ne Mventurers, JOUI'Jlal November, 1992 Not sold in stores King• s Quest VI: a landmark game I remember once breaking a number of Down and out in against a background of murder, politi­ traffic laws in order to attend a special Daventry Hills cal intrigue and a " ...Does she love me? Does she not?" sub-plot. It is not what film industry premiere of The Empire The game picks up about three months you might call a typical Strikes Back in Hollywood, and finally after King's Quest Vended, where King's Quest story. sitting in front of Muppeteer Jim Prince Alexander of Daventry (Gwydion In Henson, who also confessed to having of KQ3) and Princess Cassima of the Did I say "not typical?" a first for has not gone out of his way to get there. Stanley Green Isles were last seen making goo­ the series, and for Sierra, KQ6 one ending, but over a doi.en. It is not as Kubrick's film The Shining was premier­ goo eyes at each other. Alex is at home it seems, though. There are ing at the same hour, and was virtually pining away when the castle's magic loose as really just two major finishes - based ignored in the rush to see if George mirror shows an image of Cassima look­ Lucas could surpass Star Wars. ing troubled. The combination of on a short path through the game, and a longer one - but they differ in tone, A new King's Quest game is like infatuation and being a noble prince emotion and detail. that: having defined (if sends him rushing off Once the two paths split, they not invented) the to the Green Islands, become mutually exclusive. the other animated adventure game, despite the fact that All endings are variations on these two, but each new sequel sells by no one knows where the spectrum of finishes is wide. A the truckload, and is they are, or that they examined and discussed, arc surrounded by goodly number of actions (and combina­ tions of actions) that the player does, or not just by fans, but by nasty reefs and the entire computer enter­ does not perform, have a direct effect on currents. Yup, he ends tainment industry. just which ending you will experience. King's up washed up on a On the other hand, the game is very re­ Quest has become the beach. benchmark against which all other This entire opening cartoon was playa ble because of this. And Sierra also loaded the game with many "optional" adventure games - including new produced by a Hollywood company that King's Quest titles - are judged. It is has done animated special effects for tasks and puzzles. Jane Jensen, who wrote KQ6 along with Roberta also the best selling series of such games Batman Returns and The l.Awnmower ever. Man; the smoothness of animation and Continued on page 14 use of animated camera moves are quite The end of an era impressive, unlike what you might Welcome to the Age of King's Quest VI: expect to see in a computer game. Contents Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow. Play it. Cherish it. You'll love it. Big, confident, Islands and legends colorful, complex, deep, difficult, From his soggy, sandy arrival, Alexander perplexing; sometimes cute and always will have to find his way to and around involving, KQ6 is a landmark computer a half-dozen island kingdoms, each of game. It's fitting that it also marks the which is unique and based on a different end of an era. fantasy or fairy tale tradition. There is The plot is almost trite: princess an Arabian Nights island, one for Beauty imprisoned in a tower, a really evil and the Beast, Wonderland, Greek Vizier running amok, kingdom in mythology, Druidic religion, and one turmoil, and a lone prince to set it all inspired by the Orpheus story. arights. But then, Star Wars was little Alexander has to unravel what's going else than boys meet girl, they all save the on and watch out for the vizier's genie, universe. who alternates trying to spy on him or attempting assassination. All this occurs by Peter Spear Shay Addams' The Latest Loom and Monkey Island 1; hint Quests books for all games are included. The Mail Maze Adventure This month I've spent time in all Spearheading the quest ~ ~pn Road the new adven- This month's lead review was done u__--====~_____.~IE:::· ==~ tures. Feature by Peter Spear, who has been playing reviews on most Dear QuestBusters: beta versions of King's Quest VI for of them won't About last issue's page 14 - is the several months. His updated edition editor in a coma or something? arrive until next of The King's Quest Companion will month, so maybe include the complete solution. Spear Curious Reader these one-liners will help and his son also have a clue book you choose the best game for you that covers the Space Quest series. Dear QuestBusters: from a crowd of excellent new titles. Both are from McGraw-Hill. Was page 14 of the October issue Might and Magic: Clouds of Xeen printed in Zork I's Echo Room? has the slickest graphics and Adventurous screen saver Enraged Reader monsters, and though its many quests pose significant Jeff Tunnell, best known for Willy challenges, the Beamish and Dear QuestBusters: interface makes it Heart of China, Send me the real page 14 or die! And easy to play. Sir­ has a new kind of get a proofreader! Tech's Crusaders of "adventure." Outraged Reader the Dark Savant Johnny Castaway doesn't look as is a uruque We ran an ad in the Tucson paper for good but offers Windows 3.1 a proofreader, but no one could read more opportunity screen saver - the for interacting with first to feature an it because of all the typos. Anyway, I NPCs as you partici- Quest for Glory Ill animated story fired the person responsible for this pate in a sophisticated story, and it is with sound effects. Randomly gener- disaster. (Then I immediately rehired the toughest RPG of the year. I still ated events depict the life of Johnny him, since it was me.) For page 14 of don't like Darklands, even with the as he strives to escapes a desert October, see our "Patch A" on page patches, because of the overemphasis island. Tunnell also has a "one-of-a- 14 of this issue. No, make that page on menus and all those things to keep kind" game due for Christmas: The 13. Or was it page 2 ... ? track of (it should come with its own Incredible Machine. database) - but if you like that kind of RPG, this is your kind of game. Paragon joins CD Throng Spellcasting 301, no pushover in Though the disk-based version the puzzle department, is clearly the haven't shipped yet, Paragon recently funniest game of the year and features announced that CD versions of the raciest graphics too. Lost Files of Mantis and Challenge of the Five Editor: Shay Addams Sherlock Holmes is more sedate and Realms have been scheduled for fall. Managing Editor: Dora McCormick easier to solve. Quest for Glory III's News Editor: Arthur Kent biggest competition is King's Quest Contributing Editors: Al Giovetti, VI: KQ is tougher, and adventure Patches Bernie Yee, FredJ. Philipp, Clancy fans akeady know which one they'll Look for patch updates on all quests Shaffer, Rich Heimlich, Ken St. play first. Gobliiins is great if you like and simulations in our upcoming Andre, Brian Smith, Russ Ceccola, Bruce E. Wiley, This Reviewer logic puzzles and hate to map. newsletter, Patches, which will also report on home-made quilts and rag QuestBusters, the journal of the dolls. Mtzniac Mansion 2 world's largest group of adventure gamers, is published monthly by LucasArts has finally announced a Ragnarok's revenge Patch It Up Productions. Annual sequel for. their first animated adven­ dues: 3rd Class, $19; lst Class, $25, From Norse Helm, Ragnarok is a ture. Day of the Tentacle, due this Canada, $26, lnt'~ $36. Contents spring, is "loosely derived" from the Viking mythology-based RPG that Copyright Eldritch, LTD., 1992, All 1987 game. This fall LucasArts is looks like something from 1985, even Rights Reserved. Copying without rereleasing the original game in a with VGA graphics. The display is express permission is prohibited & collection of five IBM adventures that reminiscent of Ultima II We won't punishable by applying patches A-Z also includes 'Zak McKracken, run a feature review on this one, to your auto.exec file. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, which is not recommended. Member: South American Explorers Club And just vuho is ttis D:rk Savcnt, ~ he last few months have been a real course. There is a limited drag-and­ ters, and only some of their goodies teaser for me - I received a series drop aspect too, as items can be will be transferred, but this option T of early beta copies of Sir-Tech's dragged from one player to another. gives you some instant firepower. long-awaited Crusaders of the Dark And you'll need it: Crusaders sports a Savant, their sequel to Bane of the Automapping added huge outdoor and indoor world for Cosmic Forge, to play around with. Automapping has been added as well, you to explore, not to mention Incomplete puzzles and world, but but it doesn't nearly match the imple­ intense battles - the groups of playable nonetheless.