polyh3dron
Banned
Awesome OP... I'm a little hurt that all of Dynamix's work was relegated to a footnote though.. Willy Beamish and Heart of China were fuckawesome.
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Point-and-Click Adventure-GAF of LucasArts, Sierra, and hair-pulling puzzles
- Thread starter discoalucard
- Start date
I'm surprised this wasn't mentioned yet:
http://www.doublefine.com/games/host_master
Tim was the GDC 2009 host and you have to help him find 22 jokes
http://www.doublefine.com/games/host_master
Tim was the GDC 2009 host and you have to help him find 22 jokes
Maltrum's Mansion
ACE Team (Zeno Clash, Rock of Ages) posted this on their webpage as an April Fools' joke a few years ago. Short little horror-themed point & click with B&W graphics imitative of early Macs, which is definitely a novel point of reference.
ACE Team (Zeno Clash, Rock of Ages) posted this on their webpage as an April Fools' joke a few years ago. Short little horror-themed point & click with B&W graphics imitative of early Macs, which is definitely a novel point of reference.
Sgt.Pepper
Banned
Man, this thread put me in the moods for adventure games. Just finished Broken Sword: The Smoking Mirror, I dunno if the other 2 are as good. Don't want it to mess my very positive impressions on the first 2.
I got Back to the Future: Episode 1 in iOS (which is currently free btw), simple puzzles, but the voice acting and dialogue are pretty great so far.
I got Back to the Future: Episode 1 in iOS (which is currently free btw), simple puzzles, but the voice acting and dialogue are pretty great so far.
I couldn't disagree more. Easily my favorite of the Lucas Arts titles. It has one of the best game soundtracks of all time IMO.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GVGWWR4HYU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3syHZ-AJeoM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JQTafesDeg&feature=related
Spectacular Dr Dawg
Member
Why isn't this on steam? Did the publisher go under or something?
The retail version is sold out on every online store over here.
Adventure games have been my most beloved genre since i got an Amiga 1000 long time ago. I grew up with the genre. I remember being fascinated by text adventures and games like Deja Vu. I have fond memories of Future Wars and Operation Stealth. I drooled at Cruise for a Corpse screenshots but never played it. Same goes for Beneath a Steel Sky and many others (amongst them a lot of Sierra adventures and games like Heart of China). Loved Monkey Island ofcourse and have fond memories of games like Leisure Suit Larry, Loom, Zack McKracken, Indiana Jones,...
I stuck with Amiga for a long time so i missed some of the early pc adventures like The Dig, Full throttle,... But i was onboard from Monkey Island 3 onwards. Played The Longest Journey, Grim Fandango and loved the Microïds adventures like Syberia and Post Mortem.
Lately, my passion for adventure games is somewhat lost though. The last games i enjoyed were Dreamfall (loved that one), Perry Rhodan, Machinarium and to some extent Whispered World and The Lost Horizon.
I couldn't get into A new Beginning and Secret Files 2, gave up on a Book Of Unwritten Tales and A Vampyre Story and i don't like the Pendulo games one bit.
I think that most adventure games coming from Germany lack something to make them truly great. I can't put my finger on what though. I generally don't find them funny at all even if they are meant to be. They lack memorable characters and the story often isn't that interesting. And they often expose the flaws that come with the genre. That said, from a visual point of view, i love what they are doing. Whispered world, BouT, Deponia, Dark eye: Chains of Satinav and others look stunning.
I stuck with Amiga for a long time so i missed some of the early pc adventures like The Dig, Full throttle,... But i was onboard from Monkey Island 3 onwards. Played The Longest Journey, Grim Fandango and loved the Microïds adventures like Syberia and Post Mortem.
Lately, my passion for adventure games is somewhat lost though. The last games i enjoyed were Dreamfall (loved that one), Perry Rhodan, Machinarium and to some extent Whispered World and The Lost Horizon.
I couldn't get into A new Beginning and Secret Files 2, gave up on a Book Of Unwritten Tales and A Vampyre Story and i don't like the Pendulo games one bit.
I think that most adventure games coming from Germany lack something to make them truly great. I can't put my finger on what though. I generally don't find them funny at all even if they are meant to be. They lack memorable characters and the story often isn't that interesting. And they often expose the flaws that come with the genre. That said, from a visual point of view, i love what they are doing. Whispered world, BouT, Deponia, Dark eye: Chains of Satinav and others look stunning.
Nope, it's just not on Steam. You can get a digital download through the Adventure Shop (I can't link you as it's region-specific, Google it!) for about £20.
I remember playing it as a kid on my friend's Amiga. We couldn't get too far because the game relied too much on timed events, i.e. you had to be in a specific place on a specific time for something to happen :/. I hate that in adventure games.
TheNamelessOne
Member
A seemingly usually hidden gem is Fable, released years before Molyneux laid claim to the name.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAJiCERMxfI
Got this when I was younger, not knowing anything about it. Turned out it was pretty cool. It has a fantastic narrator commenting on everything that happens.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAJiCERMxfI
Got this when I was younger, not knowing anything about it. Turned out it was pretty cool. It has a fantastic narrator commenting on everything that happens.
discoalucard
i am a butthurt babby that can only drool in wonder at shiney objects
Fable is one of those games that's hilarious, but I'm not entirely sure knows it. It's got some good art, but the main character is dumber than a rock.
Also has the most damned weird ending I've ever seen. The original ending was too dark so the US publisher had them change it. Both were awful.
Also has the most damned weird ending I've ever seen. The original ending was too dark so the US publisher had them change it. Both were awful.
That game looks awesome. Too bad there is no easy way to get many of the games people have mentioned on here.
discoalucard
i am a butthurt babby that can only drool in wonder at shiney objects
The problem isn't necessarily getting them - most PC games are dirt cheap to buy off eBay, especially if you just want the CD and aren't picky about packaging - it's getting them to run if they aren't supported by SCUMMVM. There's that nebulous generation of games that were only developed for Windows 3.1/95/98 that won't work on DOSBox but refuse to cooperate with newer versions of Windows. Like Fable here, I think I bought off eBay for $5, but had some display issues working with XP. I suppose there are workarounds involving installing virtual machines running older versions, but I haven't really messed around with them. Not sure if it's work the time/effort when I'd just be using them to horrify myself with old FMV games.
TheNamelessOne
Member
I can't seem to recall the ending. Have to watch it on Youtube. From what I recall, isn't the point of Quickthorpe that he is, as you say, dumber than a rock, but that the narrator kind of makes up for that?
I still have the original box for this, the one shaped like a book, wich is one of my most precious gaming nostalgia keepsakes.
Eaten By A Grue
Member
I want to get Harvester so badly, but it seems like I would need to pony up a lot of money to get it.
Kelegacy
XBOX - RECORD ME LOVING DOWN MY WOMAN GOOD
Some adventure games in the early 90s had talkie (CD) and regular non-speech versions. My problem is finding out which had talkie versions and which didn't. Games like Willy Beamish SHOULD be played with the speech on. On the other hand, I first played Gabriel Knight without speech and when I tried the talkie version many years later, it felt strange to my ears.
A lot of games aren't for sale anymore even on GOG, and have become freeware or abandonware, but even so, most are just small DOS files. If there is a CD version of any adventure game, I'd rather play that.
A lot of games aren't for sale anymore even on GOG, and have become freeware or abandonware, but even so, most are just small DOS files. If there is a CD version of any adventure game, I'd rather play that.
The first Gabriel Knight has this weird voice for narrator that sounds like an old granny telling a night story to their grandchildren. I hated it and was glad that Sierra put an option to turn it off.
I was surprised when I've learned that Leisure Suit Larry 6 has a talkie version. I always thought LSL7 was the first game with talking Larry.
Maybe that's because she
And don't you talk about granny that way!!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Capers
discoalucard
i am a butthurt babby that can only drool in wonder at shiney objects
Yeah, very well done. I think someone else in the thread mentioned how the narrator in that game was pretty decent. Perfectly compliments the Saturday morning cartoon feel of the whole thing.
Offhand, the Sierra/LucasArts games that had talkie versions:
Leisure Suit Larry 6 & 7
King Quest 5, 6, 7 and 8 (Mask of Eternity)
Space Quest 4 and 6 (no 5 unfortunately)
Quest for Glory 4
Laura Bow: Dagger of Amon Ra
Gabriel Knight 1-3
Police Quest 4: SWAT
Freddy Pharkas (Cam Clarke as Freddy plus the goofy theme songs make this one essential)
Torin's Passage
EcoQuest 1 (not 2)
Phantasmagoria (obviously since it's FMV)
I think one of the Mixed Up Mother Goose remakes may have had a CD version but I haven't played them.
Plus assorted other Myst-type games they made like Shivers, Lighthouse and Rama.
Coktel:
Most of the Gobliiins games (but since they replace the random gibberish of the main characters they're actually worse for the most part)
Inca (Inca 2 has amazingly atrocious acting)
Woodruff and the Schnibble
Lost in Time I THINK had one. Ditto for Fascination, though that was pre-Sierra.
Dynamix:
Willy Beamish
Rise of the Dragon (Sega CD only)
LucasArts:
Actually everything but their really early games (Labyrinth, Maniac Mansion, Zak McKracken, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade) are voice acting. Monkey Island 1 and 2 only have voices in their recent remakes.
arglebargle
Member
hmm you are correct. i chose to stick together with sophia this time, and its way different from using my brains, which is how i decided to go last time.
There are 4 Mixed Up Mother Goose versions.
- EGA (the original one, 16 colors, no samples, uses AGI as interpreter)
- SCI1 CD (VGA 256 colors graphics with full speech, even in multiple languages)
- SCI1.1 (VGA 256 colors graphics, but strangely no speech at all, has samples though)
- SCI2.1 CD aka Mother Goose Deluxe (hires VESA 256 colors graphics, uses 32-bit SCI interpreter, full speech, also multiple languages, different speech than SCI1)
And there is also Slater & Charlie Go Camping. Children's educational game. Which also features full speech.
EDIT: Just forgot Jones in the fast lane - which is available on CD as well and the CD version features full speech (not an adventure though)
Kelegacy
XBOX - RECORD ME LOVING DOWN MY WOMAN GOOD
The best narrator EVER. And the other voice acting was pretty good too I think. But this is nostalgia talking. It had a big impact on my childhood (the Sega CD days).
I replay it every year or so, because of the warm and fuzzies from it. But without the voice acting I don't think I would have liked it as much. It really makes the game for me.
I can play games without the voice acting for sure, as many didn't have spoken dialogue. But some games had really great narrators and actors (Space Quest comes to mind as well), so I want to get the talkie versions of all games if possible. At least, I can always turn the stuff off if I didn't like it.
I always use subtitles as well, especially for the LucasArts games. The text font is really nostalgic for me for some reason. And it's the same in so many adventure games.
CadetMahoney
Member
op is good. maybe too good.
zak mckracken ftw.
zak mckracken ftw.
j0hnny_385
Member
Great OP. Most of those games I played when I was a kid. Such fond memories... I remember that I knew Day of the Tentacle and Monkey Island 2 & 3 from start to finish so my friends called me when they were stuck in some part. haha, #KidPride.
aaaahhhhh, nostalgia...
aaaahhhhh, nostalgia...
MiniBossman
Member
Amazon was selling it as a digital download also
Schrödinger's cat
Banned
That game pretty much represented my entry into the games publishing side of the industry. The game was published by Telstar Electronic Studios (yes, UK fans, the same 'not available in any stores..' Telstar) and was pushed by ex Ocean boss Gary Bracey as he had a major thing for point-and-click adventures. Gary was always looking for another point-and-click game. The closest he got was a game called "Granny" (aka Dementia) from an Israeli developer. It was 6 CDs of pretty bizarre and nonsensical awfulness.A seemingly usually hidden gem is Fable, released years before Molyneux laid claim to the name.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAJiCERMxfI
Got this when I was younger, not knowing anything about it. Turned out it was pretty cool. It has a fantastic narrator commenting on everything that happens.
I was always surprised by the feedback we got on Fable (PC), Excalibur (PS1) and Granny - there were a lot of customers who seemed to really enjoy those average-at-best games.
Telstar did publish some reasonable stuff but most of their output was pretty poor. They scooped up Bubsy 3D because, if they moved quickly, they could release it ahead of Mario 64 in the UK and claim the "First true 3D platformer" accolade.
Telstar got bought up by Take 2 shortly after that publisher released Hidden and Dangerous on PC and just before they started working on GTA2. I checked my LinkedIn recently and learned that one of the old Telstar Producers is now a producer on the Modern Warfare games. Tough break huh?
there are also the Sherlock Holmes games from Frogwares:
http://www.frogwares.com/
I played only VS. Jack the Ripper: Really liked the athmosphere, the puzzles are logical but I didn't like the flat characterizations of the two protagonists. Basically Watson is extremly dumb and is astonished by everything sherlock says.
http://www.frogwares.com/
I played only VS. Jack the Ripper: Really liked the athmosphere, the puzzles are logical but I didn't like the flat characterizations of the two protagonists. Basically Watson is extremly dumb and is astonished by everything sherlock says.
Playing my first ever Sam & Max game, Save the World, at the moment. I just finished Episode 4 'Abe Lincoln Must Die!'. I have to say I am very pleased with it thus far. The exchanges between Sam and Max are fantastic and more than make up for the recycled environments. The only thing I really didn't enjoy was:
In Ep 4, having to go back and forth between the White House and the Office over and over again. Do one thing, get in the car, drive to the other location, do one thing, drive back, etc. Just seemed like it was done for some time filler, especially since it was pretty obvious what you had to do, so there was really no puzzle to figure out. Oh well.
There are some Lucasarts adventure games on Steam, its sad that they haven't released more though.
Kelegacy
XBOX - RECORD ME LOVING DOWN MY WOMAN GOOD
On that Youtube video is a link (actually it's the poster's comment, not in the video) that says how to get the game for $2. First I thought it was the developer or something, but it's an abandonware site. I've heard of them before, and even used them for the small free files. However, the talkie files are so big that you can't download unless you sign up for an account.
Are sites like this legit? I mean, I'm sure they would work if you subscribed for a month and downloaded all the games you wanted, but is it still considered piracy, even with games that are unavailable to own otherwise? Someone is getting paid, even if it's just for bandwidth charges by the site's claim, which is where the ice starts to thin.
I was curious what people thought about that. For $2, I'd download almost any game on GoG, so it's not a price thing for me. It's more of a "I can't find this anywhere else," sort of issue.
Great thread, thank you!
Its a nice stroll down memory lane, I think I played (and tremendously enjoyed) more than 90% of the pre-2000 games mentioned here.
While the game mechanics may not have aged so well, the humor and love devs obviously put into these games is still unsurpassed.
Its a nice stroll down memory lane, I think I played (and tremendously enjoyed) more than 90% of the pre-2000 games mentioned here.
While the game mechanics may not have aged so well, the humor and love devs obviously put into these games is still unsurpassed.
Sierra Manhunter! One of my first games!!!
THANK YOU!
Don't know why the Manhunter series did not get more love with its Orbs and often dark story. Can hardly forget Phil.
Anyways, also wanted to mention one of the creepiest games I played,
Early Part of the game.
From Wikipedia:
Gameplay is simplistic, but the stop motion puppets combined with the Poe stories really made it better than it perhaps should have been.
Spectacular Dr Dawg
Member
Whoa, lots of games I haven't played in this thread. Hopefully some of them end up on GOG.
Foliorum Viridum
Banned
I'm a few hours in to The Longest Journey and so far I'm loving it. I've seen it's 13 chapters long and I'm only on chapter 3 after 5 hours. Longest adventure game ever?
It's really set up an interesting story and, other than one or two questionable puzzles, it's been fantastic thus far. I hope the quality stays this good throughout.
It's really set up an interesting story and, other than one or two questionable puzzles, it's been fantastic thus far. I hope the quality stays this good throughout.
No.
Abandonware is just another word for pirate site.
There are no games that are "abandonware". Such sites just say that they suppose noone would hold the rights anymore/noone would sell the game. Most of the time, there will be someone somewhere that holds the rights. And yes, the current right holder may not sell the game currently, but this doesn't make pirating legal.
I saw several (legal) copies of Fable on ebay. Yeah, the original developer won't get your money, but imho it's better to pay an honest original buyer than paying some filthy pirate scum.
Although - yes some games are really given out for free by the developers/publishers/right holders. For example Beneath a Steel Sky (CD version). Downloadable from http://www.scummvm.org/downloads/
EDIT: just a quick google revealed - Jagged Alliance: Deadly Games (originally developed and published by Sir-Tech, the original publishers and possibly the right holders of Fable) is currently sold on GOG by Strategy First. Why not contact GOG about this game? Maybe Strategy First also owns the rights to Fable and could release it on GOG as well.
Foliorum Viridum
Banned
I think if an obscure adventure game is out of print and not on any DD service there's no moral issues with downloading it for free.
HOWEVER, if it is ever published again in some form, you should buy that copy then.
HOWEVER, if it is ever published again in some form, you should buy that copy then.
Acquiescence
Member
With my Vita less than a week away, I got to thinking - that console would be the perfect platform for traditional point 'n' click adventure games to appear on. The likes of the Monkey Island/Broken Sword remasters would look gorgeous on the OLED screen, and they'd work well with the touchscreen controls; you've got to wonder why there aren't any games like that on the horizon. The closest candidate I can think of is probably Escape Plan, but that's not very comparable.
*sigh*
*sigh*
Dog Problems
Banned
Maybe Double Fine will put the adventure game they're going to make on the Vita.
Just started Loom today for the first time. Pretty interesting take.
My favorite game has to be Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis.
I'm considering trying the Quest for Glory games as they're quite different than the adventure games I usually play. Should I just start with the first one and work my way through them?
My favorite game has to be Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis.
I'm considering trying the Quest for Glory games as they're quite different than the adventure games I usually play. Should I just start with the first one and work my way through them?
mattiewheels
And then the LORD David Bowie saith to his Son, Jonny Depp: 'Go, and spread my image amongst the cosmos. For every living thing is in anguish and only the LIGHT shall give them reprieve.'
Might as well post this here, this thread (and the Tim Schaffer kickstarter) reminded me how much I missed having all the old boxes for my Lucasarts adventure games in my collection. I tossed them away a long time ago, but finally just now got them back via ebay, feels great. Especially the Monkey Island boxes, there's something so perfect about them.
The Loom box came with such great stuff too! The Book of Patterns is an amazing little thing to have, it also comes with an audio cassette that has some kind of pre-story to the game apparently...
The Loom box came with such great stuff too! The Book of Patterns is an amazing little thing to have, it also comes with an audio cassette that has some kind of pre-story to the game apparently...
Yeah, they're best played sequentially, especially since you can import your characters from the older games into each sequel.
In related news, you might want to play the VGA remake of the first and the fan remake of the second.
Quest for Glory is a great series. I'm still surprised by how well the two genres complemented each other.
DosBox supports Windows 3.1 and now Windows 95 in its latest nightlies.
for Windows 3.1, it is done since long. KQ7 on gog use DosBox to tun W3.1 and launch it.
DosBox is a pretty much amazing system.
As for other games, there are tons of fan patches, recompiled installers and so on.
I have found very few games not working on Seven and I have most of the games in this thread. No, for old gamers, it is sometimes more cool to play the games now than before.
tinfoilhatman
all of my posts are my avatar
Can't wait to get our iPad so we can play the monkey island games, sure wish they would release all the sierra games on the iOS platform though, perfect filler games to play on the go or to kill time.