Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis - Comb Sweet Comb

Written by TBD

Indiana Jones Journal Entry #4: I've dealt with a bureaucratic official who's a stickler for the rules unless I give him a priceless artifact and had to deal with a Nazi guard who won't leave his post unless I make MYSELF a sandwich?!? I also spent time in a labyrinth regularly rubbing a scarf on a comb. It's been a weird day.

We left off last time with Indy on his way to Thera due to information we gathered from the likely concussed Monsieur Trottier. So let's continue our WITS path journey to Atlantis.


THERA

Who do you think you are, Indy? The narrator?

On the dock, I find:

• a crate that contains “One Standard Observation Balloon Bladder” - the port authority official won't let me take it without an invoice
• a lightweight fishnet, which I take
• a very large basket, that the official won't let me take

No! IT BELONGS IN A MUSEUM!!!!!

The official tells me he'll only let me take the basket if I give him a souvenir from the archaeological expedition in the mountains.

What's Your Story - Smartgenes

Answers: Smartgenes
Introduction and Captions: Ilmari

It's always a pleasure to find people who appreciate retrogaming and especially people who like to blog about their gaming experiences. Our next guest, known only by the alias Smartgenes, is a real professional in this matter, because he has been writing not just one, but two blogs on retrogaming. He is a special fan of the adventure game genre, so let's all give a warm welcome to him!

This is the best image I found of Smartgenes on the Internet. He resembles George Washington

L.A. Law: The Computer Game – Case #3: The Battered Boy

by Alex

L.A. Law: The Computer Game might not be the worst computer game I’ve ever played, but it’s certainly the one that’s felt the most like work.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying this is a great game by any stretch of the imagination. And the jury’s still out (pun not intended) as to whether or not it’s an objectively good one. But man, L.A. Law embodies one of my least-favorite adventure-game design choices, if this can even be called an “adventure game”: trial and error.

And believe me, this pun was also not intended.

Let’s pick up this thread for a second though. Adventure games usually consist of things like inventory based puzzles, exploration, and an overarching story. L.A. Law has none of these things. Maybe it has an overarching story if you look at the career dreams of your player character of choice. But in general, this game seems pretty thin in the adventure game department. Still, my torture is your entertainment, so without further ado, recess is over and court is now in session!

Okay, these puns were intentional. And I’ll show myself to the door now . . .

Missed Classic 53: Cutthroats - Introduction (1984)

Written by Joe Pranevich

In 1984, Infocom had a fantastic idea: let’s make two nautical-themed adventures in a row! More to the point, Infocom was working hard to keep each of their key developers working on a game to release this year: Steve Meretzky on Sorcerer and Hitchhiker’s Guide, Stu Galley on Seastalker, Mike Berlyn on Cutthroats, and Dave Lebling on Suspect. (Marc Blank even produced one: the Tutorial Game that I looked at in my last bonus post.) The nautical comparison isn’t quite fair: while Mr. Galley had produced a rolicking sci-fi adventure in a submarine, Mr. Berlyn was aiming for a modern-day tale of treasure hunting and piracy on the high seas. Still, it seems odd to have two superficially similar games in a row.

For this game, Mike Berlyn picked up an accomplice: Jerry Wolper. Mr. Wolper was an Infocom programmer who would work on the technical aspects of the production while Mr. Berlyn worked on the story. Berlyn had already proven himself more than capable of handling the technical side, but this freed him up to be more of a creative presence than before and was well-aligned with other creator/programmer pairings the company was experimenting with. Seastalker had been built the same way, and Hitchhiker’s Guide will follow the same model in just a few months. Will this change help Berlyn to write the best possible game? Possibly, although it could also suffer from having a less experienced programmer at the helm. I guess I’ll have to play to find out.

Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis - Jones in the Fast Lane

Written by TBD.

Indiana Jones Journal Entry #3: Sophia suggested we look for Atlantis together but I felt she'd just cramp my style. I'm using my own wits to find out if the place is real or the myth I've always thought.

Now that I've reached Atlantis on the TEAM path, it's time to backtrack and try to get here by WITS alone. So let's say goodbye to Sophia and use our wits in the fine city of Monte Carlo.

Thanks. Try not to get captured by Nazis while I'm gone.