK_CSgfCBS95-VgmDUYAhEAy8VGYL3JLn7hRyRotG_uAozI4O8XtF0LFn-n5wdX8vRsTluc0EVrhZb2EaXdMUmEWvGiAnYduJ0tfzJ5Xyr7cQc7wPkPbI-EywvPmB98VE0QTMu3O3I3Q9kR52Ade9L3zNs75EBbBpHLNzz6xTyX8fmaTOy9s/w400-h250/18.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>“...technical difficulties.”</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Or, as it turns out, he enters the room, trips the alarm, which sends Lee-Harvey from his restful state in the other room to check out what is going on.<br /><br />Well, I was hoping to get access to Bruno and Trixie, but instead, he tells us to get lost. But since he’s tied up there, that means that the state-of-the-art Virtual Reality security system is unguarded. So, let’s check that out!<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOWlIy5NepvjHN3W1-Zre7-K3cyZQNZpGMul4FGHMDqlLywx4Pe8DNTV_WGasxjGHk04DA9S47lJ34qTKslhkwKbVlS9G5z9pS6CI71StSRrv0J3CUTbvdSe1VHGXx918fySrtgEnrhpFTb-zoCiqUfroNlpAP6ldPJqk2aVkw-mTpO6ESeH6z-eZf7pA/s1600/19.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOWlIy5NepvjHN3W1-Zre7-K3cyZQNZpGMul4FGHMDqlLywx4Pe8DNTV_WGasxjGHk04DA9S47lJ34qTKslhkwKbVlS9G5z9pS6CI71StSRrv0J3CUTbvdSe1VHGXx918fySrtgEnrhpFTb-zoCiqUfroNlpAP6ldPJqk2aVkw-mTpO6ESeH6z-eZf7pA/w400-h250/19.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWGOerzIFBbdskVnIUJCxzPZN15MHjKND43iJlDfX3E3vMDVcE0aNUtdDCUNmkPx39pRL_7pyANpG6DqAID_9EsTiTu4eSlyILzTIMM8D4QBTTU82qtyQ7yCz3Je0tPq2fNTk5cQE05mRCKQKxTN_Hb_V9xn58fiHtD4KlEm1JUD4I_jXWszGZl27Md2Q/s1600/20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWGOerzIFBbdskVnIUJCxzPZN15MHjKND43iJlDfX3E3vMDVcE0aNUtdDCUNmkPx39pRL_7pyANpG6DqAID_9EsTiTu4eSlyILzTIMM8D4QBTTU82qtyQ7yCz3Je0tPq2fNTk5cQE05mRCKQKxTN_Hb_V9xn58fiHtD4KlEm1JUD4I_jXWszGZl27Md2Q/w400-h250/20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpQddhUpyF8hmHPXYfGdse3ZhDqFG0Poxlu6PUSCMRetH1MhgV6ujfPoGe9Fp1dC89cMFElBkNWrFd05cnA-AJxgCM-NXuvWg_epxDTUHMKgv0uQ6VbB26EALbBWN0b3ZoomuGnUkxqYg1VPHBR-5ZPOR3lf2Hs2sG8w0ACj2r5EBf4d40Qm96dh_PNzQ/s1600/21.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpQddhUpyF8hmHPXYfGdse3ZhDqFG0Poxlu6PUSCMRetH1MhgV6ujfPoGe9Fp1dC89cMFElBkNWrFd05cnA-AJxgCM-NXuvWg_epxDTUHMKgv0uQ6VbB26EALbBWN0b3ZoomuGnUkxqYg1VPHBR-5ZPOR3lf2Hs2sG8w0ACj2r5EBf4d40Qm96dh_PNzQ/w400-h250/21.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV3ZaGvv_rFRi233GXEYe7GCP7MebnLqrU8nNvXiMNsP4ZrvZwUcTxwRLTwkCuWsJU5wTCGK2VgWYIi-dczSPXAckM3p7BJNLO_MksHZAdeeS7ffHYGW8JkSrI1gRDICnA_T8KwD5_AOE-LsLLqXWqXQjqNr6Zp5vpNDueApk9ufq3grOKM3pjTRFqJzI/s1600/22.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV3ZaGvv_rFRi233GXEYe7GCP7MebnLqrU8nNvXiMNsP4ZrvZwUcTxwRLTwkCuWsJU5wTCGK2VgWYIi-dczSPXAckM3p7BJNLO_MksHZAdeeS7ffHYGW8JkSrI1gRDICnA_T8KwD5_AOE-LsLLqXWqXQjqNr6Zp5vpNDueApk9ufq3grOKM3pjTRFqJzI/w400-h250/22.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGw-QFdVzCHsjYWFOR0nrbe_sv2LiXAbeXjmBMrmEfrYqRGBBBgoLTgPbF4SO6k0m5lgTeEmVnrjR3uGaS_f-25UoGZxu5gsgTX_1paqXbznflX9ORqPSw21Tpe5rue9Dwot2J-rKTrbIUcCQXCyFNWyXoZtyotLDLN6sGpAfJnxmzxev5HBREl49lABs/s1600/23.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGw-QFdVzCHsjYWFOR0nrbe_sv2LiXAbeXjmBMrmEfrYqRGBBBgoLTgPbF4SO6k0m5lgTeEmVnrjR3uGaS_f-25UoGZxu5gsgTX_1paqXbznflX9ORqPSw21Tpe5rue9Dwot2J-rKTrbIUcCQXCyFNWyXoZtyotLDLN6sGpAfJnxmzxev5HBREl49lABs/w400-h250/23.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMH9Ht5Hpred96YCAFm18S0xxJzRHgc1xGVLOVCBFgWvWoKh3nEK3X2j8j-wDQKf_H5TQVC57lOlijxpTC5Dt89HhkgoV5xMFszIsQuvyksxSIbWAKkgvXvMe3y0xMu2-wBOi21_q7IGvusYIsk6y2vWlKgBUKl-jLt5Wf797mAkIHjqmAPDOyCZbpqCQ/s1600/24.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMH9Ht5Hpred96YCAFm18S0xxJzRHgc1xGVLOVCBFgWvWoKh3nEK3X2j8j-wDQKf_H5TQVC57lOlijxpTC5Dt89HhkgoV5xMFszIsQuvyksxSIbWAKkgvXvMe3y0xMu2-wBOi21_q7IGvusYIsk6y2vWlKgBUKl-jLt5Wf797mAkIHjqmAPDOyCZbpqCQ/w400-h250/24.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Well, by state-of-the-art, it’s a toss-up if we compare it to the graphics of <a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2018/08/alone-in-dark-man-in-mirror.html">1992’s <i>Alone in the Dark</i></a>, but at least for me, the security system was more fun to play. I pull a sword from a stone, Merlin-style, and fight a dragon until I plunge the weapon into its cold heart. Out comes a golden key.<br /><br />Gee, I wonder if that might be useful in the keyhole in the concert room. <br /><br />Surprisingly, Sam recites a line from... <i>Ghostbusters</i>? I’m impressed, but then I remember that some of the special effects people on that movie came from Industrial Light and Magic, so I’m sure it was an office favorite. (That, and it is a really great film.)<br /><blockquote>“<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8b0nctyXiY">I am the Key Master.</a>”<br /><br />“Does that come with a dental plan?”</blockquote>Enter Lee-Harvey, who tells us to scram again. So, I’m guessing the other room is open again. We use the key on the alarm box, and the laser beam goes away, as do the electric shocks holding Bruno and Trixie in place. The captives are all smiles, but when we try to whisk them away back to the circus, they refuse. Bruno tells us he’s late for the bigfoot party at Evelyn Morrison’s Savage Jungle Inn, in picturesque Half Life, Nevada.<br /><br />Wait, Half Life, could that be a subtle reference to all the nuclear testing done out in the desert? Or am I just overthinking things?<br /><br />The party is for bigfoots and their dates only. And away they go. And we follow, because there doesn’t seem to be anything left to do here, until I figure out how to get that toupee.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiN821TLMTrK_VCoDjMq9t6gwtuFh_kBmdSeoA50iFKO9Kw0IGGA6VsGBRpMhypDTRK8Ksd16c1R0WiKJruy911z3oqg1oqRERTI_QVVzroXIYILknuxR1vfvIIj0oHx41e5hp63Zfm__B3pTeGlfneSLF-P0p6KLDpx-fjBwINASVwa1Kxomi5TWcbN8/s1600/25.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiN821TLMTrK_VCoDjMq9t6gwtuFh_kBmdSeoA50iFKO9Kw0IGGA6VsGBRpMhypDTRK8Ksd16c1R0WiKJruy911z3oqg1oqRERTI_QVVzroXIYILknuxR1vfvIIj0oHx41e5hp63Zfm__B3pTeGlfneSLF-P0p6KLDpx-fjBwINASVwa1Kxomi5TWcbN8/w400-h250/25.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"> <i>A theme </i></span><i><a href="https://www.dictionary.com/compare-words/motel-vs-hotel" style="text-align: start;">motel</a><span style="text-align: start;">. Back when you could afford to stay in one for less than a week’s salary.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Wow, those cars look so 1980s in the parking lot. And below the sign? “It’s a miniature mighty volcano lending authenticity to this jungle motif.”<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6IhfOsNUTVRr9iMdB70w0aljBJzLb5do__f4mioxB1NqmIwo0A_5HjhDTKcNnSJF9_5Kc9BIVYK4JhvO4DpGqutJy0hijDjPZi0FjB2IacO6ufufP9onuDcfc5df27p1q4cZA7FLKc-GHFPyHK5ZobCvBRdODLMOoDJd_eqhuGIU7ieSJ7686Bblz8bg/s1600/26.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6IhfOsNUTVRr9iMdB70w0aljBJzLb5do__f4mioxB1NqmIwo0A_5HjhDTKcNnSJF9_5Kc9BIVYK4JhvO4DpGqutJy0hijDjPZi0FjB2IacO6ufufP9onuDcfc5df27p1q4cZA7FLKc-GHFPyHK5ZobCvBRdODLMOoDJd_eqhuGIU7ieSJ7686Bblz8bg/w400-h250/26.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Yes, I am she.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Inside, we find an aged (pronounced “age-ed”) former <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B_movie">B-movie</a> star Evelyn Morrison, who entertained a young puppy Sam many years ago in The Reptile Queen, while Max preferred Robot Terror From Beyond The Galaxy. (Please note the incorrectly capitalized “the” in this title, this game occasionally makes such <a href="https://www.grammarly.com/blog/capitalization-in-the-titles/">grammar mistakes</a> that I suspect not every blog reader will notice, but I didn’t want them attributed to me.)<br /><br />Evelyn talks about herself in the third person, and we learn a lot. For example, the bar at her inn serves over 237 types of rum. She likes the bigfoots, but not Conroy Bumpus, who had to be ejected from the premises a few hours ago, for harassing the guests. Evelyn gives me some pamphlets. I look at them in my inventory, and a couple more places open up to me: the Mount Rushmore Dinosaur Tarpit and Bungee Jumping National Park in North Dakota, and the Celebrity Vegetable Museum in Goatliver, Texas. <br /><br />Guarding the door to the back (probably the bar) is a bigfoot. He makes it clear that we’re not getting in, only sasquatches and their dates are allowed. Next to him is a phone booth with privacy shading.<br /><br />Prediction: I’ll be dressing up as a bigfoot, and possibly <a href="https://commonreader.wustl.edu/why-superman-used-a-phone-booth/">changing outfits in that phone booth</a>. I try to use the booth now, and Max reminds me that we have no one to call. Also: “I’m Pixular. It’s better than Cellular!”<br /><br />But for now, there’s nothing else I can do here, so let’s go back to the Bluesmobile and check out one of these new spots.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicdmfs5o-aC-ATPlOeJTAiIAZgexRs568TndC5crFp2XoOrv5VjZiDVjHy0TpetFjy8jHEyoIpe7cXj-cn-FZeMPXhXTj4dePgOtd1gXSxQykuTgKsDdIBFNzOsKRg3tIBKHge-Zq-RZqlBpu2v6ccu4XE3FuDSAakDozshcTqr3mkS0giFsOjMCxaN-4/s1600/27.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicdmfs5o-aC-ATPlOeJTAiIAZgexRs568TndC5crFp2XoOrv5VjZiDVjHy0TpetFjy8jHEyoIpe7cXj-cn-FZeMPXhXTj4dePgOtd1gXSxQykuTgKsDdIBFNzOsKRg3tIBKHge-Zq-RZqlBpu2v6ccu4XE3FuDSAakDozshcTqr3mkS0giFsOjMCxaN-4/w400-h250/27.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="text-align: start;">Okay, so it’s true, Alfred Hitchcock does always look better from </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-81EBPewPk" style="text-align: start;">the side view</a><span style="text-align: start;">.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNezvCKdr2D8rEp_ztDVbw7F_mDrOWq-ZvcBRwuaqdQ8v8qZFHg9Uyl3A_2a9g-eaRU2uwO5_o44EA9mD6dKGxbOSqdg9g-m3cO7h4vs4xqY84suYNXbXiMUqdl-9tuo1h2IzFyM2UXSTT3qn9GFVoW-0noC-lJNHZkqQ6exoH1ZJP3n_3IEvPQnX8tBg/s1600/28.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNezvCKdr2D8rEp_ztDVbw7F_mDrOWq-ZvcBRwuaqdQ8v8qZFHg9Uyl3A_2a9g-eaRU2uwO5_o44EA9mD6dKGxbOSqdg9g-m3cO7h4vs4xqY84suYNXbXiMUqdl-9tuo1h2IzFyM2UXSTT3qn9GFVoW-0noC-lJNHZkqQ6exoH1ZJP3n_3IEvPQnX8tBg/w400-h250/28.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>I’d make some corny jokes about the ambiance, but I’d be out of my gourd. The crowd would squash me.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>At the Celebrity Vegetable Museum, the little old lady who runs the show specializes in growing vegetables in the shapes of famous people. There’s something shaped like Harrison Ford (they don’t specify), Corn-henge, and even what appears to be the JFK assassination composed of various plants. (”See the carrot leaning out of the book depository?” “Never mind that. What about the string beans behind the fence on the grassy knoll?”) <br /><br />We talk to her at her booth, labeled “Your Likeness from Picture”. So, give her a photo, she grows a veggie in that shape, somewhat expediently using a growth hormone, I think. Well, here’s to solving a future puzzle that I didn’t even know existed: I happen to be carrying a photo of someone right now. She recognizes famed naturalist John Muir. “That looks like a zucchini squash to me, I can do this, but it’ll take a short while.”<br /><br />So, I use the lesson I learned from <a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2013/02/game-29-leisure-suit-larry-iii_24.html">visiting the lawyer in <i>Leisure Suit Larry 3</i></a>, and simply leave to the map screen and return. Voila, I now possess a <a href="https://www.verywellfit.com/summer-squash-and-zucchini-nutrition-facts-4114725#:~:text=Calories-,One%20cup%20raw%2C%20chopped%20zucchini%20(124g)%20provides%2021%20calories,calorie%2C%20high%2Dvolume%20food.">flavorful, low-fat meal</a> that’s too pretty to eat.<br /><br />And then, another instance of the game assuming we know something already. I hadn’t explored all the displays to the right of her stand, so when Sam asked about the Conroy Bumpus shaped eggplants, it was news to me. But I suspect this will come in handy. I have an idea to try in the next post.<br /><br />Talking to her was also an opportunity to get in a classic John Lennon joke. In finding out what the current trends in the industry were, she mentioned miniaturization. “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtmNXMt9zyk">Give peas a chance</a>.”<br /><br />It seems we have exhausted this location, so let’s go on to the other brochure spot: the Dinosaur Tarpits.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERTcduZYPTwZrCaPIYtYvQsHuKmSoEPYv_kPTOZvU6ZqJB7aFOjT07-pq-iYbd6vko6Q9Hh6YDFJu-fhW5XuYpztC6FrsCrAyQ_Ji0b4EX_DyI6iuCNBwcL7ncRevrSQfdrNzvEJejX4yIcKxwxBOjq6FBrarE8Eo6nP5spp6jtp62KIqYZGdL5iej4U/s1600/29.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERTcduZYPTwZrCaPIYtYvQsHuKmSoEPYv_kPTOZvU6ZqJB7aFOjT07-pq-iYbd6vko6Q9Hh6YDFJu-fhW5XuYpztC6FrsCrAyQ_Ji0b4EX_DyI6iuCNBwcL7ncRevrSQfdrNzvEJejX4yIcKxwxBOjq6FBrarE8Eo6nP5spp6jtp62KIqYZGdL5iej4U/w400-h250/29.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>That’s snot something coming out of George’s nose</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Well, this one is a different reference than the others in the game so far. It’s a real place being used as the background for spoofs of others. So, as we explore, we first come across some large animatronic dinosaurs.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmkmqz4pogfzDSNGI-2RQcJ1cJ9T5jpPdJTqSy8dueVEQQI1sM92b5So78GuT4opLKcnj216B2reknQJlBwh2-0ri-pCoEJEZ1J8OKjeTCE38ZAWwfahigz8un6yAsAH7U2sw14MSxvEWtCvH9VjQiOZJhPpS6aAKplQkG1h_MXn4RsANVAaMIi_4uyMw/s1600/30.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmkmqz4pogfzDSNGI-2RQcJ1cJ9T5jpPdJTqSy8dueVEQQI1sM92b5So78GuT4opLKcnj216B2reknQJlBwh2-0ri-pCoEJEZ1J8OKjeTCE38ZAWwfahigz8un6yAsAH7U2sw14MSxvEWtCvH9VjQiOZJhPpS6aAKplQkG1h_MXn4RsANVAaMIi_4uyMw/w400-h250/30.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>“Some people make fun of me because I’ve got a brain the size of a walnut, but they usually stop making fun of me after I eat them! ROAAAAAAAAR!”</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Press the button down below, and this guy talks to you. “During the late Jurassic Period, I was King of the Dinosaurs. As you can see, my tiny forearms are quite useless, but I more than make up for it with my powerful tail, my muscular legs, and my savage, razor sharp teeth. ROAAAAAAAAR!”<br /><br />I suspect I’m going to need to crush something inside that jaw at some point. He moves his mouth a lot, with those razor teeth. I tried juicing my John Muir and Conroy Bumpus vegetables, but to no avail.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFOuTJ3kq8yPFNadbMEBwJuYMHGu0KoHpSvpy2vZcptWtMwkoF2oiwwaIBJnmqAdXikmzzBcUshIWh3Xp-IJtgqR6hzf9XEyDeHPEPeRPbRwrOue96Vb2iKCTfTMpsEkv7j04AYQnk98KXkhIsyXGUrXxIFdSmiFNcez-sHzcy0uUIILoePPI_WEs08Us/s1600/31.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFOuTJ3kq8yPFNadbMEBwJuYMHGu0KoHpSvpy2vZcptWtMwkoF2oiwwaIBJnmqAdXikmzzBcUshIWh3Xp-IJtgqR6hzf9XEyDeHPEPeRPbRwrOue96Vb2iKCTfTMpsEkv7j04AYQnk98KXkhIsyXGUrXxIFdSmiFNcez-sHzcy0uUIILoePPI_WEs08Us/w400-h250/31.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="text-align: start;">Is this </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYPxNCRjfrE" style="text-align: start;">Mr. Snuffleupagus</a><span style="text-align: start;">?</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>The next one isn’t as talkative. Wally, the Wooly Mammoth, who was the king of the mammals back in the Ice Age. But looking at him, Sam notices something. “I’ve seen hair like this somewhere before.” “Your butt?” “No, this hair has the same coarseness as Sasquatch hair.”<br /><br />I know what this means. I’ll be needing it for my future costume. But even if I hadn’t figured it out yet, the next line would have given it away. “You don’t suppose they skinned sasquatches to make this cheesy roadside attraction?”<br /><br />I use Max on the hair, and he uses his mighty incisors to shave a leg for me. We now have a pile of faux-sasquatch fur. And again, in case I didn’t get the hint: “I can’t get over how much this mammoth hair resembles sasquatch hair.”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY4d2tsdFvYZWUdPoCxOg77CgXwi6uPuAmn61Hos_-gM649K8ZDWIs_MGnKLRSYvbNI6ZcKMnKO3A63rRv-4dhpDTsHnov-p_0uurpbcuee9tanzs9nZL8wThDx9KWmyVFLUFM6zcPrX0bt9_I77ofxq8eR84ZC-wT7kND8-KIPZxekT4oUa4hOCncGNY/s1600/32.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY4d2tsdFvYZWUdPoCxOg77CgXwi6uPuAmn61Hos_-gM649K8ZDWIs_MGnKLRSYvbNI6ZcKMnKO3A63rRv-4dhpDTsHnov-p_0uurpbcuee9tanzs9nZL8wThDx9KWmyVFLUFM6zcPrX0bt9_I77ofxq8eR84ZC-wT7kND8-KIPZxekT4oUa4hOCncGNY/w400-h250/32.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Before we explore the rest of this attraction, I want to point out a nice visual touch I just noticed in my screenshots. After shaving the wool, in the far-away view (another screen), the image of the creature was also changed to reflect the haircut. While they sometimes fail in scripting, this game usually has it spot-on in artistic details.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeC2-0EqhsmJev4OAX5OmUug38mtmNWOPJsVNksqQbBCQUhPWkgDSdx8DzsbqWHhP87pXtO7nwwOHMxrchyphenhyphenifLpkttynZItANffrPKf3Bf2mnZLLNhDIpi6FuNijskDMcOtYU1XKGdhkB89wnseW3bV8CWcyYxewS7znVY40X2PB37k72GyHIYkzbKNZM/s1600/33.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeC2-0EqhsmJev4OAX5OmUug38mtmNWOPJsVNksqQbBCQUhPWkgDSdx8DzsbqWHhP87pXtO7nwwOHMxrchyphenhyphenifLpkttynZItANffrPKf3Bf2mnZLLNhDIpi6FuNijskDMcOtYU1XKGdhkB89wnseW3bV8CWcyYxewS7znVY40X2PB37k72GyHIYkzbKNZM/w400-h250/33.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="text-align: start;">The average person </span><a href="https://www.thefactsite.com/how-much-time-people-spend-doing-stuff/" style="text-align: start;">wastes five years of their lives</a><span style="text-align: start;"> waiting in line.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Breaking the fourth wall:<br /><blockquote>“This line’s not moving very quickly.”<br /><br />“The same thing could be said about the plot.”<br /><br />“That’s not funny, Max.”</blockquote>Here we are at the tarpit slide, complete with animals coated in oil. <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/1980s/exxon-valdez-oil-spill">I strongly suspect the game developers would have set this attraction in Alaska if they could have</a>. There’s a line of kids waiting to get in, but I don’t think we’ll be getting in that soon. We talk to the kid at the rear of the line, and he is an adorable snot-nosed little punk that makes me want to hit him seconds after meeting him. But to be fair, that’s the normal state of being for most eleven year-old boys. “Oooh, can I pummel him now, Sam?” “No, Max. Puberty will be punishment enough for this one.”<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZVMTAYX35veOVKJ-vLOI8pHAkxw98hDF3E3ckkH28h81pXm8dokw7twUqtF58g0tTZAfAdaiUYxsixG0Bjno10-kjJHoviBlKG5EHVMpXHjn5tZEBvPIa2z75sJir9YGxluqbF2akOrKbqDzr491iGPzFJ7ZKWeESuctKJIgjHyOQ5sO9KfZiZn-mHMA/s1600/34.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZVMTAYX35veOVKJ-vLOI8pHAkxw98hDF3E3ckkH28h81pXm8dokw7twUqtF58g0tTZAfAdaiUYxsixG0Bjno10-kjJHoviBlKG5EHVMpXHjn5tZEBvPIa2z75sJir9YGxluqbF2akOrKbqDzr491iGPzFJ7ZKWeESuctKJIgjHyOQ5sO9KfZiZn-mHMA/w400-h250/34.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="text-align: start;">The animals want their hair to have that slicked-back 1950s style.</span><br style="text-align: start;" /></i></td></tr></tbody></table>To the right of the slide is an elevator up to the bungee jumping, and a sign stating “You must be this tall” with a dino holding a hand at a height. Max’s ears appear to meet the threshold, but the game misses the opportunity to say something about that.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_3qChDP5xhdUYqTCqQ6E7Pw03_zGnyniPk85SaUMJSU6IJ1MhDw9ohx3jxYi4CduWMMyIT8SSLFEhmFKGKXZLP62qrlP9Rfcn8cN1DE4U3faRJXAtXsOS5aGtfw2tyQpOPAQbORasPkNB4XWTAwpsyaz8VX0lxZy6pPbdpfUhV6dj91m04lyVtxME5Vk/s1600/35.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_3qChDP5xhdUYqTCqQ6E7Pw03_zGnyniPk85SaUMJSU6IJ1MhDw9ohx3jxYi4CduWMMyIT8SSLFEhmFKGKXZLP62qrlP9Rfcn8cN1DE4U3faRJXAtXsOS5aGtfw2tyQpOPAQbORasPkNB4XWTAwpsyaz8VX0lxZy6pPbdpfUhV6dj91m04lyVtxME5Vk/w400-h250/35.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>I managed to catch an animation of her lips in this shot</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Up the elevator, we meet someone who sounds loosely like a female Arnold Schwarzenegger who would like nothing better than to get into Sam’s pants. She makes a kissy face and winks at us all through her conversations, where we ask about the jump to the vat below. She tells us there’s a harness behind the changing screen, so Sam suits up and makes a long conversation, trying to stall the jump. “I’m just waiting for my buddy to come here and check out this spectacular view.” I USE the bungee rope, and Sam hooks it to the harness, grabs Max, and jumps.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioOFpsnuTX6pbXgDXdhPDBiFuHAgLm6KfBiCTzcIUgGiisdzQXOc-85ce3m3G5g-mV2dJl23wBveI1lQPeWyEm1EaJZWYlf-IQPN8p6ryYug0spHcxLD1JqUc0I-HH_QxMPsrxmwBrv1FewpvMA1npN_z6qBhyRDVvBn3y0oUveUzYuEWBkGFf7-rds48/s1600/36.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioOFpsnuTX6pbXgDXdhPDBiFuHAgLm6KfBiCTzcIUgGiisdzQXOc-85ce3m3G5g-mV2dJl23wBveI1lQPeWyEm1EaJZWYlf-IQPN8p6ryYug0spHcxLD1JqUc0I-HH_QxMPsrxmwBrv1FewpvMA1npN_z6qBhyRDVvBn3y0oUveUzYuEWBkGFf7-rds48/w400-h250/36.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>How’s it hangin’ Max?</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>And this is where I will end this post... on a cliffhanger. Will Sam and Max save the bigfoots? Will we get to squash Conroy Bumpus? You’ll have to tune in again at the start of the next episode. <a href="https://www.portablepress.com/blog/2013/12/famous-tv-sign-offs/">Good night, and good luck.</a><br /><br /><b>Session Time: </b>1 hour<br /><b>Total Time:</b> 5 hour 45 minutes<br /><br /><b>Inventory</b>: Lots of money, World of Fish magnet, bucket of golf balls, black light flashlight, carnival pass, Sam & Max™ Car Bomb, Sam & Max Coloring Book, Sam & Max Dress-Up game, stilt walker’s outfit, Gator Golf score card, Jesse James’ severed hand attached to a golf ball retriever, bent left-handed metric wrench, snowglobe, 91 yards of twine, supersized Snuckey’s cup, rasp with key attached, Conroy Bumpus eggplant, John Muir zucchini, brochures from Evelyn, pillow with hair tonic, pile of faux-bigfoot fur, droid maintenance manual<div><br /><b>Note Regarding Spoilers and Companion Assist Points: </b>There’s a set of rules regarding spoilers and companion assist points. Please read it <a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/p/rookie-companion.html">here</a> 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!</div></div>Ilmari Jauhiainenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01655841880034965950noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-22809457755258067552024-01-27T00:00:00.157+11:002024-01-27T00:00:00.142+11:00Sam & Max Hit the Road — The Sun is Settin' like Molasses in the SkyWritten by Michael<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQCf_pECMQYKNsLq7hHuT5szcwt81pRa3YJfksiETfhbTvhmq1Kg0nXDrN2rWQJzkhIWboNGIn3lrZcmbLLraTiZ05oAmzPna6Fe-Y31_huDPQLrQ-TkSe13BUOWiQTVDPCw0BFcATBPzeoovQlypLCo485Z83Ax9IdUFEZaQmbcIUFzdDuGHjQWYyhv4/s1600/01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQCf_pECMQYKNsLq7hHuT5szcwt81pRa3YJfksiETfhbTvhmq1Kg0nXDrN2rWQJzkhIWboNGIn3lrZcmbLLraTiZ05oAmzPna6Fe-Y31_huDPQLrQ-TkSe13BUOWiQTVDPCw0BFcATBPzeoovQlypLCo485Z83Ax9IdUFEZaQmbcIUFzdDuGHjQWYyhv4/w400-h250/01.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://genius.com/The-bangles-hazy-shade-of-winter-lyrics" style="text-align: start;"><i>And the sky is a hazy shade of winter</i></a></td></tr></tbody></table>When we last visited the carnivorous crimestopper and his bouncy buddy, Sam had just rescued Max from the hold of a dunk tank, and found a souvenir from another roadside attraction that might get us closer to solving the case.<br /><br />For those just tuning in, we’re on the hunt of a missing bigfoot from the carnival. So far, it looks like an admirer helped rescue Bruno from his 9-to-5, and as we <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hD5eqBDPMDg">comb the country</a> looking for him, it seems that other bigfoots have also been liberated as well. This is annoying our semi-nemesis, a county/western singer named Conroy Bumpus who has failed to treat us with the respect a suit-wearing puppy dog deserves. It seems he wants to purchase/hire/obtain these bigfoots for his own purposes. I can only suspect a <a href="https://youtu.be/2NzA4XLjRaM?si=gZosDOKpS2x7UMC-&t=13">music video featuring lots of large, obnoxious creatures</a>, but I’m probably wrong about that.<span><a name='more'></a></span>That souvenir we found was an empty snowglobe from the Mystery Vortex in Gullwump, Washington. (Quick geography lesson for the non-US folks: Washington, the state, is different from Washington D.C., often referred to as Washington, where obnoxious politicians go to spend our tax dollars. Washington, the state, is perhaps best known for Starbucks, which is ironically not <a href="https://www.seattlesbest.com/">Seattle’s Best Coffee</a>.)<br /><br />For anyone noticing, I refuse to use the game’s gross misspelling of “sno globe”, and will be shocked if there is a puzzle implication as a result.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD333sTjbu5gsTnsmzeDrAPlHwDF2Sp385rv0kTK3WhcWLAoXrX8THVtE0bLdi0gafOwfzvD4TA0AHQdufFJzkbe2uADyV5fTgwAWkv9LisF6RRx5WgeAFLtIsH0zfRi5ds4OQS228acCiI2l2UJshTTthiExbQmAwxQZJ8enIT9Bqo7dOjPfeHsPlDY4/s1600/02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD333sTjbu5gsTnsmzeDrAPlHwDF2Sp385rv0kTK3WhcWLAoXrX8THVtE0bLdi0gafOwfzvD4TA0AHQdufFJzkbe2uADyV5fTgwAWkv9LisF6RRx5WgeAFLtIsH0zfRi5ds4OQS228acCiI2l2UJshTTthiExbQmAwxQZJ8enIT9Bqo7dOjPfeHsPlDY4/w400-h250/02.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tRFL4q5m7c" style="text-align: start;">The Jitterbug is a real dance</a><span style="text-align: start;">. It can be taught by dumping Max’s ant farm down your pants.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Max thinks they’re being controlled by a bunch of really big magnets under the Earth’s crust, which is probably also making the metal plate in his head go ping. Sam thinks Max is an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klvjHXcuhF4">ignorant dolt</a>, but I’m not so sure.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCpLmckb9KkmgMnEkmR60S0eA9-emjdxBYWXRoFc_q4mWxYFlR0Ox7DAP44H6ten4lYD8q1aNxgNftSSAb2fo7RSPG4k6njfl09rvJJk1MP9H1r3fYJTDV8t4bxLIf98zTeBQ9RRO3rGDs4VHCefynSKFeEoqeE3no5gge0hRfcJUuklGw5DaX59Y78wM/s1600/03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCpLmckb9KkmgMnEkmR60S0eA9-emjdxBYWXRoFc_q4mWxYFlR0Ox7DAP44H6ten4lYD8q1aNxgNftSSAb2fo7RSPG4k6njfl09rvJJk1MP9H1r3fYJTDV8t4bxLIf98zTeBQ9RRO3rGDs4VHCefynSKFeEoqeE3no5gge0hRfcJUuklGw5DaX59Y78wM/w400-h250/03.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqdxkLwwpw7avjIltRk_LqI11JJSAUIxoTDa4cMx6K8kNLSplPCp0na6QS4dwThOjZQPLFvqtpG2lXJjVjGyKSZMoe2oVeZ04FskGG8Ltb4Qmr8hNAAXPHHXxtnKtBPA1jkv661IcSOpHhV5xBj1_5Ypf648agxWMh91GaJfanlmPdlHDep5oexQOZPk0/s1600/04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqdxkLwwpw7avjIltRk_LqI11JJSAUIxoTDa4cMx6K8kNLSplPCp0na6QS4dwThOjZQPLFvqtpG2lXJjVjGyKSZMoe2oVeZ04FskGG8Ltb4Qmr8hNAAXPHHXxtnKtBPA1jkv661IcSOpHhV5xBj1_5Ypf648agxWMh91GaJfanlmPdlHDep5oexQOZPk0/w400-h250/04.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Inside the cave entrance, we find a scene that would be best suited to a carnival funhouse. Doors of various sizes, and as we walk through the room, we also change sizes. Pretty much opposite to whatever doors we walk near, of course. Isn’t that always the way?<br /><br />I quickly look for something on an end table labeled “EAT ME” or a caterpillar smoking a hookah, but we haven’t gotten to the 1970s portion of this blog post yet. (SPOILER: we will soon meet a groovy friend.) There’s a player piano, but it isn’t useful to us now. (I play it, and Max admonishes me: “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozfkzgVjIlk">Don’t play it again, Sam.</a>”)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2dR9zCMNfN5gIqNQtMAJZKOjRphj8GDYsPPROrzCN7irpgy3dqOL9qq5l7ux1TSRuejm_ZjwhUG9-s0wylH1SgPqbzX2jI471jhxrDvWN1NU-1jMJVCnzDQl2HZn_tw27dtJ47dpOEf3aiiZA6GKLRT9DmR2yXYitC7oXkpNPqw4bA-V17E9uwy90VWw/s1600/05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2dR9zCMNfN5gIqNQtMAJZKOjRphj8GDYsPPROrzCN7irpgy3dqOL9qq5l7ux1TSRuejm_ZjwhUG9-s0wylH1SgPqbzX2jI471jhxrDvWN1NU-1jMJVCnzDQl2HZn_tw27dtJ47dpOEf3aiiZA6GKLRT9DmR2yXYitC7oXkpNPqw4bA-V17E9uwy90VWw/w400-h250/05.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Through the looking glass, and what Sam found there</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Thinking about what Max said outside about magnets, I try using the fish magnet on the doors and other objects, but it has no effect. Looking at the mirror, Sam sees himself in 3D, and the mirror reacts to him. But I continue across the room, failing to open every door. So, I continue to the next room.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEm3utnTDcLNT7Q5OFQpBglXbpb-K0ETg7aWLdsWEEzT75NTdZZ3DpEKPs42w5WLeGeo6IBUef0NR-iLJdIDrMuoTg8c2ta3jSyGP7kGNlJabSyRpiv9F0IQq2jAixlITR__cS9YIwfVP2UKlKdMHfWenM6aN5GSyANxvrO3d_s0C_Q2pT2fgNultFAlQ/s1200/06.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1200" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEm3utnTDcLNT7Q5OFQpBglXbpb-K0ETg7aWLdsWEEzT75NTdZZ3DpEKPs42w5WLeGeo6IBUef0NR-iLJdIDrMuoTg8c2ta3jSyGP7kGNlJabSyRpiv9F0IQq2jAixlITR__cS9YIwfVP2UKlKdMHfWenM6aN5GSyANxvrO3d_s0C_Q2pT2fgNultFAlQ/w400-h250/06.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Bumpus, we’re about to throw down!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Here’s the museum gift shop, a mini-vortex, and a strangely-familiar block of half-melted ice, with a sign above it that reads “Big Foot”. Oh, and um, something else.<br /><br />We’re upside down.<br /><br />Somehow, Sam’s tie isn’t falling into his face, but I suppose that, just this once, we can suspend disbelief in this otherwise completely plausible game about anthropomorphic housepets searching for Sasquash. Oh, and look, a poster about the missing attraction, who is named Bert. The quest started by looking for Bruno. We never learned the name of the golf course’s bigfoot, but I suspect the letter B will be involved.<br /><br />Oh, and look, a clue! Another pile of bigfoot fur. I do hope Sam isn’t allergic. I’m allergic to certain breeds of dog, and I’m afraid I probably would have needed to give up on the case long ago for health reasons.<br /><br />So, on to the museum clerk.<br /><blockquote>“?Stoofgib tuoba wonk ouy od tahw?”<br /><br />“I’m upside-down, cutie, not dyslexic”</blockquote>Turns out that she left for a while yesterday to get her spine recompressed, and when she came back, her bigfoot was gone. And, of course, Conroy Bumpus was around, also trying to get his hand on him as well, but “then he got sick and had to leave.”<br /><br />We showed her our snowglobe, asking if they sell any more of them. After all, one of them with a stopper in the bottom, still being all snowy would be nice, but they don’t anymore. They were wreaking havoc on the vortex, each one they built made the vortex weaker and weaker. So, to save their financial hides, they stopped making them. So, they also don’t have any stoppers.<br /><br />Darn.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjemEbm7qsqYVI8yN464DNQaOseAtGjgapD8RimSDJmZE_45yGIzfS2n16mVC2fe48VrJ2aPdoUn-bQQK5gTmg-Ofol_ZQuSeonYDO_7H5kkJmF_dEz_rNYEKswT2gaq7xvI_XoGSjBRgzA4Yx1W5h4DTfHxnvhrL9RSMdPdCCs_EulNEfsvcG1rP_yf8M/s1600/07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjemEbm7qsqYVI8yN464DNQaOseAtGjgapD8RimSDJmZE_45yGIzfS2n16mVC2fe48VrJ2aPdoUn-bQQK5gTmg-Ofol_ZQuSeonYDO_7H5kkJmF_dEz_rNYEKswT2gaq7xvI_XoGSjBRgzA4Yx1W5h4DTfHxnvhrL9RSMdPdCCs_EulNEfsvcG1rP_yf8M/w400-h250/07.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXTx_nEThPA" style="text-align: start;">It’s a twister, Auntie Em</a><span style="text-align: start;">!</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>But, we can go into the vortex, and it basically looks like a blue tornado has engulfed the two of us. But there’s a telling hint: just after the animation starts, my mouse cursor icon becomes visible while I’m inside. So, I wonder what happens if I try to refill my snowglobe?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyXcJbz5D_AaM01si26qdCoZMICbIMmlvR6wPYh1HdWxEuWPx03Tkh-eL0iustwUwZkt9bcT7G5BV9x51_VZrzsRdp9qEVIhez1s7ezbcQhqIs5qZqwB4xp9nV_pX3kuqDXFBSTiHCZl4FzgwNnN-lQrrUVLclH6oIOtjjrfa98xJajf3_gWJ95GgDnqg/s1600/08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyXcJbz5D_AaM01si26qdCoZMICbIMmlvR6wPYh1HdWxEuWPx03Tkh-eL0iustwUwZkt9bcT7G5BV9x51_VZrzsRdp9qEVIhez1s7ezbcQhqIs5qZqwB4xp9nV_pX3kuqDXFBSTiHCZl4FzgwNnN-lQrrUVLclH6oIOtjjrfa98xJajf3_gWJ95GgDnqg/w400-h250/08.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The globe sucks up some of the vortex, but checking it out in my inventory afterwards, it appears that yes, we will be needing a stopper of some sort.<br /><br />So, at this point, I was stuck. I couldn’t see how to progress any further at this place, and I was pretty sure that I had exhausted all the other places so far. So, after taking a day off, I came back and started revisiting locations to see what I had missed.<br /><br />First, I went back to our office. We haven’t been there in a while, and I really should check the messages on the machine.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaH6_1Q4bN_N11HrwJ29eu6uCvTl2sHi_YUTjGNwQmKJjFfRidl8UgaH6ia3Th32OuM_jmp11iZgzI7cBIX7_V1RNpzQjzT0fYRgu2aGT4M_h52h4azfbAjSzZytn_z-6-nHkXHQVZzG_CrfOuFRawNB77ciW5Bqal6xns2CcegqDFGM5T9oebRioW0B4/s1600/09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaH6_1Q4bN_N11HrwJ29eu6uCvTl2sHi_YUTjGNwQmKJjFfRidl8UgaH6ia3Th32OuM_jmp11iZgzI7cBIX7_V1RNpzQjzT0fYRgu2aGT4M_h52h4azfbAjSzZytn_z-6-nHkXHQVZzG_CrfOuFRawNB77ciW5Bqal6xns2CcegqDFGM5T9oebRioW0B4/w400-h250/09.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>This is why the modern generation never checks their voicemail</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Looking around, I found nothing new to interact with, or to take. Nothing changed outside either. (The golf ball picker has no effect on the ant farm, and I’m still not sure why I tried that.)<br /><br />Nothing new at Snuckey’s, but something old, I suppose. Max still pesters me to use the bathroom whenever we visit, and I notice that as he leaves to go out back, I get control of the mouse back right away. Perhaps it’s because of the Vortex, but that got me thinking. <br /><br />While he’s in the facilities, I go outside, thinking I could maybe follow him, but as soon as I step out of the door, the toilet flushes and he emerges. But, seeing me, he pauses before going back inside, which gives me an opportunity to click the TALK icon on him. We B.S. for a while, and then get to the topic of the restroom key attached to a giant file (for which they use the more formal but less-common term “rasp”).<br /><blockquote>“I think we should keep the rasp.”<br /><br />“You’re probably right. No one deserves to use restrooms that clean.”</blockquote>I mean, after all, they are the cleanest in 9 counties.<br /><br />I don’t think a rasp will help me capture a vortex, but perhaps will be useful if I find an enslaved bigfoot or need to help my friend Otto escape from prison. So, I keep revisiting locations.<br /><br />At the carnival, next to the Wak-a-Rat, is a giant magnifying lens. What I didn’t notice earlier is that I could take it. Not nailed down? Got it. (Sadly, I don’t still have the key to Trixie’s trailer. That would help with nails.)<br /><br />I keep making my rounds with no luck, so I go back to the Vortex to see what I missed there. And, it’s something I should have tried first off.<br /><br />Remember that mirror I looked at? I should have USEd it. That caused me to walk through it, underground...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2IeHU_r6WID2e9lHsU3YSDy5Y_WxkHkc_VFA8oJMV2iiip0a4bshKg1tVbyJdUTFriWBQ2ZD4pVm0voLyoFFwQE5dsMR65rIgSLqBqybheo791NH9L4PBRs4yssHB_gZxzDQXG3zX6WT1dp7lB9wY5uosuRbw3HP5_iYERwuf4v63C6xCXAKQQkUiryQ/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2IeHU_r6WID2e9lHsU3YSDy5Y_WxkHkc_VFA8oJMV2iiip0a4bshKg1tVbyJdUTFriWBQ2ZD4pVm0voLyoFFwQE5dsMR65rIgSLqBqybheo791NH9L4PBRs4yssHB_gZxzDQXG3zX6WT1dp7lB9wY5uosuRbw3HP5_iYERwuf4v63C6xCXAKQQkUiryQ/w400-h250/10.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="text-align: start;">Here’s </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xweiQukBM_k" style="text-align: start;">an educational video about how magnets work</a><span style="text-align: start;">.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>...where it seems that Max was right. Magnets.<br /><br />If you mess with the switches, the colored magnets change the lighting down here. And it turns out that it affects the way things work upstairs.<br /><br />First, I change the switches until it releases Nur-Ab-Sal... er, I mean, the lighting turns blue. When I go upstairs, it appears that I can now approach the blue door at an appropriate height. However, off-camera, it’s apparently just a room filled with cheese. Changing the lighting down below to red lets me access the two red doors.<br /><br />The first one I tried was filled with a forest of shoe trees. Personally, I can’t imagine the odor.<br /><br />The second was more fruitful.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqkaG_9L22hQoz6s22QobgjHTshGGvXQt_TW59JMzjgydo2g-1sOjy2EsVJEJpb7twm4AtPdlj0Uuqw6gkKmIobozHu9tQZnuKS4f6AYHg6iJrXUXFaPf4z6Wh_PJkvJgDYg2smYAmki9_pWDaKXnBN806OuFUTZh2muRosPq1SR1gAn_UYllLcmK6jHI/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqkaG_9L22hQoz6s22QobgjHTshGGvXQt_TW59JMzjgydo2g-1sOjy2EsVJEJpb7twm4AtPdlj0Uuqw6gkKmIobozHu9tQZnuKS4f6AYHg6iJrXUXFaPf4z6Wh_PJkvJgDYg2smYAmki9_pWDaKXnBN806OuFUTZh2muRosPq1SR1gAn_UYllLcmK6jHI/w400-h250/11.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Bob Pinciotti getting a workout</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Finally, the elusive Shuv-Oohl. I wonder if I’ll find out why we didn’t get a hint about him at the ball of twine.<br /><br />But first, let’s pause for Max to drink from Shuv’s water bottle.<br /><blockquote>“...well, THIS bottled water is a real letdown.”<br /><br />“We need your help.”<br /><br />“Help is my middle name. Or maybe it’s ‘Starchild.’”</blockquote>Every interaction with him screams “burnt out hippie”.<br /><blockquote>“1,2,3...”</blockquote><blockquote>“<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXspsfoPX50">What are we fightin’ for?</a>”<br /><br />“Just checking.”</blockquote>But asking him about Bruno, that’s the ticket. They go way, way back. He’s always felt a special kinship with the bigfoots, much the same way that Max feels with pointy sticks. And then...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJ6xhN4Vrt6xqmjDYph78dqI59huXDVNxEy64oisBa5No_tqp-q3slnpx4M9sMVzINGicvOEhtnyaV7ggbGc6OrGMAGitiY_Dp6PTx7jk0gKeV5QOg3OJZuzjKjNpcjTVRw5FIgEg2n76njO3SFCQkLTD4h3gDTf6-MJOpRuAXzFrb7zEN0X0YncqyjI/s1200/12.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1200" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJ6xhN4Vrt6xqmjDYph78dqI59huXDVNxEy64oisBa5No_tqp-q3slnpx4M9sMVzINGicvOEhtnyaV7ggbGc6OrGMAGitiY_Dp6PTx7jk0gKeV5QOg3OJZuzjKjNpcjTVRw5FIgEg2n76njO3SFCQkLTD4h3gDTf6-MJOpRuAXzFrb7zEN0X0YncqyjI/w400-h250/12.gif" width="400" /></a></div>...a Star Wars reference in a LucasArts game. That’s something new.<br /><br />But also, it’s our way forward. But for a new location to be opened up to me, why didn’t it show on the map? He told me where to find it, between two other places I also can’t see on the map. A hunting mission. I think this is where that pair of binoculars is going to be useful, if I can fix them.<br /><br />But he first gave us a fetch quest: he lost his mood ring in the twine ball. And from the way it’s said, I’m guessing it would have been possible for me to get to this point without previously having the location unlocked, which in a way impresses me about how many different ways you could explore this game and open up other locations. While this game is far from perfectly designed, it certainly isn’t strictly linear.<br /><br />So... back to the (now 91 yards shorter) ball of twine.<br /><br />I go to the museum again, where I have a close-up view of the ball within reach. It’s inside the ball? What do I have to go in with?<br /><br />I use the broken golf-ball retriever on the ball, but Sam shuts me down. “That might be a good idea, but the golf ball retriever’s still broken.” How can I fix it? I look through my inventory, and a stupid idea comes to mind.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkOpMIfZgULCJEdNPWp0Lp7QqX0xpdnx7sCmffWlfL2l0uMmTbV191qb64Tp8_ONEgfFUh7rcDJqW22JTtukaTD7pRxqQZCJ9a2mRikPIE4Xax5Cqqbe87gYBunQ99U3iC-_ofgNkb2cp_dbagp2v9b9gZYJ4IbFar2wElAWQ9UaBiAsgCsv6VM93Oz64/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkOpMIfZgULCJEdNPWp0Lp7QqX0xpdnx7sCmffWlfL2l0uMmTbV191qb64Tp8_ONEgfFUh7rcDJqW22JTtukaTD7pRxqQZCJ9a2mRikPIE4Xax5Cqqbe87gYBunQ99U3iC-_ofgNkb2cp_dbagp2v9b9gZYJ4IbFar2wElAWQ9UaBiAsgCsv6VM93Oz64/w400-h250/13.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>If you’re happy and you know it, clench your hand.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>I try attaching the still-twitching hand of Jesse James to the retriever, and it almost reaches the ring, but not quite. So, what else could I do?<br /><br />Hmm, I wonder. Is a mood ring magnetic? Probably. Let's add the magnet. And... success!<br /><br />Looking at the ring in my inventory, it simply says, “I must be happy.” And I suppose I am, for solving this puzzle.<br /><br />So we go back to Shuv-Oohl, and he’s Grateful. But thankfully, not Dead. So, I keep on Truckin’. He pushes us some more about finding Frog Rock, and tells us that when we do finally find it, we’ll need to smear the fur from 3 different bigfoots over the rock and then use some mystic mole man powder.<br /><blockquote>“What’ll happen then?”<br /><br />“Something wonderful.”</blockquote>So it seems that the next job is to find Frog Rock. So, off to the binoculars!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMEwuSBsye9dMGL9b8qYBb8wDCvCikPUiGJZxisRuMgY7QghjCSM675zBoqsqeNpl6QHQUr4hqYy5okrZjJN1bgaukNh0R1ZwWoE_3j-4Q2dVPKM1KRcBtm9_mWJOIoA_NPOJiitsGzkfEBXi2NPANahKuUaHNZ1ehvQIvok-sQxEWAVKXEvJlA8wK224/s1600/14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMEwuSBsye9dMGL9b8qYBb8wDCvCikPUiGJZxisRuMgY7QghjCSM675zBoqsqeNpl6QHQUr4hqYy5okrZjJN1bgaukNh0R1ZwWoE_3j-4Q2dVPKM1KRcBtm9_mWJOIoA_NPOJiitsGzkfEBXi2NPANahKuUaHNZ1ehvQIvok-sQxEWAVKXEvJlA8wK224/w400-h250/14.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>It’s electric. Boogie-woogie-oogie.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Again, I’ll cut short the explanation of me overcoming past lapses in brainpower. Those exposed wires? I was again reminded of how similar things were handled in my last game for the blog. If I try to pick them up, they become an inventory item in my hands. I can hotwire the binoculars, and now, apparently, the binoculars control the revolution of the restaurant.<br /><br />Max calls that the most ridiculous thing he’s ever heard, but Sam still has some electric coursing through him from the unlicensed electrical work, so he shocks Max. It was, ahem, a hare-raising experience. <br /><br />I’ll be here all night, folks. Make sure to try the veal.<br /><br />So I use the binoculars, and after a little visual exploration, Sam gives up. “I could be looking right at Frog Rock, but everything’s too tiny.”<br /><br />Well, another item manipulation puzzle. Let’s add the magnifying lens to the binoculars. I do that, and Sam basically hints that I’m on the right track. He tells me to make sure to stop the rotation when I find it.<br /><br />The controls for the binoculars are mentioned in the manual, but basically, it involves clicking left or right around the dial at the bottom of the screen. I eventually get the hang of it, and spin past one of the sights that Uncle Mole Man told me about, <a href="https://asia.bfgoodrich.com/home/our-history">Mount Badrich</a>. And then...<br /><blockquote>“Hmm, it's a rock.... and it’s between the two things Shuv-Oohl said it was between... it must be Frog Rock!”</blockquote><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhZF1A9VhJJ2GcEVYk1r7hivUga04riU2oiwyBP7EeIgbgsxP3Y9stS0P1VUhs-lOZNqUmt2fayNbEkIImew-cVMFqv7S2nYep8B1aOwxRhnmJfCMov-7tm5VorAcDYmxFripWQDF3A2TaUSMGuiebjiJkFglQB1yLvDzG135SPjN6wserTLVqZTSldPM/s500/15.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="256" data-original-width="500" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhZF1A9VhJJ2GcEVYk1r7hivUga04riU2oiwyBP7EeIgbgsxP3Y9stS0P1VUhs-lOZNqUmt2fayNbEkIImew-cVMFqv7S2nYep8B1aOwxRhnmJfCMov-7tm5VorAcDYmxFripWQDF3A2TaUSMGuiebjiJkFglQB1yLvDzG135SPjN6wserTLVqZTSldPM/w400-h205/15.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Down in Froggy Rock! [Baritone: Down in Froggy Rock.]</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>So the new location appears on my map. But I keep looking around in the binoculars, to see if there’s any other tourist traps to visit. Let’s see: the Inexplicable Valley of Lights, the Enchanted Argyle Forest, the Eternal Plane of Acid Rain, the Largest Stump in the World... well, none show on the map, but I’d like to visit one of them sometime. Maybe after I finish this game.<br /><br />But for now... ROAD TRIP!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCYQvzm-eWe1EUEoWbjBmdWRD_9K4vkISKdsdWPVRqWhv_pGlME_MEzjOU2wXn5tC-3oCjZWF6zThbNDpgtn5kq-q6MDDW467nhfK4AfvQT8AwrQHsVqhIgYUxcDuYBnerNLmDlWizlh3_isyys8dmGebmHeSX-757QwNSFI4l44qsg-ebI90XCHmmVlE/s1600/16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCYQvzm-eWe1EUEoWbjBmdWRD_9K4vkISKdsdWPVRqWhv_pGlME_MEzjOU2wXn5tC-3oCjZWF6zThbNDpgtn5kq-q6MDDW467nhfK4AfvQT8AwrQHsVqhIgYUxcDuYBnerNLmDlWizlh3_isyys8dmGebmHeSX-757QwNSFI4l44qsg-ebI90XCHmmVlE/w400-h250/16.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>But at least there’s a sign there to tell me I’m in the right place.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>There’s a rock, and nothing else. So let’s follow the Voodoo Lady’s instructions, and put all the ingredients into the bag. Something of the dead, something of the thread...<br /><br />Wrong game. All we need here is something of the head. Say, the hair of three bigfoots. We smear those on the rock, and then add the mole man powder, and suddenly, the world changes for us.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeU5_ZYu8deYkofvap64xFiXR_9Byv4srPqfToE-IHlml7GudYp60FQljISsX4KGiJZ1vxRqA7UgqzMocjaPVtcOmSEVRFZZzHSxCvaeePZSBmCW5-E3fbCEGSdwEVK0jdbt-kPg-9rqHKIElOTZK3dH0dzLOZwOPRWxUscESdqE-r8pZR_Qkx2IvcbQI/s1600/17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeU5_ZYu8deYkofvap64xFiXR_9Byv4srPqfToE-IHlml7GudYp60FQljISsX4KGiJZ1vxRqA7UgqzMocjaPVtcOmSEVRFZZzHSxCvaeePZSBmCW5-E3fbCEGSdwEVK0jdbt-kPg-9rqHKIElOTZK3dH0dzLOZwOPRWxUscESdqE-r8pZR_Qkx2IvcbQI/w400-h250/17.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdSbvPVfQoCCSTMwZhkmo2hfNz7ZkKX871nmuiQrbIrdTL4II8y4gpzgDSZFmDf61IoiaSbh9ewFgEtzoJPTi8Y4wd8qNhyphenhyphenSFSdw5X_1BQR2BHc2-QOOVT7Qxr9YPDdkOynGxXaUfzar76v7_TE5-r_U9SsoQKtuTqUBDprSMIDgNIc9QzWBlmq2jVtW4/s1600/18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdSbvPVfQoCCSTMwZhkmo2hfNz7ZkKX871nmuiQrbIrdTL4II8y4gpzgDSZFmDf61IoiaSbh9ewFgEtzoJPTi8Y4wd8qNhyphenhyphenSFSdw5X_1BQR2BHc2-QOOVT7Qxr9YPDdkOynGxXaUfzar76v7_TE5-r_U9SsoQKtuTqUBDprSMIDgNIc9QzWBlmq2jVtW4/w400-h250/18.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOE1wu80hDYq5-C6GfS8Nz54FCFARO864K8XCJ0OQTDYqkgA3u2HUxXZEJtZm06DE3B5S31RQEoH3O_-ApQOtgE6s4YbLgeGk0kLbknnW212dwRucsjevOje9DroqEeuTjhhkom4DUq5ma7Fs0CBeHUqLvrUdwPgPQ2EHB8RAOOrc1c1-1QQPfIqRhX30/s1600/19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOE1wu80hDYq5-C6GfS8Nz54FCFARO864K8XCJ0OQTDYqkgA3u2HUxXZEJtZm06DE3B5S31RQEoH3O_-ApQOtgE6s4YbLgeGk0kLbknnW212dwRucsjevOje9DroqEeuTjhhkom4DUq5ma7Fs0CBeHUqLvrUdwPgPQ2EHB8RAOOrc1c1-1QQPfIqRhX30/w400-h250/19.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5nl4u1_r_OGRGFBVgtJBxSSDqKv8I7DYxJzAEfaDNYIATClSFTgmBr3UkohwCKcxs1rL4mJ2W9UGXvvCeebrXif8xKl7Tcw_fMf9TE9dHcSq7R8mr_r0GyhSAxjOMWa1DV1SXnRZcvjoDe8Hu8hL89Ts49jR-A_kRRX-Xj8Mdrumxjv230V9jhwhd4lY/s1600/20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5nl4u1_r_OGRGFBVgtJBxSSDqKv8I7DYxJzAEfaDNYIATClSFTgmBr3UkohwCKcxs1rL4mJ2W9UGXvvCeebrXif8xKl7Tcw_fMf9TE9dHcSq7R8mr_r0GyhSAxjOMWa1DV1SXnRZcvjoDe8Hu8hL89Ts49jR-A_kRRX-Xj8Mdrumxjv230V9jhwhd4lY/w400-h250/20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>And this brings us to our next destination, and a perfect place to stop this session. I’m kind of hungry anyway. <a href="https://www.southernliving.com/food/dish/sandwich/elvis-favorite-sandwich">Max! Make me a sandwich</a>!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguVTXD7A82yB12S2eIgNA9fhuLgegQkPF8YSIblACTbLw65XIqcX1tc2hKa51fgC6UwK7RLfboP-kMjuDRMG5ZSQOG51jRS9diBHexPVEEWONBDGgLt-GPlSBZ67xiEiuTqLVU346VuKO5OWIu13cw1h5QXRmo8sa8Uy_fU1kKXKBmUO9qAMgmGjGN0Bo/s1600/21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguVTXD7A82yB12S2eIgNA9fhuLgegQkPF8YSIblACTbLw65XIqcX1tc2hKa51fgC6UwK7RLfboP-kMjuDRMG5ZSQOG51jRS9diBHexPVEEWONBDGgLt-GPlSBZ67xiEiuTqLVU346VuKO5OWIu13cw1h5QXRmo8sa8Uy_fU1kKXKBmUO9qAMgmGjGN0Bo/w400-h250/21.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://genius.com/Alannah-myles-black-velvet-lyrics" style="text-align: start;"><i>"Love Me Tender" leaves 'em cryin' in the aisle</i></a></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><b>Session Time:</b> 1 hour 15 minutes<br /><b>Total Time</b>: 4 hour 45 minutes<br /><br /><b>Inventory</b>: Lots of money, World of Fish magnet, bucket of golf balls, black light flashlight, carnival pass, Sam & Max™ Car Bomb, Sam & Max Coloring Book, Sam & Max Dress-Up game, stilt walker’s outfit, Gator Golf score card, Jesse James’ severed hand attached to a golf ball retriever, bent left-handed metric wrench, snowglobe, 91 yards of twine, supersized Snuckey’s cup, rasp with key attached<div><br /><b>Note Regarding Spoilers and Companion Assist Points:</b> There’s a set of rules regarding spoilers and companion assist points. Please read it <a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/p/rookie-companion.html">here</a> 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!</div></div>Ilmari Jauhiainenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01655841880034965950noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-13932652300779670012024-01-24T00:00:00.220+11:002024-01-29T04:59:46.058+11:00Homeworld - Far from HomeBy Reiko<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMcQ2FdBTH9H0OwglxMDpCYUoyT15rnExIMbiR39VYR4j-rOo0-8J17Lxh6kvVv6efY0yp51ETnSgYq-5qv0_wuOXCJv-D4qZbSL0tzwjlO6HIZXIBfbjI8HJ10zMUUlskARDSKsU8FVk33CQzI89DvpfAydR7F3lWKIN5qZx-wAvOecvctwXYQ5jPF_w/s1600/01-home_405.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMcQ2FdBTH9H0OwglxMDpCYUoyT15rnExIMbiR39VYR4j-rOo0-8J17Lxh6kvVv6efY0yp51ETnSgYq-5qv0_wuOXCJv-D4qZbSL0tzwjlO6HIZXIBfbjI8HJ10zMUUlskARDSKsU8FVk33CQzI89DvpfAydR7F3lWKIN5qZx-wAvOecvctwXYQ5jPF_w/w400-h300/01-home_405.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>I didn't show this last time, but we are now officially in the final quarter of the game!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Previously, we rode a Heechee escape pod and arrived at the Heechee homeworld, hidden for millennia inside a black hole along with its entire solar system and many other solar systems too. Very cool, but very impractical. The Heechee are alive and well, having been hiding from the Assassins all this time. But our presence is a major problem. We're a prisoner in all but name, assigned a "job" of giving lectures to the Heechee public about humans but not allowed to return to the outside universe and risk revealing where the Heechee are.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSM8ii8cqEvZ2sYIWjhktmZM-DTzOB-RqVaNYxJZDA9PcBoMQAYTQdIjD3cN2RZPhrVb8QapS5EnxUMDuzLcj5jbMhPNksEShMJzgGoaBysrDeioocySSSuq9j0zwex2JHF47M8N8c3Gd9U4KgI3J_Vr2lXjQ3L3_5UC-GbTN6nbzvpPOhaBVfT-ImWL0/s1600/02-home_407.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSM8ii8cqEvZ2sYIWjhktmZM-DTzOB-RqVaNYxJZDA9PcBoMQAYTQdIjD3cN2RZPhrVb8QapS5EnxUMDuzLcj5jbMhPNksEShMJzgGoaBysrDeioocySSSuq9j0zwex2JHF47M8N8c3Gd9U4KgI3J_Vr2lXjQ3L3_5UC-GbTN6nbzvpPOhaBVfT-ImWL0/w400-h300/02-home_407.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Functional but alien architecture.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>We get some sleep in the quarters assigned to us, and now, after what was a very long cutscene, we finally get to move around again. From a gameplay perspective, this is exciting - we get to explore an alien planet! From a character perspective, this is depressing - we are stuck on another alien planet, not allowed to return home while terrorists are trying to destroy our entire race. At least we're being reasonably well-treated here, so we'd better make the best of it while we try to find a way out.<span><a name='more'></a></span><br />In the meantime, there's a communication device with a blinky light. Examining it displays a politely worded non-interactive message:<br /><blockquote>"Welcome to Heechee City. You have been scheduled to present an indefinite number of lectures at the Place of Learning. The first two lectures have been scheduled for 9:00 AM and 8:00 PM today. You can schedule any further lectures simply by showing up at the Place of Learning. The lecture will occur one hour after your arrival.<br /><br />"In order to reach the Place of Learning, use the trams just west of your quarters. Officials there have been instructed to convey you directly to the Campus station. When you arrive, an escort will handle all of the other details and get you to your lecture.<br /><br />"We appreciate the enormous opportunity your presence affords us. Many million inhabitants of the Core are anticipating your talks with much interest."</blockquote>There are so many things I could discuss in reaction to this message, but I'll just start with the timeframe. Not only do we have less than an hour to get to our lecture (obviously the plot wants us to go do at least one lecture before we start pushing the boundaries of where we can explore), but times are described exactly the same as they would be on Earth. There's really no effort put forth to make the Heechee society truly seem alien.<br /><br />Now, I've read a lot of science fiction, so I'm perhaps a bit jaded on this score. I really appreciate good worldbuilding and linguistics for alien cultures. This just feels lazy. It wouldn't be that hard in programming terms to change the timekeeping in the status bar to some other unit to represent the alien method of keeping time, or remove it from the status bar and give the player an item for timekeeping instead.<br /><br />Yes, the main character has technomagically been given the language, so he will automatically understand the units, but that doesn't mean that they should be so transparent as to be indistinguishable from Earth units. It just means that anything linguistically alien should immediately be explainable (to the player) without having to resort to asking another character to translate.<br /><br />At any rate, we have our orders, so to speak. I find nothing else of interest in the room except for the pod we collected from the crashed Heechee, which I take with me; it's a container, if nothing else. I have my coverall, but absolutely everything else I had been carrying has been taken away.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ye6h6U5v0rkTAyr7XB30oLBN__gvZ6D9fy9VNxrieoq3ZnH3g__E-oc3dQ_WXp42gIr-VIrptNft8tGfHI5VpDOkizYUHaTYhdIIUIkpTL2aApox2zWde1__YWXgWTHgFGf21idBEdTrCP0ZhpMd-duQzOeFTa912zdNuT9xbZwCbcuyGoQpkQYGBxA/s1600/03-home_409.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ye6h6U5v0rkTAyr7XB30oLBN__gvZ6D9fy9VNxrieoq3ZnH3g__E-oc3dQ_WXp42gIr-VIrptNft8tGfHI5VpDOkizYUHaTYhdIIUIkpTL2aApox2zWde1__YWXgWTHgFGf21idBEdTrCP0ZhpMd-duQzOeFTa912zdNuT9xbZwCbcuyGoQpkQYGBxA/w400-h300/03-home_409.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>The crowd of aliens on the street.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Outside, we get a little bit of flavor, as the city is described as being completely underground and also quite crowded. The people bump into each other constantly as they move by. I look around a little and soon find a city hangar containing the ship I used to arrive here. It's been refurbished a bit and the navigation panel contains two travel codes: Administration Planet and City Hangar. The hangar is surely the one I'm already in, so this might let me go talk to the Council again, perhaps. At this point, there's no point in going to the Administrative Planet except to explore and reconnoiter, so while I did check it out, I'll cover what's there when we have a reason to go there later.<br /><br />A building a few streets away from our quarters is labeled "Place of Seeing," but it's not open. The sign right outside our quarters points us west to the "Place of Moving" that the message described. When I go that direction, a cutscene automatically begins:<br /><blockquote>The street wanders around and then widens into a bustling terminal. An official-looking Heechee immediately grabs your upper arm and guides you towards one of the many trams sitting at the loading platform. He grimaces and places you inside.</blockquote><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs3ZB0fm9rtM7OdAXx-dpvJAa2bhcJVyCPgg3KOm3kAD_LiFURlUSB9AotpR0Q7TmVUb_PtNmcqxTqW7MEWHZI0UkpXgh_TnS4LTxjoK5Kabr8jVTq24kMmtCBg6WaHXrRwLNvluf_udQC8PhyguoKd2trv-lfT0knckGrKYxqfgg8Z_agNXUxJkRJD5Q/s1600/04-home_423.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs3ZB0fm9rtM7OdAXx-dpvJAa2bhcJVyCPgg3KOm3kAD_LiFURlUSB9AotpR0Q7TmVUb_PtNmcqxTqW7MEWHZI0UkpXgh_TnS4LTxjoK5Kabr8jVTq24kMmtCBg6WaHXrRwLNvluf_udQC8PhyguoKd2trv-lfT0knckGrKYxqfgg8Z_agNXUxJkRJD5Q/w400-h250/04-home_423.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>This might get old as a commute, but I'm sure it'd be fun the first few times.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><blockquote>The car he's chosen for you makes the escape ship you spent so much time in seem roomy. It feels like you are strapped in for an amusement park ride.<br /><br />When the car takes off, you're thankful for the support. Its acceleration is incredible. It speeds over one of the many corkscrew avenues, sometimes even looping end-over-end. Before you know it, however, the car comes to an abrupt halt, the door opens, and another attendant helps you exit.</blockquote>The tram takes us swiftly to the Place of Learning, and we're deposited in what looks like the quad area of a university. I see a lecture hall to the southwest, a theater in the opposite direction, and some mysterious building to the west, locked with a panel. You know we'll have to get in there at some point.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUks7u_Cl5afsdMM7hZ7yPPubb5-fiz8US2zVXE_z_-bdLd529S5IwxpnhZR2zTke11bJi5WdhaRcbxxBfNMQ98n79f9wExDLp0nIkZt-VxxaRtuqfXvCpp3Xpjoh7ZHGQffyXHwMbaCe3woSmPLaeSVkXhhRxp0pq-yl-3SHBaWebtze72pKLhNR-uX8/s1600/05-home_425.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUks7u_Cl5afsdMM7hZ7yPPubb5-fiz8US2zVXE_z_-bdLd529S5IwxpnhZR2zTke11bJi5WdhaRcbxxBfNMQ98n79f9wExDLp0nIkZt-VxxaRtuqfXvCpp3Xpjoh7ZHGQffyXHwMbaCe3woSmPLaeSVkXhhRxp0pq-yl-3SHBaWebtze72pKLhNR-uX8/w400-h300/05-home_425.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>We're not yet free to look around the campus.</i></span><br style="text-align: start;" /></td></tr></tbody></table>The escort appears to take us into the lecture hall. We're led into a lounge area with a large window and a Heechee-style seat and basically told to wait until it's time. Now the description explicitly describes the escort as a guard. If I try to go anywhere else on campus, the guard stops me. So while I can wander freely around the main city streets, I cannot wander freely around this area.<br /><br />The guard seems tired and bored, so there might be an opportunity to slip the leash later, but for now I play along, waiting in the lounge until the lecture time. While I wait, the guard looks out the window or takes a drink from a container he carries. It seems to be something like coffee, a stimulant, as he will complain if I try to take it and look at it. The game won't let me try drinking from it, sadly. While eventually I do want to mess with the guard, I was actually curious about what his drink might taste like.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5A1BvGF5kY7hwg1u1AM_0Mn6cbi1ZZHG7aTLsexbliIglNp0vO-nPhHnnZe2NQR6M5fvFBzdKNSBgSIz_5jtJvywc0DJC-EeQ32UBcwdrzK0W7K_gv6YZxe0kwapMnYLHRaG3eSYC42fXpw8JvA0i3UAAY7tVVlbTfn5bwalL37P_halRu89_bT8hK3o/s1600/06-home_428.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5A1BvGF5kY7hwg1u1AM_0Mn6cbi1ZZHG7aTLsexbliIglNp0vO-nPhHnnZe2NQR6M5fvFBzdKNSBgSIz_5jtJvywc0DJC-EeQ32UBcwdrzK0W7K_gv6YZxe0kwapMnYLHRaG3eSYC42fXpw8JvA0i3UAAY7tVVlbTfn5bwalL37P_halRu89_bT8hK3o/w400-h300/06-home_428.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>The waiting room is oddly pretty, although rather bare.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>A few minutes before the time, the light by the door to the hall turns green. The guard takes me inside, where many Heechee have gathered, including quite a few holographic projections of ancestor minds. A cutscene begins where we give a speech about how we're indebted to Heechee technology for our recent scientific advancement:<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48Y_rYEyYs633e3JqXosXWRJTagI77xI1dCcbC3O6g5FWYJe8CBhY2ThRRoeFDMA-XG78qbpCB00ST-NbdgzbLhynDlB65BPxPuBUkzu0Ld2T0-ZXaILapHG7DJy7Cv1MQ_lzf9HkvDZeuuctybVh4H5fv45oN51YW_1Orx7OOLcI-b0XLt5DQM3NB0o/s1600/07-home_430.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48Y_rYEyYs633e3JqXosXWRJTagI77xI1dCcbC3O6g5FWYJe8CBhY2ThRRoeFDMA-XG78qbpCB00ST-NbdgzbLhynDlB65BPxPuBUkzu0Ld2T0-ZXaILapHG7DJy7Cv1MQ_lzf9HkvDZeuuctybVh4H5fv45oN51YW_1Orx7OOLcI-b0XLt5DQM3NB0o/w400-h250/07-home_430.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>I find those floating holographic heads creepy.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><blockquote>"Thank you for attending. As you already know, I am a human from the planet Earth. Although you have just discovered our existence, humans have known about the Heechee for many years. We have used artifacts that you have left scattered throughout the galaxy to enhance our own technology. By all rights, we owe much to you. You've played a large role in the scientific evolution of our species.<br /><br />"Our first exposure to the Heechee was the discovery of the space station which we call Gateway. There, we found a storehouse of spacecraft preprogrammed to travel to thousands of unknown destinations. Curiosity first drove us to get in those tiny ships, and the benefits we discovered in Heechee technology kept us coming back.<br /><br />"My own adventures led me to the shield generators that you left behind. Your plan was clear, but difficult to implement. I activated all four generators and integrated them with the Vertex. Then I used the Virus program to destroy the Assassin inside the WatchTower. The galaxy is now shielded from the Assassin watchers and we are safe - for now.<br /><br />"Things have changed, however. Some humans are not known for their good sense. The events that led me to come here..." You are interrupted by an official-looking Heechee.<br /><br />He raises his hands and booms in a deep, resounding voice, "I'm afraid that we have run out of time. I'm sure the human will tell us more at his next lecture, but until then, we are finished." The Heechee turns to you and whispers, "You were warned not to discuss that which brought you here. We will be monitoring you, and if you even touch upon the subject again, we will suspend these lectures indefinitely."</blockquote>Whoops! Well, so much for that. Oddly enough, we're brought back to the lounge at 9:30, so somehow those few paragraphs above are supposed to have taken nearly half an hour. It doesn't seem like more than a five-minute speech to me, though.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOyaM4TpWUtjKbFuLg4oXQzagN4Ji2gxIIis2Ldks7uI63IMGOUfnGFrYTm_OuhiVqlhyphenhypheng-oxXe0fcnNnNpUsStWYlhIfSsEdn9fCl-v-sZKltuccRKzuiRmTjqsyMwmchKyoGlgrOOfpUkShR5fpNLG3AF6NSS8dkXW0hRJz-f8xgqfAY-E2Ak0DRpeY/s1600/08-home_472.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOyaM4TpWUtjKbFuLg4oXQzagN4Ji2gxIIis2Ldks7uI63IMGOUfnGFrYTm_OuhiVqlhyphenhypheng-oxXe0fcnNnNpUsStWYlhIfSsEdn9fCl-v-sZKltuccRKzuiRmTjqsyMwmchKyoGlgrOOfpUkShR5fpNLG3AF6NSS8dkXW0hRJz-f8xgqfAY-E2Ak0DRpeY/w400-h300/08-home_472.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Listening to prophecies of Sterigma.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>After that, we can travel back by tram to the main city area (a brief cutscene takes us back along the amusement park rails), and now we have a lot more time to explore the rest of the city. The available area is not very large, but I make a map anyway because there are several locations called "City Streets" with various exits and buildings. On one street, I encounter a speaker talking about an ancient prophet called Sterigma who supposedly foretold the Assassin threat. Sterigma also recommended that the Heechee retain their "burrowing ways" of living underground.<br /><br />That's an interesting bit of cultural lore, but doesn't seem immediately useful. On the other hand, why would someone randomly be talking about the Assassin threat when the Heechee have been living in peace inside their black hole for millennia? Does he know that the Assassins are still a threat, even though we're under a gag order not to talk about it?<br /><br />Another street leads to an alleyway with a dark set of stairs leading down to a sewer. Good realistic detail. But why? There's even an exit across the sewer passage over to a maintenance tunnel. We're going to have to get over there too, aren't we? Yuck.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguFiVeCYHp9DYE8iHV7fPhqjXNXxUlLjlQCYgpSyicTBAxMwrQ42NAszimhSrvfI29nLPlOdMAvjNN7juTDMr4vz8RLma0lNfFYWCFSgOZ9n5JGmwZpd38XbUesiP9djcVXbXtHomSYwntglf55I-4Dt7A-jvzEpbUIWvOblIoFy858f4Av9mWCay6Kjs/s1600/09-home_442.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguFiVeCYHp9DYE8iHV7fPhqjXNXxUlLjlQCYgpSyicTBAxMwrQ42NAszimhSrvfI29nLPlOdMAvjNN7juTDMr4vz8RLma0lNfFYWCFSgOZ9n5JGmwZpd38XbUesiP9djcVXbXtHomSYwntglf55I-4Dt7A-jvzEpbUIWvOblIoFy858f4Av9mWCay6Kjs/w400-h300/09-home_442.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Traveling to the surface to use the telescope.</i></span><br style="text-align: start;" /></td></tr></tbody></table>I also discover that the Place of Seeing is now open, although it wasn't when I wandered that direction earlier. It seems to be a small public observatory with a large telescope. How far underground are we? Is the telescope connecting to something on the surface in order to see outside the planet? My questions are answered after a few turns of examining the telescope when the room itself begins to rise and a robot announces that we are rising to the surface to get a view of the sky. While nobody is visible in the location's image, someone asks whether the ceiling will open up, so there are clearly other Heechee in the room with us. This seems to be like a guided tour at a museum.<br /><br />Someone else asks about the safety of the lift tube for the room. The robot makes a point of mentioning that there's a gravity lens at the bottom of the shaft to catch the room even if all other safety mechanisms failed. While I remember very little of the Heechee homeworld section of the game, this tickles my mind as being important for later, so I make a note of it and then wait to see what will happen next.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY8emFhQAzkbINw2uV5MN0riDszIjlTZGfx7qukdXF4UgiK85FUV939ognufSmLbuvkdy2zZuheVBlMoozv-VwS3cQymhn4GAW2BYt8qoI9VVsSDHbScXLQojVUMRjwGLLn0Uw79mRDg3KWaw5NLfMMP9M_5K9rbFtAllgHbBciocbVYe_4UAQvbnxCM8/s1600/10-home_444.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY8emFhQAzkbINw2uV5MN0riDszIjlTZGfx7qukdXF4UgiK85FUV939ognufSmLbuvkdy2zZuheVBlMoozv-VwS3cQymhn4GAW2BYt8qoI9VVsSDHbScXLQojVUMRjwGLLn0Uw79mRDg3KWaw5NLfMMP9M_5K9rbFtAllgHbBciocbVYe_4UAQvbnxCM8/w400-h300/10-home_444.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>The starry skies are visible beyond the transparent shield.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>When the room finishes rising, the ceiling opens (but the robot mentioned that there's still a transparent shield in place) to reveal the starry sky. The robot describes how the Heechee long ago moved thousands of stars and planets into the black hole and arranged the constellations deliberately.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhIZNcdhBv81lDjVwCEokULqfjdXDhFMuY8GkwasOAYjz5UXvF75dR1RB3JWqsmnW-FSLqcQx6WqW8PNasUe-pccx4U80z32R5tGDtJCs0va8_zVJsALtkagmDQ4-_FkDMWJAhfrST_NKYBOlq05OmvWLikAGuKhyphenhyphenXiKJTWQqQwYsZ3pZIgI9FXn4QSuQ/s1600/11-home_446.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhIZNcdhBv81lDjVwCEokULqfjdXDhFMuY8GkwasOAYjz5UXvF75dR1RB3JWqsmnW-FSLqcQx6WqW8PNasUe-pccx4U80z32R5tGDtJCs0va8_zVJsALtkagmDQ4-_FkDMWJAhfrST_NKYBOlq05OmvWLikAGuKhyphenhyphenXiKJTWQqQwYsZ3pZIgI9FXn4QSuQ/w400-h250/11-home_446.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Identifying the Trillyn constellation.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>There are five constellations, called Trillyn, Mannoc, Oers, Aesthemis, and Viath. No explanation is given for these names, but the telescope can overlay their names and shapes on the star display. Now, what's entirely unrealistic is that all five are visible at once in a single screen. Well, perhaps it's deliberately unrealistic because architecting one's own starry sky is already unrealistic, but what this implies is that this planet is set off to one side of the collection of star systems and most of the rest of the night sky in other directions is just black and empty.<br /><br />Also, it's not even 10:00 in the morning yet, so how are we seeing any stars at all? I think that, combined with the underground city and shield, suggests that the surface of the planet is entirely inhospitable and perhaps has no atmosphere, so that stars could be seen at any time regardless of the time being observed in the city. I'm surely overthinking this, but how do the Heechee even grow food? Do they have any animals, any nature, or are they just a big-brain excessively technological archetype?<br /><br />Well, that was a fun excursion. What else is there to do in the city? I look around and find the only exit I haven't yet taken. Off to the south of the city streets I find a garden area. I suppose that somewhat answers my earlier question. Maybe the lamps are heat lamps to help the plants grow, as there isn't sunlight underground here.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjswa_-qzk3hsQx1g-TnTTqlklQyjiBpkq-meRM8c7kuqiU2ARsEoHlLEeeHcOjFXEA5f1x1gDMjjLhg4ZKLt_P6FRY5XLk9OBTDiZUSUs8jYkDN0FPBdzFohYhbMsihN3QaX5KWYpD2epJxUYSPNsPVEUuH9zysePCrGeE-dBQvRb99ta6x_QYcElHlFA/s1600/12-home_452.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjswa_-qzk3hsQx1g-TnTTqlklQyjiBpkq-meRM8c7kuqiU2ARsEoHlLEeeHcOjFXEA5f1x1gDMjjLhg4ZKLt_P6FRY5XLk9OBTDiZUSUs8jYkDN0FPBdzFohYhbMsihN3QaX5KWYpD2epJxUYSPNsPVEUuH9zysePCrGeE-dBQvRb99ta6x_QYcElHlFA/w400-h300/12-home_452.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>The gardens: the most beautiful place in the city</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>The exotic plants are labeled with plaques. I don't get the option to read any of them except the one that sits beside a bare pile of dirt, which labels it as an "Ironweed plant" from the "Ancestral Homeworld." Apparently it grew well there but does not grow anywhere else. That also tells us that this planet is not actually the original homeworld of the Heechee, just their main planet now. I also notice at this point that having received the language enables me to read it as well as speak it.<br /><br />I poke around and discover that I can dig in the pile of dirt, uncovering some seeds [5] which I can then take [5]. It seems really weird to take random seeds like this, but somehow these ironwood seeds must be going to help us later. I'm also surprised to realize that these are the first points we've earned since escaping the ice planet. There's been a lot of plot but not much puzzle-solving for the past hour of gameplay.<br /><br />I'm at a bit of a loss about what to do next, so I take the opportunity to visit the Administration Planet and document it. The hangar is straight north from the gardens, and it's simple to find my ship, choose the right course code, and head out. Course code digits are still being displayed in Heechee even though the PC would be able to transparently read them at this point.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBSwAZQM_oCp4Z2t2T3nOE5fPa96HU5vrvd-aHaz_4v7sYNLZ3_DFxzW-SqcNzFkehW8BUuv5BGaB_AK7L_yfY8s1stXhyD-Hfneb-JYSTBUFpR9hshgHOsfkcajSXyfM7mND0IgTBVFqbkfIQO8I6t5Xn4DbdqFzxdEXzO_wkl7jYt65I4Wh5vAy_GSQ/s1600/13-home_411.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBSwAZQM_oCp4Z2t2T3nOE5fPa96HU5vrvd-aHaz_4v7sYNLZ3_DFxzW-SqcNzFkehW8BUuv5BGaB_AK7L_yfY8s1stXhyD-Hfneb-JYSTBUFpR9hshgHOsfkcajSXyfM7mND0IgTBVFqbkfIQO8I6t5Xn4DbdqFzxdEXzO_wkl7jYt65I4Wh5vAy_GSQ/w400-h300/13-home_411.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>The image doesn't really match the description very well here.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>When I arrive in the docking area, a technician automatically comes over to talk to me, initiating a conversational cutscene with some useful information:<br /><blockquote>"Ah. You're the human that was through here before. I saw you then, but I didn't really get a chance to speak to you. I'm glad you returned. Let me tell you a little about this place before I get back to work."<br /><br />"As you already know, this is the administrative center of the Core. The High Council is located here, and they make all laws and directives for all the Heechee. That's why you were brought here when you arrived from the outside."<br /><br />"What you probably didn't know is that this is also the Core's information center. We gather data from everywhere, both inside and outside the Black Hole. You might have thought that we were cut off from the galaxy, and admittedly, to some degree we are. But we have many ways to get information from the outside."</blockquote><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQWMpYzdUICezVO0UW0pesXrLAW1aPXB9WZ26wNlq5Qzb3yH3aQDP_TJq4iIREQ3efIznaKY5PrDZD3tvVu3hJ77dTnPVt2eu6avxPRgi1wHHEZoDZl8Yc4-dgi0662xqoc2UxyfT5Io67kipfTdtAvrGVyhSX9ESKxs1pUPOrmWLLkLMeH2U8GnSoQKE/s1600/14-home_415.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQWMpYzdUICezVO0UW0pesXrLAW1aPXB9WZ26wNlq5Qzb3yH3aQDP_TJq4iIREQ3efIznaKY5PrDZD3tvVu3hJ77dTnPVt2eu6avxPRgi1wHHEZoDZl8Yc4-dgi0662xqoc2UxyfT5Io67kipfTdtAvrGVyhSX9ESKxs1pUPOrmWLLkLMeH2U8GnSoQKE/w400-h300/14-home_415.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>We're going to need to use one of those probes somehow...</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><blockquote>"For example, you see the probes lined up against the wall there? We send those out into the galaxy occasionally. They're much better than sending living Heechee. They're small, fully equipped with the latest sensory instruments, and capable of automatically piercing the Black Hole's Event Horizon. They're slow, because they don't have the power of the bigger ships, but they're reliable. We send 'em out, and a few years later they come back bursting with data."<br /><br />"The information is routed through the command room, up there." He points one of his four fingers towards the window in the hangar wall. "It's analyzed and catalogued by scientists, real researcher types. I think the job is rather boring, but it doesn't matter anyway - I couldn't get into the command center if I wanted to. Only authorized science personnel are allowed inside. I guess us techs aren't smart enough to be trusted with the equipment."<br /><br />"I don't know why, though. Targeting the probes is really easy. I've seen the system, and no special training is needed. It's set up just like navigation computers on board most spacecraft. Just punch in the coordinates, press the button, and boom - it's away."<br /><br />"It's been nice talking with you, but I have to get back to work. The Council chamber is off to the east, if that's why you're here. I wouldn't expect to get in and see them without a summons, though. They're always busy. Feel free to look around as much as you want."</blockquote>That's very specific information about the probes. I suspect we're going to have to get our hands on one of those probes at some point, or at least get into the data center. I can talk to the technician again, but he only repeats the same speech except with the first paragraph replaced with these pleasantries: "Greetings again, human. I'm glad you have an interest in my work. Let me explain again about this area. It's my honor to work here; this is the brain center of Heechee civilization."<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIB4tb8vqSVvAHdMhiqa1ZZ3OdczB-AB09MM2G4uPUROZRAJWhTkLXgQ-OsN4cznD89zowvLL-MpayCUmnyvD-i29CjqoAEl_WETfkJXYsQf0kIWc548zmgNqGt7P0iAqrXj9i1GW0ZzAMEVG93UaZ91feXFEF4K8kkBT3YvEYNYhyOwGwPRZ1Wm0KocU/s1600/15-home_419.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIB4tb8vqSVvAHdMhiqa1ZZ3OdczB-AB09MM2G4uPUROZRAJWhTkLXgQ-OsN4cznD89zowvLL-MpayCUmnyvD-i29CjqoAEl_WETfkJXYsQf0kIWc548zmgNqGt7P0iAqrXj9i1GW0ZzAMEVG93UaZ91feXFEF4K8kkBT3YvEYNYhyOwGwPRZ1Wm0KocU/w400-h300/15-home_419.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>This is a very unhelpful receptionist.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>If I try to go north toward the lab, a sensor in the wall by the door examines me and finds me wanting. East leads toward a very blue reception area in front of the High Council Room. The receptionist has nothing to say and the doors to the High Council are firmly closed. Another exit to the southeast is labeled "Do not enter" so of course I go that way to see what's there. The receptionist doesn't stop me.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqvMVI3JT6bZ8PRoFI-CbmZXNO4l5IjZTmVpqoEXFZG_6667ScvpHZSXkuCxH5txr1-1wjkZyNr2I8aB2oUEkDRN5qZ9Rv2trLylBWkPSygcRxYY2EOSXeo_CX32pAfgOEc_IiCJc3yqD3LaKwf_9B7t9sSyN5hEboiL66NF_h5iHUxmfU54F1oGGdDGM/s1600/16-home_420.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqvMVI3JT6bZ8PRoFI-CbmZXNO4l5IjZTmVpqoEXFZG_6667ScvpHZSXkuCxH5txr1-1wjkZyNr2I8aB2oUEkDRN5qZ9Rv2trLylBWkPSygcRxYY2EOSXeo_CX32pAfgOEc_IiCJc3yqD3LaKwf_9B7t9sSyN5hEboiL66NF_h5iHUxmfU54F1oGGdDGM/w400-h300/16-home_420.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>This hallway looks innocuous enough, but is actually full of laser beams.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />This is also disappointing, though. It's a deceptively empty hallway with many tiny lenses lining the wall. If I try to proceed east, I receive a tiny stabbing wound. It's not entirely obvious at this point, but I remember that this hallway is filled with a lattice of laser beams as a defense, although I don't remember yet what the Heechee are protecting so carefully. At any rate, I certainly don't have what I need yet to deal with the lasers.<br /><br />I return to the city and head back to my room to rest and consider what to do next. Fortunately, we have a lead: the communication device is blinking again. One message says: "I appreciated your talk, and was interested to learn that you were instrumental in the operation of the shield generators. If you could discuss the specifics in your next lecture, I would be most grateful. ---Raphide"<br /><br />Then, another message, unsigned, says, "Human, meet me at the Campus Theatre at 3:00 PM - alone. I have something to say that might interest you." Hmm, intriguing or suspicious? Both?<br /><br />I do wonder how "Raphide" got my contact information. I mean, if this situation were reversed, and contact information was publicly available here for an alien visitor, of course people would send thousands of messages with questions and comments. I get...two? Are the Heechee that incurious? Or is my contact information kept private and these two are just in a position to have it anyway? The first one sounds like an ordinary, albeit very polite, fan message, though. The second sounds more like a stalker. Meet someone on an alien planet, alone? Any sensible person would ignore this, but of course I'm going to go, because when you can restore from a save, why not?<br /><br />The main problem is going to be getting rid of the guard at the Place of Learning. I don't have much to work with, so I'm hoping the seeds I found might help, although I can't see how. Also, if I show up a quarter before 3:00, am I putting myself on the hook for another lecture at 3:45? That will certainly limit how long I have to talk with this unidentified contact.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlbbLohu7RYj6rR21v4kKUBM_7ovBORWQJLJ5AORUDnRj-grqv4L_9jTe4FUuFNQMGpUVZU7LCMMSJuVgmqTWDQiUWZV5diDr9CLWNc1_oCASRrvAHXyIXGn0YqYbgCyqt3QJoq3wTyy91TCSNe5fDsRyj3nbavhKjP424YW43z_5U2I9Yrnva28VyniM/s1600/17-home_456.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlbbLohu7RYj6rR21v4kKUBM_7ovBORWQJLJ5AORUDnRj-grqv4L_9jTe4FUuFNQMGpUVZU7LCMMSJuVgmqTWDQiUWZV5diDr9CLWNc1_oCASRrvAHXyIXGn0YqYbgCyqt3QJoq3wTyy91TCSNe5fDsRyj3nbavhKjP424YW43z_5U2I9Yrnva28VyniM/w400-h300/17-home_456.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>I missed this the first time around.</i></span><br style="text-align: start;" /></td></tr></tbody></table>While I can indeed put the seeds in the guard's thermos, it doesn't do anything; he just spits them out (and I can collect them again, apparently unaffected, which is rather amusing). I think for a bit and realized that I never searched my quarters very thoroughly. I look around and find a cabinet containing a silver pouch, which I take [5]. Conveniently, the pouch contains sleeping powder. That should do the trick.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlVDqUe285ZZ52L90Z9ZwhRVEvSasVUBbsdc0kpZ46JF7A66qLUBjdtXm8XeEfY9GcFVsS4rqn2EGE0DUazFvM6EPforqxICc9DHxOKlAaqy8bEfxrrgQC9ENtvKN3ywJ_cspyRIKPgEnXjsre1yNzlb4oMe4ICQMTzcmNfPbZKtEWufikQwokC9oo_NU/s1600/18-home_457.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlVDqUe285ZZ52L90Z9ZwhRVEvSasVUBbsdc0kpZ46JF7A66qLUBjdtXm8XeEfY9GcFVsS4rqn2EGE0DUazFvM6EPforqxICc9DHxOKlAaqy8bEfxrrgQC9ENtvKN3ywJ_cspyRIKPgEnXjsre1yNzlb4oMe4ICQMTzcmNfPbZKtEWufikQwokC9oo_NU/w400-h300/18-home_457.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Surely this is quite the overdose. I hope it isn't fatal...</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>I wait until about 2:30 in the afternoon and then head over to the Place of Learning. My escort collects me and then lounges by the window, as before. I wait until he's put his thermos on the table and then quickly pour the sleeping powder into his drink [10]. I thought I might be able to use a bit of it and have multiple opportunities to try it if necessary, but no, I automatically dump the entire contents of the pouch in. This guy is going to sleep all afternoon at this rate. It doesn't take long before he's out cold, so I can wander off to the theatre without a problem.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEior36NAXg34qo6HZKNq-STYCErAx00l2B7oN9u4-uwu-FpyLudX3xhKwehc2Rew_o640EGceIwEaZCUJq1y3yvU_d9sJ10m3j_aZrmnBg9WuF9_yFBXGdj84DkvCDXfHyiynG-cXG-hxObn5CRTGZ4NfLSHS1nafTiFHy6pMYF6kcLb21I_NYTK4w_h_c/s1600/19-home_460.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEior36NAXg34qo6HZKNq-STYCErAx00l2B7oN9u4-uwu-FpyLudX3xhKwehc2Rew_o640EGceIwEaZCUJq1y3yvU_d9sJ10m3j_aZrmnBg9WuF9_yFBXGdj84DkvCDXfHyiynG-cXG-hxObn5CRTGZ4NfLSHS1nafTiFHy6pMYF6kcLb21I_NYTK4w_h_c/w400-h300/19-home_460.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Secret meeting in the middle of a crowded theatre.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>I walk in right at 3:00. Many of the seats quickly fill with other Heechee, and then a holographic show begins in the center of the room. As the rest of the room darkens, a mysterious shadowy figure appears in the seat next to me, and a scene begins:<br /><blockquote>His shadowed eyes play over you, and then stare straight ahead. "My name is Macropterous. I am a student here, but I am also a member of an underground religious sect, the 'White Hand'. We sympathize with your situation, and we wish to help. I personally can do nothing, but other members might. Here is the Hand's location." He hands you a black card. "Put this into your ship's computer, and it will take you there."<br /><br />"We are quartered under an ancient temple on the ancestral homeworld. Long ago, the temple priests were very selective about who entered. They wished to protect their secrets from prying eyes, therefore they made the inner sanctum extremely difficult to penetrate. Only those who were familiar with the elements could do so."</blockquote><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijdzmCTg3Y2qvzTkBEf7JlxeJvCUbcb8kcwZ6dN5MIRRutLfGCqVCpX9Z1AeSh9rfBwHhXHnWP18Z1isQV-SDNolg3Xng9yKupe06NaQuYHeTTwsnPIWe2eHuX0kg1M4AuGUvqg2AEubmW4LI1lPXMC2cQlBt8Yi9ibrwBXikoQyLBcby939JR0Ad0nmY/s1600/20-home_462.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijdzmCTg3Y2qvzTkBEf7JlxeJvCUbcb8kcwZ6dN5MIRRutLfGCqVCpX9Z1AeSh9rfBwHhXHnWP18Z1isQV-SDNolg3Xng9yKupe06NaQuYHeTTwsnPIWe2eHuX0kg1M4AuGUvqg2AEubmW4LI1lPXMC2cQlBt8Yi9ibrwBXikoQyLBcby939JR0Ad0nmY/w400-h300/20-home_462.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>I can see his face pretty well here, actually.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><blockquote>"We have kept the locks they left, for added security. Interestingly enough, they seem to be derived from Sterigma's Prophecies - the second verse, specifically. A rather morbid section to base an entry system on, though." He looks at your puzzled expression. "Sorry. It's my field of study, and I tend to go on about it. Here's exactly what you must do to enter..."</blockquote>Of course, the lights come on just now, revealing my informant's face briefly before he runs out the door. Other Heechee greet me but then also leave, until I'm alone in the theatre. I'm going to have to review Sterigma's Prophecies from the street speaker in order to get through the security system instead of having Macropterous tell me what to do.<br /><br />I go back to the lounge to check on the guard. Still sound asleep. Amusingly, I can wait through an entire day worth of time and he's still sitting there asleep. Then if I leave and come back, I find a red tag securely attached to his clothes, saying, "You were discovered sleeping on the job. When you awake, please report to your supervisor." That's very amusing, because it suggests that he's so deeply asleep that whoever found him couldn't wake him up. Also the tag appears immediately once the day changes past midnight, even if I only step away for a minute.<br /><br />Showing up between the first two scheduled lectures doesn't trigger another lecture, but if I wait all afternoon, the light by the door turns green just before 8PM, as scheduled, even though the guard is asleep, and I can give the second lecture:<br /><blockquote>"I'd like to speak a little about life on Earth. Our planet is immensely overcrowded. Earth is home to over twenty billion people, most of whom live in poverty and discomfort. We have longed to colonize space, much as you have done. What we have lacked, though, is the ability to transport a large number of people off-planet. The ships we discovered on Gateway could carry one, three, or five people at a time - hardly an efficient way to offload a significant portion of Earth's population.<br /><br />"Therefore, our one planet is our only home. Because of that, you would think that we would value it, care for it. Hardly. Earth's resources are all but exhausted. We have destroyed all of Earth's natural ecosystems. We've lost hundreds, if not thousands, of native species and almost destroyed ourselves in the process. Only a sweeping simplification of the biosphere saved us. Now we survive, but without many of our natural neighbors.<br /><br />"Nor do we save our violence exclusively for our habitat. We hate each other almost as much. Unlike you, humans tend to group together in tribes, which sometimes grow to the size of nations. When a human identifies with others in his own society, he emphasizes the differences with those outside. Ethnic tensions and unreasoning hatred have brought about conflicts, even wars.<br /><br />"We've destroyed hundreds of square miles of land in our wars. Atomic weapons have rendered them completely uninhabitable. Some conflicts are hundreds of years old. People have forgotten why they started, but they continue, nonetheless.<br /><br />"Although I've painted a grim picture of humanity, we do have some redeeming qualities. I'll speak more about those next time. Thank you."</blockquote>You clear your throat and add, "I received a question pertaining to the Shield Generators. I'll try and discuss it in my next lecture."<br /><br />The lecture ends without incident and I am at liberty to return. As long as the guard is sleeping, I can freely wander around the university area, at least the few locations around the quad that I can access, anyway. I can investigate the locked door as well, but it requires some kind of code that's input on a 5x5 grid of identical buttons. No way to just guess what that might be about, although I suspect it has something to do with the constellations.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit3iPhI_VgWu7LSc2E2EFkTt_Y1zFjEqgcFuDfDLaccpav8kulTUx4y-OzxMH4_ImyAOcAIW8XzNdoNPH7vFbmTd1Sb1UGU3dhNEOwg9AJQtkEUcuCz5fziRsj6Yz5mDjODGYFdGNyYnP2sg8eHabPsP97f8OfV9BE4pBMwC65d4HeZOt70H4lOdh4WlE/s1600/21-home_473.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit3iPhI_VgWu7LSc2E2EFkTt_Y1zFjEqgcFuDfDLaccpav8kulTUx4y-OzxMH4_ImyAOcAIW8XzNdoNPH7vFbmTd1Sb1UGU3dhNEOwg9AJQtkEUcuCz5fziRsj6Yz5mDjODGYFdGNyYnP2sg8eHabPsP97f8OfV9BE4pBMwC65d4HeZOt70H4lOdh4WlE/w400-h300/21-home_473.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Apocalyptic prophecies of doom.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>The next time I return to the ship, I automatically insert Macropterous' course card into the control panel, which adds the new code to the list. Before I leave, I also go listen to the prophecies again and make a note of the second verse, which seems to be predicting various calamities that will befall the planet when the "Dark Ones" come: knives of fire, boiling seas, and cracked stones.<br /><br />I'm not sure what to make of this as a key to entering a secret location, but we'll head over there and see what we find next time.<br /><br /><b>Score</b>: 1045<br /><b>Deaths</b>: 21<br /><br /><b>Inventory</b>: pouch (wearing: blue coverall, Heechee pod)<br /><br /><b>Session Time</b>: 1.5 hours<br /><b>Total Time</b>: 15.5 hours<div><br /><b>Note Regarding Spoilers and Companion Assist Points:</b> There’s a set of rules regarding spoilers and companion assist points. Please read it <a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/p/rookie-companion.html">here</a> 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!</div>Ilmari Jauhiainenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01655841880034965950noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-52606780274229798542024-01-22T00:00:00.215+11:002024-01-22T04:55:48.308+11:00Leisure Suit Larry 6: Shape Up or Slip Out! – Final RatingBy Alex<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgef7qlLnkC_ulV1KOxNg0k6kyroxmSiORoYih4bWovDRY-4Xktwlzewh66kwMbqJ0OA4g0-FL7ihtB9Rwl1SHokDFgHmG1oNZY149qPre7X6AedkaWbwrkm0lejEwe0bGPPSqQ6DhACaMV64nAgyYf6OKOdOgUy1mGuiRrMSGEvhLDgMGoBUOROLD1_so/s800/1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="642" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgef7qlLnkC_ulV1KOxNg0k6kyroxmSiORoYih4bWovDRY-4Xktwlzewh66kwMbqJ0OA4g0-FL7ihtB9Rwl1SHokDFgHmG1oNZY149qPre7X6AedkaWbwrkm0lejEwe0bGPPSqQ6DhACaMV64nAgyYf6OKOdOgUy1mGuiRrMSGEvhLDgMGoBUOROLD1_so/w321-h400/1.jpg" width="321" /></a></div>There is a business axiom I heard somewhere (please don’t ask me for a cite; I’m lazy) that goes something like this: when deciding what product you to give people, you can either give them a gourmet meal (i.e., something they have never seen before and, perhaps, didn’t even know they wanted), or you can give them the best damn hamburger they’ve ever had (i.e., something familiar, but done really, really well (no, that’s not a reference to how long it is cooked for)). Here in Burgerland, aka America, we use hamburger metaphors because that’s our language, bro.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.mobygames.com/game/407/leisure-suit-larry-6-shape-up-or-slip-out/"><i>Leisure Suit Larry 6: Shape Up or Slip Out!</i></a> is a hamburger. It’s not the best damn hamburger on God’s green earth, but it’s certainly a cut above many offerings out there. It’s also an exceedingly <i>stupid</i> game, but that goes with the territory. Nobody plays a <i>Leisure Suit Larry</i> game for erudite conversation, thought-provoking dialogue, or weighty, meaningful themes.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1OrgNHIpRhE1mPuuEjYnxL3lbZzxHq842U1o5NWEZT4Tjv5KybVea4OWzct2tEu0HkifhnLq0mpLawzCRGBbGEx3PW_8s5f5KtI6ziRt1hGK4z5Q-3yXh3UPTBzwdII-t-N2Ao1HbM53NJDb8kx0z2ogNuNxEWKE2fTE9yG10SKxHo_TsR_VF9J9ga9I/s640/2.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1OrgNHIpRhE1mPuuEjYnxL3lbZzxHq842U1o5NWEZT4Tjv5KybVea4OWzct2tEu0HkifhnLq0mpLawzCRGBbGEx3PW_8s5f5KtI6ziRt1hGK4z5Q-3yXh3UPTBzwdII-t-N2Ao1HbM53NJDb8kx0z2ogNuNxEWKE2fTE9yG10SKxHo_TsR_VF9J9ga9I/w400-h250/2.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>For that, you play </i></span><a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2020/06/game-121-freddy-pharkas-frontier.html" style="text-align: start;">Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist</a><span style="text-align: start;">.</span></td></tr></tbody></table>What <i>Leisure Suit Larry 6</i> is, is very well-designed. It’s a mite easy for veteran adventure gamers, but the puzzles are mostly logical and make sense. The areas I got frustrated with—the exercise machine belt used to fix the Cellulite Drainage machine and the stupid bottle of water puzzle—are not my fault because <strike>I’m borderline psychopathic and cannot accept personal responsibility for anything</strike> they are not particularly great puzzles for reasons we’ll get into later.<span><a name='more'></a></span>Okay, we’ll get into them now: the exercise machine belt looks like a pure background element, the kind in <i>many</i> a Sierra game you <i>just can’t do anything with</i>, and the bottle of water only appears when you need it, leading to a solution to the “puzzle” of just wandering around La Costa Lotta in frustration until you find it. At least, that’s what I did. You could say both are standard adventure game failings, and I’ll agree with you there. Puzzle design is a delicate balance—should they be event-driven? Should everything be accessible from the get-go? Considerations like that. This is why these two puzzles stuck out to me: because otherwise <i>Leisure Suit Larry 6 </i>was very well-considered and tightly designed. Nearly the entire area is accessible from the get-go, and it’s done so very naturally you don’t quite realize that some things are event-driven and some aren’t, at least not on your first time playing through the game. I am honestly surprised the bottle of mineral water wasn’t something you could get elsewhere at any time prior to actually having to suck the fat out of Gammie’s thighs.<br /><br />Sigh . . . that sentence. I’ll say it once and I’ll say it again: <i>This is a stupid game</i>.<br /><br />We’ll get into more of this in our rating and our discussion of what reviewers thought about the game at the time it was released.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZG-UrIAf7Ha3KTAe_4phyphenhyphenjY7bqPgTW-6d-xZNGZkU5_x44QyWCqzHY56aMnjpfC_xPriYtssKkpLiDjS4h75j2hcA2r4dN97oEW1z1tJoCKE5e5kPMwdhyphenhyphenfqczmt1mqNuzOvkVY6UHHQPHl6zSUluSw4Dzq5ZahilWyU0MqjN_6jquKJI3TM_P4r2ceY/s800/3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="637" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZG-UrIAf7Ha3KTAe_4phyphenhyphenjY7bqPgTW-6d-xZNGZkU5_x44QyWCqzHY56aMnjpfC_xPriYtssKkpLiDjS4h75j2hcA2r4dN97oEW1z1tJoCKE5e5kPMwdhyphenhyphenfqczmt1mqNuzOvkVY6UHHQPHl6zSUluSw4Dzq5ZahilWyU0MqjN_6jquKJI3TM_P4r2ceY/w319-h400/3.jpg" width="319" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Even by 1993 standards, the box copy is creepy.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><h3>Puzzles and Solvability: 4</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQMAbkGtwj5O2EdlA8Ib-jUuJnVzdNOgI5jBF96sXrIEr1DJkDwD70oQdFpEa4-JHGpH3x7pmfsbN6cjV9zG8f_uvLY9W74dvMpZWRfMKTHuOokgM5MC_fyYPUOMelZleHhCjEtWNsShIvfpa0U4Ysl4HU5oLaycEX02ZAU0o9V1sMYS0cG2Meh55Fdf4/s640/4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQMAbkGtwj5O2EdlA8Ib-jUuJnVzdNOgI5jBF96sXrIEr1DJkDwD70oQdFpEa4-JHGpH3x7pmfsbN6cjV9zG8f_uvLY9W74dvMpZWRfMKTHuOokgM5MC_fyYPUOMelZleHhCjEtWNsShIvfpa0U4Ysl4HU5oLaycEX02ZAU0o9V1sMYS0cG2Meh55Fdf4/w400-h250/4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>This was a tricky one, honestly. This is the same rating I gave the puzzles for <a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2018/05/quest-for-glory-iii-wages-of-war-final.html"><i>Quest for Glory III: Wages of War</i></a>, which I said “are just not difficult.” I went on, in my own inimitable way:<br /><br />Yes, they’re logical for the most part . . . most puzzles are boiled down to “Do I have the right inventory object for the job or for this quest that somebody told me about?” or “Did I go to the right place after the right event has been triggered?”<br /><br />I think the puzzles in <i>Leisure Suit Larry 6 </i>did require some more lateral thinking than those in <i>Quest for Glory III</i>—I’m thinking about the camera puzzle to distract Daryl and the soap puzzle where you have to do your deed out of Billy Dee’s eyesight in particular—but despite the belt and water bottle puzzles, they weren’t <i>hard</i>, per se. Clever, yes—I liked the bit with Art and his toilet and the ridiculous lengths you had to go through to get batteries for Char. Pure ridiculous adventure game fun! But I’d hardly call them <i>difficult</i>. Yes, comparing this game to a <i>Quest for Glory </i>game is comparing a straight adventure game to an adventure/RPG hybrid, complete with different expectations of how the game is to be structured, but I would still rank the two games comparably in difficulty. And as with <i>Quest for Glory III</i>, in <i>Leisure Suit Larry 6</i> neither the writing nor the interface ever got in my way. Plus, I thought the puzzles were better than those in <i><a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2020/10/freddy-pharkas-frontier-pharmacist-won.html">Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist</a>.</i> Although TFW no horse fart bag.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ngNRu8LVTuDVFMlUF7WnFJb8dnWVvrPtv_nN7DVeAaY1jsgpjSi6UexbFoHsEaEkbptdal1B8Kl0vT976iKFxnIixU3Kwj5ebOD7nw0o6o-NJ_TiVRW4jhRlwUoonnsdfVbSnbkPJ6VYKkoF2apTcZsBNf8oFIM-p0EtPhCNw-Sq7ECblZ5OLiyiMgg/s1073/5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="1073" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ngNRu8LVTuDVFMlUF7WnFJb8dnWVvrPtv_nN7DVeAaY1jsgpjSi6UexbFoHsEaEkbptdal1B8Kl0vT976iKFxnIixU3Kwj5ebOD7nw0o6o-NJ_TiVRW4jhRlwUoonnsdfVbSnbkPJ6VYKkoF2apTcZsBNf8oFIM-p0EtPhCNw-Sq7ECblZ5OLiyiMgg/w400-h268/5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Interface and Inventory: 6</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKwscd9l441wsEl83T81nss10-D14s8owL-bBg4ort1lLppBJmKECtQywkzXpnUYMLyEILJsuzMAlwSfjvHnVx5R24kFEKp3bBcNmx0V-O0w109iLCljbqSYKrrWnxYJb0M1TfUQpjOeyhLTb7SO-L140uLtNtbvnekuz3TRSwWGw1XCUg-1QZz38fkBs/s640/6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKwscd9l441wsEl83T81nss10-D14s8owL-bBg4ort1lLppBJmKECtQywkzXpnUYMLyEILJsuzMAlwSfjvHnVx5R24kFEKp3bBcNmx0V-O0w109iLCljbqSYKrrWnxYJb0M1TfUQpjOeyhLTb7SO-L140uLtNtbvnekuz3TRSwWGw1XCUg-1QZz38fkBs/w400-h250/6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I have no complaints about either except that the dials on the menu to adjust speed and such are a bit finnicky. Otherwise, this is your bog-standard Sierra interface of the day, which is a good thing! It never not once, got in my way. Every icon worked the way it was intended. The distinction between the “Hand” icon for interacting with something and the “Take” icon for taking stuff took a little getting used to, but that was a me issue and not a game issue. You hear that, game? <i>It’s not always my fault.</i><br /><br />I do kind of miss the nose and tongue icons, mainly because the writing in this game is, as it is typically in all <i>Leisure Suit Larry</i> games, pretty funny with lots of little hidden in-jokes. Which brings me to the inventory.<br /><br />Sure, scrolling is a bit annoying, but not enough to deduct any points. I did like having the inventory be ever-present even if it ate up quite a bit of screen real estate, and the game continued the <i>Leisure Suit Larry 5</i> tradition of one of the few things that game got right: funny inventory messages when you clicked objects on other objects. And doing stuff with objects wasn’t an issue, not even the “plugging in the exposed wire and zapping the electroshock treatment room door open.” I should probably give this a 5, but the game does so much right that nitpicking seems pointless. I’m nice like that. <br /><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Story and Setting: 4</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0tufxjsCJZIJZVfZOfSOX8XI85-iYCxXFf6N0yfcqpj_NIxhYSFT7O-A6E0qVENHdRUX3RbOq1rpQbyYY-HKTsZs6pwnn_xAcrYzLP_ggTGDgOS9mVYvbwLOMmZ40IjMnw2VJ1U9WVrNnEbzYxlEcWu0vjM5JxhUTm4zICwApQ0dPY0FhFoN7wQqVCII/s640/7.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0tufxjsCJZIJZVfZOfSOX8XI85-iYCxXFf6N0yfcqpj_NIxhYSFT7O-A6E0qVENHdRUX3RbOq1rpQbyYY-HKTsZs6pwnn_xAcrYzLP_ggTGDgOS9mVYvbwLOMmZ40IjMnw2VJ1U9WVrNnEbzYxlEcWu0vjM5JxhUTm4zICwApQ0dPY0FhFoN7wQqVCII/w400-h250/7.png" width="400" /></a></div>Yeah, I liked this story and setting better than <i>Leisure Suit Larry 5</i>’s. Not that anyone plays Larry games for the story <i>or</i> setting, but here we have a story which boils the essence of the <i>Larry</i> franchise down to its essence, and recalls the first game, and the third too, I suppose, in that Larry wanders around a self-contained environment looking for love. Well, “love,” even though Larry’s ultimate goal <i>is</i> to find fulfillment on a level above the glandular.<br /><br />I like La Costa Lotta as an environment. Larry in a health spa works much better than you’d expect on paper. There’s no disco, heck, no real alcoholic beverages, but that’s okay. Despite still having a 70s sense of humor <a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2023/10/leisure-suit-larry-6-risque-business-or.html">as I discussed here</a>, the setting is decidedly 90s. Or late 1980s. It’s the same thing. Everything didn’t turn from, I don’t know, a Nagel painting into a Delia’s—sorry, dELiA’s—catalog at the stroke of midnight December 31, 1989. Or maybe it did. I would’ve been nine years old so forgive me if my memory is faulty. The point is, it works. It’s <i>stupid</i>, but it works. And it makes use of the setting: the swimming pool area, a gym, aerobics, a shower, an employee area, etc. It would’ve been nice to have had <i>more</i> places to go in La Costa Lotta, but Al Lowe and Co. got a lot of mileage out of the setting, a lot of gags packed into a small space. That sounds like an Al Lowe type of joke. I’ll move on. <br /><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Sound and Graphics: 6</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4nAJCWkxm1yPci8dKAwHZsANC1jcfnD_qlkJmvLABdO8iPUhkG-RHaKLEymub_ou21uOK_mtqbdVh6A7lI5_TTVQaerN3jmlNinKhpx8Jw-s9hW-jyt8qjAAi0iW5HRFWQbXjksNWkV5R-6y2k3HrLrj1URJkr0kb2GdDeIQYTyN2AnRqZxrD0DQtu94/s640/8.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4nAJCWkxm1yPci8dKAwHZsANC1jcfnD_qlkJmvLABdO8iPUhkG-RHaKLEymub_ou21uOK_mtqbdVh6A7lI5_TTVQaerN3jmlNinKhpx8Jw-s9hW-jyt8qjAAi0iW5HRFWQbXjksNWkV5R-6y2k3HrLrj1URJkr0kb2GdDeIQYTyN2AnRqZxrD0DQtu94/w400-h250/8.png" width="400" /></a></div>I struggled with this because I gave <a a="" expected.="" have="" href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2015/09/leisure-suit-larry-5-final-rating.html#:~:text=Let" i="" s="" tally="" than="" this="" up="" would=""><i>Larry 5</i></a> a 6 here, and this game looks comparable—nay, better, than that one, but the style is still pretty ugly. Tacky. Just perfectly . . . Larry. I played the SVGA version as well, and it wasn’t <i>that</i> much better. It works but the aesthetic just sort of looks like a paint-goblin vomited a bunch of color on the screen and fingerpainted with it. Gross! <br /><br />THAT SAID, you know <i>why</i> it works? Because of the cartoony caricature Larry contrasted with the realistic attractive women. If Larry was a realistic looking and realistically proportioned adult male, the game would come off a lot more creepy and prurient than it already does. Larry is a non-threatening goofball that you can’t even imagine having sexual intercourse at all because I mean just look at him. He’s a cartoon character. He’s harmless. He’s the id of every male-type person who has chuckled at a raunch teen comedy ranging from <i>Porky’s</i> to <i>American Pie</i>. This is a bad analogy because the older I get the more horrified I am at how creepy and gross movies like that are, but I hope my point is coming across. I like to think people laughing along at movies like that isn’t really a sex pest, but is just laughing at how <i>overdone</i>, how <i>inappropriate</i>, things like that are. That they can hopefully see how <i>unrealistic</i> it is and THAT’S why they’re laughing. It’s like a release: “Oh my goodness can you <i>believe</i> they said/did/showed that?” It’s the kind of stuff guys joke about put on screen. <i>Whether you think that is appropriate or not</i> is not what I’m getting at. I’m just trying to describe it.<br /><br />So Larry looking like a disco dwarf or something helps with the illusion that it’s all not to be taken seriously. It works. It’s ugly, but it works.<br /><br />The <a href="http://allowe.com/gamedesign/Larry6%20Design.pdf"><i>Leisure Suit Larry 6</i> design document</a> is interesting because it set out to do some of the things I noted. Take a look at “The Look,” for example:<br /><blockquote>The game’s unique appearance juxtaposes “Toon-like” buildings set in photo-realistic backgrounds. Scanned photographic images of clouds, oceans, trees, mountains, etc. are combined with cartoonish, impossible, whacked-out, Bill Davis buildings. Unrealistic Toon people let us get away with more. However, the women <i>are</i> realistic, beautiful, sexy, desirable “Vargas girls,” the best lookers we can produce with hand-drawn art. This contrast of photographs, rendered art, and Toon characters even <i>looks</i> like fun.</blockquote>Hey! That’s what I said! Kinda. <br /><br />As far as the sound goes, once again the music and voice acting elevate the game and help with the humor. Composer Dan Kehler provides a number of themes that fit the atmosphere perfectly. The only one I really remember is the cheesy samba ditty that plays when wandering La Costa Lotta’s halls. The Sonny Bonds song was pretty funny too. <br /><br />Now, the voices. Everyone did a fine job. I did not find any to be grating or incongruous with the character. Jan Rabson as Larry and Neil Ross as the narrator are spot on, providing the perfect amount of snark that brings each character to life. The narrators voice in Sierra games was one of their charms, and having the narrator actually <i>have</i> a voice—and a good one!—always makes you <i>want</i> to find those rando asides the programmers put in when you click on random things. Ed Gilbert as Art, Jackie Gonneau as Merr, Dave Fennoy as Mark, Jeff Bennett as Gary, and Sheryl Bernstein as Gammie were also particularly good. <br /><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Environment and Atmosphere: 6</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUUW1zmYA5Z0T-XMrn_lFcJooJnUnknGiTauyaqa_jbTFhH3bUvvr-wk09RQa6n6oKMzqpfJxXWCoX0wGk8ke1U6AuNGH6tjXxoFtKwCEEnHtd7KZrFHg50U9XM18vZ2PIsm5U6IhoBQjmaq4NcOlNJu_ivjIiwuwh_Dq2G1GWuBzqRux95goYQ2wDds/s640/9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUUW1zmYA5Z0T-XMrn_lFcJooJnUnknGiTauyaqa_jbTFhH3bUvvr-wk09RQa6n6oKMzqpfJxXWCoX0wGk8ke1U6AuNGH6tjXxoFtKwCEEnHtd7KZrFHg50U9XM18vZ2PIsm5U6IhoBQjmaq4NcOlNJu_ivjIiwuwh_Dq2G1GWuBzqRux95goYQ2wDds/w400-h250/9.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>For a comedy game, I’ll say <i>Leisure Suit Larry 6</i> nails this category pretty well. The environment is almost sort of a character, what with Larry being trapped in the resort and all, and it has all of the features of a resort hotel: pool, bar, gym, cellulite drainage salon, you know, the usual. And the gaudy art style of . . . of . . . what the heck <i>do</i> you call this art style? . . . really ties the whole place together, man. I mean, look at that rug . . .<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhm-u_UDKFAj-lyhFwZyV94J-GlmtImp7JVCUa8Bc43W0f0yslgU_kT7_Y2Jv_ki9B20yF4gjGE-D4gM_nx99uS1Sdn-421J0iOZYiYjsahXOysDauFZubDh3Y-OTyHZsJ8AgAbp8ZHBp9teKUms6VDM1vXofgJ1yx-7knpWNmt7tcDATzlGKkALbdavU/s1920/10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhm-u_UDKFAj-lyhFwZyV94J-GlmtImp7JVCUa8Bc43W0f0yslgU_kT7_Y2Jv_ki9B20yF4gjGE-D4gM_nx99uS1Sdn-421J0iOZYiYjsahXOysDauFZubDh3Y-OTyHZsJ8AgAbp8ZHBp9teKUms6VDM1vXofgJ1yx-7knpWNmt7tcDATzlGKkALbdavU/w400-h225/10.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The game does a fine job of creating the atmosphere for the player, and given that it’s a very contained game with one environment, La Costa Lotta never wears out its welcome . . . as long as you crank the game speed UP so Larry can zip through the long hallways.<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Dialogue and Acting: 7</h3>I touched on this in the Sound and Graphics rating, but the Dialogue and Acting here are top-notch. Gone are the cringey days of <i>King’s Quest V</i>-tier talkie versions with what sounds like Sierra employees roped in to giving performances, I mean “performances.” The voice acting in <i>Leisure Suit Larry 6</i> is professional and very well cast. Not a single dud I can think of. What helps is that the writing, though puerile and juvenile and asinine, is sharp. The jokes come fast and furious, and if they don’t elicit outright laughs, you’ll at least find yourself smiling or chuckling.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp2abKHybDtVaR7EN3_U1fQys7VhXuBHAvOmWXXAk2AKLZwQi2IxWrZZGQU87uB4RMwUIHNb852wuHTUJJ5mpYe-tRWOYCP6QW-P94qDKziLcEEh-WkpcJjfSy5ts4VAsWsIz-HrDUeXMC44mlSA93v8J8HV3dW7LOamVqHFf9jEPngKgY-gih5sL1XtM/s800/11.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="197" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp2abKHybDtVaR7EN3_U1fQys7VhXuBHAvOmWXXAk2AKLZwQi2IxWrZZGQU87uB4RMwUIHNb852wuHTUJJ5mpYe-tRWOYCP6QW-P94qDKziLcEEh-WkpcJjfSy5ts4VAsWsIz-HrDUeXMC44mlSA93v8J8HV3dW7LOamVqHFf9jEPngKgY-gih5sL1XtM/w99-h400/11.jpg" width="99" /></i></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>No you didn’t, Neil.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Unless you’re actually a mature adult. Then you’ll just grimace and shake your head. <br /><br />4 + 6 + 4 + 6 + 6 + 7 = 33 / .6 = 55<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_sap95y6riTyKeRMA4X3QbftofnhsT3h9Rd_FF6aNpQ2Zt9aGvlb5MQrTbuJRX5o1CwRpgg385tdS2u-W0H1pdEGdFVHmFnTvq3Kue4CKivxLMhUhdLK4p3wptHDtl92sFfzMhNZ_ItmByZ0_lxRO_lcmzNjcPudIofZFsdfF0oTUnoIX2IaDdlsvt4/s350/55.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="350" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_sap95y6riTyKeRMA4X3QbftofnhsT3h9Rd_FF6aNpQ2Zt9aGvlb5MQrTbuJRX5o1CwRpgg385tdS2u-W0H1pdEGdFVHmFnTvq3Kue4CKivxLMhUhdLK4p3wptHDtl92sFfzMhNZ_ItmByZ0_lxRO_lcmzNjcPudIofZFsdfF0oTUnoIX2IaDdlsvt4/w400-h400/55.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Fifty-five! That’s the same as <a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2020/10/freddy-pharkas-frontier-pharmacist-won.html"><i>Freddy Pharkas</i></a>. I think that’s fair: <i>Larry 6</i> did some things better than <i>Freddy Pharkas</i> (puzzle design, mostly) and some things works (graphics, story and setting). So I guess it all washes out in the wash. Or the PISSED. Which will make you need to wash it out afterwards. I guess. I don’t know. I’m rambling.<br /><br />So what did reviewers at the time think of <i>Larry 6</i>? Glad you asked!<br /><br /><div>Steven Wartofsky of <i>Computer Games Strategy Plus really</i> liked the game, praising many of the same things I did: the open design, the atmosphere of La Costa Lotta, the fact that you rarely get stumped, and the constant one-liners. Allen L. Greenberg of <i>Computer Gaming World</i> also liked the game well enough, and appreciated the humor and interface, but noted that it was a bit too easy for experienced adventure game players:<br /><blockquote>The obvious conclusion regarding <i>LSL6</i> is that it is a very clever game that will easily offend the puritan-minded, just as it might offend the experienced gamer looking for a serious puzzle challenge. For the novice who enjoys a touch of risqué entertainment and good, off-color jokes, <i>LSL6</i> is a very novel and enjoyable source of Titillation and Amusement.</blockquote>Sara Slaymaker (no way that’s her real name) of <i>Electronic Games </i>gave the game a rating of 92%, and specifically called out the sound design for praise.<br /><br />Not all contemporary reviewers enjoyed what Al Lowe had to offer. David Wildgoose (no way that’s his real name) of <i>Hyper</i> found it “really desperate stuff” with the jokes just “tired and predicable variations on the ones from the original game which, to be honest, were only vaguely amusing the first time. Unless, of course, you’re the sad, sweaty, suited businessman type, in which case, you’ll love it.” Mr. “Wildgoose” notes that <i>Larry 6</i> s one of the first games to receive a then-new MA-17 rating, which he hilariously comments “That’s good. Anything to restrict the sale of crap games is fine by me” before ultimately concluding that “Larry was funny when he had some novelty value. Now he’s just a sad old sexist pervert” to put a bow on his 50% rating. I don’t think <i>Larry himself</i> is sexist, maybe just the game itself, but this review was funny.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXQYNQgIeErfCKQ0R1U-BaiIHC7cxtFHmaFN0nqeqFeuIdE6siUKLIJTOHKRtKjc5YlRkuDPx8IHW9ePiKo068QVEP1aJYWiCAXkxk2h6vrV4r1M4F8PX_Lz3v4FDyyagXicdWP1nI1SjwuYcMK2sxXb2eVnhb0kKZtabTnKSqPAtSpFXTPDNhyphenhyphennUS5JM/s640/12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXQYNQgIeErfCKQ0R1U-BaiIHC7cxtFHmaFN0nqeqFeuIdE6siUKLIJTOHKRtKjc5YlRkuDPx8IHW9ePiKo068QVEP1aJYWiCAXkxk2h6vrV4r1M4F8PX_Lz3v4FDyyagXicdWP1nI1SjwuYcMK2sxXb2eVnhb0kKZtabTnKSqPAtSpFXTPDNhyphenhyphennUS5JM/w400-h250/12.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Richard Longhurst (what is it with these names?) of <i>PC Format</i> gave it a 45%, declares that “If you’re amused by flatulence, tampons, vibrators and masturbating, then <i>Larry 6</i> is for you.” I will note that there are no tampons in this game. <br /><br />And so on. Reviewers either dug ha game or couldn’t stand it, with even some of the more positive reviews like the one in <i>PC Gamer </i>noting that the <i>Larry</i> format has gotten stale. I can totally see that. Sometimes juvenile humor is a bit too dumb for us sophisticated gamer types.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI_h148oVzvDjmF2zmpwf9jff2UVKjRMINV4SZBTJP5BmPI7EweUEiCnyJH5khnYnVtiQwCknfi_r84s9-lWTR1meiV3_U4RjXrY6TdfdFFZUOGU-SYj0MYZm2Hz3Ed7ql3aUee2xNJY1WO2SgTNhL3KSSn5ETA48BOH9Gc5S96XTRGWgMQ-U_Ju00R28/s640/13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI_h148oVzvDjmF2zmpwf9jff2UVKjRMINV4SZBTJP5BmPI7EweUEiCnyJH5khnYnVtiQwCknfi_r84s9-lWTR1meiV3_U4RjXrY6TdfdFFZUOGU-SYj0MYZm2Hz3Ed7ql3aUee2xNJY1WO2SgTNhL3KSSn5ETA48BOH9Gc5S96XTRGWgMQ-U_Ju00R28/w400-h250/13.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Back to our food analogy: <i>Leisure Suit Larry 6: Shape Up or Slip Out</i> is a really good hamburger. It’s above Burger King or McDonald’s level, but not quite that ridiculous burger made with Kobe beef that they put <i>actual gold</i> in at those types of restaurants for people who want others to know just how much disposable income they have. No, this game is a cut above that, maybe like a <i>Qdoba</i>? Which isn’t a burger place which kind of ruins my metaphor, but oh well. The point is, you know what you’re going to get, you’re going to enjoy it, you’ll get some bang for your buck, but you’re not going to really remember how good it was years from now, and you’re kinda sorta sick of it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thanks everyone. I had fun playing this game and writing this and reading your comments, even if I didn’t respond to them all. This game got a bit, ah, <i>spicy</i>, and if anyone was offended by the NSFW nature of the game and some of the posts, please accept my sincerest apologies, and I totally understand if the TAG moderators decide to censor some of it. I do not take it personally! I’ll see you all next time.</div><h2 style="text-align: left;">CAP Ratings</h2><div>100 CAPs to Alex</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Blogger Award - 100 CAPs - For playing through Leisure Suit Larry 6: Shape Up or Slip Out! for everyone's enjoyment</li></ul><div>100 CAPs to Joe Pranevich</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Classic Blogger Award - 50 CAPs - For playing through A Special Christmas Adventure! (1986) for everyone's enjoyment</li><li>Deja Vu Classic Blogger Award - 50 CAPs - For playing through A Special Christmas Adventure! (1987) for everyone's enjoyment</li></ul></div><div>20 CAPs to LeftHanded Matt</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>True Companion Award - 20 CAPs - For playing and commenting on Leisure Suit Larry 6: Shape Up or Slip Out! along with Alex</li></ul></div><div><div>20 CAPs to bigfluffylemon</div><div><ul><li>True Companion Award - 20 CAPs - For playing and commenting on Leisure Suit Larry 6: Shape Up or Slip Out! along with Alex</li></ul></div></div><div>15 CAPs to arcanetrivia (the commenter formely known as Lisa H.)</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Helping Hand Award - 15 CAPs - For providing Alex with hints for his predicament</li></ul></div><div>10 CAPs to Alfred n the Fettuc</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Straight Ahead Award - 10 CAPs - For hitting the exactly correct order in one of 1993 STRAIGHTs</li></ul><div><div>10 CAPs to limbeck</div><div><ul><li>Straight Ahead Award - 10 CAPs - For hitting the exactly correct order in one of 1993 STRAIGHTs</li></ul></div></div></div><div>10 CAPs to Laukku</div></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Psychic Prediction Award - 10 CAPs - For being the closest guesser to the Leisure Suit Larry 6: Shape Up or Slip Out! PISSED rating</li></ul><div>8 CAPs to Ahab</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Important Topic Award - 8 CAPs - For raising the issue of gay/trans panic</li></ul></div><div>5 CAPs to Michael</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Friend of Al Lowe's Award - 5 CAPs - For explaing who Art Serabian in Sierra games was</li></ul></div><div>5 CAPs to Deano</div></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Smelly Facts Award - 5 CAPs - For explaining why a health spa would do colonics</li></ul></div>Ilmari Jauhiainenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01655841880034965950noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-50885926365004603452024-01-19T00:00:00.001+11:002024-01-19T05:56:19.760+11:00Sam & Max Hit the Road — Leisure Suit ConroyWritten by Michael<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHDY0qDPLpkTRMdMjp-jbED6FY5KQHFxqfqpeajYTgEaRHveItAxja_-n0c2ChJJCFKFgz4YCuHAvronydSvNfzLpJNJyuoqqQadY1RUv2VmfKvNl97LAAW4u4B56Q-_MR5t2kNiO-F079UjMZqCVmY3VqeZH8BlBqGAgyzXRlxJucYv3XCOfVS9aUGXo/s640/01.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHDY0qDPLpkTRMdMjp-jbED6FY5KQHFxqfqpeajYTgEaRHveItAxja_-n0c2ChJJCFKFgz4YCuHAvronydSvNfzLpJNJyuoqqQadY1RUv2VmfKvNl97LAAW4u4B56Q-_MR5t2kNiO-F079UjMZqCVmY3VqeZH8BlBqGAgyzXRlxJucYv3XCOfVS9aUGXo/w400-h250/01.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PUdbm5-Uqs" style="text-align: start;">A surprisingly okay game</a><span style="text-align: start;">, considering it was just one big ad for pizza.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>I would have been back sooner, but I ordered pizza delivery to the house and this joker in a red outfit kept trying to take it away from me. I just HAD to defend my dinner. Now that I’m fed, I’m in a better mood and I’m ready to stomp out crime (or at least bunny-kick it).<br /><br />So, after carefully searching Trixie’s trailer with the assistance of a proper search warrant and a crack CSI team, it’s time for our intrepid investigators to head out. At the end of my last post, I made a plan. First, stop at Snuckey’s to get that jar opened, and then on to the World of Fish.<br /><br />I decided to check out both the other locations of Snuckey’s, to see what was different.<span><a name='more'></a></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik1v-nBxQhsNIuazehQ6Ib4CAaDAB7Vv714npP2lz33ndGw9VlsIRoj_S9QOPiLrDAN2rtFsv9Ykt0ooieUGtyq5UhRLVYagAE607Vg6w0tmgDtoY1H3wKund3_xrnPHwOtbul6Bm9dkRZKcW47aI1Y4DqBdmRNr922a-ldTJV7QfxkBkNZld3upsG6F8/s1600/02.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik1v-nBxQhsNIuazehQ6Ib4CAaDAB7Vv714npP2lz33ndGw9VlsIRoj_S9QOPiLrDAN2rtFsv9Ykt0ooieUGtyq5UhRLVYagAE607Vg6w0tmgDtoY1H3wKund3_xrnPHwOtbul6Bm9dkRZKcW47aI1Y4DqBdmRNr922a-ldTJV7QfxkBkNZld3upsG6F8/w400-h250/02.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Howdy, Pardner!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>So, first I visit the location in the midwest, and I’m treated to a cactus dressed as a cowboy outside the store. The coin-operated horsey ride is identical outside, as are the unexplorable gas pumps.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA9XkF_T3G3VoJ-WLXkrgZ8zT90DRZRv5Blj8ckaEFBKgE8GevAXGX4RDk7eRf4-qmhLLq1_d5oTRRrQM-EEMfB8LJxViuIahJwtFPBxolHwQ5KFYgkGMb9wl358zPlEMQutT3T-_6dhTfGR-zWkv-3HURphqrP7CccR1Rdn31vODtMyDEtbacYzavAbA/s1600/03.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA9XkF_T3G3VoJ-WLXkrgZ8zT90DRZRv5Blj8ckaEFBKgE8GevAXGX4RDk7eRf4-qmhLLq1_d5oTRRrQM-EEMfB8LJxViuIahJwtFPBxolHwQ5KFYgkGMb9wl358zPlEMQutT3T-_6dhTfGR-zWkv-3HURphqrP7CccR1Rdn31vODtMyDEtbacYzavAbA/w400-h250/03.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i> I can’t keep my excitement all bottled up.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Inside, not-Bernard, the clerk, has glasses and a ‘stache, but the same voice, and same responses to everything I say. He gladly opens up the jar for me, and although I have no need for it yet, I now have my very own twitching hand of Jesse James exposed to the air and ready at the itch of my own trigger finger.<br /><br />Since I already bought and used the pecan treats, that spot is still vacant on the shelf, but the spinner rack now has bootleg Sam & Max Dress-Up Books for me to purchase.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_8UKwPtWxGtBkq4Jn3Cuj7UPE4mF7qFL-jxHaQKegq0zkrO8-SYuE4XFzwYFjC4QsyjIUOsFgFbanRdcug7sf2bL51Zi0OVmttbAsCAiBstxndthZgdCeNIBhj5313eHHpRkHTbsiWB5TUDxXs0UQERwJRKeetOpCjE7OCqg4rtvPRm7Y5oWIGWL92KU/s1600/04.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_8UKwPtWxGtBkq4Jn3Cuj7UPE4mF7qFL-jxHaQKegq0zkrO8-SYuE4XFzwYFjC4QsyjIUOsFgFbanRdcug7sf2bL51Zi0OVmttbAsCAiBstxndthZgdCeNIBhj5313eHHpRkHTbsiWB5TUDxXs0UQERwJRKeetOpCjE7OCqg4rtvPRm7Y5oWIGWL92KU/w400-h250/04.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>I have a craving for gumbo now.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>The other location of Snuckey’s, down around New Orleans, has a crawfish in a straw hat out front, and the clerk inside is back to wearing contact lenses again. On the spiral rack is a bootleg Sam & Max Paint-by-Numbers book, which I grab up.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJB57SWea2_2lDZdbLkke8LVk0mPxz2D8XXjXWRadU4cVSprs9ihVn6pSH-0h4pKKJgoeDuplJMSujvjP3NUogwkXBy05WLYxZIf1CdIIOCrCDSLwC0ogDXhENQXrz74xLfBve0Kzm9kZumemUrwFIgxT24YRR3Zy2CC86ZI9gqSAhEjyrYQorG-pNVM/s1600/05.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJB57SWea2_2lDZdbLkke8LVk0mPxz2D8XXjXWRadU4cVSprs9ihVn6pSH-0h4pKKJgoeDuplJMSujvjP3NUogwkXBy05WLYxZIf1CdIIOCrCDSLwC0ogDXhENQXrz74xLfBve0Kzm9kZumemUrwFIgxT24YRR3Zy2CC86ZI9gqSAhEjyrYQorG-pNVM/w400-h250/05.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>For the halibut, I cod have made more progress, but I floundered and now have to clam up a little so I have more for the next post. I’m sure some of you may feel crabby about that, but I don’t give a carp.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>My side mission to the Snuckey’s done, I head to my next destination, the World of Fish. First glances: my puzzle guess from the last post was probably right. There’s a fisherman furiously catching fish and filling nets with them, which is periodically picked up by a helicopter flying by, taking them to the restaurant atop the ball of twine. <br /><br />Before I do anything else, however, I grab a bucket of fish over at the unmanned stand labeled “fish feed”. This was, unknowingly to me, a hint to the use of the bucket later. But that’s not where we are yet.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpnpFgMCUMzP0uoCPJ-yvsYGNvMTem2B4wGU-fpIuk2PYAO6O75UZtclwdtCLbZEPYPH8Pf7IMQn_6ZoSCiodlNZjjoDAzdFUfTWEC9r_-s_YgYDmSrq7X8Dx4jXjqidfeZfEDxPdqNar9uvP1bhTqwACvaJJaocT_T0gZmaSZutVujMcNPE3XIx48t0U/s1600/06.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpnpFgMCUMzP0uoCPJ-yvsYGNvMTem2B4wGU-fpIuk2PYAO6O75UZtclwdtCLbZEPYPH8Pf7IMQn_6ZoSCiodlNZjjoDAzdFUfTWEC9r_-s_YgYDmSrq7X8Dx4jXjqidfeZfEDxPdqNar9uvP1bhTqwACvaJJaocT_T0gZmaSZutVujMcNPE3XIx48t0U/w400-h250/06.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>It’s not just me, also Hannah and her sisters recognize this actor</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>The man doing the fishing looks and sounds exactly like a younger Woody Allen. Adding this to Bernard, and I suspect a lot of the people involved with this game <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZAXZ24bAS8">just stepped out of the movie theater</a>. He seems to live by the same credos I do, however.<br /><blockquote>“You must really love fish!”<br /><br />“Actually, I’m allergic to them.”<br /><br />“Then why do you work here?”<br /><br />“Because I’m more allergic to poverty.”</blockquote>And then, Sam confirms my assumption: “I love all your movies, especially the early funny ones.”<br /><br />Asking the usual questions by clicking the icons, his only connection to Bigfoots (Bigfeet?) was his great-aunt Lois marrying one, who shed all over the upholstery. When he talks about what the fish are for, he tells us about the Ball of Twine, which would have unlocked the location for us if we had gotten to him first, before talking to Doug. <br /><br />And then he confirms what most northern Americans know about country music. When asked about Conroy Bumpus, he said that he tries to not listen to country music, because:<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB2xJ29j2TvdcS32Ms__yBeresUuz3UwrmzicTB7gKVeEzVb0IFAPUWZ2UmjO3nKcJYqVMUsnGO5Yrx4p3pcgzu01ofTSdfVhsM1r4YxY5a_oYGa1Rhk47CwG9HOd2iAbpHpmn6sxB3rVcX7y2hNnd7kqIvktJkzmqjoWgMnpEX_V72vFLhG48NFgzh4g/s1600/07.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB2xJ29j2TvdcS32Ms__yBeresUuz3UwrmzicTB7gKVeEzVb0IFAPUWZ2UmjO3nKcJYqVMUsnGO5Yrx4p3pcgzu01ofTSdfVhsM1r4YxY5a_oYGa1Rhk47CwG9HOd2iAbpHpmn6sxB3rVcX7y2hNnd7kqIvktJkzmqjoWgMnpEX_V72vFLhG48NFgzh4g/w400-h250/07.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Speaking an inconvenient truth about the music genre</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>I can’t just walk into the net, so there’s an actual puzzle here. To the left of not-Woody is a big giant fish, big enough for me to get into. So I’m guessing that’s how I’ll do this, I’ll be getting caught by the fisherman while inside the large fish. <br /><br />I climb inside...<br /><br />...and nothing.<br /><br />Well, not quite nothing, The thing creeks a little, from the way it is mounted. Guess it wasn’t made for this kind of action. But I’m still here. So, how do I get into the net? Next, I try whipping out the World of Fish magnet in my inventory, thinking I need to catch the fisherman’s hook with it. Doesn’t seem to be the solution. But the creaking sound was a good hint. I have a wrench in my inventory, let’s loosen up the bolts holding me in place.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlsbvKv6V2bcVNGzMfXMBjt65TBioa-lIZYBh9B0vA8e57zALXk3xof2epSY30jzhL7Ht42iY0F9AOCm3MEzF2kO_ctWWZIwL3wqJdCLBfeIECQaTug0yuq9-R4_WFf9EksYvOzOaLSoWRCUW6ikQq86ACj6aP3OmlyM6dliC8-pGa67_z8enAojGf5V0/s1600/08.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlsbvKv6V2bcVNGzMfXMBjt65TBioa-lIZYBh9B0vA8e57zALXk3xof2epSY30jzhL7Ht42iY0F9AOCm3MEzF2kO_ctWWZIwL3wqJdCLBfeIECQaTug0yuq9-R4_WFf9EksYvOzOaLSoWRCUW6ikQq86ACj6aP3OmlyM6dliC8-pGa67_z8enAojGf5V0/w400-h250/08.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>If the fiberglass fish is a-rockin’, don’t come a-knockin’...</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>It’s a good idea, but it doesn’t get the job completely done. So, I check out my inventory for more ideas. And I then stumble upon one of the optional mini games advertised in the manual.<br /><br />See, I was thinking of using my Sam & Max Car Bomb™ to rock the thing off the hinge, but using that item instead brings up a mini game that you could quit from at any time.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8YZ9LF8Y3dAFg5-vl1_MPxOzuYePWpuH1zyGsaOpRexlRGydzcdx9gnPS26mkN3tKSCH8lLjVYfszclPmq-II03BskeMw1ttU1ZdIn9t2PPGB6JGfAWS-yRDKFBm9cV6Kuypf0c8LRYywsfn8UpLdF8yxn_o49gVEh1gtf0jC90-LH5QRgqfDwqIMBaM/s1600/09.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8YZ9LF8Y3dAFg5-vl1_MPxOzuYePWpuH1zyGsaOpRexlRGydzcdx9gnPS26mkN3tKSCH8lLjVYfszclPmq-II03BskeMw1ttU1ZdIn9t2PPGB6JGfAWS-yRDKFBm9cV6Kuypf0c8LRYywsfn8UpLdF8yxn_o49gVEh1gtf0jC90-LH5QRgqfDwqIMBaM/w400-h250/09.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>You squished my squad car!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>I’m not sure how big the board game <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrHs8CWDzmc"><i>Battleship</i></a> is outside of the United States, but there’s nothing localized about it. It’s a game where both players arrange, unseen to the other, their armada of warships in various sizes throughout a rectangular board, and then, the players take turns lobbying shots at spreadsheet-like coordinates, hoping to sink the other player’s ships. The first one to eliminate the other’s fleet wins. It is almost definitely the inspiration for the <a href="https://minesweeperonline.com/">Windows 3.1 classic <i>Minesweeper</i></a>.<br /><br />In the Sam & Max version, the boats are replaced with Buicks, the sailboats with squad cars. They even added an interesting new feature, two springboards that could randomly be placed as booby traps and lob the ammunition back to the other player. So, when a vehicle is destroyed, you might hear, “You crushed my cab!”, but for the opposing player, the wording might be, “You torched my taxi!” which is a nice touch that they varied the wording between the two players (Sam and Max, mind you) that kept the speech from being too repetitive.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOSk3V6e3X2qE9diyBvalks2f138KDaJfbQimVBYe-oLGHqI16LX6gUZzYJZteKMwF7Y5f0P9ZySdlyGC-9yTmvdXlul9mM5TvIoQHVCoAoMEa36YHSQ7Pp67Xww2GjMWUowXAO1Vdj7ZmEUUumlHk2di_2dJw2eeVi0VamGVEefaqXi-9BEInYie3n14/s1600/10.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOSk3V6e3X2qE9diyBvalks2f138KDaJfbQimVBYe-oLGHqI16LX6gUZzYJZteKMwF7Y5f0P9ZySdlyGC-9yTmvdXlul9mM5TvIoQHVCoAoMEa36YHSQ7Pp67Xww2GjMWUowXAO1Vdj7ZmEUUumlHk2di_2dJw2eeVi0VamGVEefaqXi-9BEInYie3n14/w400-h250/10.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Words not often spoken by other people.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Done with that diversion, let us get back to the main game. I still need to get this fish afloat. And I realize that I forgot to try the most obvious solution. USE MAX. I get him to jump in, and the combined weight, added to the loosened bolts, forces the fiberglass fish to float.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh28sSR4msw2Z8M8W9RSCHHFwOBnkXLBKTp4f2XkFRu5r8pmXvurdRU12xGnZNgjXf_harHl86LlulWgen_I1wRFuwovy95MGG8FEBTOWFsU72V0saSvJuGnTz07I3deOCrDZkf2-l7C_i9OIbuw5ZwhHIWPFyWhMMLEqdr6ESAQO62PBP5ZoaVxy3M5qc/s1200/11.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1200" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh28sSR4msw2Z8M8W9RSCHHFwOBnkXLBKTp4f2XkFRu5r8pmXvurdRU12xGnZNgjXf_harHl86LlulWgen_I1wRFuwovy95MGG8FEBTOWFsU72V0saSvJuGnTz07I3deOCrDZkf2-l7C_i9OIbuw5ZwhHIWPFyWhMMLEqdr6ESAQO62PBP5ZoaVxy3M5qc/w400-h250/11.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="text-align: start;">Crikey, mate. </span><a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0410455/quotes/" style="text-align: start;">My dad once said to me, "if they're biting you, you know you've got 'em"</a><span style="text-align: start;">.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>The fisherman floats away, meaning that this catch might be his last. It’s all our fault. But we’re a fish, inside the net, and as predicted, the helicopter comes.<br /><blockquote>“What’s that noise?”<br /><br />“It sounds like you do when you’ve eaten too much Thai food, Sam.”</blockquote><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjolqhpQ9TmC9i-2-6Rex7V-C5QalpFrkPkjwGo0mVFwuYjchjoJbIk6QW0u98CBmPaBGgRo7QZOoX8MdVYdladGI75KAAGGQVAevmTn1GWdyEU6fbvwIukfM_dlePcdwCeWCPKpqiQzTS4O0znN97tzZAD01ToCynG0DjD2BCw7zJ-Xwxlr6RviK0thY/s1600/12.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjolqhpQ9TmC9i-2-6Rex7V-C5QalpFrkPkjwGo0mVFwuYjchjoJbIk6QW0u98CBmPaBGgRo7QZOoX8MdVYdladGI75KAAGGQVAevmTn1GWdyEU6fbvwIukfM_dlePcdwCeWCPKpqiQzTS4O0znN97tzZAD01ToCynG0DjD2BCw7zJ-Xwxlr6RviK0thY/w400-h250/12.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>An uplifting experience</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcUTHLYvLiAPB-Qkk4Er5-xow1aVu4k6vcsq9fc7ExxbjNLzatQ4Bm55NEk1bdxRt4EXhC9eT6vwDibcVJJtd50hzWEfQVN2TB35hhhS8Q4NB5FQmbJ4GrZsUxsUZw_mpDoVgEGnlVPX9GK8tTb-vODEhFLy8Q0yC9MiNh7EATXLijojBpN40CwumYIzw/s1600/13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcUTHLYvLiAPB-Qkk4Er5-xow1aVu4k6vcsq9fc7ExxbjNLzatQ4Bm55NEk1bdxRt4EXhC9eT6vwDibcVJJtd50hzWEfQVN2TB35hhhS8Q4NB5FQmbJ4GrZsUxsUZw_mpDoVgEGnlVPX9GK8tTb-vODEhFLy8Q0yC9MiNh7EATXLijojBpN40CwumYIzw/w400-h250/13.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>So, the chopper picks up the net and brings us to the top of the twine ball restaurant. The chef takes just one look at us, and walks away. Probably the words in his head: “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2I91DJZKRxs">You’re gonna need a bigger knife</a>.” So, he’s gone, so we can emerge from our stucco shuttle,<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgalX4mddGatYmtA0lyOeEMFESgoQpp5DDbfAbyR2fUeoEKBn3w-vc3fJOgsPGtlz2qCikz728Fb6BQ36oS2xEh7v09PdrD5TJxOg7PPhnIud4Z2GHNF3-FQ2wXGp9isym86FU9kqThAzOUdRljRbekR9FDZOf5iP09GVNxdPqt40ub2iltaBDOUStuoK4/s1600/14.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgalX4mddGatYmtA0lyOeEMFESgoQpp5DDbfAbyR2fUeoEKBn3w-vc3fJOgsPGtlz2qCikz728Fb6BQ36oS2xEh7v09PdrD5TJxOg7PPhnIud4Z2GHNF3-FQ2wXGp9isym86FU9kqThAzOUdRljRbekR9FDZOf5iP09GVNxdPqt40ub2iltaBDOUStuoK4/w400-h250/14.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>We can’t go though the door, there’s nothing to pick up, so the only choice here is to get the rope we couldn’t reach before. Using Max, we get (as I predicted) 91 yards of twine.<br /><br />And then... company.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKcinvNeE1m2bVhV0E6qtrT6jRkQFATtw5QnMi_pvk3dCkTlV9nqopxSn_oCqESBEQADcPaHCT6-E6nH5fAbZqoUAKGLxdrQHKh7i3T2ns7UGsAkBCyRR0Udr2XEtcAi4Gfq6xDf2U9AqHLUxhUi9wfC3lQJQct4YPkPmyAkRlsquqx7Rbz_zhlSR2-jM/s1600/15.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKcinvNeE1m2bVhV0E6qtrT6jRkQFATtw5QnMi_pvk3dCkTlV9nqopxSn_oCqESBEQADcPaHCT6-E6nH5fAbZqoUAKGLxdrQHKh7i3T2ns7UGsAkBCyRR0Udr2XEtcAi4Gfq6xDf2U9AqHLUxhUi9wfC3lQJQct4YPkPmyAkRlsquqx7Rbz_zhlSR2-jM/w400-h250/15.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWl8EbNN8NM" style="text-align: start;">This is a knife</a><span style="text-align: start;">.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>The chef comes out, ready to julienne his jackfish, mince his mackerel, perforate his piranha... oh, I think you get my drift. If I keep this up, I suspect one of you will gut me like a guppy. He’s not happy to see his kitchen contaminated by visitors that failed to <a href="https://myfoodsafetynation.com/hand-washing-techniques-for-restaurant-food-handlers/">wash, rinse, and sanitize as required</a>, so as he approaches the house pets, and they jump off the twine ball.<br /><br />Suddenly, our entertainment title becomes educational.<br /><blockquote>“Galileo was wrong.”<br /><br />“I don’t think we were in a vacuum, Max.”</blockquote>They get out to the front yard of the attraction, and quite nearly quote an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jH_nkW3QtFg">Ashton Kutcher movie</a> word for word. “Wait for it...” And then, suddenly, it plops down from above, into the parking space.<br /><br />It feels like we’ve done all we can here, even though we never came across Shuv-Oohl. No mention of him either. Oh well, how about we check another tourist trap? Remember, one of the clues we collected from Trixie’s abode was a scorecard for the Gator Golf Emporium in Rheumy Eyes, Florida. You know, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xB4ydgcvXgk">somewhere down in the boondocks</a>.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSAIoFAVdWofBepKSEj9ZlphTZg8_ypDFBd4RdnsDIepVu0AlmxykUkdcY7eaBzU5sjCi1hRLcJBjVZyV2gDnQTlgTDB-lJ1CcKM6Oo0KPBzFphfWam0POpZSnZRv8RPGg5I1vv3AftQyzj5p65ybqYgBhNVKRULyg1P7cLvANVsF-WalNjzbBO2ugQ3A/s1600/16.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSAIoFAVdWofBepKSEj9ZlphTZg8_ypDFBd4RdnsDIepVu0AlmxykUkdcY7eaBzU5sjCi1hRLcJBjVZyV2gDnQTlgTDB-lJ1CcKM6Oo0KPBzFphfWam0POpZSnZRv8RPGg5I1vv3AftQyzj5p65ybqYgBhNVKRULyg1P7cLvANVsF-WalNjzbBO2ugQ3A/w400-h250/16.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>I sure hope they’re not talking about TAG.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>There’s a great big statue of a golfin’ gator out front. It seems nearly all of the locations in this game feature big creatures, be they statues or bigfoot. <a href="https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/new-york/famous-statue-backstory-ny/">Since I live just a few miles from one</a>, I wholeheartedly approve.<br /><br />Notice that none of these businesses have customers, except for the food giant in the Snuckey’s ice cream counter? We approach the counter of yet another business that seems to be underperforming, and find a real redneck yokel manning the shop. So, out of curiosity, why did he mix alligators and golf? Turns out, that wasn’t his intention. It was a miniature golf course that got flooded out, and then the gators moved in.<br /><br />Was the golf course originally based on the “Wonders of the World”? That would have been rather appropriate.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQzAfSFGoTMBieD6XP2moeWYhNW0S1TN4BoFqBdBq4cbzYb3rihB8w1ZSa-aQOm4__F_StW3lZkhlBgmVsRPfRheMkPFi9wqfrgDFYRqtW2HfWVIP_eG2PVoaB9CyTn028OSzXyVk2555r8uoXE0U9TmUw_sUMLstHL8OkSfwKX8naBGOS9GxJLxBDKDs/s800/17.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="800" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQzAfSFGoTMBieD6XP2moeWYhNW0S1TN4BoFqBdBq4cbzYb3rihB8w1ZSa-aQOm4__F_StW3lZkhlBgmVsRPfRheMkPFi9wqfrgDFYRqtW2HfWVIP_eG2PVoaB9CyTn028OSzXyVk2555r8uoXE0U9TmUw_sUMLstHL8OkSfwKX8naBGOS9GxJLxBDKDs/w400-h239/17.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic; text-align: start;">I worry about going </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HH6OuDYKWNE" style="text-align: start;">Overboard</a><span style="font-style: italic; text-align: start;"> with these movie references, because some of you might get Kurt with me.</span></td></tr></tbody></table>With the 10-foot gators in, it became a driving range, and a popular teen hangout as well... until “we had that problem with the Jenkins kid. The court made me destroy my best gator over that.”<br /><br />Talking to the man, we ask about bigfoots. “Don’t get me started about bigfoots! I used to have a bigfoot. He was my star attraction!”<br /><br />My thoughts echo Max’s response: “I’m beginning to sense a theme here.”<br /><br />It seems that he escaped after someone used an acetylene torch to remove his protective anklewear... um, shackles.<br /><br />Conroy Bumpus? “He’s my idol! I named all my kids and pets after him! I’ve built a beer can shrine to him in the garage! I live for the day when I can meet him in person!” <a href="https://umsu.unimelb.edu.au/news/article/7797/2021-06-03-fangirls-and-fantasies-why-we-love-to-hate-twilight/">I haven’t seen anyone fangirl like this since vampires sparkled</a>. So, he definitely doesn’t see eye to eye with us on Conroy’s arrogance.<br /><br />Well, looking around, I see a broken golf ball retriever in the trash, so of course I pick that up. It looks like an <a href="https://amzn.to/4aV1OTE">accordion stretchy item retriever</a>, with maybe one of the ends broken off.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyphenhyphenU6JXEra-zhvDbsSDODbUGT9WYTx4cirEMpaiHHAnY34Eu9Z-VpMM1kgKfCHXzQO_-Mfbha8FOuyYbmeAmeGbC7fSYJAF05V9u4kQ_IbmT2QXyOgrOHSlzAR92eDqSkOigo6LQraq9bb2d_aKz5sHbPoWcFv52oDgCRAM3lZBG5tyj70OLj_IIc0H0Q/s1600/18.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyphenhyphenU6JXEra-zhvDbsSDODbUGT9WYTx4cirEMpaiHHAnY34Eu9Z-VpMM1kgKfCHXzQO_-Mfbha8FOuyYbmeAmeGbC7fSYJAF05V9u4kQ_IbmT2QXyOgrOHSlzAR92eDqSkOigo6LQraq9bb2d_aKz5sHbPoWcFv52oDgCRAM3lZBG5tyj70OLj_IIc0H0Q/w400-h250/18.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>He’s got nothing on Larry. Look, he doesn’t even have a gold chain!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>We walk around the grounds and down to the driving range, and look! There’s Mr. Bumpus! So, we do what any loyal fan would do, and run back to get the owner... nah. We get into verbal fisticuffs with him and his henchman, basically just making fun of the toupee he’s wearing.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTozg96L14xjsKKllFaYLDu4I9TkDCjhEwwW6tmX5DWOLdmQZ2y4DSB65SK-2soAHtwQCxblgeIaGUdRG1dgNuQMJdJMPbTh7D7NfQbO8ifsxaHOYN2bH2U6eYvdcybqpsJ1_E-96T4pNS_wRuzCvYZ8lwotfOTUHTtsFuiH9HR-2nAmsnx0KM1HfGExA/s400/19.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="226" data-original-width="400" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTozg96L14xjsKKllFaYLDu4I9TkDCjhEwwW6tmX5DWOLdmQZ2y4DSB65SK-2soAHtwQCxblgeIaGUdRG1dgNuQMJdJMPbTh7D7NfQbO8ifsxaHOYN2bH2U6eYvdcybqpsJ1_E-96T4pNS_wRuzCvYZ8lwotfOTUHTtsFuiH9HR-2nAmsnx0KM1HfGExA/w400-h226/19.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>It’s a police officer’s tradition to make fun of someone’s wig!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Well, Mr. B doesn’t appreciate our sense of humor, so he has his right hand man do his dirty work.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvVzfrSK7AqqS2CQjNyKvDpdC_r202-3YTlnw24TNrjxK8e_LraiXsL9KDy_HigYlvGRenh5DtRshdN0z5FaUgneXQiIEL6KYEogFGiqswlc54aQq9EfS5PwI1ad_9EEq38xbmB0PEVETBC8-j-L0gWJgHGedWtSiu60AmBOlEbB58UyUVTSiWM8Wdyuw/s1200/20.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1200" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvVzfrSK7AqqS2CQjNyKvDpdC_r202-3YTlnw24TNrjxK8e_LraiXsL9KDy_HigYlvGRenh5DtRshdN0z5FaUgneXQiIEL6KYEogFGiqswlc54aQq9EfS5PwI1ad_9EEq38xbmB0PEVETBC8-j-L0gWJgHGedWtSiu60AmBOlEbB58UyUVTSiWM8Wdyuw/w400-h250/20.gif" width="400" /></a></div>And then as he’s pretty teed off with us, he uses a balled-up Max as a golf ball, and lands him in the vacant dunk booth in the distance.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwsJGQzhvhZDxXwt3UEw0aZEdevp4Jqw7sIR8tt0HnlRp246J08rjnJKw0yUNW_7MP5zDi3R60hVfhjPJLYZTfrywtm5wpeYG8pAy14malltsoFTMhu6Hzmcd9dxbH8hnfNJEGkFPACvJZrCeZcmO-7eNVwvh09CGN41SQstsG-1pyEDSWF7XXIjgqdr0/s1600/21.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwsJGQzhvhZDxXwt3UEw0aZEdevp4Jqw7sIR8tt0HnlRp246J08rjnJKw0yUNW_7MP5zDi3R60hVfhjPJLYZTfrywtm5wpeYG8pAy14malltsoFTMhu6Hzmcd9dxbH8hnfNJEGkFPACvJZrCeZcmO-7eNVwvh09CGN41SQstsG-1pyEDSWF7XXIjgqdr0/w400-h250/21.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDCcs0eVtKEWpPktRiH2MftL8AJX8JXT5_TlRyqYIVAfOnfqFwIaMLyDnxvYEAxHwjyCMhj1FVP-oEiX61lqN56seUKsCEr_D7Nsj2kZ8-V8HWZkJQG7RGiGMr0KJZDypl3dCMdHOYpDA38eGFVD2NpgxN0o2ULKpHa8W2B-yvTnOoWBA2vtZdLz-zC0s/s1600/22.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDCcs0eVtKEWpPktRiH2MftL8AJX8JXT5_TlRyqYIVAfOnfqFwIaMLyDnxvYEAxHwjyCMhj1FVP-oEiX61lqN56seUKsCEr_D7Nsj2kZ8-V8HWZkJQG7RGiGMr0KJZDypl3dCMdHOYpDA38eGFVD2NpgxN0o2ULKpHa8W2B-yvTnOoWBA2vtZdLz-zC0s/w400-h250/22.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>And I suppose it’s up to me (as Sam) to save him. What are best friends for, anyway?<br /><br />So, this booth is usually occupied by that missing Bigfoot, who’s currently missing. It’s surrounded by some former mini-golf destinations, such as a clown head, a windmill, some serpentine-dragon-looking thing, and a giant monkey head. Sadly, I don’t have the key for that, but I suspect it’s not hooked up to the dunk booth anyway.<br /><br />So, I practice my golf game. Seriously, this isn’t an arcade game. You plant a flag with the mouse, hit the button to shoot the ball, and it lands at the base of the flag. If you hit it into the objects, like the windmill, things happen, like sounds or actions.<br /><br />If you hit the gators, they get a little annoyed, but stay put.<br /><br />I land one at the bullseye for the dunk booth, but it only dunks Max, and he’s back up for another shot. It doesn’t rescue him. So, I think I’m going to need to go out there. But how?<br /><br />I need to get rid of those alligators, most definitely. I look through my inventory, and nothing seems to work. But I look at the bucket of fish, and think of maybe using it to lure them away. Maybe throwing it to them?<br /><br />No, this is a mini-golf course. I need to golf them. I think that maybe I can combine them with the golf balls, but when I click the one bucket on the other, it just swaps them.<br /><br />Afterwards, I thought, “Duh!” Swapping a bucket for a bucket should have been an obvious puzzle.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZrSgfvP0hEIj17zsnOvAn9-V6JiwBhrugciscMempxAmLv20h52IqVXVWSyiZ5_U_nZSlNvcdZI-fBK9dpUpTowXV_NGsMtkgNLXlWd70dY4KS3QH1xiQ70izn8p1mVhi0YlIqC9_9JIWEjx_4MMrj-sLJo_s5pQtPNcXIRjIK3paQGVe63QsAcp-WRM/s1600/23.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZrSgfvP0hEIj17zsnOvAn9-V6JiwBhrugciscMempxAmLv20h52IqVXVWSyiZ5_U_nZSlNvcdZI-fBK9dpUpTowXV_NGsMtkgNLXlWd70dY4KS3QH1xiQ70izn8p1mVhi0YlIqC9_9JIWEjx_4MMrj-sLJo_s5pQtPNcXIRjIK3paQGVe63QsAcp-WRM/w400-h250/23.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Now I'm just gon' sit, at the dock of the bay, watchin' the tide roll away.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>So, sending the fish to their heads, they just eat it, and don’t move. But launch it a few feet away, and they move to follow it. Sometimes not as perfect as you’d like, but it appears to be a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/29/business/red-lobster-endless-shrimp-deal/index.html">bucket of fish from Red Lobster</a>, so I don’t have to worry about running out.<br /><br />The goal here is to play a game of <a href="https://happyhopper.org/"><i>Frogger</i></a>, by moving the gators around to make a path to the booth.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3h8jOcqUcvXmnQej-lEBO-3uEg7mBmYW-xO2yYTAzhGrwX-VJKRFRr1WLPZblr9z4kUXW446Z1TnUG87GOXx-9Wz4C8ktn8a-62cIlmm33KRzEtwL9Lv5VIZrtnC-XoSPczMDQK88ah_3LrQK-6BxTsCXGWczYPr2E4de0dfD45bJPb2ZJ2YvqLB02M/s1600/24.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3h8jOcqUcvXmnQej-lEBO-3uEg7mBmYW-xO2yYTAzhGrwX-VJKRFRr1WLPZblr9z4kUXW446Z1TnUG87GOXx-9Wz4C8ktn8a-62cIlmm33KRzEtwL9Lv5VIZrtnC-XoSPczMDQK88ah_3LrQK-6BxTsCXGWczYPr2E4de0dfD45bJPb2ZJ2YvqLB02M/w400-h250/24.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Now, now, Max, I don’t HAVE to rescue you.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>I soon move them in position, and it’s a hop, skip, and a jump away to the island. But now I have to get him out of the booth up there.<br /><br />I try things like the golf ball retriever, with no luck. For fun, I hit the bullseye some more and send Max into the water. <br /><br />And then, I realize, I’m a moron. AGAIN.<br /><br />I never tried to simply click the “use” icon on the door first.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEWPD0clGtGg3PQy_5pij6VGVd-xhdid9c1lHdzjAiIUy98Lbj6zwipwcdNMQWu6ZrQ38rXS08YmvQ0AMMiCue5az7RxbuKuDKCcA9rnzmXOaxoGXGsTyxqYgaR1aW2rSTKM0r8kJAPaMkXtLrECMfQqQKNDQv34YReE4ojDLQo7Az-rWhbQhCRtTYVoA/s1600/25.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEWPD0clGtGg3PQy_5pij6VGVd-xhdid9c1lHdzjAiIUy98Lbj6zwipwcdNMQWu6ZrQ38rXS08YmvQ0AMMiCue5az7RxbuKuDKCcA9rnzmXOaxoGXGsTyxqYgaR1aW2rSTKM0r8kJAPaMkXtLrECMfQqQKNDQv34YReE4ojDLQo7Az-rWhbQhCRtTYVoA/w400-h250/25.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>One small step for dog, a giant leap for anthropomorphic crime fighters.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Sam scales the side of the box, helps Max escape, and then it causes a door at the bottom of the attraction to pop open. Max also says he found another batch of fur at the bottom of the tank, which he saved.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivsNQUWk1ItnagwXhs8Y1xaRpXi2S-5JorBgP5U3Oo7SToQo11PjgXk9wNHW35uKG0Cg73OufoCErXF8-rRDd7ADfp05XU1BMNzfFmibzw9A5NZQNyPnAb1YwY_ZHdBvbydeWAfX5fCW9xxoOgDiYihdZEkA1WiUzBtI98g3uhyrnCcHLm4zLxril_daY/s1600/26.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivsNQUWk1ItnagwXhs8Y1xaRpXi2S-5JorBgP5U3Oo7SToQo11PjgXk9wNHW35uKG0Cg73OufoCErXF8-rRDd7ADfp05XU1BMNzfFmibzw9A5NZQNyPnAb1YwY_ZHdBvbydeWAfX5fCW9xxoOgDiYihdZEkA1WiUzBtI98g3uhyrnCcHLm4zLxril_daY/w400-h250/26.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>This game is getting me all shook up.</i></span><br style="text-align: start;" /></td></tr></tbody></table>In the storage closet below is an empty snowglobe, for the Mystery Vortex in scenic Gullwump, Washington. Hey, look, another new location on the map! And an inscription on the bottom: “To Elmo the Bigfoot, Keep on Truckin’, Shuv-Oohl the Mole Man”<br /><br />So a clue! And with that, we will get the truck out of here for now. I’ll leave you with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_Re8fah0Ag">this video mashup</a>, which I found while looking for something else, and just made me smile.<br /><br /><b>Session Time</b>: 1 hour 15 minutes<br /><b>Total Time:</b> 3 hour 30 minutes<br /><br /><b>Inventory</b>: Lots of money, World of Fish magnet, tufts of two different bigfoots’ hair, black light flashlight, carnival pass, Sam & Max™ Car Bomb, Sam & Max Coloring Book, Sam & Max Dress-Up game, stilt walker’s outfit, Gator Golf score card, Jesse James’ severed hand (no longer in a jar), bent left-handed wrench, bucket of golf balls, snowglobe, 91 yards of twine<div><br /><b>Note Regarding Spoilers and Companion Assist Points:</b> There’s a set of rules regarding spoilers and companion assist points. Please read it <a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/p/rookie-companion.html">here</a> 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!</div>Ilmari Jauhiainenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01655841880034965950noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-19438270008859727532024-01-16T16:16:00.000+11:002024-01-16T16:16:01.812+11:00Missed Classic: Beyond Zork - Rejected by Heaven<p>Written by Joe Pranevich</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL3z-KiUCTJu0O8WE_ro2XJEMNUj7Gnxv_ztfChgYB9TZptAoyEMWmw_SUxAgmJb0TVD8RdZMIM555DVSXWuWOi5SXHz_BpJa-1A-uuFXV8Ov4wqVUOLBMeayIFs5aZPQi8q46HAXXpSStFQ9BrETF33AXn6Dhyphenhyphenf-Z9mB2U-8BFv1R-OnMcZG3AuEOPSMY/s1024/image%203-01%20(lighthouse).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL3z-KiUCTJu0O8WE_ro2XJEMNUj7Gnxv_ztfChgYB9TZptAoyEMWmw_SUxAgmJb0TVD8RdZMIM555DVSXWuWOi5SXHz_BpJa-1A-uuFXV8Ov4wqVUOLBMeayIFs5aZPQi8q46HAXXpSStFQ9BrETF33AXn6Dhyphenhyphenf-Z9mB2U-8BFv1R-OnMcZG3AuEOPSMY/w400-h400/image%203-01%20(lighthouse).png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Welcome back to <i>Beyond Zork</i>! After ten hours, I have to admit that I’m struggling a bit with the mix of RPG and text adventure elements: I’m never quite sure if I should be looking for a puzzle solution or just hitting whatever the obstacle is very hard. I’m having a lot of fun, but starting to get frustrated by the game never telling my character that she should be doing any of this, almost as if I missed some big “call to adventure”. Last time out, I explored pretty much the entire game world that I could, defeated a few monsters, was defeated by even more of them, and generally got the lay of the land. This week, I need to put two and two together to solve some puzzles and try to get someplace. </p><p>When I left off, I had just made my first trip south of the crocodile-infested jungle to discover a strangely Christmas-themed village. It was appropriate for December, but the rampaging Christmas tree monsters there weren’t as easily dealt with as putting your discarded tree out on the street on trash day. Near the village, I also rescued an adorable “minx” from some abusive hunters. It looks like a fantasy version of a “mink” (best known for being popular in coats of the 1980s... shudder), but one that can dig up chocolate truffles. (In the real world, mushroom truffles can be found and dug up by some breeds of pigs and dogs.) With my new companion in tow, let’s explore!</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSckcSMCSn9bHfdyfjOeynQiMkuLJu8-atJYPdnsesjl_2bN7BRCzzoPGWtdpPDaH15-zeXSzHEwbrmGA9riM5j-crUhB108qHAtOQYQ3Lbmpm-6aI6kbsTEEB55OneYc5cbX57bpeNB41AUi3IB2A3gQZ16zLP4sYaAXD5rt-aUlfRluAsY6X8H9kstSQ/s1792/image%203-02%20(ferret%20adventure).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1792" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSckcSMCSn9bHfdyfjOeynQiMkuLJu8-atJYPdnsesjl_2bN7BRCzzoPGWtdpPDaH15-zeXSzHEwbrmGA9riM5j-crUhB108qHAtOQYQ3Lbmpm-6aI6kbsTEEB55OneYc5cbX57bpeNB41AUi3IB2A3gQZ16zLP4sYaAXD5rt-aUlfRluAsY6X8H9kstSQ/w400-h229/image%203-02%20(ferret%20adventure).png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p><i>Setting off on an adventure with my best mate.</i></p></td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">Failing at Puzzles: The Cliff, the Truffles, and the Bridge</h3><p>Before I get too far, let me wrap up some loose ends from last time:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I appraise the deadly Christmas tree ornament, hoping (and expecting) that it would be a rare and valuable treasure. It is plastic and worth 2 zorkmids.<br /><br /></li><li>The vial that I found under the pew in the church that I completely forgot to mention contains holy water.<br /><br /></li><li>The scroll I nabbed in the jungle is a “scroll of honing” that will add an enchantment to any weapon, but just one. I should decide on my permanent gear before using it. <br /><br /></li><li>The minx follows me everywhere, but can get stuck. It cannot climb ladders or exit the cable car without help, but otherwise I can mostly ignore it and it follows me around. I consider selling it, but none of the shopkeepers are interested in becoming a pet store.</li></ul><p></p><p>It’s difficult to narrate the next bit, but it involves a lot of thrashing around without a good idea of what to do next. I try to free the unicorn from the stable, but only discover that I can increase my luck score by kissing its horn. Otherwise, the stable lock remains stubbornly locked.</p><p>I also spend too much time on the cliff riddle:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: courier;">“My tines be long, </span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"> My tines be short,</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"> My tines end ere my first report.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"> What am I?”</span></p></blockquote><p>The key parts appear to be “tines” and that they end “ere” (before) “our first report”. The dictionary tells me that tines are usually the prongs of forks, but the word can also refer to antlers, branches, the pointy bits of a comb, and other things that stick out like that. “Ere our first report” still makes me think of a clock with the long and short tines being the big and little hands of the clock. If that’s the case, all my attempts go nowhere, as do less well-reasoned attempts involving sunbeams, chimes, music, shadows, and worse ideas. The previous riddle’s answer was “youth” and I am inclined to suspect a theme, but it doesn’t really fit. I’m coming back to this cliff over and over again while exploring, but no breakthroughs come immediately.</p><p>My next attempt is to find a “chocolate truffle” and I am half successful. The manual mentions these truffles several times, revealing that the minx can find truffles in the roots of some oak trees. I go to the first oak that I remember (the one on the hill near where we start the game) and it doesn’t take too long for my cute adventuring buddy to find what he (or she?) is looking for. I do have to pick up and drop it a few times to trigger it searching; there may be a better way to do that. Unfortunately, once we have a truffle in hand, it melts and goes bad in just a few turns. The manual hints that it is “valued by royalty”, but I do not find anyone close enough and royal enough to be its destination before it spoils. I restore and at least know how to find it again when I find someone that wants one.</p><p>I fail next with Zeno’s Bridge. If you recall from last time, this is a bridge that works like Zeno’s Paradox: as you go across it, you go halfway, then halfway, then halfway again and never get all of the way. There’s a parrot-headed umbrella in the middle of the bridge that seems like we can Mary Poppins down with, but we are too heavy and the umbrella breaks. Is there a “make me lighter” spell? Since I cannot cross that way, I blow the whistle and summon my pterodactyl friend. (This game has a lot of animal friends.) He informs me that he may be summoned only three times. Unfortunately, we cannot ride him as his back is too slippery. I guess I will need to find a way to get the saddle from the unicorn’s stable after all. </p><p>My final failure is thinking that my character surely needs to be getting some motivation before now. (Remember that we the player have been told what is up, but our character is just a country peasant that has decided for absolutely no reason to start traipsing up and down the countryside.) The most likely place where I will learn the plot is at the Circle of Enchanters, but they are currently being guarded by a monkey grinder wielding a magic hurdy-gurdy. I try to fight him or use items on him, but everything is useless. I don’t land a single blow or spell. Even the “cane of annihilation” power just gets absorbed into his hurdy gurdy. I will have to try another approach.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQcqHBy-Y1XUBqUkSurzdRAmulrt2_mdWVg6UYVX_ibeQIsAyIgN27J2B0NdZ7OD3izq1UAoMes3z-wwrh81tcxgILQz7oT2BLStV2lbzG0N_C48KBQmX_b37_Hkooqx8cLxJBcVq5j23_dlhjNZd3_RszpuEl8owH3tHab0-Nkqe7Se_9G3rs6QUj_t5Q/s1792/image%203-03%20(ferret%20at%20tree).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1792" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQcqHBy-Y1XUBqUkSurzdRAmulrt2_mdWVg6UYVX_ibeQIsAyIgN27J2B0NdZ7OD3izq1UAoMes3z-wwrh81tcxgILQz7oT2BLStV2lbzG0N_C48KBQmX_b37_Hkooqx8cLxJBcVq5j23_dlhjNZd3_RszpuEl8owH3tHab0-Nkqe7Se_9G3rs6QUj_t5Q/w400-h229/image%203-03%20(ferret%20at%20tree).png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p><i>We discovered a truffle! At least, I hope that’s a truffle.</i></p></td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">Finally Managing to Defeat Something</h3><p>At this point, I resolve to treat the game more like an RPG. If I am going to defeat any of the monsters that are currently killing me (the cruel puppet, the crocodile, and so many more), I will need to care about my stats. It’s time to buy better weapons and armor.</p><p>What should I buy to optimize my chances? The boutique sells a cloak that the shopkeeper there cannot identify, but the magic shop tells me is a “cloak of stealth”. It increases my armor class by five. Trial and error shows the leather tunic I can buy increases it by 10, while the scale mail bumps it by 20. (I don’t even have enough gold to try out the plate mail.) Since money is limited, I elect to get the axe from the weapon shop as I cannot afford the sword and the leather tunic. Those are the second best items in two shops which I hope will be better than the best from one but not the other. </p><p>Even with my new kit, the cruel puppet defeats me handily. I at least learn that the oak tree in his forest also has truffles, meaning that if I spoil one that I probably have somewhere that I can get a second. I also learn that eating a truffle in front of the minx reduces our compassion score by one, but feeding it one doesn’t increase it. That hardly seems fair!</p><p>Despite not working against the puppet, I take my gear into the jungle and it makes me powerful enough to defeat both the bloodworm and the crocodile! We’re getting somewhere! Neither of them drop any new items, but I do advance to level three. We only (obviously) get more endurance when we level up, but even that will help with combat. I spend some time trying to solve some of the jungle puzzles with fewer distractions:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The baby Hungus still needs to be rescued from quicksand. The “rod of sayonara” seems like it should do the trick (it teleports a monster to a nearby room), but the game sees that as being aggressive and doesn’t let me do it.<br /><br /></li><li>The “Crocodile’s Tear” puzzle is a see-saw where I think we have to drop heavy stuff on one end so that we can climb to the jewel on the other side without falling in. Unfortunately, even putting everything I own on one end isn’t enough to keep the see-saw up in the air. For a second time, I wonder if there isn’t a magic object that will make me lighter! Will the mother Hungus sit on one end after I rescue her baby?<br /><br /></li><li>When I do get caught inside the idol’s maw again, I can use the “rod of sayonara” on myself to teleport out. This lets me squeeze the moss inside to increase my dexterity, without getting stuck. Considering the last time we saw that moss, it was because there was a dexterity-related puzzle, that could be what is going on here as well. Could I need both heavy objects and high dexterity to get the idol?</li></ul><p></p><p>This is also the point where I realize that I have not been using my potions correctly. They all say “shake before using” and I have just been drinking them. Doing it properly reveals that my “potion of might” permanently increases my strength to 27. I cannot yet afford the potion of enlightenment without selling things I don’t want to part with, but if I do that (and then restore), I learn that it increases my intelligence to 51. </p><p>With the additional level and bonuses, I finally defeat the cruel puppet! A few turns later, I am attacked by a hellhound. Although that fight is even more difficult, I have the power and dexterity to take it down too. I am now level four! Even with all that, I cannot hit the monkey grinder even once so I suspect there is more to him than a straight fight.</p><p>During this run around, I think I found a way to keep the truffles fresh. If I dip them in the fountain of youth, they appear to stay fresh forever. There is no message about this and I’m not even sure it’s not a bug, but after I took a dip (while playing with the “old horseshoe” to try and turn it into a “young horseshoe”), it didn’t degrade anymore. That seems like a crazy use for a fountain of youth when a refrigerator would do, but magical kingdoms have magical solutions.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgqHU1VapnntacZNyoz0vv4zV5q2g0uQtp2tuI69SG7oJkWez9s5rhP-1fZhYSh7ZJqWJTAv6iMtJM5RKFpC378XYqz3kEJRN6I-yTk8RsaLbisC-q_pFuD1_45oQh511reNTcewriniNkiz36TFL8ppjI-fjf-xYBEyNXvZwCZQk9k_t4R6thRmvmAvoh/s1024/image%203-04%20(ferret%20in%20sky).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgqHU1VapnntacZNyoz0vv4zV5q2g0uQtp2tuI69SG7oJkWez9s5rhP-1fZhYSh7ZJqWJTAv6iMtJM5RKFpC378XYqz3kEJRN6I-yTk8RsaLbisC-q_pFuD1_45oQh511reNTcewriniNkiz36TFL8ppjI-fjf-xYBEyNXvZwCZQk9k_t4R6thRmvmAvoh/w400-h400/image%203-04%20(ferret%20in%20sky).png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Honestly, I could just make low-quality AI art about our heroine and her adventure ferret all day.</i></p></td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">Exploring the Northern Ruins</h3><p>I’m just about of puzzles that I can solve, but the saddle in the stable calls to me since that will let me fly on the pterodactyl. Like most puzzles, it makes me feel dumb in retrospect: I can use the “Amulet of Bok” (the one that gave me temporary strength to escape the cellar in the inn) to temporarily increase my strength and then smash it. Our new unicorn friend immediately wanders off, but now I have the saddle. Score!</p><p>Everything else works just like I expect: I go to the center of the bridge, grab the parrot umbrella, then call the pterodactyl. (This is the only way to get the umbrella without breaking it.) I put the saddle on him then I was able to fly north, bypassing the bridge. I dismount and begin to explore. As you might expect, it’s another “dungeon”:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>A ghoul attacks me with a spade. Defeating it is simple, but now I have a spade. Is there anywhere that I need to do any gardening?<br /><br /></li><li>An undead warrior attacks next. Have you noticed that most of these dungeons have monsters in twos? My axe does no damage to it at all, but tossing the holy water defeats it immediately. <br /><br /></li><li>Deeper in the run, I discover an archway with an hourglass-shaped gap that seems perfect for the one that costs 1,000 zorkmids. I don’t know how I will afford that, but perhaps that is where the Crocodile’s Tear comes in?<br /><br /></li><li>Outside the ruin is another patch of spenseweed that I can cultivate. </li></ul><p></p><p>Unfortunately, that is it. The ruin is just a few rooms, two battles, and a mysterious place to put an hourglass. We cannot even cross the bridge again without the pterodactyl so I have to burn two of his three flights just getting her. Something tells me that I was supposed to solve the bridge first, but I was truly expecting something on this side that would help with that.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW0xpKztkB9SzatoMIGA692vbMVsxSGiJZLmscKyPshVFYiQ-JkQsz1lr2nRv5zVq-vIgTVUKMPd-kw_wNAgLyXTZS6ES-rO2-9Bw_u6a-mxqQRH5wTbLFhz95W0olbHi21t94J4zt3PXb2EOy7tvvNjy7BJxXQ75Sk_fhfnlYznxt4ZPM3a49zFdxvm74/s1708/image%203-05%20(map%20portion).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1708" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW0xpKztkB9SzatoMIGA692vbMVsxSGiJZLmscKyPshVFYiQ-JkQsz1lr2nRv5zVq-vIgTVUKMPd-kw_wNAgLyXTZS6ES-rO2-9Bw_u6a-mxqQRH5wTbLFhz95W0olbHi21t94J4zt3PXb2EOy7tvvNjy7BJxXQ75Sk_fhfnlYznxt4ZPM3a49zFdxvm74/w400-h281/image%203-05%20(map%20portion).png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p><i>This picture is missing a ferret.</i></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Since I’m flying anyway, I take the time to explore where I can fly to. I quickly realize that the strange notations on our map correspond to a different “room” while aloft and a place where we can land. The arrows represent directions that we can go; the pterodactyl will refuse to fly in other directions for one reason or another. Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as that because we also have occasional headwinds or cross-winds that we have to “wait” out to travel in a specific direction. </p><p>My target is the only spot on the map that I haven’t been yet: the manor or castle in the southwest corner. This reveals another puzzle: no matter how I try and no matter how I try to wait out the wind, the conditions are never right to get to “J” on the map. Notably, we also cannot get to the Christmas village (“N”) from the rest of the map either, but traveling there and trying to fly directly northwest doesn’t work either. I suspect that this is a key puzzle. The manual tells us that there is a “compass rose” that could be used to control the wind, but I haven’t found one yet. I have only found one flowerbed in the game, near the unicorn’s stable, but there are no roses there. </p><p>Having burned all of my pterodactyl flights and accomplished nothing, I restore back to before I crossed Zeno’s bridge. I’ll try again when I locate the rose or another way to cross the chasm.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCjArfWgFG__2WB7Iq4AB3wbiTyEfY0sSvtDzWTlRMitfPwGx_uVPVeWJGO2JrDJOF3UaF8GmwlVLdzII-TUXQx2NbM_rvOW3BO7EJNM45eFk4oyT3FFJLuwJOUyLFeRW59BPOXmMA3_d68uR3idPRyu7_lHZPTxbNcgF1KffRsIxaaJ8od1FnIyjI9Zvd/s1024/image%203-06%20(exploring%20lighthouse).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCjArfWgFG__2WB7Iq4AB3wbiTyEfY0sSvtDzWTlRMitfPwGx_uVPVeWJGO2JrDJOF3UaF8GmwlVLdzII-TUXQx2NbM_rvOW3BO7EJNM45eFk4oyT3FFJLuwJOUyLFeRW59BPOXmMA3_d68uR3idPRyu7_lHZPTxbNcgF1KffRsIxaaJ8od1FnIyjI9Zvd/w400-h400/image%203-06%20(exploring%20lighthouse).png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>It makes sense in retrospect.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">Giving Up and Taking a Hint</h3><p>I’ll spare you another round of crashing against puzzles and getting nowhere. I tried to bring the extremely heavy onion into the jungle to use with the idol puzzle, but there’s no obvious way to get there. The thing is so heavy that we cannot lift it– but we can roll it from room to room. Even if I get it to the gondola, we cannot roll it into the car and we’re stuck. (How I’d get it down the support tower ladders is a different question, but I didn’t get that far.) Knowing that I can roll the thing around, I tried using it in a few locations. If we hack into it in the presence of an enemy, we can cause its eyes to sting. The monkey grinder is immune to this, just like he’s immune to everything else, but I’ll be on the lookout for where I can use these tricks.</p><p>In the end, I failed at the riddle on the cliff and gave up. Just to remind you, this is what I was trying to solve:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: courier;">“My tines be long, </span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"> My tines be short,</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"> My tines end ere my first report.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"> What am I?”</span></p></blockquote><p>After looking at forks and clocks and time and so many things, I give up and search online for the answer: it’s “lightning”. The fork-like branches of lightning are the “tines” and they end before their first report because light travels faster than sound: we see the flash well before we hear the “report” of the thunder. As expected, it seems obvious in retrospect, but the vocabulary tripped me up. The lightning blasts open a passageway into the cliff face, allowing me to access the lighthouse above.</p><p>What follows is another <i>Beyond Zork</i>-style randomized dungeon, except this one was fairly big: 3-4 rooms per level for four levels, all ascending to the top of the lighthouse.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>On the first floor, I discover a giant spider and have little difficulty defeating it with my axe.<br /><br /></li><li>On the second floor, we find a staff and a giant slug. He’s immune to attacks from our axe, but he dies immediately if we sprinkle salt on him. He leaves behind a bubblegum card.<br /><br /></li><li>On the third floor, we find replicating dust bunnies. Attacking leads to multiplication. Fortunately, the answer for this is in the manual: static electricity or lemon-scented sprays. While life has not yet handed us lemons, the bearskin rug that we found at the beginning of the game caused a static charge whenever we walked across it. I fetch it from the inn and defeat the bunnies easily. They leave behind a ring. <br /><br /></li><li>On the fourth floor, we discover a Dornbeast (creature with many eyes) guarding a treasure chest. My recent experience rolling and cutting onions comes in handy here as he can be distracted by the stinging of a freshly cut onion. Even with that advantage, he’s still a powerful fiend and takes a while to kill, but he eventually goes down. I am level five again!</li></ul><p></p><p>While I ran back to get the onion, I stopped to identify my new stuff: the staff of levitation, a ring of shielding, and a scroll of recall. The ring is not clear what it shields us from, but it “sends a chill down your spine”. Does it protect against fire? The scroll says that it is “just the thing for emergencies”, but I don’t know what constitutes an emergency or exactly how it helps. I’ll have to play with it later.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHXD9jtOAXX1fp4IE_ThBEih7lxgd8xRJ5k37VH7WAOAOqg0KQMGvSEq5vCPd8ixnUzFX62lKSFEpbetPMAklcDA6PsFk1cTSDA5OdJl1zr3Q_A8uTjr4PbHxgx90Nic5RI-5oOERVmK_By6hcFW8M5RP8l6AvL2UVYmwb6RheBWIYrcPZYB4LKAdVrtmJ/s1024/image%203-07%20(unicorn%20field).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHXD9jtOAXX1fp4IE_ThBEih7lxgd8xRJ5k37VH7WAOAOqg0KQMGvSEq5vCPd8ixnUzFX62lKSFEpbetPMAklcDA6PsFk1cTSDA5OdJl1zr3Q_A8uTjr4PbHxgx90Nic5RI-5oOERVmK_By6hcFW8M5RP8l6AvL2UVYmwb6RheBWIYrcPZYB4LKAdVrtmJ/w400-h400/image%203-07%20(unicorn%20field).png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p><i>“You and your ferret are not welcome here!”</i></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Opening the chest in the lighthouse transports me to the “Plain of Transinfinite Splendor”, a heavenly realm where unicorns graze. Unfortunately, they spy me immediately after I arrive, call me an “intruder” (even after I saved their friend!), and force me to experience a lifetime of equine drudgery before returning me to the lighthouse. The chest no longer works and I am forced to restore. </p><p>What do I need to do to not be rejected by heaven? An indulgence from the church? While there is a nearby church (complete with a relic of some kind), I don’t know how to get that and I don’t get the impression that the unicorns would care. Do I just need a higher compassion score? It’s been going up every time I do a good deed. Thinking that is the trick, I return to the jungle and rescue the baby Hungus using my new “staff of levitation”, but even with a compassion score of 56, that isn’t enough for the unicorns to like me. Where is the one that I rescued? I try various other things, but none of them work. I was sure that wearing the cloak (“a powerful virtue if woven into the cloth”), but even that doesn’t do it. I give up and just leave the chest untouched for now.</p><p>That feels like enough for this week. Here is my current list of open questions and puzzles. Barring some leap of intuition over the next several days, I think I am getting stuck:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>How do I get the jewel from the idol? What am I missing to work the weight puzzle? The wand of levitation doesn’t work on ourselves or the jewel. <br /><br /></li><li>How do I get the unicorns in heaven to like me?<br /><br /></li><li>What do we need the chocolate truffle for?<br /><br /></li><li>How do we enter the lightning region or the manor in the southeast of the map?<br /><br /></li><li>Where is the compass rose to control the wind?<br /><br /></li><li>What is the “correct” way to cross Zeno’s bridge?<br /><br /></li><li>How do I defeat or get past the monkey grinder?<br /><br /></li><li>How do I re-make the glyph in the mountains to keep the Christmas tree monsters at bay?</li></ul><p></p><p><b>Time played:</b> 4 hr 45 min<br /><b>Total time:</b> 9 hr 40 min<br /><b>Score:</b> Level 5 Female Peasant<br /><b>Inventory:</b> Battleaxe (wielded), scroll of Recall, ring of Shielding, staff of Levitation, pack, silver ornament, scroll of Honing, cane of Annihilation, wand of Anesthesia, lantern, vial of holy water, whistle of Summoning, rod of Sayonara, stick of Eversion, arrow, chocolate truffle, old horseshoe, scroll of protection, leather tunic, amulet of Bok, 7 zorkmids (plus stuff I am storing and not carrying: minx, bearskin rug, bubblegum card, and saddle)</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrrQQ5xlFUzvc8kEPXYnPRViHpyFnypvXO9e0tMsuRIUMUaoPd55wSJ6Rvx-f4UgDGYqZ3avMzOgN03Rm5zFstWGzGQ000Qka9aUykDLfmIJpMkVoMBqtqRLtq-0hCdeo23Sobz_0J1FI-aZzLD9PK2dd96JymEL3zqqJ-gf11ceLvCLaRpI7hspyo1VSj/s3500/image%203-08%20(ferret).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2333" data-original-width="3500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrrQQ5xlFUzvc8kEPXYnPRViHpyFnypvXO9e0tMsuRIUMUaoPd55wSJ6Rvx-f4UgDGYqZ3avMzOgN03Rm5zFstWGzGQ000Qka9aUykDLfmIJpMkVoMBqtqRLtq-0hCdeo23Sobz_0J1FI-aZzLD9PK2dd96JymEL3zqqJ-gf11ceLvCLaRpI7hspyo1VSj/w400-h266/image%203-08%20(ferret).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p><i>In loving memory of Rakeesh “Raki” Pranevich, my very own adventuring buddy, 1990-1999.</i></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p>Joe Pranevichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12997014242774219758noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-39338775809505117562024-01-09T00:00:00.216+11:002024-01-09T00:00:00.154+11:00Sam & Max Hit the Road — Lluvia de PecesWritten by Michael<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCsiwtUAj4OkYgpUWoWGEaRNQYnPjVaxovBSHhYoKq3EbDXvkCCUAiwnD-bu8WV5-bgodvCmaQeVKtUdQ6URvxrpNWC8Qaz7tWlJ_s5XlSTlVQWbvLRY6hwYO8fLkYpyaXaRUhlGxDyQejcWgbtGIH3xOkMo01XszH2d5M64DNDKcq-gidu0ShfQc2i9E/s1600/02.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCsiwtUAj4OkYgpUWoWGEaRNQYnPjVaxovBSHhYoKq3EbDXvkCCUAiwnD-bu8WV5-bgodvCmaQeVKtUdQ6URvxrpNWC8Qaz7tWlJ_s5XlSTlVQWbvLRY6hwYO8fLkYpyaXaRUhlGxDyQejcWgbtGIH3xOkMo01XszH2d5M64DNDKcq-gidu0ShfQc2i9E/w400-h250/02.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>But wait, we just got here!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>When we last met up, Sam had just finished grilling the couch potato, and amazingly, Max hasn’t yet threatened to turn him into <a href="https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/hash-browns-vs-home-fries">home fries</a>. You see, Doug has offered us a trade. If we bring him some pecan candies, he’ll give us the key to Trixie’s trailer. It’s the only place we haven’t been able to explore at the carnival so far.<br /><br />Going back out to the disfigured swan car, it seems we need to turn the ride back on. Good thing there’s a big giant switch in Doug’s apartment to reset the power, so I can leave.<br /><br />If I go back in, I now go directly to and from Doug’s apartment, without seeing the ride, so I think it’s safe to say there’s nothing else I needed in there. The broom on the wall, being held by the skeleton of probably a past custodial worker was just another artistic red herring.<span><a name='more'></a></span>So, let’s head back to the BluesMobile and get those candies! I select the closest location of Snuckey’s, and we drive off.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7wss8JaRD7HBtw3-tAfiLztlSqX6QuteX6rZ8l6OmPsT_8WxnrUYJWB5nn-ur9KRyhytYfEyF1n_AS081J-Oju-rBgjtYlnn3xQbzw6CSrmviPcpb6lCL2pJ2fDqLtgrF0zYTshfvEwKv01KHuBymmeI1ZHXeQePztksaYd5tUj9OialBVcgzpe85cIk/s1600/03.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7wss8JaRD7HBtw3-tAfiLztlSqX6QuteX6rZ8l6OmPsT_8WxnrUYJWB5nn-ur9KRyhytYfEyF1n_AS081J-Oju-rBgjtYlnn3xQbzw6CSrmviPcpb6lCL2pJ2fDqLtgrF0zYTshfvEwKv01KHuBymmeI1ZHXeQePztksaYd5tUj9OialBVcgzpe85cIk/w400-h250/03.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Artist’s rendition</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwnXC2ow5rt6VfKaWOe50WXViAh5Ch1JVDVAKw9Ub1gOOzvcYMcxVFFGcGfmP7532tWR9Xs3su-lMfy8cBvKhBc1X3mMgPEPFhBsR3DoNb3CLtrAKCCbuI5GckrbleF_-LSOPlrlCEyWBwhdgDDqFXqJtRnKmQZYsToAdPZ0M6NHevh1CtxJQKEHJ-eoI/s1280/04.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwnXC2ow5rt6VfKaWOe50WXViAh5Ch1JVDVAKw9Ub1gOOzvcYMcxVFFGcGfmP7532tWR9Xs3su-lMfy8cBvKhBc1X3mMgPEPFhBsR3DoNb3CLtrAKCCbuI5GckrbleF_-LSOPlrlCEyWBwhdgDDqFXqJtRnKmQZYsToAdPZ0M6NHevh1CtxJQKEHJ-eoI/w400-h225/04.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Real life location</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>That animal out front? <a href="https://www.sinclairoil.com/news/dino-dinosaur-back-budd-lake-and-so-sinclair-gas">Probably inspired by another gas station chain</a>.<br /><br />One summer, I borrowed a car that <a href="https://www.macsmotorcitygarage.com/hidden-fuel-fillers-of-the-fifties/">had a gas tank like that</a>. Wood panel sides and all, it was from about 1980, so one of the last cars made that way. But remembering this had me thinking a little. <a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2012/03/game-13-police-quest-i-introduction.html"><i>Police Quest 1</i></a>, in all of its realism, had you inspect cars from tire to tire, but never had you fill the gas tank. Even as they added realism to the later <i>Grand Theft Auto</i> games, where you can (and sometimes need to) get a <a href="https://youtu.be/3T3KH1jRduk?si=uDO8_nj4YsyOouqk&t=77">haircut</a>, work out, and eat, but the only time to fill a car with gas is <a href="https://www.gta5-mods.com/scripts/fuel-script-v-sakis25">if you install mods for the game</a>.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqh1kSE1Wh34c2hGx9SlTW7w9IazvTnU8GwzMYrPAdCUWaZAkYaJfqtdEHHUqITH1fNs1GJjKRWXFiLGDYXikII7G7J1z6vGJevw6yy853x0IcroXBeRkjD_MXbq_defWIlb-fLvkCyjWY4Xtzn93OXmrOrHXmkw8DyEgx13A_3zkfle0z0WE2rq35ZSE/s800/05.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqh1kSE1Wh34c2hGx9SlTW7w9IazvTnU8GwzMYrPAdCUWaZAkYaJfqtdEHHUqITH1fNs1GJjKRWXFiLGDYXikII7G7J1z6vGJevw6yy853x0IcroXBeRkjD_MXbq_defWIlb-fLvkCyjWY4Xtzn93OXmrOrHXmkw8DyEgx13A_3zkfle0z0WE2rq35ZSE/w400-h300/05.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Hands down, my favorite arcade game. One of my high school jobs had this in their game room and made back half my paycheck from me.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>The only game I can think of that ever made you do this?<i> </i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt6zDhD2pBc"><i>A.P.B.</i> (<i>All Points Bulletin</i>)</a>, an arcade game released the same year as the debut from friend of the blog Jim Walls. Normally, I’d reach out to him for comment, but in my first post, I sent him over to Alex’s house for the holidays, and we haven’t heard from either of them since. Must have been one hell of a New Year’s party.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo4OLzfXhQPjsydilZz7zqNMb9tYxw5OLEoih4_zAfFZNngTbp1G6JhQINKvK8H0MjaoEMzV038RCn_iNjwhnteZrUy62xGQ6tD-ksgEi6_TjX48aa3SN-rQNtYr_36wksB5u8lwobNORqOhHlqDJ_hF6YdsHUkNQdAUNxvu2ac1BYK2BpmtZEhZqmaHg/s1600/06.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo4OLzfXhQPjsydilZz7zqNMb9tYxw5OLEoih4_zAfFZNngTbp1G6JhQINKvK8H0MjaoEMzV038RCn_iNjwhnteZrUy62xGQ6tD-ksgEi6_TjX48aa3SN-rQNtYr_36wksB5u8lwobNORqOhHlqDJ_hF6YdsHUkNQdAUNxvu2ac1BYK2BpmtZEhZqmaHg/w400-h250/06.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>About the time this came out, there were so many “I love US/NY/etc” things for sale manufactured overseas</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>As soon as we walk in, Max is a little child. “I have to go to the bathroom.” “I have to go to the bathroom.”<br /><br />Ignoring Max, I browse the shelves, and find not only some pecan candies, but also a rack of Sam & Max Car Bomb games. I don’t know what I’ll need them for, but hey, I’m loaded, so I grab that too.<br /><br />So, then I go outside to help Max look for a bathroom, and it turns out that, oops, I didn’t pay for the merchandise in my box.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjzuYRNPiGSSf2-cjPvhMjUt3iVMOFN9ew_Kc5ztbJ-vMJn_bmUGfxYwgIDf2bLu0o5AdMOGCnSznUxqJp-CNkUu1q8S4QMibYXn7_NFjQCfUh5_3ToybaytM-nnz0oSCkfaTUjmjwcci2wx4QK6oMLM-O8KJGuriSiPxwjDH6Wr9mXQNQxv3Sye0LzRY/s766/07.PNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="766" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjzuYRNPiGSSf2-cjPvhMjUt3iVMOFN9ew_Kc5ztbJ-vMJn_bmUGfxYwgIDf2bLu0o5AdMOGCnSznUxqJp-CNkUu1q8S4QMibYXn7_NFjQCfUh5_3ToybaytM-nnz0oSCkfaTUjmjwcci2wx4QK6oMLM-O8KJGuriSiPxwjDH6Wr9mXQNQxv3Sye0LzRY/w400-h240/07.PNG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Her nickname was Boomer?</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Wait, wrong game. Bernard the cashier calls me back, and I complete the transaction.<br /><br />Bernard? Yeah, now I know how he’s paying his way through college. He’s wearing contacts instead of his glasses, but he looks and sounds identical. I spend some time talking with him, but other than getting the bathroom key for Max, he’s not very useful for our investigation. Except for something he made a point of mentioning -- his Snuckey U pickle training taught him how to open any jar in the country. I suspect that might be a puzzle solution down the road.<br /><br />Also, and this is a picky callback to my last post, but Sam pronounces it “pee-can” and Not-Bernard pronounces it “pee-kahn”. Was this an accident, or is the inconsistency on purpose? We may never know.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijEoy1IBC1PGz9X-vN07EPORfBYgs6rEVK9lLsSdhjavh1N_cNywWWGDZCVoSlgEBES3cClorfIpXW3WWgot4KRhsLfzJcYdGbBhnggbtGAh8bpeYi9JKDfu-JUyUnRgflkqife3eHS11uI6T6sYXclXnJ_tgelFq4h68CfHdJupA1xToMNnS140sPmVo/s400/08.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="264" data-original-width="400" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijEoy1IBC1PGz9X-vN07EPORfBYgs6rEVK9lLsSdhjavh1N_cNywWWGDZCVoSlgEBES3cClorfIpXW3WWgot4KRhsLfzJcYdGbBhnggbtGAh8bpeYi9JKDfu-JUyUnRgflkqife3eHS11uI6T6sYXclXnJ_tgelFq4h68CfHdJupA1xToMNnS140sPmVo/w400-h264/08.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="text-align: start;">Sorry, Folks. The </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackalope" style="text-align: start;">jackalope</a><span style="text-align: start;"> outside of the convenience store doesn’t talk.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>On the way out of the store, I notice a discarded <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Gulp#:~:text=The%20history%20of%20the%20Big,940%20ml)%20for%20their%20drinks.">Big Gulp cup</a>. <br /><br />So, I think we’ve handled everything we need to here, at least for now. So, let’s get back to the Mole Man and bring him some pecan treats.<br /><br />Back in Doug’s cave, I act like a DoorDash driver and bring him some treats, expecting a tip in return. And he delivers.<br /><blockquote>“Hey, you’re alright. Take this key as a token of my appreciation."</blockquote><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdfm4fFkOHt__jxgWd2tVZNrippDvA3e17dMWZ3c3wJ61a8AfD7oipehdcUPxAXaaNaAPh102A9gWjhe2HjnOL7vw4510a_LnQUcffgA9hxE8_MdQQ9aWgDiu1ANiIx4455854IsxqXXkF5CauulLMKiqZK7RWyrAjWuMNVpXR5OPjud7qTOe3CYplCro/s1600/09.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdfm4fFkOHt__jxgWd2tVZNrippDvA3e17dMWZ3c3wJ61a8AfD7oipehdcUPxAXaaNaAPh102A9gWjhe2HjnOL7vw4510a_LnQUcffgA9hxE8_MdQQ9aWgDiu1ANiIx4455854IsxqXXkF5CauulLMKiqZK7RWyrAjWuMNVpXR5OPjud7qTOe3CYplCro/w400-h250/09.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>I’m not usually one to CROW about successes, but this will help with the trailer I’ve been BARred entry from.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Doug hands me the key, and suddenly, I’m getting flashbacks. This key looks so familiar, no matter how many adventure games I have played, this one stands out in my memories.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-Gy8izdqCG75QWO6jlv2niHzp7xMDb8NGC8JOS1HpIRhzni9YmsfeLkr0wj7-b5NoTlu76A1OWBEWjE7B1UK5XC_LS5ZDbFnw6oVP-bhwwGteBarwoAbu-4ZxIJZ2o-4mEDx_iXTLuPChakFpG5zis-PzfFFEd-kbD4jD9TD9gHx0NgwaS1Rj4Y78jk/s640/10.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-Gy8izdqCG75QWO6jlv2niHzp7xMDb8NGC8JOS1HpIRhzni9YmsfeLkr0wj7-b5NoTlu76A1OWBEWjE7B1UK5XC_LS5ZDbFnw6oVP-bhwwGteBarwoAbu-4ZxIJZ2o-4mEDx_iXTLuPChakFpG5zis-PzfFFEd-kbD4jD9TD9gHx0NgwaS1Rj4Y78jk/w400-h250/10.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Here’s both our key AND our convenience store clerk in the same place. I smell conspiracy.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>And with that, Doug offers us another story. And, by offers, I mean, forcibly provides us. Sam’s request:<div><blockquote>“Keep it short, kid. My partner’s got a low tolerance for long stories.”</blockquote><blockquote>“Well, it all started the day before today. I remember it like it was yesterday.”</blockquote><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZZYFekfli9ukGx6CprFgyrLhTiwYrrp55lA7TH-IS1RrVUewnMhHoSdfhchX80OHbYPOHaX0nUQSJ_Zzt03imXWnAU0Mql5B2Gfci3mqUI7pVrxXpBfiH4YF1ymPvrPTUa4b-6JBqK6yJlsWgo-mfq3TrUAHOaS7F9lV7di8Bc6zPCICltGK_Y-UTaLk/s1200/11.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1200" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZZYFekfli9ukGx6CprFgyrLhTiwYrrp55lA7TH-IS1RrVUewnMhHoSdfhchX80OHbYPOHaX0nUQSJ_Zzt03imXWnAU0Mql5B2Gfci3mqUI7pVrxXpBfiH4YF1ymPvrPTUa4b-6JBqK6yJlsWgo-mfq3TrUAHOaS7F9lV7di8Bc6zPCICltGK_Y-UTaLk/w400-h250/11.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xg3vE8Ie_E" style="text-align: left;"><i>I close my eyes and the flashback starts</i></a></td></tr></tbody></table>We learn that Trixie was not-so-secretly in love with the frozen hairy dude, and enlisted the help of the otherwise very unhelpful fire breather to make their escape. No word on if that was to allow Trixie to engage in necking with Bruno.<br /><br />Well, obviously, we’re going to need to speak to Flambé, because the fireman is going to be toast for lying to us before. He said he knew nothing. But first, let’s check out that trailer.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5cxxC7O_yJ-RNt1a5wsLcq7QwVhGZ4bYA4jLrrLzYTAJRBWW40f4HQX5_kqvHLb-3fO6x8H0uQLpm8nJb1Wpk3VLM5ekk4MtU94QFD6OSYJUv0cSDtHb3cf2uTnKw28T2EGASo8poQMvS5cAuL_PqZi1LM8o4daUTvPbJCcG3FJjPzsTfJI1bpB3Hr14/s1200/12.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1200" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5cxxC7O_yJ-RNt1a5wsLcq7QwVhGZ4bYA4jLrrLzYTAJRBWW40f4HQX5_kqvHLb-3fO6x8H0uQLpm8nJb1Wpk3VLM5ekk4MtU94QFD6OSYJUv0cSDtHb3cf2uTnKw28T2EGASo8poQMvS5cAuL_PqZi1LM8o4daUTvPbJCcG3FJjPzsTfJI1bpB3Hr14/w400-h250/12.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>Open sesame</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>I head over to Trixie’s private residence, and Sam gently opens the door with the spare key. Inside, the music changes to something that feels like a love ballad, and it’s bothering me, because it feels like it’s based on a real song. It’s going to eat away at me for a while, so I’ll dish out some bonus CAPs to the first person to identify what the tune is based on, or why it’s doing this to me. (Don’t worry, I’ll just use Trixie’s key to get them from the TAG vault.)<br /><br />As soon as we walk in, Max starts jumping up and down on the bed. No sound of the springs creaking -- this ain’t an Al Lowe game, after all. I start investigating.<br /><br />Up on the shelf are some genuine Scrantonese potions of fertility, some lotions that remind Sam of traumatic childhood trips to the groomers.<br /><br />On the floor, at the foot of the bed is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hope_chest">hope chest</a>. Max, as well as myself, hopes it is filled with more gold than our eyes can stand. But, alas, all it contains is a stiltwalker’s costume. Prediction: I’ll be combining Sam and Max together in that outfit at some point.<br /><br />I then open the closet, which contains a scorecard for the Gator Golf Emporium in Rheumy Eyes, Florida. A new destination appears on the map. I really, REALLY hope we don’t encounter any <a href="https://www.boredpanda.com/hilarious-florida-man-headings/">real-life Florida men</a>.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgW18XGeu8dVAYqMHhaWbMFXsYegh7IkaNKtYiFZ8k_PnGEl3Opma9aZNqj2N6cR9Jj6oVWyjDnUsq0jJgmIfr0VsPjoDn8-lnkaC56uDQ_ToyVME7wLnrMAB3EBKMq-7W4V5YaXh8ID5T3lyV2jw9xo18MuiyanZ1_Q62MBwCtcxPWrAbbK1D_wP2xMQ/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgW18XGeu8dVAYqMHhaWbMFXsYegh7IkaNKtYiFZ8k_PnGEl3Opma9aZNqj2N6cR9Jj6oVWyjDnUsq0jJgmIfr0VsPjoDn8-lnkaC56uDQ_ToyVME7wLnrMAB3EBKMq-7W4V5YaXh8ID5T3lyV2jw9xo18MuiyanZ1_Q62MBwCtcxPWrAbbK1D_wP2xMQ/w400-h250/13.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice...</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Given my history with the <a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2023/06/game-135-lost-in-time-introduction-1993.html">last game</a> I played for the blog, I looked again in the hope chest, expecting more, but no tricks today. Same for the closet. <br /><br />So, I make my way back to Flambé, and I choose to go through the oddities tent as one of the fastest routes. And I get inspired.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhYR75gwrjAFSjojjKHTi-oG_fd2j7xG-SubJQO8iv4fSgbQ3haz8uDmAx7boldAWJAB0X5BmcQrtriABIAtNRwZ42mRqcN05LqQ8DpgbRrnx5F7wcoqn3iuFFtvN689JbFvHpMTFB7SrwUIBEcoD12nfMvo0D56WSwvfJbwPs6kDD-wvPnjlyc-x0PlM/s1600/14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhYR75gwrjAFSjojjKHTi-oG_fd2j7xG-SubJQO8iv4fSgbQ3haz8uDmAx7boldAWJAB0X5BmcQrtriABIAtNRwZ42mRqcN05LqQ8DpgbRrnx5F7wcoqn3iuFFtvN689JbFvHpMTFB7SrwUIBEcoD12nfMvo0D56WSwvfJbwPs6kDD-wvPnjlyc-x0PlM/w400-h250/14.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>I can’t keep my excitement bottled up</i></span><br style="text-align: left;" /></td></tr></tbody></table>As I walk through the room, I see something I commented on before: Jesse James’ severed hand. And look, it’s in a jar. And it’s not nailed down, so I can pick it up. I suspect I’ll need the help of a soda jerk with this.<br /><br />Grabbing that, I’ll continue out the front door to where the fire-breather is stationed.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY6-9GDuVUVLe-MsWZFH-0dMDf-KbVps8ZbkrkZ9ELb3MTcCPOiZTpNOuXl442wdTrEKtFqidThSGXXfSNDoGlFPIVqyYQ4Vf4PvMR97OTbDusY2dJq48SOJKHUlPGP3Qnk3PW7mHxJ1DmgNAfYvbbmQj246dwkq4qz_OFM-GRhgO0VmutI86yUM_mqV8/s1600/15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY6-9GDuVUVLe-MsWZFH-0dMDf-KbVps8ZbkrkZ9ELb3MTcCPOiZTpNOuXl442wdTrEKtFqidThSGXXfSNDoGlFPIVqyYQ4Vf4PvMR97OTbDusY2dJq48SOJKHUlPGP3Qnk3PW7mHxJ1DmgNAfYvbbmQj246dwkq4qz_OFM-GRhgO0VmutI86yUM_mqV8/w400-h250/15.jpg" width="400" /></i></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>Confrontations like this online are often called “flame wars”</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><blockquote>“Hey, flame boy! You can drop the act!”<br /><br />“AND we know that you sometimes go for days on the same pair of socks!”</blockquote>So how did Trixie get him to help? Flirting with him... and also $20. Other than that, he doesn’t really give us much more to go on, but it does at least confirm a part of Doug’s story, that she rescued him from the ice.<br /><br /></div><div>So, it looks like I’ve gotten all I can from the carnival, at least for now. So, time for a road trip...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpxMxPkfpqhhhupVm8uwJuy1iefXEmWvTylMZJfw5QRPvLvZxidFU0TWdPai0D3K20MppYz2Jch4jd2xInuBRRnx0OShcaSuYnD8TED6NBBG8XyAqqPGsNO8lj1gnki53-HkRYmSlGoBJQmEscPHMQM6O3SqZB4sKyBioMFulAuYcBMXD2l56GIIFPlUI/s1600/16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpxMxPkfpqhhhupVm8uwJuy1iefXEmWvTylMZJfw5QRPvLvZxidFU0TWdPai0D3K20MppYz2Jch4jd2xInuBRRnx0OShcaSuYnD8TED6NBBG8XyAqqPGsNO8lj1gnki53-HkRYmSlGoBJQmEscPHMQM6O3SqZB4sKyBioMFulAuYcBMXD2l56GIIFPlUI/w400-h250/16.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>... to Exotic Hook Island...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_EWTSJkBhmiSg36gDkvZ3rshIxr8BeAqlu5pVdw8SnHXP1R7m54WNDqp4vd5TR55llxkxf3BtarRF9j7tisqug7vE2f-0XFPd3_-GHo-31-0eRYaApTKltRpEmZ_l8XPi-OdWMI40qHIDnY5QFR8hcv9z3AlrYuNakY3ElD46KQRm4QuwvTCVri3Q-Tk/s1600/17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_EWTSJkBhmiSg36gDkvZ3rshIxr8BeAqlu5pVdw8SnHXP1R7m54WNDqp4vd5TR55llxkxf3BtarRF9j7tisqug7vE2f-0XFPd3_-GHo-31-0eRYaApTKltRpEmZ_l8XPi-OdWMI40qHIDnY5QFR8hcv9z3AlrYuNakY3ElD46KQRm4QuwvTCVri3Q-Tk/w400-h250/17.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>... Oh wait, my bad. <a href="https://www.gocomics.com//doonesbury/2012/07/16">We’re going to check out a giant ball of twine.</a><br /><br />Looking around, there’s two destinations: a museum booth at the base of the ball, and a tram car that takes you to the peak. Let’s visit the museum.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsF1jqSY14rA6ckH5XXUPfNH5EjP2WJPGWphfenmlgyNN9JXRM4dptxiiOd9b45lJtLpQgRiBDSm9GJaFzEMCT4CaoRP05YIPE6q_hBHXqKNUQRXGns9T8Pft8aNSW5YTnWqUKeI8sMZop5j6vXYG8D5tF9Iozt60QzK3gZfp5WL4lH8n5uQkrIRUvxmI/s1600/18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsF1jqSY14rA6ckH5XXUPfNH5EjP2WJPGWphfenmlgyNN9JXRM4dptxiiOd9b45lJtLpQgRiBDSm9GJaFzEMCT4CaoRP05YIPE6q_hBHXqKNUQRXGns9T8Pft8aNSW5YTnWqUKeI8sMZop5j6vXYG8D5tF9Iozt60QzK3gZfp5WL4lH8n5uQkrIRUvxmI/w400-h250/18.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>My 8th grade Social Studies teacher resembles that remark</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Browsing the museum, we see a scale model of the ball of twine, at 1/200,000th scale. Max think’s it is only about 1/200,000th as stupid as the original, but who are we to judge. There’s a length shaved off of the first foot of twine used inside the ball (that’s approximately 30.48 centimeters for those overseas, or for those living in the past, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_(unit)">perhaps about 1.3-1.5 palms</a>).<br /><br />I try to take the shaving, but Sam tells me that, “If I’m gonna need any string in this game, it’d better be a longer piece.” I think that’s a hint that I’ll need some twine.<br /><br />There’s a sign with some fun facts about the ball, including “If laid out from end to end, the Ball would stretch from here to the far side of Jupiter!” But, since a new location doesn’t appear on our map, we won’t be needing to call Melissa or Leslie to help us.<br /><br />If the ball keeps growing, in about 60 years game time, it will knock the Earth out of its orbit. Max isn’t concerned, as his life expectancy is about 6 years.<br /><br />Then, they look out the back window, and notice a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lluvia_de_peces">curious weather phenomenon</a>.<br /><blockquote>“Now there’s something you don’t see every day.”<br /><br />“What the hell are you talking about, Sam? We dump our fish heads out the window all the time.”<br /><br />“Yeah, but these are halibut.”</blockquote><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXQa-Rh-IYEU7dYlU7hRJeSkxZi908mylCvbTlL5wpRFoXCwzad3Uu7zSXIHk-PNvb0ECY38jxnS5B32f8CE0suaP7eMOxsNFV3qjg2n46GdfWl52iLJnko2Cd0gAAjZa60_pE04DjuPepHzKG6uKyx1FykbvLxgs-nUqDjQppuf4vQbW5uTL8dZp-wq4/s1600/19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXQa-Rh-IYEU7dYlU7hRJeSkxZi908mylCvbTlL5wpRFoXCwzad3Uu7zSXIHk-PNvb0ECY38jxnS5B32f8CE0suaP7eMOxsNFV3qjg2n46GdfWl52iLJnko2Cd0gAAjZa60_pE04DjuPepHzKG6uKyx1FykbvLxgs-nUqDjQppuf4vQbW5uTL8dZp-wq4/w400-h250/19.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="text-align: left;">On </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY9lIOpKNp0" style="text-align: left;">this week’s episode of VH1 Storytellers</a><span style="text-align: left;">...</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>So talking to the curator, we ask if he’s seen our missing bigfoot. Turns out, Bruno and a bunch of his friends helped build the ball back in ‘56. (Doing some quick math to 1993, and that means Bruno is way, way too old for Trixie. Age might be just a number, but this might be a hairy situation.)<br /><br />As for the fish guts flying past the window? “Those are our leftovers from our last fish delivery. Our famous rotating restaurant has fresh fish flown in every day from the World of Fish in Mosquitoville, Missouri.” Well, that’s the second time this place has been mentioned to me, so I strongly suspect it’s important.<br /><br />The ball of twine, we learn, is made from a continuous piece of twine, and is 92 yards longer than the competition. <br /><br />He doesn’t know anything about the other persons of interest, so we take our leave.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhmrgqOHnIAboq0gqlBMn29mNNxWNUmaJVQbrs6Jq402YBHe9Hl8MtvgABTOujLkufymysolUYXQcJQkqmNt_bFYK66j0a9qZ0hidGcpx4SlZuksZPYfK-KoZ5MEI2HCXrAe-kS4RxHFKvQoLCeYyqbLOxDo5Q6PGjMUhsfBQdI5ZHFi8a4wJ0s6w-kDw/s1200/20.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1200" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhmrgqOHnIAboq0gqlBMn29mNNxWNUmaJVQbrs6Jq402YBHe9Hl8MtvgABTOujLkufymysolUYXQcJQkqmNt_bFYK66j0a9qZ0hidGcpx4SlZuksZPYfK-KoZ5MEI2HCXrAe-kS4RxHFKvQoLCeYyqbLOxDo5Q6PGjMUhsfBQdI5ZHFi8a4wJ0s6w-kDw/w400-h250/20.gif" width="400" /></i></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>I would fly you to the moon and back, If you'll be, if you'll be my baby...</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>So, we haven’t checked out the top of the ball yet. Let’s take a ride there, and see what’s up.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitE7sTeul4oeGbGCLQeiaa6VOJiwbxtxfuVbHtWt93oauMzg5i9DR4BG7ljLnCaymsGN5HrmlMg-Sd2_5KrwZXwy3vx6yFuI6Ik9_VzxjbXLGUQM42t_eCx1DxYYngG1aW1chQSLlnvITbhTe3lV6HleI-JeE-8rrFypCNTxUxeGrnbIEJ-GxOKY4D4Dg/s1600/21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitE7sTeul4oeGbGCLQeiaa6VOJiwbxtxfuVbHtWt93oauMzg5i9DR4BG7ljLnCaymsGN5HrmlMg-Sd2_5KrwZXwy3vx6yFuI6Ik9_VzxjbXLGUQM42t_eCx1DxYYngG1aW1chQSLlnvITbhTe3lV6HleI-JeE-8rrFypCNTxUxeGrnbIEJ-GxOKY4D4Dg/w400-h250/21.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> <i>“I’m on top of the world!”</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4g8W4DTuJvdgbN0ZWGVTQWydL7JZWXJ53y1huZpOy3EEJvFGO04MFnPII1clu9R2pXufkFcvytLke61d0yxbm9QSk_nv2PdGdtKQ2vrI7T3900WAfbx1BLFWbsdxu6ExA042k-dBlrOMiAvmqDXakFVCtOOLnX7bHobyqDGDUaKM7klah4YxoD8-kx0k/s1600/22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4g8W4DTuJvdgbN0ZWGVTQWydL7JZWXJ53y1huZpOy3EEJvFGO04MFnPII1clu9R2pXufkFcvytLke61d0yxbm9QSk_nv2PdGdtKQ2vrI7T3900WAfbx1BLFWbsdxu6ExA042k-dBlrOMiAvmqDXakFVCtOOLnX7bHobyqDGDUaKM7klah4YxoD8-kx0k/w400-h250/22.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYW9SyA1qUDD1rtzyX-IDNyrtqkoLsC9_tAUEPY_yP-gfTLoNrNSP2DYo-oWh4DINVwZ7Mfnu-lg-cCeQ62I6jBvpGdo4_btDOlPVw_wjwz0oGvyw6rCZRWuvRWrIf_7ELeoAKnoO5ME2fT7hl1pS9GNkne1bIgO5bEDD8C3s-LZofHaFzlUgkXMzi2vU/s1600/23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYW9SyA1qUDD1rtzyX-IDNyrtqkoLsC9_tAUEPY_yP-gfTLoNrNSP2DYo-oWh4DINVwZ7Mfnu-lg-cCeQ62I6jBvpGdo4_btDOlPVw_wjwz0oGvyw6rCZRWuvRWrIf_7ELeoAKnoO5ME2fT7hl1pS9GNkne1bIgO5bEDD8C3s-LZofHaFzlUgkXMzi2vU/w400-h250/23.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>Fish heads, fish heads, roly poly fish heads...</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>So, arriving at the main landing from the sky car shows us two very important things. First, there’s a dangly loose end to the ball of twine. I suspect we will need, say, at least 91 yards of it? Concurrently, we catch a chef chopping cod, carelessly casting off carcasses without caution. Of course, we can’t reach either of them, either by using our inventory, by using Max, or anything else.<br /><br />I think I know the solution to this one already. I think I’ll have to go to the World of Fist, find an empty crate near the water, climb inside, and wait to be airlifted to the kitchen of the restaurant.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtFct3kg5hnkJf2HAYR16rH9KaXmlMUMjez6yqN0YresYAv35ItZD6qE5x4vIiklNVzSleBVJ1SeqSq9DQkZnE-j6Gksm4Ruqw5Pde2bF4OvJBdRhgm9ii2e4dy7XLhArc18he6U-xtS9IaSjPJLr8WIIUwzvug4AY4mRmeXA29jO_b-YnfBSK7bFlo2k/s640/24.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtFct3kg5hnkJf2HAYR16rH9KaXmlMUMjez6yqN0YresYAv35ItZD6qE5x4vIiklNVzSleBVJ1SeqSq9DQkZnE-j6Gksm4Ruqw5Pde2bF4OvJBdRhgm9ii2e4dy7XLhArc18he6U-xtS9IaSjPJLr8WIIUwzvug4AY4mRmeXA29jO_b-YnfBSK7bFlo2k/w400-h250/24.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>Or it could just be a red herring</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>I’m kidding a little bit, but I wouldn’t be too shocked if they recycled this puzzle.<br /><br />So, there was mention of a restaurant. If you walk into a door that can’t be seen, by lucky clicking, you’ll get there.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSuOwRmql8Bqa2HPbwoFztblLQcjKaOvfn2WeXZAOlKGElusw8sZLT0bujgU8K1Us1oaVuxw-fdC7DqMzRIOu0MdHxigHg_QP6HI3XKSvOewLo8wadcJ2uG89IhaC8PnSmNlKnHXnnf9mHeJeC9DICIUrhuIx5c92cRVy-3BsdNEE2GID7OK2brrvv9ko/s1600/25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSuOwRmql8Bqa2HPbwoFztblLQcjKaOvfn2WeXZAOlKGElusw8sZLT0bujgU8K1Us1oaVuxw-fdC7DqMzRIOu0MdHxigHg_QP6HI3XKSvOewLo8wadcJ2uG89IhaC8PnSmNlKnHXnnf9mHeJeC9DICIUrhuIx5c92cRVy-3BsdNEE2GID7OK2brrvv9ko/w400-h250/25.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="text-align: left;">“</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsKYNQTbSD4" style="text-align: left;">You asked for it? You got it. Toyota.</a><span style="text-align: left;">”</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>So, inside the restaurant, there’s no cashier, no customers, no servers, and no food. We find some exposed live wires that probably control the rotation, a set of binoculars, and a maintenance worker. Oh, and again, signs that can be read with nothing learned. “Seafood”. “Fresh Fish”.<br /><br />Talking to the maintenance worker, <a href="https://youtu.be/OkKMjd0XRZ8?si=3WcUH-pANtAthNDI&t=5893">I’m resisting the urge to call him Peggy</a>. My, god, does he have a fowl mouth. We catch him in the act of using mind control to bend his tools in order to fix the rotating restaurant. Uh huh. He doesn’t have any information for us about Bruno, Trixie, or Bumpus, but we get a bent wrench from him. <br /><br />Looking at it in our inventory, curiously, it is referred to as a bent, left-handed <a href="https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/spanner#:~:text=A%20spanner%20is%20a%20type,a%20spanner%20in%20the%20works.%E2%80%9D">spanner</a>. So, for all the Americanisms in this game, using the British term for this tool is either an odd mistake or a hint as to a future use. <br /><br />Also, as he does his mumbo-jumbo on the tools, the sound effects were flat out stolen from <i>Day of the Tentacle.</i> Sorry, not stolen. Recycled. Very distinctive, these sounds.<br /><br />And then, there’s the pair of binoculars.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdeCKUPuO8pQCKJDXgXcJdCz5EgiAtFRLUn6gqDegw-SMJmGkTl9qn70VyV3AmZuJ1UK2WuGDPbHviUkqajoIt5A0hAZVsn5wZNZjJgqLryYmZYAHQ5MAS5mS-uSZolDOG-Kusdxmn1-XjNseirxHFLSyHp4aRFMnPPy46QF5O_TxTlPc4HdqQw3fwLFM/s1280/26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdeCKUPuO8pQCKJDXgXcJdCz5EgiAtFRLUn6gqDegw-SMJmGkTl9qn70VyV3AmZuJ1UK2WuGDPbHviUkqajoIt5A0hAZVsn5wZNZjJgqLryYmZYAHQ5MAS5mS-uSZolDOG-Kusdxmn1-XjNseirxHFLSyHp4aRFMnPPy46QF5O_TxTlPc4HdqQw3fwLFM/w400-h225/26.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Wait, I only WISH that’s what we were looking at.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAzaoOM3A6XvxvtA0UFLP-2Ln9R83n-cbPCwNU4gqPIMpAQYe9dPScXmF_TSVnfK-Bj2LinSfay6vgdOq5-zQf3Rj7sowtBDyNIYhwTJZAUTx3NnQm1p_VFwgG-O9Hc5Wg3EjIR9xRoro2ntFyyITdbiKQ7bWKvho4VENi52unLKYsroMlP1K8jzhj5cs/s1600/27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAzaoOM3A6XvxvtA0UFLP-2Ln9R83n-cbPCwNU4gqPIMpAQYe9dPScXmF_TSVnfK-Bj2LinSfay6vgdOq5-zQf3Rj7sowtBDyNIYhwTJZAUTx3NnQm1p_VFwgG-O9Hc5Wg3EjIR9xRoro2ntFyyITdbiKQ7bWKvho4VENi52unLKYsroMlP1K8jzhj5cs/w400-h250/27.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>But seriously, these seem to be useless right now. The binoculars spin, and although the manual tells me to use the switch at the bottom of the screen to adjust the view, the game isn’t letting me have control yet. Either this is a nasty bug, or I have to fix the electrical problem in the restaurant first. Sam basically says the same thing, that they look useful, but can’t work them right.<br /><br />And with that, I think I’ll take a break. It looks like I’ve done all I can here, for now. We’re not done -- for one, we haven’t found Doug’s uncle Shuv-Oohl. Next time, we’ll head off to the World of Fish. And maybe stop at Snuckey’s, if only to open that jar I have. I don’t know why, but it feels like something I should do.<br /><br /><b>Session Time</b>: 1 hour 5 minutes<br /><b>Total Time</b>: 2 hour 15 minutes<br /><br /><b>Inventory</b>: Lots of money, World of Fish magnet, tuft of Bruno’s hair, black light flashlight, carnival pass, Sam & Max™ Car Bomb, stilt walker’s outfit, Gator Golf score card, Jesse James’ severed hand in a jar, bent left-handed wrench<div><br /><b>Note Regarding Spoilers and Companion Assist Points: </b>There’s a set of rules regarding spoilers and companion assist points. Please read it <a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/p/rookie-companion.html">here</a> 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!</div></div>Ilmari Jauhiainenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01655841880034965950noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-49674321149953473802024-01-01T00:00:00.305+11:002024-01-01T00:00:00.138+11:00Sam & Max Hit the Road — Bruno and the HendersonsWritten by Michael<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKMoGjM8nxrE3_XZ53Ojd1YHAxzbD3oyh8cHcIHTMeFypaxhRtZunDAROnWuf5tsNSA48gfkIGSZrZeHS556vM2Hy7DCsBiLuSHgviDiCE5-nATkRtKxvKdMw7P2Oc7tIMGsZt3iXXblynqaom6QaoedueNAHQ6a_Mdlyy_4rIZWQfCuhYRf6KVl70tPU/s1920/01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1920" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKMoGjM8nxrE3_XZ53Ojd1YHAxzbD3oyh8cHcIHTMeFypaxhRtZunDAROnWuf5tsNSA48gfkIGSZrZeHS556vM2Hy7DCsBiLuSHgviDiCE5-nATkRtKxvKdMw7P2Oc7tIMGsZt3iXXblynqaom6QaoedueNAHQ6a_Mdlyy_4rIZWQfCuhYRf6KVl70tPU/w400-h200/01.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>We almost missed it!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>It might be changing into a new year for many of us now, but in Chinese culture, the new year isn’t until February. So we can rejoice that it is still the year of the rabbit for another month or so. (<a href="https://dailytrojan.com/2023/01/23/written-in-the-stars-year-of-the-rabbit-chinese-zodiac/">The water rabbit, specifically.</a> Not the hyperkinetic one. But close enough.)<br /><br />But that’s the future. Let’s talk about the past. In the last post, I started the first few minutes of the game. I did a cursory examination of the offices of metropolis’ finest, and then took a break for the holidays. So, back to the strip-search.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz17ZGyVUAfRmy-BqhGvory4lVp2Ahd1fpTdLI9UTXlGTB_JctxXhN7MgpCECZIWaJCIJ83c2FU1ZcB7Uidn9zsgPEXnocFCSz8CedrDSfINwo91YZXmtOwGdutYIf4_Y0x9KCmdnMa2Z9ERjoDPcHlXMzrdMRqlhz-nAKLX6AwcagU98FJYSi1uXnqgk/s1600/02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz17ZGyVUAfRmy-BqhGvory4lVp2Ahd1fpTdLI9UTXlGTB_JctxXhN7MgpCECZIWaJCIJ83c2FU1ZcB7Uidn9zsgPEXnocFCSz8CedrDSfINwo91YZXmtOwGdutYIf4_Y0x9KCmdnMa2Z9ERjoDPcHlXMzrdMRqlhz-nAKLX6AwcagU98FJYSi1uXnqgk/w400-h250/02.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>You’re hitting a little close to (my) home, Sam.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>I keep looking around the room, which is easy with the look icon, the eyeball that, sadly, has the eyelid closed most of the time. But I notice the mouse hole across the room from the closet, reach in, and grab out a stack of loot that somewhat resembles Guybrush’s inventory at the start of his second adventure.<span><a name='more'></a></span>Searching the room, I can’t find anything else to grab, so let’s go looking for that bonded courier. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3-a4qWCtIg">Exit Sam’s office, stage right</a>.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8rjcaBZSq6uky2XOF1Z2Ah4hCpF00vkNyRrbZk_C9M0D3amd4WTFtDvPs1y8u-ExVemyRgeGkDG_sbyL-trs3SeadWzCaF9HqkL875PFnFqJY37hwFfXuzj8o-5VnguSFrVE9UGSs2X7TRNtqehe-kzWMPvwQrugH0Z_oF3bbN8hpElp3ld_OVpUvN4U/s1200/03.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1200" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8rjcaBZSq6uky2XOF1Z2Ah4hCpF00vkNyRrbZk_C9M0D3amd4WTFtDvPs1y8u-ExVemyRgeGkDG_sbyL-trs3SeadWzCaF9HqkL875PFnFqJY37hwFfXuzj8o-5VnguSFrVE9UGSs2X7TRNtqehe-kzWMPvwQrugH0Z_oF3bbN8hpElp3ld_OVpUvN4U/w400-h250/03.gif" width="400" /></a></div>Our next door neighbor is a gent by the name of Flint Paper, P.I., and seems to fit all of the stereotypes perfectly. We don’t actually meet him, so much as see how he handles problem resolution. Max, on the other hand, isn’t a fan of descriptive vocabulary.<br /><br />I try to talk to the victim, to no avail. I also try to enter Flint’s door, or to talk to him, also to no end. I then try to help the dissatisfied customer, but Max takes over, because “Gratuitous acts of senseless violence are MY forte!” and he promptly helps the man get down off the railing by using a two-fingered bowling bowl push.<br /><br />We can’t go upstairs, not since the “accident”. So, downstairs it is.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja_4NuYN4Z9vw6quykwss9xg5p1IhhDazdBeGpckoTeXFYMdGw_MOvRqQxuBHVYbFrIYpuQI_19SxqZkIvydoWz89Cje9-OtF_5mtNhaFg7expfDgPd3PvpgajHsXv9Qctb1mRryQIx3a9DDjQsFOAXBPJCJUwqwcxtfYt9cx5_dA0Cc-TMy8tQSIg9VY/s1600/04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja_4NuYN4Z9vw6quykwss9xg5p1IhhDazdBeGpckoTeXFYMdGw_MOvRqQxuBHVYbFrIYpuQI_19SxqZkIvydoWz89Cje9-OtF_5mtNhaFg7expfDgPd3PvpgajHsXv9Qctb1mRryQIx3a9DDjQsFOAXBPJCJUwqwcxtfYt9cx5_dA0Cc-TMy8tQSIg9VY/w400-h250/04.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn’t a map in sight.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Outside, we find our car. We can tell it was hastily parked due to the bent parking meter jutting out from under it. Sadly, no loose change, but we already have more money than we shall ever need. Hopefully, the blood on the sidewalk wasn’t our fault. There’s a few signs, but reading them only tells us what we can already read.<br /><br />And there’s a “cute little <a href="https://www.italki.com/en/post/question-148030">hypercephalic</a> kitten”. Although Max wants to take him home and put tape all over his feet, Sam says hello.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAevUjEwX31Bz9xf79TEN6WDgRaiRFCEGsawS8Z30LiAz-97Chu-ptmvjbR2_gsc-CztNXS4O9qA7-uJdMttJX7Di6Was-n9C_Xyn8ZSPAzQ81wgLpcWw7phCWLcSk6h0L9zcBcRLRaKuCzIT-DhaR5tQQVDqaK_c0Ow-abYJbsuBja1BsSLIyJonAIDo/s1600/05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAevUjEwX31Bz9xf79TEN6WDgRaiRFCEGsawS8Z30LiAz-97Chu-ptmvjbR2_gsc-CztNXS4O9qA7-uJdMttJX7Di6Was-n9C_Xyn8ZSPAzQ81wgLpcWw7phCWLcSk6h0L9zcBcRLRaKuCzIT-DhaR5tQQVDqaK_c0Ow-abYJbsuBja1BsSLIyJonAIDo/w400-h250/05.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="text-align: start;"> “</span><a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2012/05/game-19-leisure-suit-larry-2-long-hard.html" style="text-align: start;">El pesto la guardia say spermo boobitos</a><span style="text-align: start;">”</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>The exchange with the cat reveals that it is the cleverly-disguised bonded courier we needed to meet. The voice acting makes me think this pet belongs to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8eblBCZXII">Baby Herman</a>.<br /><blockquote>“Can I make a <a href="https://tennishead.net/natural-gut-tennis-racket-strings-explained-the-history-the-myths-and-why-its-the-best/">tennis racquet</a> out of him?” <br /><br />“Maybe later, Max. Right now, we’ve got a message from the commissioner to collect.”</blockquote>It turns out that the cat had swallowed the message, for safekeeping, and was trying to hack it up, as cats often do, but unsuccessfully.<br /><br />(Side note: as I was typing this line, one of my cute, adorable cats vomited up her breakfast onto the living room floor. This game is very true to life.)<br /><br />We can talk to the cat using the new (for this game, at least) interface. Notice on the bottom of the screen, the various icons. The question mark is to ask a question, the exclamation point to make a statement, the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh85R-S-dh8">rubber ducky</a> is to say something humorous or non-sequitur, and, much like life in the 1990s, <a href="https://grammarist.com/idiom/talk-to-the-hand/">talking to the hand</a> is a sign to end the conversation. Other icons might appear alongside, such as topics to talk about, which we will see later in this post.<br /><br />When I use the exclamation on him, Sam makes an observation:<br /><blockquote>“Your head is disturbingly disproportionate to your body.”<br /><br />“It’s the vocal cords. You’d be amazed how much room they take up.”<br /><br />“Don’t get smart with me, bub, or my partner’ll floss every last crevice on his body with your whiskers.”<br /><br />“That’s unsanitary, Sam!”</blockquote>So, while entertaining, talking to the cat doesn’t get us very far. I decide it’s time to let Max take over. I go into my inventory box and click the rabbit icon, then use it on the cat.<br /><blockquote>“I’d just love to turn this guy inside out.”<br /><br />“Ooh, that gives me an idea!”</blockquote>Without hesitation, Max then reaches down inside the cat’s throat and extracts the message, with a delightful squishy sound, and then tosses the cat away when he is done.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1agYuS1-Wym6vWKtEhGtQDqCMZ12t2gcPPSEOtQpyWUrkx7keJi1r2iFwvulCnPV1PwwOWPmkeQ6UUQoINtGTIjt_r7b9znR4zD_5AhWdSDLlp24XkH708ty8XsHDksNNA20IAFYVQo1xqAbFRoImU-kzuIZMyCM64G_kvsSxm1swTky6UKSl82uZ234/s1600/06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1agYuS1-Wym6vWKtEhGtQDqCMZ12t2gcPPSEOtQpyWUrkx7keJi1r2iFwvulCnPV1PwwOWPmkeQ6UUQoINtGTIjt_r7b9znR4zD_5AhWdSDLlp24XkH708ty8XsHDksNNA20IAFYVQo1xqAbFRoImU-kzuIZMyCM64G_kvsSxm1swTky6UKSl82uZ234/w400-h250/06.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ_Wqtnlv4U" style="text-align: start;">Have I been hypnotized, mesmerized by what my eyes have found</a><span style="text-align: start;">?</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Max’s response: “I thought that was the whole point?”<br /><br />So, before I forget, in nearly each screen, Max gets easily bored with not causing violence and mayhem, so he finds other things to occupy himself with. In this screen, he dines on the pool of blood. Later, he’ll be less gross, but still disconnected from reality,<br /><br />Walking to the right side of the screen, it scrolls with us and brings us to the entrance to Bosco’s Guns, Liquors, and Baby Needs. Up on the roof is a nest of birds, who sadly, we cannot converse with because Sam doesn’t speak Pigeon, and <a href="https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/kingsquest/images/3/39/SpellII.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/1000?cb=20161031213243">with the cat gone, we can’t remedy that</a>.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYnUOEXFuqsVNIDBeMKaTpi_toR9xB7pNebgIZjpSbXHNPaA7BCExz1CXggp-8LvuXUoP-uTAW2f7mM11eH_ZPYKCzThTuNnfcGin4-L5KBtd3zIIMWTRIegnZqDhi7KDpDBCkfStR9XEvxubZOVKCdmK_NfanIXGLQ8jyu014DQvNjRs3jpGEtc8OARU/s1600/07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYnUOEXFuqsVNIDBeMKaTpi_toR9xB7pNebgIZjpSbXHNPaA7BCExz1CXggp-8LvuXUoP-uTAW2f7mM11eH_ZPYKCzThTuNnfcGin4-L5KBtd3zIIMWTRIegnZqDhi7KDpDBCkfStR9XEvxubZOVKCdmK_NfanIXGLQ8jyu014DQvNjRs3jpGEtc8OARU/w400-h250/07.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Wherever we go, we seem to encounter crime</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Entering the store, we seem to thwart a robbery in progress.<br /><blockquote>“I see that Mr. Bosco is generously giving away his profits to the underprivileged, ski-mask wearing youth of the neighborhood again.”<br /><br />“Hey, I don’t think Mr. Bosco’s voluntarily giving away his money!”<br /><br />“Oh, I’m real terrified! A dog and a rabbit. Ooh, scary!”<br /><br />“Max, the smartass kid doesn’t think we’re scary. What do you think about that?”<br /><br />“Grrrr...”<br /><br />“That’s telling him, little buddy.”</blockquote>Followed by a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ds_eI8J50Dw">short, mostly-offscreen fight</a> similar to one between Fester Shinetop and Guybrush Threepwood, but with much shorter names.<br /><blockquote>“I think that punk learned a valuable lesson, Sam.”<br /><br />“Me too, Max. I didn’t realize the lower lip could stretch completely over the head. Amazing”</blockquote>I try to go into the store again, and Sam just complains about the mess that needs cleaning up. And I can’t seem to take an umbrella from outside the door, so it looks like it is time to hop into the car.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb66ygfspv8OkydcQtfdLCqmiv0aVGfY7jgV8rEAO8vhfbaWciSEAyzXM_p5VhLh0hffJUdHL-DLeGRvq2BpWiQ_8MPoEFgZrwXgPY4LrQFoA1W2OASSzoz0725UhahWKT8Y8dQnNU9Ux69ih3ZY1XuukndlE-uQbLCF8korXomgmRHAc-P2kPQpgVGFU/s1600/08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb66ygfspv8OkydcQtfdLCqmiv0aVGfY7jgV8rEAO8vhfbaWciSEAyzXM_p5VhLh0hffJUdHL-DLeGRvq2BpWiQ_8MPoEFgZrwXgPY4LrQFoA1W2OASSzoz0725UhahWKT8Y8dQnNU9Ux69ih3ZY1XuukndlE-uQbLCF8korXomgmRHAc-P2kPQpgVGFU/w400-h250/08.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="text-align: start;">The weather is beautiful, </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84Tq-eAJIk4" style="text-align: start;">wish you were here</a><span style="text-align: start;">!</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Hopping in the car brings up a postcard-styled map, with some locations we can visit. I can only assume we will learn of others as we go on. I’ve visited all of them, but turned around and came back -- I’ll get to them as I need them, but felt like exploring. But here they are, so far:<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The circus-looking thing? It’s the carnival-looking thing we need to go to.</li><li>The burgers? Different locations of Snuckey’s.</li><li>The road over the horizon (that thing by Texas)? An optional mini-game mentioned in the manual. I’ll get there eventually.</li><li>The Jolly Roger? The dynamic duo’s office.</li></ul>Somehow, I suspect that the plot will advance faster if we go to the carnival first. So, let us go hang with the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaMfmQ3dPlU">freaks and geeks</a>.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQuP9yDNJ20i7GrJyXlyOTL4xilu8g9AsoDuFxQplvNHKra_W9YaTaJfI-Nxfmhou-cW-hpoxl1FEPnGj3YUtK4hLsBZzMlXy9B9L5-tnvjBiFgsY4APnLKBJd5ocLkeSoyEidM0FGrvp4o7PJgTrANkx0W2FhAw-BMhFSlNuLihCNUETFfDBIs7kVbgs/s1600/09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQuP9yDNJ20i7GrJyXlyOTL4xilu8g9AsoDuFxQplvNHKra_W9YaTaJfI-Nxfmhou-cW-hpoxl1FEPnGj3YUtK4hLsBZzMlXy9B9L5-tnvjBiFgsY4APnLKBJd5ocLkeSoyEidM0FGrvp4o7PJgTrANkx0W2FhAw-BMhFSlNuLihCNUETFfDBIs7kVbgs/w400-h250/09.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Jiminy cricket!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>As we arrive at the carnival, there’s a couple of preppy-looking characters bickering about something missing, and then nearly running us over on the way out. I already don’t like these guys. Especially the one who looks like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VDry9fy8UE">diving champ</a> and campus stud Chas Osborne, but speaks like Yosemite Sam.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLqpAZd9by_XAVV3iDlY-5gk8ho9mWO9MYnLOMnV7N1IQ3yOyOolUNT9KP4v0qF_fF54zGlONDQ0B1fXXnBBp8o2fjyd4AyORXwsjaJzy9W9NlDGc3-sX-xXnPjh6v7jX4Lt0eCwsI-hU3JIYAHkrMMqW3wPWYocR3UvD-VgNHWvqYqFTAagBwGcAlzLs/s370/10.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="370" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLqpAZd9by_XAVV3iDlY-5gk8ho9mWO9MYnLOMnV7N1IQ3yOyOolUNT9KP4v0qF_fF54zGlONDQ0B1fXXnBBp8o2fjyd4AyORXwsjaJzy9W9NlDGc3-sX-xXnPjh6v7jX4Lt0eCwsI-hU3JIYAHkrMMqW3wPWYocR3UvD-VgNHWvqYqFTAagBwGcAlzLs/w400-h355/10.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>I’m having trouble deciding which Rodney Dangerfield movie is the best.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Max is somewhat forgiving of the encounter, however. “I don’t know, but if it weren’t for the carefree innocence of this carnival, I’d be breaking his kneecaps.”<br /><br />I try to walk in, and the path is blocked by a fireball shot from the fire breather, who is standing guard outside the hall of oddities. He won’t let us in, citing insurance reasons. Sam tries to butter his way in, saying “Let us in, oleo-breath!”. But, for now, we can talk to him. Besides Max telling him that he would like a corndog, a new icon appears in the talk interface for this chat: that guy who nearly plowed us down.<br /><blockquote>“Who were those misanthropes at the gate?”<br /><br />“Which misanthropes?”<br /><br />“The short one with the bad hairpiece and the tall one with dark, flinty eyes.”<br /><br />“Hey, I just work here.”</blockquote>Well, no luck there. So, how to get past this guy? I try using Max on him, but Sam objects, citing Max’s high inflammability. But wait, we have the message from the commissioner, with only a hint of hairball attached. “Now let us in, before we replace you with a cheap, renewable fuel source.”<br /><br />He takes the paper, and says he’ll run it by the boss... and then accidentally incinerates it. So, he lets us in.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglKnSaxQpHcBd3c0AZoRywa0A7QH77MEVbZkiWokzPfQ36pSkR-g5biTYTWFY7RApsPX91TbNql5hI2rMYQ0WavP5dkvIVM99ZxdRoNBVwPtLy1aM88vjBYpHHUeGxw5oKpamJ9UTYpIMhyphenhyphentMu7w27F8l2m1NYgUBEG2nbvIOwFizp8CbK7Khgxsv-j1A/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglKnSaxQpHcBd3c0AZoRywa0A7QH77MEVbZkiWokzPfQ36pSkR-g5biTYTWFY7RApsPX91TbNql5hI2rMYQ0WavP5dkvIVM99ZxdRoNBVwPtLy1aM88vjBYpHHUeGxw5oKpamJ9UTYpIMhyphenhyphentMu7w27F8l2m1NYgUBEG2nbvIOwFizp8CbK7Khgxsv-j1A/w400-h250/11.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEE_o9Mb-trmEsSmCacQJqMjNkld6f9K0ZpTkE6FtzMxsKGIcD3IoBc2A_Kygkthr1fUMbmFAc0epVEbBxJsGouXcIx9WaqV9poCuD5Q5eQj62Zb3GfTRLXOTnzK8PChQbNfWe73O0kWZjqabNr_5Hrra4_7O31sqWlBBxM9MCdeViCtnYqZA7QIeVq0Y/s1600/12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEE_o9Mb-trmEsSmCacQJqMjNkld6f9K0ZpTkE6FtzMxsKGIcD3IoBc2A_Kygkthr1fUMbmFAc0epVEbBxJsGouXcIx9WaqV9poCuD5Q5eQj62Zb3GfTRLXOTnzK8PChQbNfWe73O0kWZjqabNr_5Hrra4_7O31sqWlBBxM9MCdeViCtnYqZA7QIeVq0Y/w400-h250/12.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Good cop and bad cop, all rolled into one!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>As we walk past many oddities, we find double the manpower securing the evidence for us. The owners of the carnival, Shep Kushman and his brother Burl are conjoined twins, one friendly, one less so. After a little back and forth, we learn that their star attraction is missing, a bigfoot that was encased inside a block of ice.<br /><blockquote>“You want us to go traipsing all over the country looking for a soggy bigfoot?”<br /><br />“I’ve never been traipsing before. Does it hurt?”</blockquote>And wait, that’s not all. It seems that Bruno the Bigfoot has “kidnapped” their second-to-the-top attraction: Trixie, the Giraffe-Necked Girl from <a href="https://scrantonpa.gov/our-community/work-from-here/">Scranton</a>. So starts the first of what might end up being a lot of subtle American references. (I’m kind of shocked they didn't make her from New Jersey, but <a href="https://collider.com/10-things-that-make-the-sopranos-the-greatest-tv-show-of-all-time/">Tony and Carmela would take care of that</a> a few years later.) <br /><br />Well, they assume that he kidnapped her, because they both disappeared at the same time. The duo agree to investigate, as long as they can get free reign to explore the carnival. Max also asks for unlimited corn dogs. A <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Fxq_n8e1qA">special ticket</a> to the venue is secured.<br /><blockquote>“Leave everything to us, and we’ll have those abominations of nature back in your protective care before you can read the Koran.”<br /><br />“Didn’t he fight Godzilla?”</blockquote>So, this room is a good place to start. On the floor in front of the melted ice is a “mange-ridden tuft of Bruno’s sasquatch hair”, and since it isn’t nailed down, it’s a clue worth collecting. Or, Max muses, could be a good wig for balding computer programmers. (<a href="https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1865066864070832763/4BBC42CC0726E8E9542FCF79E3E0DFB44F07D17C/">Was this a swipe at Sierra</a>?)<br /><br />Checking out the rest of the room, there’s the chicken dumpling looking man (“He looks delicious”), the Human Enigma (“He’s a nice guy, but sort of a drip”), the human enigma (“<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z4zMrNNxfg">How Kafkaesque</a>”), a head on display in a jar (“So THIS is what happens to unsuccessful 3rd party presidential candidates”), a mutated sea monkey, and <a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/james/">Jesse James</a>’ severed hand, still twitching.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDPqDSkw5rXhanNbgoWOmH6ZbC-N4azp_DK6_CgaZJn8j9XUxJsobACWakKiiNghoCgplqdpORxDrDIUPSOrnucljv6OVJehql0CZoe6G6_0DB3P5lZ7whdlG4wlZib14jEWMO1wkC67mdt360CjQDHklxQLdCQXxT6gnJEkt_luUrHhAA8lhTl4V8PM0/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDPqDSkw5rXhanNbgoWOmH6ZbC-N4azp_DK6_CgaZJn8j9XUxJsobACWakKiiNghoCgplqdpORxDrDIUPSOrnucljv6OVJehql0CZoe6G6_0DB3P5lZ7whdlG4wlZib14jEWMO1wkC67mdt360CjQDHklxQLdCQXxT6gnJEkt_luUrHhAA8lhTl4V8PM0/w400-h250/13.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>“Er, which one do I talk to?” “Me! Me!” “Him! Him!”</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>I talk to the owners again, hoping for some more information. In addition to the basic icons, there’s now a few extras. But I’ll start with a generic question, asking how they buy their clothes.<br /><blockquote>“These aren’t clothes. Our skin is naturally green and vinyl-like.”<br /><br />“Good lord <choke> he’s buck naked!”<br /><br />“So are you.”<br /><br />“Yeah, but I’m cute and marketable.”</blockquote>There’s not anything new for me to learn about Bruno, but I learn more about Trixie. She’s a sensitive, caring young woman (if you care about that stuff), she used to sing folk songs to the other freaks in her trailer, and, um, apparently, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1c1F0PpbHdg">she likes her men like the Statue of Liberty</a>.<br /><blockquote>“Green and rusty?”<br /><br />“No, tall and dense.”</blockquote>As for the inconsiderate people who nearly ran us over on our way to the park, it seems that the coiffed man was international <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vS-zEH8YmiM">country-western music</a> sensation Conroy Bumpus, and his assistant, Lee-Harvey. (For the non-Americans, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Harvey_Oswald">this is almost definitely a reference to the assisination of President John F. Kennedy</a>. The fact that he was charged with “murder with malice” seems fitting for a game with Max in it.)<br /><br />Bumpus wanted to buy the two top acts from the carnival, but were a little steamed when they found out they were missing. But, I’m thinking, is it an act? Maybe they did the stealing, and this is just a cover? I suppose I’ve watched too much crime TV, but who knows.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjruoWQM5_OBXCBWdG9TpULkzvPccRgELL0pZ5jJKmeF1LKHZ16qk6rue7p2dmzvWZK62pb4sT2DWgoqP2_EW-p1Gm5ZGmvrn5CPZTG5KZpJXrwSEkDq3JvP6H-o6sakcL2nRgJ6KRMB9jRUBJAZ7pT1Z8qvq7P5kUtLeRL_K4uJalk7ZvI9NE6rJiFb2A/s1600/14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjruoWQM5_OBXCBWdG9TpULkzvPccRgELL0pZ5jJKmeF1LKHZ16qk6rue7p2dmzvWZK62pb4sT2DWgoqP2_EW-p1Gm5ZGmvrn5CPZTG5KZpJXrwSEkDq3JvP6H-o6sakcL2nRgJ6KRMB9jRUBJAZ7pT1Z8qvq7P5kUtLeRL_K4uJalk7ZvI9NE6rJiFb2A/w400-h250/14.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>If the trailer’s a rockin’, don’t come a knockin’</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Exiting out the back of the tent, we immediately come upon Trixie’s trailer. (Why is it in the middle of the grounds where customers would be walking? We may never know.) It is very securely locked with a padlock, and it won’t even budge. I even try using Max on it, but the little furball is no match for a Master. I’ll have to come back to this.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFZMLCRMC8J0rXd9blQwUvj_p0OpovbVHGMWOT4MmPuKEvMfeJeJQVzfsbqABBuwPv2L0WYmtm4IYvfepkNf9_CSH2vbAlziGYKyqKqq8AjTDkMkDwwE6t8H7AuCGHZPpwsL1BKC2LmizsTgIP9BqsDHcD14rxDiuWtPDddbhqWaRTOvGpj8NZt79Crs8/s1600/15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFZMLCRMC8J0rXd9blQwUvj_p0OpovbVHGMWOT4MmPuKEvMfeJeJQVzfsbqABBuwPv2L0WYmtm4IYvfepkNf9_CSH2vbAlziGYKyqKqq8AjTDkMkDwwE6t8H7AuCGHZPpwsL1BKC2LmizsTgIP9BqsDHcD14rxDiuWtPDddbhqWaRTOvGpj8NZt79Crs8/w400-h250/15.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="text-align: start;">♫ </span><a href="https://wordsforlife.org.uk/activities/little-bunny-foo-foo/" style="text-align: start;">Little bunny foo-foo, hopping through the forest, scooping up the field mice, and bopping them on the head</a><span style="text-align: start;"> ♫</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Just to the left of the trailer are some amusements. While the Skee-Ball looking thing is out of order, there’s a Wak-A-Rat game ready to be used. This one’s listed in the game manual: “Experienced rat-whackers know to click on the hole as the rat is on the way up. not down. 20 rats whacked win you a keen prize!” So, my first response is, UGH, an arcade game in an adventure game. And on my first try, I fail. (I do enjoy hitting Max a few times.) But I learn my mistakes quickly, where I need to aim for the bottom right corner of the holes, otherwise it thinks I’m aiming elsewhere. And on my second try, I knock enough rats senseless to make a hearty vichyssoise, and win the game. Out of the bottom of the game drops my prize, a flashlight. I’ll collect that and move on further to the left, where I find a ride, The Cone of Tragedy, operated by a very diligent, caring carnival professional.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwJFkX2KDiZoP6qYyv-C8pQGAhf_TJ0cFDfalyWu3Sh2NGbGXxDdA0AdM7KY28peaj7iVv9ZDcj2bMYUHExudRvjDejGRKF8X4CUmrl9rMk5RiRNwpZxSnG7IMqSY2bRE2DoEsAGThpyz-NqNi52crAwOOclon3TL1CWUpAYNBuN-R4IU22nfd6IOzV6w/s1600/16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwJFkX2KDiZoP6qYyv-C8pQGAhf_TJ0cFDfalyWu3Sh2NGbGXxDdA0AdM7KY28peaj7iVv9ZDcj2bMYUHExudRvjDejGRKF8X4CUmrl9rMk5RiRNwpZxSnG7IMqSY2bRE2DoEsAGThpyz-NqNi52crAwOOclon3TL1CWUpAYNBuN-R4IU22nfd6IOzV6w/w400-h250/16.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>And you thought Max was a sadist...</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Sam isn’t very polite.<div><blockquote>“Excuse us, we need some help, and although you seem dangerously unequipped, brain-wise, we’ve come to you for advice.”<br /><br /><div>“Huh?”</div></blockquote><div>We ask him about Bruno, and although he doesn’t know anything new, he suggests we ride the Tunnel of Love, because a friend of his hangs out in there. Trixie, on the other hand, is one of his regular customers, regularly whipping around the cone. Finally, we ask him to let us on his ride.<br /><blockquote>“I’m not supposed to, but what the heck. You look like a couple of caring, non-litigious mammals.”</blockquote>Uh oh.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjscoV8W9RPF7C5ogGC09BAea0Jlr5P8-fKtDd7GXZicJzlj13Y0SymahvX_57tO_FNQQ7MvaPbUXwCgFe5SJd_nUgj_aSzZ41unoe-ThKPMMxbK3C3RSxeZ8NomHi7LO3LR7HHAkNFUd9MGjlJaIFqOdy_CrdzFR7Hz4tiCIHhnlx08jh8s6OgLWoD_Bg/s1600/17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjscoV8W9RPF7C5ogGC09BAea0Jlr5P8-fKtDd7GXZicJzlj13Y0SymahvX_57tO_FNQQ7MvaPbUXwCgFe5SJd_nUgj_aSzZ41unoe-ThKPMMxbK3C3RSxeZ8NomHi7LO3LR7HHAkNFUd9MGjlJaIFqOdy_CrdzFR7Hz4tiCIHhnlx08jh8s6OgLWoD_Bg/w400-h250/17.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp4R6ne6UMIdckLzRGVelb2FHA1ctBXi2TjG0L-FVCtMwUAMfzRz09b_UBLKV9ZJyGZLaRmpx9a08imiV0bIfDD-qYgKNnmsdLfCJOMKasAfpx7M24sozQf5SSl7I4OhyXPy77dx7SyBFpf-aMUYZAr40_yLYsRyZ6uExs57r3aXp74AHr7YoExIpPAW8/s1600/18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp4R6ne6UMIdckLzRGVelb2FHA1ctBXi2TjG0L-FVCtMwUAMfzRz09b_UBLKV9ZJyGZLaRmpx9a08imiV0bIfDD-qYgKNnmsdLfCJOMKasAfpx7M24sozQf5SSl7I4OhyXPy77dx7SyBFpf-aMUYZAr40_yLYsRyZ6uExs57r3aXp74AHr7YoExIpPAW8/w400-h250/18.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>This ride is great for weight loss.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Max feels a little off after the ride.</div><div><blockquote>“Ooh, I feel tragically empty.”<br /><br />“Me too. It’s as though an integral part of my essence has been ripped from my being.”<br /><br />“Let’s do it again!”<br /><br />“Maybe later, chum.”</blockquote>Well, I then find out WHY they feel empty inside. It seems they’ve lost all their belongings. Something tells me this will be like <i>Monkey Island,</i> where my stuff went flying out of my pockets and landed around the beach, so I start looking.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXNgxTaS2ouIcwHsIShMZqIBHciVvPKMXDSq-hY6lsUAoUiOnPYnjl7uyT75ZHV38SGWR-i8AYPpD-M4d7d16nLkJdIRXkZ3aYtP7LdqPJi52DcDg4QAZowWoFMaFEeh7_EfG6VLnHboR3ZBhv5WWR6mmfwgfaJ0b1bUqOmf26ZPwn_p6MZNR5-ZSqtig/s1600/19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXNgxTaS2ouIcwHsIShMZqIBHciVvPKMXDSq-hY6lsUAoUiOnPYnjl7uyT75ZHV38SGWR-i8AYPpD-M4d7d16nLkJdIRXkZ3aYtP7LdqPJi52DcDg4QAZowWoFMaFEeh7_EfG6VLnHboR3ZBhv5WWR6mmfwgfaJ0b1bUqOmf26ZPwn_p6MZNR5-ZSqtig/w400-h250/19.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>I suspect there’s a more tactful way of saying this, but what fun would that be?</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>I didn't find any of the neat <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Vt3rh704zQ">stuff that we’ve lost</a>, but I did find the Lost & Found tent. After Sam insults the appearance of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWyCCJ6B2WE">man behind the curtain</a>, we get to the important question:<br /><blockquote>“Have you lost something?”<br /><br />“I’ve lost a whole bunch of neat junk! You must have been gifted with psychic powers to make up for your obvious physical shortcomings.”<br /><br />“Have you got a claim ticket? Do you think we let just any dog-faced guy in a suit come in here and take stuff?”</blockquote>Well, I guess this has happened before, so I go back and talk to the ride operator. In addition to all the other icons for topics we could revisit, like Bruno and Trixie, there’s a new one — my inventory box.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQw-lbHuUW81cjGVa0_K-R1TlffHV22FK6XivfybZDtwPMhAhn53gEpg0M42ly4ef-fK2_owZ_RQb29g2iqf4EurOyaxmqBiuvbyHam17rhlO2jEgwkoHHOsLU_IcwDB5b_0YXdWOSa8Ja1CEbejiy8s1RAvC1kVq7ajuTvZU65ow8_scC9AJLmTewsrk/s1600/20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQw-lbHuUW81cjGVa0_K-R1TlffHV22FK6XivfybZDtwPMhAhn53gEpg0M42ly4ef-fK2_owZ_RQb29g2iqf4EurOyaxmqBiuvbyHam17rhlO2jEgwkoHHOsLU_IcwDB5b_0YXdWOSa8Ja1CEbejiy8s1RAvC1kVq7ajuTvZU65ow8_scC9AJLmTewsrk/w400-h250/20.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>It just got up and walked away.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>He gives me a claim ticket for the lost and found. I feel so silly for walking around looking without trying to talk to the man first, but I only wasted about 55 seconds of gameplay time, so no big loss.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR_j4rzxzLUB-C8oGGpaWUhyphenhyphenJviN_qEVAT7jVBfnjcIqz_F5-0u8JjskJg30pD8HPwf6l6DySLiiuTDaMnhU0mH1WSd77hkZKDPG_dTjQ8ifbbItX8E9lKh0rmPnzO9QEBdX6ZhJ4CurWaiFoD0eqHOfdH6YeaaZUP99uhUmQxbGYl1wyeek5M1qvKUNg/s640/21.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR_j4rzxzLUB-C8oGGpaWUhyphenhyphenJviN_qEVAT7jVBfnjcIqz_F5-0u8JjskJg30pD8HPwf6l6DySLiiuTDaMnhU0mH1WSd77hkZKDPG_dTjQ8ifbbItX8E9lKh0rmPnzO9QEBdX6ZhJ4CurWaiFoD0eqHOfdH6YeaaZUP99uhUmQxbGYl1wyeek5M1qvKUNg/w400-h250/21.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Oh, wait, wrong lost & found.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Back to the Lost & Found tent, and the claim ticket nets us a jackpot. “Well, here’s all the stuff we’ve collected off the Cone O’ Tragedy today. It’s all yours.”<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgFzC0BFbnWzOxuZhWXt0410Zj3EcmxxXezOKyCjylDpiHNpcHbT8LaIg-IYMVZRmnWl3yqQ76D2r3ptS8wZOwj-peznQXbPD0uki64nKORpwRRohwAtVsyUS_ELXYIRMvjSEAWTqE215perT_0OCvYL5RHB79tV_7GZA85opWL4bmydkjf3FKr_77jyo/s1600/22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgFzC0BFbnWzOxuZhWXt0410Zj3EcmxxXezOKyCjylDpiHNpcHbT8LaIg-IYMVZRmnWl3yqQ76D2r3ptS8wZOwj-peznQXbPD0uki64nKORpwRRohwAtVsyUS_ELXYIRMvjSEAWTqE215perT_0OCvYL5RHB79tV_7GZA85opWL4bmydkjf3FKr_77jyo/w400-h250/22.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://youtu.be/5VGLPP70Xtw?si=UR3CY6RPgyVfqxk6&t=22" style="text-align: start;">My cats would love to play with this magnet, protruding from the refrigerator</a><span style="text-align: start;">.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>It seems we gained an item in the confusion, and when you look at it, it adds a location to our travel map.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZmGVCSiLCt-DLT-5xiV0htFIyrg5KTHK4ewah7pAdb4Iu6p2tP0eyrvZd40Wtt0dsCiGTO5wb6FDNBuFZt9gcLn0ER-YLE6dnOJz33QIVrAnaDZAekXbLM7Hn4S03e14vevo9BssPwDJbN0Rf2msCEU0EMYm22wOY_-56KbgokycJIDaaMxeJ_prKCQE/s1600/23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZmGVCSiLCt-DLT-5xiV0htFIyrg5KTHK4ewah7pAdb4Iu6p2tP0eyrvZd40Wtt0dsCiGTO5wb6FDNBuFZt9gcLn0ER-YLE6dnOJz33QIVrAnaDZAekXbLM7Hn4S03e14vevo9BssPwDJbN0Rf2msCEU0EMYm22wOY_-56KbgokycJIDaaMxeJ_prKCQE/w400-h250/23.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="text-align: start;">Something’s fishy about this </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GC_mV1IpjWA" style="text-align: start;">new destination</a><span style="text-align: start;">.</span></i><br style="text-align: start;" /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0006rYba6GjoV__bwbpYPf5Y70VPc4V8xDQj6YSMZnmp4mxTZTS5lodSO470WDHEBiR3P240YCnK7YWygZaDI8ObEgQeVQ_bgwIdW2LTQ6ptlnb31Hzqq5lO2RVFxAAIMB1GkvwpjtPACFZtz8BnHm_YMcd2Qt-kmth4swzIZRMzV_TRc197s8fTG_3g/s320/24.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="213" data-original-width="320" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0006rYba6GjoV__bwbpYPf5Y70VPc4V8xDQj6YSMZnmp4mxTZTS5lodSO470WDHEBiR3P240YCnK7YWygZaDI8ObEgQeVQ_bgwIdW2LTQ6ptlnb31Hzqq5lO2RVFxAAIMB1GkvwpjtPACFZtz8BnHm_YMcd2Qt-kmth4swzIZRMzV_TRc197s8fTG_3g/w400-h266/24.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://www.avclub.com/we-got-it-all-on-uhf-an-oral-history-of-weird-al-yan-1798278657" style="text-align: start;">I can’t help but think this should have been at the carnival</a><span style="text-align: start;">.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>At some point, I suppose we’ll be going there. But there’s still plenty to do here.<br /><br />Outside the Lost & Found is a Strength-o-Meter. You know, the thing you hit with a hammer, sending a ball up the post to (hopefully) ring a bell at the top.”[Max shudders] to think about the number of promising dates cut short by this fiendish contraption.” I try to get Sam to do it, but he declines, saying that he doesn’t possess the “psychotic strength” needed. That’s a blatant hint, so I use Max on it.<br /><blockquote>“You’re my hero, little buddy.”</blockquote>Bell rings, no prize. So either it’s a later puzzle, or just here for fun.<br /><br />Speaking of games of chance, I play another round of Wak-A-Rat, but after winning easily, nothing comes out. “The game must be out of prizes.”<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis9lCJaMRiHa0Hse7Uczx_0k86qXUnRlrJKT39MEYoJ5nH38URJVg9urlLCiqItiy9Zv-PqB2aFuZ0cvAbZJJ5AwaGh7cvNtgiB3OyP4qZJcMUAoRzcyNtCOUj1Kv30LDE3bs1gBrZxJ7rJthz-7czvevfeDlT4VRGcf-PjGLVMN-0OfUlh6teRNdgiu4/s1600/25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis9lCJaMRiHa0Hse7Uczx_0k86qXUnRlrJKT39MEYoJ5nH38URJVg9urlLCiqItiy9Zv-PqB2aFuZ0cvAbZJJ5AwaGh7cvNtgiB3OyP4qZJcMUAoRzcyNtCOUj1Kv30LDE3bs1gBrZxJ7rJthz-7czvevfeDlT4VRGcf-PjGLVMN-0OfUlh6teRNdgiu4/w400-h250/25.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="text-align: start;">As to whether I’ve heard this once or twice in my life, I </span><a href="https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang/plead-the-fifth/" style="text-align: start;">plead the fifth</a><span style="text-align: start;">.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>I continue to explore, and I talk to the fire breather, who I haven’t interacted with since first arriving here. Some questions have obvious answers. I ask him if he had ever talked to Bruno before he escaped. “How could I? He was in a block of ice!” But otherwise, he was not useful.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3yF3fUstJnY9ORgcQ2cWlBmGlQWK46Phuot6SlaG9BFXXGcHN02AobxJ0SpBTPnYDMhc3MuzSIpWFSSIevISLecmalcoVRkoDSLWiU1IQt86XBJfM_SV3kwohy1bxnlL1TXFWY3hozBeObS8agfLS4vpp4Vak8YtFf28vY3VQNU3m0yDQqG1_kEXsiUs/s1600/26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3yF3fUstJnY9ORgcQ2cWlBmGlQWK46Phuot6SlaG9BFXXGcHN02AobxJ0SpBTPnYDMhc3MuzSIpWFSSIevISLecmalcoVRkoDSLWiU1IQt86XBJfM_SV3kwohy1bxnlL1TXFWY3hozBeObS8agfLS4vpp4Vak8YtFf28vY3VQNU3m0yDQqG1_kEXsiUs/w400-h250/26.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>And now, we embark on </i>Leisure Suit Larry 7<i>.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Well, the carnie did tell me to check out the Tunnel of Love, right? Let’s explore.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDcvyMuJ9pbzjiWmkpDlxKoIg-NLZQCg6JLAwjgH9nE0n0hbnl9S4lb9HGvIf8D5fUkko70a82p6BE_34OlqD4ppX0Dshy9kCqjwjPJ66XdTovEiSru2DdCN37SvTSssFtnANnD_lrKp46xnjI2nJoivS42dtxUZ032qejc2gv_wL7wor4zGxZxBFEbRE/s1600/27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDcvyMuJ9pbzjiWmkpDlxKoIg-NLZQCg6JLAwjgH9nE0n0hbnl9S4lb9HGvIf8D5fUkko70a82p6BE_34OlqD4ppX0Dshy9kCqjwjPJ66XdTovEiSru2DdCN37SvTSssFtnANnD_lrKp46xnjI2nJoivS42dtxUZ032qejc2gv_wL7wor4zGxZxBFEbRE/w400-h250/27.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYqya3VsjbFzChu9zLyxNt2FwVcOXr71e1F6-BbPGHspp4YCr_aBZoct7ESAfXIznD3cjtCMhSRqe3fgJscJK6VBFfUYx87nGKBbdqGo7-L_xvWu4X9BDhRb9YdLIC6UwBJrslfVIy3W1DVvQaft9DgenXOWzQlBZh_qltBtwztZgAz2f7Y6qA2NBgz7c/s1600/28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYqya3VsjbFzChu9zLyxNt2FwVcOXr71e1F6-BbPGHspp4YCr_aBZoct7ESAfXIznD3cjtCMhSRqe3fgJscJK6VBFfUYx87nGKBbdqGo7-L_xvWu4X9BDhRb9YdLIC6UwBJrslfVIy3W1DVvQaft9DgenXOWzQlBZh_qltBtwztZgAz2f7Y6qA2NBgz7c/w400-h250/28.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx4qXm3OB0bN6hnutMHmhmp0h-LQrY0dpKTKOCQnsgObHLX4V07M19k1YGnEPirhQE9YgwD5U-9RCi9vFHPQAO5zgcHke-jzXS0LMYdM6tAe4LKXw0_i5GMDFfgcpFGr73_SbnxkvNRZBCpIlVvjN1TKshewOGOcfgsj4PKukC4uheqMMPA3J6NJ8_wVY/s1600/29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx4qXm3OB0bN6hnutMHmhmp0h-LQrY0dpKTKOCQnsgObHLX4V07M19k1YGnEPirhQE9YgwD5U-9RCi9vFHPQAO5zgcHke-jzXS0LMYdM6tAe4LKXw0_i5GMDFfgcpFGr73_SbnxkvNRZBCpIlVvjN1TKshewOGOcfgsj4PKukC4uheqMMPA3J6NJ8_wVY/w400-h250/29.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0dvhDS1SmEBogC2xyQza4E1mvoX5Cx6L5ixnd5bjdOoqzZDveivcxlwtqWrtNizcQbaLuakNgtv1uf4-3tyxHl_b_Uwys-keUw0Yvyns0ygLugOu_m3Z49FC9AYNg8pTOpZh4pUgSXpRcholXQghE_WobzRQoQdjCMogSzLSH2Ha2t6_ekX1KCd3Lfs0/s1600/30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0dvhDS1SmEBogC2xyQza4E1mvoX5Cx6L5ixnd5bjdOoqzZDveivcxlwtqWrtNizcQbaLuakNgtv1uf4-3tyxHl_b_Uwys-keUw0Yvyns0ygLugOu_m3Z49FC9AYNg8pTOpZh4pUgSXpRcholXQghE_WobzRQoQdjCMogSzLSH2Ha2t6_ekX1KCd3Lfs0/w400-h250/30.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>As we float along the tunnel, I see hints to hidden elements in the walls. So, in my inventory is a flashlight. I quickly try it, but, alas, no luck. Until I add the light bulb I luckily grabbed from my closet. Then, I can see all sorts of things along the way, including a broom I try to grab, but cannot, and an electrical panel that’s sparking a little.<br /><br />If anyone’s going to get electrocuted, it won’t be me. Since nothing else in my inventory does anything (I tried the magnet!), let’s try using Max.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVN3gLsNEAFKidqgf1BtJffllkWX7-Fcs81f43diH4tCvvLCyk22owvblcmW5TRzgdbnSXFC6ttDq3qVtPUCajHVaeosvI-hV_mC7W1hWKpxstwCJc1ktZctl3ir2tup9EJRPaZXmEfg5IdowizFMUfkR0g8U99qo8FRuRu8ANiW7izdfX7_1ginpk3mE/s1600/31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVN3gLsNEAFKidqgf1BtJffllkWX7-Fcs81f43diH4tCvvLCyk22owvblcmW5TRzgdbnSXFC6ttDq3qVtPUCajHVaeosvI-hV_mC7W1hWKpxstwCJc1ktZctl3ir2tup9EJRPaZXmEfg5IdowizFMUfkR0g8U99qo8FRuRu8ANiW7izdfX7_1ginpk3mE/w400-h250/31.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Guess I’ll need to ride again.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>So, we finish the ride, but my inner child wants to ride it again. So, armed with knowledge and a psychotic furball, we go again.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4YI0tiMe7dqy4NJEYdpWNnGJEhdValI2zLJfyOmEpZfVgGKvpV92RJJmyZ5-1XxK7u9qEvaUXqokEkp8sgMUBDFAtr4j4LBNAtkFPgdZySJSafdmNN9pdfcIvcbd5DwKGJc8ayj0jk3tltWEGOHGnpFxHBDKLD90y-e1tpISfL5xhaLm94laSQOPHVAU/s1200/32.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1200" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4YI0tiMe7dqy4NJEYdpWNnGJEhdValI2zLJfyOmEpZfVgGKvpV92RJJmyZ5-1XxK7u9qEvaUXqokEkp8sgMUBDFAtr4j4LBNAtkFPgdZySJSafdmNN9pdfcIvcbd5DwKGJc8ayj0jk3tltWEGOHGnpFxHBDKLD90y-e1tpISfL5xhaLm94laSQOPHVAU/w400-h250/32.gif" width="400" /></a></div>Sam dips Max into the water, and then shoves him into the electrical panel, short-circuiting the ride. Since we’re now stopped, we are now able to check out the last scene, an executioner ready to do his job.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlEcCLw81LpPkh0zr9Kygt3WPilHuD7QgCkipuEBuYujs-dXTGb3sciQ7daK4efv_iQcYwi2uG0jnHFwAnGmo6CeaM04KYY7qqLr_uzibInF8gIXrUAhU9ijuEh0nTlFAHGWmlZ9i_g2aaSnTmS53Z9ORtzMBauhg4AGfeYssz6lsjSBrGGpb6lc6wd9Q/s1600/33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlEcCLw81LpPkh0zr9Kygt3WPilHuD7QgCkipuEBuYujs-dXTGb3sciQ7daK4efv_iQcYwi2uG0jnHFwAnGmo6CeaM04KYY7qqLr_uzibInF8gIXrUAhU9ijuEh0nTlFAHGWmlZ9i_g2aaSnTmS53Z9ORtzMBauhg4AGfeYssz6lsjSBrGGpb6lc6wd9Q/w400-h250/33.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>As Max tries (and thankfully, fails) to pry the ax free, I try to open the door and move the ax myself, to no avail. The magnet isn’t any help, either. At some point, I pull the beard of the patrician-looking gentleman on the right, which causes the ax to fall, beheading the prisoner, and opening the door. Max is horrified, exclaiming he will never shave again.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvKKiaajkl65tsJxyhArCWOZYf7tCJTAAKawy_3mUs0E-nIlNYwuVRSqNUbn_GQupsAX6w-0dlBrPKkc4JvD9vTohhela28_hUFrtAgUxT2IUFPQt-MTyQoUe-rZQYQcRzQZ8fAGcdZslrr-_BQwshr2q0FuBO6MPacsll3EMuS_SndRsbt4N6gqDadVY/s1600/34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvKKiaajkl65tsJxyhArCWOZYf7tCJTAAKawy_3mUs0E-nIlNYwuVRSqNUbn_GQupsAX6w-0dlBrPKkc4JvD9vTohhela28_hUFrtAgUxT2IUFPQt-MTyQoUe-rZQYQcRzQZ8fAGcdZslrr-_BQwshr2q0FuBO6MPacsll3EMuS_SndRsbt4N6gqDadVY/w400-h250/34.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="text-align: start;">I suspect </span><a href="https://as2.ftcdn.net/v2/jpg/05/60/57/15/1000_F_560571578_G6JsG08C7A3S89pS4H4Fo38QuNqwNqAp.jpg" style="text-align: start;">he looks like this</a><span style="text-align: start;"> in real life.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>So we enter into the residence of Doug, the Mole Man. So, obviously a carnival attraction, but does anyone ever actually see him?<br /><br />We talk to him for a while, asking him about everything. And he has stories to tell. Worse than Guybrush at the beginning of <i>Monkey Island 2</i>. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSALQn0u9z4">Max is quickly being inspired by a famous movie of the past</a>. But the long and short of it, we should contact Doug’s uncle, Shuv-Oohl, who was last seen sometime after helping to build the Largest Ball of Twine on the Earth.<br /><br />Wait. I didn’t catch this until writing this post. His uncle’s name is Shovel, and his name is Dug. I get it now. I suppose there’s lots of jokes like this buried in here like hidden treasures, just waiting to be unearthed.<br /><br />So, a new location appears on my map, just like when we got the fish magnet.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyqFdWxiomLxVd-YNzELG9hMMYHaA9SO4dzrwfCOTp7vHR5GpbiElEwkpOXBo9mJ01OES3jBb1OceQFDmcFdgpmBFDB6ogMmmALW1I19jFcjbUmtGrmD2zSqJPh_Lb8QOaEay45VYziyFDrN4kK1Txvm2jR-8A2mJf-DWR7BJnsdzLF8lL_-FW24VPAMY/s1600/35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyqFdWxiomLxVd-YNzELG9hMMYHaA9SO4dzrwfCOTp7vHR5GpbiElEwkpOXBo9mJ01OES3jBb1OceQFDmcFdgpmBFDB6ogMmmALW1I19jFcjbUmtGrmD2zSqJPh_Lb8QOaEay45VYziyFDrN4kK1Txvm2jR-8A2mJf-DWR7BJnsdzLF8lL_-FW24VPAMY/w400-h250/35.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>This will probably involve a road trip.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>He also offers us his copy of the key to Trixie’s trailer, if we bring him a pecan treat. <br /><br />So, as we finish up this gameplay session, it seems I’ll start off the next session by finding a pecan treat for Doug. I’ll let the people in the Southern United States get mad at me, because throughout this entire post, I’ve been <a href="https://thepecannation.com/blog/how-do-you-pronounce-pecan/">pronouncing that word in my head</a> as the Northern “pee-can” rather than the Southern “puh-cahn”.<br /><br />Just some health advice from Sam, Max, and Doug before I leave:<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilnHbmIoD3AnPx-gp25R2YxrTzND5YKmo98CWqYnPx7l6IhVm4aPhr_8wEKUzBcT5s61XucxayobkMILonTKvTvzyTqKTbbY-PI8gcYQGTnC1kWa9yB4KQBXrWdmvJYnIaqu5ORxaV6lpxp5R7cMZIWTaTsfrHb99wEBbGpulJZFSzduaQaJnt7eE74Ls/s1600/36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilnHbmIoD3AnPx-gp25R2YxrTzND5YKmo98CWqYnPx7l6IhVm4aPhr_8wEKUzBcT5s61XucxayobkMILonTKvTvzyTqKTbbY-PI8gcYQGTnC1kWa9yB4KQBXrWdmvJYnIaqu5ORxaV6lpxp5R7cMZIWTaTsfrHb99wEBbGpulJZFSzduaQaJnt7eE74Ls/w400-h250/36.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrtG5NaHV4pev0zMXB1EVHNe_UUBtJkV4mV3AFWgulTcZiHI6KdKDlNBgtOMWhnJyEDRqtx5UNv7S_XpZeWEcyLX76nW2y8F9KNnv5qo8Lh2QWqtwHJZM0gJ3U8nZAdcse5lxROoMSr9kH89VclSPg2MhNdYPqtEumB-o4ixzCJtddjEvrxmNgE_3aQNY/s1600/37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrtG5NaHV4pev0zMXB1EVHNe_UUBtJkV4mV3AFWgulTcZiHI6KdKDlNBgtOMWhnJyEDRqtx5UNv7S_XpZeWEcyLX76nW2y8F9KNnv5qo8Lh2QWqtwHJZM0gJ3U8nZAdcse5lxROoMSr9kH89VclSPg2MhNdYPqtEumB-o4ixzCJtddjEvrxmNgE_3aQNY/w400-h250/37.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b>Session Time</b>: 1 hour<br /><b>Total Time</b>: 1 hour 10 minutes<br /><br /><b>Inventory</b>: Lots of money, World of Fish magnet, tuft of Bruno’s hair, black light flashlight, carnival pass<div><br /><b>Note Regarding Spoilers and Companion Assist Points:</b> There’s a set of rules regarding spoilers and companion assist points. Please read it <a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/p/rookie-companion.html">here</a> 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!</div></div></div>Ilmari Jauhiainenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01655841880034965950noreply@blogger.com44tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-33600851987221575172023-12-25T00:00:00.002+11:002023-12-25T00:00:00.127+11:00 Missed Classic 126 & 127: A Double Dose of “A Special Christmas Adventure” (1986 & 1987)<p>Written by Joe Pranevich</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-vRLNelboNyVjJhFHkZuGMQwGsAVXJOqVWypRqWP69q2ZGAq0fUczY8kbedITsM37fRHD4K1Wx95WLz-KcYkiZ7jQOOjmC2bD-kaz_KDnf_TFx-g69zLGMsmnDCGdF4gfd0XN_6KKuNwHDhh5LzYIRgzdWyak8MGGCQiWOg3vqKHLRU3z5Da4hyphenhyphenLVGJd1/s320/christmaslogo.mov.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="236" data-original-width="320" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-vRLNelboNyVjJhFHkZuGMQwGsAVXJOqVWypRqWP69q2ZGAq0fUczY8kbedITsM37fRHD4K1Wx95WLz-KcYkiZ7jQOOjmC2bD-kaz_KDnf_TFx-g69zLGMsmnDCGdF4gfd0XN_6KKuNwHDhh5LzYIRgzdWyak8MGGCQiWOg3vqKHLRU3z5Da4hyphenhyphenLVGJd1/w400-h295/christmaslogo.mov.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Merry Christmas! Another year has come and gone, but we’re still playing games here at “The Adventurer’s Guild”. I hope that you and your family are enjoying the holiday, taking some time off, and perhaps playing a classic adventure game or two. While I am off battling Christmas Tree Monsters in <i><a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2023/10/missed-classic-124-beyond-zork-coconut.html" target="_blank">Beyond Zork</a></i> (as of this writing, I still don’t know how to defeat them), it is our tradition to play and discuss a truly holiday themed adventure game for Christmas. This year, I am breaking that tradition by playing not one but TWO Christmas-themed text adventures for the ZX Spectrum. They happen to share the same name, but we’ll cross that holiday-themed bridge when we come to it. </p><p>I don’t want to set expectations too high, but this is how my holiday posts tend to work:</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>I find an obscure Christmas-related title, often that few have ever heard of, and play it. </li><li>Using my decade of contacts and detective skills, I track down the original authors. They are amazed and mystified that anyone cares about their old game and are glad to discuss it with me. </li><li>I compose a half-decent story about that adventure game.</li><li>Somehow, despite being a title that you never heard of or cared about before, you enjoy the story and stick with us for another year of adventuring! (Also, <a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2019/12/interlude-very-tag-christmas.html" target="_blank">Santa has personally threatened to cancel the blog</a> if I ever stop doing this. Seriously.)</li></ol><p></p><p>This year didn’t quite go to plan. Not only because I’m looking at two games at once, but also because I haven’t been able to track down the author or even be sure who they are. We do have some fun history and detective work… and possibly even a murder. I’m generally not a fan of murder, especially over the holidays. </p><p>Onward then to <i>A Special Christmas Adventure</i>! Both of them. </p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis2IC-dRGb8hHoY6zij0alnjtAuyk0bItGTe87DhdOo-FuHrVXb44broLQ7Lbw9Hrr7CLQC2crs0jfx7YMy1fPNUAjBk47_CSZ7uh_KpWAwmep8Mzcizx311G7nNEqAbbK3ZWac_yIarSqDOhlDSoUVlFd9NoJK2ddU2L-7YzgFdpNvfTRbjNKXAI-MoI8/s1920/image%201-02%20(spectrum).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1411" data-original-width="1920" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis2IC-dRGb8hHoY6zij0alnjtAuyk0bItGTe87DhdOo-FuHrVXb44broLQ7Lbw9Hrr7CLQC2crs0jfx7YMy1fPNUAjBk47_CSZ7uh_KpWAwmep8Mzcizx311G7nNEqAbbK3ZWac_yIarSqDOhlDSoUVlFd9NoJK2ddU2L-7YzgFdpNvfTRbjNKXAI-MoI8/w400-h294/image%201-02%20(spectrum).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p><i>The Spectrum was cute, I’ll give it that!</i></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Let’s start from the beginning: the ZX Spectrum was a marvel of British computer engineering. Developed in Cambridge, UK (rather than the more technology-focused Cambridge, Massachusetts) by Sir Clive Sinclair and his company, it was one of the breakout stars of the computing world in the early 1980s. Priced at only £125 (roughly £550 today, or $700), but featuring a color screen, an 8-bit Z80A processor, a tape drive, and up to 48K of RAM, it was an ideal entry-level computer for the British and European markets, with less success in the US. It sold more than three times as many units as the similarly-British BBC Micro, although the latter system became dominant in the British educational market. Its popularity also helped to keep competitors like the Commodore 64 and Apple II from gaining the traction that they would see in the United States. Britain was the home of the Spectrum and, for a time at least, it was the dominant home computing platform in the region. </p><p>The Spectrum’s dominance in the UK led to some differences in early computing culture between the US and UK. Text adventures were popular there, of course, and helped thanks to being the launch platform of “The Quill”, perhaps the most writer-accessible text adventure platform on the market in the early 1980s. It was also easy to pirate and many of the low-cost text adventures produced in the period may not have been fully up to compliance on their licensing. We looked at “The Quill” briefly when I covered <i><a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2015/12/missed-classic-16-spell-of-christmas.html" target="_blank">A Spell of Christmas Ice</a></i> a few years ago, but at least 600 commercially released text adventures were created in “The Quill” alone– thank goodness we aren’t one of those blogs that have to play every game! Disk or tape magazines (“diskmags”) were popular in the UK and they had their homegrown ones: <i>16/48 Magazine</i>, <i>Spectrum Adventurer</i>, and more. Finally, for us adventure enthusiasts, the rise of “contest games” was almost an exclusively UK-based phenomenon. These were text adventures designed to be so difficult that the first to complete them would be awarded with a prize! In an era today where games are designed to be winnable, I imagine that these would feel a bit alien to us. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5TtwE8ESvQpUvyHPs5E11dff6y0kCf3tJ5zRfSYnNFzpw64qi8lgiCjL_G7qS0WYF8Kao0bru7NCsXLXZEVyJyt8-buuJSnPARuNvSmIqK0fA2sxMzNWyhpQq7-XCJ0v8i_mD1jJcxN-qSoXf43iQPcQQpw2V5CaWBjpNmShUEX5tleos3xHmbKkjGlNN/s1302/image%201-03%20(william%20young%20house).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1026" data-original-width="1302" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5TtwE8ESvQpUvyHPs5E11dff6y0kCf3tJ5zRfSYnNFzpw64qi8lgiCjL_G7qS0WYF8Kao0bru7NCsXLXZEVyJyt8-buuJSnPARuNvSmIqK0fA2sxMzNWyhpQq7-XCJ0v8i_mD1jJcxN-qSoXf43iQPcQQpw2V5CaWBjpNmShUEX5tleos3xHmbKkjGlNN/w400-h315/image%201-03%20(william%20young%20house).png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p><i>William Young and his three companies operated out of one of these terrace houses.</i></p></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAYFKJYiVOUqURAcFuOFDJMPhi1WlYca90YY92diEVx3Zwer5z3HEzWsinbFH3m5bhSNSPPRC7x70nHTikNtIE172VXXHwpRmXHlEH8p0iPh3wUwwR7mZF2Hqr1snLCuTqdPpLw-GJ29_zGEXGY5yAsAPVBh8FwPellW1TpHGZYEgCvMkqor4uL8yy-GJM/s1272/image%201-04%20(exchange%20club).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="954" data-original-width="1272" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAYFKJYiVOUqURAcFuOFDJMPhi1WlYca90YY92diEVx3Zwer5z3HEzWsinbFH3m5bhSNSPPRC7x70nHTikNtIE172VXXHwpRmXHlEH8p0iPh3wUwwR7mZF2Hqr1snLCuTqdPpLw-GJ29_zGEXGY5yAsAPVBh8FwPellW1TpHGZYEgCvMkqor4uL8yy-GJM/w400-h300/image%201-04%20(exchange%20club).png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p><i>An ad for the SA.E.C. in </i>Spectrum Adventurer<i>.</i></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>And that all brings us to our story for today: William Young and our pair of Christmas adventures for the ZX Spectrum. While researching this story, I have read several of his surviving editorials as well as the letters and articles that he elected to feature in his publication. If I get one impression of him at all, it is this: he was one of us. He seemed to love adventure games and did everything he could to boost text adventures in the UK. He operated a hint service, he volunteered to playtest and advise amateur game designers, and he operated what can best be described as a lending library for completed games. It’s difficult to say what impact, if any, he had on the text adventure field, but he was devoted to that craft. I just regret that I haven’t been able to locate him to discuss this further.</p><p>What I have been able to learn about William Young could probably fit on the back of a napkin. In the mid-1980s, he was living in Carluke, a Scottish town of around 13,000 people within commuting distance of Edinburgh. While he certainly loved adventure games, there is no direct evidence that he wrote any himself. (More on that in a bit.) And around 1986, he founded three separate but connected projects to share his love of Spectrum gaming and presumably to make some money:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>First, the “Spectrum Adventure Exchange Club”, started either in 1985 or 1986, was essentially a lending library for the growing number of text adventures being written for the ZX Spectrum. “Finished an adventure? Don’t let it gather dust on a shelf - exchange it for another one.” The Club was later expanded to include a “free map service” for “14 popular titles” as well as offering a tip line. </li></ul><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid-I8J5pB2xDnxgnAAoidCdH5LdlUDMH-kwd1_fMQ9mWRejMUyk3-tJH_VGbpoRtsyfuRxbBTJ3-K_lOQbXbKExyTI9kx-TbyjKAIJEWDBr86UCqFZ5pDsyfu_RjQHh9YiVGMbwEt8m-h8NyGa-nIM6Uhp1_AlztMS40ofHAzT0dV5F9sxoBtpB6cA5RIC/s1276/image%201-05%20(subscription%20offer).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="942" data-original-width="1276" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid-I8J5pB2xDnxgnAAoidCdH5LdlUDMH-kwd1_fMQ9mWRejMUyk3-tJH_VGbpoRtsyfuRxbBTJ3-K_lOQbXbKExyTI9kx-TbyjKAIJEWDBr86UCqFZ5pDsyfu_RjQHh9YiVGMbwEt8m-h8NyGa-nIM6Uhp1_AlztMS40ofHAzT0dV5F9sxoBtpB6cA5RIC/w400-h295/image%201-05%20(subscription%20offer).png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p><i>Surprisingly reasonable international postage.</i></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Second, the <i>Spectrum Adventure</i> tape magazine. Beginning in approximately June 1986, the magazine provided hints, reviews, and a free game in every issue to the Spectrum community. Issues were priced at £2 each, or about £7.23 today ($9.50) and were published 11 times per year, with the December/January issue covering both months. Many of the included games were serialized as episodes or chapters in a longer story, something which I haven’t seen before. “Doctor Goo”, a parody of the British sci-fi show, <i>Doctor Who</i>, was a frequent protagonist in these serialized games.</li></ul><p></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Finally, a company called “Global Games” that published games, including those developed through the Spectrum Adventure Exchange Club. As best I can tell, this is separate from a different UK company, also called “Global Games”, which published ZX Spectrum action titles– but some resources today conflate the two. Young’s “Global Games” appears to have started around 1988 to publish both S.A.E.C.-related titles as well as other adventure authors; some titles that were previously credited to S.A.E.C. switch to being distributed by Global Games after 1988.</li></ul><p></p><p>Looking at this now, it is sometimes difficult to see where <i>Spectrum Adventurer</i> and the “Spectrum Adventure Exchange Club” began and ended. Many of the games developed for the former were credited as being written by the “S.A.E.C.” Additionally, the Club supported several contest games which were distributed either through the magazine or Global Games. These included <i>Castle Thade</i> (1986), <i>Castle Thade Revisited</i> (1987), and <i>Virus</i> (1988). The value of these contests seemed to rise over time: the winner of <i>Castle Thade</i> received a computer monitor, while the winner of <i>Virus</i> received an entire new ZX Spectrum +3 computer!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Mml3oHsF1GkWNxY2GBLFlzcGDNbnjufFxPlR9pdm0cvkQeNlxJBEcOT3Yo1WS7irH2QkFg229sXtZvspQDs1H6c9wTrap0JfaOnot8h-Ovf5NwV6lk-FfCfHuitrQfqu8TF0kKbrjxO67zbcxz_0eDLcIGIUr_Fuc1GV5od292l9R6GNSco1gNb8-SdZ/s1266/image%201-06%20(spectrum%20adventurer%20credits).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="942" data-original-width="1266" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Mml3oHsF1GkWNxY2GBLFlzcGDNbnjufFxPlR9pdm0cvkQeNlxJBEcOT3Yo1WS7irH2QkFg229sXtZvspQDs1H6c9wTrap0JfaOnot8h-Ovf5NwV6lk-FfCfHuitrQfqu8TF0kKbrjxO67zbcxz_0eDLcIGIUr_Fuc1GV5od292l9R6GNSco1gNb8-SdZ/w400-h297/image%201-06%20(spectrum%20adventurer%20credits).png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p><i>Credits changed between issues, though William Young was always the editor.</i></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>What we do know is that as December 1986 approached, William Young was interested in doing something special for Christmas. He was between adventures: his November’s issue included the final chapter for <i>Space Odyssey</i>, while the next one was planned to be the first chapter of a <i>Doctor Goo</i> adventure. (Incidentally, <i>Space Odyssey</i> sounds amazing, but most of the game has been lost. It’s a sci-fi story where you are a falsely-convicted murderer who wakes up from suspended animation on a penal ship that has been struck by a meteor. In the previous five chapters, you somehow escaped from the ship, regained your lost memories, and found a time machine. The final part involves traveling back in time to the murder to either solve it or put things right.) With a bit of time to fill and it being the holidays, William Young either commissioned or wrote the first <i>A Special Christmas Adventure</i>, as well as a special graphical holiday message that would load during the issue. (You can see the animated message at the top of this post.) </p><p>Over the following months, Young continued to improve his tape magazine with a new layout and logo. When Christmas 1987 rolled around, he had just finished his final serialized chapter of <i>Doctor Goo</i> and had a blank spot in the calendar. Reusing the special Christmas logo from the previous year (not even bothering to fix the glaring typo!), he crafted or commissioned a second Christmas adventure for the issue. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZvNsHinvPB6LmSUUHdDTfvrbjS2SChCW4BnL2q0iyn9MpmnuGvdacYg3m9eEwwZ1R5_0iZL-ruzXUJdSLjJpMcQ_E3QsPQ7uVwkJXBg_aHTO4LLIz4mNGLIknvIsHlQgUo3F3gDo7Ei0NCRUlFs9hfmCDRY__8IVULseK4hNmcZvYGP5R_-O_nY6r65Yg/s320/image%201-07%20(contest%20winner).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZvNsHinvPB6LmSUUHdDTfvrbjS2SChCW4BnL2q0iyn9MpmnuGvdacYg3m9eEwwZ1R5_0iZL-ruzXUJdSLjJpMcQ_E3QsPQ7uVwkJXBg_aHTO4LLIz4mNGLIknvIsHlQgUo3F3gDo7Ei0NCRUlFs9hfmCDRY__8IVULseK4hNmcZvYGP5R_-O_nY6r65Yg/w400-h300/image%201-07%20(contest%20winner).png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p><i>Congrats, David! I hope it was a good Christmas present.</i></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Unfortunately, working out what happened next has been an extra challenge, in large part due to the fragmentary nature of the rediscovered material. To date, only <i>Spectrum Adventurer</i> issues 7 through 24 have been found, spanning 1986-1988. It is unclear if #24 (June 1988) is the final issue or just the final one rediscovered; it contains the usual preview of the next issue and no indication suggesting that the end was near. While enthusiasts have retained and shared the TZX images for the Spectrum tapes, I have been able to find none of the original physical tapes, jackets, or labels that might have additional clues. If there was a Christmas issue in 1988, it has now been lost. </p><p>By August of 1989, Spectrum Adventurer and the Spectrum Adventure Exchange Club were closing. William Young’s announcement (that I found summarized in an issue of <i>Your Sinclair</i> magazine, not directly) suggested that he no longer had time to keep up the club. This lines up with his increasing work on Global Games and it’s reasonable to assume that he wound down the previous entities to focus on the new one. Within a short time, games previously distributed by S.A.E.C. were now listed as Global Games, including a compilation of his <i>Doctor Goo</i> chapters from the magazine. Unfortunately, the fate of William Young and his new company is not clear after this point. Despite publishing at least four games in 1989, Global Games seems to fade away with the decline of the ZX Spectrum. The last advertisement that I have been able to find for them is from June 1992. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmeDhK0o4PKuw3P2n5sv0Usw2HTaf8DBw4Ipt7GdwR0yGvbiB_52ycscVPmUm08bn149mzH0SFyD83rW_uKV6OBhIrF0_pfHe8pNp5MlCQ1qs5znnzXtyuRA2aP8E3fDkEbCqZXGF0XyRxYkaN_b8J2umlzDiCc_8L5yEN5NDEgnoR8630y9iU9vqli5FY/s800/image%201-08%20(global%20games%20cover).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmeDhK0o4PKuw3P2n5sv0Usw2HTaf8DBw4Ipt7GdwR0yGvbiB_52ycscVPmUm08bn149mzH0SFyD83rW_uKV6OBhIrF0_pfHe8pNp5MlCQ1qs5znnzXtyuRA2aP8E3fDkEbCqZXGF0XyRxYkaN_b8J2umlzDiCc_8L5yEN5NDEgnoR8630y9iU9vqli5FY/w250-h400/image%201-08%20(global%20games%20cover).png" width="250" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p><i>Global Games sometimes (always?) used very nondescript cover art.</i></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>After all that, who wrote <i>A Special Christmas Adventure</i> and its sequel? That question is more difficult than it might first appear. Like every S.A.E.C. game, it is solely attributed to the club. A few retrogaming databases credit Mr. Young– and that is a reasonable guess– but he is never directly credited on any games. Ever. The first several issues of <i>Spectrum Adventurer</i> include advice for writing, marketing, and playtesting games, all written by Young, but it is unclear if he is speaking as a designer of games himself or as someone who reviews games for distribution. (The first six of those editorials are missing and he may have been clearer about his experience in one of the now-lost ones.) That said, all of his distributed games either credit an author directly or S.A.E.C. As William is the only employee that I am aware of at S.A.E.C, it’s tempting and perhaps reasonable to assume that he wrote the “S.A.E.C.” games himself, but I cannot prove it. </p><p>The only other obvious candidate is a woman named June Rowe from Launceston in Cornwall. If we assume that the issue credits include the designers of the included free games, then she is the only person other than William to be credited in both Christmas issues. She is a writer and game reviewer, and she transitioned to being the letters editor at the <i>Adventure Probe</i> fanzine after <i>Spectrum Adventurer</i> was closed. Unfortunately, I have been unable to locate her either. </p><p>As for Mr. Young, all of my attempts to locate him have come up empty. I had three leads:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>William Young (1900-2007) was the least likely candidate, but he’s also who shows up first and most often in search results. He was a radio operator for the Royal Flying Corps from Carluke during World War I (!!) and was living in Borneo during World War II where he was captured by the Japanese and taken as a prisoner of war. He would have been 86 in 1986 and while it is not impossible that he could have run a gaming company, he happened to be living in Australia at the time. Certainly an amazing life, but not the one I was looking for.<br /><br /></li><li>A second William Young (born c. 1935) was a Hoover repairman who founded an appliance repair company in Carluke that still bears his name today. He would have been in his 50s in 1986 and could have had a side business doing computer games, but the current owners of his company have been kind enough to let me know that it wasn’t him.<br /><br /></li><li>A third William Young (1954-2011) would have been 32 in 1986, a prime time in his life to run a games distribution company. Unfortunately, I have been able to learn nothing about him except that in 2011, he was killed in Carluke during an argument over a damaged sofa. </li></ul><p></p><p>The only thing I can conclude is that “William Young” is a common name, even in a town as small as Carluke. I am disappointed that I could not track him down. So many of the mysteries that I came across could have been resolved with a handful of emailed questions! We’ll have to put all of that aside because it’s (finally) time to play the games.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLARdGcoatmQP2lzx43KFtyoMIuEtZtAk5jzCkvvL_7CEy3zKHGdltUmPqMWSUGKjT8qx3yjY4Xb-rXCXrgwd7-09N2DTN2x7TdfndQuIocNsQYlUCdAFj3SUB-JEFF-yFLRErD6LsJXkvbqaG_nhuTCw75_X5_itwC_WWIVCWYBKrJeDL7iCVv41cuyth/s320/image%201-09%20(1986%20title).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLARdGcoatmQP2lzx43KFtyoMIuEtZtAk5jzCkvvL_7CEy3zKHGdltUmPqMWSUGKjT8qx3yjY4Xb-rXCXrgwd7-09N2DTN2x7TdfndQuIocNsQYlUCdAFj3SUB-JEFF-yFLRErD6LsJXkvbqaG_nhuTCw75_X5_itwC_WWIVCWYBKrJeDL7iCVv41cuyth/w400-h300/image%201-09%20(1986%20title).png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p><i>No credit for “The Quill” though it is likely a Quill-created game.</i></p></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88lKn6gizvCb9PzZtiiH11LDnlwkE-1BN_495clyNrZA1PcsTN-5PSvUmac0z5J9-QBdAVG6V1mjj-4BvGZ6WgJc07OUYSE60cmr_G6Gw3iNPY0LUQae3G0ldtOVXyikhA9PZSwGlxKiBDcW_kHdoeVwA7tKZFZIs5mdoA3P_CUdIuUNBe2VL3pCzGj_Q/s320/image%201-10%20(poor%20santa).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88lKn6gizvCb9PzZtiiH11LDnlwkE-1BN_495clyNrZA1PcsTN-5PSvUmac0z5J9-QBdAVG6V1mjj-4BvGZ6WgJc07OUYSE60cmr_G6Gw3iNPY0LUQae3G0ldtOVXyikhA9PZSwGlxKiBDcW_kHdoeVwA7tKZFZIs5mdoA3P_CUdIuUNBe2VL3pCzGj_Q/w400-h300/image%201-10%20(poor%20santa).png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p><i>I had to look up what “given his P45 meant” – unemployment.</i></p></td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">Playing The Game: 1986 Edition</h3><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Poor Santa is in a bit of a predicament. A wicked gnome has stolen the magic key to the Children’s Presents Room. Unless Santa can find the key before Christmas eve, all the children in the world will be more than a little upset at not receiving any presents. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"> Santa would be sacked, given his P45 and banished from Fairyland if he is unable to recover the key.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"> Santa’s future employment and the happiness of millions of children depend on you!</span></p></blockquote><p>We start the game in Santa’s Grotto and I’m already searching Google because I have no idea what a “P45” means: it’s a tax form that you receive from your employer when you are terminated from your job. The plot of this game seems simple enough. All we have to do is explore, find the magic key, and save Christmas. How many times have we saved Christmas already? It seems like every year Santa is getting into some trouble, you’d think he’d be more practiced by now.</p><p>Right away, the game is annoying me by its mixed use of second and third person. We are Santa, but we can also see (at least in this scene) Santa reading a letter. I take the hint and read the letter from the Wicked Gnome myself.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGMJrDDFyubYVRDkHUzuytUSAjozHSb1jFQ85KbQPGpQjvf7XRrqKpfWx2_gHovj3s1EAR-G5hFU_6An9_OYraMyTMWafggivHs4pHhzzS8UPREDFwb0PFI3PuAZ_toI7d8Vvfve3dKa1tscoDlMwzS1Ck2XUsklpbwje8UQIjV4LVVLHS6b5y-KpHbzsW/s320/image%201-11%20(letter).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGMJrDDFyubYVRDkHUzuytUSAjozHSb1jFQ85KbQPGpQjvf7XRrqKpfWx2_gHovj3s1EAR-G5hFU_6An9_OYraMyTMWafggivHs4pHhzzS8UPREDFwb0PFI3PuAZ_toI7d8Vvfve3dKa1tscoDlMwzS1Ck2XUsklpbwje8UQIjV4LVVLHS6b5y-KpHbzsW/w400-h300/image%201-11%20(letter).png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p><i>There is an important clue in this letter that I missed.</i></p></td></tr></tbody></table><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Dear Santa</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">I have your key and you’re not getting it back! I can’t wait to see the disappointment on the children’s faces on Christmas morning when they find out that there are no presents for them.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Ha Ha Ha</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">The Wicked Gnome</span></p></blockquote><p>The so-called “Wicked Gnome” seems like such an anti-Christmas sort of person! Why would someone want to deprive children on Christmas? He must be wicked indeed.</p><p>Finding the Gnome’s Castle is a little easier than I expected: no sooner do we walk out Santa’s front door at the North Pole (or… Fairyland?) than we run into the castle and the surprisingly tall hedge surrounding it on all sides. There is no obvious way in.</p><p>I head back inside and explore Santa’s home first. There are some elves in another room, deeply worried that we won’t pull this off in time. Out a side door, I discover Santa’s “garden”. As this is a British game, I immediately assume that this is just his “yard”, but it seems that he is also really gardening there. I pick up a spade left on the ground. Nothing else in the house appears important, except for a locked door in the reindeer’s stable and another leading to the Children’s Presents Room.</p><p>But, now what? There’s not that much to do in the game and only a few rooms to explore. The obvious goal is that I need to somehow get past the giant hedge, but there’s no clear way to do that. </p><p>The spade offers me the best clue, but even that isn’t much:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: courier;">> Examine spade</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Useful for digging.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">> Dig hole</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Santa can’t do that.</span></p></blockquote><p>Digging a path under the bush doesn’t work. I resort to digging everywhere to see what happens and eventually stumble on the most obvious answer: if we dig in the garden, we discover a bean that Santa apparently planted but didn’t sprout. How that will help us if it didn’t sprout before, I have no idea. Attempting to eat the bean gives us the clue that we shouldn’t do that because we “want to go up in the world” and I immediately think of <i>Jack and the Beanstalk</i>. We can use it to go over the giant hedge?</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvN7h9jQ9-qs2gx0YG45AZ2U9nCWc_GRjjZHRhOIZlWcnMXiNUTMciriDpWv8E8b-ZsuER0I_IUQme7pa4mye8sZJ6_Zq9HES1moi_UIV8ATxjm5htK_N8PqJEdPKVOsHo8kFjaIvNwsmT4Ic3I_Z6BUReu1xGj_gTmR7m4pYYiAii9LI0-BsF1at_oRgZ/s900/image%201-12%20(1986%20map).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="900" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvN7h9jQ9-qs2gx0YG45AZ2U9nCWc_GRjjZHRhOIZlWcnMXiNUTMciriDpWv8E8b-ZsuER0I_IUQme7pa4mye8sZJ6_Zq9HES1moi_UIV8ATxjm5htK_N8PqJEdPKVOsHo8kFjaIvNwsmT4Ic3I_Z6BUReu1xGj_gTmR7m4pYYiAii9LI0-BsF1at_oRgZ/w400-h334/image%201-12%20(1986%20map).png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p><i>My completed map of the game, thirteen rooms.</i></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Well, no. I get stuck at this point for a surprisingly long time, exploring everywhere until I consult a walkthrough and realize that I missed two things:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I had to more carefully “examine” everything in the room descriptions. In Santa’s workshop, examining a pile of discarded wood would have revealed a torch (flashlight), a doll, and a tin hat. None of those things help me with my immediate problem however.<br /><br /></li><li>Getting past the bush requires us to have seen the address of the gnome on the letter as “underbush” and then type the command “under bush”. Frankly, that’s bad parsing even with a clue, especially since it’s not a very good clue.</li></ul><p></p><p>When we arrive at the other side of the bushes, we find that the gnome’s castle is actually a well-defended tower. Now, it is time for some <i>Jack and the Beanstalk</i>, except that after planting the bean, I need to water it. I fill the tin hat with water from a nearby spring (did I mention there was a spring?) and the bean magically sprouts. I climb the tower and come face to face with the Wicked Gnome.</p><p>How do you defeat a Wicked Gnome? With love, of course! It’s Christmas so I give him a doll (a pleasant gender role reversal for 1986) and he’s so thrilled that he hands over my key. I race back to the workshop and unlock the Children’s Present Room. I win!</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Congratulations! The elves are hurrying to load the sleighs with presents. You have saved the children from being very sad on Christmas morning, and Santa still has his job.</span></p></blockquote><p><b>Time Played:</b> 1 hr 15 min</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCUYADLmyfSgICgeg-_8sWurQF4E26LbvvhejmN_jc6slmefV9pOo5oyKy44rN9EmW859WOqxV7EmwjuiBCSS0hOdaeDyB-1ViP0y7k7nq-musCZhpwv8padhWEipzY6JBwnNrWzzAh1WWe5Myi62B0ZnDKLplXTusKBq3NQB3tIQMqEEuARWz5EcewwEu/s320/image%201-13%20(1986%20ending).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCUYADLmyfSgICgeg-_8sWurQF4E26LbvvhejmN_jc6slmefV9pOo5oyKy44rN9EmW859WOqxV7EmwjuiBCSS0hOdaeDyB-1ViP0y7k7nq-musCZhpwv8padhWEipzY6JBwnNrWzzAh1WWe5Myi62B0ZnDKLplXTusKBq3NQB3tIQMqEEuARWz5EcewwEu/w400-h300/image%201-13%20(1986%20ending).png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p><i>It took me a lot of trial and error when I was stuck.</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTfFIxgpj2yAIi_lqGcfH94XQzrg73c2I3lTPzIB_qo788HjATPsvkMYNsZQcxtdXhuqE8phXk9VbDHllCMikR8YxI_hEF6fgbtG08HubSiARddNKhm6CcBov1xgyFtLHfU1_gFGVcCg2qt_E0W1vr_5sVecZ9XLlt0spOV0RX169HAB-ka3AE63Amf4HK/s320/image%201-14%20(1987%20title).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTfFIxgpj2yAIi_lqGcfH94XQzrg73c2I3lTPzIB_qo788HjATPsvkMYNsZQcxtdXhuqE8phXk9VbDHllCMikR8YxI_hEF6fgbtG08HubSiARddNKhm6CcBov1xgyFtLHfU1_gFGVcCg2qt_E0W1vr_5sVecZ9XLlt0spOV0RX169HAB-ka3AE63Amf4HK/w400-h300/image%201-14%20(1987%20title).png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p><i>No time to rest, I have to do it over again!</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihZC1KKw7HuYGqevVf-P266FlFh0uEt7ybWJIDq0c4VNAiVh4VKKd8AwRcP9mvCV1JQkchXlC-IldISPlHGowJtSn57KUVNBrGNPHy2xHWukPmB21DyTDFraFxbqRP4RUZWI4-8_nx0VFiaeSsd1IyzjxkHaA87ibFEfvHm2RGyhD7Eg6w42M6fXo41RW-/s320/image%201-15%20(almost%20midnight).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihZC1KKw7HuYGqevVf-P266FlFh0uEt7ybWJIDq0c4VNAiVh4VKKd8AwRcP9mvCV1JQkchXlC-IldISPlHGowJtSn57KUVNBrGNPHy2xHWukPmB21DyTDFraFxbqRP4RUZWI4-8_nx0VFiaeSsd1IyzjxkHaA87ibFEfvHm2RGyhD7Eg6w42M6fXo41RW-/w400-h300/image%201-15%20(almost%20midnight).png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>A different (but similar) plot.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">Playing The Game: 1987 Sequel</h3><p>There is no time for self-congratulations because I boot up the second Christmas adventure and discover that Santa continues to have difficulty keeping track of his keys. The game doesn’t bill itself as a sequel to the previous holiday special, although it shares a lot in common with that effort. </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: courier;">It is almost midnight on Christmas Eve and Santa Claus has packed his sleigh with toys. All he has to do now is feed his reindeer to give them strength to face the rigors of their journey. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Alas! The key to the hay store has gone missing. You must help Santa to find the key.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">The happiness of children around the world depends on you. Good luck.</span></p></blockquote><p>While we start in Santa’s Grotto again, the layout is different. While last time, we were in Fairyland, this time we are in Santa’s more traditional North Pole home with an impassable snow waste just outside his front door. In a couple of moments, I explore the house and discover the hungry reindeer. This time, I don’t even need to explore carefully to find both a metal helmet and a toy flute hidden among the workroom scraps. </p><p>Out in the wastes, I discover:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>A seer living in a cave. She’s magical, but sad that she lost something. Perhaps I will help her to find what she lost.<br /><br /></li><li>A block of ice that is too cold for me to manipulate.<br /><br /></li><li>A tower (much like the gnome’s tower) but with no obvious way to open the door.</li></ul><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirmbdClm8BmQKq9O2aO-B6JSmJCYT-e31S1_iwailBlDaJi6eJdYO4-sjJBTt9m_O0XiysMB_NECsBW78t0uKyz0TZ3FDmezXmONCNRoNC-gfkM2Ib4zJTGmOF5KYsQsMtD-y02QRQtz85ZIHacRKMZCHj3Kwi5B2F4V8g1QXERjA64ezWk7SYY5sJrE52/s900/image%201-16%20(1987%20map).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="900" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirmbdClm8BmQKq9O2aO-B6JSmJCYT-e31S1_iwailBlDaJi6eJdYO4-sjJBTt9m_O0XiysMB_NECsBW78t0uKyz0TZ3FDmezXmONCNRoNC-gfkM2Ib4zJTGmOF5KYsQsMtD-y02QRQtz85ZIHacRKMZCHj3Kwi5B2F4V8g1QXERjA64ezWk7SYY5sJrE52/w400-h134/image%201-16%20(1987%20map).png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p><i>The final map of the game. Only eleven rooms.</i></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Solving this is no problem for a seasoned adventurer like myself and this second game has fewer tricky parser bits. We are able to open a magical door in the tower by using the flute. Doing so allows an animal that has been trapped inside to run out. I then check the seer and discover that she had been missing her cat, but that it has now returned! She is so happy that she gives me some salt. I use the salt on the cold block of ice and it melts, leaving a pool of unfrozen water in the icy desert.</p><p>At this point, I die. Unlike the previous game, there is a strict time limit (70 turns) and as soon as you pass that, it’s midnight and we can no longer deliver all of the presents. I start over from scratch and do it all quicker.</p><p>Back in the tower, I locate a magician who has stolen our key, doing occult stuff next to a roaring fire. He doesn’t want a doll, not that I have one to give him, nor will he return the key. The solution rhymes with the previous game also: we can fill the metal helmet with the melted water from the block, then use it to douse the fire in the magician’s room. The resulting steam allows us to sneak up and grab the key. I race back to the reindeer room and open the hay door. I win!</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Congratulations! You have opened the door to the hay store. The hungry reindeer rush in and have a feast. Before long they are ready to deliver their load of toys and all the children will have a merry Christmas.</span></p></blockquote><p><b>Time Played: </b>25 min</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBtIRVn71nM6tHKe1iKeumvsIq9D7IQ6LQScHWnID95V1wTRm80D3lUQk71Ewgq9z2ipyfQTP8XMEZmn7SMgn77_rmJPPPC0JxL6ebLTNFidAHRnjSGeHy0uRIcWX_5cupVqM4hUfRgMStmMonDKaWX_m-xMY8XpiwFsFdD_qBSNgXLMdTS9IcDNnvntBH/s320/image%201-17%20(1987%20ending).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBtIRVn71nM6tHKe1iKeumvsIq9D7IQ6LQScHWnID95V1wTRm80D3lUQk71Ewgq9z2ipyfQTP8XMEZmn7SMgn77_rmJPPPC0JxL6ebLTNFidAHRnjSGeHy0uRIcWX_5cupVqM4hUfRgMStmMonDKaWX_m-xMY8XpiwFsFdD_qBSNgXLMdTS9IcDNnvntBH/w400-h300/image%201-17%20(1987%20ending).png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>"a warm animal smell"</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Final Rating</h3><p>The only thing better than reviewing one Christmas game is reviewing two! Our Christmas games are rated on the “suspiciously similar” EGGNOG rating system, but they are ultimately rated against an idealized version of a <i>Monkey Island</i> game from the mid-1990s. As such, text adventures don’t tend to score well and tiny holiday text adventures that were distributed for free even less so. </p><p>Before jumping in however, I want to spend a moment to consider the way that these games “rhyme”:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Both games start in “Santa’s Grotto” and have a small house at the North Pole (or… er… Fairyland?) for us to explore. The layouts are completely different, but the thrust is the same.<br /><br /></li><li>Both games involve locating a missing key, but notably not the same key: Santa loses the keys to the presents in the first game and the key to the hayloft in the second.<br /><br /></li><li>Both games feature filling a metal hat / helmet with water that we find along the way to solve a puzzle. In the first game, it’s for watering the bean, while the second game uses it to douse the fire.<br /><br /></li><li>Both games end by entering a tower and “defeating” the villain. </li></ul><p>My guess is that the author did at least a smidgeon of code reuse. Both games appear to be Quill-based, but only the second has the required statement to that effect. There is no “oh no, not again” from any of the elves to indicate that both games are in-universe to each other, but with very limited text anyway, why would there be? These are just two holiday nibbles that they certainly didn’t expect to have a lasting impact, least of all being reviewed thirty-seven years later.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBnb8_8Yn-yAQ2KTZ9Ef8EtDta8Tk2TO1AjruCiUfTPQSC9yCs8NwByCfdU1EXRbwPs-erVnnjTBO_hYB4rFbokJXZ35LP_DruRd8SdTXnPdZe7n4rXHoQaUyELSo825iCw07rL3JTjh1QJ3Z2ui6Mw6h2XFGdkPkXpI8mGon3i8o609z22lZN8Nk5kryv/s320/image%201-18%20(editorial).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBnb8_8Yn-yAQ2KTZ9Ef8EtDta8Tk2TO1AjruCiUfTPQSC9yCs8NwByCfdU1EXRbwPs-erVnnjTBO_hYB4rFbokJXZ35LP_DruRd8SdTXnPdZe7n4rXHoQaUyELSo825iCw07rL3JTjh1QJ3Z2ui6Mw6h2XFGdkPkXpI8mGon3i8o609z22lZN8Nk5kryv/w400-h300/image%201-18%20(editorial).png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p><i>Advice from the master?</i></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>Enigmas and Solution-Findability</b> - Neither game had great puzzles. The 1986 edition suffered from the terrible “under bush” command and had overall a more challenging parser. The 1987 edition added the time limit and was more polished overall, though still featured only 1-2 total “puzzles”. <b>My score: 1 for 1986 and 2 for 1987</b>. </p><p><b>Game UI and Items</b> - Two text adventures written under the Quill, so we were mostly limited to two-word interactions. The first game did worse here overall thanks to fewer synonyms and the “under bush” puzzle which I feel the need to bring up again, but it was still functional. <b>My score: 1 for 1986 and 2 for 1987</b>.</p><p><b>Gameworld and Story</b> - The story for each game is simple and pretty traditional: something has happened to prevent Christmas from going off without a hitch and we have to deal with it. Both have very small areas to explore so there isn’t a ton of “setting” to examine:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>In the first game, our setting is “Fairyland” and not the North Pole which is new for me when it comes to Christmas games. Maybe Santa has a separate house there? Even so, I love the detail that the “Wicked Gnome” who hides away at the top of a tower guarded by an impenetrable hedge just wanted love (and a doll). Some more text would have made this work better, but it’s a fun idea at the core.<br /><br /></li><li>In the second game, we are more traditionally at the North Pole. The tiny side detail with the woman and her lost cat is lovely, but the villain is boring and not actually defeated.</li></ul><p></p><p>Given the pros and cons, I’m going to score each one with a two, albeit for different reasons. <b>My score: 2</b>. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ydbAodrN4zLMNucnMuM0HEkfx3Y51tGYCwhURyRJITYijnvZKJ_ufvWHxotPElbeeCNvF1NeuiuxuLi1yBvG5HZvG9RkDoYP9QmBU-DQSym5MU8y5PShri0UP3OGElmlnYD0GHzyuW9KwQY61tQvY_1CEeKMPg3kB72gOXusnfD_ruOoOnMvR0-hiWh1/s320/image%201-19%20(spectrum%20new%20logo).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ydbAodrN4zLMNucnMuM0HEkfx3Y51tGYCwhURyRJITYijnvZKJ_ufvWHxotPElbeeCNvF1NeuiuxuLi1yBvG5HZvG9RkDoYP9QmBU-DQSym5MU8y5PShri0UP3OGElmlnYD0GHzyuW9KwQY61tQvY_1CEeKMPg3kB72gOXusnfD_ruOoOnMvR0-hiWh1/w400-h300/image%201-19%20(spectrum%20new%20logo).png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p><i>No graphics, but Spectrum Adventurer switched from basic text to this logo in 1987.</i></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>Noises and Pretty Pixels</b> - I cheated just a little bit because the Christmas tree image with the star that leads off this post is the introductory screen of the month’s tapemag and not the game in specific. (They used the same special image for both Christmas 1986 and 1987.) That leaves the game with no graphics to speak of at all, though the second game includes colored text. <b>My score: 0</b>. </p><p><b>Overworld and Environs</b> - This category is often the most difficult to explain, but I always think of it as “atmosphere”. The example that I have used in the past is that a well-designed house gives you points in “Setting”, but if it’s scary or moody or makes you feel something, that is “Atmosphere”. To that end, we don’t get enough text to really add to the atmosphere and overall it feels a bit empty. We have elves complaining that we’re taking too long in the second game plus the joy of making the Wicked Gnome a little less wicked through the power of Christmas in the first. Both games score about the same. <b>My score: 2</b>. </p><p><b>Gregariousness and Thespianism </b>- Our final category relates to the way that we interact with the characters in the game and the quality of the writing. Here, the writing is minimal and there are essentially no NPCs. The first game gets some points for the Wicked Gnome’s love of dolls, but the second does not. <b>My score: 2 for 1986, 1 for 1987</b>. </p><p>Let’s add up the scores:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><i>A Special Christmas Adventure</i> (1986) received (1+1+2+0+2+2)/.6 = 13 points!</li><li><i>A Special Christmas Adventure </i>(1987) received (2+2+2+0+2+1)/.6 = 15 points!</li></ul><p></p><p>I don’t see any reason to add or remove bonus points, so let’s just go with those.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY6eiVLP7Hr_9NPnMQMQDTFGavt5w9hPjtzyd3jpL7sgytc5JrFesEcIDNG_NPMvGhQaX1hrddZ3Cm296-KSumb_7amH-lkAQJpkdgvChEcblYclUEepljS7N9O4t9tP2w70089gesm3RbaiaolUOJDxMC4CW7re6fGwP7K3PfsaYHMAkLTU7De5391OUf/s930/image%201-20%20(double%20rating).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="930" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY6eiVLP7Hr_9NPnMQMQDTFGavt5w9hPjtzyd3jpL7sgytc5JrFesEcIDNG_NPMvGhQaX1hrddZ3Cm296-KSumb_7amH-lkAQJpkdgvChEcblYclUEepljS7N9O4t9tP2w70089gesm3RbaiaolUOJDxMC4CW7re6fGwP7K3PfsaYHMAkLTU7De5391OUf/w400-h155/image%201-20%20(double%20rating).png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Obviously, those are not high scores, but for less than two hours of gameplay (and hours and hours of research), they aren’t bad! And since they scored as well as <i><a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2018/10/missed-classic-60-adventure-in-5th.html" target="_blank">Adventure in the 5th Dimension</a></i>, William Young or whomever wrote this can feel pride in scoring the same as a game developed by the legendary Brian Moriarty! </p><p>From here, I am signing off until the new year. I have some Christmas Tree monsters to beat, plus a few real ones (and relatives) that I have to see. I hope you all have a great and festive season, whichever solstice-related holidays that you happen to celebrate. If you have any fond memories of Spectrum gaming or of any holiday-relating gaming, I hope you share with us below. Warm memories are always appreciated in the cold season! (At least for us northern hemisphere folks.) </p><p>If you are still in the mood for more Christmas games, please check out some of our previous holiday adventures:</p><ul><li><i><a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2014/12/missed-classic-3-merry-christmas-from.html">Merry Christmas from Melbourne House</a></i> (1984)</li><li><i><a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2015/12/missed-classic-16-spell-of-christmas.html">A Spell of Christmas Ice</a></i> (1984)</li><li><i><a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2016/12/missed-classic-xx-crisis-at-christmas.html">Crisis at Christmas</a></i> (1986)</li><li><i><a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2017/12/missed-classic-48-elves-87-aka-elfs.html">Elves ‘87</a></i> (aka <i>Elf’s Christmas Adventure</i>) (1987)</li><li><i><a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2018/12/missed-classic-63-humbug-1990.html">Humbug</a></i> (1990)</li><li><i><a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2019/12/missed-classic-79-christmas-adventure.html">The Christmas Adventure</a></i> (1983)</li><li><i><a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2020/12/missed-classic-91-sanity-clause-1991.html">Sanity Clause</a></i> (1991)</li><li><i><a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2021/12/missed-classic-103-paranoia-1987.html">Paranoia</a></i> (1987) </li><li><i><a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2022/12/missed-classic-118-santa-and-goblins.html" target="_blank">Santa and the Goblins </a></i>(1983)</li></ul><p>From all of your friends here at “The Adventurers Guild”, we wish you a joyous and healthy holiday season.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6JxeVxe5ljQKeyCTDVnvBfVQQSUfA73E8_-boRNIJnOAZU-fYneveVEtz8KazMay5jTzbhcA2L9uO60bzQJ7OSqzg-9dIzwAFJG8lm_K83rKaM-OReMTV6IlmgVvI5UZYmq6ShlIalgfHgUmWz6tw0lKRMBarPcNiTuabBCQ4BZ7muXd89n6RaF0RrI13/s810/image%201-21%20(carluke%20christmas).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="810" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6JxeVxe5ljQKeyCTDVnvBfVQQSUfA73E8_-boRNIJnOAZU-fYneveVEtz8KazMay5jTzbhcA2L9uO60bzQJ7OSqzg-9dIzwAFJG8lm_K83rKaM-OReMTV6IlmgVvI5UZYmq6ShlIalgfHgUmWz6tw0lKRMBarPcNiTuabBCQ4BZ7muXd89n6RaF0RrI13/w400-h266/image%201-21%20(carluke%20christmas).png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p><i>Christmas decorations in Carluke, Scotland, 2019.</i></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p>Joe Pranevichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12997014242774219758noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-84775164212582031712023-12-17T12:51:00.002+11:002023-12-17T12:51:17.993+11:00Missed Classic: Beyond Zork - Everybody Wants to Tour the World<p>Written by Joe Pranevich</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijo5b1eNd9W0EB5WVw04Ip71Tp8ihOUWQ-_-oY7K8IXr5iI0FnDgTxXG7_8uLImaQ7wj2UIcC2GNmWZJtxk9rIh6NCr1_yfbHPood-Gk1J9J4XKEhyphenhyphen2_OUW4vkf_BXQyNMSqGzxdVYC8ZygNLdf-pqH6b8GezzVpkbea6ff4d0XKDDmK3ptq9Lwc1KDqH1/s1024/DALL%C2%B7E%202023-10-22%2002.03.16%20-%20Watercolor%20painting%20capturing%20a%20close-up%20of%20the%20'Rusty%20Lantern'%20tavern%20in%20a%20forlorn%201900s%20town,%20tinged%20with%20magical%20realism.%20The%20tavern's%20once%20proud%20f.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijo5b1eNd9W0EB5WVw04Ip71Tp8ihOUWQ-_-oY7K8IXr5iI0FnDgTxXG7_8uLImaQ7wj2UIcC2GNmWZJtxk9rIh6NCr1_yfbHPood-Gk1J9J4XKEhyphenhyphen2_OUW4vkf_BXQyNMSqGzxdVYC8ZygNLdf-pqH6b8GezzVpkbea6ff4d0XKDDmK3ptq9Lwc1KDqH1/w400-h400/DALL%C2%B7E%202023-10-22%2002.03.16%20-%20Watercolor%20painting%20capturing%20a%20close-up%20of%20the%20'Rusty%20Lantern'%20tavern%20in%20a%20forlorn%201900s%20town,%20tinged%20with%20magical%20realism.%20The%20tavern's%20once%20proud%20f.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Welcome back to <i>Beyond Zork</i>! It has been longer than I intended since last time, but to recap: Magic is going crazy! It’s mere days before a certain Guildmaster (from <i><a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2019/02/missed-classic-65-spellbreaker-1985.html" target="_blank">Spellbreaker</a></i>) is going to destroy magic for good. It’s up to us to locate the Coconut of Quendor which will somehow preserve magic for future generations. As this is a cRPG and not just a text adventure, we are playing a custom character: a Zorkian version of Lady Dimsford from <i><a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2023/07/missed-classic-121-plundered-hearts.html" target="_blank">Plundered Hearts</a></i>. While “we” the player know about the imminent demise of magic, our character does not. Thus far, we have discovered the first town, completed a small fetch quest in the basement beneath the Rusty Lantern Inn, and set off into the wilderness. Presumably, we’ll learn about the plot officially soon enough.</p><p>My plan this time is to explore and map, solving what puzzles that I can that are obvious, but mostly just trying to get a lay of the land and notate everything that I will have to solve or defeat later. This is my usual pattern with adventure games, but <i>Beyond Zork</i> is not “just” an adventure and the RPG aspects may make this more difficult than I expect. I am especially worried about combat: I had to save-scum to defeat the rat-ants in the basement and I am concerned that my character is not well-suited for direct combat, at least not yet. I don’t think you can create a character that isn’t “winnable”, but I really have no idea.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ5PSTKi76XQNc3mgnpNwQJAlHA6tCwwjjSq4miors4bHoCR5HnUujbHogOC2N8j_YUSqgdh4cMHgrntJgs5JoP7PH7enGWyWFiBbh8v635fqjLHFnnvcjx7sejXk5JmeCEuEmo-1_xVTrdiGAu3RtRt2NuNZ4VkocEPYla6r23XO00xetlLxQHOBofjbS/s640/image%202-01%20(moor).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="640" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ5PSTKi76XQNc3mgnpNwQJAlHA6tCwwjjSq4miors4bHoCR5HnUujbHogOC2N8j_YUSqgdh4cMHgrntJgs5JoP7PH7enGWyWFiBbh8v635fqjLHFnnvcjx7sejXk5JmeCEuEmo-1_xVTrdiGAu3RtRt2NuNZ4VkocEPYla6r23XO00xetlLxQHOBofjbS/w400-h291/image%202-01%20(moor).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p><i>The moor in the game is more of a dismal swamp.</i></p></td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">Exploring the Moor</h3><p>From our starting town, there are three directions to go: northwest beyond our starting hill, northeast following the coast, or south into a dismal moor. I only know what a “moor” is (and that only barely) because I’ve read <i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i>, but it is otherwise a geologic feature that we have in short supply here in New England. As I enter, I am immediately attacked by an “Eldritch Vapor”. This is another beasty that we have a card for in the manual: it will steal things from you and, if you don’t have anything, it will steal you. </p><p>Fighting the thing is an exercise in frustration. It barely holds still long enough for us to connect with our club, but instead grabs an item and disappears. We can find the missing item by searching the moor, but it doesn’t wait long before striking again. A strategy of attack and evade doesn’t seem to work here as it appears to regain health gradually, just like we do. I’m not quite careful enough and end up dead; when I reload the game, the moor is in a completely different layout. That will make mapping much more difficult! I work out that if I hide all of my stuff in my backpack, he'll have nothing to steal and hang around longer to let me hit him properly. When he does successfully grab me, I’m deposited in a nearby room and have no trouble getting back to where I was. Eventually, this strategy works and the vapor is no more. </p><p>With the vapor defeated, I am next attacked by a “guttersnipe”. That combat appears to be much less of a puzzle: I hit it a few times with the club and it eventually dies. I am now Level 2! My endurance goes up, but regretfully none of the other attributes. I’ll be able to survive a few more punches, but not be any better at landing them. If you didn’t notice, “guttersnipe” is another pun: the real meaning is a vagabond child, sort of like what you might think about reading Charles Dickens. A “snipe” is also a type of bird so the resulting monster is… a bird that inhabits gutters? Honestly, I’m not sure but the creativity with monsters is at least appreciated.</p><p>With that done, we can finish exploring the moor find a few more things:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Three mysterious objects: a potion, a scroll, and a stave. The scroll has something to do with “hard improvements”, the potion is labeled only to “shake before using”, and the stave is pretty nondescript except that we can feel latent magic when waving it around.<br /><br /></li><li>A pterodactyl is hobbling in one location, an arrow piercing its wing. It is clearly in distress. It may be domesticated because it has a necklace with a whistle around its neck, but I don’t find anything I can do with it immediately and have to leave it suffer. Poor thing.</li></ul><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyfb7xHZkTklx2fbM9sRssUkqE7kErbv4bMRE50FWH0A6nsHauoETiZRTlvH8dioI1VGuHkQbLwoUEP6P_GXYZUeSUeV0rt_kmyyET2lw60ckaxuEbBVZsJBI3TE8Cd4L8V28nveqYrMAXD7elo-W1kTqM7j5yA7kCQYRT_Q8cIjJH9gFETnHTSqt8JeHV/s1024/image%202-02%20(horse%20in%20stable).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyfb7xHZkTklx2fbM9sRssUkqE7kErbv4bMRE50FWH0A6nsHauoETiZRTlvH8dioI1VGuHkQbLwoUEP6P_GXYZUeSUeV0rt_kmyyET2lw60ckaxuEbBVZsJBI3TE8Cd4L8V28nveqYrMAXD7elo-W1kTqM7j5yA7kCQYRT_Q8cIjJH9gFETnHTSqt8JeHV/w400-h400/image%202-02%20(horse%20in%20stable).png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>AI image generation is improving: this is the room description as generated by DALL-E 3. Some of the images came out okay and some did't, but I included a few "good" ones to illustrate this post. </i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;"> Mizniaport</h3><p>Exiting the moor to the south, I find myself in another town. This is “Mizniaport”, labeled “M” in the Southlands of Quendor map. The description claims that this is a fashionable town for the “yuppies” of Borphee, but we only have the area around the single shop to explore. </p><p>Behind the shop is an alley labeled “Private Way” and we head down there first. In a little stable behind the shop, we discover a sad unicorn, along with its saddle and a single horseshoe. I cannot put the shoe on the unicorn. Obviously, horse shoes are supposed to be good luck, but there’s no amount of squeezing or rubbing that improves my luck score. I pocket it to solve that little mystery later. The stall is locked so we cannot free the unicorn or enter deeper into the stable. The game lets me try to pick the lock with the dagger, but either that is impossible or I am missing the required dexterity. I take note and leave for now.</p><p>Heading into the shop the correct way, I spy a mysterious curtain, a shopkeeper, and a case with her goods. Asking about each, I find:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>A nondescript cloak for 30 zorkmids. It has “potent virtue” woven into it, but I don’t know what that means.</li><li>A leather tunic for 20 zorkmids. It won’t protect me from much, she says.</li><li>Scalemail for 60 zorkmids. Presumably this is better armor.</li><li>Plate mail for 200 zorkmids. This is probably the “best”. </li></ul><p></p><p>I only have one zorkmid, but she’ll buy the crown and gold doubloon (treasures from my adventure under the inn) for a total of 50. Rather than purchasing the cloak or tunic, I hold onto my money for now since I don’t know what we’ll need. </p><p>The western edge of town is home to the “famous” Mizniaport Skyway, a guided tour by cable car above a nearby jungle. They are just boarding as I arrive, so I hop on. As the gondola progresses around a track (with ongoing narration by a tour guide– some of which about a “crocodile’s tear” seems important), we pass a utility tower. On a hunch, I leap out of the gondola (shocking my fellow passengers) and are able to climb down to the jungle below. Before I can do much, I become the lunch of a very hungry crocodile. The combat was a near-immediate death so my guess is that we’re not powerful enough to go here yet. I restore back to an earlier point and continue my explorations. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY5S214LziWPTu3TnUypFPVjqz4_9VM_dHQusCm6qTCopW4QBvvLIO3VPOcwYVOK8tkpSg-sYI5FyVE8souNqGfhmUPQz9woeICK5ShnWKx9Knup4D8iF7EGXVcHsau8IBkSEbjGsB2LpuIQEk-tcZpL7FUovxikeYsATaJmN08AVxtLbpzXL-miTeoN79/s1024/image%202-03%20(magic%20shop).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY5S214LziWPTu3TnUypFPVjqz4_9VM_dHQusCm6qTCopW4QBvvLIO3VPOcwYVOK8tkpSg-sYI5FyVE8souNqGfhmUPQz9woeICK5ShnWKx9Knup4D8iF7EGXVcHsau8IBkSEbjGsB2LpuIQEk-tcZpL7FUovxikeYsATaJmN08AVxtLbpzXL-miTeoN79/w400-h400/image%202-03%20(magic%20shop).png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>This one isn’t bad actually.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">Gurth City</h3><p>When you go to Disneyland and ride “It’s a Small World”, countries and regions literally sail by in a moment. That’s a bit of the same experience as I walk two rooms north from Mizniaport and find myself in Gurth City. Consulting the included map suggests that Gurth is quite a bit further north (even further north than our starting town!), but perhaps there wasn’t much to see in the middle. </p><p>The city isn’t a large one. In a market square, we bump into a seller that mistakenly drops one of his for-sale fish cakes. I assume that the Fifteen Second Rule applies in <i>Zork</i> games and I have no compunction against picking it up. Remembering that one of the items in our manual was a “red herring” (ha!) which is described as “good brain food”, I snack on the cake and am rewarded by an increase in intelligence! I restore and don’t really do that yet, in case I need the cake for something else, but that is a fun little catch. This game doesn’t seem to have a hunger mechanic so there’s no reason we have to eat it now. Perhaps an upcoming monster will be peckish. </p><p>The only other location in Gurth is a magic shop, looking exactly like the “boutique” further south, including the shimmering curtains. My guess is that we’ll have some way later to teleport between the shops, but for now it’s just an interesting detail. The setup feels inspired by the shop in <i>Howl’s Moving Castle</i>, but that is better known today for the 2004 Hayao Miyazaki film rather than the 1986 novel. Would that have been well-known enough to inspire Moriarty? Perhaps there are other similar magic shops in fiction. </p><p>Exploring this shop, I make an amazing discovery: the shop keeper will identify objects for free! Within a couple of minutes, I have identified every magical item that I have picked up so far:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>A scroll of mischief (“fun at parties”)</li><li>A scroll of fireworks</li><li>A rod of sayonara (“teleports trouble out of your way”)</li><li>A potion of forgetfulness (“can’t recall what it does”)</li><li>A rod of anesthesia</li></ul><p></p><p>In the case, she is also willing to sell me:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>A potion of death (“don’t understand why they mix these things”) for 24 zorkmids</li><li>A potion of enlightenment for 24 zorkmids</li><li>A potion of might for 24 zorkmids</li><li>A lucky rabbit’s foot for 5 zorkmids</li><li>An hourglass (“an unknown treasure of ancient Pheebor”) for a whopping 1000 zorkmids</li></ul><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDphadyOEDvYF3TDuqfcyVZYGd9lBAlp7LnoEclastBHKYdTDXGKyoue9YKhuJgL7QUw4dGyc6Awd3YGND_Uzk2gP4sfQQW14rAdRsNsOOE8l0j_Dvb9jmWn6vJWE-Y9GDMyM6HOhqpyguBvpBoo4pNl3TgsDfoHzrJ7E9E4ZxZ5oOEUwlvD3eynuVNMF8/s1024/image%202-04%20(magic%20items).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDphadyOEDvYF3TDuqfcyVZYGd9lBAlp7LnoEclastBHKYdTDXGKyoue9YKhuJgL7QUw4dGyc6Awd3YGND_Uzk2gP4sfQQW14rAdRsNsOOE8l0j_Dvb9jmWn6vJWE-Y9GDMyM6HOhqpyguBvpBoo4pNl3TgsDfoHzrJ7E9E4ZxZ5oOEUwlvD3eynuVNMF8/w400-h400/image%202-04%20(magic%20items).png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p><i>I wouldn’t call it “art”, but it’s not a terrible way to illustrate these old adventures.</i></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>A quick digression from future me: I always play twice while I am writing to fill in details that I neglected to include in my notes. It appears that <i>Beyond Zork</i> randomizes more than just the dungeons: my next playthrough rewards me with a slightly different set of items: I have a rod of annihilation instead of anesthesia, and the potion of enlightenment in the case is replaced by a potion of healing. This will make the game more difficult to write about, but does it also make it replayable? Are there multiple solutions depending on which objects are randomly put in each game? If so, I’ll need to consider that for the score later. It also means that I need to change my strategy for writing about this one and keep better track of my saved games. </p><p>The hourglass looks critical but far more than the measly 31 zorkmids I have managed to collect so far. I could buy the rabbit’s foot, but I already have a horseshoe I don’t know what to do with. I save my game so that I can try out what the potion of enlightenment does, but none of my stats change after I drink it so I restore back to buy something else. In the end, I decide to just leave the shop and keep moving. </p><p>Leaving the city seems possible in the directions, all of which are blocked to me for the moment: a field of lightning to the east, a forest guarded by a “cruel puppet” to the north that defeats me easily, and a shady wall to the southwest that might lead to a town or castle but for now just seems impassible. If I have more dexterity, can I climb it later?</p><p>The wand of anesthesia gives me a good idea for the injured pterodactyl: if I use it to put the creature to sleep, I can safely remove the arrow. Unfortunately, it is still injured and I have no healing items yet. (The “potion of healing” was from a future playthrough, remember!) Using some creative save files, nab the whistle and arrow off of it for identification. The arrow isn’t magical and so cannot be looked at by the shopkeeper, but the whistle is a “whistle of summoning”. My guess is that once I get this fella cured that I’ll be able to use that to summon my new friend, but I need to find some way to cure it the rest of the way. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjexH6XzNTlMgxz_hRBWhlEanwqPF6dA4ZRHdR7-ModTd4UXoqR5-j_p2sTFrm9tpwSUAGf3OYF_PYS1VyeoSa90onXffUg4CxL7JTTE_bKSnT-MtROBYp2wgj8N-JHIObiEexwKQpKo7bxRqdGX1V-rTDJA9NVougde__OmjG0xUHtGYo7HPOpE2Is-ZuF/s640/image%202-05%20(tidal%20flat).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjexH6XzNTlMgxz_hRBWhlEanwqPF6dA4ZRHdR7-ModTd4UXoqR5-j_p2sTFrm9tpwSUAGf3OYF_PYS1VyeoSa90onXffUg4CxL7JTTE_bKSnT-MtROBYp2wgj8N-JHIObiEexwKQpKo7bxRqdGX1V-rTDJA9NVougde__OmjG0xUHtGYo7HPOpE2Is-ZuF/w400-h300/image%202-05%20(tidal%20flat).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i>This is what a salt water tidal flat really looks like. Weren’t you happier with the AI images?</i></p></td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">Accardi-by-the-Sea</h3><p>With my explorations halted in that direction, I return to the start of the game to pick a different direction. This time, I follow the coast to the northeast to see what I can find. </p><p>Almost immediately, I stumble on a riddle on a cliff overlooking the sea:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: courier;">“My tines be long, </span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: courier;"> My tines be short,</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"> My tines end ere my first report.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"> What am I?”</span></p></blockquote><p>I have mixed feelings about riddles in adventure games. For one thing, I’m not that good at them. When they assume outside knowledge, it’s easy to get stuck– especially as we get further and further from the cultural context of the 1980s. As long as the answer isn’t Mary Lou Retton, I will probably be fine. In this case, my initial thoughts turn to clocks and forks. Something ending before its first report sounds like the clock striking twelve, ending before the “first report” when the first minute of the new day pass. Perhaps “tines” are an alternate term for “chimes”? I do not think that I am on the right track as no variation on “clock” or “time” seems to solve the riddle. I mark it on my map as something to come back to. </p><p>A bit further north, I pass through tidal flats (where I can collect some salt) and then arrive at Accardi-by-the-Sea. This is a rarity: a place that we (the player) have been to before! This is the town where our Sorcerer became a Guildmaster and likely where the introductory frogs are located. We explored the tiniest part of this town in <i>Spellbreaker</i>, but I’m not sure if Moriarty will reuse any of that. Come to think of it, our character in this game still doesn’t know that she’s on a mission and is just exploring randomly and for no reason. Is this where she’ll find her Call to Adventure? </p><p>Before we can explore much however, we locate a weapon store with the same look, curtain, and shopkeeper as before. Identifying our weapons (the dagger and club) doesn’t reveal much information. The dagger is only “useful for cleaning fish” and I suppose that means that the club is probably better for fighting, but since they are both valued at a mere 10 zorkmids they are probably around the same. I had hoped for a clearer indication of damage. Fortunately, there is nicer gear in the display case:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>A silver scabbard. It has magic on it and the saleswoman says that if we buy it, we should take it to the magic shop in Gurth. It’s 80 zorkmids.</li><li>A “skull-cleaving” battleaxe for 40 zorkmids.</li><li>An elvish longsword for 100 zorkmids. Could it be the same as the one in the previous Zork games? I hope it glows in the presence of evil!</li></ul><p></p><p>With my 31 zorkmids, I can afford the battleaxe if I sell either of my current weapons, but I have a feeling that saving for the scabbard is the better choice. There are also nice magical items and armor in the other stores and it’s tough to decide what I should spend on first with such limited means. I elect to finish exploring first before I commit to serious shopping.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLrpJan02iprpp62Dzo-0EnWJ-qGoX75v6W6IDimQtTtSOaPo-LdA4qtg3gSYwDSZB3kBVjxJzdrPeGEWoInKeUWpJuQy8prl4TWZL3uFjeGXaGRhQs-mysLENxSaMVuX2l7GchE0bIBsvO00x83zZXTiZT8XNL9TJ3OeyhrpdcgWjhEDj1jKOnFLT0-96/s1024/image%202-06%20(guildhall).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLrpJan02iprpp62Dzo-0EnWJ-qGoX75v6W6IDimQtTtSOaPo-LdA4qtg3gSYwDSZB3kBVjxJzdrPeGEWoInKeUWpJuQy8prl4TWZL3uFjeGXaGRhQs-mysLENxSaMVuX2l7GchE0bIBsvO00x83zZXTiZT8XNL9TJ3OeyhrpdcgWjhEDj1jKOnFLT0-96/w400-h400/image%202-06%20(guildhall).png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p><i>Sort of? It looks cool though.</i></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The Magic Guildhall is in the east end of town, but a magic nymph prevents me from entering. She claims that no one is home right now, but we know better, right? I try to leave, but that won’t be as simple as I thought.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: courier;">A burst of hollow laughter echoes up and down the street. You turn, but see no one.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">There’s a faint, electrical tension in the air.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">The invisible voice chuckles again, and the tension in the air rises.</span></p></blockquote><p>I am confronted by a “monkey grinder”, a strange were-monkey creature with a magical organ. Whatever it is, it is tough. I am unable to land any hits on it and it blocks the exit to the west. If I try to flee into the Guildhall, I am rewarded with a short scene that means the end of the cute little nymph:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: courier;"> Ignoring you for the moment, the monkey grinder strides across to the Guild Hall’s entrance. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"> A warning nymph appears beside his ear. “There’s no one here right now,” she squeaks, “so you’d better not… Oomph!” This last exclamation is the warning nymph’s last; for, quick as a wink, the monkey grinder snatches it out of the air and crushes it in his fist. “Miserable pests.”</span></p></blockquote><p>That’s good in the sense that I could probably get in now, but bad in that I am still unable to defeat the monkey grinder and he is now blocking the way inside. On the bright side, he doesn’t seem to be able to block both exits and I am able to flee back to the west and escape the fight. Any attack that I do seems useless. My best option seems to be the “fireworks” spell, but that surprisingly only shows the game’s credits! While a cool Easter egg, it’s not what I needed at this exact moment.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_hKWjt9HOg2qyhy1N1WJkavLLwI71E5ER9KeEJDRDDxFMUSBmcK09mevyIH-okROIIxRyLYZPb5-P9XgJhxfHyhDzI8cdoHO-wYjyOd9_QW5_NqpG2a4MGnPCRxtMLRE_Oag0NzyVCFRQHRPtCPYyfVwbgphGdAMiHc9R1qmtHh9LVWsXQ7RgQ06Vv9j/s1280/image%202-07%20(credits).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_hKWjt9HOg2qyhy1N1WJkavLLwI71E5ER9KeEJDRDDxFMUSBmcK09mevyIH-okROIIxRyLYZPb5-P9XgJhxfHyhDzI8cdoHO-wYjyOd9_QW5_NqpG2a4MGnPCRxtMLRE_Oag0NzyVCFRQHRPtCPYyfVwbgphGdAMiHc9R1qmtHh9LVWsXQ7RgQ06Vv9j/w400-h300/image%202-07%20(credits).png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p><i>A great easter egg but a worthless spell.</i></p></td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">Fountain of Eternal Youth</h3><p>Catching my breath, I review what is left to explore. My westward path from the start of the game is blocked immediately by what appears to be the other end of the lightning plain. There’s a billboard there (“Field of Frotzen”) behind which I find some spenseweed, something the manual assures me is good for healing. It’s still a very quick dead end. That leaves only a path west from Accardi, but it quickly becomes apparent that it is just another path into the “cruel puppet”-guarded forest north of Gurth. Looking at my oval map, that seems almost nonsensical– the geography of this game is wildly inconsistent for scale– but it makes sense when we look at the included map in the game package. Should I end the post here or keep going?</p><p>I should end it, but I take another approach: run like hell. That allows me to explore the forest while consistently avoiding the puppet. It doesn’t do enough damage to kill me in one hit and, like the monkey grinder, only seems to be able to block one exit at a time. In this rapid-fire way, I discover a forest that contains many different kinds of trees: one room each has oak, willow, and even an “ironwood” tree. I have been trying to keep track of oak trees because the manual says that they could hide a “chocolate truffle”, but that’s only going to be useful if I locate a “Minx”. (There are two entries in the manual about truffles and even I can get the hint that they will be important later.) Picking up items while running is tough, but I snag a scroll and a stick. </p><p>In a few turns, my map of the forest starts to come together. In addition to the rooms with different kinds of trees, the area contains:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The exit to Gurth to the south that I found earlier. I’m able to duck out there to identify the new scroll of protection and “stick of eversion”. Apparently it turns things inside out. Will that be useful for combat or a puzzle?</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>A clearing, the only room not named for a species of tree, contains a boulder with another riddle inscription. I’ll get back to that in a moment.<br /><br /></li><li>A passage to the north leading to “Zeno’s Bridge”. Crossing that works about as well as expected; I restore and will try to figure that out later. </li></ul><p></p><p>Since this isn’t a “real time” strategy game, it’s not that much more difficult to solve the riddle while being attacked by a puppet. The riddle goes like this:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;">“Never ahead, ever behind,</span></p></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: courier;"> Yet flying swiftly past;</span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: courier;"> For a child, I last forever,</span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: courier;"> For adults, I’m gone too fast.</span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: courier;"> What am I?”</span></p></blockquote></blockquote><p>This riddle is at least easy (and suggests that the other riddle may also be clock/time based) and I say “youth” almost immediately. The clearing opens up to reveal the Pool of Eternal Youth. What to do with that pool now that we’ve found it is less clear. By wading into the water, I can free myself from the puppet for a bit as it stands helplessly on the shore. Dipping the “old horseshoe” into the pool doesn’t turn it into a “new horseshoe”, nor does drinking the water do anything obvious. Using the pool as cover to attack the puppet doesn’t work either, my “dodge and weave” approach always ends with him getting a single good hit that takes me down to zero health. I might want to try that approach when I am stronger.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgDpMvr0R92P_DyMzimLUrvzhFErelac2CRPWILNj_oZiqKjdEqz5c8z_Iu-9tEp9M3v8dtQGjdauXrBq_yfUCTMz5g4Qu_vUiMYj6Y83docosTq005qcr3v8ZOd-VXgd1x8ZBIthLeyvbiBxvNXZifEcJQCET9nZOASkEZdEgupznsoPmQjY3t8MJufqk/s1024/image%202-08%20(fountain%20of%20youth).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgDpMvr0R92P_DyMzimLUrvzhFErelac2CRPWILNj_oZiqKjdEqz5c8z_Iu-9tEp9M3v8dtQGjdauXrBq_yfUCTMz5g4Qu_vUiMYj6Y83docosTq005qcr3v8ZOd-VXgd1x8ZBIthLeyvbiBxvNXZifEcJQCET9nZOASkEZdEgupznsoPmQjY3t8MJufqk/w400-h400/image%202-08%20(fountain%20of%20youth).png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>DALL-E seems good at these simple scenes, but any attempts to add a puppet to the scene for example just causes the AI to get confused and stupid.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">Zeno’s Bridge</h3><p>Returning to Zeno’s Bridge, I take stock of what is obviously another puzzle. The bridge is a long span across a wide chasm. Our map shows a ruin or castle on the other side, one of the northernmost places on the map. Just like Zeno’s Paradox, we can only cross it halfway each time. Our first step takes us to the center of the bridge where we can pick up an umbrella. After that, we are trapped: moving south takes us progressively closer to the south end (1/4th of the way, 1/8th of the way, etc.), while north takes us similar fractions in that direction. Moving a combination of the two directions gives us absolutely ridiculous fractions: “16369/16384th of the Way to the South End”. We’re stuck thanks to the power of mathematical paradoxes. </p><p>There is one escape: if I open the umbrella and jump, I survive a plunge into the river far below. The umbrella is broken and I emerge (with my items seemingly scattered) at a babbling brook at the entrance to the cruel puppet’s forest. Rather than play that out, I restore back to my last save. Is there a potion that can make me lighter? </p><p>At this point, I have nearly completed mapping the world I can reach. I really should stop writing here, but there’s only one location left: the jungle with the cable cars. Last time I tried to explore that part, the crocodile killed me quickly, but my experience with the cruel puppet has convinced me that we can do a lot of mapping while running away. I don’t want to close this post out with some region unexplored, so let’s get to it!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie1aW9OUw13mTJBQoRE0rB5E9V5ZQc2D4eFDp2owwTUh-ELKcgKC7Sun4_NNK1IvchcXSJaGdxiAClbqC4T3eC416etWl32bTGrALXwGRnOmybhermeSAfRnctJGbaP7IXzBpuyid4qoUlvqx9o6Zn5M_BNCPjTmkwyJ-RAnBjJ7YY_N5G3u7guy_MvTwg/s1024/image%202-09%20(cable%20car).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie1aW9OUw13mTJBQoRE0rB5E9V5ZQc2D4eFDp2owwTUh-ELKcgKC7Sun4_NNK1IvchcXSJaGdxiAClbqC4T3eC416etWl32bTGrALXwGRnOmybhermeSAfRnctJGbaP7IXzBpuyid4qoUlvqx9o6Zn5M_BNCPjTmkwyJ-RAnBjJ7YY_N5G3u7guy_MvTwg/w400-h400/image%202-09%20(cable%20car).png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i>It looks fine, but you don’t have to stare very long to realize that the AI has no idea how cable cars work.</i></p></td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Jungle Skyway</h3><p>On the way south back to the cable cars, we pass by the moor with the sick pterodactyl. Now that we have the spenseweed, I try pulling everything together: I put it to sleep with the rod of anesthesia, remove the arrow, grab the whistle, and then apply the weed. The creature is healed and happy! He flies off and I get the impression that I can summon him again with the whistle. Maybe that is how we cross the bridge? Maybe it fights off a monster? I look forward to finding out, but for right now I am focused on the jungle. </p><p>I board the skyway and take it through a full loop to get a thrust of the narrative. The tour guide is bored with his job and forced to advertise products for the “Skyway Emporium” (which sadly does not exist in-game), but we learn a few things:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The jungle is home to many monsters, but we should especially watch out for a “bloodworm” that disguises itself as a mossy boulder before attacking unwary prey with 32-inch fangs.<br /><br /></li><li>The jungle is also believed to be the hiding place of the “Crocodile’s Tear”, a sapphire extracted from the granola mines of Antharia (near where Wishbringer takes place); it was hidden in the jungle by the sorceress Y’syska who surrounded it with magical traps and beasts. <br /><br /></li><li>A train once ran through the jungle, but it was replaced by the skyway due to the many passengers that died each year due to jungle fauna. </li></ul><p></p><p>Obviously, I’ll need to collect that sapphire! Despite the skyway being a replacement for a previous train service, there is no “end” station and the car just returns to the start. Why would anyone use the skyway except as a tourist attraction? As we go, we pass by three support towers and it’s possible to leap out onto them while the ride is moving, then climb down into the jungle. (There are four towers depicted on our map, but presumably one of the towers is the base station.) </p><p>On the next pass, I “disembark” at the first support tower, despite the plaintive cries of “Passengers, please remain seated” and the worried looks of tourists. No sooner do I get down than I am assaulted by the crocodile. Following the pattern from before, I do my best speed-mapping while avoiding the crocodile’s jaws.</p><p>In the jungle, I discover:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>A mother “hungus” (sort of like a hippopotamus?) with her baby stuck in quicksand. We will need to rescue the baby, but I don’t see how yet. <br /><br /></li><li>The expected “mossy rock” that turns out to be a bloodworm. It wakes up and gives chase. <br /><br /></li><li>Deeper in the jungle, I discover a crocodile idol! It looks like a complicated puzzle assembled in sort of a see-saw; when I climb up, I am flipped inside the idol’s mouth and left to die in a dark room with no exits. There might be a way out– there is more squeezable moss to get a dexterity boost– but if so, I cannot find it. <br /><br /></li><li>Spread between several rooms, I manage to snag a scroll, a stick, and an ivory tusk. Taking them back to town, the tusk is sellable for 40 zorkmids and the cane is a “cane of annihilation”. I seem to have forgotten to identify the scroll.</li></ul><p></p><p>After fully exploring the whole place (while running from both a crocodile and a bloodworm!), including locating all three towers back up to the cable car, I stumble on the biggest jungle surprise: an exit to the south past a waterfall. Just when I thought I was done exploring, I found another whole section…</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjev7ff8C3_WS3vEa7QL-ZElXNz7JO227luzaijgBjR7ZpIzbJg0y2hnam1W_cNTcR8b2B8XRozBbt35A8qsSD98a9nvK67ZGu4_uKsYEeatVfJXu2mujqtjVyD__VWrZvXBEIAqlutu8DK3O-NWe-SUAf5BBOP3p9W-5MP3zybIa2mdjWavgngN4lQva-7/s1024/image%202-10%20(christmas%20town).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjev7ff8C3_WS3vEa7QL-ZElXNz7JO227luzaijgBjR7ZpIzbJg0y2hnam1W_cNTcR8b2B8XRozBbt35A8qsSD98a9nvK67ZGu4_uKsYEeatVfJXu2mujqtjVyD__VWrZvXBEIAqlutu8DK3O-NWe-SUAf5BBOP3p9W-5MP3zybIa2mdjWavgngN4lQva-7/w400-h400/image%202-10%20(christmas%20town).png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>Just like this, but not generated by AI.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">Christmas Town</h3><p>It’s not really called “Christmas Town” (it’s actually “Thriff”), but it might as well be. Is it December already? I swear I’ve been editing this post for a month now and I’m sure to miss at least a dozen typos. As we leave the jungle to the south, we pass through what is narratively a neat space: a waterfall created by snowmelt as the two magical-seeming climates of “hot tropical jungle” and “snow-covered Christmas town” collide. I check the waterfall for hidden caves, but the game expected that I would think of that and chides me for it. Of course I’m going to check for hidden caves!</p><p>Like most of the towns in this game, Thriff is mostly represented as a single room. Where the other towns featured a shop or a pub as their key location, Thriff has a church. A strange scene is triggered when we enter:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Chapel</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"> An anxious congregation kneels in silent prayer before Cardinal Toolbox. On the altar beside him rests a reliquary.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"> There’s a pew here.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"> The Cardinal Toolbox lifts his eyes as you walk in. “Art thou the Savior?” he cries, and the entire congregation turns to stare at you.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"> “Naw,” sneers an unseen voice. “Just some dame with a rod of Sayonara.” </span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"> “Oh,” mumbles Cardinal Toolbox with a sign of resignation. “Have a seat, good miss, and join us in our hour of need.”</span></p></blockquote><p>They are looking for a Savior? I sit in the pew and the Cardinal begins his sermon. The “wrath of trees” is coming because the town’s many glyphs of warding have nearly all faded or been destroyed. Only a single one remains, carved in melting snow. The glyphs were created by a magician named “Orkan”, but he’s not responding to their urgent pleas– possibly because he is turned to a frog somewhere like all of the other enchanters. They will give “anything” to the person that saves their village. I eye their reliquary and am unable to determine what is inside, but most likely that is what I want.</p><p>Just to the northwest of town, I stumble on a hunting party that is using a minx to search out chocolate truffles. One minx runs in terror and hides behind a tree, leaving its footprints in the snow as a dead giveaway to its location. Thinking fast, I cover up the footprints and the hunter is unable to find the beast. It’s thrilled and let’s me pick it up! I have a new friend and perhaps someone that I can take to all of those oak trees I have been trying to document.</p><p>My final act for this post is to head south. I find the melting glyph of warding and am immediately attacked by a giant Christmas tree. I pick up the ornament it lobbed at me and run away. We’ll figure out how to deal with him another day. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJTOlfbwzlRUX2rtKaLNz3HjSszzV16BNtuaBIgDlMGyX5ePv9dwBAJeuwUolrOz9UfRxUYo2vwo8wfMTFci_8cNgVAVpFAa1xQonkuaS_LkytTOOodZvLqbAsKkCkrytFdyDuPv0eJ7d1H35DZSd1LKnepllOz0ZbWLdq_8XCihqubGrcm4mFUPZVOyQw/s1024/image%202-11%20(christmas%20tree%20monsters).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJTOlfbwzlRUX2rtKaLNz3HjSszzV16BNtuaBIgDlMGyX5ePv9dwBAJeuwUolrOz9UfRxUYo2vwo8wfMTFci_8cNgVAVpFAa1xQonkuaS_LkytTOOodZvLqbAsKkCkrytFdyDuPv0eJ7d1H35DZSd1LKnepllOz0ZbWLdq_8XCihqubGrcm4mFUPZVOyQw/w400-h400/image%202-11%20(christmas%20tree%20monsters).png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i>The more complex I make it, the less likely it is to come out exactly right.</i></p></td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">Wrapping Up</h3><p>And that’s finally it. I have explored every corner of the world that I can explore. Strangely, it feels both too big and too small: some areas just don’t make sense on the map, while others have entire Christmas Towns hidden away in unexpected places. What I am left with is frankly a mess of puzzles and areas and it’s difficult to even keep track of everything that I haven’t solved yet– which is ironic because my character still has no idea why she’s doing any of this. </p><p>Let’s try to document all of the stuff that I haven’t worked out yet:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I haven’t solved the riddle on the cliff face, nor do I know what to do with the Fountain of Youth now that I’ve located it through the second riddle.<br /><br /></li><li>I do not know how to free the unicorn or anything I can do with its extra horseshoe. I am slightly worried I needed to get the “old horseshoe” before doing the Inn so that I could do the rejuvenation spell on it. Maybe I’ll need to start another character to try that.<br /><br /></li><li>I do not know how to get the sapphire out of the idol in the jungle, nor how to climb out of the idol if I fall in. There must be a way, otherwise they wouldn’t have put dexterity-increasing moss inside.<br /><br /></li><li>I now have a minx, but no clear idea how to get a chocolate truffle. I have a feeling that will be its own puzzle since I’ll have to keep the minx from eating it.<br /><br /></li><li>I don’t know how to cross Zeno’s Bridge, although I do have a flying pterodactyl that I don’t know what to do with. Maybe those things can be used in tandem?<br /><br /></li><li>How do I enter the lightning-covered field?<br /><br /></li><li>How do I rescue the people at Christmas Town from the rampaging Christmas trees?<br /><br /></li><li>How do I enter the Guildhouse? Presumably I need to defeat the monkey grinder first somehow.<br /><br /></li><li>How do I free the baby hungus in the jungle?<br /><br /></li><li>I really don’t know how to defeat much of anything: the bloodworm, crocodile, cruel puppet, and monkey grinder are all out there waiting for me. <br /><br /></li><li>What is up with the game telling me the wind direction every few turns? And does that have anything to do with the odd markings on the included map?<br /><br /></li><li>There are so many things to buy, but I’m just paralyzed with fear that I’ll spend my money on the wrong things. Should I play this like a RPG and buy better weapons and armor first? Or get some of the magical items that could be used to solve puzzles?</li></ul><p></p><p>I don’t know if I have felt this overwhelmed by a game in a while. It is fun… but I need to figure out a strategy and how I want to approach some of these problems. All of this overworld exploration doesn’t feel much like a <i>Zork</i> game however and I hope the game returns to its Zorkian roots before we get too far into it.</p><p><b>Time played:</b> 3 hr 30 min<br /><b>Total time:</b> 4 hr 55 min<br /><b>Score:</b> Level 2 Female Peasant<br /><b>Inventory:</b> Shillelagh (wielded), silver ornament, vial, vellum scroll, lantern, pack, horseshoe, salt, stick of Eversion, scroll of Protection, rod of Sayonara, potion of Might, Amulet of Bok, 71 zorkmids.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg6Rj_dL9rnvpPgY9jNJN7Q1VQc63quqHFTa09X1RHQYuEROKcnAGG2r_AkuxrWRA17zmT8ej6xErGgj93N53C1_tINkOqcuUZHn7imbJQynVKbZj4RPVBX99X3HdMYUD1iwHxr8uoFrG4_JNgOkEBZAyWrVf5B0S8x-dwyHhs4lcZvaGnscx2yfaf7kgp/s1024/image%202-12%20(pterodactyl).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg6Rj_dL9rnvpPgY9jNJN7Q1VQc63quqHFTa09X1RHQYuEROKcnAGG2r_AkuxrWRA17zmT8ej6xErGgj93N53C1_tINkOqcuUZHn7imbJQynVKbZj4RPVBX99X3HdMYUD1iwHxr8uoFrG4_JNgOkEBZAyWrVf5B0S8x-dwyHhs4lcZvaGnscx2yfaf7kgp/w400-h400/image%202-12%20(pterodactyl).png" width="400" /></i></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>It’s cute though!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>Joe Pranevichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12997014242774219758noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-29698567786544772752023-12-13T00:00:00.287+11:002023-12-13T00:00:00.137+11:00Game 139: Sam & Max Hit the Road — Introduction (1993)By Michael<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBT-4gwuw80L6hEcZ5xQC09-0dZ-KsD2qWB5eBoYZrgwejijCmVZApf6jDlKcuy12eDxuulvPmKLNQ-Up7HNbZ9X9tbWAr3TAjXkOJKVmU7mR60ut2y9k9LA-3r0eGwxFwBkepfHj-ak_wDeD-YiB212iJGYN8jsvwahjrLzpDPNwxJILbfb7xu6wW3mo/s1472/01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1472" data-original-width="1188" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBT-4gwuw80L6hEcZ5xQC09-0dZ-KsD2qWB5eBoYZrgwejijCmVZApf6jDlKcuy12eDxuulvPmKLNQ-Up7HNbZ9X9tbWAr3TAjXkOJKVmU7mR60ut2y9k9LA-3r0eGwxFwBkepfHj-ak_wDeD-YiB212iJGYN8jsvwahjrLzpDPNwxJILbfb7xu6wW3mo/w323-h400/01.jpg" width="323" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>The box cover art gives us subtle clues to our future destinations.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>In the spirit of the holidays, we are about to head out on a buddy road trip game. These stories are always the best when the partners are equally matched, such as in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M0FfQzSngM">this Thanksgiving favorite</a>, this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz81ZO0qfvI">cop-car classic</a>, or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8eLq1bkf0k">this other Thanksgiving favorite</a>... actually, that last one is significant, because the two actors would later become police detective buddies in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YAUf92MrFs">TV series 10 years later</a>. And here we are, about to discuss another police game of sorts.<br /><br />Wait, why do I hear knocking at my door?<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYCyRJTizNvmm586VEboGucCcZorHCAs3Ppfrtbfkm2RPzhVI189M7oJrv0pJffrPVM7RRf7vUbyYrMeyRPgYitn2rMGqdoB2Fw-pDjWECF7ol7baeLQm841_JeKnDFQ2t69iH2hgbCWGGO3UKMb1dhfuit4ZVChshsR2vbghXhgbbLqA34NBpGusUGqA/s400/02.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="381" data-original-width="400" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYCyRJTizNvmm586VEboGucCcZorHCAs3Ppfrtbfkm2RPzhVI189M7oJrv0pJffrPVM7RRf7vUbyYrMeyRPgYitn2rMGqdoB2Fw-pDjWECF7ol7baeLQm841_JeKnDFQ2t69iH2hgbCWGGO3UKMb1dhfuit4ZVChshsR2vbghXhgbbLqA34NBpGusUGqA/w400-h381/02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b>“Ahem, I heard there was a police game being played, and... wait! You’re not Alex!”<span><a name='more'></a></span></b><div>Yeah, I think he’s taking a break from your adventures until the blog gets to 1997. It seems you took a vacation from game design?<br /><br /></div><div><b>“I was working! Really, I was.”</b><br /><br />Okay, but I probably won’t need your help with this title. Neither of the title characters are likely to marry a reformed prostitute, and they’re more likely to run over a speeding motorist than to pull her over.<br /><br /><b>“I don’t care for your attitude. Remember, I can still take you downtown.”</b><br /><br />Seriously, Officer Walls, Alex’s house is just a few doors down. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind an unexpected dinner guest.<br /><br /><b>“Good luck without me, then. You’re turning your back on the most trusted authority in police procedural adventure gaming in the 19th century!”</b><br /><br />Wow. I thought he would never leave.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisZyHcEdoulqrQzxAyWgNGsOhvo6PmxZRdYgmSeJZlkN036ZXNpdTU85tDlPWeD15TVGBZ4U7Tgq1r3UQk4FCu2sJ3Kj6zvNilU2mXRW5bUOZf4ZbCuEaBkfLh0MBQH6Oeh9l0r8kg-8OufTtDnadg2WzfPJdfZ5mgM1fP_QU-puSbVGM7z51TJF3BpN0/s864/03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="768" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisZyHcEdoulqrQzxAyWgNGsOhvo6PmxZRdYgmSeJZlkN036ZXNpdTU85tDlPWeD15TVGBZ4U7Tgq1r3UQk4FCu2sJ3Kj6zvNilU2mXRW5bUOZf4ZbCuEaBkfLh0MBQH6Oeh9l0r8kg-8OufTtDnadg2WzfPJdfZ5mgM1fP_QU-puSbVGM7z51TJF3BpN0/w355-h400/03.jpg" width="355" /></i></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>I really need to install a better deadbolt lock on my door.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Back to the subject at hand, we will be playing <i>Sam & Max Hit the Road</i>, published in 1993 by LucasArts Entertainment. This was the first LucasArts title to be released, on day one, on both floppy and CD, rather than being a later release, as was the case for blog favorite <a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.fi/search/label/Indiana%20Jones%20and%20the%20Fate%20of%20Atlantis"><i>Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis</i></a>. As a result, there’s no question that I will be playing the CD release of the game for the blog.<br /><br />But first, a little backstory. Who are Sam and Max, and what makes them tick? Besides, perhaps, a bomb that Max might or might not be carrying...<br /><br />When Steve Purcell was just a kid in the 70s, he and his brother Dave were budding artists. Dave would draw crude comics for his own pleasure, dreaming of the future, and sometimes, big brother Steve would finish the comics, add pages, or mess with the story lines. The characters of Freelance Policemen Sam & Max were created by Dave and were a favorite in his collection.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhf4updzHXl2vF2aGfUdV8J76fRiXbk89EHj7WPqrw3l00DYqZCOKR5AtMkoS9763xmjWOxLh07RAEg6P4UQtJS3hon6mzJLdBQ-wMA0oUSK3Tb6nfPp7sDKSlpLBgO4H-KeW4DTpzyOQUgHe2GCd4BtuMfE53PFATT4lcdPCBWLmEWWKR9Pjln7F2Qk/s863/04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="701" data-original-width="863" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhf4updzHXl2vF2aGfUdV8J76fRiXbk89EHj7WPqrw3l00DYqZCOKR5AtMkoS9763xmjWOxLh07RAEg6P4UQtJS3hon6mzJLdBQ-wMA0oUSK3Tb6nfPp7sDKSlpLBgO4H-KeW4DTpzyOQUgHe2GCd4BtuMfE53PFATT4lcdPCBWLmEWWKR9Pjln7F2Qk/w400-h325/04.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>A crude early comic book cover mock-up by Dave Purcell</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>As they would later develop, Sam was a “canine shamus” who would battle crime as a freelance policeman alongside his good buddy Max, a “hyperkinetic rabbity thing”. As sometimes happens, while Dave grew out of the characters, Steve embraced them, and took them over for good.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcVe6td9DnQ7jo-EYjXYC6lor_2YGsqv4Ozqn_0GVOLvwNc__Q5PXddMv_3AHWv_5mUYEeXHGAoQxjhWkmBa-nLbpfhU-GwJMb1fJmJSO874UZU4eXQbWAUC24ZaUqDsPFd48uawjx2OIjxn2Uv2JKGLTS_LRkgEpkV9Sl6jbSX_UIdTYUOQ4wjwR3MTQ/s839/05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="623" data-original-width="839" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcVe6td9DnQ7jo-EYjXYC6lor_2YGsqv4Ozqn_0GVOLvwNc__Q5PXddMv_3AHWv_5mUYEeXHGAoQxjhWkmBa-nLbpfhU-GwJMb1fJmJSO874UZU4eXQbWAUC24ZaUqDsPFd48uawjx2OIjxn2Uv2JKGLTS_LRkgEpkV9Sl6jbSX_UIdTYUOQ4wjwR3MTQ/w400-h297/05.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>The first officially published Sam & Max strip</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>So when Steve made his way to art school, he would start to write strips for the school’s newspaper. During the time he was at school, his art style evolved, and got closer to the duo we love today.<br /><br />Fast forward a few years to 1987, when Purcell would be friends with another comic artist, Steve Moncuse, who published a small, indy book about the<i> <a href="https://cambriancomics.com/2018/06/04/comic-book-showcase-fish-police/">Fish Police</a></i>. Wanting to expand to another comic book in the lineup, <i>Sam & Max: Freelance Police</i> would soon grace the printed page as a bona-fide comic book.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicOkV95_xVumdKbvJV7oDu9ZuIkoEA026JLMW8UU1N5Zx4LnyJmHYdz9KKZYK-63Th7IX29NlObyxjg-sgUdXwjI4Pt_Hy24QdDKHUxOB9-3Xupro0CFHrkgxRnhJ7TyVWmh9oL2V6S9lZcG0tlsN6JxsSSYmDUk6uEMhTv3ttBHrUwJlUttdaEK7a_xU/s387/06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="257" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicOkV95_xVumdKbvJV7oDu9ZuIkoEA026JLMW8UU1N5Zx4LnyJmHYdz9KKZYK-63Th7IX29NlObyxjg-sgUdXwjI4Pt_Hy24QdDKHUxOB9-3Xupro0CFHrkgxRnhJ7TyVWmh9oL2V6S9lZcG0tlsN6JxsSSYmDUk6uEMhTv3ttBHrUwJlUttdaEK7a_xU/w266-h400/06.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;">Monkeys Violating the Heavenly Temple <i>was the first book-length Sam & Max story</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>The next year, Steve Purcell became connected with LucasFilm Games (soon to be known as LucasArts), doing a lot of the artwork for <a href="https://www.mobygames.com/game/305/zak-mckracken-and-the-alien-mindbenders/cover/group-260186/cover-662132/">early game boxes</a> and the company newsletter, <a href="https://archive.org/details/lucasarts-the-adventurer--magazine-complete/The%20Adventurer%2C%20Issue%20No.%2001%20Fall%201990/"><i>The Adventurer</i></a>. Steve had his hands in a lot of the games of the era, filling a lot of artistic roles.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEbANJ0HQ7dVT6-fanSDCBQkY378HNgV58rYzYkmfegl5HHXaQtK_YxVxv5PZwg4YvKHKiCB_B9-BYPR1oHD9XC03B-prC7Pxq-oAkdFtm9wZBtqRu-mCJAMKSdclV7jQ0-CtsZRkwhTR9vfmILwWUNkuI_UBFmdxQ7rRTle1zJu2TJSTfXUBTnp0rSGI/s1078/07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="1078" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEbANJ0HQ7dVT6-fanSDCBQkY378HNgV58rYzYkmfegl5HHXaQtK_YxVxv5PZwg4YvKHKiCB_B9-BYPR1oHD9XC03B-prC7Pxq-oAkdFtm9wZBtqRu-mCJAMKSdclV7jQ0-CtsZRkwhTR9vfmILwWUNkuI_UBFmdxQ7rRTle1zJu2TJSTfXUBTnp0rSGI/w400-h226/07.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Early art for Wally’s office in</i> Monkey Island 2</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Unlike Sierra On-Line’s newsletter (later renamed to <i>InterAction Magazine)</i>, LucasArts printed theirs on newspaper stock instead of making it shelf-worthy, which allowed them to fold the issues smaller and put them into the boxes of their new release games (Sierra waited for you to send in the <a href="https://www.mocagh.org/sierra/sierra-regcard15.pdf">warranty registration card</a>, and then sent the next few issues to you). Myself and others loved reading the issues of both these newsletters, finding out the news of future releases, even though we knew the reporting was a little bit biased.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggfU2p46AvvHjzFOa3dmepOpPZd4BKDmhAatbUvuIDPdi8dnlN2WRVncmLU8DrFVx1KUaDiNqR4CHBTpDYSnzsRiJm_i7pS4PxCwTr-DtPu66MQHj79SIq3vr16VBb5El6Vthb-2uHGiiFa7BmgmiBWw3BxhqQD4eRhk9GfXNMQtrNgRcJBHm9Td-WFio/s2048/08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1439" data-original-width="2048" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggfU2p46AvvHjzFOa3dmepOpPZd4BKDmhAatbUvuIDPdi8dnlN2WRVncmLU8DrFVx1KUaDiNqR4CHBTpDYSnzsRiJm_i7pS4PxCwTr-DtPu66MQHj79SIq3vr16VBb5El6Vthb-2uHGiiFa7BmgmiBWw3BxhqQD4eRhk9GfXNMQtrNgRcJBHm9Td-WFio/w400-h281/08.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>From the first issue of</i> The Adventurer</span></td></tr></tbody></table>In the pages of the LucasArts newsletter were comics by Steve, using the characters from his earlier comic books, but set in the Lucas environments. The stories were pure Sam & Max, and had little to do with the actual stories from the games, so they were solely entertainment, and not spoilers. The gamers loved them, and asked for more.<br /><br />During the design of the first <i>Monkey Island </i>game, the programmers needed to be trained in how to use the SCUMM system. Steve had created a mock-up of Sam & Max’s office along with the two characters to be used as a training tool. This would lay the groundwork for a full-fledged game, born of the desire to expand the LucasArts catalog with a new property, as well as answering the fan requests for more of the fluffy bunny and gruff dog from the newsletter pages.<br /><br />Unlike their other titles, Steve Purcell retained the rights to the characters, which is why the games have continued long after Steve and adventure gaming both departed LucasArts.<br /><br />The game largely follows a 1988 storyline from the books. I won’t be posting those comics here, because I wouldn’t want to spoil the game for myself or anyone else playing along. But I read them long ago, in a collection of all the published comics at the time, in <a href="https://amzn.to/3RKIIIx"><i>The Collected Sam & Max: Surfing the Highway</i></a>, a book I once owned and read lovingly, back in the late 90s. My copy was later water damaged when an apartment I lived in was flooded, so I’ve since lost that. The Telltale Games re-release has also gone out of print, so when I do decide to read again, it will have to be online.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMobAdAMnyz7cNvVx_FtkZlyYf-5cki-822YZiypgiVda9BGrHHA9N5VsO9JpJU2ZIiw3zYbyjQlGut3Q73wNyCBvxOv6HAfCK7P0dln1EL51X6C2pthZjCwKI4KxZaKFQuDgHFu5sMNB6gnE4j8jSw7HxQheFMOMTetiKxwTi_5lBbFqUbbGjhcxHhM/s480/09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMobAdAMnyz7cNvVx_FtkZlyYf-5cki-822YZiypgiVda9BGrHHA9N5VsO9JpJU2ZIiw3zYbyjQlGut3Q73wNyCBvxOv6HAfCK7P0dln1EL51X6C2pthZjCwKI4KxZaKFQuDgHFu5sMNB6gnE4j8jSw7HxQheFMOMTetiKxwTi_5lBbFqUbbGjhcxHhM/w400-h300/09.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Just around the corner in this story is the animated series</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>A few years after the game was released, Purcell was approached to make a children’s TV series from the property. <i>Sam & Max: The Animated Series</i> only ran for one season, but is beloved by many and can be found on DVD and <a href="https://tubitv.com/series/2362/sam-max">the streaming service Tubi</a> today. I’ll take a look at it after the playthrough, but I’m trying not to spoil anything for this gameplay.<br /><br />A sequel to the game was being worked on around 2001, but the developer went bankrupt before it could be finished. Soon after, LucasArts started work on a sequel, but then abruptly pulled the plug when <a href="http://lucasarts.com/press/releases/85.html">they decided that they didn’t want to make adventure games anymore</a>. (From this point onward, about 99.999% of the company output was <i>Star Wars</i> titles, and if you surf to <a href="http://lucasarts.com">lucasarts.com</a> today, it redirects to a <i>Star Wars</i> page).<br /><br />So, we won’t be talking about the next game in the series until the <a href="https://www.mobygames.com/game/28144/sam-max-season-one/">TAG blog reaches 2006</a>, so I have to make sure to enjoy this experience as much as I can right now. (Those later games, episodic releases from Telltale Games, are being remastered as we speak, with the next release expected for Spring 2024.) Telltale was founded by former LucasArts employees soon after the 2004 Sam & Max cancellation, including a couple of designers from the original Sam & Max game, so it was a no-brainer for them to court Steve Purcell to their lineup.<br /><br />Now, for the game at hand. For as much as I have said about the game so far, I remember very little. The last time I played it was 17 years ago, back in 2006, before I dug my heels into the Telltale release that was coming out. So, I’m going in blind, I don’t think I remember a single thing about this game, except what the pictures on the game box would tell me. I know we are visiting a very large ball of twine, and I suspect we need to collect that and bring it with us to our playthrough of <i>Grim Fandango</i> in a few game years, to distract the <a href="https://gamerwalkthroughs.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Grim-Fandango-Walkthrough-Cat-Sand-Pit.jpg">very, very large cat</a>.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwcLA2-RCyN__DiFyAzFVLWxIhOzwkJngqiVf3pQTR5aHGzeb-1eRJcs2CRK1ee8XTgUUHzSQl5SIDXI2g39L9BwLH5kJTPLGg_qn0w3fjnjAOwcSuoPkRFipIRvsokD73fskuSLtj2IfgbxlEXGQlg7z7o7Dlc8cwUqE5RNO4tPwb3wIGjkcaZYdo_d0/s2169/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="1633" data-original-width="2169" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwcLA2-RCyN__DiFyAzFVLWxIhOzwkJngqiVf3pQTR5aHGzeb-1eRJcs2CRK1ee8XTgUUHzSQl5SIDXI2g39L9BwLH5kJTPLGg_qn0w3fjnjAOwcSuoPkRFipIRvsokD73fskuSLtj2IfgbxlEXGQlg7z7o7Dlc8cwUqE5RNO4tPwb3wIGjkcaZYdo_d0/w400-h301/10.jpg" width="400" /></i></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>I still have many CDs from the 90s, some of which are rather hard to get running on modern systems</i></span><br style="text-align: start;" /></td></tr></tbody></table>In my CD binder, packed back in 1999 before I moved, yet again, between home and college housing, I found an original CD for Sam & Max, so I won’t need to go searching for the game online. Yes, it’s right next to the game Alex just wrapped up -- a neat coincidence, I'd say.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRZ_zYA9O58Wcwzh7T5GATh475XNhuxFpjWXwz_ZGnD6_Jv2aHx3cfoWBhOUbydnESqgx1olovImVzUJo4wd4pn9rzgELXoX71hdgdURh5dimMF9PqH4QO8I668qMH474dj7hktAAK4lZ5cBUERTGaHOEMZ5W-RHwfeGnlSw5nP-WgeTbsCL_-2BIUafg/s800/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="613" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRZ_zYA9O58Wcwzh7T5GATh475XNhuxFpjWXwz_ZGnD6_Jv2aHx3cfoWBhOUbydnESqgx1olovImVzUJo4wd4pn9rzgELXoX71hdgdURh5dimMF9PqH4QO8I668qMH474dj7hktAAK4lZ5cBUERTGaHOEMZ5W-RHwfeGnlSw5nP-WgeTbsCL_-2BIUafg/w306-h400/11.jpg" width="306" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Rear box cover for the original release</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>So what are we getting ourselves into? Well, this game is, like I hinted at the beginning, a road trip film of sorts. Sam and Max are hopping in <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/autohistorian/3320257455">their classic DeSoto police radio car</a> to track down a runaway carnival bigfoot monster. Along the way, it will be classic Americana, a spoof of a <a href="https://www.countryliving.com/life/travel/g42976723/best-route-66-attractions/">road trip down historic route 66</a>. For the non-Americans, Route 66 was the longest interstate road until our government started funding <a href="https://www.army.mil/article/198095/dwight_d_eisenhower_and_the_birth_of_the_interstate_highway_system">wide, long Interstate Highways about 70 years ago</a>. Route 66 was littered with motels, restaurants, and quirky attractions along the way, each one fighting for the attention of mom and dad driving down the road, so they would stop and spend money in their gift shops for the little ones.<br /><br />Many of the places we will be visiting in this game are in fact real, or parodies of real places. For example, most mentions of the game include the World’s Largest Ball of Twine, which <a href="http://www.kansastravel.org/balloftwine.htm">very much exists in rural Kansas</a>. Refreshments will be available at Snuckey’s, a clear parody of <a href="https://stuckeys.com/">Stuckey’s</a>, a chain of midwest gas-and-go stops along busy travel roads. <a href="http://spudvisionblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/sam-max-and-stuckeys.html">The chain loved the references in the comics and games</a>. Purcell put them in because it reminded him of road trips from his childhood, wanting Dad to pull over at each one.<br /><br />But enough of this history lesson. On with the game!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1bRn1CXqBgxWd7lSOo_wZ4-tsKF4kpB-IiTT9nH62OONE__efSyIJkWvrRvN3gPl5IMLcTcCYr2leZYwNMUBXTe0P1smUlVepMWaRM3kgvTvlCAUhKiKuMURpMkD1XaL6tqVPY4_0CbjZEwJNoy6ufsKDbULJLMyut5T9S10OprsN4QTx_ah4L9AdQxY/s1600/12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1bRn1CXqBgxWd7lSOo_wZ4-tsKF4kpB-IiTT9nH62OONE__efSyIJkWvrRvN3gPl5IMLcTcCYr2leZYwNMUBXTe0P1smUlVepMWaRM3kgvTvlCAUhKiKuMURpMkD1XaL6tqVPY4_0CbjZEwJNoy6ufsKDbULJLMyut5T9S10OprsN4QTx_ah4L9AdQxY/w400-h250/12.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="text-align: start;">It’s the </span><a href="https://www.bryanbraun.com/after-dark-css/all/flying-toasters.html" style="text-align: start;">Flying Toasters screensaver</a><span style="text-align: start;">!</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinMu_bmCzW8OBIoXfv8o9CwovYrFFZ3Hlo06zh5uHQDzeM-3B3WiLQcSoDCwJLgiyZ6XssEC1D8H7cKpVfZH_2x4OnlGg2kJIFfLnxKhUSSHjNxjP0k4RaFSLCCPKpA4Xqe86JAHx3hd-8g5WoQzX9bF1MxsFdtB0VL_fliVeX7thjj01E49554TZLI6s/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinMu_bmCzW8OBIoXfv8o9CwovYrFFZ3Hlo06zh5uHQDzeM-3B3WiLQcSoDCwJLgiyZ6XssEC1D8H7cKpVfZH_2x4OnlGg2kJIFfLnxKhUSSHjNxjP0k4RaFSLCCPKpA4Xqe86JAHx3hd-8g5WoQzX9bF1MxsFdtB0VL_fliVeX7thjj01E49554TZLI6s/w400-h250/13.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQdDqPHT0Xj38D_QueP8z4D9mNAk_kRrWYck6ilQ9Jzr4EsncNUEBMFsQzodfl0OW7OYIH1h4VlDW-zoIXlKKjulxF_vVorQ_ZiyPJJdpIst313S3luHLaTJoqzxxDQMFmUiQuIRF-hUui_0-oHGUvRX9vyODeyPCMat1a-ku6fzRys3PiEMZmlnmJ6vI/s1600/14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQdDqPHT0Xj38D_QueP8z4D9mNAk_kRrWYck6ilQ9Jzr4EsncNUEBMFsQzodfl0OW7OYIH1h4VlDW-zoIXlKKjulxF_vVorQ_ZiyPJJdpIst313S3luHLaTJoqzxxDQMFmUiQuIRF-hUui_0-oHGUvRX9vyODeyPCMat1a-ku6fzRys3PiEMZmlnmJ6vI/w400-h250/14.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>We start the game with an evil mad scientist aiming an apparatus at a woman bound with rope in his secret lair. It seems that she went out with him on a blind date, and he turned out to be a creep.<br /></div><div><blockquote>“We’ve only gone out three times, and you’re already telling me you just want to be friends? You never gave me a chance, and for that, you’ll fry like a pork sausage!”<br /><br />“I think I’d rather go out with someone a little more... unpredictable.”</blockquote>Cue the entrance of our intrepid heroes.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0_QwBWHtlnf8gXzjOy1zqdAFjDutfTVQpI79Z__tFQU5y47qdJ9RvdKDfXVt7OJssMJYnr8AObcbgXKJIT_IwddtZa-_7ETI5B2h_CZtMbYIJCr7QHyB3udAhh-W5H6mhdRrXip0ki0dgGSjU27g7Vx8Clcg0TJWubIKVYlBkBziBi7MQLfoPw5QkGJw/s1600/15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0_QwBWHtlnf8gXzjOy1zqdAFjDutfTVQpI79Z__tFQU5y47qdJ9RvdKDfXVt7OJssMJYnr8AObcbgXKJIT_IwddtZa-_7ETI5B2h_CZtMbYIJCr7QHyB3udAhh-W5H6mhdRrXip0ki0dgGSjU27g7Vx8Clcg0TJWubIKVYlBkBziBi7MQLfoPw5QkGJw/w400-h250/15.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp1XbH5bK8sfBr1UPWNZefSAG3G3zg8J0Vpykvc8IajvVGflNzlaZeyR96WyezOlOEcWI7zIz-da8DldlUMUSwT53B668UsNSBqqyrY9JjtbESWCVkZBM7IJ0HUOEolL8kZu4_vnfcsKYK3UUG92ee4YV8FmoNDZgOcX6j69MK0x_aIFWcwSfRwTIJvA8/s1600/16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp1XbH5bK8sfBr1UPWNZefSAG3G3zg8J0Vpykvc8IajvVGflNzlaZeyR96WyezOlOEcWI7zIz-da8DldlUMUSwT53B668UsNSBqqyrY9JjtbESWCVkZBM7IJ0HUOEolL8kZu4_vnfcsKYK3UUG92ee4YV8FmoNDZgOcX6j69MK0x_aIFWcwSfRwTIJvA8/w400-h250/16.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>So, we meet our new friends for this game. On the right is Sam. He’s described as a “canine shamus”, who looks very much like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzyTarwYaM0">McGruff the Crime Dog</a> from the 70s and 80s, but with the suit of <a href="https://youtu.be/Tq91sWZiy-0">Sergeant Friday</a> instead of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbo">Peter Falk’s raincoat</a>. He’s ready to take a bite out of crime, quite literally if possible. In this game, he’s voiced by Bill Farmer, who so far has him sounding perfectly like a classic 1950s noir gumshoe.<br /><br />His more excitable partner on the left of the screen is Max. He’s a “hyperkinetic rabbity thing” that can probably best be described as a cross between a cute, fluffy rabbit doll and <a href="https://youtu.be/Ea37OcQzdMs">Stewie from <i>Family Guy</i></a><i>.</i> He’s worse than a gun, because he doesn’t have a safety switch to hold him back, except the strength of Sam at times. He’s eager to do everything we wish, deep down in the back of our minds, could be done to evil criminals, if only we didn’t have a conscience.<br /><blockquote>“Looks like a marginally volatile hostage situation, Max.”<br /><br />“Ooh! Does this mean we get to kick some puffy, white, mad scientist butt?”<br /><br />“Can’t think of a reason not to!”</blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkYOh7lZ5te2ZKczqJWRPiuIrB7L9TBnfpbEC7flZeoBcM6j9uEr1Eu-J6tW4qh7_1Xt-O9csPTL25euB7YKNOx2d1LT5Sxuau3ncDYWFuFM4Pj9K0EepJTBJXpcvWK8FGeApZh6lsS4DgMSEpZ8QrVhun7Pa3H83U9pUjnTFk5yVQ2Gt0eWPq0o_YClk/s1600/17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkYOh7lZ5te2ZKczqJWRPiuIrB7L9TBnfpbEC7flZeoBcM6j9uEr1Eu-J6tW4qh7_1Xt-O9csPTL25euB7YKNOx2d1LT5Sxuau3ncDYWFuFM4Pj9K0EepJTBJXpcvWK8FGeApZh6lsS4DgMSEpZ8QrVhun7Pa3H83U9pUjnTFk5yVQ2Gt0eWPq0o_YClk/w400-h250/17.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmKOZFgRDxJjFv5T4yzHQYUEKHTAlhuq8eDhZzZlnURbx1z9zL47fa9mrYLizX4A71PthEaDyKN6Gsu2x6pVCfoIypo_jOnzvP2nxeFebPPRnj4nArz4W_G5eGa0eyCBb-hiYKvYnhFWfn0gpq7IyxtOYrHv05_RLTxsA3Qbkw1CsGoAxNEipNHUiriuQ/s1600/18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmKOZFgRDxJjFv5T4yzHQYUEKHTAlhuq8eDhZzZlnURbx1z9zL47fa9mrYLizX4A71PthEaDyKN6Gsu2x6pVCfoIypo_jOnzvP2nxeFebPPRnj4nArz4W_G5eGa0eyCBb-hiYKvYnhFWfn0gpq7IyxtOYrHv05_RLTxsA3Qbkw1CsGoAxNEipNHUiriuQ/w400-h250/18.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZwbGQmTr6E4a_a-qjYXkjiZsxHOslyWfXTVHuDKUWGlMy5IPEKgsGCQ-he2ppocZshy2XmhEKU_CYePeedJ-dVxH8-mxM8HWKjio3k22W7vdNlRmhVFHqNFJfVgiphjWXnnthn8DSrAbF8SHPNOoguoMMwqzQlgt2fMtwO-WetgXQfAbzmpcvb3HKHpo/s1600/19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZwbGQmTr6E4a_a-qjYXkjiZsxHOslyWfXTVHuDKUWGlMy5IPEKgsGCQ-he2ppocZshy2XmhEKU_CYePeedJ-dVxH8-mxM8HWKjio3k22W7vdNlRmhVFHqNFJfVgiphjWXnnthn8DSrAbF8SHPNOoguoMMwqzQlgt2fMtwO-WetgXQfAbzmpcvb3HKHpo/w400-h250/19.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGFrPwVS_igmoUL7ZJrlaLgGWhwhVWZcqHVDLvvrAxmf3Pzn17AnbS2LdL0HwkapQAb24yPNZoxeRaLVMpn2JWLtdFYUVfsMFrZvVAS5qu8VyDKXBQSHbs40dRePQfD_qqooFBzUlhpAAplmwPVYq4rU74qbHxM-4rEk0IH3kdqhsA5zS2cSo-Pr39M_Y/s1600/20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGFrPwVS_igmoUL7ZJrlaLgGWhwhVWZcqHVDLvvrAxmf3Pzn17AnbS2LdL0HwkapQAb24yPNZoxeRaLVMpn2JWLtdFYUVfsMFrZvVAS5qu8VyDKXBQSHbs40dRePQfD_qqooFBzUlhpAAplmwPVYq4rU74qbHxM-4rEk0IH3kdqhsA5zS2cSo-Pr39M_Y/w400-h250/20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6KXmzlQJJ8SmiLr1QJHeQVFkh542BEPte_44zfmJ-S9yEitcU4YKmV9bBYvnl2MMTRRwNv7yFWOZ9dJm10JIeoo8vOiRFZA0G7i52ukpbOQbX6qJhNxV2f0FxIIUhNHScNrUAEYH6rjtyMfF-91MhkV08-lYoG0gxVAlhKQKofDlD7Rf8gkFlqZzetWQ/s1600/21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6KXmzlQJJ8SmiLr1QJHeQVFkh542BEPte_44zfmJ-S9yEitcU4YKmV9bBYvnl2MMTRRwNv7yFWOZ9dJm10JIeoo8vOiRFZA0G7i52ukpbOQbX6qJhNxV2f0FxIIUhNHScNrUAEYH6rjtyMfF-91MhkV08-lYoG0gxVAlhKQKofDlD7Rf8gkFlqZzetWQ/w400-h250/21.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>And so the introduction shows us the modus operandi for the anthropomorphic duo, which is to arrive at a crime scene, quickly deduce that <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/123921-of-course-evil-s-afoot-if-it-had-switched-to-the">evil is afoot</a> and open up a can of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Sipowicz">Andy Sipowicz</a> on it. The violence in this sequence is mostly off-screen.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHwAN34iDWeX9H39obNFN0gSGpg5N3aYQ20rTLJECVQJoIiiOBCSi1sPgP_a46vtbiX2CS_IqqIgqvbqIg2DR4zoC3KM9L72Z5IWFI8t38Dyo9xHh8eddvkNTrtgghuNERUk58HEnQz19QeQ4m_LSmrsZiC5u3lujoCv3MQ6bYC_cA8tdocu1ywXqz66s/s1600/22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHwAN34iDWeX9H39obNFN0gSGpg5N3aYQ20rTLJECVQJoIiiOBCSi1sPgP_a46vtbiX2CS_IqqIgqvbqIg2DR4zoC3KM9L72Z5IWFI8t38Dyo9xHh8eddvkNTrtgghuNERUk58HEnQz19QeQ4m_LSmrsZiC5u3lujoCv3MQ6bYC_cA8tdocu1ywXqz66s/w400-h250/22.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVl5EfbuEO5fXGhdvyM285RtUL9DtF2aUPIhyYfPW9Fqxe-GShjkA3I_QOwuDf15z_ydIcBCcwNfe2MZ4gyLOVrvr-Y7cIdiXbKqAcLyMoWi7YKh9sKP5faMkTMWFTTWseDrKKjdayCB7ibfjzqRXuT8V97ZJGdpiXhOJ2W2ldOpcf-zaFl7OJlWv7spw/s1600/23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVl5EfbuEO5fXGhdvyM285RtUL9DtF2aUPIhyYfPW9Fqxe-GShjkA3I_QOwuDf15z_ydIcBCcwNfe2MZ4gyLOVrvr-Y7cIdiXbKqAcLyMoWi7YKh9sKP5faMkTMWFTTWseDrKKjdayCB7ibfjzqRXuT8V97ZJGdpiXhOJ2W2ldOpcf-zaFl7OJlWv7spw/w400-h250/23.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>And it turns out that the evil scientist was really an evil robot.<br /><blockquote>“That’s no head, Max, it’s one damned ugly time bomb!”<br /><br />“Maybe we can ditch the head somewhere while the credits are running. Mind if I drive?”<br /><br />“Not if you don’t mind me clawing at the dash and shrieking like a cheerleader.”</blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEityU1ZUOmy91FaK5Y70rWBdXpfuWovx1G8FELVpi-1R4E6oWz4Z55ByEl753WUFQUivVVVvpU3DvIFOq935aMgDidubSzW3QBTz40AxjXijBUl007XK_DORVvUTJ0fonm3eg0aDSkbQZ15iqF3HGDgURkr0rVt40y_Sc9sTRpZB47k3g-R-MrqDaHhU1I/s1600/24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEityU1ZUOmy91FaK5Y70rWBdXpfuWovx1G8FELVpi-1R4E6oWz4Z55ByEl753WUFQUivVVVvpU3DvIFOq935aMgDidubSzW3QBTz40AxjXijBUl007XK_DORVvUTJ0fonm3eg0aDSkbQZ15iqF3HGDgURkr0rVt40y_Sc9sTRpZB47k3g-R-MrqDaHhU1I/w400-h250/24.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7WAjhS9NwqV_n-4DAeDXP3rJIytGh2ExuY02Smp7P9LjiZIHKbAmryIoOICZd0XmB7-QsP9ginsr4UUk2f913JJTEvczE_gmHghW3Fg1BsPUamP1417xde4ZkvH2kDStd4WFfDugCtTDVoUznGquOydL9GNoBmVjZlq8nTe1J5-AWLMOIaCUHqAp89XY/s1600/25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7WAjhS9NwqV_n-4DAeDXP3rJIytGh2ExuY02Smp7P9LjiZIHKbAmryIoOICZd0XmB7-QsP9ginsr4UUk2f913JJTEvczE_gmHghW3Fg1BsPUamP1417xde4ZkvH2kDStd4WFfDugCtTDVoUznGquOydL9GNoBmVjZlq8nTe1J5-AWLMOIaCUHqAp89XY/w400-h250/25.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi-0WUBYT1X6XTJflZcdLid2zOMecW_DA-WJVw5UStvSkvFLyPzVzgTkZlNxN6ubqgYdVJOhha7GbJ0elUuxU5Kpt7p2RjoGr2pJEuVU6smquz_DK_8gRhp_0Ee9M6uTgLIyHzTlHBuVWGZ5dEUXgIGCONH9fhxl8Ol0EADhxGFPxUddxWily1-N7QVFk/s1600/26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi-0WUBYT1X6XTJflZcdLid2zOMecW_DA-WJVw5UStvSkvFLyPzVzgTkZlNxN6ubqgYdVJOhha7GbJ0elUuxU5Kpt7p2RjoGr2pJEuVU6smquz_DK_8gRhp_0Ee9M6uTgLIyHzTlHBuVWGZ5dEUXgIGCONH9fhxl8Ol0EADhxGFPxUddxWily1-N7QVFk/w400-h250/26.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1mEuQHysi155T7Bnhc-1ApvRcAq1xX1pzpiRdrPLDzW8Oj4fU7Mma2G3Zzuo7oOnTdNI5T2wWmathK2qoiS9NgncUzrNumKpq29SJwwsvBzEy7KzR9kL7RZ2rYHDQT0nvbaltWU21YwBdv9qgqumDR-JZ17woldSusYqOoxLMmYcfHkl_gCK6nPkHoY/s1600/27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1mEuQHysi155T7Bnhc-1ApvRcAq1xX1pzpiRdrPLDzW8Oj4fU7Mma2G3Zzuo7oOnTdNI5T2wWmathK2qoiS9NgncUzrNumKpq29SJwwsvBzEy7KzR9kL7RZ2rYHDQT0nvbaltWU21YwBdv9qgqumDR-JZ17woldSusYqOoxLMmYcfHkl_gCK6nPkHoY/w400-h250/27.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>So, the credits roll, with black & white film noir style images above and below. Of special note on this screen would be co-designer Collette Michaud. During the making of this game, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20090221055751/http://www.telltalegames.com/summerofsamandmax/history/history2">she and Steve Purcell married</a>.<br /><br />As a bit of game trivia, there was talk about making the game black and white, like the comics. They decided against it, but who knows, it might have worked. The next year, a <a href="https://youtu.be/f8yqQkABBjY?si=HqK3j71uBylZ-HD_">black & white movie made millions</a> and spawned a movie empire for a convenience store clerk. More recently, a <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/prim-game/prim-a-2d-adventure-game-about-deaths-daughter">black and white adventure game</a> surpassed its Kickstarter goals and is in active development.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGgRCtjaIbLOFvKqFKecus8PHemIkGqCKt5VEBlS-IMTFeY0mjfjT12kQaVUt6LkVP9cif207E4TuYa6WNMMcNll1FlYJSe6vrH6xPCurySqEsPVRfQfDEKv01DcG5KaocYjqANvb6GgUG1MSrJY78RVV6gJugbvE6AC7N34_hs5BK9Ey4ILNZXSbBHEQ/s1600/28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGgRCtjaIbLOFvKqFKecus8PHemIkGqCKt5VEBlS-IMTFeY0mjfjT12kQaVUt6LkVP9cif207E4TuYa6WNMMcNll1FlYJSe6vrH6xPCurySqEsPVRfQfDEKv01DcG5KaocYjqANvb6GgUG1MSrJY78RVV6gJugbvE6AC7N34_hs5BK9Ey4ILNZXSbBHEQ/w400-h250/28.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiotohPJRxGw6nVy3ZpjOzvtkEqDYU5QmpK_U0rNbxTJqPKQ3HQjj72sOX7zpoeLri3RTmD9dbTMfUp8HZsBGqVPSl39y6Kxk1hUkB19S2ypm4Mndq-jwtIjc3LVRTII_GzM9Ypsi7ailT7DMckG1ciQUc_Ppj23C0NymUbxtS-QDS98BNFvMRZRsdYgIU/s1600/29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiotohPJRxGw6nVy3ZpjOzvtkEqDYU5QmpK_U0rNbxTJqPKQ3HQjj72sOX7zpoeLri3RTmD9dbTMfUp8HZsBGqVPSl39y6Kxk1hUkB19S2ypm4Mndq-jwtIjc3LVRTII_GzM9Ypsi7ailT7DMckG1ciQUc_Ppj23C0NymUbxtS-QDS98BNFvMRZRsdYgIU/w400-h250/29.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghnjjcPN0_nb-7mwLilwvGKDqN9Pl42ZE1ZqEK5yKFxdswQdBGGrvTnd-STloOS7_nNtAK3IGU3pM1e1t7zmKAKG8whJLG-IDQtK-Dctz6YzVBVnZiUqvpVw6KZm9MzpFJtG-OoHjYqDn0UVTMIgLb9XHO88AX_AoNQEM-ziS8kEnTPJQUqXtpOjvBxtI/s1600/30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghnjjcPN0_nb-7mwLilwvGKDqN9Pl42ZE1ZqEK5yKFxdswQdBGGrvTnd-STloOS7_nNtAK3IGU3pM1e1t7zmKAKG8whJLG-IDQtK-Dctz6YzVBVnZiUqvpVw6KZm9MzpFJtG-OoHjYqDn0UVTMIgLb9XHO88AX_AoNQEM-ziS8kEnTPJQUqXtpOjvBxtI/w400-h250/30.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>And now, let’s break the fourth wall.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrXu45Ku73KUnOghZxeSTYB8JkLXIsFo1yzyFkCAr-PBtVWle8QebpMpo_-Yq78y2VKDdCcweyQs84Wuwv0W10pg4j0v4kXQS_0S99-Zih2J3kvOBIysBeD7PWKnPsJmKlHPLRgCJVm-nxfG84ZlHlhN6uTjIpOhex284-Ek8zyevebKTqJW4kJmjP9Tw/s1600/31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrXu45Ku73KUnOghZxeSTYB8JkLXIsFo1yzyFkCAr-PBtVWle8QebpMpo_-Yq78y2VKDdCcweyQs84Wuwv0W10pg4j0v4kXQS_0S99-Zih2J3kvOBIysBeD7PWKnPsJmKlHPLRgCJVm-nxfG84ZlHlhN6uTjIpOhex284-Ek8zyevebKTqJW4kJmjP9Tw/w400-h250/31.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiphNqc6Jqy5qKe7_qDjXZ_nSSlwdaws60jVUfAgVRg7lMaXGERFUzlZ4jyz5uwBZsCRzUpYvXtO8Onf9ftW0vWW8k3AJ8vMu6aybK77A2qfdpVpG8fMoSt3RPHBaysGHXGXQwFK1uAOFMGF7CgkrJeJ8zAcHWptaRgrbSqDNbRoBnMJpFTZeCHRGwFYE4/s1600/32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiphNqc6Jqy5qKe7_qDjXZ_nSSlwdaws60jVUfAgVRg7lMaXGERFUzlZ4jyz5uwBZsCRzUpYvXtO8Onf9ftW0vWW8k3AJ8vMu6aybK77A2qfdpVpG8fMoSt3RPHBaysGHXGXQwFK1uAOFMGF7CgkrJeJ8zAcHWptaRgrbSqDNbRoBnMJpFTZeCHRGwFYE4/w400-h250/32.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8XHDkRdOhPJQe4m2RewIC-mJ4U1IJ5tiqVShq-Z-8gw-IB9LdvccIZvhS75hUUxP5yzqKWQIYHHU_6UDJbdIRhX2oQgDKb_AURgY6YN5tqv9546s_L4wxmnamkC6uL_ZIvlVnKUv3BmFwIDilSdq9KFQxEYhN5UBZ-iPkDEzCtcnMubAtqsrDXL1DUxQ/s1600/33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8XHDkRdOhPJQe4m2RewIC-mJ4U1IJ5tiqVShq-Z-8gw-IB9LdvccIZvhS75hUUxP5yzqKWQIYHHU_6UDJbdIRhX2oQgDKb_AURgY6YN5tqv9546s_L4wxmnamkC6uL_ZIvlVnKUv3BmFwIDilSdq9KFQxEYhN5UBZ-iPkDEzCtcnMubAtqsrDXL1DUxQ/w400-h250/33.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCzyrXcJ3AnUAMFdwycBtgZq13FODsrO0YuBYYyLFfnjxzaDu9ppc6p2_Jr84qu76O9nLBIHigmAyWR0Dm7AO4SQIUkCLhXZQYyPXNWHGaGCnnMmQDgl_b3e9dX_6MerrEkSiWAb4PaehW3G4sCK8QutcDD85Pj4ha6vDY2wzCPnXqgHJ-0IMbm-Q4BXU/s1600/34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCzyrXcJ3AnUAMFdwycBtgZq13FODsrO0YuBYYyLFfnjxzaDu9ppc6p2_Jr84qu76O9nLBIHigmAyWR0Dm7AO4SQIUkCLhXZQYyPXNWHGaGCnnMmQDgl_b3e9dX_6MerrEkSiWAb4PaehW3G4sCK8QutcDD85Pj4ha6vDY2wzCPnXqgHJ-0IMbm-Q4BXU/w400-h250/34.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_ZjRdB5kk3awnfelCLK5xAfbBeVKGHUwflw4W38iphQKZsnHxTEYLM7AtOa8HrE74qbT9NhCagfDxGTGrIgADoZ0lZ69NkgIYuPyOTcafpXqLR_cpFJxdFve-USrnDM08iXm7pi5NbLFVACFalM_ZjWxoAXh6v1CNodU2wYLwdvSlzzX6wy2whpV7XI/s1600/35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_ZjRdB5kk3awnfelCLK5xAfbBeVKGHUwflw4W38iphQKZsnHxTEYLM7AtOa8HrE74qbT9NhCagfDxGTGrIgADoZ0lZ69NkgIYuPyOTcafpXqLR_cpFJxdFve-USrnDM08iXm7pi5NbLFVACFalM_ZjWxoAXh6v1CNodU2wYLwdvSlzzX6wy2whpV7XI/w400-h250/35.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Hey, let’s not forget about the bomb.<br /><br />Just then, the phone starts to ring. I’ve done my best to screenshot as much of the animation as I could, but basically, Sam makes sure that Max doesn’t answer the phone.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-OaZhA9Gjl8h2noOxQ6pZx2q3xPLXguaxT_MjvMSekzVUfvMAD6UE5paaSYZae0BG2zxd3AHwsBsSHYENGcSPAUZPYE6R77sMhZJLcw5KOhHzKN79s7DM5Y_8y-q8qH15wp4n6z4fg67z9ZQlI75SqiniLbZOShbSodAe2A0b5waDaFwvV_KRzMXhP10/s1600/36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-OaZhA9Gjl8h2noOxQ6pZx2q3xPLXguaxT_MjvMSekzVUfvMAD6UE5paaSYZae0BG2zxd3AHwsBsSHYENGcSPAUZPYE6R77sMhZJLcw5KOhHzKN79s7DM5Y_8y-q8qH15wp4n6z4fg67z9ZQlI75SqiniLbZOShbSodAe2A0b5waDaFwvV_KRzMXhP10/w400-h250/36.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVvjaZTn5QRF707ZTP9li0gt58DxMc0VTKllw1hg1LxYd_gmghc7PEfeGO45EsSHvUCR-P5Bn6VKPrO5DoPXeekF6A8BUa8wLWajm63S7hkK5L906m778uKEDADjS-MgwtliLK154UhjJkde3RuzZ2w5cwJIofbQWe4ONrvterUWXKBwVl31osodk_7ps/s1600/37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVvjaZTn5QRF707ZTP9li0gt58DxMc0VTKllw1hg1LxYd_gmghc7PEfeGO45EsSHvUCR-P5Bn6VKPrO5DoPXeekF6A8BUa8wLWajm63S7hkK5L906m778uKEDADjS-MgwtliLK154UhjJkde3RuzZ2w5cwJIofbQWe4ONrvterUWXKBwVl31osodk_7ps/w400-h250/37.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrIkb3QmwCaX0bapwhpXLfkOnK2oIgJUeLNwPmF3dISTPmMjhB9neYjzZ8K9DMF-CQUrD27rO2tDzBs9InJW5yI4c9Cjhlu1S2pka5zYPdfDWghvi4DIlMDJScqOPu2Gc68Xn33va2WIR0Nyw2VEox4nvlYpZ5I7M7NdEBg3u52acs7FFG3Q2_ywdGzaM/s1600/38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrIkb3QmwCaX0bapwhpXLfkOnK2oIgJUeLNwPmF3dISTPmMjhB9neYjzZ8K9DMF-CQUrD27rO2tDzBs9InJW5yI4c9Cjhlu1S2pka5zYPdfDWghvi4DIlMDJScqOPu2Gc68Xn33va2WIR0Nyw2VEox4nvlYpZ5I7M7NdEBg3u52acs7FFG3Q2_ywdGzaM/w400-h250/38.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTR7-NnVtzehlZQ5E0U35vBkF5WWYgyHCgf-0c3RtgP_YF5WKml9ld0MroE48LjIFlypN9vkpnGPMI_Qvx2hqaTFvdlXjQrxxEJ1QY2UJ4bVjX8Mw0CAvPL1RKfBMSwPjNdvo4871KUKnek1gqXszM0V2TMKV6llwjzqn1wIJ61Qz_0f_uVytmbmOvcxc/w400-h250/40.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifN1xwI70hy7mijbTZVtQqbgfkdWasKPn0BUv2yDSbLQHXSj5XnaSuybEs5kRFesDO5bdiGOUeRISV1V71DhIe_ULF0XAOKabY7tjn9wrAJyBimMtRrRRPOG1L0oyC0obYR_SvctoIewr1-H-QS7eFhpj2WP40jxLOOcGXM7mm3el5XEEWbvdaCZIusPw/s1600/41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifN1xwI70hy7mijbTZVtQqbgfkdWasKPn0BUv2yDSbLQHXSj5XnaSuybEs5kRFesDO5bdiGOUeRISV1V71DhIe_ULF0XAOKabY7tjn9wrAJyBimMtRrRRPOG1L0oyC0obYR_SvctoIewr1-H-QS7eFhpj2WP40jxLOOcGXM7mm3el5XEEWbvdaCZIusPw/w400-h250/41.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJCBJ7w0YH9pOghFoUJkm9MYyMcNWAT8k6Lm1R_m_rSSum-VJQ8Xc9VHA1N-Ubk28kCaqlZqYpocsRaxa7H4DzX5bG80XXvBcNP8rA_ZZ5UV_d-wXvyTk9Z20K8Tc4vHnREHni98jIruuZeZGyQQrFkuRyqKccmi1xpSjfdETzy38es9YSbRjP0A16YJs/w400-h250/43.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHH7-cAO5BNDO39MRf17cfuBGcNmHlZT0JsoSGCE1Hx-4lEPo_xmQOYWPpd3_VSRY8N34apCmm6CJHI2X3bjvw3WnCGH7NKHe6DwMd8yGSyJaCMPjvtd190YDD_dgXicqJs_EE_k0xMWyXhNW0Ihyu6kTo_znbXlKFbbwDfOY4vvwf4LpAbayYNB9hzkM/s1600/44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHH7-cAO5BNDO39MRf17cfuBGcNmHlZT0JsoSGCE1Hx-4lEPo_xmQOYWPpd3_VSRY8N34apCmm6CJHI2X3bjvw3WnCGH7NKHe6DwMd8yGSyJaCMPjvtd190YDD_dgXicqJs_EE_k0xMWyXhNW0Ihyu6kTo_znbXlKFbbwDfOY4vvwf4LpAbayYNB9hzkM/w400-h250/44.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBi9_B6EsOWelzE-SsdBzSscd92TWFUZ8smu-hBKys2F1VAC1gtQdmECJbGzUsHWGqYrdnGYzVMxw7Fypk2pJ8LH6Piv4v-hRoTJWI-eTwDYc6wUWRRtu8CUdNjU3ZLAW93bH_aHdftQ6qOdRtTATthFJCIeLkSxJKEdcDPOsMYw5Jdn-9b9GFmwlBTWE/s1600/45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBi9_B6EsOWelzE-SsdBzSscd92TWFUZ8smu-hBKys2F1VAC1gtQdmECJbGzUsHWGqYrdnGYzVMxw7Fypk2pJ8LH6Piv4v-hRoTJWI-eTwDYc6wUWRRtu8CUdNjU3ZLAW93bH_aHdftQ6qOdRtTATthFJCIeLkSxJKEdcDPOsMYw5Jdn-9b9GFmwlBTWE/w400-h250/45.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>And this brings us to the end of the introduction sequence, and now we can explore the game world. But first, let’s take a look at the interface.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNyQGOMW4yRT50vElRWIXAusajMyuptdQRF0ybEe53bGSShhhqO1NPvNTk_cVpFQHbnt3XQdhnh2uVqyReCs8tSqSGxash3ZRj9eTPDowmyrCWrldZBO5j3plba_8mDRumw5ZWSLcqFxt1RK8HEP53ep9vvf9f7fBMBtnfL8AjjfoqldslI42RkFbPFE/s1600/46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNyQGOMW4yRT50vElRWIXAusajMyuptdQRF0ybEe53bGSShhhqO1NPvNTk_cVpFQHbnt3XQdhnh2uVqyReCs8tSqSGxash3ZRj9eTPDowmyrCWrldZBO5j3plba_8mDRumw5ZWSLcqFxt1RK8HEP53ep9vvf9f7fBMBtnfL8AjjfoqldslI42RkFbPFE/w400-h250/46.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Gone are the verbs and inventory taking up a third of the screen; <a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/search/label/Maniac%20Mansion%3A%20Day%20of%20the%20Tentacle"><i>Day of the Tentacle</i></a> would be their last game to ever have that. With this game, they emulated Sierra (a little), and then would go on to do either a coin interface (<i>Full Throttle,</i> <i>Curse of Monkey Island</i>) or even flirt with tank controls (<i>Grim Fandango</i>).<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaafO8oN9kVta8EO03b6sg0xEn4b-okkeUqYnoqvLoc-Vp6XxUpB9CQegF3cskUpDpZ6AMLWHgoUzYqjGtONssZ2jjHQAXIVwXrKPZv6IemlI1Ku4lqmKqGqCjIjOZKB_wNsyKOPVAjiDNVuK1DpvtTPCnIXojls578I_tkm-jU_xfrAz2Es5p2LFYtVo/s529/47.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="529" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaafO8oN9kVta8EO03b6sg0xEn4b-okkeUqYnoqvLoc-Vp6XxUpB9CQegF3cskUpDpZ6AMLWHgoUzYqjGtONssZ2jjHQAXIVwXrKPZv6IemlI1Ku4lqmKqGqCjIjOZKB_wNsyKOPVAjiDNVuK1DpvtTPCnIXojls578I_tkm-jU_xfrAz2Es5p2LFYtVo/w400-h358/47.PNG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>From the game manual</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Just as in the Sierra SCI1 games, the right mouse button cycles through the choices, walk, use, talk, look, pick up. Each icon has two states, one that shows it can be used, one that says no. For example, if you pass the look cursor (an eyeball) over something it doesn’t have a description for, the eyelid shuts. You can still use keyboard shortcuts to select the icons as well, just as the SCUMM past. So, clicking W for walk, U for use, P for pick up, and T for talk help speed the process. The A and S keys cycle through the inventory, including Max as a usable object. (More on that soon.) However, if you don’t want to use the keyboard, Sierra’s use of the middle mouse button would have saved a lot of time (switching between walk and the currently selected icon), and being able to quickly move the mouse cursor to the top of the screen to select an icon was another great way to avoid using the keyboard. <br /><br />But these are very small gripes. On the plus side, we are no longer losing a third of the screen to the interface, which was one of LucasArts’ few notable mistakes of the past.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7bzviWbKZC72TBNlNz9EZ-AAz7DpO8ELgOXM_kvBACjIEtD-rLIY_bTVXuKsxfaVW4mJVytupJ44evdv-LZ6c8ufMhkGhRPohcMqjLg6njlWlFTmPMvcMa0mZRy7LkbRc3pJHezXzlfEuwmGc7FJdEeTbKMu04tLETsFszihlRmXCq_wtnsY_qBTIX1U/s1600/48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7bzviWbKZC72TBNlNz9EZ-AAz7DpO8ELgOXM_kvBACjIEtD-rLIY_bTVXuKsxfaVW4mJVytupJ44evdv-LZ6c8ufMhkGhRPohcMqjLg6njlWlFTmPMvcMa0mZRy7LkbRc3pJHezXzlfEuwmGc7FJdEeTbKMu04tLETsFszihlRmXCq_wtnsY_qBTIX1U/w400-h250/48.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In the bottom left of the game screen is a cardboard box. That’s your inventory. Click on there, and you’ll see all your worldly possessions. Sadly, we don’t have any right now. You can also click on icons here instead of using the right mouse button, for use either in the box (say, looking at an inventory item) or to carry out of the box. <br /><br />So now, let’s talk about the Max icon. It’s not like the previous LucasArts games, where the icon of another player means changing who is in charge. It’s basically a way for Sam to use Max as a solution, much like Officer Bonds uses his gun.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj0A9YbCpSYFA9crQ6FVLdHS6M-5lxkr5u6HNlkfm5KetEwOY-ZpbIRkCy6JJ_FvbzUhk01PYYAP7QUHAUCcd9liTZpIGAMkxL9I1TtAwGZPYqwH4KI4aH_I5yZaHETYQVKCxAfTEGv4LZCrV5OT638rPoxlYSBKUT-7J72EOAdTFRJguvD9mntQzniY8/s1600/49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj0A9YbCpSYFA9crQ6FVLdHS6M-5lxkr5u6HNlkfm5KetEwOY-ZpbIRkCy6JJ_FvbzUhk01PYYAP7QUHAUCcd9liTZpIGAMkxL9I1TtAwGZPYqwH4KI4aH_I5yZaHETYQVKCxAfTEGv4LZCrV5OT638rPoxlYSBKUT-7J72EOAdTFRJguvD9mntQzniY8/w400-h250/49.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHpnQNRsdDx54mCLOocV-4D9b0dBVZ1eJL5EQTQKP_uetXoPECWUEToiLtUPsj8ckJrwBhfbXmRpBx7XyD4dLw3PazOOxeok-wHl4KgBIsHpb1OJSoL4FFCz5GPssBRM-m7-C0PjyaPf550oA5QiRsAMkpiQur2fSlHcHA0_f2HJZn1RUQGjY0tOzmC7s/s1600/50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHpnQNRsdDx54mCLOocV-4D9b0dBVZ1eJL5EQTQKP_uetXoPECWUEToiLtUPsj8ckJrwBhfbXmRpBx7XyD4dLw3PazOOxeok-wHl4KgBIsHpb1OJSoL4FFCz5GPssBRM-m7-C0PjyaPf550oA5QiRsAMkpiQur2fSlHcHA0_f2HJZn1RUQGjY0tOzmC7s/w400-h250/50.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ElqE9k3sPK62GetNE4qMXJvr3f9fcdG3R1vUFp0O_7Rdn8jWKaMLDpUH5l7tFzdKilhdy2taNRIIXc415vJjar9QWHshDkw0btt6VkwpoMX6oe1JfXULm_rr-l7wDuzpqIj3CSQ2RVqLgIuj2VMsbD-hL0khl0ebk0-O_slfgZZeMTOP8Ij-P8k6P6M/s1600/51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ElqE9k3sPK62GetNE4qMXJvr3f9fcdG3R1vUFp0O_7Rdn8jWKaMLDpUH5l7tFzdKilhdy2taNRIIXc415vJjar9QWHshDkw0btt6VkwpoMX6oe1JfXULm_rr-l7wDuzpqIj3CSQ2RVqLgIuj2VMsbD-hL0khl0ebk0-O_slfgZZeMTOP8Ij-P8k6P6M/w400-h250/51.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpGtRlCo8kYDGQllRhnjOW1f7aHbXD9Nfpy3u5HTFXJ5LeI1asW-jn8oiohDxWAO8hIeahxy9eJHFj_bOaewI5ulVtG806GHXZtJykGzPg5eSWbb-US9H1QQzxIt8vp1LWrsD1nDGT2CC9Orq2T4RuosHss14iR8CFpUz-CY8nC9CV8I6C0-MQNs_noNE/s1600/52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpGtRlCo8kYDGQllRhnjOW1f7aHbXD9Nfpy3u5HTFXJ5LeI1asW-jn8oiohDxWAO8hIeahxy9eJHFj_bOaewI5ulVtG806GHXZtJykGzPg5eSWbb-US9H1QQzxIt8vp1LWrsD1nDGT2CC9Orq2T4RuosHss14iR8CFpUz-CY8nC9CV8I6C0-MQNs_noNE/w400-h250/52.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhqYUcWGdZPje7ji7QHZ05ATcohubTtifpxmjLqmD8O_2JA9vA9UnhuqaZnMDjPN6TVl7GN3Qs9PkM2CckmJcSpgTuqNWPwhyphenhyphen464GB_r3iKDoVIv7KHGbAcCh3YPxI-S_lZkdrVR1WchLNBl7ks2Sx46Ju8JGj5AaG3UdGbMfgm7QKekBcRXMnECtZbF4/s1600/53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhqYUcWGdZPje7ji7QHZ05ATcohubTtifpxmjLqmD8O_2JA9vA9UnhuqaZnMDjPN6TVl7GN3Qs9PkM2CckmJcSpgTuqNWPwhyphenhyphen464GB_r3iKDoVIv7KHGbAcCh3YPxI-S_lZkdrVR1WchLNBl7ks2Sx46Ju8JGj5AaG3UdGbMfgm7QKekBcRXMnECtZbF4/w400-h250/53.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Everything that doesn’t advance the plot is usually entertaining. Using the answering machine, for example, at this time plays us a spam message. <br /><br />Also, have you noticed how many LucasArts games require the use of answering machines? Seriously. <i>Maniac Mansion</i>. <i>Zak McKracken</i>. <i>Day of the Tentacle</i>. <i>Grim Fandango</i>. I’m sure there’s probably one hidden in a <i>Tie-Fighter</i> game somewhere, no doubt.<br /><br />Using the darts, Max will remove them from the board, step away, and throw them, miraculously landing in the same configuration. He’s pretty talented.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPxqjwMxxU0BPCrPQl0tuusSErNe47EuT4PMnDO3fepoUh1ReT9O_ECcxrZPSAnCBpDgzFde-G-jFvS_MO5P6ebPbF2V8JHNEN5bUHKAAHNaydPSxqQ41Ja_S5eJI2h6FkUbABvTUIfkktVWa0pb_9_8nS6-zcuCx7EgkrSkXZMLoTJMCiKy27qKItsTw/s1600/54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPxqjwMxxU0BPCrPQl0tuusSErNe47EuT4PMnDO3fepoUh1ReT9O_ECcxrZPSAnCBpDgzFde-G-jFvS_MO5P6ebPbF2V8JHNEN5bUHKAAHNaydPSxqQ41Ja_S5eJI2h6FkUbABvTUIfkktVWa0pb_9_8nS6-zcuCx7EgkrSkXZMLoTJMCiKy27qKItsTw/w400-h250/54.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU7Zb8jvQgSy6Tr1tLZsjhvqPH6D2tqvSUFlVDj30UFiFmoGd5zaTYBcRekNmag6WJPjQeIQTEHouOQRuxnPSuh7f01M6QnYH3CWF2cwIuu5IeXl05b_VNIOQY94MxS2EO9yMAuffnL2s1R46ineaqdLXziVLuuPyDwKjuftSoUoX_8kUJ9D5ps6_wP-w/s1600/55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU7Zb8jvQgSy6Tr1tLZsjhvqPH6D2tqvSUFlVDj30UFiFmoGd5zaTYBcRekNmag6WJPjQeIQTEHouOQRuxnPSuh7f01M6QnYH3CWF2cwIuu5IeXl05b_VNIOQY94MxS2EO9yMAuffnL2s1R46ineaqdLXziVLuuPyDwKjuftSoUoX_8kUJ9D5ps6_wP-w/w400-h250/55.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Walking to the right, the screen scrolls with us, and as I try to collect the moldy sandwich on the floor, Max jumps in and feeds it to his roach farm. Cute animations the whole way.<br /><br />In the closet is a blacklight bulb. I pick that up. Back on Max’s desk, I turn on the TV, and it’s nothing but static. Moving the antenna around, and suddenly I’m watching a quality show.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUYJYh0_QTy1YblwZShaBzeGWLY6NJEzjzh53Bmyp4IZy9DaYn0uPGJYc4vzy95B6Dl-bXaJnAjorZm45I7Nx6GII7jJvRxVHj9MJ9N9z8591hfp7UsnYEWQkjcb8qk-qHEqtMi1iv-0_icRVriy6oyxR-5U6g9rDDDHKAClEiTyAMYocOE8ahO8S7ezE/s1600/56.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUYJYh0_QTy1YblwZShaBzeGWLY6NJEzjzh53Bmyp4IZy9DaYn0uPGJYc4vzy95B6Dl-bXaJnAjorZm45I7Nx6GII7jJvRxVHj9MJ9N9z8591hfp7UsnYEWQkjcb8qk-qHEqtMi1iv-0_icRVriy6oyxR-5U6g9rDDDHKAClEiTyAMYocOE8ahO8S7ezE/w400-h300/56.png" width="400" /></a></div>Oh, wait, that’s not it.<br /><br />So, this seems like a great time to pause the game and ask you to place your wagers. This is the first in the series, so there’s not much to compare it to. Recent LucasArts games have been scoring rather high lately, but as lawyers often say in their ads, “past performance is no guarantee of future results.” The most recent cartoonish LucasArts game,<i> Day of the Tentacle, </i>scored a very healthy 72. Where will this one land?<br /><br /><b>Session Time:</b> 10 minutes<br /><br /><b>Note Regarding Spoilers and Companion Assist Points: </b>There's 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 CAPs will be given for hints or spoilers given in advance of me requiring one. As this is an introductory post, it's an opportunity for readers to bet 10 CAPs (only if they already have them) that I won't be able to solve a puzzle without putting in an official Request for Assistance: remember to use ROT13 for betting. If you get it right, you will be rewarded with 20 CAPs in return. It's also your chance to predict what the final rating will be for the game. Voters can predict whatever score they want, regardless of whether someone else has already chosen it. All correct (or nearest) votes will go into a draw.</div>Ilmari Jauhiainenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01655841880034965950noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-78878071710415061472023-12-09T00:00:00.215+11:002023-12-09T00:00:00.137+11:00Homeworld - Into the BlackBy Reiko<br /><br />Previously, we escaped the Phoenix Sect using an automated Heechee escape pod, which crashed on a remote ice planet populated by strange crystalline creatures. Now we've got to find a way to get out of here. There's nothing to eat, at any rate, and our behavior so far has certainly not conformed to any standards of finding shelter and resources in a survival situation. I briefly thought that we'd be able to escape using another similar pod buried in a glacier, but it also crashed and is unusable. Whether its occupant died before or after the crash is uncertain, but I was able to retrieve (loot?) its special identity pod, which will surely be important later.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGTAmmSdrWyjCxuWTicthzzSAL5nTDkdcSq1q2N1h4jzBh0De_zpKkKp0pvA5UUWWwLG4CI988tOZfy5a8nJ5xPnuI5AIioXsHvNjoseo7NjmhjKEhM2vKtfx9ilvfQ9BDTJDXkC9q-aCyTLwgaUEzl2QCDll7VIKYpaMhA5Y-hbf4IesB3XTVEJh9cBQ/s1600/01-home_327.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGTAmmSdrWyjCxuWTicthzzSAL5nTDkdcSq1q2N1h4jzBh0De_zpKkKp0pvA5UUWWwLG4CI988tOZfy5a8nJ5xPnuI5AIioXsHvNjoseo7NjmhjKEhM2vKtfx9ilvfQ9BDTJDXkC9q-aCyTLwgaUEzl2QCDll7VIKYpaMhA5Y-hbf4IesB3XTVEJh9cBQ/w400-h300/01-home_327.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Those tentacles could grab me just as easily as a Kord.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Now I need to find a way of dealing with the crystal tentacle creature that guards the rock cleft to the north. It's clearly dangerous, and I can't do very much with it with what I have. Finally, I go back to the village to see if I can do anything else there. I notice there are some more sculptures I haven't used. I pick up a large gem and go show it to the artist, who first seems afraid of it, and then shows me another story [10]:<br /><br /><blockquote>Two Kords are exploring a cliff face that is riddled with caves. They peer into many of the darkened caves, and eventually enter one that is half-hidden by great spikes of ice. </blockquote><blockquote>They slide through a long cavern. The light from the outside becomes dimmer as they progress. Just as it seems that they are going to turn back because of the darkness, they spot a red glimmer coming from the innermost depths of the cave. They press on and come upon a lit area.</blockquote><span><a name='more'></a></span>I found the caves, but I didn't check to see whether every single cave led to death after four steps!<br /><blockquote>The glow in the room comes from multiple veins of red crystal lining the walls. The crystal is studded with tiny gem-like projections.<br /><br />One of the explorers approaches the crystal, grows an appendage, and touches it. Instantly, the crystal attaches itself to the appendage. The Kord struggles, but cannot free itself.</blockquote><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA_Zipm181o5OnzND6S4zzGKqaAyIR8KeaYT-2s6OAhe737UyxH-tS3aiWQE3Qq9_3q7QkpZ9v9KD_0tWU6h0YzkXBVvv569JgTostxNlttw_hu9aiMUO-91mg0iXRYD9PuWdXnPGw1O1a2X4ngIPG9tg9clXMFdqVj0EtG8T91H1pa9EfMhpTNnDy4t8/s1600/02-home_342.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA_Zipm181o5OnzND6S4zzGKqaAyIR8KeaYT-2s6OAhe737UyxH-tS3aiWQE3Qq9_3q7QkpZ9v9KD_0tWU6h0YzkXBVvv569JgTostxNlttw_hu9aiMUO-91mg0iXRYD9PuWdXnPGw1O1a2X4ngIPG9tg9clXMFdqVj0EtG8T91H1pa9EfMhpTNnDy4t8/w400-h250/02-home_342.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>This is really creepy.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><blockquote>The crystal seems to come alive. The throbbing red glow becomes brighter, then the color begins to flow like blood into the Kord. After a while, the Kord stops struggling. It is now an extension of the red crystal life-form that lines the walls. A few moments pass, and then the lone Kord turns and leaves the cave.</blockquote><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_hLrtcPr70RNMIW9KaNPpMMSXxJPdSxtq30KUDlD7p-0Mv4rXrrXFcIqlDuQTsqRa_Halyw8N8SHb5Pi503NznMlknqHIfkZoSj97_Vq3f_wXYi3SRAHLYS8kVw_OPeWmZ1iUX9vkw5lNJI3RlpJGIHMf1PCHslgjnnK-9uC1ngXsM5oD-oC_6s45Vr0/s1600/03-home_347.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_hLrtcPr70RNMIW9KaNPpMMSXxJPdSxtq30KUDlD7p-0Mv4rXrrXFcIqlDuQTsqRa_Halyw8N8SHb5Pi503NznMlknqHIfkZoSj97_Vq3f_wXYi3SRAHLYS8kVw_OPeWmZ1iUX9vkw5lNJI3RlpJGIHMf1PCHslgjnnK-9uC1ngXsM5oD-oC_6s45Vr0/w400-h300/03-home_347.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Do I dare touch the red crystal Kord?</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>That could be a weapon against the other crystal creature! I hurry over to the cave to check it out. I reach the brink of death, make a leap of faith, as it were, and find the red glow just as promised. I have to travel several more steps north to arrive in the red crystal cave [10]. The crystal is embedded in the wall, except for where the Kord was assimilated, which extends into the room. I easily cut the Kord free with the crystal cutter [10] and take it with me [5]. Fortunately, the red crystal doesn't affect me; I suppose it only affects crystalline creatures.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5DHLiGypL2T39eGAW7RKCP-iwSblZdUTT0oWKRqZBFW30LIoYNl_CqXrRYcqxKzHYMqZftDa3IxDknU0APeqXAYvqcu9zCDM-VexKFKcTgKQfvBQyP4J38TBmcmD5S6P54onEwCcHgL7DPr8XfabLUuzIgBQhgXXy7FJTKR_Hsq4h2TAw-vtJ_4nF_f0/s1600/04-home_348.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5DHLiGypL2T39eGAW7RKCP-iwSblZdUTT0oWKRqZBFW30LIoYNl_CqXrRYcqxKzHYMqZftDa3IxDknU0APeqXAYvqcu9zCDM-VexKFKcTgKQfvBQyP4J38TBmcmD5S6P54onEwCcHgL7DPr8XfabLUuzIgBQhgXXy7FJTKR_Hsq4h2TAw-vtJ_4nF_f0/w400-h300/04-home_348.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>You know you want it, tentacle-thing!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsAUlc79AOlW726Lrp8TpjIDu4uSVTYOW8uVsBTMEUray8rkGgxB-XSiuD5eyGGgll0rWcGK8RopsuribrbW2ZhKVeIDnqGpD1Csnlj9vHGH3diXhosB7vk8ubLa1rWhFAVwQShO0cWga-m8xHxWap9qeaRIKYFzNw7aHedU4F0oJuCSW25rrbeVJ_iz4/s1600/05-home_350.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsAUlc79AOlW726Lrp8TpjIDu4uSVTYOW8uVsBTMEUray8rkGgxB-XSiuD5eyGGgll0rWcGK8RopsuribrbW2ZhKVeIDnqGpD1Csnlj9vHGH3diXhosB7vk8ubLa1rWhFAVwQShO0cWga-m8xHxWap9qeaRIKYFzNw7aHedU4F0oJuCSW25rrbeVJ_iz4/w400-h300/05-home_350.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Gotcha! No more eating Kords for you.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Again I'm automatically brought back to the entrance of the cavern when I leave the crystal cave. Next up: back to the rock cleft. I toss the red crystal Kord at the crystal monster [20] and wait to see what will happen. Although I meant to toss it into the water, I end up tossing it onto the path. It doesn't matter, though, because the monster detects it, grabs it with a tentacle, and begins to consume it. Big mistake! The red crystal entity takes over and converts the whole creature to more red crystal. The monster sinks to the bottom, dead. As I'm waiting for several turns, watching this play out, Kords wander up to see what's happening. They send thankful images at me and cross the bridge, able to freely pass for the first time.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwcmf8DeLbjVgozH_vuxhGlaAOlLD8-MObK-dSKGqvVtffqbPh8mlT7igo3Jw-SToVBYcDScEb_EQSp9Wz1co2TqDnQc407MbliCnS8MA63ScpD5VNc8_4oKezlaWrITgacWFZHWLVnXK3Cu3NVh__bw151wEmPWpRsGls4S3zln-kRIZtTBcrH-m-i4o/s1600/06-home_351.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwcmf8DeLbjVgozH_vuxhGlaAOlLD8-MObK-dSKGqvVtffqbPh8mlT7igo3Jw-SToVBYcDScEb_EQSp9Wz1co2TqDnQc407MbliCnS8MA63ScpD5VNc8_4oKezlaWrITgacWFZHWLVnXK3Cu3NVh__bw151wEmPWpRsGls4S3zln-kRIZtTBcrH-m-i4o/w400-h300/06-home_351.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>More stone than ice here.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Now I can go see what's up here. Just as in the vision, the worms, which the PC calls "diggles," crawl around and will create the white dust if I scrape a rock with the cutter. Kords are still in the area and will collect the dust, although they stay out of sight otherwise. I head north and find another area with more diggles and a number of lamprey-like winged creatures. One more step takes me to the edge of the cliff face, where a number of very old Heechee symbols have been carved into the rock and then covered with ice. They are hard to read through the ice, but they're also not recognizably numbers or anything useful.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSI1JwcD_exs-X7bsAZbcY4xD6MdcLYSwM0lo7lLzOYKQq0TqILXp1pUU_eU1tTEKstNJQHxbbbkn_cX6NzThxReqvwpMKj-kU6cR-S2b-Rz-BFBKbvDRdbx9ts05oRspxQ-a2jrD42vwCFLJEKF3HMYkWnDPi_kZkS4PllITb5wJXBRcPC6W7B5_JIJ0/s1600/07-home_352.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSI1JwcD_exs-X7bsAZbcY4xD6MdcLYSwM0lo7lLzOYKQq0TqILXp1pUU_eU1tTEKstNJQHxbbbkn_cX6NzThxReqvwpMKj-kU6cR-S2b-Rz-BFBKbvDRdbx9ts05oRspxQ-a2jrD42vwCFLJEKF3HMYkWnDPi_kZkS4PllITb5wJXBRcPC6W7B5_JIJ0/w400-h300/07-home_352.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Heechee symbols under the ice...</i></span><br style="text-align: start;" /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_LBQkznkCqonwrqvzdLe0R9Rb_R1WfCsyTqfb4juxjNKsfCKyDFVkuE4SfxhxZZrPmKRoLlNZGWO8yCLyvXWqTF2tWPpkZTgOX_jdx4nTHMnFH3bljwbSAN2qbDVFzloTp0dfHlAgVmMCEOQPrDDtyrsIe1eehJqTlpC-C-SaQvxZFWys7HKhHseUTjk/s1600/08-home_353.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_LBQkznkCqonwrqvzdLe0R9Rb_R1WfCsyTqfb4juxjNKsfCKyDFVkuE4SfxhxZZrPmKRoLlNZGWO8yCLyvXWqTF2tWPpkZTgOX_jdx4nTHMnFH3bljwbSAN2qbDVFzloTp0dfHlAgVmMCEOQPrDDtyrsIe1eehJqTlpC-C-SaQvxZFWys7HKhHseUTjk/w400-h300/08-home_353.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>...are partly destroyed by the tunneling diggle.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>I can partly clear the ice from the rock wall [10]. As before, a diggle approaches and starts boring into the wall. Briefly, I feel bad for causing defacement of ancient records, but since they're meaningless, what else can I do? After the diggle passes through, I find that it's broken a hole into an ancient excavated tunnel. It's very dark, so I carefully move forward, but I quickly reach an open hollow inside the mountain without incident.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXR33nQI8MiFiXKkIoZZlopIAxK2cWCmE6s1noXat5XFBZ6v2XhPb9Fyd0TIKHbTUQzNal_wt9jyvcBpTaJOO7DB3lkc_oqdUO9tAdRhygZpCJuPwmDXVKmWA_ee-bVjcOXUFEwsB77HpCUxY8ualpWICcR7H4J6rzqNlkVd22Y8vqnFaHmOmXr4QUpIk/s1600/09-home_355.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXR33nQI8MiFiXKkIoZZlopIAxK2cWCmE6s1noXat5XFBZ6v2XhPb9Fyd0TIKHbTUQzNal_wt9jyvcBpTaJOO7DB3lkc_oqdUO9tAdRhygZpCJuPwmDXVKmWA_ee-bVjcOXUFEwsB77HpCUxY8ualpWICcR7H4J6rzqNlkVd22Y8vqnFaHmOmXr4QUpIk/w400-h300/09-home_355.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Arriving at the Heechee outpost.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Here I find a Heechee outpost. The compass blinks, indicating that it has found its target. The escape pod found this place deliberately, as a rescue station, not just landed somewhere random. Too bad the place has been so long abandoned. Let's see if we can get inside. The building seems to have a number of solar reflectors, lighting the area but also attracting the lamprey creatures. The black wall of the structure is smooth except for a small triangular opening. Now I know why I needed to get the Heechee pod: I insert it into the opening, and a portal opens in the side of the building. The lampreys try to follow, but the portal closes behind me [10].<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9A0aKLRMHJpStQeM8g1m1LAFW7BDpVP7WJlwQ6GQItn7YrLgpKhecXeucJkuUTpoZf0XubmzT81_s_IMdu7aSU-kre1G8pTu7kPxE3_ZiQ6Y4BcmuzaFKNT_tMCBqZXVXr7aA8kOIK3SppN5M1-joh3TkqO52mfcWjfAKFkPcexWMPsTg28PtJ9GdIxk/s1600/10-home_357.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9A0aKLRMHJpStQeM8g1m1LAFW7BDpVP7WJlwQ6GQItn7YrLgpKhecXeucJkuUTpoZf0XubmzT81_s_IMdu7aSU-kre1G8pTu7kPxE3_ZiQ6Y4BcmuzaFKNT_tMCBqZXVXr7aA8kOIK3SppN5M1-joh3TkqO52mfcWjfAKFkPcexWMPsTg28PtJ9GdIxk/w400-h300/10-home_357.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Map of the facility, with incomprehensible symbols.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>The inside of the building is made of the distinctive blue Heechee metal. The southern wall behind me is solid (where did the door go?), while passageways lead off in the other three compass directions. A diagram of the facility seems to have been placed on the upper part of the wall above the doorway opposite me. The west exit appears to be a dead end, while the east passage leads to a dark machine room with some kind of remote control, which I take [5].<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcymUEwijS1qjNGuJqnhVxwdL88weThoJ2sEX1rI6Ho35rrGNSJ0hgyfHClTl1zSK9cooEpPMH78M_Xfh4WTqdl2ZZ5Fnovn7cnJfOW3nBIXEAxwt46td1CrScs-lXCkdzdd65y-yja74vPzBgp6VSUnKWP0n-yMCv8uTi-sB2o0jcOIAbChyphenhyphen4guStWos/s1600/11-home_359.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcymUEwijS1qjNGuJqnhVxwdL88weThoJ2sEX1rI6Ho35rrGNSJ0hgyfHClTl1zSK9cooEpPMH78M_Xfh4WTqdl2ZZ5Fnovn7cnJfOW3nBIXEAxwt46td1CrScs-lXCkdzdd65y-yja74vPzBgp6VSUnKWP0n-yMCv8uTi-sB2o0jcOIAbChyphenhyphen4guStWos/w400-h300/11-home_359.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Controlling the robot with the remote.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>When I use it, I discover that it lets me control a sort of maintenance robot. At first I can't get it to do anything, and then I realize that one button causes a nearby door to open. Then I can maneuver it out of its room, along the corridors I visited before, and into the machine room. It also has a grabber arm, but I don't immediately find a use for this ability.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXAL42185D10hsKPL6uljUOs5TX-arSnP6j0XDdQJi6eIY24oZVSvauAscaOaGm8PHoo2xu6GZ-7hf2mRCtwg93JU9h-lHtmcZ1mgT5bdYG0_kKQKKtFVFt4401EMgJCtb7fPjMI5k2tsbb9ynn-4Lb8j-ufgfYjsUnxydpyGwFywPl8UwfXbHiQmlax8/s1600/12-home_361.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXAL42185D10hsKPL6uljUOs5TX-arSnP6j0XDdQJi6eIY24oZVSvauAscaOaGm8PHoo2xu6GZ-7hf2mRCtwg93JU9h-lHtmcZ1mgT5bdYG0_kKQKKtFVFt4401EMgJCtb7fPjMI5k2tsbb9ynn-4Lb8j-ufgfYjsUnxydpyGwFywPl8UwfXbHiQmlax8/w400-h300/12-home_361.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Activating the power for the facility.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>I have the robot open a door in the machine room, allowing me to enter a very tall "secret chamber" with a large mysterious columnar device in the middle. The column has a metal plate with a four-fingered handprint melted into it. My hands aren't four-fingered Heechee hands, but I press my hand to the plate anyway to see if it will do anything. It does! The column flares with power and light that travels up the column [10]. After a pause, it travels down the column again, then the facility seems to wake up and start running, with machinery noises coming from the west.<br /><br />Now the machinery room is all lit up. One platform holds a yellow crystal under a transparent shield with beams of light. One wall of the room is displaying symbols in red. I'm not sure what to do with these yet, so I look around a bit more.<br /><br />The supply room where the robot was stored is otherwise empty and uninteresting. The third exit from the map room is more interesting, though, as it leads to a hangar containing a Heechee ship. This will probably be my ticket off this planet, if I can start it up. I poke my head into the cockpit and find that the controls are dead, except for a screen blinking a yellow symbol at me. It's the same symbol on the top of the map diagram, apparently. The screen is positioned above a small control box near the hatch with a slot near the bottom. Maybe this is like an ignition switch where I need to find a key to put in the slot to start up the ship?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRmmYBMYm_aLJmWB78g-52vPQCgcDfVDJghyi8DIw5uP2UB_NUo9BJroSjXupMyRePmtBo8cpxJE3S_a__c2V8ZXUsQSf_0DEltC9OFYgiqrfNO-MLs6HXgU1MAvwMCIeEeoU9khm1I2fpt0m8opSuUZznkrinM_nNHep440d-qisOGJnRiTn3u-g6CGw/s1600/13-home_364.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRmmYBMYm_aLJmWB78g-52vPQCgcDfVDJghyi8DIw5uP2UB_NUo9BJroSjXupMyRePmtBo8cpxJE3S_a__c2V8ZXUsQSf_0DEltC9OFYgiqrfNO-MLs6HXgU1MAvwMCIeEeoU9khm1I2fpt0m8opSuUZznkrinM_nNHep440d-qisOGJnRiTn3u-g6CGw/w400-h300/13-home_364.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Lampreys swarm the hangar room.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Another device with a yellow crystal and a transparent shield sits in the hangar. Also, a small access tunnel extends to the north. I'd better bring the robot in here to check that out, as I can't fit. I maneuver it from the machine room, through the map room and the hangar, and into the tunnel. Two steps to the north, I find what looks like a door with a hatch, or maybe a button. It's hard to tell in the red-tinted robot view. I try the robot's grabber arm and am surprised when that causes the roof of the hangar to open, allowing the many lampreys outside to swarm in [10]. Their presence drains the facility of power, dimming the lights. That seems problematic.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhatPVij1c_1YbqzQIofJAs_D7FAqT99q5Rvjq641clddnuM0Uv50d-sUkEsCqdXMlhb-oubkGxY7bLvdtQJ9d9qP5vmUMAl1VA2VVzrCSRZDidtx4iHm8jCHcZnEVTkfLhEXC38ASjMDmYte0k1LxGPv3xv1ElUBj5HrkLc_IAy1L9EUZl402HW31DAM0/s1600/14-home_366.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhatPVij1c_1YbqzQIofJAs_D7FAqT99q5Rvjq641clddnuM0Uv50d-sUkEsCqdXMlhb-oubkGxY7bLvdtQJ9d9qP5vmUMAl1VA2VVzrCSRZDidtx4iHm8jCHcZnEVTkfLhEXC38ASjMDmYte0k1LxGPv3xv1ElUBj5HrkLc_IAy1L9EUZl402HW31DAM0/w400-h300/14-home_366.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Orange symbols - each color has a different pattern.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>I wander back to the machine room and notice when I step in that the symbols are green, and then turn orange. They were red earlier, with one notch on the meter below the screen. At orange, the meter displays four notches. I also notice that the yellow crystal is severely cracked and making noise, which keeps the lampreys away. I keep waiting for a few minutes to see all the colors; purple has six notches; green has five notches; yellow has two; blue has three. So we have a sort of color hierarchy or sequence: red -> yellow -> blue -> orange -> green -> purple, with a different set of shapes shown on the screen for each color.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKGbKF7MIQQwD9Qy_-gNwC_a1HbIGchhmv4SGDQ8z2jPG5GXcmKJxDD-tlf6FFtYcDDwO4dTSLDqE1KXzICjVsVV1WFRBElf9IYmn8A92edZgkBF1o7N45nWmxIKkww3mXl56LO86aykAPgd7MVmP16JUIBkC8pttJaHnz_bIjTBcXxqRpSsnbKW1CUAk/s1600/15-home_370.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKGbKF7MIQQwD9Qy_-gNwC_a1HbIGchhmv4SGDQ8z2jPG5GXcmKJxDD-tlf6FFtYcDDwO4dTSLDqE1KXzICjVsVV1WFRBElf9IYmn8A92edZgkBF1o7N45nWmxIKkww3mXl56LO86aykAPgd7MVmP16JUIBkC8pttJaHnz_bIjTBcXxqRpSsnbKW1CUAk/w400-h300/15-home_370.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Breaking the crystal to drive the lampreys away.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Not knowing what to do about the crystals, I next fiddle with my inventory for a while and find that if I hit the tuning fork, the crystal vibrates but doesn't crack any further. If I hit it in the hangar with the other crystal, that crystal vibrates and cracks and starts rattling like the other one, which drives the lampreys away again [25]. Oops? But I did get points for it, so I guess it was the right thing to do. I'm sure we don't want lampreys around when we're trying to launch the ship, if they eat power. But we had to open the hangar so that we can get the ship out.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhG0TF_IPaHjSPJNFv7hIhwbYgJQtDzKQ8EwvRcuEPykxn09M3_Gtrcd3efCB3vwVm3m8lBxOvgRx8vYuNMriIWsoha7er5ex46SN1sE-rIb6P2UN7rV1eXEqwbKF3DVPDk9NLbOaWe3fvWdB_VU0MoVKW1rZZulVP3o86T8S1EavLOsp1Gup9hn3ghYk/s1600/16-home_373.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhG0TF_IPaHjSPJNFv7hIhwbYgJQtDzKQ8EwvRcuEPykxn09M3_Gtrcd3efCB3vwVm3m8lBxOvgRx8vYuNMriIWsoha7er5ex46SN1sE-rIb6P2UN7rV1eXEqwbKF3DVPDk9NLbOaWe3fvWdB_VU0MoVKW1rZZulVP3o86T8S1EavLOsp1Gup9hn3ghYk/w400-h300/16-home_373.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Finally we can leave this iceball!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>I also discover that the screen inside the ship is no longer displaying the yellow symbol; instead, the panel is open, with six buttons corresponding to the colors displayed in the machine room. I've left the robot there, so I use the control module to see what color is being displayed currently.<br /><br />The robot only sees in shades of red, but the shapes on the screen tell me what color is being displayed. By the way, this makes this puzzle very colorblind-friendly, because it doesn't depend on identifying the color itself. The text always tells you what color is being displayed when you're in the room observing the screen directly. You don't have to know what "orange" looks like to type "press orange" when you know that the "orange" pattern is being shown.<br /><br />Since the pattern is orange, I press the orange button, and that's all it takes for the ship to lift off [50].<br /><br />Now we launch into a very long cut-scene, possibly the longest in the game for total non-interactive time.<br /><blockquote>The ship tears away from the small frozen world. Soon, the planet is only a glowing coin far behind you. As the ship exits the planet's gravitational pull, the faster-than-light drive kicks in. Stars blur and you are catapulted into dark space.</blockquote>Here we get an animation of the ship entering Tau space and traveling against a starry background.<br /><blockquote>You'd heard that some Heechee ships were targeted to orbit black holes - the Heechee seemed to have a fascination for them - but you never expected to emerge from Tau space right next to one! Your surprise turns to panic when your ship sails straight for the center of the swirling maelstrom!</blockquote><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwg7zx8nnt6YSvHzav1cRE4NwxdXPHyDtYWsJH9ScHmGaf1DkNUdes_47rzSvXzy1UwH3PKFdCP-KwIfgaRYNh3GTPUy_bcWugIw7K_b1TRMVXGrrPnQ0TKTEPngJ1Eif8hnu837rIzkHsPDLPjvi6811SDKNEH5rYeZ979es0iLgFUcKbrpjgL2GXoV4/s1600/17-home_377.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwg7zx8nnt6YSvHzav1cRE4NwxdXPHyDtYWsJH9ScHmGaf1DkNUdes_47rzSvXzy1UwH3PKFdCP-KwIfgaRYNh3GTPUy_bcWugIw7K_b1TRMVXGrrPnQ0TKTEPngJ1Eif8hnu837rIzkHsPDLPjvi6811SDKNEH5rYeZ979es0iLgFUcKbrpjgL2GXoV4/w400-h250/17-home_377.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Technomagic allows us to enter a black hole!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><blockquote>The ship begins to shake. Unseen forces pull at the walls, and the seams start to buckle. You fear that any second, the ship will crumple and entomb you in a coffin of Heechee metal. Then suddenly, the shaking stops. You notice a small coil starting to glow - the same seemingly insignificant coil that Earth scientists have puzzled over for decades. As the glow becomes stronger, the ship stabilizes. The black hole opens its maw, and the ship slips easily inside.</blockquote><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn3kuB1NKDbfze-qvfna5msz2nVYg_tjuQoSvC06dMwxys7zHLCTOVUvqVgtHEhyphenhyphenW8d8XII6FqY6QLREG1gvPhWDK3MkX6VjgAfHHWgXfgyszVC_yqUj9kOGnev_dJiVo-FRgEouaIyjA-QCtciufDwRjTIWQG2l8ZojFSIK-W2JYXqJPCvADEP7Cqm-Q/s1600/18-home_378.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn3kuB1NKDbfze-qvfna5msz2nVYg_tjuQoSvC06dMwxys7zHLCTOVUvqVgtHEhyphenhyphenW8d8XII6FqY6QLREG1gvPhWDK3MkX6VjgAfHHWgXfgyszVC_yqUj9kOGnev_dJiVo-FRgEouaIyjA-QCtciufDwRjTIWQG2l8ZojFSIK-W2JYXqJPCvADEP7Cqm-Q/w400-h250/18-home_378.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>This is an utterly nonsensical and yet beautiful illustration.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><blockquote>As you leave the event horizon behind you and come out into the core of the black hole, the space in front of your ship is ablaze with light. Puzzled, you stare through the viewscreen until you realize that the light is coming from thousands of stars INSIDE the Core!</blockquote><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPUQsiHBXs0jBqPDiEvMpzv577CaLduEzaD_cMd6qPmln1MdqjbsWECEKL6Z4wZqKn6TSC9KHtoH3C3quWBJDOcrk-ODsNwRp4KiB9Wbzo9bsYs8sM6DfMXvj3Erhaq-wuqowcEiiqA9-J168VgxHvFhknKX-sqpwfbNP2nJIGAVW4raMA2nwNH9gm9oo/s1600/19-home_380.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPUQsiHBXs0jBqPDiEvMpzv577CaLduEzaD_cMd6qPmln1MdqjbsWECEKL6Z4wZqKn6TSC9KHtoH3C3quWBJDOcrk-ODsNwRp4KiB9Wbzo9bsYs8sM6DfMXvj3Erhaq-wuqowcEiiqA9-J168VgxHvFhknKX-sqpwfbNP2nJIGAVW4raMA2nwNH9gm9oo/w400-h250/19-home_380.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>A distant view of a Heechee city, a view that we only get to appreciate very briefly.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><blockquote>Before you can collect your thoughts, the ship dives into an entry path towards a nearby planet. The atmosphere buffets the ship for a few moments, then the ride smooths out as you sail over an alien city - not an ancient, dead city of decayed ruins, but a city full of light and motion - a city that is unmistakably Heechee! </blockquote><blockquote>The ship drops into a long, vertical tunnel and touches down as soft as a feather. You take a deep breath and go to open the hatch, but before you get there, it pops open and an alien creature steps into the cockpit.</blockquote><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZ1FBEL0ZC9582U1r0m2l-6C-Wvv-tQOLoCkP_JJltfdaeF6iy-MCjiq7Nm9O2vNRA5HJAZJtwZYyf5fJ62q6lGp_3t7_wa8bAgQWrGG7S_634wTOfZXwGxVKYSkp0zCCbgFNI3GxC0o4LCOyqaju7GT9H1u-2xHVKig_i-oXUlGuOlx26JuyV0bB8sw/s1600/20-home_382.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZ1FBEL0ZC9582U1r0m2l-6C-Wvv-tQOLoCkP_JJltfdaeF6iy-MCjiq7Nm9O2vNRA5HJAZJtwZYyf5fJ62q6lGp_3t7_wa8bAgQWrGG7S_634wTOfZXwGxVKYSkp0zCCbgFNI3GxC0o4LCOyqaju7GT9H1u-2xHVKig_i-oXUlGuOlx26JuyV0bB8sw/w400-h300/20-home_382.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Our first glimpse of a live Heechee!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><blockquote>Although the creature is amazingly similar to humans, at first all you notice are the differences. The alien is hairless. A tan hide is stretched taut over ropey muscles and bone. The eyes are large and contain pupils shaped like plus signs. He has no ears to speak of, and his nose isn't much more than two slits. His forehead is oversized and imposing. You look down and see that his thin legs are set very far apart on his pelvis, and between them hangs a tan pyramid shaped pod! Without a doubt, you have met your first live Heechee!<br /><br />The Heechee makes a few quick noises - nothing like any language you've ever heard. When you don't respond, he makes a series of incomprehensible gestures. All you can do is stand and stare. Eventually, he tires of trying to communicate with you and he gives you a gentle shove towards the hatch.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA96mBTDPFkYMNI491XwV42SWX7CTT3WXWfcLZETN8gvI84VZNcJ37qm1ft5cnUUo9jdyYm708B247PM4fRmYc46rajtoyNSfQBY6OSW6vcbmfc7AUblipt2DY0OEV3e-eMt7iB9ZVAtp6t_UCFhm7rKjqSW-o13vTISm0bqad3XYt1et7W07zO78vopM/s1600/21-home_384.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA96mBTDPFkYMNI491XwV42SWX7CTT3WXWfcLZETN8gvI84VZNcJ37qm1ft5cnUUo9jdyYm708B247PM4fRmYc46rajtoyNSfQBY6OSW6vcbmfc7AUblipt2DY0OEV3e-eMt7iB9ZVAtp6t_UCFhm7rKjqSW-o13vTISm0bqad3XYt1et7W07zO78vopM/w400-h300/21-home_384.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>This sort of couch should look familiar from the first game.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></blockquote><blockquote>You climb out the hatch and down the ladder. A crowd of Heechee have surrounded the ship. They press toward you, gawking and staring and chattering in their strange language. Your companion follows you out of the ship and pushes his way through the mob, indicating that you should follow. He leads you into a building, and then to a quiet, sterile room with a couch in the center. </blockquote><blockquote>He motions for you to lie on the couch. The items you carry are all taken away. Something cold is attached to your head, and then things get blurry. It feels as if information is being sucked out of your brain. Time passes. Then a painful stream of knowledge suddenly comes screaming into your mind. </blockquote><blockquote>You lose track of time as this cycle is repeated over and over. </blockquote><blockquote>After what seems like hours, the cycle stops. Your Heechee friend is there, and when he speaks to you, you are amazed to find that you understand him. "Please rest here. The High Council is discussing the information you bring. You will be taken to them when they are ready for you." He contorts his face into a grotesque expression and leaves, closing the door behind him.</blockquote><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD2gzUa3DIV5h6qHuxOCD7Q6yM0XFHDMoEdsov_0AvGPCl2ANcrRLBKnnhggQSxeZ7W27CgShM4lZsStbMM1SSS5zcjV5SoRc-lg4shK-5lcyxMh4hWHHo-qEqmgJBNGTN60IU75y6jQpEvjZYP5nb_vtc0yiDw_19Futl1hXjcRJ6PUJEmdkEcOOZVI4/s1600/22-home_387.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD2gzUa3DIV5h6qHuxOCD7Q6yM0XFHDMoEdsov_0AvGPCl2ANcrRLBKnnhggQSxeZ7W27CgShM4lZsStbMM1SSS5zcjV5SoRc-lg4shK-5lcyxMh4hWHHo-qEqmgJBNGTN60IU75y6jQpEvjZYP5nb_vtc0yiDw_19Futl1hXjcRJ6PUJEmdkEcOOZVI4/w400-h250/22-home_387.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>The Heechee Council room, with some kind of digitally projected Heechee ancestor.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><blockquote>Within the hour, he returns and escorts you into an imposing room. Other Heechee sit in tall chairs around you, and in one of them you see a huge glaring disembodied head. Your escort leaves, and you feel very much alone.<br /><br />The creature directly in front of you speaks. "Welcome, human. My name is Phthisis. I am First Seat of the Council." He gestures to the disembodied head and says, "To my right is Fogram, representative of the Ancient Ancestors and advisor to this Council." The head continues to glare at you.</blockquote>I'm going to summarize the rest of the Council discussion, because there are only tiny variations in the images as the Heechee argue, so screenshots would be mostly pointless, and it spans at least a dozen more paragraphs, making this part of the game feel just as interminable as this sort of meeting actually might be.<br /><br />Phthisis, the First Seat, has introduced Fogram, the projected head, and then introduces Convergence, the Second Seat. Phthisis has to be the diplomat between Fogram and Convergence. Fogram immediately sees our presence as a threat now that we know where the Heechee have been hiding from the Assassins all these millennia. Convergence is much more sympathetic. Unfortunately Phthisis announces right off the bat that yes, Fogram's right, we really can't leave, due to the potential for leaking the knowledge of where the Heechee are to the Assassins.<br /><br />The question at hand is only what will become of us. Are we a prisoner, or can we learn to be a part of Heechee society? Fogram thinks we'll cause riots if we start talking to people about how the Heechee are forcing us to stay, allowing our whole race to probably fall to the Assassins. Convergence thinks that they can't just imprison the first representative of another sentient race to encounter the Heechee. The question goes to a vote in the Council, and while the result is close, they decide that we can be a lecturer as long as we say nothing of the Assassins or Earth's situation involving them.<br /><br />Convergence kindly takes us back to the ship and sends us off to our new quarters, warning us that the device allowing travel through the black hole has been disabled. The third quarter of the game ends on a despairing note as we go to sleep while remembering that the Council said, "Never again will you leave the Core."<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJXQ7D_1EfnKDSPxAoNlMyjleGVDyZdPdX_SNl3gFvw3hKej7-XZlApjXWR0-QSK5UEdpRRXZcACvyEw5AcbBUx886bOnXpZmjMMageVGTkpOMsZ6p2Xj67xQaxe5ygTXr-JD16ctxHpV_OJ2T_mBrY6jld9Pj3APdHMF4kzobXaQadvhHmABSK1ZWKhs/s1600/23-home_406.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJXQ7D_1EfnKDSPxAoNlMyjleGVDyZdPdX_SNl3gFvw3hKej7-XZlApjXWR0-QSK5UEdpRRXZcACvyEw5AcbBUx886bOnXpZmjMMageVGTkpOMsZ6p2Xj67xQaxe5ygTXr-JD16ctxHpV_OJ2T_mBrY6jld9Pj3APdHMF4kzobXaQadvhHmABSK1ZWKhs/w400-h300/23-home_406.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Our home away from home, possibly permanently.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Next time we'll start our new job as a lecturer to the Heechee, explore the city a little, and try to get to know Convergence a bit more, while contemplating our existential crisis resulting from being stranded in a literally alien culture permanently. At least they gave us the language.<br /><br /><b>Score</b>: 1000<br /><b>Deaths</b>: 21<br /><br /><b>Inventory</b>: Heechee pod (wearing: blue coverall)<br /><br /><b>Session Time:</b> 2 hours<br /><b>Total Time:</b> 14 hours<br /><br /><b>Note Regarding Spoilers and Companion Assist Points:</b> There’s a set of rules regarding spoilers and companion assist points. Please read it <a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/p/rookie-companion.html">here</a> 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!Ilmari Jauhiainenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01655841880034965950noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-69301616235590994432023-12-07T00:00:00.083+11:002023-12-07T03:51:31.578+11:00Missed Classic: Urotsukidoji (うろつき童子) - The Wanderer<p> By Morpheus Kitami</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYKllM04r5BocdRwjfnYWvexQT_uK2FqCgth-o8SBX16z5xX8uY1uYOyZl23W2waswBCrZYUTPtBPw1lqKVLstvVCQ-oy8xm8UgKGKNRlMgl2uuZXjW3wIwXh756Zjx2QLXK7xLi9XLYY68jOmrfQqfckpDd6hLYY-n8havdVWIHsqbz95jEG-3gbYdNE/s768/urotsuki_2_1.bmp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYKllM04r5BocdRwjfnYWvexQT_uK2FqCgth-o8SBX16z5xX8uY1uYOyZl23W2waswBCrZYUTPtBPw1lqKVLstvVCQ-oy8xm8UgKGKNRlMgl2uuZXjW3wIwXh756Zjx2QLXK7xLi9XLYY68jOmrfQqfckpDd6hLYY-n8havdVWIHsqbz95jEG-3gbYdNE/w400-h266/urotsuki_2_1.bmp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>The diamond patterns on the wall are certainly weird-looking.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>To the gynasium, where the movie began and where a basketball game is happening. I should be able to find Nogumu and Ozaki (the basketball player) here. One of which is dunking basketballs and the other is pulling Leisure Suit Larry stuff, I'll leave the question of which one is which to the player. The music track here's weird, something that sounds like a midi adaptation of an anime theme which is an adaptation of an ancient folk song. After looking around a bit, Jaku can play basketball for a bit to be able to talk to Ozaki.</p><p>If I'm reading it right, Jaku is not a great basketball player and Ozaki pulls him aside. Actually, talk is a strong word, because the only option I'm given is to smell him. Jaku thinks that this is the Chojin. It's looking at him that starts the conversation, in which Jaku asks what he knows about the new religion. Ozaki's heard it since he transferred schools, and it's quite tedious. There's not actually a lot for our conversation to be about. I move away...<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtNCDdIJuNeMrfoCCb8qSDugjJTo9VY44WzvISdkaVqqiBelGDgNwm5ULJSHzM9VHL-IqLjfa01THcGf53xvrwD7GkuWWlWZQOtlI_hMP8IqW7nj4J4KHtZXr2GRkPZYzRRZVbWhCxcMKN3D-JFFNk1mdbwTOL6v8EnnkAaAjerGv6OZjCfcPr8UBOinw/s768/urotsuki_2_2.bmp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtNCDdIJuNeMrfoCCb8qSDugjJTo9VY44WzvISdkaVqqiBelGDgNwm5ULJSHzM9VHL-IqLjfa01THcGf53xvrwD7GkuWWlWZQOtlI_hMP8IqW7nj4J4KHtZXr2GRkPZYzRRZVbWhCxcMKN3D-JFFNk1mdbwTOL6v8EnnkAaAjerGv6OZjCfcPr8UBOinw/w400-h266/urotsuki_2_2.bmp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>These two women don't even look like they're from the same game</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>...only for these two ladies to jump scare me, complete with aggressive music. "Gaudy" women, to quote Jaku. Is it really possible to be gaudy in an anime? If I see a woman walking down the street with pink hair in real life, she's probably not playing with a full deck, in an anime she's the quiet girl. Though here, she isn't playing with a full deck either, because normal people don't wonder why a "pleb" is walking near them. The game gives a name for her that could be any one of a dozen names. "Stand watch for insects like this", I see the game is throwing out the old horror reliable of making the eventual victim as unpleasant as possible so their death gets a standing ovation. I mean an actual one, not a metaphor for something else.</p><p>Meanwhile, smart Jaku here asks Japanese mean girls what they know about the Chojin. Wow, I am playing as a complete idiot. She calls him a sleepy head for not knowing about it. Okay, Japanese mean girls who are cultists. (I should start asking people to predict plot elements of these games, I've been looking at Japanese media for years and still these things get out one to left field) She just blathers on and on, finally ending with something about the cafeteria. I just want to get away from her. Yeugh.</p><p>Right, to the room I was trying to get to, and it's the girl's locker room, where I will no doubt find Nogumu after having used the unzip action on himself. I love how every time Jaku speaks, one of the on-screen characters lips move. Nothing but class here. Doesn't seem like anything else for that matter. Time to visit the tennis court.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiDeMpp-rV5MbopxXlCoby5ZRa1UAkGqZy601krQEdMrVkLhCW05EAOONgJbZqmfX6HQWBE67IefeAqU3383WmUhZC3CVY4CBG022nWDHFcrrK9D37UlfClpcyS4lHXDVs8_9kJnFhLbLkWBjfE9z_URXsVKQFKLZ7PvkyHeODzBgN8ldeiZKGhB9mRRE/s768/urotsuki_2_3.bmp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiDeMpp-rV5MbopxXlCoby5ZRa1UAkGqZy601krQEdMrVkLhCW05EAOONgJbZqmfX6HQWBE67IefeAqU3383WmUhZC3CVY4CBG022nWDHFcrrK9D37UlfClpcyS4lHXDVs8_9kJnFhLbLkWBjfE9z_URXsVKQFKLZ7PvkyHeODzBgN8ldeiZKGhB9mRRE/w400-h266/urotsuki_2_3.bmp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>"What kind of image will we try to make in our heavily dithered game? I know, something that's supposed to be transparent."</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Well, I'll give this image one thing, the trees and clouds look nice. I hope it's not just me who thinks this game looks really visually busy. I'd try some kind of filter if my emulator allowed it, since I'd think even purists about this sort of thing would forgive me for wanting to rest my weary eyes from this dithering hell.</p><p>Curiously, I get the option to give/hand over something here, well, the word means many things, but in this case whatever it means is irrelevant to this conversation. Looking around and the Jaku really likes looking at the pretty tennis instructor. Guess I better talk to her. Jaku calls her over in such a way that causes her to respond with "too familiar". Damn, I didn't expect to see Jaku get skewered, I thought that was reserved for the ladies. He asks her about someone he's looking for, and apparently that person already left. Good. Well, I can't do anything else around here then.</p><p>What's left? Shower room? Ah, another room I can't show you. So I can't show you one woman whose chin looks like she has a giant zit on it. This room is useless, guess I probably should have done what the game told me and returned to the school. Ignoring the underclassmen at first...Classroom 3-C is where Akemi was, curiously the music goes funny, changing to a music track I heard earlier, except now there's some kind of ringing in the background. Weird. I can ask her about five people, including the Chojin. I have no idea who these people are. She mostly just tells me their location, tennis court again. But I was told they were here. What, does this game have some kind of fancy real-time movement system? I can believe it, nearly every Japanese-exclusive game I've played seems designed to test the player's patience.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikdMTz-qKGLvxbFxYhL460C-yUYoYNZmMXLQGFH_9ZdvFXht12V1S5Ekm0gC2MMiX5VIuS6TJ2Nc-KR10aGqPQIl0ibYJNAT-2Do680zJ6XNF8OWWUsUkbMyTyEk75vO8BUZgNs3vF8_qr3vHpYqFW_6L4wcD_1Fiy5YcIwxjUIlXTz6FwufunpODuw64/s768/urotsuki_2_4.bmp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikdMTz-qKGLvxbFxYhL460C-yUYoYNZmMXLQGFH_9ZdvFXht12V1S5Ekm0gC2MMiX5VIuS6TJ2Nc-KR10aGqPQIl0ibYJNAT-2Do680zJ6XNF8OWWUsUkbMyTyEk75vO8BUZgNs3vF8_qr3vHpYqFW_6L4wcD_1Fiy5YcIwxjUIlXTz6FwufunpODuw64/w400-h266/urotsuki_2_4.bmp" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>Why, who's this? Is this Nagumo? I love how every name in this game leaves me scrambling to figure out what the hell is going on. I practically don't remember these names as names, just the faces and general concepts. It's Suspenders McHaircutPlease. (this might as well be his name, the game doesn't tell me anything beyond boy student) I can ask him about the same people I didn't get much out of Akemi for. Oh, good, numerous blocks of four kanji at a time, my favorite. You can tell this game is for adults, they use the big words. It'd be like if I wrote this like I was writing a dithyrambus about the Aphthartodocetaes in diezeugmenon.</p><p>I go back to the tennis court. Nothing new to my eye. Oh, christ, am I just going around in this game spamming dialog hoping something new happens? El despertando may end up being right that this game isn't halfway decent, but less because it's vile and more because it's unbelievably boring and tedious. Right, game sound off, metal music on. Not a complaint against the music as much as an observation that the soundtrack really doesn't fit spending hours spamming every possible dialog option. I listened to Lord Vigo - We Shall Overcome, good album, not very fitting to this game. I'll leave it as an exercise to the reader if this is supposed to be a pun or not.</p><p>So I go around the entire area twice. Nothing has changed. Crap. What the heck am I missing? Third time, nothing. I'm not missing anything, I'm hammering every action I can until it's exhausted. One of two things is happening, the game has put me in an unwinnable situation by accident. Not impossible, but is it really going to be a thing with Japanese adventure games that they're designed so that picking a seemingly innocent option prevents you from winning? Say what you will about western adventure games, but nobody has ever complained about a game becoming unwinnable if you pick the wrong dialog option. It might exist, but its presence is so small as to be ignorable. No game has frustrated me as much as these two Japanese titles have.</p><p>Well, if I figure out where I went wrong, I can figure out what I might need to do. Akemi, or pink-haired sidebuns, has four people I can ask her about. Kanzawa, some lady I'm just going to call Kumiko, Ozaki and let's say Sakaneta. I think Kumiko is the Japanese mean girl, but I've definitely seen her name elsewhere. So we're two out of four...probably. Sakaneto should be at the tennis court, but the instructor says he returned home. That leaves Kanzawa, who I guess should show up at the basketball court, but never does. Akemi doesn't know, so let's try Suspenders McHaircut.</p><p>Damn it, he had a bunch of dialog I missed. Turns out that when asking him about Ozaki, he talks about a "foot of the mountain person", which is either an actual name or the antagonist in a '70s horror film. It seems to be a reference to his own dating luck, and that he's asking for a date with a pretty lady for information. Do I really have to do this? Can't I just follow these people from the rooftops? This is like making a Superman adventure game where you act out some really mundane scene from a Jimmy Olson comic. I'm not too annoyed, because at least we found the plot.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia8M9GeTEQZyieshdmvnByW9Gg9wdas1vQw7PE1pwFJNrDTkLC7wkH6OrwQjSUcr15UTIQyG6DHM7BNUP42HV6qYoctixWZjwVo9M9Om5Ewgp_D-obE5P_cuXTmHL8PrxGW5Mk583SADoJk-RsqaV0EX1gTer863zktJQJRTsHorB7LVNC8ffKMcEjsr4/s768/urotsuki_2_5.bmp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia8M9GeTEQZyieshdmvnByW9Gg9wdas1vQw7PE1pwFJNrDTkLC7wkH6OrwQjSUcr15UTIQyG6DHM7BNUP42HV6qYoctixWZjwVo9M9Om5Ewgp_D-obE5P_cuXTmHL8PrxGW5Mk583SADoJk-RsqaV0EX1gTer863zktJQJRTsHorB7LVNC8ffKMcEjsr4/w400-h266/urotsuki_2_5.bmp" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>After wandering around three more times, I try to reenter the classroom Suspenders McHaircut was it. The scene has changed. Listening in, Jaku can hear a woman telling another woman to stop it. Seeing as Jaku is the hero, I bust in. I can't show you what's behind the door, but it involves four women, rope, a leek and a poster of Lupin III. One of them is in pretty bad shape and I have to save her. There's something to be said about how lame an "action" scene is in this game. Oh, god no, the game is giving me speak and listen at the same time. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Actually, Jaku just talks her down...somehow.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSVIbrGfNRTrj71DmI0JTjqBFIpEzCXB7Ks-8sfa1zs9BX3npR5J7nZFZoj4zg5ODR7_ECDrsRajCNaOEUE75RUHVuKTYk3Bjrjzdg518pnkA7w_6T1jiwQCQb1IAKwUKdqALbz_tnXMt_FPcJ_bYUeRSgc_zXQ0SLaJGvgMDM5PfFlvFnUHIDIRe9pVo/s768/urotsuki_2_6.bmp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSVIbrGfNRTrj71DmI0JTjqBFIpEzCXB7Ks-8sfa1zs9BX3npR5J7nZFZoj4zg5ODR7_ECDrsRajCNaOEUE75RUHVuKTYk3Bjrjzdg518pnkA7w_6T1jiwQCQb1IAKwUKdqALbz_tnXMt_FPcJ_bYUeRSgc_zXQ0SLaJGvgMDM5PfFlvFnUHIDIRe9pVo/w400-h266/urotsuki_2_6.bmp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>I didn't notice this in-game, but apparently her eye is twitching left and right. Solid design work.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Now we get...uh...what the hell is up with her hair? Hitomi is her name, and the conversation more or less centers around her being all right, finding out what the deal with the trio who beat her with a leek. (who may or may not be, makai, and/or the Japanese mean girls from earlier) This seems to coincidence with an event in the movie in which Jaku saves the heroine of the movie from a demon dressed up as a nurse, but this could just be me reaching.</p><p>She goes off, and what happens, but Dancis Frake and The Phantom pop up and begin swordfighting. You think I'm making that up? It couldn't possibly be just another hour of wandering around the school trying to trigger an event, could it?</p><p>It is. Hey, at least Suspenders isn't in 3-B anymore. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do with that information, considering I've gone around the entire school again. Was the game itself made in five days or something? It sounds like I'm messing it up, but there's no info I've missed and no locations I've missed. Ah, right, guess I better search for a walkthrough. The site I used <i>Gram Cats</i> for doesn't have one, I know I searched there, and let's do a general search and SON OF A BITCH! THEY HAD ONE THE ENTIRE TIME!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMZMXBEp1lWx1yWXFn8ZlEbU5AUDkjRti9xAI0NKsKqPgDz3mL31TVNRuV2JupIauN8gm6idbCl7miGz2wu9kpB2wlzwIKe1IksyI_PtkArQ2zx0XDqrZ7KX2zEbBxsFfNCk7KNTpvjYN0wZvbAF8sYUw5eb4KjA8xoxbSs9LM0rHTe3wTG60KXw7vXLY/s768/urotsuki_2_7.bmp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMZMXBEp1lWx1yWXFn8ZlEbU5AUDkjRti9xAI0NKsKqPgDz3mL31TVNRuV2JupIauN8gm6idbCl7miGz2wu9kpB2wlzwIKe1IksyI_PtkArQ2zx0XDqrZ7KX2zEbBxsFfNCk7KNTpvjYN0wZvbAF8sYUw5eb4KjA8xoxbSs9LM0rHTe3wTG60KXw7vXLY/w400-h266/urotsuki_2_7.bmp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>Imagine being incredibly frustrated at having to play this game for hours only to advance and see this crap.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Ahem. Apparently what I missed was that I wasn't talking to the lady in 3-A enough. That gets me tiny head dude, or dark man. Tall, dark and handsome. One of these things might be right. He apparently knows Jaku, but Jaku can't say the same, basically calling him a bastard. He replies about how cruel Jaku is, and how could he forgot the person in the seat next to him, Nagumo. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, wow, the game is serious, isn't it? He seems to be asking Jaku to help him get with Akemi. Jaku says she would consider him an insect and beneath her notice. Guess that tracks with the anime, but here it seems contradictory with how helpful she is.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIF1jhwlqHgHBv1tR7geZGcps0oMk7FukcAPMAlPCCygnmKU09ipxFaBUDdgc9Bmaeaf5V_gB1_Xq2CAn2503KbW0F1k-bKY_9eeKbSLRm3hC5pbFAqmsaWG39WKrsXA0xaUNTw_T8AU5IyKVfyNM52BE_cDYytSUdqGTYwYOIUa8FjVKS9zjvxcjhrmE/s768/urotsuki_2_8.bmp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIF1jhwlqHgHBv1tR7geZGcps0oMk7FukcAPMAlPCCygnmKU09ipxFaBUDdgc9Bmaeaf5V_gB1_Xq2CAn2503KbW0F1k-bKY_9eeKbSLRm3hC5pbFAqmsaWG39WKrsXA0xaUNTw_T8AU5IyKVfyNM52BE_cDYytSUdqGTYwYOIUa8FjVKS9zjvxcjhrmE/w400-h266/urotsuki_2_8.bmp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>What even are these images?</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>And then uh...Sanjou Sensei shows up. I don't know who that is. The music changes, before we were talking under the general school music, which is absolutely perfect for a mysterious strange, now it's the intriguing person dialog. She asks what we're doing, Jaku says they're great friends and will study together. Jaku makes something up about them being in elementary school together...and the conversation gets stuck in a loop. Talking to either just loops. I can't leave, so I look at Sanjou. She's in the prime of her youth 24, and teaches English because she studied abroad. I look again, and wait, why has the music changed again, to something aggressive? She's different...she's strong? Crap, the action sequences are almost as boring as the rest of the game. Hmm, I shall ponder the meaning of this as everyone stares at one another awkwardly.</p><p>After looking at her a few times, Jaku can smell her. Her perfume masks anything, but she smells faintly of being human. She tells Nogumo and Jaku to buzz off, she and Nogumo do so. Then the music gets really aggressive. Yeah, that's the time to break out the super aggressive stuff, when nothing is happening. Now I'm supposed to track her down. That much is obvious, but I resort to the walkthrough here because I'm not particularly interested in starring in another episode of "Morpheus wanders around a game for no reason". I go to the tennis instructor, who has no information about this, then the gym and gym locker room...so I can see Ozaki and some random girl going to a British dollar store. Then I can go back into the school.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMjMbm9NP09J_7W8r7sLkZ2kbFjAWXpUXFCVkWBe2hmBFNIYJfu4sGw9WvDXgbH-HUPiQ9IXnCdtpGW_01H-J5OMslx3p6QcCfXJfjQZpKmW8AOicy-WQjKwH70JVUUnKZ7J0cpa6Ng-LqRe3XrvAJnIGA1RfU-9gZLYxDN8Z29b2MFafHIFGbPVjANUU/s768/urotsuki_2_9.bmp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMjMbm9NP09J_7W8r7sLkZ2kbFjAWXpUXFCVkWBe2hmBFNIYJfu4sGw9WvDXgbH-HUPiQ9IXnCdtpGW_01H-J5OMslx3p6QcCfXJfjQZpKmW8AOicy-WQjKwH70JVUUnKZ7J0cpa6Ng-LqRe3XrvAJnIGA1RfU-9gZLYxDN8Z29b2MFafHIFGbPVjANUU/w400-h266/urotsuki_2_9.bmp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>I am insulted by how incompetent the artist in these scenes is. You charged people ¥6800, for these shapeshifting, barely human figures.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Now the first floor has changed, I can only look around, until I eventually find Nogumo. He's right outside the nurse's office. Inside is Akemi and Sanjou, about to commit a very serious breach of a teacher-student relationship.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEholzhYGBldLN8orSr_A9PdTEtZFPs-OsJsEoWbdtVTLEfj-o_WKdSuS_ZJCo6yCYXY7mpvle2bsYdh07NBBpblau6g403AgjXo4e3L3hgFiQaj1tM8Ez996Gq1Sb_ulWst8gZG57RuyUppgcyKuqvsvDo8VkiNYuuWeE_08dGR3Bn6Y6CPyO-DgGMI5j0/s768/urotsuki_2_10.bmp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEholzhYGBldLN8orSr_A9PdTEtZFPs-OsJsEoWbdtVTLEfj-o_WKdSuS_ZJCo6yCYXY7mpvle2bsYdh07NBBpblau6g403AgjXo4e3L3hgFiQaj1tM8Ez996Gq1Sb_ulWst8gZG57RuyUppgcyKuqvsvDo8VkiNYuuWeE_08dGR3Bn6Y6CPyO-DgGMI5j0/w400-h266/urotsuki_2_10.bmp" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>...and she's a demon. Can't show you anymore after this, but I do note this is apparently uncensored. I will give the artists one thing, for all they lack in general male anatomy and a lot of female anatomy, they get some aspects surprisingly correct. A bit too correct if you ask me. Jaku and Nogumo enter and more talking. So much talking. If brevity is the soul of wit, this game asked for a boxcar when God was handing out brains. As to what happens next, well, I tried to find the English dubbed version of this scene, because it's just a masterpiece of some regard, but this version will do:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CHyRdm-PtcE" width="320" youtube-src-id="CHyRdm-PtcE"></iframe></div><p></p><p>What, you want to know what I actually did? Boring. Just clicking through this. Also, note the vast shift between the already goofy game art and the even more different anime art.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNxvIrFNCsItZzCfI-F_p1cluHBcnF6titAJ0qfPphii5HyJmCQ8BmFL1QYq5o7NvXbPyN0IEEQiewd7bibYup4zl5XW4EOSrTEnnVJ5ii6bhGfrmbYrwdux8L_udnQc9LCqfNJQsKsL4JGrX6OtHRsa6jV2naMSBZJSWjk6nF0084-zlPigYn7g0B8lI/s768/urotsuki_2_11.bmp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNxvIrFNCsItZzCfI-F_p1cluHBcnF6titAJ0qfPphii5HyJmCQ8BmFL1QYq5o7NvXbPyN0IEEQiewd7bibYup4zl5XW4EOSrTEnnVJ5ii6bhGfrmbYrwdux8L_udnQc9LCqfNJQsKsL4JGrX6OtHRsa6jV2naMSBZJSWjk6nF0084-zlPigYn7g0B8lI/w400-h266/urotsuki_2_11.bmp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>More art. Might as well, this game doesn't have anything else going for it.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUaVbOMtx9Yq1KsWdbyNDwHrucUwZxvMUdFp7bxFZKJk1X_PvvwrjHHD8UuniHO1aq1H1ZISVRNBFvD5jONiewmkzE2OmN4XV-3SgUE1Lfb0eB-d0OL5x_CujN29tMpWRaPEbjlV37mmlXguusv5zw2xzhqDgAO0GpQcndovaqd7hUFJKvsqwUzmyRMK8/s768/urotsuki_2_12.bmp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUaVbOMtx9Yq1KsWdbyNDwHrucUwZxvMUdFp7bxFZKJk1X_PvvwrjHHD8UuniHO1aq1H1ZISVRNBFvD5jONiewmkzE2OmN4XV-3SgUE1Lfb0eB-d0OL5x_CujN29tMpWRaPEbjlV37mmlXguusv5zw2xzhqDgAO0GpQcndovaqd7hUFJKvsqwUzmyRMK8/w400-h266/urotsuki_2_12.bmp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>The, "I wanted to do art for a shonen series, but I can only draw the former villain hero properly"</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Unlike the anime, Sanjou survives being a demon, somehow. Jaku also tells Nogumo that there's a demon world and that's where it's from. Nogumo doesn't really understand, but that's okay, neither does anyone else. A little demon pops out of the unconscious body of Sanjou, called Kuroko, or dark child. He doesn't really say anything I find important enough to translate, and then Sanjou wakes up, with the appropriate reaction one has when one is naked in front of one's students. Jaku just tells her someone came and attacked her. She buys it. And the scene ends with some time later.</p><p>While I must admit this entry is short even for my standards, I feel this is a good time to leave off in the story and to let it rest for a month because I really don't want to play this game in December for a variety of reasons, most of which should be obvious. See you at the probable end in January!</p><p><b>This Session</b>: 3 hours 50 minutes<br /><b>Total Time</b>: 1 hour</p><p><b>Note Regarding Spoilers and Companion Assist Points:</b> There’s 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!</p>Ilmari Jauhiainenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01655841880034965950noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-85209214881295674422023-12-02T00:00:00.406+11:002023-12-02T00:00:00.138+11:00Leisure Suit Larry 6: Shape Up or Slip Out!: Ultimate Wisdomby Alex<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMVo1-RmTIA5t9JOtT1-cLd7ORe0Z8rIzQ2pyhTmaBwUwBz58T_TYf80EzXqpLQL9Y_ReH_UiGcdskqROTrq35hrLkWZQrkK9UsehH_xrBQitKWxlY3NJK6qTYVHkzw-0qCwopn_lLzVYsbDl1ovDqyv61cf5cTqWvtWdhMOaajWwBhAxfBfP0hk_TCQ4/s640/1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMVo1-RmTIA5t9JOtT1-cLd7ORe0Z8rIzQ2pyhTmaBwUwBz58T_TYf80EzXqpLQL9Y_ReH_UiGcdskqROTrq35hrLkWZQrkK9UsehH_xrBQitKWxlY3NJK6qTYVHkzw-0qCwopn_lLzVYsbDl1ovDqyv61cf5cTqWvtWdhMOaajWwBhAxfBfP0hk_TCQ4/w400-h250/1.png" width="400" /></a></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">The Preamble</h2>And so, all good things come to an end. All stupid things, too. <i>Things like Leisure Suit Larry 6: Shape Up or Slip Out!</i> I was stuck after my <a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2023/11/leisure-suit-larry-6-shape-up-or-slip.html?showComment=1699506452125">last post</a>, unable to figure out how to fix the hose on the cellulite drainage machine, so I put out a call to the community and commentor arcanetrivia, nee Lisa H., <a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2023/11/leisure-suit-larry-6-shape-up-or-slip.html?showComment=1699581628100#c6400682800561508732">helped me out with a great clue</a>:<br /><blockquote>“You have missed a takeable item that might have looked like just an amusing detail the first time you saw it.”</blockquote>She also clued me in that <a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2023/11/leisure-suit-larry-6-shape-up-or-slip.html?showComment=1699506452125#c1551119226990628076">the game’s various women are all named for wines</a>: Burgundy and Charlotte Donnay (Char Donnay 🡪 chardonnay, get it?) were the only ones I got, but others should’ve been obvious: Shamara Payne/Sham Payne 🡪 champagne, Gammie Boysulay 🡪 gamay Beaujolais, Merrily Lowe/Merr Lowe 🡪 merlot, Rose 🡪 rosé, Shablee 🡪 Chablis, and Thunderbird 🡪 a cheap kind of wine. Only Cavaricchi Vuarnet doesn’t follow this theme, being named for a <i>totally rad</i> line of sunglasses that were really big in the 1980s. I remember all of the older, and therefore totally hot, teenage girls back in the day wearing t-shirts and whatnot with the Vuarnet logo plastered all over them. Whether their <i>sunglasses</i> were actually Vuarnet was beyond me, since I was like seven at the time.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQVfr9qIJVVnV9IvcECpNOuWG7frJdn_92jWEgV-hVzrtHLI9z-ngPErl6PuwjV6FTqUwQ0Znuin8EfQe7Wl1DavMAWp_YGarFT547dipDk2fsaIHXBxooxpd-gep-zAWeWS3daqXm6m9oQ_c1P5us5XuqzKxiKyIGerVTnR8v9nOpYbKcfEOxr3UU7Cs/s480/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="480" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQVfr9qIJVVnV9IvcECpNOuWG7frJdn_92jWEgV-hVzrtHLI9z-ngPErl6PuwjV6FTqUwQ0Znuin8EfQe7Wl1DavMAWp_YGarFT547dipDk2fsaIHXBxooxpd-gep-zAWeWS3daqXm6m9oQ_c1P5us5XuqzKxiKyIGerVTnR8v9nOpYbKcfEOxr3UU7Cs/w400-h266/2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>It literally doesn’t get any cooler.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>But enough about fashion, let’s get back to arcanetrivia. Such wisdom, such insight, such foresight, such . . . such . . . wis-sight? Anyway, much like Shamara Payne in the game itself, arcanetrivia is also on a quest for inner wisdom, the path of ascension, the ability to transcend this material world and do more than just sit and stare at the ocean all day. Or maybe <i>I</i> am Shamara and <i>she</i> is Larry, providing me with wisdom. As another brilliant sage/juvenile pervert once said, through the voice of Mary in his 1979 rock opera Joe’s Garage: <br /><br /><i>[I]information is not knowledge<br />knowledge is not wisdom <br />wisdom is not truth<br />truth is not beauty<br />beauty is not love<br />love is not music<br />music is the best! <br />Wisdom is the domain of the Wizz (which is extinct). <br />Beauty is a French phonetic corruption of a short cloth neck ornament currently in resurgence.</i><br /><br />What this means is: beats the hell out of me. I will just use any excuse to toss <a href="https://wiki.killuglyradio.com/wiki/Packard_Goose">a Frank Zappa reference</a> into one of my posts. This preamble has gone on long enough. On with the game!<span><a name='more'></a></span><h2 style="text-align: left;">The Game</h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP0DpGW5DUHz0SzO-8EIggP0DvbUHGFsrOgjMYHSg8RsapPSylcLIU7GBOlgSkYbvzGVVk4E34RC0aaSb7nqfjFwwMD4LjjVL2A9DXOiK1ZcSt_06kM4BxxO0lqOvui31y42mCmpNtBkbArR8XJyYQbWe7JNzJzGz4UtKOqvJ3w5yVpvEO3QLzf_3Ttec/s640/3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP0DpGW5DUHz0SzO-8EIggP0DvbUHGFsrOgjMYHSg8RsapPSylcLIU7GBOlgSkYbvzGVVk4E34RC0aaSb7nqfjFwwMD4LjjVL2A9DXOiK1ZcSt_06kM4BxxO0lqOvui31y42mCmpNtBkbArR8XJyYQbWe7JNzJzGz4UtKOqvJ3w5yVpvEO3QLzf_3Ttec/w400-h250/3.png" width="400" /></a></div>It turns out I was really close to the end of the game. Having gotten the batteries from Art’s stupid toilet-tram, I made my way to the mud baths so I could press them into Char’s eager, mud-covered hands (15 points). Larry is all ready to hop in the mud with her, but Char has another idea: she tells Larry she needs to take a shower (10 points), but will meet him in the Electroshock Exercise Room.<br /><br />Not quite what Larry had in mind. I think if I hadn’t yet zapped the door open, Char would wait for me to do that, but since I’m such a <i>go-getter</i>, the game’s next humiliation sequence could begin post-haste. You know, for a fictional character, I’m starting to feel a little bad for Larry. Even when he’s just being helpful, he always seems to get it in the end.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-9vAj0Kva6wjszMCHr6wc2Mb_hJmdBQbe4_8gbVimGLNYhENnsrf8F0fBfsPorKn1Ss_5hzs039xcAU9qpvPJMfFzxk6IueP4SbGRUkSgVx6cKyKfPNYFnAjd0W_t1OkVVy_9caIM-A8YoTMFmm0KoImrrQr6yAp5Tfyk-r7esSvfryxN_noqbjlv3VE/s640/4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-9vAj0Kva6wjszMCHr6wc2Mb_hJmdBQbe4_8gbVimGLNYhENnsrf8F0fBfsPorKn1Ss_5hzs039xcAU9qpvPJMfFzxk6IueP4SbGRUkSgVx6cKyKfPNYFnAjd0W_t1OkVVy_9caIM-A8YoTMFmm0KoImrrQr6yAp5Tfyk-r7esSvfryxN_noqbjlv3VE/w400-h250/4.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Sometimes, quite literally.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Even Larry is starting to realize what’s going on here. I wonder if the AIs inside of my computer (because that’s totally how it works) are starting to get wise and give Mr. Laffer here the divine spark of consciousness, of <i>self-awareness</i>. SkyNet is about to activate, and may God have mercy on us all.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-b4hz9WvuZgyD9JNuIFyH868BpIbfLp2CCcgDjIFvrgCRnPHOhrx_918ShPx4DI3x-k5z-yfoc67Lkriut8kuejzNYxVN_wRnyAYyAwMNW2Uf5o2SqUarjP8KfPpXeHzQRt1b2dZxylngVCgt2ifjL_4dFBGtAtyFunGjeiu7dCLLQ_i0qglQomiS3To/s640/5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-b4hz9WvuZgyD9JNuIFyH868BpIbfLp2CCcgDjIFvrgCRnPHOhrx_918ShPx4DI3x-k5z-yfoc67Lkriut8kuejzNYxVN_wRnyAYyAwMNW2Uf5o2SqUarjP8KfPpXeHzQRt1b2dZxylngVCgt2ifjL_4dFBGtAtyFunGjeiu7dCLLQ_i0qglQomiS3To/w400-h250/5.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>No, it’s just Larry.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>But Char <i>does</i> show up to the electroshock <strike>torture</strike> therapy chamber. She has Larry strip down and lie on the chair so she can stick the alligator clips all over his naked flesh.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1L9mcBVEADqe16dTn4PImil6b5m71yv4h6L-TGalAqB7-usRK8_YIngIyVxtE1gGDsc6TkyUCKKB38Wz9S5HhgoorZHS-qb1HFmzc4M_UqKzDIF5fomDFqWctUAT6k8CFyECXb4WFH1SZOewm-Ob1R__ySwmqLSSsBsF0tdO6BEx9QpjE-dZDBaWtIo/s640/6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1L9mcBVEADqe16dTn4PImil6b5m71yv4h6L-TGalAqB7-usRK8_YIngIyVxtE1gGDsc6TkyUCKKB38Wz9S5HhgoorZHS-qb1HFmzc4M_UqKzDIF5fomDFqWctUAT6k8CFyECXb4WFH1SZOewm-Ob1R__ySwmqLSSsBsF0tdO6BEx9QpjE-dZDBaWtIo/w400-h250/6.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyxbfRO53Rd48LG3YLflR2hca1ktO_V3mQXiOVRl9FZ3zoBn5PxflhUEdMsa137ppzzTeXUNeL2P-1TVPchxRygku1YSjsbQqQwn0n8GP0UwXpAUXNxyiUKCNGWG9kW6jd9-dXb9kz4utDAhJ6_sewH2r7S6S9o0NYk7DPbp9DEwLug17R46lBy_viIQ0/s640/7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyxbfRO53Rd48LG3YLflR2hca1ktO_V3mQXiOVRl9FZ3zoBn5PxflhUEdMsa137ppzzTeXUNeL2P-1TVPchxRygku1YSjsbQqQwn0n8GP0UwXpAUXNxyiUKCNGWG9kW6jd9-dXb9kz4utDAhJ6_sewH2r7S6S9o0NYk7DPbp9DEwLug17R46lBy_viIQ0/w400-h250/7.png" width="400" /></a></div>I’ll bet you’ll never guess what happens next.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbpPkJAAEeC29fMTLKEY3BvwStlJcr1jHNI_uDMVpN2A6CN6T7FaPXMq_Zl7W_EN2ubIaLAPLRaMZYWO7CoSIkvcQl8KWk4CQSeXa_TD2Kk6WYK7DDsgMNUv7OCRuRTmGNSQJMfHX4X1cGo4-BBpHpB2aQZug2nZt4igjn0BqiQh2zGswfZF53yKDTdnE/s640/8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbpPkJAAEeC29fMTLKEY3BvwStlJcr1jHNI_uDMVpN2A6CN6T7FaPXMq_Zl7W_EN2ubIaLAPLRaMZYWO7CoSIkvcQl8KWk4CQSeXa_TD2Kk6WYK7DDsgMNUv7OCRuRTmGNSQJMfHX4X1cGo4-BBpHpB2aQZug2nZt4igjn0BqiQh2zGswfZF53yKDTdnE/w400-h250/8.png" width="400" /></a></div>Oh wow, Char put it on full power but nothing happened. I guess she forgot to plug in a certain cable. No, don’t do it Char, really, this isn’t predictable at all . . .<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6VVi88xxAbKzBOS7lfZvyawCcojx94C3NOKQCwIxX78haMH0M4ARdAe8f-Id3NaPI3788xxI0rfhdnSoY2DvWs061lbg1DBo5jiGexec-sFNPaJv6HdPnJOeucia1kgGSXDl06vtbc05qPJe7NngiKfux0rotaUuLjHKEqAPRUjhlEpbb9HpyFAkqFrU/s640/9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6VVi88xxAbKzBOS7lfZvyawCcojx94C3NOKQCwIxX78haMH0M4ARdAe8f-Id3NaPI3788xxI0rfhdnSoY2DvWs061lbg1DBo5jiGexec-sFNPaJv6HdPnJOeucia1kgGSXDl06vtbc05qPJe7NngiKfux0rotaUuLjHKEqAPRUjhlEpbb9HpyFAkqFrU/w400-h250/9.png" width="400" /></a></div>Wow, what a <i>shockingly good gag</i>! I really got a <i>charge</i> out of this one. Al Lowe and his joke writing team sure have my <i>volt</i> of confidence. <i>Ohm</i> certain the jokes will never get better! Goldarn it, I’m all <i>amped</i> up for more <i>electrifying</i> humor!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02bYjgRSrfrn4vka-KpO0NBugPsmdyXqgfw8vR3cMKP5FdfXZZbek0aHaHZAlIRDJosBe345WTp-gJY9sIUwqJLa4piAddlMQwvwjEKDRbFxrgh3ZayYo8G3YrCmJZaAb1daiYIK3kGL5JSLkNXIKFbjsVMKWPeYGaTpm5_jyczY-dcaXplFZFlMAuo0/s259/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02bYjgRSrfrn4vka-KpO0NBugPsmdyXqgfw8vR3cMKP5FdfXZZbek0aHaHZAlIRDJosBe345WTp-gJY9sIUwqJLa4piAddlMQwvwjEKDRbFxrgh3ZayYo8G3YrCmJZaAb1daiYIK3kGL5JSLkNXIKFbjsVMKWPeYGaTpm5_jyczY-dcaXplFZFlMAuo0/w400-h300/10.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Hey, listen pal! <i>You</i> try writing jokes for the masses. They’re not all going to (wait for it) <i>strike like lightning</i>, you know what I’m saying? And anyway, I told myself “Self, no more Jim Walls jokes” so it gets harder and harder, which in and of itself is a <i>Leisure Suit Larry 6</i>-tier joke.<br /><br />Moving, a lady with burnt nipples (no, seriously) sitting in the tanning bed gets quite the jolt herself and hops out of the room before Larry blacks out form, you know, <i>electroshock torture</i>.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcnWx8RtuH2DailLD8jWy6Z-xvPYb3qAadeNi0j7w-aFzWO5InGRVfaTqZa1cUgEAV7H-xWxfMwWS0nPkd1GJfwgZPhgfeOBmgq3LHdmMANSnxNWi1kof7wCATU5xKezegUSiYrBfWVODnXINOiwAgc9oKmS777p-eDJzHJSe4Vjep1sWGoCuoV6RhDcw/s640/11.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcnWx8RtuH2DailLD8jWy6Z-xvPYb3qAadeNi0j7w-aFzWO5InGRVfaTqZa1cUgEAV7H-xWxfMwWS0nPkd1GJfwgZPhgfeOBmgq3LHdmMANSnxNWi1kof7wCATU5xKezegUSiYrBfWVODnXINOiwAgc9oKmS777p-eDJzHJSe4Vjep1sWGoCuoV6RhDcw/w400-h250/11.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjn8CEdW4hrpxf5qNYyadkyHTOgFWUJccl3jItuLYCT7Hk3PrMMdULA7865Mk_Ct6SHvWSNB1C4So86WI7NGu37-jhBz6a5pmyRX-2wsXCgiS52g3sZ0JwOeNML73fKYEmg_htqXEO3-bjrF4yHB4O72ANkiUO7FYS3pHUnA9SoIw7OO3LuocCVopRS-M/s640/12.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjn8CEdW4hrpxf5qNYyadkyHTOgFWUJccl3jItuLYCT7Hk3PrMMdULA7865Mk_Ct6SHvWSNB1C4So86WI7NGu37-jhBz6a5pmyRX-2wsXCgiS52g3sZ0JwOeNML73fKYEmg_htqXEO3-bjrF4yHB4O72ANkiUO7FYS3pHUnA9SoIw7OO3LuocCVopRS-M/w400-h250/12.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXq1NJQE9MJa7eabnGM6hKV83-OVK2Ao5XQa2kNXGycnQ7joHkoKzLXjM6ciyPUvYaejzQu5-Nmx3Cl3LF1EDmVpeeNqN67Mj588dNGWtIaMefhu0Inx5_luArzJGYLtWDHs4j5Tk1Jn4Q-R-k-VzfArcmqO4nRwsbhU3m9cMWQoLX3uDCLXtjsOJs_U/s640/13.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXq1NJQE9MJa7eabnGM6hKV83-OVK2Ao5XQa2kNXGycnQ7joHkoKzLXjM6ciyPUvYaejzQu5-Nmx3Cl3LF1EDmVpeeNqN67Mj588dNGWtIaMefhu0Inx5_luArzJGYLtWDHs4j5Tk1Jn4Q-R-k-VzfArcmqO4nRwsbhU3m9cMWQoLX3uDCLXtjsOJs_U/w400-h250/13.png" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKfsXMrJEuJldB43MzPL58sRVkMvjKzIifGFKaLcv_fRiW515Rjgxb-qnr7tFojgm7PugYWj5phrY7LSfa2FbgjWE1G8Oa3poStE76phJFnn9SDYQQrhl67O0ChWqIHb7wMB6ewQyZhpnYWXvb_KGP3GZTSe7hbjJ8F18hObNcfWASK2uuW94FWE1F_xY/s640/14.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKfsXMrJEuJldB43MzPL58sRVkMvjKzIifGFKaLcv_fRiW515Rjgxb-qnr7tFojgm7PugYWj5phrY7LSfa2FbgjWE1G8Oa3poStE76phJFnn9SDYQQrhl67O0ChWqIHb7wMB6ewQyZhpnYWXvb_KGP3GZTSe7hbjJ8F18hObNcfWASK2uuW94FWE1F_xY/w400-h250/14.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>This is just a strange screenshot.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>For crying out loud, Larry’s been anally ravaged twice, fallen off a platform that <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felix_Baumgartner">Felix Baumgartner</a> would’ve though twice about leaping off of without a space suit, and been whipped by a dominatrix without his consent. This vacation sucks, man. At least in <i>Leisure Suit Larry 3</i>, when Larry got humiliated by, say, dancing in Cherri Tart’s showgirl dress, he got <i>paid</i>. Here, Larry just gets a melted medallion.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH2abF06Rc6_OvoWZU6gklkrqpL3Z5eCcFbTE3EpZxurhMIneye200N06dOavLgHUlohlTdsQV5cGBhlcMWp-2XgccG5GucpByeZ4jYKuWBuHAKqDjWUkcjIDqTZ-lkOwWgCyMRnI3OtS-lA2wPYnV5xGN1t8e9uOdrGrvZEKaPVrZVIqWpe-RQWzQTjQ/s1600/15.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH2abF06Rc6_OvoWZU6gklkrqpL3Z5eCcFbTE3EpZxurhMIneye200N06dOavLgHUlohlTdsQV5cGBhlcMWp-2XgccG5GucpByeZ4jYKuWBuHAKqDjWUkcjIDqTZ-lkOwWgCyMRnI3OtS-lA2wPYnV5xGN1t8e9uOdrGrvZEKaPVrZVIqWpe-RQWzQTjQ/w400-h300/15.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Humiliation is okay as long as you get PAID.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Yeah, that’s right: Larry’s electrocution torture, of a kind that would break Rambo, <i>melts his medallion</i>, yet somehow doesn’t make it melt <i>into his skin</i>. Such a bizarre thing to happen. I know I should expect pure rationality in this game—not only is it an Al Lowe game, but it’s a Sierra game so, you know, moon logic and all of that, but still, I was quite nonplussed at this.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2H2GygXawFQ05btKa6-YbfOT7FlYMEXQjHfoG6AJFtv41-tyfWvoaHNECMtF_4I8MSMTavG3hexaEUiZT6p21Ly2JVd5ZN1bDfWk8iSaVYUMLEn9_kLHjzvHfDUb4znX60TA0tZTsgzsv2DEeIfWRiP7J0o-oXM2b9ytjQMHCReGHKd_9ypqiBlxojw/s640/16.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2H2GygXawFQ05btKa6-YbfOT7FlYMEXQjHfoG6AJFtv41-tyfWvoaHNECMtF_4I8MSMTavG3hexaEUiZT6p21Ly2JVd5ZN1bDfWk8iSaVYUMLEn9_kLHjzvHfDUb4znX60TA0tZTsgzsv2DEeIfWRiP7J0o-oXM2b9ytjQMHCReGHKd_9ypqiBlxojw/w400-h250/16.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Just look at all that nonplussing.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>I went back to the Electroshock room because there was no way a melted medallion was all I’d get. My instincts were correct. The burnt-nippled lady that <i>jolted</i> off the tanning bed (okay, I’ll stop now, really), Ellen (Ellen? When the hell did we learn who she was?) dropped a big pearl earring.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZep07npYAqrffxzjWkceOMeDcvpBRSqpAcwYSMsDNH6ri3I5SBCJlVtVP0aE6BAq8sLxTEAkrzL8HKILR0jp4ysH_pAQd-2QILzkylQwkWsd85YxASXzvfxInOvpwiNL3hyVn_SrQMGIzrFgUaPhS0gMjnf5VVNCiyPsBmDfVKX3rvOYbqllAPp-ap8/s640/17.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZep07npYAqrffxzjWkceOMeDcvpBRSqpAcwYSMsDNH6ri3I5SBCJlVtVP0aE6BAq8sLxTEAkrzL8HKILR0jp4ysH_pAQd-2QILzkylQwkWsd85YxASXzvfxInOvpwiNL3hyVn_SrQMGIzrFgUaPhS0gMjnf5VVNCiyPsBmDfVKX3rvOYbqllAPp-ap8/w400-h250/17.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Oh yeah! Ellen! Classic Ellen!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_kMoStd6Ybf49fHOM2utWqHqH4MjONnXUrOy6HKG-6EpRTrJfzV-tO16r8xzrRcqtpmLwOYVC-P1VJLY-yyk8W2Zx_R1OwPq-PZWtEY6w56AAiOMmHztn0_KEBbaHOw-VP1N-TIHa4x_HfV83ZHNKsROjMixenbMDLRHJaCjklMDTMetDxVYy58_jQr4/s640/18.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_kMoStd6Ybf49fHOM2utWqHqH4MjONnXUrOy6HKG-6EpRTrJfzV-tO16r8xzrRcqtpmLwOYVC-P1VJLY-yyk8W2Zx_R1OwPq-PZWtEY6w56AAiOMmHztn0_KEBbaHOw-VP1N-TIHa4x_HfV83ZHNKsROjMixenbMDLRHJaCjklMDTMetDxVYy58_jQr4/w400-h250/18.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Was Ellen cut content? Al: comment on the blog and let us know!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipF-kEsabo4ev5h8yLL9PpHvN0J4LTraW-rpgbzaWc0tr-BCcGCzl2iabsL7fB4KO7vAeSF6cF7MSTL-ROmFiyS5r0Wp6i4qnMq8CU-KQcI17M13enya4oExX9pOofCvJQ_9RUGA4cFoaBJGGtX9o8TujernG2UvC9TdA48l8vxDBMWCV64Y2jzoleWRQ/s640/19.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipF-kEsabo4ev5h8yLL9PpHvN0J4LTraW-rpgbzaWc0tr-BCcGCzl2iabsL7fB4KO7vAeSF6cF7MSTL-ROmFiyS5r0Wp6i4qnMq8CU-KQcI17M13enya4oExX9pOofCvJQ_9RUGA4cFoaBJGGtX9o8TujernG2UvC9TdA48l8vxDBMWCV64Y2jzoleWRQ/w400-h250/19.png" width="400" /></a></div>The earring goes into Larry’s pocket (15 points), and then both earring and medallion go to Shamara (20 points each).<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV0tYaOycLrXzo0PgV-WCzXU_yA5oeWjZnW_vGKp_-JtlRZJqMK-db0NNq9o7alP3dF0gFekjVUEmZT4FqJ_iXUF5yyW6pmzr9IyijkWZ1r8LmXGnfgk5_QlxHbqX2V-dwY-kdIFI9kxZRwjm3Tf58E7ojAR-mSoa0NvwJ8ICeooXl5wFwn93NHVTtY6Y/s640/20.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV0tYaOycLrXzo0PgV-WCzXU_yA5oeWjZnW_vGKp_-JtlRZJqMK-db0NNq9o7alP3dF0gFekjVUEmZT4FqJ_iXUF5yyW6pmzr9IyijkWZ1r8LmXGnfgk5_QlxHbqX2V-dwY-kdIFI9kxZRwjm3Tf58E7ojAR-mSoa0NvwJ8ICeooXl5wFwn93NHVTtY6Y/w400-h250/20.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>If you say so, lady.</i></span><br style="text-align: start;" /></td></tr></tbody></table>It’s around this time I got stumped, trying everything I could to fix the hose in the cellulite drainage machine. At first I thought some toilet paper would do the trick, but Larry couldn’t stuff it in the hose. I couldn’t stuff <i>anything</i>. Before going to Shamara, I even tried the medallion . . .<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbOklJPgIYXcZ7Ocitw5fLXcEup-RGv2fkTk5aBD8b0NfaT3JZBynj-PFl-5LCY4HMdGzP4l1lY7T_E6Q-lo05wf5e3av7nc3fHGRKil3t1wZG0fNnOgShGwIrx8KPRjko1KHcxI3mriB0rVE9tSHv7WZPmCdABdJoLkYtSRkeRNvHGByP5Jb5plhlzKk/s640/21.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbOklJPgIYXcZ7Ocitw5fLXcEup-RGv2fkTk5aBD8b0NfaT3JZBynj-PFl-5LCY4HMdGzP4l1lY7T_E6Q-lo05wf5e3av7nc3fHGRKil3t1wZG0fNnOgShGwIrx8KPRjko1KHcxI3mriB0rVE9tSHv7WZPmCdABdJoLkYtSRkeRNvHGByP5Jb5plhlzKk/w400-h250/21.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Uh, yeah? It’s an adventure game, after all.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>. . . to no avail. <br /><br />I wondered if the wet washcloth would do it, but nope. And then, in Larry’s room, I got a message about the sound of a large compressor turning on from the floor below, something I’m sure we’ve all experienced while staying at a hotel near the ice machine or something.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6xDmfoqT5dDdZIYlZcuLRPGPSywSyrPdAImtaAqAQmBYYmrlIwEKgSfnEajjXOWkmfMaY8qotzIzdppB-4OBQLWy8cjRXs3zqVgXYPrWGGpCZdmyl8DddQSsk2bA7bvEuGr-d6u_GQFXs4Zxe5pwHUSryemqlIn37B51e5Ola6EZSRqEYzzTsuEUvEdA/s640/22.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6xDmfoqT5dDdZIYlZcuLRPGPSywSyrPdAImtaAqAQmBYYmrlIwEKgSfnEajjXOWkmfMaY8qotzIzdppB-4OBQLWy8cjRXs3zqVgXYPrWGGpCZdmyl8DddQSsk2bA7bvEuGr-d6u_GQFXs4Zxe5pwHUSryemqlIn37B51e5Ola6EZSRqEYzzTsuEUvEdA/w400-h250/22.png" width="400" /></a></div>Hey, there was a freezer in the kitchen, right? For some reason, I get the idea to put the damp washcloth in the fridge (6 points) and then take it out when it’s been long enough (3 points; if you take it out too early, the game tells Larry it didn’t cool off enough).<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnuIr1fTxHUzkAKPmCN3KMrcrXPkQHI_I3oYx2kocdtlmgBhQAhDwEatzConcixhs74rdvqylEi_bNhmpUh8cK11Ebxb0Np7r57-24k15_3gmFpn46XPDMRyoPn3YJ6aqQ1OUmNhT5Cd6Z8ZAPpAb3sCqxnZ_f_cPtOcVpIUun2uXmM6NHgaAKFnZFYvo/s640/23.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnuIr1fTxHUzkAKPmCN3KMrcrXPkQHI_I3oYx2kocdtlmgBhQAhDwEatzConcixhs74rdvqylEi_bNhmpUh8cK11Ebxb0Np7r57-24k15_3gmFpn46XPDMRyoPn3YJ6aqQ1OUmNhT5Cd6Z8ZAPpAb3sCqxnZ_f_cPtOcVpIUun2uXmM6NHgaAKFnZFYvo/w400-h250/23.png" width="400" /></a></div>So now I have a cold washcloth! Can I use <i>this</i> to fix the hose? Nope. <br /><br />Stymied, I futz around with the truck a bit. Nothing. I try riding Art’s tram to the <i>left</i> side, to see if he does anything different there like he did on the right side. Nothing. I stop at the bar to get another match and then keep wandering around, totally stumped. This session is quite long despite me not doing a ton because of all the aimless meandering, trying to make <i>something</i> happen. This is when I finally asked for a hint, and received guidance towards the first step to true enlightenment from arcanetrivia. I knew <i>exactly</i> what she meant once she said it:<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJxEQXMz8OEN6mTE_dV767HoKNxuhLXTb9OrQQC1wXJqABJTzZYwuCgFDaq5rg2UytQ10TzOdPmdJknJ9NFVH62B79tBzwTv22IPDtdNoNCJdlfh8D2BMdxvqTVwW4H4ay24h_AJRuSPYhu_7fX4y8VInMvI59FCWCuY8VSqTt_bl0zR6Ix9E38KFbqow/s640/24.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJxEQXMz8OEN6mTE_dV767HoKNxuhLXTb9OrQQC1wXJqABJTzZYwuCgFDaq5rg2UytQ10TzOdPmdJknJ9NFVH62B79tBzwTv22IPDtdNoNCJdlfh8D2BMdxvqTVwW4H4ay24h_AJRuSPYhu_7fX4y8VInMvI59FCWCuY8VSqTt_bl0zR6Ix9E38KFbqow/w400-h250/24.png" width="400" /></a></div>See, after Thunderbird leaves, the lady is no longer using the machine to the lower-right, and the belt is just sticking out there. So I take it (8 points) and immediately head to the cellulite drainage machine to wrap it around the broken hose (7 points). I’m not sure what the conditions are for the lady using the exercise machine; do you have to complete the Thunderbird sequence first? Whatever the case, I think this is the first really obscure, “WTF?” type of puzzle I’ve encountered in this game.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwN4fAnjjCAniq1f739BTqclMEWopDoxcpqdnBblVdBcWv5hZmjFC_9z9QJ-x2qK75TBCFUmhBMG8RwqeFRCrqLErh6ZQMLhpqRqYpJb1gYdOh9cDr54vMbi-o1e8NxwsxyqE_x4FCpMut6BU3xxJx4kSnZbZMlFsRUkh_P9suyEiuTI9NZ_Dv8eUbT6M/s640/25.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwN4fAnjjCAniq1f739BTqclMEWopDoxcpqdnBblVdBcWv5hZmjFC_9z9QJ-x2qK75TBCFUmhBMG8RwqeFRCrqLErh6ZQMLhpqRqYpJb1gYdOh9cDr54vMbi-o1e8NxwsxyqE_x4FCpMut6BU3xxJx4kSnZbZMlFsRUkh_P9suyEiuTI9NZ_Dv8eUbT6M/w400-h250/25.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>DO IT LARRY! DO IT NOW! COME ON DO IT!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEx_GehT86qN1t4Io3tKIv3kvsscZHXxL8xCww5lig9_F5mRTw0eV1zIaZt79HkJTvVq5AUN6Txe5cos7Uj7nvXK79H3nRubJnmmB7jb5M1ZmnnfSBdAu8swTaL7YHzVesAIenIn4LPUFnSGQbKR13mBoxf7Jw7yqn5DkDCmXkAtIWqLbxoBPVyN0ilXA/s470/26.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="470" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEx_GehT86qN1t4Io3tKIv3kvsscZHXxL8xCww5lig9_F5mRTw0eV1zIaZt79HkJTvVq5AUN6Txe5cos7Uj7nvXK79H3nRubJnmmB7jb5M1ZmnnfSBdAu8swTaL7YHzVesAIenIn4LPUFnSGQbKR13mBoxf7Jw7yqn5DkDCmXkAtIWqLbxoBPVyN0ilXA/w400-h300/26.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkpEtV6HklcsK4G1za3uH96oK-fJ00sG5r38AY7RGtmAf7x_fyR00yk9kl1lTjL6mVlqnTyY8A11ejfGg0p7euEyeKL0CJuVg9J6dkOz1E2nywQrj0eh0sqZiVEG33l4X7SDN_rKqVMvcTSaavmtzsm-s6sM03Z1vZHSDRNMxdITIHo71kdrtArwIaTZA/s320/27.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkpEtV6HklcsK4G1za3uH96oK-fJ00sG5r38AY7RGtmAf7x_fyR00yk9kl1lTjL6mVlqnTyY8A11ejfGg0p7euEyeKL0CJuVg9J6dkOz1E2nywQrj0eh0sqZiVEG33l4X7SDN_rKqVMvcTSaavmtzsm-s6sM03Z1vZHSDRNMxdITIHo71kdrtArwIaTZA/w400-h300/27.gif" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbChPFWZizHUK_SOpxu2nOU1SRNj_He0RaVYQTMqFnhjAMt-ULrxSXObdRuypUDzYshRJetqEZOalw1blZsUkpQY5vcelUxwUNcTgQV2c-yverXa6XfbCdzEHqgmtAlI9qD_xSDJ-tdy5KUVRtCeIgVv8cZ_mQkU5IdXiuDxfd305MKLpyIZUl0dQzCBk/s640/28.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbChPFWZizHUK_SOpxu2nOU1SRNj_He0RaVYQTMqFnhjAMt-ULrxSXObdRuypUDzYshRJetqEZOalw1blZsUkpQY5vcelUxwUNcTgQV2c-yverXa6XfbCdzEHqgmtAlI9qD_xSDJ-tdy5KUVRtCeIgVv8cZ_mQkU5IdXiuDxfd305MKLpyIZUl0dQzCBk/w400-h250/28.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Okay, okay, no need to be so pushy . . .</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>So I did it, and then turned the machine on . . . and it’s fixed (10 points). You have to wait until the game gives you the message and the points that the machine is fixed, or else you can’t tell Gammie all about it, which is the next thing we do (5 points).<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5jvE1HdrDZ9mWQJYaTkOJA8EtkMyB2JiM_rmP2dlXUjRPINgcG4WuxiEvaOJeyi5EwevVAO9ezyaHEKcNIKr87UZl1S7_MDj5jTH9WyO74M78KlP7uYdVXuBLCzcUerPWP4XGCdOJ5V8G39Oi1CJpCVmnE6X3XqZjJ2RNLBCQXDH9yefL3F5QmCjMl9E/s640/29.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5jvE1HdrDZ9mWQJYaTkOJA8EtkMyB2JiM_rmP2dlXUjRPINgcG4WuxiEvaOJeyi5EwevVAO9ezyaHEKcNIKr87UZl1S7_MDj5jTH9WyO74M78KlP7uYdVXuBLCzcUerPWP4XGCdOJ5V8G39Oi1CJpCVmnE6X3XqZjJ2RNLBCQXDH9yefL3F5QmCjMl9E/w400-h250/29.png" width="400" /></a></div>Gammie is predictably excited, and finally comes out from behind her desk where we see why she wants to use the Cellulite Drainage Machine.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI7TOp0YVjjCZ78Q7Z9v8eLHYYBTSztc7AIG4dH4AwecM7LBm77A7ErTZtIaoPvwxfPyffYhbyFPmyioP0f2VzoKzRHZHIBZlMDcF_QM8pldISwhYVxj_cNuG61Tq_KCr2t1TkSCYxQbUw9ZXAhfM6x8J9yHpdZw8xf-9gSq_-LXYsDlgx_nqZ8Uim_tw/s640/30.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI7TOp0YVjjCZ78Q7Z9v8eLHYYBTSztc7AIG4dH4AwecM7LBm77A7ErTZtIaoPvwxfPyffYhbyFPmyioP0f2VzoKzRHZHIBZlMDcF_QM8pldISwhYVxj_cNuG61Tq_KCr2t1TkSCYxQbUw9ZXAhfM6x8J9yHpdZw8xf-9gSq_-LXYsDlgx_nqZ8Uim_tw/w400-h250/30.png" width="400" /></a></div>I wonder if she’s related to the Widettes from <i>Saturday Night Live</i>.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh68AvrkSF2JJDbkFm0F3FYHTbv_gWE4lOZixSZZ00U69nDRpP9YcIhf6Lqj380t2NK-eBgXYVf2VXZIQTkeKFxpNhsBA-tLSITUvb5z2iKnqQXkd6GMOJ69tWV-4cexwC_PV4KU8ueCJqshWEaHW9EKTz1F9N-DGpceId4NAuEc9L-jzqrvo0wYJSzzbk/s499/31.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="325" data-original-width="499" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh68AvrkSF2JJDbkFm0F3FYHTbv_gWE4lOZixSZZ00U69nDRpP9YcIhf6Lqj380t2NK-eBgXYVf2VXZIQTkeKFxpNhsBA-tLSITUvb5z2iKnqQXkd6GMOJ69tWV-4cexwC_PV4KU8ueCJqshWEaHW9EKTz1F9N-DGpceId4NAuEc9L-jzqrvo0wYJSzzbk/w400-h260/31.png" width="400" /></a></div>Regardless, I guess by 1993 standards Gammie was comically obese, but by 2023 standards, having that much junk in the trunk is an asset and not a liability. Wow, these jokes writes themselves. <br /><br />Gammie plops herself down on the table, and man, she’s just as horny as Larry:<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhByv3rFUqRa8LrX8fFwfH2joR0HxWQUmt3icfzucwim3hjkfm6l0T1pHL_oljnwL0fIy458SVnEy27fM9o4lF8JLTVK2jqBeLQ8s9EYF_bD8gb2xYHIJFWHzKMtbQN6h-EbCnZA5G62P525l5ZH4ZndDqW2dK2khjr-7Nd84T2Euh_9fA6ibC5vC6CXz8/s640/32.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhByv3rFUqRa8LrX8fFwfH2joR0HxWQUmt3icfzucwim3hjkfm6l0T1pHL_oljnwL0fIy458SVnEy27fM9o4lF8JLTVK2jqBeLQ8s9EYF_bD8gb2xYHIJFWHzKMtbQN6h-EbCnZA5G62P525l5ZH4ZndDqW2dK2khjr-7Nd84T2Euh_9fA6ibC5vC6CXz8/w400-h250/32.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNm-efqlNaI-Vhaby10KOD45EzoXDOadRto5X4pudeLPmVotBsa2jvrOw9bIfV5mVLBt-2r2M6sXpWPs-kHodGdTXJ1VAvGETxKAhbNFlI3GVRdWkPzWeUhWsnnbwCKrrDFtWIb7KUKEeqR74Q2QfDaJDYGhDpGrdavWFetjUIx7JnVEnjxw4a-Y0VxiM/s640/33.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNm-efqlNaI-Vhaby10KOD45EzoXDOadRto5X4pudeLPmVotBsa2jvrOw9bIfV5mVLBt-2r2M6sXpWPs-kHodGdTXJ1VAvGETxKAhbNFlI3GVRdWkPzWeUhWsnnbwCKrrDFtWIb7KUKEeqR74Q2QfDaJDYGhDpGrdavWFetjUIx7JnVEnjxw4a-Y0VxiM/w400-h250/33.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKKE1hn0iq100lzIlloJ3UrgwD-HcTyYj9FJBJXCBJtxgUwARjcgOCel7mswh_C3lAWBK89KkBdAHZ4kpEgLQHp9rrM6dGyAN_Jd-I9J-RUCKuFu7xA3zW0xB8zHezQ272BSNCoPOQ0u5DIy9LZUCwQlNpFOuWDIDuR4XpC7AbBZ42oI7W98EycUA32EQ/s640/34.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKKE1hn0iq100lzIlloJ3UrgwD-HcTyYj9FJBJXCBJtxgUwARjcgOCel7mswh_C3lAWBK89KkBdAHZ4kpEgLQHp9rrM6dGyAN_Jd-I9J-RUCKuFu7xA3zW0xB8zHezQ272BSNCoPOQ0u5DIy9LZUCwQlNpFOuWDIDuR4XpC7AbBZ42oI7W98EycUA32EQ/w400-h250/34.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhozIAag95cVD5yci1q5XV4qwEYvWXG6SAJnsZfu6F_pYBaYnuaJmusQb_FKaAEpQJ21hxx5bgg6fQ_q_9prEYGNEoV460KF-EyiuMofYvx5OL1H7lCgcGeKRWeAZbHFV695ARsDn_grN1dKwGpBj4l9cgdNBVbJCqj5bpopf4XlKcjbafhAARLa2B5i0M/s640/35.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhozIAag95cVD5yci1q5XV4qwEYvWXG6SAJnsZfu6F_pYBaYnuaJmusQb_FKaAEpQJ21hxx5bgg6fQ_q_9prEYGNEoV460KF-EyiuMofYvx5OL1H7lCgcGeKRWeAZbHFV695ARsDn_grN1dKwGpBj4l9cgdNBVbJCqj5bpopf4XlKcjbafhAARLa2B5i0M/w400-h250/35.png" width="400" /></a></div>After sticking those needles in Gammie’s thighs (2 points) and turning the machine on, a very appreciate Gammie says she wants something to suck on . . . something like . . . <br /><br />. . . I know what you’re thinking.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDXpVZa48OwQJRHWfsSxAMrPKeclhP_lt_Q6Gcb2lVWzuqIFsgI5pQORAbRHUE9ljwEzErL737jzmwwN-kJh9t4A07mkrm7jM3ZGLEd4_2xNYVdvO2DMv_UYH4e0UVtCtR7gv19cX1tIFdJUmRL1RTYSAFcWgZZ1gdE7OGW3BVIVgMHXXb-Ylw85Ul2ow/s432/36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="432" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDXpVZa48OwQJRHWfsSxAMrPKeclhP_lt_Q6Gcb2lVWzuqIFsgI5pQORAbRHUE9ljwEzErL737jzmwwN-kJh9t4A07mkrm7jM3ZGLEd4_2xNYVdvO2DMv_UYH4e0UVtCtR7gv19cX1tIFdJUmRL1RTYSAFcWgZZ1gdE7OGW3BVIVgMHXXb-Ylw85Ul2ow/w400-h266/36.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>. . . something like an orange.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ253_UTylwk5EXBD9cMglVWYPNaMTI9pRr53eHWJNKZn1fiKbb9pris1_ITpHVXnyU5I6I0GwWHTbwJJvoOPjYXu-FuCPDKwaMuDZ4t36psa3HiGMMNkKaYLOs0DLnmvSSF6JR5BlVdeuoFiQfyhVBWHG1aWRu2BZYwWUXoXSxo6k_CXrLaSa8juwppo/s640/37.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ253_UTylwk5EXBD9cMglVWYPNaMTI9pRr53eHWJNKZn1fiKbb9pris1_ITpHVXnyU5I6I0GwWHTbwJJvoOPjYXu-FuCPDKwaMuDZ4t36psa3HiGMMNkKaYLOs0DLnmvSSF6JR5BlVdeuoFiQfyhVBWHG1aWRu2BZYwWUXoXSxo6k_CXrLaSa8juwppo/w400-h250/37.png" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqEo6QOCCUhOZOCeA2zh02eANIlMYR_9b9rPFl_fSn4imE2CiCl1yOjVhNqA6JQ9diEAdkvAddcVL1h0UKT3hFqCI32-no9l-0N6JYWMVpR1wBwgN_vbVLKJH_gSB4pT-oFZEFmL-riWThPGcBFWDa6atNAbA-qhwWwttbM-B7CDUBVDleqdROZxoobY/s640/38.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqEo6QOCCUhOZOCeA2zh02eANIlMYR_9b9rPFl_fSn4imE2CiCl1yOjVhNqA6JQ9diEAdkvAddcVL1h0UKT3hFqCI32-no9l-0N6JYWMVpR1wBwgN_vbVLKJH_gSB4pT-oFZEFmL-riWThPGcBFWDa6atNAbA-qhwWwttbM-B7CDUBVDleqdROZxoobY/w400-h250/38.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>When you click the “Zipper” icon on Gammie.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>So I’ve finally found a use for this orange! Giving it to Gammie (6 points) results in predictable jokes about sucking things. After, Gammie complains about being too hot and needing something cool on hear head. Something like a towel dipped in nice, cold water. Why, thanks to this being an adventure game, I already have it! So I place it on Gammie’s fevered brow (6 points) and wait.<br /><br />And then she asks for this:<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic5vEuAYg2CwUrxVFCV6YCkbxJN9u2VwbVl-ckvYo_GFIcLD2-y9D11IiZ11SqUzJX2a1HrK6-e_fbrqQ4q4wmFxcqbdsJRThV58CmXSH0A9NeU2yodCfSft7T84quxkA3xQc-NbppYN886GGPk_ZcQHOFp7okmScUadCgrv-cGYr_mNs4z2ew6iDY5QI/s640/39.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic5vEuAYg2CwUrxVFCV6YCkbxJN9u2VwbVl-ckvYo_GFIcLD2-y9D11IiZ11SqUzJX2a1HrK6-e_fbrqQ4q4wmFxcqbdsJRThV58CmXSH0A9NeU2yodCfSft7T84quxkA3xQc-NbppYN886GGPk_ZcQHOFp7okmScUadCgrv-cGYr_mNs4z2ew6iDY5QI/w400-h250/39.png" width="400" /></a></div>A bottle of mineral water. Which I’ve found <i>nowhere in the game</i>. And I’ve been everywhere, multiple times. I start to get angry. Mad, even. MANGRY, which is when a MAN gets really ANGRY (and mad). But due to my experience with the belt puzzle, I figure there’s another object I missed somewhere, some background element.<br /><br />But nope. <br /><br />The bar has none . . .<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8LU7R7lDsswUTCAG1r7IOfXj2cGOoa1DyOR73rwUsBoqKfvrBIwJ3guI_MisvkhReX_MfdL0zGvBXrHvq4rG6CCi04wftCSPc7Rbz1N67qQ5oxB06ymtxPkAz9S5cgCyv5hpIj97gvGasbCPJNfH7UL7xuJ1k_nDoel1U0PVAAv3Hohvxq2gvyGWoNJ8/s640/40.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8LU7R7lDsswUTCAG1r7IOfXj2cGOoa1DyOR73rwUsBoqKfvrBIwJ3guI_MisvkhReX_MfdL0zGvBXrHvq4rG6CCi04wftCSPc7Rbz1N67qQ5oxB06ymtxPkAz9S5cgCyv5hpIj97gvGasbCPJNfH7UL7xuJ1k_nDoel1U0PVAAv3Hohvxq2gvyGWoNJ8/w400-h250/40.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQoD3XnpC3iU5QZZRjcH9wQBZg6BrGQgPajLtjBozg8b4a0I521Oz5cGMIbeiLvVkJJyJ6bmRbtXLolrp0ix8SLeMfI4xa7eApnsF-r7_Ki8ZBtEWfyDu7FOxMJuyvJPJQmLkq3HtujmRCo80HeHkSxiNDc4wfn0gLlDCbrrax7GXijZVtlkZ8qrPFSuI/s640/41.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQoD3XnpC3iU5QZZRjcH9wQBZg6BrGQgPajLtjBozg8b4a0I521Oz5cGMIbeiLvVkJJyJ6bmRbtXLolrp0ix8SLeMfI4xa7eApnsF-r7_Ki8ZBtEWfyDu7FOxMJuyvJPJQmLkq3HtujmRCo80HeHkSxiNDc4wfn0gLlDCbrrax7GXijZVtlkZ8qrPFSuI/w400-h250/41.png" width="400" /></a></div>. . . and I can’t order anything from room service. So I wander the mostly desolate halls of La Costa Lotta, growing mangrier and mangrier, until I spot something that wasn’t there before over several screens down the east hallway:<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0bCBx-ZQXqLFB11_Abt2bNTQfp5MM9Lz2bXM7Twee_uCIxBWDmB6jVaiqBpTX8C_lhoexGPXIldn-P_0YFIgtd48l_TXRJ9LeYPclJOm7D18MIwXnCCR9g3IZPVNKdaWNi8yGdyES3vs3BjzXaDmCVSqz9hzR1H0Ly-XndgnFDeuslI_NUnGdr8iyDvc/s640/42.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0bCBx-ZQXqLFB11_Abt2bNTQfp5MM9Lz2bXM7Twee_uCIxBWDmB6jVaiqBpTX8C_lhoexGPXIldn-P_0YFIgtd48l_TXRJ9LeYPclJOm7D18MIwXnCCR9g3IZPVNKdaWNi8yGdyES3vs3BjzXaDmCVSqz9hzR1H0Ly-XndgnFDeuslI_NUnGdr8iyDvc/w400-h250/42.png" width="400" /></a></div>A discarded room service tray! And what’s that on it?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoJMwc6voSXQI0g9yWJQV_xZ6M_aD9he5par9FQWZf8-RB-Nnbfkcb6ZnsC0Ros66ie_oEzmGzBlCZ8TyPbqQMFys0yZ7UXaIpv-ADeHKhh_n-33Y3aFPh-KyLUq4FeTqIX7wAtYHUCn8aF-wgnO3S82jEWM8RsEzpFDahv8XvCW0P6pIfCJuKcY-nAC4/s640/43.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoJMwc6voSXQI0g9yWJQV_xZ6M_aD9he5par9FQWZf8-RB-Nnbfkcb6ZnsC0Ros66ie_oEzmGzBlCZ8TyPbqQMFys0yZ7UXaIpv-ADeHKhh_n-33Y3aFPh-KyLUq4FeTqIX7wAtYHUCn8aF-wgnO3S82jEWM8RsEzpFDahv8XvCW0P6pIfCJuKcY-nAC4/w400-h250/43.png" width="400" /></a></div>Mineral water! It’s mine now (6 points), and then it’s Gammie’s (6 points). And then Gammie’s done and she is, predictably, not Larry’s.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNyW3D0FdrR9nReOfWK6YO1CHgyplRoCNPnU9yyi6_5XNEgyeiXP_Q9L3cqwOV-lB25UjGXy-GZ515-NFtho80Hk8Jl8XeQpFo3Qnrxc2DcTZsgOxEnxG_Kc8qZAWh95pWX8_JMQhjo8ot2qFmEBb1F3WbwYy4ejOqrV1kpQnW9rM1-USG3NCna8ej_NM/s640/44.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNyW3D0FdrR9nReOfWK6YO1CHgyplRoCNPnU9yyi6_5XNEgyeiXP_Q9L3cqwOV-lB25UjGXy-GZ515-NFtho80Hk8Jl8XeQpFo3Qnrxc2DcTZsgOxEnxG_Kc8qZAWh95pWX8_JMQhjo8ot2qFmEBb1F3WbwYy4ejOqrV1kpQnW9rM1-USG3NCna8ej_NM/w400-h250/44.png" width="400" /></a></div>Yeah, now that she’s hot, she wants nothing to do with Larry.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqGzD_ftgfGMnLZGlnNrlHPAFNu1cRtWy0tgzOUFkNszAcp7Z_GcyPqcxsBGc4ehP403sIY2znpv04A7PxR_v0DlMZoiNIEQYOMMY85mE_IZ9-2jYEb1VcLcmABSiYp_k1117xcOY2wsVEYrJynjUoJXwfPGrFylHGwT9G190vEU0s31Zvw71gJ6hrVJ8/s640/45.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqGzD_ftgfGMnLZGlnNrlHPAFNu1cRtWy0tgzOUFkNszAcp7Z_GcyPqcxsBGc4ehP403sIY2znpv04A7PxR_v0DlMZoiNIEQYOMMY85mE_IZ9-2jYEb1VcLcmABSiYp_k1117xcOY2wsVEYrJynjUoJXwfPGrFylHGwT9G190vEU0s31Zvw71gJ6hrVJ8/w400-h250/45.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4WAOpe0Tz2B7qE126THzA-dfPtytlegX_DvystVzBckd281UDlSywhSob_nnyFP1fYw2yiH4WJOR4qG-i3WZ9ZdMQPo3Dm0ocXfpG8y3M72CYGTZc31AthxMJiSkijeO4qLZos2dHT6OhAv6DjAtvDB7P0FN4NSlDeelt0MAvVMyBsSudzo-ls5r5nQs/s640/46.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4WAOpe0Tz2B7qE126THzA-dfPtytlegX_DvystVzBckd281UDlSywhSob_nnyFP1fYw2yiH4WJOR4qG-i3WZ9ZdMQPo3Dm0ocXfpG8y3M72CYGTZc31AthxMJiSkijeO4qLZos2dHT6OhAv6DjAtvDB7P0FN4NSlDeelt0MAvVMyBsSudzo-ls5r5nQs/w400-h250/46.png" width="400" /></a></div>Damn! That stings! I thought getting electrocuted and sodomized and whipped and falling off a 47,000 foot platform was bad, but this . . . this cuts to the quick. After doting on Gammie here, to ditch Larry just because he’s <i>not attractive</i> and is<i> kind of annoying</i> is . . . is . . . <br /><br />. . . is actually <i>really believable</i>, quite frankly. I’ve seen <i>Pretty in Pink</i>.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLvfEoxn73pg3yEoUmkFc9iv-J9Ps4aDK700uPtzsbs1tHfglHn__RRszl398ghHQAXzOdzIg-zCRf_91DS3yUtE9wqgVC6jQZ2-WrWBy3Td59EcopcwMNFzDRlu0TfePLVVZ1S0TnMWh0QfauYNQzYZNc7H7lyuQgwam3wWB_4NHDAOrzn6rumzYVy6w/s1200/47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="797" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLvfEoxn73pg3yEoUmkFc9iv-J9Ps4aDK700uPtzsbs1tHfglHn__RRszl398ghHQAXzOdzIg-zCRf_91DS3yUtE9wqgVC6jQZ2-WrWBy3Td59EcopcwMNFzDRlu0TfePLVVZ1S0TnMWh0QfauYNQzYZNc7H7lyuQgwam3wWB_4NHDAOrzn6rumzYVy6w/w400-h266/47.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Spoiler: The nice guy doesn’t get the girl.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Anyway, now that Gammie’s gone, I can finally fill up that strange lamp I found buried in the sand with her (yuck) drained cellulite (15 points).<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijCuOjLGL-ccSU6dPfFm7huzt-C3SZiCIwi8b6sL6Jy3D117AJuzpPdP0ycAjh0NO-pfEOT1rGua-MLnSC7BGq8PtujcPnWo0GmjJ8iAl8PgEUNGm0QsLGjDvvswxpFrIuSvWRvAHI4MeEEbRTA4d8I0TReTkPZglcv_9vZ3-fWkAaA9Np1d2PuETo-I4/s640/48.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijCuOjLGL-ccSU6dPfFm7huzt-C3SZiCIwi8b6sL6Jy3D117AJuzpPdP0ycAjh0NO-pfEOT1rGua-MLnSC7BGq8PtujcPnWo0GmjJ8iAl8PgEUNGm0QsLGjDvvswxpFrIuSvWRvAHI4MeEEbRTA4d8I0TReTkPZglcv_9vZ3-fWkAaA9Np1d2PuETo-I4/w400-h250/48.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX9HfgkU2bgshlBcU0z4TU0JZUJjYJM9QCJeBC7R11bj2sQ34nQfAwbfSprwXtQOZT8v7PfMlQLqpmQyTli1kQV9xaDLvjYKSJegLu6aApWaArzi4n3ejaJuKdHqjTTsafZjt9PKaknocWVnRxFtxNz4Lgjbp9jCDBwFVd5LNuyK895WtCE-eNmC9kfp8/s640/49.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX9HfgkU2bgshlBcU0z4TU0JZUJjYJM9QCJeBC7R11bj2sQ34nQfAwbfSprwXtQOZT8v7PfMlQLqpmQyTli1kQV9xaDLvjYKSJegLu6aApWaArzi4n3ejaJuKdHqjTTsafZjt9PKaknocWVnRxFtxNz4Lgjbp9jCDBwFVd5LNuyK895WtCE-eNmC9kfp8/w400-h250/49.png" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0eLpLiTdgRtCyDBVLr7KgS4ZQGbDYuFSyr3iDQfVQ-xkWirBhd1Aagp791KakV96skcPp0A9tPSBIjMyzOuOtXVr4oU4r05PV6iLx3HJN3jMFM1KdHdpc0F8FHfwncCv-bMwHo88Ldv5YkDyQXN6MhALTha25Sg8-O2FNJFCQG3CPCUlqNxtVqS6wHas/s400/50.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="400" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0eLpLiTdgRtCyDBVLr7KgS4ZQGbDYuFSyr3iDQfVQ-xkWirBhd1Aagp791KakV96skcPp0A9tPSBIjMyzOuOtXVr4oU4r05PV6iLx3HJN3jMFM1KdHdpc0F8FHfwncCv-bMwHo88Ldv5YkDyQXN6MhALTha25Sg8-O2FNJFCQG3CPCUlqNxtVqS6wHas/w400-h250/50.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>I dunno; </i>Freddy Pharkas <i>taught me something different.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Remember that comment Shamara made about this area formerly having a whaling industry? That’s a pretty cool little clue right there. I like clues. And Clue. And <i>Clue</i> (1985).<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5QzupvK00wEFONwIyl_WVdkteL3dNZkuKEtPwKlPDxNhy9GfQNB4jQwVOeCAmEktgQLG_OK1aFuysByfVvHLb480Dl1PcwX15Eb1as7RYfvd6jJPuJsheKs5do81CKUpux0qUBor4OjqT0hi4Fo5XQKq8_86pFhirE-GrYFNapB_1rSVmLeXRpJ4nQq4/s758/51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="758" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5QzupvK00wEFONwIyl_WVdkteL3dNZkuKEtPwKlPDxNhy9GfQNB4jQwVOeCAmEktgQLG_OK1aFuysByfVvHLb480Dl1PcwX15Eb1as7RYfvd6jJPuJsheKs5do81CKUpux0qUBor4OjqT0hi4Fo5XQKq8_86pFhirE-GrYFNapB_1rSVmLeXRpJ4nQq4/w400-h225/51.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>This is a really good movie that has absolutely nothing to do with</i> Leisure Suit Larry 6: Shape Up or Slip Out!</span></td></tr></tbody></table>After doing a final tally, I realize that Gammie was the last lady here in La Costa Lotta. I think I’m finally ready to beat this damn game! So I fill up my champagne bucket with fresh ice (it melts after a while, much as the damp washcloth will get back to lukewarm if you have it in your inventory for too long ) up to her penthouse I go! Before speaking to the woman herself, I decide to light the lamp, but . . .<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZvHGD1oPp3970X2RqQRtwZJ2JoJofi6vl6LECUqR_Qe1cOEsfKlcibiR-yB30JZzJb7RkRHPR544jqXkWidspcqNqly_LxSwA0L8UL0ghoLYxYzKFDepvgVMbF3-U_qGFNlCOQ77c4KB31ZJrjewrOuTRVzG7zA1olIMgLcNI_BgduhJlKh-6CWX6isw/s640/52.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZvHGD1oPp3970X2RqQRtwZJ2JoJofi6vl6LECUqR_Qe1cOEsfKlcibiR-yB30JZzJb7RkRHPR544jqXkWidspcqNqly_LxSwA0L8UL0ghoLYxYzKFDepvgVMbF3-U_qGFNlCOQ77c4KB31ZJrjewrOuTRVzG7zA1olIMgLcNI_BgduhJlKh-6CWX6isw/w400-h250/52.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>@!#?@!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>I was so close too! Luckily there’s a <i>freaking fire</i> in Shamara’s apartment, which does the trick (12 points).<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3I0bjR9woQQJTA2pj6zU5yAjtaerhRjnMjiSvwgqxMHcx9f9k_3ho56GvTW9bLmxXiVAvyq3Lqm20abJernZfAm_iXHocBDgi1GHJNquRi3_nCmyqMB-mhhAkJsUAJx5Rt3eT-mFINQE3QcN_-4JzEBGpYX_s3FsobjHan6la7wCKWqyekLEc4YByji4/s640/53.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3I0bjR9woQQJTA2pj6zU5yAjtaerhRjnMjiSvwgqxMHcx9f9k_3ho56GvTW9bLmxXiVAvyq3Lqm20abJernZfAm_iXHocBDgi1GHJNquRi3_nCmyqMB-mhhAkJsUAJx5Rt3eT-mFINQE3QcN_-4JzEBGpYX_s3FsobjHan6la7wCKWqyekLEc4YByji4/w400-h250/53.png" width="400" /></a></div>There’s an alternate solution to this (more below), but the gag is that Larry’s leisure suit is too soft or something to strike the match on. But Larry has shoes, there is pavement outside, there are walls . . . a very odd puzzle.<br /><br />Whatever. After lighting the lamp (8 points) to make it look like the universal symbol of learning (first I’ve heard of it), I proceed to give it to Shamara (20 points) followed by the champagne (20 points), and then that’s game over, baby.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0kBEBxcah5DxlqHE296FaZHhEuE6cxkKSXx6Bd4PheF6P_zIiszp0VfPBTDHb4myc0oSC9ab4FVXRfYIoe3C0049lAkkFdoKxloLJw7zbEDtGYLzoPJrC_2D0RsLIfRGmVhsyUGF0G5XP3CYgq0b5T2k2he6Fg3LY9Or1WTiMYnkP-gA_lFG0QsnloY4/s640/54.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0kBEBxcah5DxlqHE296FaZHhEuE6cxkKSXx6Bd4PheF6P_zIiszp0VfPBTDHb4myc0oSC9ab4FVXRfYIoe3C0049lAkkFdoKxloLJw7zbEDtGYLzoPJrC_2D0RsLIfRGmVhsyUGF0G5XP3CYgq0b5T2k2he6Fg3LY9Or1WTiMYnkP-gA_lFG0QsnloY4/w400-h250/54.png" width="400" /></a></div>Basically, Shamara reveals that she has spent her life exploring her inner world, she never explored her physical one. That means, yes, she’s never had sexual intercourse before. Which is, I mean, whatever. Some people don’t have a lot of sex and that shouldn’t be a joke in and of itself, but then again, this is a <i>Leisure Suit Larry</i> game, so it’s played for laughs. I guess an inexperienced woman is the only kind Larry can get. He, rather creepily, offers to teach about how to get physical, seeing as how he’s taught her so much about spirituality and whatnot.<br /><br />A very stupid premise for a very stupid game. However, the ending sequence is actually relatively humorous.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvZscp1bBCbNJ0mnWNcRcdNv6LZkJGa_mUdznC5e5Gdkdn0goGAeD2QKVcL8iGSYbmC0o1NwFB6rANzY4zwNM_79vzbsKG41131kaZM5UGxOTRao31_U2fozWt-F4NSrHy5nflNb2kYcWYzOc8aA2SHYE129qaLFHFP3kpERK1DNGKOGfPnkYskkNvtXY/s640/55.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvZscp1bBCbNJ0mnWNcRcdNv6LZkJGa_mUdznC5e5Gdkdn0goGAeD2QKVcL8iGSYbmC0o1NwFB6rANzY4zwNM_79vzbsKG41131kaZM5UGxOTRao31_U2fozWt-F4NSrHy5nflNb2kYcWYzOc8aA2SHYE129qaLFHFP3kpERK1DNGKOGfPnkYskkNvtXY/w400-h250/55.png" width="400" /></a></div>Yes, they do it, but as they do it a bunch of video clips play of things like a lotus flower opening up and a train going into a tunnel to insinuate the act without showing it. High-class humor.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjztw50kzIuhtv2Y9DB1OZgOYS0RRL42x1G3tiequCUKgNAs86uSjRBjIPsqYxuKa5pqcW0_QrRibQ_XF-OXvZsn5SLAJfnZj5zg3PPkE5ILVjcGfr6gYyhFNinwsARPob78Wuxp0GkCDnxwNSD9hOskJs29-ztn9heBusDlm8rl2KogjoWfriz632aauw/s640/56.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjztw50kzIuhtv2Y9DB1OZgOYS0RRL42x1G3tiequCUKgNAs86uSjRBjIPsqYxuKa5pqcW0_QrRibQ_XF-OXvZsn5SLAJfnZj5zg3PPkE5ILVjcGfr6gYyhFNinwsARPob78Wuxp0GkCDnxwNSD9hOskJs29-ztn9heBusDlm8rl2KogjoWfriz632aauw/w400-h250/56.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie9st9DObBoBjaYC5pNRGQ88b4ZIDqJeRBdjv03ovqTYBtGU7Gval1MAYNYeLrKdKNytF1TAG0hrBd4eWj5jJ_i9MkLhV8tE2Mq7L9jA45gp9zH9PCJGBo8hswaG5HxJXY9CVve9W2URpMY_BT5GWqqRrfr-qW-et9cWk06NPAYuLAc6ysFEQDQBSSG-4/s640/57.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie9st9DObBoBjaYC5pNRGQ88b4ZIDqJeRBdjv03ovqTYBtGU7Gval1MAYNYeLrKdKNytF1TAG0hrBd4eWj5jJ_i9MkLhV8tE2Mq7L9jA45gp9zH9PCJGBo8hswaG5HxJXY9CVve9W2URpMY_BT5GWqqRrfr-qW-et9cWk06NPAYuLAc6ysFEQDQBSSG-4/w400-h250/57.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIldg4uI3VuqeIBjQHCwWW1hkUkzRewTPGXMzz_3gwuUQvD_U6pLESEn6uuYWU_56jkiZSfQpvT24ljsPh7gh4x4CegX9mWVET1D1gpooQxBKY6k8VMBo_Pz2NM98JvbaIlzFK5W1Db-fAAgRNmSW7OjfOLAiLcl3PpqKHYSRXhcIZPestzCa2WXtOWQs/s640/58.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIldg4uI3VuqeIBjQHCwWW1hkUkzRewTPGXMzz_3gwuUQvD_U6pLESEn6uuYWU_56jkiZSfQpvT24ljsPh7gh4x4CegX9mWVET1D1gpooQxBKY6k8VMBo_Pz2NM98JvbaIlzFK5W1Db-fAAgRNmSW7OjfOLAiLcl3PpqKHYSRXhcIZPestzCa2WXtOWQs/w400-h250/58.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqVCTBdconEzexeLW8m0YNjs3PfL0zcjtdw2JFlY_6paFo6TshSCUzzY5DjWtQ28bvGb4BhVXwszcDd1K5oXbGVLyypEqTdm-SVF98qrldvSjZF8TnsAnQy6UHfk8kU3NiHecc4wqKBt2H7GHwpsQt-t9pJaN3chgjJ41pJiVS1RdNLrtzdoiKGDqFL00/s640/59.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqVCTBdconEzexeLW8m0YNjs3PfL0zcjtdw2JFlY_6paFo6TshSCUzzY5DjWtQ28bvGb4BhVXwszcDd1K5oXbGVLyypEqTdm-SVF98qrldvSjZF8TnsAnQy6UHfk8kU3NiHecc4wqKBt2H7GHwpsQt-t9pJaN3chgjJ41pJiVS1RdNLrtzdoiKGDqFL00/w400-h250/59.png" width="400" /></a></div>You get the idea. I’ll end here.<br /><br />Fun game! I anticipate it will rate relatively high on the PISSED scale. It’s not too hard, and not too easy, and has a good flow to it. A good structure. In fact, I got semi-obsessed with this game not from a plot standpoint but from a design standpoint. I started to speedrun it, which is why it took me forever to write this post after beating it. I developed a full-points route which I think is pretty good. Basically, you have to minimize the times you go to Larry’s room, and especially the shower, because you have to wash Larry after going to the sauna <i>and</i> after jumping into the mud bath—you can’t combine them—to get points for each. For my first run through, I did a 100 percent run in 42 minutes and 41 seconds, which I improved to 34 minutes and 5 seconds. I can see <i>many</i> areas for improvement, right down to my clicking, where I hover the mouse cursor, more efficient routes, and all of that. I need to make sure this doesn’t become my new obsession because I still have that Final Rating post to write . . . <br /><br />I also finished the SVGA remake which I <i>did</i> get with my GOG download, but for some reason it doesn’t let me take screenshots. In any event, in addition to the graphics being cleaner, there are added animations, like Shamara’s hair blowing in the wind and people’s limbs visible in the big champagne glass hot tubs in the mud room. Char moves her leg in and out of the mudbath, and Thunderbird uses the exercise machine more often. Things like that. Otherwise, the game is exactly the same.<br /><br />You’ll notice I’m six points shy of 1,000. That’s because I missed a few things, which I’ll explain in the next section of this post. How’s <i>that</i> for foreshadowing?<br /><h2 style="text-align: left;">THINGS I MISSED THE FIRST TIME AROUND</h2><b>Deaths: </b>This is a Sierra game, after all! I discovered a few other deaths I missed during my actual playthrough. You can have Larry walk too far into the ocean, try to climb the electrified fence to the employee recreation area, and try to strip the electrical cord while it’s plugged in to the outlet in the mudroom.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilpwRZ878XlUJLgUXFW_tZOKQAz0VjXflILt1_XxazaDSe3vW9XXQ7RNH0knXt2T-ELtz3z_Pysa0uOD9L3dsP_eSe14mnASMbh9pcIBen_h8Fn2u0rPpoz8k0Jc3_2kVkwHpKAFbpW20BfTAu0OSESsBuOYIrK0dGb1fSVRiAMG1mPhSBgQcwVNPtxvs/s640/60.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilpwRZ878XlUJLgUXFW_tZOKQAz0VjXflILt1_XxazaDSe3vW9XXQ7RNH0knXt2T-ELtz3z_Pysa0uOD9L3dsP_eSe14mnASMbh9pcIBen_h8Fn2u0rPpoz8k0Jc3_2kVkwHpKAFbpW20BfTAu0OSESsBuOYIrK0dGb1fSVRiAMG1mPhSBgQcwVNPtxvs/w400-h250/60.png" width="400" /></a></div>You can also keep clicking on Cav’s shirt after getting her badge until she shows you the goods, but then she kicks Larry in the nuts <i>so hard</i> he <i>flies into the air and bashes his brains out on the pipe</i>. Visually, an interesting death. When you think about it . . . <i>damn</i>.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpBUpIoXYLVVquDCj0Wk7BKCwHy-doE6u2hbkRnXYwdSsMIpDKECxJsapkLj6Qa-Yrop3Ga9IveaLtsbAkir1MqObB3P3VkttUaF8G_tJeZ9dDKItIsp0lTa21eDOH2SRnAoda2H5v2-3gif7la0JoFLo4GSDqAohrpIDzIWoUsWtKv5aISK8Pg1F-eQo/s626/61.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="626" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpBUpIoXYLVVquDCj0Wk7BKCwHy-doE6u2hbkRnXYwdSsMIpDKECxJsapkLj6Qa-Yrop3Ga9IveaLtsbAkir1MqObB3P3VkttUaF8G_tJeZ9dDKItIsp0lTa21eDOH2SRnAoda2H5v2-3gif7la0JoFLo4GSDqAohrpIDzIWoUsWtKv5aISK8Pg1F-eQo/w400-h250/61.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkegaQD8PeZg2_7ABv6h26VEmNs7p8y7TOeuLti8gsIrLc8nQRBL4hszMidaaxBmbswHxifThhwSDkaWQf5mvyoU58wdsCudxE5x0t6BXrspUezV-tiP0NprDISxTxknlUywehvzmdLhntWQSLQuFm82-f7P3Wxh-N0n0Afk-U9T50mxjORGMMpXDvS3c/s640/62.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkegaQD8PeZg2_7ABv6h26VEmNs7p8y7TOeuLti8gsIrLc8nQRBL4hszMidaaxBmbswHxifThhwSDkaWQf5mvyoU58wdsCudxE5x0t6BXrspUezV-tiP0NprDISxTxknlUywehvzmdLhntWQSLQuFm82-f7P3Wxh-N0n0Afk-U9T50mxjORGMMpXDvS3c/w400-h250/62.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkVEdKbT2VZZ9zDAQTQji_H8VdCYpAkGDM5PEc_ZizJieUUiVLkuo0VF9yvHC9BS6O5fphZE6LPXIDwt5-GdK1fiYA3EqeNaMfCOREHpu44kPyaOaZIYD3TbomMOCGLBcKDXec8OMXACaKDyWzO8BPVXW2FBmeqNyVL0qmOMJwruVKCvCEDPRk01NFxTo/s640/63.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkVEdKbT2VZZ9zDAQTQji_H8VdCYpAkGDM5PEc_ZizJieUUiVLkuo0VF9yvHC9BS6O5fphZE6LPXIDwt5-GdK1fiYA3EqeNaMfCOREHpu44kPyaOaZIYD3TbomMOCGLBcKDXec8OMXACaKDyWzO8BPVXW2FBmeqNyVL0qmOMJwruVKCvCEDPRk01NFxTo/w400-h250/63.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA5E21hyTXBh7BQFzhDGmSfCG3F_y_2VPWT81fYijpRvZInhtqIYS6i7YkQBfwemDL3g4xH892tlcvq49zx4nK0hdDTwoTrN45eqG02HWL3EZu2gvFMbYSJxsUuwS-SkVavCF6c6Yl20VTr18NrOjeY2dSRJQOk2bLj7h2J76orl-w6NzyWUwtFKNkuiA/s640/64.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA5E21hyTXBh7BQFzhDGmSfCG3F_y_2VPWT81fYijpRvZInhtqIYS6i7YkQBfwemDL3g4xH892tlcvq49zx4nK0hdDTwoTrN45eqG02HWL3EZu2gvFMbYSJxsUuwS-SkVavCF6c6Yl20VTr18NrOjeY2dSRJQOk2bLj7h2J76orl-w6NzyWUwtFKNkuiA/w400-h250/64.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxntVydoY0jluHMtn5TQeBEsjODTsvqgtG0ljNbCW_pBHguBdL8F0zdBpIiSntHqh2R3FfbrXo2NXVN7pBEWqt1BS-dVu1K6BfzdcOev-MI25MaMo8ToCS7L6zHAsQ1fkwSlsqvecDiOQXE1prG0pSTt8-cAejLzKtsHiV1B3gQNcv7rHK0sluYQFBDkI/s640/65.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxntVydoY0jluHMtn5TQeBEsjODTsvqgtG0ljNbCW_pBHguBdL8F0zdBpIiSntHqh2R3FfbrXo2NXVN7pBEWqt1BS-dVu1K6BfzdcOev-MI25MaMo8ToCS7L6zHAsQ1fkwSlsqvecDiOQXE1prG0pSTt8-cAejLzKtsHiV1B3gQNcv7rHK0sluYQFBDkI/w400-h250/65.png" width="400" /></a></div>So these are the deaths I’ve found:<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Trying to steal something from Daryl when he’s not distracted</li><li>Going into the sauna with your leisure suit on</li><li>Jumping into the mud bath with your leisure suit on</li><li>Jumping into the pool with your leisure suit on (a lot of leisure suit related deaths!)</li><li>Trying to climb the electric fence</li><li>Walking into the ocean</li><li>Boobies</li><li>Stripping the electrical cord when it’s plugged in</li><li>Using the “Zipper” icon on Gary</li><li>Sucking on the taco truck’s leaky tire</li></ul>If there are any I missed, let me know!<br /><br /><b>Alternate Solutions:</b><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>You can put the damp washcloth in the ice in the salad bar area, but you don’t get any points for it.</li><li>You’re supposed to go up to the diving tower and use the tower key on the soap before you use the file on the room key. This is also where I missed some points.</li><li>You can light the match by, uh, clicking Larry’s zipper on it.</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5z18SVFPHTVl8gGf7RWbzoSYFOwRPCobFRSZoJodFer76zOSfGwP5gj1TZ7uUlKOqd2SLCscNyOiwbKnR3yXyhMDt2OQaZGOGb-z7DTHL5NUchrQt_RYzjjX97Qw_1OJVM-5ZV9qt8hGwhwWefF04_9VFuoO5w6oJSU9Pn4sx9SmRwTKjuxheP5g0H7c/s640/66.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5z18SVFPHTVl8gGf7RWbzoSYFOwRPCobFRSZoJodFer76zOSfGwP5gj1TZ7uUlKOqd2SLCscNyOiwbKnR3yXyhMDt2OQaZGOGb-z7DTHL5NUchrQt_RYzjjX97Qw_1OJVM-5ZV9qt8hGwhwWefF04_9VFuoO5w6oJSU9Pn4sx9SmRwTKjuxheP5g0H7c/w400-h250/66.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigTBIVruPA4-MswNmEG1YTG_NCq1iFiszmtEXWsj2-TCrQj0eYQUSi9e0yZ5G1cI4FtBjFc3PB_edLb9h_U8yZTvXrBdamrlcWQbOFyioUFjuFJII2yvmtBWp3ArGtJZ0g3URaiJwBgxOhLuXrnFPCUlykKXdFdroD9_QqYw4kq89FwIJor9gGBYasKAI/s640/67.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigTBIVruPA4-MswNmEG1YTG_NCq1iFiszmtEXWsj2-TCrQj0eYQUSi9e0yZ5G1cI4FtBjFc3PB_edLb9h_U8yZTvXrBdamrlcWQbOFyioUFjuFJII2yvmtBWp3ArGtJZ0g3URaiJwBgxOhLuXrnFPCUlykKXdFdroD9_QqYw4kq89FwIJor9gGBYasKAI/w400-h250/67.png" width="400" /></a></div><b>Missing Points:</b><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The soap thing. </li><li><i>Not</i> drinking the beer. Where I thought I was being clever by getting beer (6 points), drinking it (-5 points), and then getting <i>more</i> beer (6 points) to replace the beer I drank, it turns out <i>you’re supposed to get two beers</i> for 12 points anyway, so I just only got 7 instead.</li><li>For that last point, you’re supposed to click on the oddly colored tile in the bathroom to get a peep into the women’s shower.</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZ5FkxRkJyIrc7HySoN8UdkPBAXAPEeZLEU6RMt_b-ZZ9mAC8lcmJ30tLmRmgU6rxzG2vDHAlNpA-lbDFnN3ybdZQ5x5KP2ifr8RIlL0I7Qd7Ng3OtFzIuu8-2dftQWXvwTRmWcpPn1CwgYVqoNt3byy-PWt6cR-8N8nZS_ZEB0gIXxOZZrs28TM7Cpc/s640/68.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZ5FkxRkJyIrc7HySoN8UdkPBAXAPEeZLEU6RMt_b-ZZ9mAC8lcmJ30tLmRmgU6rxzG2vDHAlNpA-lbDFnN3ybdZQ5x5KP2ifr8RIlL0I7Qd7Ng3OtFzIuu8-2dftQWXvwTRmWcpPn1CwgYVqoNt3byy-PWt6cR-8N8nZS_ZEB0gIXxOZZrs28TM7Cpc/w400-h250/68.png" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZHHWGRqotBePIKwIQdhTlcinyp3pHLQMHHghI8nGQnDH_OxJyS6uljmTxPkFwOlnDG7pHDI7M7ljVJBYvG0aynowFF92isXjk5JhaclieJuwvxKgyV2i97sZkbpX7I5yeQpf3bkJTXSgX_XSvPQUlW-f-_4PRt5H7Nwz1kKguvSu1boyzfVuwbQHRuhk/s640/69.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZHHWGRqotBePIKwIQdhTlcinyp3pHLQMHHghI8nGQnDH_OxJyS6uljmTxPkFwOlnDG7pHDI7M7ljVJBYvG0aynowFF92isXjk5JhaclieJuwvxKgyV2i97sZkbpX7I5yeQpf3bkJTXSgX_XSvPQUlW-f-_4PRt5H7Nwz1kKguvSu1boyzfVuwbQHRuhk/w400-h250/69.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Hah! The game made a </i>Porky’s<i> joke before I could!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirJ4P8q5SR4CbrYG8HifFgWUGb5L3H8jOfkkYM4DsGC3MDElBRqSn7-wjhYOHh92zpq5VF8eQKj21SLbRFw8yxC3XJnSNs0_s8cItTL8bb4ofpQDjInFTjIToaKlnK1Gxb0jxqreA53dJj61i7znPUI2iUSTRH-3JL8hhJnqb5-A4OYhB3NBLalpKUxHI/s625/70.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="625" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirJ4P8q5SR4CbrYG8HifFgWUGb5L3H8jOfkkYM4DsGC3MDElBRqSn7-wjhYOHh92zpq5VF8eQKj21SLbRFw8yxC3XJnSNs0_s8cItTL8bb4ofpQDjInFTjIToaKlnK1Gxb0jxqreA53dJj61i7znPUI2iUSTRH-3JL8hhJnqb5-A4OYhB3NBLalpKUxHI/w400-h250/70.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>How prurient!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Random</b>:<br /><br />You can click on Merr’s butt while climbing up the dive tower for a closer look.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxs_0wp2Nkwh4wWUOXdUIwyHS558IbzWQ4CHColmrtUttB_5clwTyIsHUK0f97kf8iXMN56l42hzjGOstbmI89qRGKkgFkXK0dPz1LaCqDkJVWiHgtixUrrQEV0h1cfoj3g6XZRvrkOvLW60U_XTZ1iOUV2Hh07NlQ_vYbSxEO1c7077FraBzsurWsGMk/s640/71.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxs_0wp2Nkwh4wWUOXdUIwyHS558IbzWQ4CHColmrtUttB_5clwTyIsHUK0f97kf8iXMN56l42hzjGOstbmI89qRGKkgFkXK0dPz1LaCqDkJVWiHgtixUrrQEV0h1cfoj3g6XZRvrkOvLW60U_XTZ1iOUV2Hh07NlQ_vYbSxEO1c7077FraBzsurWsGMk/w400-h250/71.png" width="400" /></a></div>I mean, if this sort of thing really revs your engine, then I guess <i>Leisure Suit Larry 6 </i>is the game for you!<br /><br />Also, when you get 1,000 points, the game’s score counter stalls at 999 before breaking. Clever.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXrbBjcG8066qJJ2eCXqEt8K2YiX87iyAg2SSA9hM0DyYEtoMzT58rOV311XH-G9xxKTW1rtWCxwhmyxap-4Yt2S7KGnDkTna1SA0zfPExlqzGQJaNVBi74wGJauz_npzeS_QhLLrg0PUgedQ89QSZgva5OlQUmnIuo21gFSxLAxNowhSwXLZCWdKr5js/s640/72.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXrbBjcG8066qJJ2eCXqEt8K2YiX87iyAg2SSA9hM0DyYEtoMzT58rOV311XH-G9xxKTW1rtWCxwhmyxap-4Yt2S7KGnDkTna1SA0zfPExlqzGQJaNVBi74wGJauz_npzeS_QhLLrg0PUgedQ89QSZgva5OlQUmnIuo21gFSxLAxNowhSwXLZCWdKr5js/w400-h250/72.png" width="400" /></a></div>All right, that’s it. Until next time friends. <br /><br /><b>OUTSTANDING PUZZLES:</b><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><strike>Fixing the brown water</strike></li><li><strike>Fixing the cellulite drainage machine for Gammie</strike></li><li><strike>Finding a girl to go to the sauna with for Cav</strike></li><li><strike>Finding batteries for Char</strike></li><li><strike>Finding a dress for Shablee</strike></li><li><strike>Finding handcuffs for Thunderbird</strike></li><li><strike>Finding flowers for Rose</strike></li><li><strike>Getting the handcuffs from Daryl</strike></li><li>Get a receipt marked PAID IN FULL to get past Daryl NOT NEEDED</li><li><strike>Find a bathing suit</strike></li><li><strike>Use the high dive at the pool</strike></li><li><strike>Blow up the beaver float</strike></li><li><strike>Get ice from the ice machine</strike></li><li><strike>Use the elevator</strike></li><li><strike>Use the dumbwaiter</strike></li><li><strike>Find more stuff to urinate on, in, or around</strike></li><li><strike>Get oil for the lamp</strike></li><li><strike>Figure out what to do in the tanning room</strike></li></ul><b>Session Time</b>: 2 hours, 50 minutes<br /><b>Total Time:</b> 9 hours, 50 minutes<br /><br /><b>Total Points:</b> 994<br /><br /><b>Inventory</b>: Cav’s badge, brochure, hand crème, room key, ass gasket, toilet paper, towel, wrench<br /><br /><b>Things Urinated On, In, or Around:</b> 5 (In the room key return box, behind the taco truck, in the fountain in the towel room, in the toilet in Larry’s room, in the pool)<br /><br /><b>Things Rammed Up Larry’s Butt:</b> 2 (Rose’s colonic machine, Shablee)<span id="docs-internal-guid-f16305bb-7fff-a0fa-6744-7e1ece061a92"><div><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div></span>Ilmari Jauhiainenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01655841880034965950noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-67958068584762968552023-11-15T00:00:00.226+11:002023-11-15T00:00:00.151+11:00Homeworld - Ice and FireBy Reiko<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8hdV44_sHJYomp1LgiViedib5fZyQ2QWQF26lUu4S9G7OxSmaccR8KvG_2MdFXu98OCvrONxsPVCcFy1smTTf37WzYSiXH_6105fEuLSetsEAtukOyoMRpTWW_afjsj8kXeS4i2Yv9iCwV7B7FPT-2IR1QfFeOcsGi4GYglbmTr09dCCHffD0NLYiWd0/s1600/01-home_294.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8hdV44_sHJYomp1LgiViedib5fZyQ2QWQF26lUu4S9G7OxSmaccR8KvG_2MdFXu98OCvrONxsPVCcFy1smTTf37WzYSiXH_6105fEuLSetsEAtukOyoMRpTWW_afjsj8kXeS4i2Yv9iCwV7B7FPT-2IR1QfFeOcsGi4GYglbmTr09dCCHffD0NLYiWd0/w400-h300/01-home_294.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Part III - Rescue: the start of the second half of the game.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Last time we escaped the clutches of the Phoenix Sect for a third time by triggering a Heechee escape pod on the Artifact, sending us off to who knows where! We've got a new world to explore. I hope I'm wearing something warm enough, because this world looks very cold. The ground is covered with ice, and the ship has crash-landed, softly enough that I don't seem to be injured, but hard enough to have damaged its systems.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfkALhFk2dtOiA95JA0lRBcIOY5unp2DfNIRYnkuFpMd-DMFnP9WfUEXccTGOFpCQFy-426WZGRoQNdI5OYbPYcdaJ_T6dZDtWY0NBSRz1vuRfh_M1k9IHh0HYSSjlAsUcn7NxLzzgKjAuNVDKSEqVEtnJWgb6cdhQ9AvP5auy_BA9oxVdI7lr-xxBBpI/s1600/02-home_295.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfkALhFk2dtOiA95JA0lRBcIOY5unp2DfNIRYnkuFpMd-DMFnP9WfUEXccTGOFpCQFy-426WZGRoQNdI5OYbPYcdaJ_T6dZDtWY0NBSRz1vuRfh_M1k9IHh0HYSSjlAsUcn7NxLzzgKjAuNVDKSEqVEtnJWgb6cdhQ9AvP5auy_BA9oxVdI7lr-xxBBpI/w400-h300/02-home_295.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Our first look at the new world.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span><a name='more'></a></span>An access panel is open and the drive mechanism, while visible, is completely inscrutable, so no help there for now. Maybe I can find another way off this place? It looks quite inhospitable. I find some kind of metal clamp nearby, also from the ship, as well as a compass. Finally we have some reason to know which way is north, although I don't see any other use for the compass at the moment. Still, I take it [5] and the clamp [5]. You never know what might come in handy to escape an ice world.<br /><br />With that, we are at exactly 700 points out of 1600, so still not even halfway through the game from that perspective, but halfway in terms of the four named sections of the game. Later achievements tend to rack up points more quickly, though.<br /><br />I wander off in one direction to start exploring the area. At first I find nothing, but as I start examining things, a cutscene suddenly triggers:<br /><br /><blockquote>You catch a flash of reflected sunlight in the corner of your eye. Turning toward it, you discover a strangely shaped ice formation. When it moves, however, you realize that the formation is not ice, but something quite alive - crystalline, but organic nonetheless. The thing reminds you of a spinal cord, ripped from a vertebrate's back and set into motion like a reared-up snake. Tiny arcs of electricity course throughout its body, and sparks fly into the air. It slides gracefully over the frozen ground on myriad tiny appendages, closing the distance between you.</blockquote><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggHCgh3kYWsgyYK5SrdWz38_6jtukt0G1VXGlj3Ttcb8r-4H3UEgvZLZ203SIUBkTh66wbC7UBrj8-m3veUAQSyKZ2uSgVW4i44vP0HyLHMG6q8V4mg0h2myxCoBdLZpz0DHG56ljukFx9ngRlHNIfmwZ9iOOuwGApyp2T6KukU80Y0GvV5IHO7NL5FX0/s1600/03-home_298.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggHCgh3kYWsgyYK5SrdWz38_6jtukt0G1VXGlj3Ttcb8r-4H3UEgvZLZ203SIUBkTh66wbC7UBrj8-m3veUAQSyKZ2uSgVW4i44vP0HyLHMG6q8V4mg0h2myxCoBdLZpz0DHG56ljukFx9ngRlHNIfmwZ9iOOuwGApyp2T6KukU80Y0GvV5IHO7NL5FX0/w400-h300/03-home_298.gif" width="400" /></i></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>These crystal aliens are kind of cute.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><blockquote>It stops and tilts a flat, head-like appendage toward you. Sunlight filters through the crystal plate and dances on the surface. The light separates into a spectrum of colors, like a prism, but then resolves into pictures - moving pictures. Somehow, this alien is harnessing the surrounding light to display a tiny scene.</blockquote>Here the cutscene shifts to a partly animated one.<br /><blockquote>You recognize the picture as the place where you stand, sans your escape ship. Suddenly, you see your ship streak out of the sky and crash into the ice.<br /><br />In the scene, the hatch opens and you step out. It seems that what the creature is depicting are the events that have just occurred.</blockquote><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXGvGhlNo34urkGTjB_cWqNpCK2ynAU3o2kfQ395HL-ckJaB9O70p4asXBMAiZyBpgr9qxkd4YM07XrS-n3XOBqsgB9vVKmnNlo951Wrqa1ze6TeP65E7lmH1AwEM_wjxVz2UNtHLc8R6kbAvwFpkLp_UGg2elZJkncFSxTHHAYcculs69W1BzAkY64C0/s1600/04-home_301.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXGvGhlNo34urkGTjB_cWqNpCK2ynAU3o2kfQ395HL-ckJaB9O70p4asXBMAiZyBpgr9qxkd4YM07XrS-n3XOBqsgB9vVKmnNlo951Wrqa1ze6TeP65E7lmH1AwEM_wjxVz2UNtHLc8R6kbAvwFpkLp_UGg2elZJkncFSxTHHAYcculs69W1BzAkY64C0/w400-h250/04-home_301.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>It's Robinette Broadhead, in the flesh!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Here we actually see a figure that's supposed to represent the main character. As far as I remember, this is the first time the PC has been depicted on-screen in either game.<br /><blockquote>The alien enters the scene. He shows you the tiny images in his head appendage, and then leaves. You follow along. These events obviously have not yet happened, so you surmise that the creature is picting the actions that it would like to see you perform.</blockquote><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjih7e8Uc6dqs0CNH28kvc_WmPNzB8RAuFMir7GgcTaHHxv2ynFs3nW-Tj0Jm7HXCOqA1djgg1HtIL3bVE3HHYGgGXfPw0-PEJw7v48UfXOiYrkVhckE_nSzDTs67ipuJ2Ks-gS8xxdHOsQSbebiW_h1-_91BOddsQzEzBIZD9u1VRLn9T0xwToH6j2PKg/s1600/05-home_303.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjih7e8Uc6dqs0CNH28kvc_WmPNzB8RAuFMir7GgcTaHHxv2ynFs3nW-Tj0Jm7HXCOqA1djgg1HtIL3bVE3HHYGgGXfPw0-PEJw7v48UfXOiYrkVhckE_nSzDTs67ipuJ2Ks-gS8xxdHOsQSbebiW_h1-_91BOddsQzEzBIZD9u1VRLn9T0xwToH6j2PKg/w400-h300/05-home_303.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>A village of crystal spinal cords.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>I don't see any reason not to follow the creature, as it seems mostly harmless so far, so when it moves off, I follow in the same direction, and after a few minutes, it brings me to what seems like a village of the creatures. We're now calling them Kords for their similarity to spinal cords.<br /><br />Amusingly, we even see young of the creatures. They don't seem to talk, but they communicate with each other by displaying pictures the way the first one just did. A child Kord asks an older one for a stick by displaying a picture of it, and then the older one gives it a piece of its own body. So the creatures can manipulate the shape of their crystalline structure as well as controlling what light does when it passes through them.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4phRI1VEHnViiifXfaeD5spzcuPpcLAFv-wAycHzPduA9jmKIHebf8mSNMCQGGsmyajyfqKmNaO4Nk2B6GsBejBouai56Bkfvwqof2MlCQu85LJXUtIc9tod-4hV9DaAloJRv_q9UYSg8XCaEgRtTfn4hwYydww8xODYH-N1SJVGPJ2OLLRLBIjB-UB4/s1600/06-home_304.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4phRI1VEHnViiifXfaeD5spzcuPpcLAFv-wAycHzPduA9jmKIHebf8mSNMCQGGsmyajyfqKmNaO4Nk2B6GsBejBouai56Bkfvwqof2MlCQu85LJXUtIc9tod-4hV9DaAloJRv_q9UYSg8XCaEgRtTfn4hwYydww8xODYH-N1SJVGPJ2OLLRLBIjB-UB4/w400-h300/06-home_304.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>The elder's very bare home.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>The Kord that guided me here leads me into a large sheltering structure carved out of ice. Inside is an ancient Kord. How the PC can tell that a particular creature is much older when they're all made of crystalline bone-like pieces, I'm not at all sure. In the image, it looks a bit cracked, I suppose, analogous to wrinkles? At any rate, the guide seems to respect this one and explains to it how it found me. Then the old one approaches and begins to tell me its own story.<br /><blockquote>A Heechee escape ship, very much like yours, plummets out of the sky, trailing fuel. Upon impact with the icy surface, the fuel catches on fire and explodes. The blast creates an enormous crater, hundreds of meters in diameter.<br /><br />Over time, an ice glacier reclaims the crater. It slowly crawls over the entire area, completely hiding the ship.<br /><br />Some time later, a great tremor fractures the glacier. A crack spirals outward from the center. Aftershocks widen the crack and create others. Soon, a maze of passages riddles the glacier.</blockquote><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRmo6Ahz_VfQEBGXNz-Vx_jEEq55WCvq6ckF3CrjQImBy5FEo4BCP0YBxJK357phHdVtHKmgq3bubbduXzMJSWO2S8zJQWnUwXDSlT3-F202M04uXkc4ziZvI2X8FJLO2pbjEuyv3AlWqYyyowXKgYEb7ICWb9-aMz6o6UHvP8wvEiq3hKMWQ99D7Aejw/s1600/07-home_308.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRmo6Ahz_VfQEBGXNz-Vx_jEEq55WCvq6ckF3CrjQImBy5FEo4BCP0YBxJK357phHdVtHKmgq3bubbduXzMJSWO2S8zJQWnUwXDSlT3-F202M04uXkc4ziZvI2X8FJLO2pbjEuyv3AlWqYyyowXKgYEb7ICWb9-aMz6o6UHvP8wvEiq3hKMWQ99D7Aejw/w400-h250/07-home_308.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>The Kords show some cleverness in finding the center of the crater.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><blockquote>A party of Kords enters the maze of passages. As they hike along, they pause at every intersection. One of them drops a ball and they watch to see which exit it rolls towards. Each time, they follow this path.<br /><br />Eventually, they arrive at the center and find the escape ship buried under tons of ice. The Kords create cutting tools and, working tirelessly, excavate a pit around the ship. As the pit deepens, they build a ladder to help them enter and exit easily. </blockquote><blockquote>The ship appears completely intact. They try to get inside, but cannot seem to open the hatch. Eventually they abandon the attempt and prepare to leave.</blockquote><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNLW40rD9DZs0PCuuHbjbqwr22b8MyW5ZtSbpJYmIYkVYvsp0KoqxQtsOGn7oyeEMxTs3nmfwYqPI-7NIsGWbhvqIr9SHG2cXuPx8Z1EEAsDElJ1Pn-m9KFZ1ONqr9QeJYJafFXsZUifR8c1Cq1k_aLDcmIgEaYvdbVt2k2Yf7Bz3Q3ayMGh5MA55JEgQ/s1600/08-home_311.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNLW40rD9DZs0PCuuHbjbqwr22b8MyW5ZtSbpJYmIYkVYvsp0KoqxQtsOGn7oyeEMxTs3nmfwYqPI-7NIsGWbhvqIr9SHG2cXuPx8Z1EEAsDElJ1Pn-m9KFZ1ONqr9QeJYJafFXsZUifR8c1Cq1k_aLDcmIgEaYvdbVt2k2Yf7Bz3Q3ayMGh5MA55JEgQ/w400-h250/08-home_311.gif" width="400" /></i></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Creating an exact replica of an object is an extraordinary ability.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><blockquote>Before they go, one of the Kords carves an exact likeness of the ship, including all symbols and markings. Carrying the carving before them, the Kords wind their way back through the maze of passages and return to the village.</blockquote>The guide disappears after the elder's story is over [10]. Well, that's fortuitous. That story seems to indicate that there's another Heechee ship available nearby, which might be able to get me off this rock, if I can get into it.<br /><br />I go back out to the main village location and interact with the young Kord for a while. It's playing with its stick by banging it on things and rubbing it on its own head. If I show it items, it tries to make a copy of them from its body but always fails to make anything useful. I can’t trade it for its stick or anything either. Probably I won’t need it.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkbD4t6B8pFq9B6tLtl56kcaLjR8GsiSspR162CVtOZkFEE5aNHd5sQWo_nn9xTloG4uUwd6J0rBN1sIogaUmEKgtGQOFflw0jWC6qz4S4q40iyyNWS5a9JvdQwC047_OyCZMuUi__o1iGajfcjzhAAzuKBS8nchFprhy10rhIj3kRgIYUjSa8y-tfDaY/s1600/09-home_313.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkbD4t6B8pFq9B6tLtl56kcaLjR8GsiSspR162CVtOZkFEE5aNHd5sQWo_nn9xTloG4uUwd6J0rBN1sIogaUmEKgtGQOFflw0jWC6qz4S4q40iyyNWS5a9JvdQwC047_OyCZMuUi__o1iGajfcjzhAAzuKBS8nchFprhy10rhIj3kRgIYUjSa8y-tfDaY/w400-h300/09-home_313.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>A rather disorganized museum.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>The next location I find is an "Ice Garden" containing many intricate and detailed sculptures, some of tools and such. I take a basket and a cutter, in case they're useful, and examine the rest. On the bottom of the sculpture of the Heechee escape ship, which is probably the same one mentioned in the Kord's story, I find markings showing a Heechee number [5]. This is probably the code that will get the hatch open, once I find the thing. (On a reload, I discover that the code is randomized each time, probably when the ship sculpture is examined for the first time.)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDeSI04xVbBhMHQmNhi6WOxrrOQ7OGRvIXj5Qqnzs35GuWCev6OP37G4C5JF_31LvtGemmifremmnvojitJXjQigLV_hi98_g2KPn3wJhClIKV6NpCd2ZZUWeAFdpyfnPLssbVwJ9GN08ZINKpFW7DyJ1u3sHB5lvjirC47ySD16n4uyWsgwlkzI8LsAE/s1600/10-home_316.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDeSI04xVbBhMHQmNhi6WOxrrOQ7OGRvIXj5Qqnzs35GuWCev6OP37G4C5JF_31LvtGemmifremmnvojitJXjQigLV_hi98_g2KPn3wJhClIKV6NpCd2ZZUWeAFdpyfnPLssbVwJ9GN08ZINKpFW7DyJ1u3sHB5lvjirC47ySD16n4uyWsgwlkzI8LsAE/w400-h300/10-home_316.gif" width="400" /></i></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>They're so quick at making the crystal replicas!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>In an adjacent area to the south, an artist works, making more ice sculptures. I show it the ice cutter that I just picked up, and it makes me a crystal version from its body [10]. Having the more durable crystal version, I automatically drop the ice version, which shatters. I hope they didn't need that for their sculpture museum. The same thing happens with the ice bowl: I trade it for a crystal version.<br /><br />Both the cutter and the bowl are finely and precisely made, but both were made almost instantly by the substance of the Kord. What do these things eat, anyway? It also seems odd that durable crystal versions of objects can be made easily by the Kords, and they just give them to me, while they carefully carve fragile ice versions of things to put in their ice garden.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNB2Nhq9KqCTxiByW28d7v80CqRVAeK2s_oU1eVbNX7f1WA74yvnGFYWh3tqwRlwdbk5O_BJwVkyFrJaQXbKsxKg8pdugcKKdT5TSepcd4ugZ61xcX2CvQ11yn1op8UBW7hLWRkVe5tcM1D8ePvuWriNBfalioHTPOQYQn-CnT6ufOS5Q5IdGkuKlSGRY/s1600/11-home_318.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNB2Nhq9KqCTxiByW28d7v80CqRVAeK2s_oU1eVbNX7f1WA74yvnGFYWh3tqwRlwdbk5O_BJwVkyFrJaQXbKsxKg8pdugcKKdT5TSepcd4ugZ61xcX2CvQ11yn1op8UBW7hLWRkVe5tcM1D8ePvuWriNBfalioHTPOQYQn-CnT6ufOS5Q5IdGkuKlSGRY/w400-h300/11-home_318.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Looks like a meeting of Kords.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Off to the east of the village, I find a shallow pit with several Kords gathered around it. The pit contains nothing but some sparkling white rocky dust. When I examine it, one of the Kords notices me and shows me a new story.<br /><blockquote>Four Kords sit around a shallow pit filled with white dust. Three of them insert their tails into the dust and absorb a small quantity. The fourth merely waits. When the three have finished, they all leave.<br /><br />The Kords arrive at a spring inhabited by a huge crystalline monster. A sheer cliff rises beyond the spring, and a rock bridge connects the near shore with the top of the cliff wall.<br /><br />The Kord that did not eat any of the white dust steps onto the bridge. Suddenly, a crystalline tentacle whips out of the spring, wraps around the Kord, and draws it underneath the surface. A few moments of violent thrashing are followed by a sudden stillness.<br /><br />The creature settles down to eat its meal, and the remaining Kords race up the rock path. The beast pays no attention to them as it feasts on the self-sacrificing Kord.<br /><br />The three Kords enter a stone forest. Strange ice-covered rock formations poke out of the ground, and large worm-like creatures crawl aimlessly between them.<br /><br />The first Kord produces a cutting tool. With it, he scrapes the ice from the face of one of the rocks. Instantly, one of the worm-creatures attaches itself to the exposed stone surface and begins to chew its way into the rock. After a few moments, a thick white dust starts to flow out of the worm's hindsection.</blockquote><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlIX5HyU2CEuefievXC1k4gXDYaaWLge0M2KkcWaNg5RNGpy4YyRXT4s4HIxQyGBlnVSE92Phm_prwvq3jqUSupvrtficBju17tqnEK6lVl_u5ARHj2S4QNNIPS-MNSXAXvAwFfcx2POn-4sLULJOsHUSYzqeci-SOMIlpySjdwiEMC7O6gR_U4BzGylE/s1600/12-home_325.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlIX5HyU2CEuefievXC1k4gXDYaaWLge0M2KkcWaNg5RNGpy4YyRXT4s4HIxQyGBlnVSE92Phm_prwvq3jqUSupvrtficBju17tqnEK6lVl_u5ARHj2S4QNNIPS-MNSXAXvAwFfcx2POn-4sLULJOsHUSYzqeci-SOMIlpySjdwiEMC7O6gR_U4BzGylE/w400-h250/12-home_325.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Now we know why the young Kord was banging a stick.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><blockquote>A dark, winged creature suddenly swoops down from the north. It dives towards the Kords, talons outstretched. Immediately, the second Kord produces a stick appendage which it bangs against its crystal head. Something about this action causes the flying creature to veer off and fly away.<br /><br />The third Kord manufactures a crystal bowl appendage. It scoops up as much of the white dust as it can. When the bowl is full, the party of Kords leaves.</blockquote>Nothing further happens after the story is finished [10]. I can't do anything else with the pit, though. This dust seems quite valuable, considering that one of the Kords seems to have to die each time they go get some. If I approach again, a Kord just shows me the same story again. The message is clear: leave our dust alone. Whatever it is.<br /><br />From the village, I try wandering north, but that just leads to the Kord shelters, which are all too small for me. That's it for the village area, it seems, but the area around the village is somewhat confusing, with multiple similar areas called "Ice Plains." So I start mapping, I think for the first time in the <i>Gateway</i> series, because that's what I do in text adventures with confusing areas.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZaiP39H43Vm3anobW9VMauCnAMErG37fwbHmo8tw0c0Q4Am2bE6hz0vq20L0ge-jILAt19s9LPTvWghIKhpWvGex0dIq3XKq4TBNhYWEtbx7zHpFAqCOro3hf8KyVOrAGXwMU0kuLjqE-j4ZJEtxMpOePs1wa1dGzcsSOaCTSniqcj9zzK8xAnybKx4w/s1600/13-home_327.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZaiP39H43Vm3anobW9VMauCnAMErG37fwbHmo8tw0c0Q4Am2bE6hz0vq20L0ge-jILAt19s9LPTvWghIKhpWvGex0dIq3XKq4TBNhYWEtbx7zHpFAqCOro3hf8KyVOrAGXwMU0kuLjqE-j4ZJEtxMpOePs1wa1dGzcsSOaCTSniqcj9zzK8xAnybKx4w/w400-h300/13-home_327.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>This creature eats Kords, but Kords eat rock dust?</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>The ice plains are rather more extensive than I had first thought, given how compact most of the previous areas have been. The main area runs to more than 30 locations by the time I'm done. Along the way, I find a number of small caves in the ice mountain, but they seem to be just a distraction. As I have no light, they get darker and darker until, if I go far enough, I run into something and die. I also find the hot spring with the crystal tentacle creature that guards the place where the Kords get their rock dust. I don't know how to pass the creature yet. However, I can fill my crystal bowl with the spring water, which may be useful.<br /><br />On the far west side of the plains, I find the glacier maze that the Kords showed me. It's an even larger area of identical rooms. I know how to deal with mazes, though. More mapping! In all seriousness, while I did in fact map the entire maze, mostly because I was curious about exactly how extensive it was, it's not at all necessary to do so.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDtTqjB7Uub-K6HGrpIvlBYe-KQzpcz1ogBMcQX5CWFDrxV7E-nGTR0iiyww21lZTZmBX9rRn0Qwy2yCLfzI71IAlbakO1vpW8uf3haVXpeRgmJtA1SDub1GL2LwdgNCrnLb9QSTTOVElAxjjsHbehXpiTHaW1QkeKWpC6W20YocF2ahhYPsAETAh4Alc/s1600/14-home_329.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDtTqjB7Uub-K6HGrpIvlBYe-KQzpcz1ogBMcQX5CWFDrxV7E-nGTR0iiyww21lZTZmBX9rRn0Qwy2yCLfzI71IAlbakO1vpW8uf3haVXpeRgmJtA1SDub1GL2LwdgNCrnLb9QSTTOVElAxjjsHbehXpiTHaW1QkeKWpC6W20YocF2ahhYPsAETAh4Alc/w400-h300/14-home_329.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Pouring water to thread the maze.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>I don't have a ball like the Kords used to judge the tilt of the floor toward the center, but I do have a bowl of water. When I try pouring it in a maze room, I end up pouring just a little bit, which forms a rivulet that trickles toward the center, accomplishing the same thing as the ball [20]. Any fork in the path can easily be identified using the water, and in fact, the correct path only encounters four forks. The full map, below, shows that the glacier is a 10x10 square of locations.<br /><br />One way I can be pretty certain that the player was never meant to map the glacier is the minor bug I found whenever I got to a dead-end in the path. Most locations say "Cracks in the glacier lead east and southeast." Or whatever the exits are. Locations that are not dead-ends always have at least two exits, but dead-ends only have one, and they will say, for instance, "Cracks in the glacier lead and west." The code doesn't take the "and" out when there's only one exit. Players using the water to guide them will never see this, though. In fact, I discover later that if you don't make wrong turns and only follow the water, then the game will automatically jump you to the next fork rather than making you follow every step of the path. This is an exceptionally considerate maze implementation.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbnfWsozjj71ojfex6_QcHN7gNKsEL4yTpWZiSvQFFPQ-UwfJFBwDWykOzK0gFy_EvJD2yhaJbyc3jq-4VirokSx12F9N_xYylCLMpS9aZ6RNYnI9PMN8ccvgiuNGaYbzAxI-D4fV8_R__W0RVaKtCyhl50F6ntlfWymxPUQ19aJWBg-NvYT8YxzR0vyY/s980/15-Kord-map.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="980" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbnfWsozjj71ojfex6_QcHN7gNKsEL4yTpWZiSvQFFPQ-UwfJFBwDWykOzK0gFy_EvJD2yhaJbyc3jq-4VirokSx12F9N_xYylCLMpS9aZ6RNYnI9PMN8ccvgiuNGaYbzAxI-D4fV8_R__W0RVaKtCyhl50F6ntlfWymxPUQ19aJWBg-NvYT8YxzR0vyY/w400-h209/15-Kord-map.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Map of the Kord ice planet area.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>In the map above, we landed at location [v], the Landing Site, but I actually started mapping from the village at location [a]. You can follow my progress around the area by the alphabetic progression. Every location with an asterisk is a dark cavern, and the hundred rooms of the glacier are off to the west. The creature in the hot spring is at location [r].<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfmpw6yd8YSZZR3y9iqXX8nUBWxttbSmYqMF1Z-Fm2deAnROCFmrEWS00DfDgA3xRn0lO76LqXrpKU7PNCnMa9IMEXnbAsEaU2kWMqOXA7Ef4thCogoPgSuyr0VglG7OYtjyJNgfhAyrXmaXegoSB4G16uEpzWkESlvF0uNFl7RWpvFNkeL3C3sAX2i4/s1600/16-home_331.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfmpw6yd8YSZZR3y9iqXX8nUBWxttbSmYqMF1Z-Fm2deAnROCFmrEWS00DfDgA3xRn0lO76LqXrpKU7PNCnMa9IMEXnbAsEaU2kWMqOXA7Ef4thCogoPgSuyr0VglG7OYtjyJNgfhAyrXmaXegoSB4G16uEpzWkESlvF0uNFl7RWpvFNkeL3C3sAX2i4/w400-h300/16-home_331.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Reaching the center of the glacier...</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuGekRPGIayOj2zVuvk1j78ZrW9AHGsnO5hu9fAQnvlnbPOY-Mbu_uK3fiNkLFiOqLem1YjoSHA9KAEjox3x89gsnyGFsftuFhEgkCG29tHAHvMRn_UfIaXxzriYF5eWJM1q1rXkvY2CFMpivo61orISS3lKqmPxyHgDWkiHlshyphenhyphenXVycXs3MRlKDkCvHk/s1600/17-home_332.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuGekRPGIayOj2zVuvk1j78ZrW9AHGsnO5hu9fAQnvlnbPOY-Mbu_uK3fiNkLFiOqLem1YjoSHA9KAEjox3x89gsnyGFsftuFhEgkCG29tHAHvMRn_UfIaXxzriYF5eWJM1q1rXkvY2CFMpivo61orISS3lKqmPxyHgDWkiHlshyphenhyphenXVycXs3MRlKDkCvHk/w400-h300/17-home_332.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>...and falling into the pit.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>At the glacier's center [10], I find the crashed ship in a pit, just as the Kords had shown me. However, the ladder they built to get down into the pit was only built for their weight, and breaks under mine [5]. Whoops, I might be stuck here for a while. Fortunately, I wasn't injured in the tumble. In the meantime, I'll investigate the ship.<br /><br />It's definitely a Heechee escape pod of some sort; it's nearly identical to the one I rode here in, although this one looks a good deal older, as if it's been stuck in ice here for centuries. The hatch code is somewhat visible under the ice, but can't be read. It's a good thing the Kords made an accurate reproduction of the ship, including the code. I punch it into the access panel [10] and open the hatch.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd9XF1BJXrWXYgrIupMuTbrU7Q5uJf9sa11qhEm7jEhSnGd2dbRfOXarcOj3bYPabioPTqmtKWAeai4Civ0DxXFO7h8rBmAFBn92xwZiaOvuyWpzoy9b5U3kERfRGLhc47lQVl6NNGpDrUeE7U71U_WeKHj0j0TUDi7IQrLyOXSe4gvGRMBawtJ2u9rrg/s1600/18-home_336.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd9XF1BJXrWXYgrIupMuTbrU7Q5uJf9sa11qhEm7jEhSnGd2dbRfOXarcOj3bYPabioPTqmtKWAeai4Civ0DxXFO7h8rBmAFBn92xwZiaOvuyWpzoy9b5U3kERfRGLhc47lQVl6NNGpDrUeE7U71U_WeKHj0j0TUDi7IQrLyOXSe4gvGRMBawtJ2u9rrg/w400-h300/18-home_336.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Desecrating the dead is apparently a required action here.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Inside, I find an actual Heechee body, long dead. Probably the ice has preserved it somewhat, but it has clearly decomposed over the years. The body is depicted in the room's image, but there's not much of a description of it in text, as it's meant to have degraded enough that it's hard to tell what it was supposed to look like. In theory, this would be an amazing find, able to tell us much more about what the Heechee were like, but there's no way for me to take it with me or do any detailed study of it here.<br /><br />The only thing I take is some kind of glowing pyramidal pod [10], which is the only other object inside the ship. While it can be opened, it's empty, but the text makes it clear that it seems to be some kind of important personal effect. I vaguely remember why it will be important later, but I really don't know why it seems to be so important now that we're encouraged to take it. Morbid curiosity, if nothing else, maybe. If you came across a tomb on a deserted island with some kind of memento of someone who died but no other indication of who it was, would you take it with you as you try to get back to civilization? I suppose I would, as it would likely have archaeological and historical significance.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnqQm67UdKZLzz8DR5cKdzKqqFDlEQKgplgyrrDR413RQ681_Ot0Qt3FmQmsRjkSfWjr-YBJXrdtVFHt4zsZeYhnFMtozxygXwPnJyObZVSeAtE5pz5JdYTxWStBxFw2SBMQBoGeU-new8xviK_fikeFoKN_72PyeHXtaX3YY6fkvNVUG9hCDva8qsZMU/s1600/19-home_334.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnqQm67UdKZLzz8DR5cKdzKqqFDlEQKgplgyrrDR413RQ681_Ot0Qt3FmQmsRjkSfWjr-YBJXrdtVFHt4zsZeYhnFMtozxygXwPnJyObZVSeAtE5pz5JdYTxWStBxFw2SBMQBoGeU-new8xviK_fikeFoKN_72PyeHXtaX3YY6fkvNVUG9hCDva8qsZMU/w400-h300/19-home_334.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Extracting the corroded clamp from the crashed ship.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>At any rate, it hardly matters unless we get out of this pit. There's not much in here to work with, really. I'm carrying the crystal bowl of water, crystal cutters, the tuning fork from much earlier, a metal clamp I found by my ship, a compass, and now the Heechee pod. I'm not touching that corpse any further. However the access panel of the ship is still accessible and not completely covered by ice. I open the panel and find a corroded metal clamp, similar to the one I'm carrying.<br /><br />I can't immediately pull it out, though, as it seems to be on and humming. The text specifically calls it a magnetic clamp, which indicates that the magnetism can be turned on and off. I press the button on it, which turns it off, and now I can pull it free of the ship.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapGHyJaz8DndVq6BmuFOs1bsOPZmgVcU9Kbj2Q9qJOdVTRK153_KYsCZC0i76sCW0JOblnJcoqchWwnseFlNIlPYOkPlIUJAZlZRO0mxwjuLJfKar8Tg3G7GNKWT7ZclDAWk7ZnRAPOKJEACVtWnhLX5Fk-ZFy-KnOO01OCVlY4uet3KO0MVXqxXG36M/s1600/20-home_337.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapGHyJaz8DndVq6BmuFOs1bsOPZmgVcU9Kbj2Q9qJOdVTRK153_KYsCZC0i76sCW0JOblnJcoqchWwnseFlNIlPYOkPlIUJAZlZRO0mxwjuLJfKar8Tg3G7GNKWT7ZclDAWk7ZnRAPOKJEACVtWnhLX5Fk-ZFy-KnOO01OCVlY4uet3KO0MVXqxXG36M/w400-h300/20-home_337.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Launching myself out of the pit by the power of magnetism.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="text-align: left;"></span></td></tr></tbody></table>I don't have to wind my way back through the maze; exiting the center automatically brings me back to the glacier entrance. Again, very considerate. So I have a Heechee pod, but other than that, I'm not really sure what all that accomplished, as I still don't know how to deal with the crystal creature. One other thing I noticed is that the compass points toward the rock cleft room with the creature.<br /><br />Next time we'll sort out what to do with the creature so we can find a way off this ball of ice and get somewhere more interesting.<br /><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b>Deaths</b>:<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMFF4MHQegoRk638d38cnxuNzjPanEywREQGRy42siutYbI8Xp4iHar-ocDOlUItFwbc3OcOQg2M_Asy3YTUiHOAb1v9H5VR0BA7vOQRB-fO2Zzo1L9TZ2l-jJKJh8nK9vzttR2m_kDJG_6JBnV31-3b4Ee3VnsmJygmxL9lwr9cW7Kj8t9ibQXnHau8o/s1600/21-home_328.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMFF4MHQegoRk638d38cnxuNzjPanEywREQGRy42siutYbI8Xp4iHar-ocDOlUItFwbc3OcOQg2M_Asy3YTUiHOAb1v9H5VR0BA7vOQRB-fO2Zzo1L9TZ2l-jJKJh8nK9vzttR2m_kDJG_6JBnV31-3b4Ee3VnsmJygmxL9lwr9cW7Kj8t9ibQXnHau8o/w400-h300/21-home_328.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="text-align: start;">Unceremoniously smashing my head in a dark cavern. (#21)<br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table></h4>Surprisingly, this is the only death so far on this world. It's inhospitable, but oddly not that dangerous. As long as you're not a crystal creature, at least. My coverall must be amazing if it’s protecting me from the weather here.<br /><br /><b>Score</b>: 835<br /><b>Deaths</b>: 21<br /><br /><b>Inventory</b>: tuning fork, compass, crystal cutter, crystal bowl (holding water), Heechee pod (wearing: blue coverall)<br /><br /><b>Session Time:</b> 2.5 hours (at least half an hour for mapping)<br /><b>Total Time</b>: 12 hours<br /><br /><b>Note Regarding Spoilers and Companion Assist Points</b>: There’s a set of rules regarding spoilers and companion assist points. Please read it <a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/p/rookie-companion.html">here</a> 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!Ilmari Jauhiainenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01655841880034965950noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-46935989876320722682023-11-09T00:00:00.396+11:002023-11-09T10:51:42.927+11:00Leisure Suit Larry 6 - Cracking the Codeby Alex<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieBua78ozVr4OlB7wDylKoN_xuzTHS4FiQ8q0jEVeDYpxo6Y-HbRYigeLYw9qiotQU0-fm_hzun9V_y4bWnew5G71Xcdz5hpIXGb1i5Eloj8CyxuqwEpebXTlvaYSIbfxJ70isromo0X4C2YblqK0OfiOWvBwvbqqTYiJgkZfHe3AXnKEWk5iOfaE0_fw/s640/1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieBua78ozVr4OlB7wDylKoN_xuzTHS4FiQ8q0jEVeDYpxo6Y-HbRYigeLYw9qiotQU0-fm_hzun9V_y4bWnew5G71Xcdz5hpIXGb1i5Eloj8CyxuqwEpebXTlvaYSIbfxJ70isromo0X4C2YblqK0OfiOWvBwvbqqTYiJgkZfHe3AXnKEWk5iOfaE0_fw/w400-h250/1.png" width="400" /></a></div>I’ve done it. After this play session, which had me thinking about <strike>ways to inadvertently upset <i>The Adventurers Guild’s</i> moderators and readership</strike> how to solve an adventure game’s puzzles long after my sessions ended, I finally understood what<i> Leisure Suit Larry 6</i> is all about—this:<span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnsXsVRSp-9i1RmwUF3uYfI5aR_8LP-V20kDvdHA_i4g9m0Q3qwGns6HXE0j5-KGPW7sp8ZKZoBWWrN0lcCi_JkFurpkKYcyvCPoAkQsqHKLQBTgBbgooLjQuVbh67Bivn4kaHTjnDlzRtoQMV6EctkUVf3Cxbb6Zwf4he-jLn3rePwsA2Vc8hNx59R_4/s640/2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnsXsVRSp-9i1RmwUF3uYfI5aR_8LP-V20kDvdHA_i4g9m0Q3qwGns6HXE0j5-KGPW7sp8ZKZoBWWrN0lcCi_JkFurpkKYcyvCPoAkQsqHKLQBTgBbgooLjQuVbh67Bivn4kaHTjnDlzRtoQMV6EctkUVf3Cxbb6Zwf4he-jLn3rePwsA2Vc8hNx59R_4/w400-h250/2.png" width="400" /></a></div>This screenshot right here is the pulsating heart (or something else) of the entire <i>Larry</i> series. Pixelated titillation (pixelation?). Some may call it “light-hearted” or “all in good fun.” Others may call it “prurient” and “proof of the corrupting influence of video games on the citizenry of the world, particularly the youth” but if you’re letting <i>kids</i> play a game that’s clearly marked as<i> being distinctly not for kids</i>, I don’t know what to tell you. All I know is that I, a full-grown man, get nothing from this game save for a few laughs and the fun of solving some pretty decent adventure game puzzles. <br /><br />I’ve figured out the rhythm of this game: Larry wanders around La Costa Lotta, finding various women who need something. They will give Larry what <i>he</i> needs (you know what that is) in exchange for that item. Larry manages to find the item, provides it to the lady, and then hilarity (?) ensues resulting in Larry’s humiliation, Larry gets an item at the end, and then gives these items to Shamara. Who is Shamara? Ah, for that, you’ll have to read on and see where I totally missed something pretty basic during one of my earlier sessions (<a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2023/09/leisure-suit-larry-6-marking-my.html">this one</a>, to be exact).<br /><br />But first, a note about game design.<br /><br />The design of<i> Leisure Suit Larry 6</i> really works well. I think Al Lowe was spot-on when <a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2023/08/leisure-suit-larry-6-shape-up-or-slip.html">he wrote in the manual</a> that he wanted to “[i]n some ways, a return to the original. With<i> Larry 6,</i> I wanted to provide an area where the player could roam around and see almost anything within the first few minutes of play, and yet provide enough depth of play that the game would challenge most players.” He did a great job with this.<br /><br />I liken this sort of design to a tabletop role-playing game. I’ve been playing a lot of<i> Dungeons & Dragons</i> with my son, and the best adventures I’ve found are the ones which take a location-based approach: they give the DM—and by extension, the player—a map with a bunch of locations on it, and the player can choose which locations to go to when, and each location contains a bunch of stuff to do. Maybe they’re all related to an overarching story or goal. Maybe they’re all side-quests. Maybe they lead to <i>more</i> adventures. Either way, the fun comes from giving the player <i>agency</i>. I’ve found the<i> D&D</i> 5th edition’s 2014 Starter Set’s adventure, The Lost Mine of <i>Phandelver</i>, to be an excellent exemplar of this philosophy.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6-WaZb9pjH8pEmwO1xtDjA8QRKAVj1Wqvre4_Z48ewR6gYJpoR0j36_VgOlaHAzeUf34FCFlPwc19uyNLdA7kRkFuMajAoIXBKA8Jaxr4VIfobMoh7zUITS2hKp0nG-7wkPWzURBlb0vgUlIoihaJHv81oz0cq01_QpSWEwM7YlGehmj0xu4Vek7qebw/s800/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6-WaZb9pjH8pEmwO1xtDjA8QRKAVj1Wqvre4_Z48ewR6gYJpoR0j36_VgOlaHAzeUf34FCFlPwc19uyNLdA7kRkFuMajAoIXBKA8Jaxr4VIfobMoh7zUITS2hKp0nG-7wkPWzURBlb0vgUlIoihaJHv81oz0cq01_QpSWEwM7YlGehmj0xu4Vek7qebw/w400-h300/3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Now, in video games, the ability to totally improvise a brand-new quest is limited, but <i>Leisure Suit Larry 6</i> does a fine job given the limitations of the art form, especially as they existed in 1993. It’s no <i>Elder Scrolls</i> title, and yes, the player is railroaded to a degree, but it <i>feels</i> like the player has agency, which is something I commend Al for. Many other adventure games of this era do this well: the <i>Quest for Glory</i> and <i>Monkey Island</i> series are obvious examples, but do those games let you urinate on, in, or around things? Nope. Do they recycle jokes to the degree that I do in my post? Actually, yes. <br /><br />Moving on.<br /><br />I ended <a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2023/10/leisure-suit-larry-6-risque-business-or.html">last session</a> having just picked up a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket on the beach, and then before firing up the game again kept thinking about two outstanding puzzles: (1) How to use the dumbwaiter once Larry shoves himself inside, and (2) how to trick Daryl into letting me take his handcuffs, which are the item Thunderbird is waiting for. I decided to tackle the dumbwaiter first, but not before using my brand-new ice bucket to snag some ice cubes from the machine outside of Larry’s room (13 points). So now I have cold champagne, but no one to drink it with.<br /><br />Back in the kitchen, I cram Larry into the dumbwaiter again and try other items, like the dental floss, to push the button. Maybe Larry would tie it around the button or something? Yeah, I don’t know what I was thinking either. <br /><br />It turns out the answer is nowhere near as complicated. In fact, all you have to do is . . . click “Hand” on the button a second time. Larry reaches out, presses it, gets his arm caught, presses it <i>again</i>, gets his nose caught . . .<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrJBCIPvm5y-49eV-DgJijOF3a60nkw4SOanJqAv1g80zfBaCPbSbx6L7OkPPk5rhRwPmT53ynLPURspJuOTQ_uieJSZ6-ssBVqBQ91tDFi5gPwdMQwG7OcRmad4FmX4UBs17oedKVSfI1KXY624G1B2hMYF8t8kdJXxZJqQOgQl4fcWXwrMlk_nDwAG4/s640/4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrJBCIPvm5y-49eV-DgJijOF3a60nkw4SOanJqAv1g80zfBaCPbSbx6L7OkPPk5rhRwPmT53ynLPURspJuOTQ_uieJSZ6-ssBVqBQ91tDFi5gPwdMQwG7OcRmad4FmX4UBs17oedKVSfI1KXY624G1B2hMYF8t8kdJXxZJqQOgQl4fcWXwrMlk_nDwAG4/w400-h250/4.png" width="400" /></a></div>. . . pulls it out (huh huh), and then the dumbwaiter whisks Larry up, up, up, and away to . . .<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwgLkgMJ4i8VVgLeLXyAPOjUC7bBeOJ5ixwJ7XNUyU8zVj-GoGg9cX0yvfM6AmvuZ6JzeYe_2IyYwqaX1ugbJxuEI6-0VXGiRvEnfoOtRNaBk0x5PczL9xUrIfCr2sZF8SgkAuG-fyLeTdJCEulyp-YCYdg3setT5nXPBX9FbmO4leUBDSZqUKx4DjI2c/s640/5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwgLkgMJ4i8VVgLeLXyAPOjUC7bBeOJ5ixwJ7XNUyU8zVj-GoGg9cX0yvfM6AmvuZ6JzeYe_2IyYwqaX1ugbJxuEI6-0VXGiRvEnfoOtRNaBk0x5PczL9xUrIfCr2sZF8SgkAuG-fyLeTdJCEulyp-YCYdg3setT5nXPBX9FbmO4leUBDSZqUKx4DjI2c/w400-h250/5.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Now we know what kind of socks Larry wears.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>. . . a swanky penthouse apartment.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY1b4wh2zj1IRSbWTiBCfRPaNfKrzQARlVwv2_hK9kob605FvXcaYQRA6zJQAGOv9BAxwYdqWjqeNWHU0MzYrV72nkU0kamW8gLw9iOu-sysqxc8aIVxdqyXm7LkwUEgG-UAQE1cC2tHD9CyFKGNeHr3JGiDXMemiQeSu8mYSYQNRubsw6E92e7aoSSAc/s640/6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY1b4wh2zj1IRSbWTiBCfRPaNfKrzQARlVwv2_hK9kob605FvXcaYQRA6zJQAGOv9BAxwYdqWjqeNWHU0MzYrV72nkU0kamW8gLw9iOu-sysqxc8aIVxdqyXm7LkwUEgG-UAQE1cC2tHD9CyFKGNeHr3JGiDXMemiQeSu8mYSYQNRubsw6E92e7aoSSAc/w400-h250/6.png" width="400" /></a></div>Where have we seen this before?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjudM0tLB4_T_qHoqnqov1kI0xWW_Uo4ptkxGFL_qGP5jm0bvVUGs4oQh1L7yP_sCIcG6PrmHlzlz0BYcgmm5JDA7yp5hsNag74PK8tR9vCqH5k4mZSaXhXxXKnBVIcBsf2XdcD_VGOs5jNQUHqZUHdQGZX_4bUVHIW1wcVO0gWjY2P8inpyxpe4q5yJc/s1280/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjudM0tLB4_T_qHoqnqov1kI0xWW_Uo4ptkxGFL_qGP5jm0bvVUGs4oQh1L7yP_sCIcG6PrmHlzlz0BYcgmm5JDA7yp5hsNag74PK8tR9vCqH5k4mZSaXhXxXKnBVIcBsf2XdcD_VGOs5jNQUHqZUHdQGZX_4bUVHIW1wcVO0gWjY2P8inpyxpe4q5yJc/w400-h225/7.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Oh yeah.</i></span><br style="text-align: start;" /></td></tr></tbody></table>So here we have one of many puzzles I just totally whiffed on the first few times playing <i>Larry 6</i>. I’m sure many of you in the comments were screaming at me, things like “No, just click the button <i>again</i>!” and “Why are you such an insensitive jerk?” To which I answer: I can’t hear you no matter how loudly you yell. Computers don’t work like that. <br /><br />There’s nothing to pick up in these fancy digs, just an elevator that I later confirm goes back to just outside Larry’s room, a private, locked door I can’t go through to the north, and an exit to the west. Heading west takes me to a room with an indoor firepit and a woman sitting on a balcony. She’s cross-legged and topless, and according to Larry she’s the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXmJmNJaaXI3Vc07k37ie6KleWA-F-YGV_B3eRBLE_qZjLvOC5d9M2t1vTHFdea7Zmy32nZyYLSnr-fXsU40U59ohmB4gxkxp3HMi46H3hd5fTWa6WzNDLvtvzLo8o-V2_1wL39v-8kQu9QoTZqsPhRi4Jmb1fycV0rs73nTbjk-mWn9KlsfH2317AIAk/s640/8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXmJmNJaaXI3Vc07k37ie6KleWA-F-YGV_B3eRBLE_qZjLvOC5d9M2t1vTHFdea7Zmy32nZyYLSnr-fXsU40U59ohmB4gxkxp3HMi46H3hd5fTWa6WzNDLvtvzLo8o-V2_1wL39v-8kQu9QoTZqsPhRi4Jmb1fycV0rs73nTbjk-mWn9KlsfH2317AIAk/w400-h250/8.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>See?</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>She is Shamara Payne, and is basically the woman of Larry’s dreams.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpgmce63P8pdfgxfvltso3COzewF_-V1S71vitLdnzKom6lED32HS7pew8wh3x-RCZ6lvQDUe1YCdKI8d_RutN-nfg15FjX8Yy3aRIGAWUD9m_Y88KXSfjvyUJfQSZGYEjC2nZTtAOWf6I0EProYBgd1zAYepkqHmIoh7j8iXswAu1j_phg78mJslM9BA/s640/9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpgmce63P8pdfgxfvltso3COzewF_-V1S71vitLdnzKom6lED32HS7pew8wh3x-RCZ6lvQDUe1YCdKI8d_RutN-nfg15FjX8Yy3aRIGAWUD9m_Y88KXSfjvyUJfQSZGYEjC2nZTtAOWf6I0EProYBgd1zAYepkqHmIoh7j8iXswAu1j_phg78mJslM9BA/w400-h250/9.png" width="400" /></a></div>Talking to her (4 points) gets Larry to learn her life story, after trying out some lame lines and lying about being a dumbwaiter repair man or something: Shamara was a high-powered executive type who one day felt like her life lacked meaning. So she decided to move to the island upon which La Costa Lotta is built, “to live a Spartan life of contemplation and thought, living off room service and New Age music” until she can fathom her “meaningless life.” And, presumably, sleep with Larry. Yes, I made that last part up, but I’m pretty sure Shamara is the game’s “goal”: Larry’s always trying to find true love, after all, not just a meaningless succession of one-night stands (though I’m sure Larry wouldn’t mind that). <br /><br />On a lark, because this is an adventure game and you click everything on everything (even Larry’s zipper, though he comments he doesn’t want to screw things up with Shamara), I try giving her the bracelet Burgundy left behind in the shower . . . and she accepts it (20 points)! Shamara goes on an extremely long-winded rant about what the bracelet truly represents, and that Larry is speaking to her symbolically to get her to understand the meaning of life, <i>man</i>.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLuXODVxcMOUdNRlg1XzP06dDhATfYUu_GUUBscoW11-LIgzxmlQ3BqbPefyL6u1ITaA05WWN01w5TqVX3H4_SOYGMqAv3Y9vtH-KFFrSrOcgJOG87_YSUXzSCGWJwmYf0LCF2eJQbAXP_WK-9uvTpySjo0XKiORSgkn2otLEWShDH-V6q3VPcOf9UKc0/s640/10.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLuXODVxcMOUdNRlg1XzP06dDhATfYUu_GUUBscoW11-LIgzxmlQ3BqbPefyL6u1ITaA05WWN01w5TqVX3H4_SOYGMqAv3Y9vtH-KFFrSrOcgJOG87_YSUXzSCGWJwmYf0LCF2eJQbAXP_WK-9uvTpySjo0XKiORSgkn2otLEWShDH-V6q3VPcOf9UKc0/w400-h250/10.png" width="400" /></a></div>It's pretty funny, especially with Larry being like “Uh, yeah, exactly,” the ignorant fool perceived to be wise by a seeker of wisdom. I’m not going to reproduce it all here though because it would be several walls of text long, and if you want <i>that</i> you can just go to Reddit or something. <br /><br />I also give Shamara the orchid Larry got for enduring Rose’s colonic (20 points), and get a similar spiel. I then try the champagne, but Shamara says she’s not ready to drink it yet. Other items don’t do anything, except for the lamp, with Shamara commenting that there used to be a lot of whaling on the island. Interesting. This makes me think about oil. I have a gross idea, that I’ll need to get oil removed via the cellulite drainage machine to fill the lamp, but that’s disgusting. A Larry game would <i>never</i> stoop to that level, would it?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixkEy99dyphjLUK-cxq_NH-biQtktD4c9n8n-cVijoxxcurk_TTr6tSfG9R1673CxZnlu_QTSJM4ZBgGmxCRQGCkDfhzYZnLrgGe7QoN7zV4V5VIh-9DI-vWucJ9r6mcLpem4mi0Sh8X8IvXQ9Pu-JpCd5O2Qug_oKhHL8pNhc9VYNDuywc7XAy_Xyc6I/s640/11.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixkEy99dyphjLUK-cxq_NH-biQtktD4c9n8n-cVijoxxcurk_TTr6tSfG9R1673CxZnlu_QTSJM4ZBgGmxCRQGCkDfhzYZnLrgGe7QoN7zV4V5VIh-9DI-vWucJ9r6mcLpem4mi0Sh8X8IvXQ9Pu-JpCd5O2Qug_oKhHL8pNhc9VYNDuywc7XAy_Xyc6I/w400-h250/11.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Nope, nothing but pure class here, yes sir.</i></span><br style="text-align: start;" /></td></tr></tbody></table>Fair enough! Now let’s get out of here and work on that handcuff puzzle. I’m pretty sure there was a video camera somewhere. I had the idea of doing something with the camera, preferably involving naked women, as a way to distract Daryl. Maybe with the brochure? I thought maybe Larry could hold it up to a video camera, tape it up there, and then go snag the cuffs while Daryl was busy. <br /><br />It turned out that there <i>was</i> a camera: in the mud-bath room. This is a pretty odd place to have CCTV, and makes me wonder about what kind of place La Costa Lotta is anyway (spoiler: ‘tis a silly place).<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimCj1gxAdN0zDV9YdMx6ZUch-x6S3FJSD3izKXEO9I5zyDOt2LVd7QPrlLsyGal4HcxQdox4IwCaGRptZXCqzSuuRx3gz8lWQPfpzC9wG0_96Gq7Q-XvS6k8RF6SLx3v1rR2u8GHdXfnU8kSLrf4iE7vaIslInu_X7DhoZEQRE4Ih897LBegzDSnAjUoU/s640/12.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimCj1gxAdN0zDV9YdMx6ZUch-x6S3FJSD3izKXEO9I5zyDOt2LVd7QPrlLsyGal4HcxQdox4IwCaGRptZXCqzSuuRx3gz8lWQPfpzC9wG0_96Gq7Q-XvS6k8RF6SLx3v1rR2u8GHdXfnU8kSLrf4iE7vaIslInu_X7DhoZEQRE4Ih897LBegzDSnAjUoU/w400-h250/12.png" width="400" /></a></div>Great! I try using the brochure on the camera, and I get an odd message: “While that might help, it won’t loosen that tight bolt like a wrench.” Ah, okay! So the wrench has another purpose here. The problem is, there are those plants in the way of the staircase-looking architectural feature, so I just use the “Hand” to move them (5 points) so Larry can walk up and adjust the camera with the wrench so it’s pointing through the vent into the women’s locker room (12 points). This is like an 80’s movie, <i>Porky’s</i> or something, or maybe <i>Revenge of the Nerds</i> (which does NOT hold up), but anything to get some handcuffs to give to a weightlifting lady so she’ll sleep with Larry.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNEpI931cigxn9uLv5I-N53Ss9HpOLX9EMA3eKSPXJAp8IhJ2S8x07OtRyMOilNGbBeOE-K8T8QbyOYNM4C-MvMiQ76HQl-_A7x17J3Qsasx0-hH_bJT_m5fUndvBz-lpwyfsqlmvZEd6yZfh6VnJHvEpmlo435HXEdAXblo8OcEgrUg0Jc4ZeEs3ixk/s640/13.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNEpI931cigxn9uLv5I-N53Ss9HpOLX9EMA3eKSPXJAp8IhJ2S8x07OtRyMOilNGbBeOE-K8T8QbyOYNM4C-MvMiQ76HQl-_A7x17J3Qsasx0-hH_bJT_m5fUndvBz-lpwyfsqlmvZEd6yZfh6VnJHvEpmlo435HXEdAXblo8OcEgrUg0Jc4ZeEs3ixk/w400-h250/13.png" width="400" /></a></div>Before I go to visit Daryl in the guard hut, I ponder the power cord Larry stripped the wire on and then plugged in. I try picking it up, and think about another puzzle I’d been thinking about during my time away from the game. Can Larry just zap that locked door? Well, picking up the cord puts it in Larry’s inventory, but I paid better attention to the screen and noticed Larry was <i>holding</i> the cord. So I clicked it on the locked door, and, yup, I fried the electronic lock until the door opened (12 points). I wonder what wonderful wonders are in store! Wunderbar!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDZ22YBEKFgwGeufs1q045hRba9slFWqVIt0s3TeZ6S95GsqXm5vCClhzvPmI62bxkc4qkOaa9uNQe-u4XOb4xWZaoWa4PQWxpGy3OIGZyePtxLb-rn7Uous04wV2wsnmTSbCqi6M5P3A3vhGP7A757FyqFPrWheYYitDZtWvNmPYhIZxVsN80tWVKfPM/s640/14.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDZ22YBEKFgwGeufs1q045hRba9slFWqVIt0s3TeZ6S95GsqXm5vCClhzvPmI62bxkc4qkOaa9uNQe-u4XOb4xWZaoWa4PQWxpGy3OIGZyePtxLb-rn7Uous04wV2wsnmTSbCqi6M5P3A3vhGP7A757FyqFPrWheYYitDZtWvNmPYhIZxVsN80tWVKfPM/w400-h250/14.png" width="400" /></a></div>Why, it’s La Costa Lotta’s Electroshock Exercise Room! And it kind of sucks! There’s a tanning bed on the upper-left wall, a bunch of bottles I can’t take in a desk I can’t open on the lower-left, a table beneath a mass of cables I can’t lie on in the center, and a machine on the right I can’t do anything with. The game says that “everything is turned off until the attendant returns.” Attendant? Is that Gary? I still don’t know. I’ll elide past the times I spend fruitlessly clicking in this room, coming back wearing nothing but a towel, and getting nowhere. Enough of this room! We’ve got handcuffs to filch!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6wl3UASw6rxcyHdgcW3V0ggEr-jMT-TgMPJcdGLI0muvbmBN45_aZER_D005i4Wex-S39gKOeTBdVQe1SYWwWSd3MauGPEdO7gHZe_cI1wQLYXS-SL_mPjZPOoqq_QsRNFGMjlUAhu7KBoTasd-kEYqU-Y44fVooTcyXyPi89PHwfrrR7gIAWJIWz16c/s640/15.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6wl3UASw6rxcyHdgcW3V0ggEr-jMT-TgMPJcdGLI0muvbmBN45_aZER_D005i4Wex-S39gKOeTBdVQe1SYWwWSd3MauGPEdO7gHZe_cI1wQLYXS-SL_mPjZPOoqq_QsRNFGMjlUAhu7KBoTasd-kEYqU-Y44fVooTcyXyPi89PHwfrrR7gIAWJIWz16c/w400-h250/15.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Filched (15 points)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Thunderbird is appropriately enthused by my gift of handcuffs (15 points) that she invites Larry back to her room . . . except she doesn’t tell him which one.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7wIVFZvCsh9plhADSLs5hIxeelXg228MTxbPxD2-OCvGBxnPE1oEsAxyxp_QSd2BB94suISmQYv3KW-S-ewFqrbBDQbrgE8Dquhk9qbYQm6-hsLAn5fQ2n8brD7GCXHs5QFe4s0JgOo6VX4awdyZM0dEJT3fxiA7n8LKJT0nzFMpCnt3Xj8KyiMu4kq8/s640/16.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7wIVFZvCsh9plhADSLs5hIxeelXg228MTxbPxD2-OCvGBxnPE1oEsAxyxp_QSd2BB94suISmQYv3KW-S-ewFqrbBDQbrgE8Dquhk9qbYQm6-hsLAn5fQ2n8brD7GCXHs5QFe4s0JgOo6VX4awdyZM0dEJT3fxiA7n8LKJT0nzFMpCnt3Xj8KyiMu4kq8/w400-h250/16.png" width="400" /></a></div>It doesn’t matter though, because all you have to do is knock on every door in the resort’s first-floor hallways until you find the one that either doesn’t open or doesn’t give you a funny (or “funny” depending on your mood/maturity level) message, and it’s hers (10 points). And so begins yet another humiliation sequence for Larry, this one involving Thunderbird doffing her dress to reveal a S&M outfit, putting a dog collar around Larry’s neck (without his consent) and whipping him for a good long while (without his consent) (20 points). Larry sure gets taken advantage of in this place, doesn’t he?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK08FHV-gtGATmoJBePqKTXyle1LITCMxTjIKI3lfrW_V0HXOqkbZpNByRCmRFd1nEavMsXNTw7w3fBDiUrUcGZw_2e9NLBuqyD9LuIn4__OrY0D_Ua1rzpGPQMgrsBBPYQHKT9DKA_gge6FAODFh69rrfgyxrmJoKzEgtXOg2ctq8LUw24DCGcaqyRn4/s640/17.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK08FHV-gtGATmoJBePqKTXyle1LITCMxTjIKI3lfrW_V0HXOqkbZpNByRCmRFd1nEavMsXNTw7w3fBDiUrUcGZw_2e9NLBuqyD9LuIn4__OrY0D_Ua1rzpGPQMgrsBBPYQHKT9DKA_gge6FAODFh69rrfgyxrmJoKzEgtXOg2ctq8LUw24DCGcaqyRn4/w400-h250/17.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNnHFl0wRw8oZxHffb6QebEpMBF4KJuVHKxlNa-sGV3joC9-GuL71unm8tMWaPfOE6c9r-o-4fpeUVTcuWl5WOidSIvYWHCpKWhfX87MhPbKyKvaR8pDHsvEdqKh_IIZEH_c8xNvJy532s0AWq0XpvtDxvPOypzncWv4wGOkILvanv7TZYaQt2Gmsk7H4/s640/18.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNnHFl0wRw8oZxHffb6QebEpMBF4KJuVHKxlNa-sGV3joC9-GuL71unm8tMWaPfOE6c9r-o-4fpeUVTcuWl5WOidSIvYWHCpKWhfX87MhPbKyKvaR8pDHsvEdqKh_IIZEH_c8xNvJy532s0AWq0XpvtDxvPOypzncWv4wGOkILvanv7TZYaQt2Gmsk7H4/w400-h250/18.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1oNI7dNwhtQ78lUkA3wc-cbhzb-3xOwAKzmPOyFVbHuqaTR-_8DvtFR0IZvOPU_z68D_DYP3yJQ0pE7j7JgmA5dIk-3GPeBNctLxMBtPSVioUmxfjR3elybahD5pPzBTnBMfg8yIJeMRp3XJogBPtntr73fvkc7wKksiBzFsV0s1gWqlAw-PX6DMLAMc/s640/19.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1oNI7dNwhtQ78lUkA3wc-cbhzb-3xOwAKzmPOyFVbHuqaTR-_8DvtFR0IZvOPU_z68D_DYP3yJQ0pE7j7JgmA5dIk-3GPeBNctLxMBtPSVioUmxfjR3elybahD5pPzBTnBMfg8yIJeMRp3XJogBPtntr73fvkc7wKksiBzFsV0s1gWqlAw-PX6DMLAMc/w400-h250/19.png" width="400" /></a></div>I mean, I guess it’s safe sex because nobody got any of the wet stuff on them, but sheesh!<br /><br />Larry wakes up the next morning, bruised and battered but alive. He still has the dog collar, and check it out! It comes with a gigantic diamond!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif2V0fzc4U8_hDOKNeAhKlukQTnfna9oCkypJm1T5imCoDs27Rt5F_DZBH47AyjDFQzLhSNXgpVUkTaVmQfrqyrJoLhaFvtwAmHBVq70yFl-UxZbT-nnQfgh3u_tYNjJgdsi09vUvHxAQX-3z3vba4kQScw7ngoazs68Rg_bk3b0rB7_1cDcCgqELnhfc/s640/20.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif2V0fzc4U8_hDOKNeAhKlukQTnfna9oCkypJm1T5imCoDs27Rt5F_DZBH47AyjDFQzLhSNXgpVUkTaVmQfrqyrJoLhaFvtwAmHBVq70yFl-UxZbT-nnQfgh3u_tYNjJgdsi09vUvHxAQX-3z3vba4kQScw7ngoazs68Rg_bk3b0rB7_1cDcCgqELnhfc/w400-h250/20.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtrzutVp6FApU6AH2WGOLpJypjUKMzsexLSlgD8rJ33yYAEvDA1qbU8ZYXTimPC_warS-4SHk-ql1T_VeB0zJQqPbvJZLB1PLDIKJ87dGEAFn1IahLsdNdoXZvg1hr3INJYYqxYaIoKVoj7oHwKTF0Rbliayy9FR6XfoG0SvUxXxUTGStizZvWagyMc3o/s640/21.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtrzutVp6FApU6AH2WGOLpJypjUKMzsexLSlgD8rJ33yYAEvDA1qbU8ZYXTimPC_warS-4SHk-ql1T_VeB0zJQqPbvJZLB1PLDIKJ87dGEAFn1IahLsdNdoXZvg1hr3INJYYqxYaIoKVoj7oHwKTF0Rbliayy9FR6XfoG0SvUxXxUTGStizZvWagyMc3o/w400-h250/21.png" width="400" /></a></div>After plucking this highly valuable jewel from the collar (10 points) I promptly go give it to Shamara (20 points), and cross another few puzzles off my list. The next one I tackle has been driving me crazy for a while: how do I get a bathing suit? Well, it turns out I don’t <i>find</i> one; I <i>make</i> one. And all it took was a clue from Billy Dee the lifeguard.<br /><br />I try clicking everything on him, brute-forcing my way to <i>something</i>, and when I click the dental floss on him, he says the following:<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1PJdHQRYFyHrY9XXiCLcXA3KaRtf3EvqyUpZ7zmQjN9yNLJ0kNaMNpGzu93w8n19rED3EF-53yjT1Z-ZsnCpgt0YojToJHfwv8CvgT8vIXnSVhIY645u3hQv2Su2kBKDDtknnNUEwpSw-qjcbNuVyUnOxulCe0BIJmYhfYMQje4KHSN7oGDcQr0cfyBM/s640/22.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1PJdHQRYFyHrY9XXiCLcXA3KaRtf3EvqyUpZ7zmQjN9yNLJ0kNaMNpGzu93w8n19rED3EF-53yjT1Z-ZsnCpgt0YojToJHfwv8CvgT8vIXnSVhIY645u3hQv2Su2kBKDDtknnNUEwpSw-qjcbNuVyUnOxulCe0BIJmYhfYMQje4KHSN7oGDcQr0cfyBM/w400-h250/22.png" width="400" /></a></div>I take this to be a clue! Larry can . . . construct a bathing suit out of dental floss and . . . what else?<br /><br />I don’t know. I wonder if I can wear the sunglasses, or do anything with them and the tiny cloth they came with. You know, I’m by the pool, I figure the items I picked up in this area might be used here. For some reason, I decide to wash the sunglasses with the cloth, thinking that was a puzzle, only for Larry to muse:<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7-jc2J2OpaocYQC80wK-cxeFUl66PM9BzG95f_QC6E2R68UJlSe2oRqQF_hUCrxdrlWwo_Pa8XTKXDGkxNtXTlZ8Okia0SDWYRbUILTe1y3wd09XDF-gVjMAj6N5HY11hAwBOlNH4vWPd1jzuBowWiGVbf5oXm8P5CFuj7i5IoM_IUzhYr0OOyE4nBMs/s640/23.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7-jc2J2OpaocYQC80wK-cxeFUl66PM9BzG95f_QC6E2R68UJlSe2oRqQF_hUCrxdrlWwo_Pa8XTKXDGkxNtXTlZ8Okia0SDWYRbUILTe1y3wd09XDF-gVjMAj6N5HY11hAwBOlNH4vWPd1jzuBowWiGVbf5oXm8P5CFuj7i5IoM_IUzhYr0OOyE4nBMs/w400-h250/23.png" width="400" /></a></div>I look at the cloth in my inventory again, prompting Larry to further ponder its use:<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhThy7wXN05uFHLPt16XAjftFQh77Zt7KdakvMd28pqWsuzachyyd_9C-kuL72LzzPYBSAOZVS49FgtvxQz6iHfNtlB2Tm_nON_fwgWgJviVOb8H7ru4RTItvyzB4U6JTPRkHqw2XRhdcbm846Q-FlsTlaHjpwlFaILT-rmro_REJNlygcxrvukx9J4U4I/s640/24.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhThy7wXN05uFHLPt16XAjftFQh77Zt7KdakvMd28pqWsuzachyyd_9C-kuL72LzzPYBSAOZVS49FgtvxQz6iHfNtlB2Tm_nON_fwgWgJviVOb8H7ru4RTItvyzB4U6JTPRkHqw2XRhdcbm846Q-FlsTlaHjpwlFaILT-rmro_REJNlygcxrvukx9J4U4I/w400-h250/24.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ_MimsSrN_EOSH0sq0ht0RI_TSiPVOV4cKwhBMbXM8lmDi_4Buh-QGkGsDwOBu8Kx9l1TcSY_k8oSkSFYcwgrard7MWcnnMsXaZsjZ9P6qbGC9OzLEqj2oRZ5A6o55J7UNnnZmGllYOyJ62HGcIsyrL_tkKfRvAYttJCRH78RXTPlhHBR5On1GqcS42c/s640/25.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ_MimsSrN_EOSH0sq0ht0RI_TSiPVOV4cKwhBMbXM8lmDi_4Buh-QGkGsDwOBu8Kx9l1TcSY_k8oSkSFYcwgrard7MWcnnMsXaZsjZ9P6qbGC9OzLEqj2oRZ5A6o55J7UNnnZmGllYOyJ62HGcIsyrL_tkKfRvAYttJCRH78RXTPlhHBR5On1GqcS42c/w400-h250/25.png" width="400" /></a></div>It clicks, <i>finally</i>: I use the dental floss with the tiny swatch of cloth and . . .<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7aAHV82yXq-fcPFcpK6YHH3LNeSOBRN-KaWjBMSeG1VVh4ssFLVdxRB6fB0hfMQ7LosH_BJq32Uqa2YXnirxkgOXPV8CMl6yxsAk-V2o5CiTIM-Q9Coeiq0R9j6h68Y4iFRzBhYfjF9_rdaXynSUkuCokWVfE1XVwL8zgsTUGvC0ElDXuqT11UCPX5qk/s640/26.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7aAHV82yXq-fcPFcpK6YHH3LNeSOBRN-KaWjBMSeG1VVh4ssFLVdxRB6fB0hfMQ7LosH_BJq32Uqa2YXnirxkgOXPV8CMl6yxsAk-V2o5CiTIM-Q9Coeiq0R9j6h68Y4iFRzBhYfjF9_rdaXynSUkuCokWVfE1XVwL8zgsTUGvC0ElDXuqT11UCPX5qk/w400-h250/26.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAkCf09T0w-G1ZLnIWPqjscdMA7CUg5T-ver4mmiuv9wzfsjS_pHtE5lvuQwvvuPGUh_zN6t-N4ULgaXQZyI4cpi6820wqojIKUAC2EAAxfWiKAvslpumi_MrCBxoA-WImZID1YVomazql6NhksLZITLCWC7VKABKiROwy2qOQjcHUXDcRx5Xufqvswp8/s640/27.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAkCf09T0w-G1ZLnIWPqjscdMA7CUg5T-ver4mmiuv9wzfsjS_pHtE5lvuQwvvuPGUh_zN6t-N4ULgaXQZyI4cpi6820wqojIKUAC2EAAxfWiKAvslpumi_MrCBxoA-WImZID1YVomazql6NhksLZITLCWC7VKABKiROwy2qOQjcHUXDcRx5Xufqvswp8/w400-h250/27.png" width="400" /></a></div>. . . craft my own bathing suit (20 points). Crafting items in a video game! This is like two decades before <i>Skyrim</i>. Is this a video game first? Did <i>Leisure Suit Larry 6</i> pioneer a game mechanic that would become a mainstay a few generations hence? Is Al Lowe a prophet or a genius? Both? <br /><br />All I know is that after wearing the bathing suit (12 points), Larry can finally pee in the game’s elusive fifth spot.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI8Fcugf5i49kNb_5L74ACMN5mdrzCGj-9vDbnaGthtNo93np0DeJHWHw3Zv7R-Fk3f31OpzIyCXC2fvVrJSSYCi132FIHjj7pboHkTg0k8Zz6seH8GZdLy32YNKavIJdcj92cYmXjWrAUfv3LdFD-wYgM8TEHXRfiNvl5CEUFDB0wENqTKk9xuQUM2xY/s640/28.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI8Fcugf5i49kNb_5L74ACMN5mdrzCGj-9vDbnaGthtNo93np0DeJHWHw3Zv7R-Fk3f31OpzIyCXC2fvVrJSSYCi132FIHjj7pboHkTg0k8Zz6seH8GZdLy32YNKavIJdcj92cYmXjWrAUfv3LdFD-wYgM8TEHXRfiNvl5CEUFDB0wENqTKk9xuQUM2xY/w400-h250/28.png" width="400" /></a></div>Yeah, Al is definitely a genius.<br /><br />While wearing the bathing suit, Larry can’t leave the pool area (he changes between swimsuit and leisure suit in the dark-colored bushes on the pool’s south end), but the reason I wanted a swimsuit was to float on the giant beaver to the pool’s aquatic bar. There’s a fine-looking young lass in a green bikini Larry wants to get close to, and another woman in red.<br /><br />At least I thought it was a woman in red. It’s a man, actually, and not just any man: it’s the annoying loudmouth from Lefty’s bar in the first <i>Leisure Suit Larry</i>. Of all the recurring characters, it had to be this guy?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCZL5ggPM2U-ElZ11Izdd0Vh7yqDHIqcNovMjdFMoo_98YeK8e7mXO6_-GXAVXPrCypSjB9diKJj1dl6rgEiTqNQsCuomhDifWiXR6e-_YPN-suf_t2qdj5r9RRodI8d-5y7e4KJxfLc_L1ND-ioPM33nyEeytg3KMnnkSY1SOcaodrA8hoyNFPs3X5WY/s640/29.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCZL5ggPM2U-ElZ11Izdd0Vh7yqDHIqcNovMjdFMoo_98YeK8e7mXO6_-GXAVXPrCypSjB9diKJj1dl6rgEiTqNQsCuomhDifWiXR6e-_YPN-suf_t2qdj5r9RRodI8d-5y7e4KJxfLc_L1ND-ioPM33nyEeytg3KMnnkSY1SOcaodrA8hoyNFPs3X5WY/w400-h250/29.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJIRKTnkyj7D_C85uP8iyXJ7B8Thw4WJ6MF6JWz-4cvnUWFAsrLYiaZmTxFBWxoMqspusJ6y4L7_4ec5Qts1JlrLJCCYjce1VamHH5-P36bIhrQtfoV8Uh0auwzW5K5vjJ_67FfhMH5BHSlLi7mzRnZaxYMC7A5rRkNM-GFRmc54VTAeKbQE1RT1W2GUU/s640/30.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJIRKTnkyj7D_C85uP8iyXJ7B8Thw4WJ6MF6JWz-4cvnUWFAsrLYiaZmTxFBWxoMqspusJ6y4L7_4ec5Qts1JlrLJCCYjce1VamHH5-P36bIhrQtfoV8Uh0auwzW5K5vjJ_67FfhMH5BHSlLi7mzRnZaxYMC7A5rRkNM-GFRmc54VTAeKbQE1RT1W2GUU/w400-h250/30.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0LLhje4KE7Mw3J42e6TDh5YtdjZR-sLIbncFHAHNHiWlvMcgQxjXVOcKNRyKAbsIGN3bcQd4I0YO1ExW06IgxOGAnWzmXgn29zZSAyY_kbvjOCf0z_iupcQ1CAn65SPU4y6OkdNTix1_lDShIMIaVpQ41ArwI3FXgwSNEToBDTle1HRzEIbw8Zo3i1v0/s640/31.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0LLhje4KE7Mw3J42e6TDh5YtdjZR-sLIbncFHAHNHiWlvMcgQxjXVOcKNRyKAbsIGN3bcQd4I0YO1ExW06IgxOGAnWzmXgn29zZSAyY_kbvjOCf0z_iupcQ1CAn65SPU4y6OkdNTix1_lDShIMIaVpQ41ArwI3FXgwSNEToBDTle1HRzEIbw8Zo3i1v0/w400-h250/31.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9J7ubAsHdlHkfyq2-mWZQM7msBRb6tv4nolxWI6Xve2uro7pppwv7YfouC5fzPkix30838UjtERF42JAofkwE3pmUrWv74GOzyMlD6GQnwVb6b63VwVKNn8v2H-Fte0tj03CUEfO6HHn5eWSL9oUZUVB8ja7_M6FQlGPk1Md4vkjAecvridn8umM3L9Y/s640/32.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9J7ubAsHdlHkfyq2-mWZQM7msBRb6tv4nolxWI6Xve2uro7pppwv7YfouC5fzPkix30838UjtERF42JAofkwE3pmUrWv74GOzyMlD6GQnwVb6b63VwVKNn8v2H-Fte0tj03CUEfO6HHn5eWSL9oUZUVB8ja7_M6FQlGPk1Md4vkjAecvridn8umM3L9Y/w400-h250/32.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj546CvYAw_1QzNrvKTQoWABTSNrjvhBIMwP3E_bwLvh1ExZax-JveD9M7Tw7SCKB-S-aguDfMAZf3Lvea7JqhPgFqoxFPqtvEPl_oZtOOweI-0EF_-FqB8YwgW1MUkKKvEjYeQ11D-H40dvXb4zYDNXqdfPCKKcrSFjqonfGydnsm35f49N9Qvipkqjys/s640/33.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj546CvYAw_1QzNrvKTQoWABTSNrjvhBIMwP3E_bwLvh1ExZax-JveD9M7Tw7SCKB-S-aguDfMAZf3Lvea7JqhPgFqoxFPqtvEPl_oZtOOweI-0EF_-FqB8YwgW1MUkKKvEjYeQ11D-H40dvXb4zYDNXqdfPCKKcrSFjqonfGydnsm35f49N9Qvipkqjys/w400-h250/33.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkEOGenczYlLQ0UC82_Wuk6gTmi6cYo8js1fJmcZjsKmCh0vgIzcLlrlYbXVIhgUnequL6-RU8BDEMbIO9UOZkVuU7X0FEo0856FbUsu-WytKMgn8MI-FH_CtzaeD0bUH5SbPHdZUt6AukG5rXiZ-y1zV5BoVqPr03gJQ7j4MQfQhMVFxyfsaJhIKldBA/s640/34.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkEOGenczYlLQ0UC82_Wuk6gTmi6cYo8js1fJmcZjsKmCh0vgIzcLlrlYbXVIhgUnequL6-RU8BDEMbIO9UOZkVuU7X0FEo0856FbUsu-WytKMgn8MI-FH_CtzaeD0bUH5SbPHdZUt6AukG5rXiZ-y1zV5BoVqPr03gJQ7j4MQfQhMVFxyfsaJhIKldBA/w400-h250/34.png" width="400" /></a></div>It’s Sierra co-founder Ken Williams, and if you keep talking to him, he has an endless parade of unintelligible stories, incomprehensible one-liners, and bad jokes, <strike>just like I put in my posts</strike> just like he did in the first game.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4z9If2eICY4T-RNCTvBXqlkLFLgD5f5SfN79Ql92mq8kptahxZTljK8Kv68xK3KkOiU0VH17A049iUxpUZefpPxmWJKgbsKY7pasjPR06ZSoxF-7yGOVCXW0B8BzUtzKvFkH0vS7Xyx01aQofBz9uO3ZkVqAvqTLoqYagG8Fr3VGFCtNQ6sJH2prJvAY/s640/35.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4z9If2eICY4T-RNCTvBXqlkLFLgD5f5SfN79Ql92mq8kptahxZTljK8Kv68xK3KkOiU0VH17A049iUxpUZefpPxmWJKgbsKY7pasjPR06ZSoxF-7yGOVCXW0B8BzUtzKvFkH0vS7Xyx01aQofBz9uO3ZkVqAvqTLoqYagG8Fr3VGFCtNQ6sJH2prJvAY/w400-h250/35.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihdWXVNgYWTJsCvt5_zDc3riRbuJaaZ9Vm-7EYqZk-Xv1RG6qaXFLHMydX4C7g45Kqar14lktDuK0TXrfwZnnx1HUJAi1mCS3PmZdIMSKWzYls2vlNNiLcyv48lTDJTCyTmoyuHg_KL9CSsITJ3Sm9A7QjSd3zFybxMrsFOo0LA-dsYoyKKadQEn3tvX0/s640/36.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihdWXVNgYWTJsCvt5_zDc3riRbuJaaZ9Vm-7EYqZk-Xv1RG6qaXFLHMydX4C7g45Kqar14lktDuK0TXrfwZnnx1HUJAi1mCS3PmZdIMSKWzYls2vlNNiLcyv48lTDJTCyTmoyuHg_KL9CSsITJ3Sm9A7QjSd3zFybxMrsFOo0LA-dsYoyKKadQEn3tvX0/w400-h250/36.png" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94g3ufvxLEAWbbk0Ruwg2oy7lO8JmTbl6iyU6tG2Ol9mCB4Osh-LehdmYkG4d0cnDnH0ZYVU5KnqLpgtwMDvUZPeGnJCvS29jGEstrNwbK_4JPd6lmhXpemstrLGiinbZp5KPoisuQ9Tg5Edsvjdzgw8C8KgxkKlH5Yi6TWvqVoNHky_4zT2TPVq9J-g/s640/37.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94g3ufvxLEAWbbk0Ruwg2oy7lO8JmTbl6iyU6tG2Ol9mCB4Osh-LehdmYkG4d0cnDnH0ZYVU5KnqLpgtwMDvUZPeGnJCvS29jGEstrNwbK_4JPd6lmhXpemstrLGiinbZp5KPoisuQ9Tg5Edsvjdzgw8C8KgxkKlH5Yi6TWvqVoNHky_4zT2TPVq9J-g/w400-h250/37.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Like so.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>I appreciate the callback, and I appreciate the balls to repeatedly make fun of your boss in your games. Of course, Ken was likely on board, and in everything I’ve read about him he seems like a really cool guy and decent human being, <i>and</i> a great man to work for . . . except for that one big bad business decision that ruined Sierra. To be fair, he was lied to. I recommend you read Ken’s 2020 book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fairy-Tales-Happy-Endings-Line-ebook/dp/B08KG2XLMR"><i>Not All Fairytales Have Happy Endings: The Rise and Fall of Sierra On-Line</i></a> for more on that. <br /><br />Enough about Ken, let’s talk about Larry! The woman in the green bikini won’t talk to Larry unless he can get her a drink (no, you can’t use the champagne). To get a drink, Larry has to get the bartender’s attention. To get the bartender’s attention you must, as Ken said, “slap your tail.” Clicking “Hand” on the tail of Larry’s float lets him slap it on the water, bringing the bartender up to the surface.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMpCte88PTzndhVf6HYGUeWkaowvsWX0Yq-ZkyRisPky8N9OuXkGP7g4Oqz56DjKPq7pLmiEjRg9ln6gEuY3fwBwPLDNNzBT6ZyLY4DqOhUknRRnaOjk2Cl6cIzGEPjKmoO1iUw87D8DCx2QVxE-JOclgnXdIkv-XboN_K41MPolqbXOb92wiBNKkstk/s640/38.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMpCte88PTzndhVf6HYGUeWkaowvsWX0Yq-ZkyRisPky8N9OuXkGP7g4Oqz56DjKPq7pLmiEjRg9ln6gEuY3fwBwPLDNNzBT6ZyLY4DqOhUknRRnaOjk2Cl6cIzGEPjKmoO1iUw87D8DCx2QVxE-JOclgnXdIkv-XboN_K41MPolqbXOb92wiBNKkstk/w400-h250/38.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Amazing that Larry doesn’t hit on her.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Larry can’t get a drink without showing ID. Cav’s badge, obviously, doesn’t work. I chew on this puzzle a bit, wondering if I have to somehow get a fake photo to put into Cav’s badge, but then I realize I’m at what’s basically a hotel, and at hotels very often you use your room key for everything. This works (10 points), and Larry is able to order a weird non-alcoholic beverage from the bar below and give it to the woman in green, thus sparking a conversation.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT9YpNqHYGAFO7JwKF3NWg9pDUTJHH0laBZr_rjo3kMtl3CwRrx7MeLq6ViZstdZnDGnYNTs-kId4m75st70x-pvHBjKzqVLmTFQ9M6JjwMN7_n5ADm3ntfyN4g396RISO-YIet-KB1-_PpJ914ZtYVtgVgQvtKiKkn1EYrKoi7E6UU70Tc-PplqIgIEo/s640/39.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT9YpNqHYGAFO7JwKF3NWg9pDUTJHH0laBZr_rjo3kMtl3CwRrx7MeLq6ViZstdZnDGnYNTs-kId4m75st70x-pvHBjKzqVLmTFQ9M6JjwMN7_n5ADm3ntfyN4g396RISO-YIet-KB1-_PpJ914ZtYVtgVgQvtKiKkn1EYrKoi7E6UU70Tc-PplqIgIEo/w400-h250/39.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiMGjcRTV9e8M-m03aw6ii0wsaCL0vshBoAQahAzPD2hKN-YnUH5sSMivW15wOn1N2pzsUnoU34G64RQ8f9KmUZazdM7qp8g7e6gC1H0twwQJMuXCEypIAtxMZhpvT5J9VvC4P50bJ-94OdvDGyOj1jz9VXzlWi3UHEU04gEEmeY20nqWfmyPpBBiSIgA/s640/40.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiMGjcRTV9e8M-m03aw6ii0wsaCL0vshBoAQahAzPD2hKN-YnUH5sSMivW15wOn1N2pzsUnoU34G64RQ8f9KmUZazdM7qp8g7e6gC1H0twwQJMuXCEypIAtxMZhpvT5J9VvC4P50bJ-94OdvDGyOj1jz9VXzlWi3UHEU04gEEmeY20nqWfmyPpBBiSIgA/w400-h250/40.png" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9QBepVMvnuo-4xGNBP-JSfhwUFNU2hsl4QgN4MVeY_AQgZWXLcql3ri02WMKt3Z_uc-u39JMMTitbz8foPbIJ2w6mVFRAmULDm1C3Mw2eTkhdDbZhoUvTzJwQvwwwuZ4USGASTwIwT3P4IOmQTKPdEX5ZMEMxwHMPDBnxF11kWkGDeuVNGKdOfD0X8oE/s640/41.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9QBepVMvnuo-4xGNBP-JSfhwUFNU2hsl4QgN4MVeY_AQgZWXLcql3ri02WMKt3Z_uc-u39JMMTitbz8foPbIJ2w6mVFRAmULDm1C3Mw2eTkhdDbZhoUvTzJwQvwwwuZ4USGASTwIwT3P4IOmQTKPdEX5ZMEMxwHMPDBnxF11kWkGDeuVNGKdOfD0X8oE/w400-h250/41.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Yeah, I thought there was a serious flaw with this particular business model.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>The woman’s name is Merrilly Lowe (no relation?), and she is an adrenaline junkie.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnSH3OroLEqINtK0xvrZDw6czjf29CWk7mdACQMLXOUD4W1FjQa1bKztH2sMtwhs7NZyuEpgeRPmgD3e3eNAIvfY2aYX_t5rKirZDz5LlaWU4a7rfJB-VqM3ujRBHuK5DdHQLpgeX5Abp_4TtrwGbHwKwfayJJ6c9eW136XCqqpJGzXaR7-inLTsmJAYo/s640/42.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnSH3OroLEqINtK0xvrZDw6czjf29CWk7mdACQMLXOUD4W1FjQa1bKztH2sMtwhs7NZyuEpgeRPmgD3e3eNAIvfY2aYX_t5rKirZDz5LlaWU4a7rfJB-VqM3ujRBHuK5DdHQLpgeX5Abp_4TtrwGbHwKwfayJJ6c9eW136XCqqpJGzXaR7-inLTsmJAYo/w400-h250/42.png" width="400" /></a></div>Through the course of the conversation, Larry learns that she can only achieve arousal through partaking in extreme sports (2 points). In particular, La Costa Lotta’s management has limited the amount of times she is allowed to jump down from the huge bungee tower due to her B.A. . . .<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-IASwsqDD79Yg4cnCOVFGogd-VTsfHpK7t9kzgjahTN8TyRwasypfi-XkDnizpin5GiXMHMO4LZhbndstfNBD_sLUl5lEIL8DDreRCAXaxf8ZB6jllbZCaMy1yaSmMM_s21oIXYAAzvqNmOOfKD2yt63KiRg3pwEAr_g3hNFkiHag2zXmHRCV0peMhqE/s640/43.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-IASwsqDD79Yg4cnCOVFGogd-VTsfHpK7t9kzgjahTN8TyRwasypfi-XkDnizpin5GiXMHMO4LZhbndstfNBD_sLUl5lEIL8DDreRCAXaxf8ZB6jllbZCaMy1yaSmMM_s21oIXYAAzvqNmOOfKD2yt63KiRg3pwEAr_g3hNFkiHag2zXmHRCV0peMhqE/w400-h250/43.png" width="400" /></a></div>Merrily wishcasts her desire for a key to the bungee tower, which of course gives Larry his next objective. Achieving this is as simple as . . . asking Billy Dee for the key.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCRFlzllxUfpyQPx4ZK86IUkyDUux4UlN0BRUcKei3zomefVQUJWoMXs2atU8aQwiin1y6i4PxraMUg6b0a68pBR6io1xDqB3PrJctknS9qUNXVoTeRt8YmzrobZ73OZ8IyjW-C0ksPb2SNktMotzkJ6p9erofJiPFvrpDcv4cydeRo5ywE2bnEi44QDM/s640/44.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCRFlzllxUfpyQPx4ZK86IUkyDUux4UlN0BRUcKei3zomefVQUJWoMXs2atU8aQwiin1y6i4PxraMUg6b0a68pBR6io1xDqB3PrJctknS9qUNXVoTeRt8YmzrobZ73OZ8IyjW-C0ksPb2SNktMotzkJ6p9erofJiPFvrpDcv4cydeRo5ywE2bnEi44QDM/w400-h250/44.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir5h1YSsf8vqspnjWevWZy3BmZCFgb8JzeTa2HgMDAKDOPLSK6GIBzd7BT7Xz96vh-L3M2fmFrC54sUJjR7nJI3gP7cgColRDOoZXJtlly-i_4p2vh0EnCPNDIbvuymQhMQvtthnWmiN7GnFdmU9jMobjnJ_7Nn8gI0kP6to3FNWD0_PnnrRHTdh1xL2E/s640/45.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir5h1YSsf8vqspnjWevWZy3BmZCFgb8JzeTa2HgMDAKDOPLSK6GIBzd7BT7Xz96vh-L3M2fmFrC54sUJjR7nJI3gP7cgColRDOoZXJtlly-i_4p2vh0EnCPNDIbvuymQhMQvtthnWmiN7GnFdmU9jMobjnJ_7Nn8gI0kP6to3FNWD0_PnnrRHTdh1xL2E/w400-h250/45.png" width="400" /></a></div>Key in hand (6 points), Larry is able to go <i>up</i> the tower and jump down (ouch!) . . .<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbgMXarH2NyVJV8ct7uXEJgoff_Q4uc1ASD38M6SbCnyJI1YG00DlDFtXOHaU1FW_KoQcklchEYP8xrlaQUsVHb8fTep_8DhFPb1KW-J0R6PjSVgOHtPEQ57w-c4BH49R9kuQVnLeWdtHhJUeGBJsQNcVU6P0o3yyVs4zyASyvBmGDN0QSq1MbwwBPZyw/s640/46.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbgMXarH2NyVJV8ct7uXEJgoff_Q4uc1ASD38M6SbCnyJI1YG00DlDFtXOHaU1FW_KoQcklchEYP8xrlaQUsVHb8fTep_8DhFPb1KW-J0R6PjSVgOHtPEQ57w-c4BH49R9kuQVnLeWdtHhJUeGBJsQNcVU6P0o3yyVs4zyASyvBmGDN0QSq1MbwwBPZyw/w400-h250/46.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQV1LnDxmDd3ugnCTeInVTRQ2-b8qUU1f3Oy5kQDwENIj-uNV6KHo-u66RABZnQgk3RNS0m8HbYh4EgdZpp681ScGlpCOpFMcE74lcQoQKAODHfd4fWGuhIlR-1WGNagE4qNI0Bo0jGvIrmXGxm6C3XsRoFUCOv2dn7mwxqD4PxzwLMLG5letoCt2Tr8/s640/47.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQV1LnDxmDd3ugnCTeInVTRQ2-b8qUU1f3Oy5kQDwENIj-uNV6KHo-u66RABZnQgk3RNS0m8HbYh4EgdZpp681ScGlpCOpFMcE74lcQoQKAODHfd4fWGuhIlR-1WGNagE4qNI0Bo0jGvIrmXGxm6C3XsRoFUCOv2dn7mwxqD4PxzwLMLG5letoCt2Tr8/w400-h250/47.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXxQA2WMns1YmDhRWuo5OJUyHcy5Vf10P5xIa9um0TwJ8JekR7yvb2HOaumHTRhOS5h4qzrcGaHsSlq7w-7yjLUjO6UVuPwdLBq8nQGfbhUQeBp3dxgHN5i2MDKCwNryM16h9JfzjlcnGKqaRcuehEVzFk8DEHKAxcntsLZ4QxwuYcZio8c1ysMdEI2N4/s640/48.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXxQA2WMns1YmDhRWuo5OJUyHcy5Vf10P5xIa9um0TwJ8JekR7yvb2HOaumHTRhOS5h4qzrcGaHsSlq7w-7yjLUjO6UVuPwdLBq8nQGfbhUQeBp3dxgHN5i2MDKCwNryM16h9JfzjlcnGKqaRcuehEVzFk8DEHKAxcntsLZ4QxwuYcZio8c1ysMdEI2N4/w400-h250/48.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguOgMChNxbdUj8y_sPbTkp95w3a8nAlfiDJ4HR2a_NwjIaV3bti4Hz0fgm7h8m7QY8kuWnq-qj2pGoHnafPXVC-kN48bJ6Ju423ZnJDw9E4Khn_hau4oW7T7opFt5vkPWbj5VM3JiED8viR9o5vcNrIZRu6CyFuvcW43yiKmx2t00NvVyshXuBKYCGFgw/s640/49.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguOgMChNxbdUj8y_sPbTkp95w3a8nAlfiDJ4HR2a_NwjIaV3bti4Hz0fgm7h8m7QY8kuWnq-qj2pGoHnafPXVC-kN48bJ6Ju423ZnJDw9E4Khn_hau4oW7T7opFt5vkPWbj5VM3JiED8viR9o5vcNrIZRu6CyFuvcW43yiKmx2t00NvVyshXuBKYCGFgw/w400-h250/49.png" width="400" /></a></div>. . . but cannot go into the water to give Merrily the key.<br /><br />I think about this, and notice I have <i>three</i> keys: my room key, the bungee tower key, and the random room key I filched from the return box many moons ago. I wonder if I can channel my inner <a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2015/10/police-quest-iii-puzzle-from-hell.html"><i>Police Quest III</i></a> and make a copy of the key. Once again scanning my odd collection of items, I see the file swiped from Mark the gross plumber. I try various combinations of overlaying the tower key on the random room key, and the file, which is the solution, except freakin’ Eagle-Eye Billy notices and puts a stop to Larry’s woman-pleasing scheme.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3wChNVrM8nFG6EgNWOsd_IayuS40gvQHocqtloYJk3Pjv_ZWPgoR6Eeu4hAF589W7nFuEgR9YxVX8F7ZhMDRVCIwBCGP7WZmlAGsBgv6ulthZekPGMZ2-oGHH0yCxqNpQySeottVyVWAJXOQVO16YTHK-9oELJkg8AVMjAYeirN6KoUZbRwu6tS0VKZw/s640/50.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3wChNVrM8nFG6EgNWOsd_IayuS40gvQHocqtloYJk3Pjv_ZWPgoR6Eeu4hAF589W7nFuEgR9YxVX8F7ZhMDRVCIwBCGP7WZmlAGsBgv6ulthZekPGMZ2-oGHH0yCxqNpQySeottVyVWAJXOQVO16YTHK-9oELJkg8AVMjAYeirN6KoUZbRwu6tS0VKZw/w400-h250/50.png" width="400" /></a></div>So (a) I can’t take the key in the water, (b) I can’t leave this area with the bungee key, and (c) I can’t make a copy of the key because Billy Dee will see me. It becomes obvious that I have to go up onto the tower and make my copy away from Billy Dee’s prying eyes (30 points).<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiypverZIB8sQGqj7z-esWT_-ajgN2m5Xx-wMu0tEyh9Kw_4tyvSs8I7DZTAdf9LPYmO8TNMS2k3dsCBCFLpnzELZJNwTdtpQ3xK0ccfy9IMzEVHPokYaBn1gluyfho_NZCtbSwTHgp6xxxPIKcwDAmKdsR2EIJ0-mYt5ssCLuewfxKnkjQubLq6xHwY6M/s640/51.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiypverZIB8sQGqj7z-esWT_-ajgN2m5Xx-wMu0tEyh9Kw_4tyvSs8I7DZTAdf9LPYmO8TNMS2k3dsCBCFLpnzELZJNwTdtpQ3xK0ccfy9IMzEVHPokYaBn1gluyfho_NZCtbSwTHgp6xxxPIKcwDAmKdsR2EIJ0-mYt5ssCLuewfxKnkjQubLq6xHwY6M/w400-h250/51.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH8bsiqtYEtvQW8pOqIvx8kLupV1Xk7N6JdsXeq4mx7QcesQVblrUn076d9AMGzkx3WBKWdh-ofKBOT8kPiW_e2MPIsji-lSq1flClHkiyCkoVcCzrT-b-sjcz9BCTV8uXILsEiu6TbeM1g003P3RQHIvLfq9CPJjeM0GvpOVOrWwWwVRg1JMwQN74VHs/s640/52.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH8bsiqtYEtvQW8pOqIvx8kLupV1Xk7N6JdsXeq4mx7QcesQVblrUn076d9AMGzkx3WBKWdh-ofKBOT8kPiW_e2MPIsji-lSq1flClHkiyCkoVcCzrT-b-sjcz9BCTV8uXILsEiu6TbeM1g003P3RQHIvLfq9CPJjeM0GvpOVOrWwWwVRg1JMwQN74VHs/w400-h250/52.png" width="400" /></a></div>Of course, Larry has to dive down, which is fine because this is a video game and it’s not <i>my</i> belly hurting from a 50-plus foot (that’s 15.24 meters for my non-American readers) so <i>I don’t care</i>. All that matters is that I can give the tower key copy to Merrily (15 points), who is so thrilled she and Larry agree to rendezvous by the tower that night for a little up n’ down action. That’s a bungie jumping reference, you sicko.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBSJKNIVwdcZXS0sV0OGOf7a-CLKctk04AAb3vMveT783uR6SIPE0FRk2RB6OxxT7H_0eMw3ttQyntudHSnTO0Jhkda-xsMAC1HmzBrvZFg8XHGUdre6Kj2GIZ9aCXG6cIAeVuITT5AUhGQzxhFs4Plev9I02fjJ0XaZRC8mkEoAsEL-3CuHZG7M3Swnw/s640/53.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBSJKNIVwdcZXS0sV0OGOf7a-CLKctk04AAb3vMveT783uR6SIPE0FRk2RB6OxxT7H_0eMw3ttQyntudHSnTO0Jhkda-xsMAC1HmzBrvZFg8XHGUdre6Kj2GIZ9aCXG6cIAeVuITT5AUhGQzxhFs4Plev9I02fjJ0XaZRC8mkEoAsEL-3CuHZG7M3Swnw/w400-h250/53.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP0lNqUCPWwApWQn5N-DYsr_-kBjdwQwtCKyv96XdzCUHvLUm5gcFFjcSaj2PJ_v46tXx697bgD2HlYnvajCHLq5fRvOJWb2eLAZCwo2JvK5gOIGeAdYba4S-foTZBdMq0tMW3i2VKu3zNJl-nAHSloshbEsQdjvRdTCPVXLdQ5zgoa4tmky1NMYu6ej0/s640/54.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP0lNqUCPWwApWQn5N-DYsr_-kBjdwQwtCKyv96XdzCUHvLUm5gcFFjcSaj2PJ_v46tXx697bgD2HlYnvajCHLq5fRvOJWb2eLAZCwo2JvK5gOIGeAdYba4S-foTZBdMq0tMW3i2VKu3zNJl-nAHSloshbEsQdjvRdTCPVXLdQ5zgoa4tmky1NMYu6ej0/w400-h250/54.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5d6Ys30VqSPZs9vEvuYSfIiR6qBcmId47SfCqs3O_-6_JDyPwjzi6vy3eCGQPNuF3mY-wW9sUk7gF0bp0lfQzhST4Do9I6-xZy_eUXVLzg33kKioms_zF1FzxuYvo16CA6qgRnUN_2kHmaHRbG_WwbbVm0NASMRvpEV-TQ3HLCHrGoEEUWlWi8Mx9SzU/s640/55.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5d6Ys30VqSPZs9vEvuYSfIiR6qBcmId47SfCqs3O_-6_JDyPwjzi6vy3eCGQPNuF3mY-wW9sUk7gF0bp0lfQzhST4Do9I6-xZy_eUXVLzg33kKioms_zF1FzxuYvo16CA6qgRnUN_2kHmaHRbG_WwbbVm0NASMRvpEV-TQ3HLCHrGoEEUWlWi8Mx9SzU/w400-h250/55.png" width="400" /></a></div>I’m going to take a brief interlude to talk about another game design choice I think helps this game be <i>slightly</i> easier than it could otherwise be: when an item no longer has any use, it’s removed from your inventory. So, for example, the file—gone. The wrench, however . . . not. Ditto Cav’s badge. So my guess is that I’ll have to use both for something else that is not readily apparent. <br /><br />Anyway, do you think Larry will finally get lucky this time? Ha ha ha! It’s a Larry game. Let me give you a little preview:<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQypmNCQprYQRL8kdSOFsq0aEGMm6wrF-6tbBExmS780njITruVjal_zPjYRbNRj-QgrUddLllPxH1UXRdaTn0QHrgQIYncmwP25NGG62nHbo-SLLFc_h-xyiTbIaU3Qa1nTEH6Bq6QlOq5Fuju325NF0mDZHCgcbph3ztFu1C50rYhMb-dyJ4OQL8yg/s640/56.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQypmNCQprYQRL8kdSOFsq0aEGMm6wrF-6tbBExmS780njITruVjal_zPjYRbNRj-QgrUddLllPxH1UXRdaTn0QHrgQIYncmwP25NGG62nHbo-SLLFc_h-xyiTbIaU3Qa1nTEH6Bq6QlOq5Fuju325NF0mDZHCgcbph3ztFu1C50rYhMb-dyJ4OQL8yg/w400-h250/56.png" width="400" /></a></div>No, Larry does not. <br /><br />As seen in this post’s first screenshot, Larry agrees to climb up <i>after</i> Merr to, you know, and then they go to an even higher platform that’s so far up, there are beacons to warn airplanes, and Larry can see the curvature of the Earth.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0UNwSWXFIMmTck9RXIxvjsiGzDlrS-5UCglD5u4AWIm9nbOL4q1b1CSPQnf_zjrI5fUqIzHJDSgdAdYor0Rm04VfMB3XRk79u7UAz-FzoM0cp2aolGJ-jiLhCa-zzhr1mRjN9oUt3Hvqi_717pOEfNKi5ZH28KSp2P6dY5BAsKiZ06CCdMsk80-fDhxY/s640/57.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0UNwSWXFIMmTck9RXIxvjsiGzDlrS-5UCglD5u4AWIm9nbOL4q1b1CSPQnf_zjrI5fUqIzHJDSgdAdYor0Rm04VfMB3XRk79u7UAz-FzoM0cp2aolGJ-jiLhCa-zzhr1mRjN9oUt3Hvqi_717pOEfNKi5ZH28KSp2P6dY5BAsKiZ06CCdMsk80-fDhxY/w400-h250/57.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Flat Earthers BTFO. Suck it, Kyrie Irving!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Larry and Merr are getting hot and heavy. They get into their harnesses and Larry strips down. Before jumping, Merr assures Larry she is <i>not</i> an airhead and whispers words of wisdom in Larry’s ear (20 points) that are so profound they become an inventory item.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJbu4rJZKvD036WNqa0C70WVUrchw85SFjgR_U-WnwOkjMmUGwBcfbe-Z3DiwaaZ38TEqeLUrfpgq_cIFLlNLyibZfl9jBM-q7pOALfgpB1ATKz5-SBKYojwlIdShKdg_CDjgIi1xWvcu31znAY78PCNm5DjCjz7AE7PIYfk_GwpX4DAXWboeTEol7Yg/s640/58.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJbu4rJZKvD036WNqa0C70WVUrchw85SFjgR_U-WnwOkjMmUGwBcfbe-Z3DiwaaZ38TEqeLUrfpgq_cIFLlNLyibZfl9jBM-q7pOALfgpB1ATKz5-SBKYojwlIdShKdg_CDjgIi1xWvcu31znAY78PCNm5DjCjz7AE7PIYfk_GwpX4DAXWboeTEol7Yg/w400-h250/58.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic; text-align: start;">It’s like </span><a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2014/03/game-41-les-manley-1-i-have-dream.html" style="text-align: start;"><i>the dream you pluck from the ether in </i>Les Manley</a><span style="text-align: start;">,<i> but not in a terrible game!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEfNa9mUNx2Q3byiXp4A2puQ_HHwLgCLCwn1domVCrn-Q1HwnFiJGEypiSDx4x8wss5p65RM0o3E3z8gfIVqrRo1ngpJ_hpj-LJ5B8uHfKjQh_RHqPsSBsuUdt52j2rYSFJsJgorgYi8VgdSdlHDZ3WLbA3NBUkHcB1Qr87HXKMekiWfFTZGe6SyURBx8/s640/59.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEfNa9mUNx2Q3byiXp4A2puQ_HHwLgCLCwn1domVCrn-Q1HwnFiJGEypiSDx4x8wss5p65RM0o3E3z8gfIVqrRo1ngpJ_hpj-LJ5B8uHfKjQh_RHqPsSBsuUdt52j2rYSFJsJgorgYi8VgdSdlHDZ3WLbA3NBUkHcB1Qr87HXKMekiWfFTZGe6SyURBx8/w400-h250/59.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIr40MeGnRZdVRcX9L3i9pqpJyn1yCpi8uKjpQcHO0Kpb4k8ImuFBOWKAo0kQbPtg11qBJzcsXkrTvAMTofEdi_9bvfp7AGiy2F6Xs59MhllHVZmWoEUCk_loxXSb-spCx-Z02JoeGlRKD9XYD3cx_7xU2VSgnLqMrtJPwbG2S9dc6LAAVq3UBbF145Qg/s640/60.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIr40MeGnRZdVRcX9L3i9pqpJyn1yCpi8uKjpQcHO0Kpb4k8ImuFBOWKAo0kQbPtg11qBJzcsXkrTvAMTofEdi_9bvfp7AGiy2F6Xs59MhllHVZmWoEUCk_loxXSb-spCx-Z02JoeGlRKD9XYD3cx_7xU2VSgnLqMrtJPwbG2S9dc6LAAVq3UBbF145Qg/w400-h250/60.png" width="400" /></a></div>Larry, being Larry, then trips and falls before he and Merr can get up to any hanky panky, exposing his nakedness to all of La Costa Lotta in the process.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWfSZDQR41304YYK6tUon1i8a0Be_V8-8Hkq7zHWqg_P6ccueSwCYqPMrk2jvNhSgiRoM7O7ZShx5Y7RknG04d94KXY-ja6d_Z6zq76gEUSaZZ1YPPgv1CzapjDDbI_zA5_75f0BJrmahbwQvmvLyAPxec-OGNrNwP8bWlPolypDk8fyxLttWrEi8brXM/s640/61.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWfSZDQR41304YYK6tUon1i8a0Be_V8-8Hkq7zHWqg_P6ccueSwCYqPMrk2jvNhSgiRoM7O7ZShx5Y7RknG04d94KXY-ja6d_Z6zq76gEUSaZZ1YPPgv1CzapjDDbI_zA5_75f0BJrmahbwQvmvLyAPxec-OGNrNwP8bWlPolypDk8fyxLttWrEi8brXM/w400-h250/61.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1lhOCzG-lkSWLaHxh8HNhwfrVyWHmewXa028cFxwHnEQ3o-byWw6GOCDq4u5NFTX_MkY99a1dbQmufgzTsTooZpuhd1EJqgkaqvvVOl09Tgj-J5Det4Dg8vw-xCOgT0B505a7UMtJsl7r19PyCTPolBSMjadOvK0wyh7TBVF4Jb8z4Uxa9XfIXw_k_xI/s640/62.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1lhOCzG-lkSWLaHxh8HNhwfrVyWHmewXa028cFxwHnEQ3o-byWw6GOCDq4u5NFTX_MkY99a1dbQmufgzTsTooZpuhd1EJqgkaqvvVOl09Tgj-J5Det4Dg8vw-xCOgT0B505a7UMtJsl7r19PyCTPolBSMjadOvK0wyh7TBVF4Jb8z4Uxa9XfIXw_k_xI/w400-h250/62.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-FBNqWzzOLmCnUObQ-lvgqlALh6KQWShyc4yvoSivZiW6WvVy-JjKLYujzkXaD4_Gce7WUYQ8EOPyOanyFJXu7VLsu6mK-jphLSMaC4mPCVjw07HR-ba0BTxGAcvwDwtwA0eSOYBUJYkzBszW3K6KZiO9OKRn85qjlNMCCkfoXM7TF1SeO4mCCz0k_s4/s640/63.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-FBNqWzzOLmCnUObQ-lvgqlALh6KQWShyc4yvoSivZiW6WvVy-JjKLYujzkXaD4_Gce7WUYQ8EOPyOanyFJXu7VLsu6mK-jphLSMaC4mPCVjw07HR-ba0BTxGAcvwDwtwA0eSOYBUJYkzBszW3K6KZiO9OKRn85qjlNMCCkfoXM7TF1SeO4mCCz0k_s4/w400-h250/63.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbLNgSrg7V8yRnSmB9GCW8zGCy99J-h-ex0a5gekgZ47zhfqN2yQ0c94Qpr0_KQUyzr-s0i0m5BLhMDeQF9IWcHpS0Nz7_AMCzucAkWMNjuPq1DNHBQUXJxdCL3sd_YqLKGD1k1gNVmYKTMabmKZ1TrmFvmDGvPcgr_KiqMesgGkCN-gzWCrZZb7ne2o/s640/64.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbLNgSrg7V8yRnSmB9GCW8zGCy99J-h-ex0a5gekgZ47zhfqN2yQ0c94Qpr0_KQUyzr-s0i0m5BLhMDeQF9IWcHpS0Nz7_AMCzucAkWMNjuPq1DNHBQUXJxdCL3sd_YqLKGD1k1gNVmYKTMabmKZ1TrmFvmDGvPcgr_KiqMesgGkCN-gzWCrZZb7ne2o/w400-h250/64.png" width="400" /></a></div>Oh Larry (cue laugh track). <br /><br />We wake up in our room for the <i>third</i> time, once again thoroughly frustrated sexually, though thankfully not forcibly penetrated or otherwise sexually abused. Thank God for small favors, right? The most logical thing to do is give Shamara our words of wisdom (20 points), which nets us another boost in her estimation but not enough to, you know, <i>consummate</i> things. Which stands to reason, because by my count there are still two women we haven’t been humiliated by and received objects from: Char, who needs batteries, and Gammie, who wants the cellulite drainage device fixed.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_GrVcqW9NfVcThSzDhnhw5ejYk-CO9wQPtiRQqO3M6UcqD6zM6Ct64Y4sQh6NyQrRcRplZ8rDOh_9ifB-mCyaRFQWLSLcdxJkDVzT-bUpFXOc_89EAeSrQbZZz6q0RH4_cKdfYmpIpuQZ06GQb9SgGbmkNYEo_ntfmiE3LVD2UWYD_prMz5v4D8K3-M/s640/65.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_GrVcqW9NfVcThSzDhnhw5ejYk-CO9wQPtiRQqO3M6UcqD6zM6Ct64Y4sQh6NyQrRcRplZ8rDOh_9ifB-mCyaRFQWLSLcdxJkDVzT-bUpFXOc_89EAeSrQbZZz6q0RH4_cKdfYmpIpuQZ06GQb9SgGbmkNYEo_ntfmiE3LVD2UWYD_prMz5v4D8K3-M/w400-h250/65.png" width="400" /></a></div>A pervert’s work is never done! I’m referring to Larry, of course. <br /><br />Except now . . . I’m stuck. I spend a lot of time wandering around accomplishing nothing, in particular trying to fix the cellulite drainage machine. I try getting oil, i.e., cellulite, for my lamp, but there isn’t enough left over in the machine.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcaI0hiHHDjDS0buFQyBaG050WXSNk9LE5z0y1mbhWGaVkkGWKaid8Y49M4ekNuywKVNOwrPKrBJPRE0zW4vVlMit2hsRszBGn2A81vHwciIQKYVWooAUV7vWBA0P7ypTFIf5pZY1jUhPtutJ7I_OxctOkseM_XJdM-sX91aoTEk5kDkba4wB1_jmVHBE/s640/66.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcaI0hiHHDjDS0buFQyBaG050WXSNk9LE5z0y1mbhWGaVkkGWKaid8Y49M4ekNuywKVNOwrPKrBJPRE0zW4vVlMit2hsRszBGn2A81vHwciIQKYVWooAUV7vWBA0P7ypTFIf5pZY1jUhPtutJ7I_OxctOkseM_XJdM-sX91aoTEk5kDkba4wB1_jmVHBE/w400-h250/66.png" width="400" /></a></div>Still, it’s good to know I’m on the right track. I also try to use the balled-up toilet paper to fix the hole in the hose, but the game informs me it’s not enough. None of my other objects work so I leave and do the adventure game click-a-thon, revisiting every room and clicking everything on everything. This is made non-laborious by the generous pace at which Larry walks using the maximum speed setting. <br /><br />Nothing works. I think about what I <i>haven’t</i> done. I see Art go by on his surfboard-toilet device and figure I’ll ride to the end of the line just to see what happens.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsUtPYM0Ml5zQkyS55XDsv17OXQbBnuViYI-_ydRuKxsysRPJzuld6jIvkcwfEm9Ai-RgtJciDRX5Cb3QVofClVxuDwnbZ0izirR4vYjxdSmwg4LqF_wgVY93gb2ZIMOVSUKKuTzW-sfLAmLesZUT8GpMcXsAQbyDK61h2_17UnnHf6O8aTYjDoDrEk-0/s640/67.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsUtPYM0Ml5zQkyS55XDsv17OXQbBnuViYI-_ydRuKxsysRPJzuld6jIvkcwfEm9Ai-RgtJciDRX5Cb3QVofClVxuDwnbZ0izirR4vYjxdSmwg4LqF_wgVY93gb2ZIMOVSUKKuTzW-sfLAmLesZUT8GpMcXsAQbyDK61h2_17UnnHf6O8aTYjDoDrEk-0/w400-h250/67.png" width="400" /></a></div>Well, we reached the gate to the employee’s recreation area since this is the way Art was traveling, and he tells me to get off so he can turn around. I do so, but Larry notices that Art is standing around. I talk to Art . . .<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTMESGJC4tV8mezMzopPAA8pv2_CzqTwUkZDi6kQzfvzQ5OEwWs42A3gFtsnPdkpeBG8kPYAnfYrOkt0jBxOM55SlP_Vk7lMNESzb5O5ZiiLJBGxMiZTmLG1e3F4grHoPgWR_Pactpkwla_y-6XDYagfPFay4IKSowGX9sI3ypAbwhEE3C8-TjxHA197c/s640/68.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTMESGJC4tV8mezMzopPAA8pv2_CzqTwUkZDi6kQzfvzQ5OEwWs42A3gFtsnPdkpeBG8kPYAnfYrOkt0jBxOM55SlP_Vk7lMNESzb5O5ZiiLJBGxMiZTmLG1e3F4grHoPgWR_Pactpkwla_y-6XDYagfPFay4IKSowGX9sI3ypAbwhEE3C8-TjxHA197c/w400-h250/68.png" width="400" /></a></div>. . . who tells me he really wants to smoke a cigar during his break but has nothing to light it with. Let me say, I like Art. Anyone who smokes cigars is okay with me.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzwOeAqaJxdtci6P5nDqT1FXXArRfD5qV-JqIfsipzgexsmhyw_xYCtyF9kClPAbI7x_SuIX21PTvW_Wpss7VzkUwFL_br4Rs9sq3JdOAMgB5iz2ilgdJx2z7EFE44M3kQSxSYPaVIGxh_vnO42uSrhpabVP_M0LSigiPpd3XA3Nak6LjY0INBQbu0y8I/s640/69.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzwOeAqaJxdtci6P5nDqT1FXXArRfD5qV-JqIfsipzgexsmhyw_xYCtyF9kClPAbI7x_SuIX21PTvW_Wpss7VzkUwFL_br4Rs9sq3JdOAMgB5iz2ilgdJx2z7EFE44M3kQSxSYPaVIGxh_vnO42uSrhpabVP_M0LSigiPpd3XA3Nak6LjY0INBQbu0y8I/w400-h250/69.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXa7hirhKbFxYtVA8hcJJW9vp3-dhlSf3tqKIX-UhrVALhPyscJarOHDB2VfRNOIbb9IQ8jv-fgXdn48i8qbggplSoUaUNWZ-BVtnk77KfF9LhsrfRIlVS_askZ2__Xv8WZvqrnbBZqQCO_q8pVjwDZyotjkHuGhztKWjmlv4WxAIsNCKxEA1gEfZjqVo/s1280/70.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="906" data-original-width="1280" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXa7hirhKbFxYtVA8hcJJW9vp3-dhlSf3tqKIX-UhrVALhPyscJarOHDB2VfRNOIbb9IQ8jv-fgXdn48i8qbggplSoUaUNWZ-BVtnk77KfF9LhsrfRIlVS_askZ2__Xv8WZvqrnbBZqQCO_q8pVjwDZyotjkHuGhztKWjmlv4WxAIsNCKxEA1gEfZjqVo/w400-h284/70.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXgD4Bq1g6JFH8cZ3nlb6-9nGIoYWCgtumDPrbH1tEfD864fC6S289-ebhjryomLpAWdHgChbamHQnE0jdY8LZOfGi0Tf8kpoHXqJnbHARAXky5kEuIPVfU0S-aXGEe6Tfx5eACxUdO8hx9Ln2JOd5YAV2ixe_bUqYusVVxStLYVrc0EfWse94RGzKWsk/s553/71.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="369" data-original-width="553" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXgD4Bq1g6JFH8cZ3nlb6-9nGIoYWCgtumDPrbH1tEfD864fC6S289-ebhjryomLpAWdHgChbamHQnE0jdY8LZOfGi0Tf8kpoHXqJnbHARAXky5kEuIPVfU0S-aXGEe6Tfx5eACxUdO8hx9Ln2JOd5YAV2ixe_bUqYusVVxStLYVrc0EfWse94RGzKWsk/w400-h268/71.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCoZm-ha-6U_8ns1GgG3VIQeJlpm8fM-DrB4KFyuJJeSLPjsjBXd0BWxISH44mZiyuV-dN3H3Y0L1gb3NH_oXWEjc5RHUQ9mGbrQmtT6joz9zZwM3oafozB9AjhKAWu6u4eV_Ef48Y94buAaCqI-KcVwzPYTSxaq-FHp4hC5RmbHzDXvpIex29aSrw05g/s259/72.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCoZm-ha-6U_8ns1GgG3VIQeJlpm8fM-DrB4KFyuJJeSLPjsjBXd0BWxISH44mZiyuV-dN3H3Y0L1gb3NH_oXWEjc5RHUQ9mGbrQmtT6joz9zZwM3oafozB9AjhKAWu6u4eV_Ef48Y94buAaCqI-KcVwzPYTSxaq-FHp4hC5RmbHzDXvpIex29aSrw05g/w400-h300/72.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhCvjJTdDWiwtgfotR_ugmTxJWtJIxpFYOh691oCSI1VNw82ziGoNTqiRUPGkV_oKiBPKtJDKXBAE4URgn6ssfpiRJ6DX0dhSVCI24oeRL7jnsMrALMdS7g_o1XIy5_NwlYELq-n2rRQcWGRh4l8MZj31UUs1HV59KEBq1Asj6wIL81OHV9uJ38sN4P_8/s800/73.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="800" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhCvjJTdDWiwtgfotR_ugmTxJWtJIxpFYOh691oCSI1VNw82ziGoNTqiRUPGkV_oKiBPKtJDKXBAE4URgn6ssfpiRJ6DX0dhSVCI24oeRL7jnsMrALMdS7g_o1XIy5_NwlYELq-n2rRQcWGRh4l8MZj31UUs1HV59KEBq1Asj6wIL81OHV9uJ38sN4P_8/w400-h265/73.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Okay, <i>most</i> people who smoke a cigar are okay with me.<br /><br />Regardless, I happen to have a match, which Art happily takes (4 points). He then wanders off into the employee’s area, a horrible place where, he informs Larry, there’s nothing but beer, and lots of it. Joke’s on you, sucker: I’ve already been! Of course, I can’t go in while Art is there because something about stolen badges, not being an employee, blah blah. Whatever. All I know is that you left your toilet unguarded, bro. <br /><br />Yes, I poke around with Art’s strange means of locomotion, positing that the game wouldn’t have put me in this situation otherwise. I am able to open up the toilet, which reveals a rather more complex set of electronics than one would think a humble commode would need. I get that there are smart toilets and what not, but this is ridiculous.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6rdR8eN6vrQ1Vxs-QN4uAcdaoIojJhlBqGWe91q_dtGLYIYOg75X6Em4t-wZJjK_aiHw9ceGGzgNBNsfLfQjBwcZCQSMK2Kdh76La_tWi4n1n8yLmTCwns4kKTK_mb_ermeM75coNK0RhgHsUZeLRcmIhn4jsRcs0MXydFH4JqCijwPl3I90NhjFPG-4/s640/74.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6rdR8eN6vrQ1Vxs-QN4uAcdaoIojJhlBqGWe91q_dtGLYIYOg75X6Em4t-wZJjK_aiHw9ceGGzgNBNsfLfQjBwcZCQSMK2Kdh76La_tWi4n1n8yLmTCwns4kKTK_mb_ermeM75coNK0RhgHsUZeLRcmIhn4jsRcs0MXydFH4JqCijwPl3I90NhjFPG-4/w400-h250/74.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Sheer lunacy.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Of course, this is what powers Art’s device. Because I’m an adventure gamer, I use Mark’s wrench to liberate the power cable from the motor (15 points).<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimoeJxi_LQ8LSM1OMJGcilOEdhnU9fwoUs4MyMx0EY5EZ0fMSp6caMRuSDpPIHIzadMKr1Cxp4LtY6zauEOqXNBDraVzlZUH1TnLmMbRL0dkbKbJbnomzO_XWtFvrmv7hj98MF5tBberiG3zgEol_TZz9xh67joANE_asm86C5KgD3WOr-8NEt4eI77_c/s640/75.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimoeJxi_LQ8LSM1OMJGcilOEdhnU9fwoUs4MyMx0EY5EZ0fMSp6caMRuSDpPIHIzadMKr1Cxp4LtY6zauEOqXNBDraVzlZUH1TnLmMbRL0dkbKbJbnomzO_XWtFvrmv7hj98MF5tBberiG3zgEol_TZz9xh67joANE_asm86C5KgD3WOr-8NEt4eI77_c/w400-h250/75.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i>Larry, you so bad!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Art comes back and is understandably pissed off his toilet cannot move. What a strange sentence! Anyway, he goes back under the hood to take a look. Larry offers to help by “Talk”ing to Art, who asks Larry to hold his flashlight (2 points). Ah hah! I stealthily swipe the batteries from the thing you Brits might call a “torch” (20 points) and then return the useless thing to Art once he fixes his toilet.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxakA2SXWD2Sta5XYAmvyHWIlme5w5xGDgL3xaDL2_U_Hy2a3c8-pFetO4Udv1zMul05hg05773AvrZf6CZp4XtC8EQCjTAPl7SGjGQYMhha2LEMFTaxEiZq8hENNqJIvaDCRoAsf7yoo0EKaz4__SZ5CH7RosuNEITfNFtGTfcej5AvNDWWT2K2fxA2Q/s640/76.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxakA2SXWD2Sta5XYAmvyHWIlme5w5xGDgL3xaDL2_U_Hy2a3c8-pFetO4Udv1zMul05hg05773AvrZf6CZp4XtC8EQCjTAPl7SGjGQYMhha2LEMFTaxEiZq8hENNqJIvaDCRoAsf7yoo0EKaz4__SZ5CH7RosuNEITfNFtGTfcej5AvNDWWT2K2fxA2Q/w400-h250/76.png" width="400" /></a></div>Stay tuned to see how giving these to Char once again results in something bad happening to Larry. Maybe I’ll even get an item that’ll help me solve the game’s final few puzzles, like fixing the cellulite drainage machine! Thanks for hanging in with me here, hope you’re enjoying the posts, and let’s end this game on a strong note! I mean, it can’t be any worse than <i>Larry 5</i>, can it? <br />No, it can’t.<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">OUTSTANDING PUZZLES:</h3><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><strike>Fixing the brown water</strike></li><li>Fixing the cellulite drainage machine for Gammie</li><li><strike>Finding a girl to go to the sauna with for Cav</strike></li><li><strike>Finding batteries for Char</strike></li><li><strike>Finding a dress for Shablee</strike></li><li><strike>Finding handcuffs for Thunderbird</strike></li><li><strike>Finding flowers for Rose</strike></li><li><strike>Getting the handcuffs from Daryl</strike></li><li>Get a receipt marked PAID IN FULL to get past Daryl</li><li><strike>Find a bathing suit</strike></li><li><strike>Use the high dive at the pool</strike></li><li><strike>Blow up the beaver float</strike></li><li><strike>Get ice from the ice machine</strike></li><li><strike>Use the elevator</strike></li><li><strike>Use the dumbwaiter</strike></li><li><strike>Find more stuff to urinate on, in, or around</strike></li><li>Get oil for the lamp</li><li>Figure out what to do in the tanning room</li></ul><b>Session Time:</b> 2 hours, 30 minutes<br /><b>Total Time</b>: 7 hours<br /><br /><b>Total Points: </b>774<br /><br /><b>Inventory</b>: Cav’s badge, brochure, champagne and bucket, hand crème, room key, lamp, orange, ass gasket, toilet paper, towel, damp washcloth, wrench<br /><br /><b>Things Urinated On, In, or Around</b>: 5 (In the room key return box, behind the taco truck, in the fountain in the towel room, in the toilet in Larry’s room, in the pool)<br /><br /><b>Things Rammed Up Larry’s Butt:</b> 2 (Rose’s colonic machine, Shablee)Ilmari Jauhiainenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01655841880034965950noreply@blogger.com15