NUIVIB•R S F.ALL .. 992 t I t ~ 1 I I f The characters' entire bodies are bigger, and they can express themselves to a much greater extent. It's really the world's first completely interactive cartoon. BY KHRIS BRO W N ...... , racking down the cre­ ative genius behind this game, Game Designers Dave Grossman and Tim Delacruz, was an adventure in itself. For those of you who actually read game cred­ its, you'll recall that Tim and Dave are responsible for oodles of wit found in The Secret of Monkey Island and Monkey Island 2: Le Oiuch's Revenge (and, for those of you who want the inside scoop, endless mirth and satire around the office). "What will Tim and Dave be like?" 1 wondered. Siske! and Ebert? Toejam and Earl? Ben and jerry? Ham and Cheese? Admiuedly, once I found them, I had to tie them to the interview chair with elec- l~..,.Y-i;O\IQ f;..l<llQ \.J"l1- lH,.UU llV'"-llf;..l<I. pv..>Ll-LV&-&- -----..-------------------~====1---:5trm1IT1~~xpxpie~n1!1nneienrmt1l5l1i1as!l5ee;:i. me--Tirree~ay enjoy playing with the kids in 1 Chron-o-John is constructed mostly out Day of the Tentacle. It seems like they with its mouth open or closed. Now the "Disembodied Tentacles Take Over!" kids have all kinds of grimaces and ges­ of spare parts (namely, a VW Bug and have nwre personality somehow ... tures and facial twists and contortions "Humans Penned as Pets in Dastardly three port-o-potties). Without regard for DAVI': When Maniac Mansion came while they're talking. They smile and Plan to Conquer the Universe!" their own safety, the kids volunteer to out five years ago, our technology hadn't their mouths open bigger than their become time-travel pioneers. However, yet progressed to the point where the heads and their tongues can hang out. ll!iiiii•" hese horrifying headlines will be corning to a computer like any good mad scientist's experiment, characters could move or speak the way near you in Spring 1993, when LucasArts releases Day Because bigger characters can do more, this one goes horribly wrong. It jettisons they can today. There wasn't much room of the Tentacle: Maniac Mansion 2. In this new adven­ they don't just stand there when you Laverne two hundred years into the for dialogue choices or complex anima- ture, inspired by the original Maniac Mansion game released in move them around, they blink, tap their future and Hoagie two hundred years lions, and consequently, the characters 1987, the eccentric Edison family and their abstract abode resur­ feet, sigh, and even scratch their butts. into the past, but leaves Bernard in the were limited. We were able to take char- face after a long rest. Back are the original Edisons, heroic nerd As soon as a character appears, you present. Despite their four hundred year acter development much, much further Bernard and his two new friends Laverne and Hoagie (a crazed, laugh at it, and that's really important. separation, the kids learn to take advan- in the Monkey Island games, giving the You stare at the main characters for overworked medical student and thick-skulled heavy metal tage of a hole in time left by the accident roadie, respectively). Also present are weird scientist Dr. Fred, his to "flush" small objects to one another, wife Nurse Edna, their son Ed, and the family's often ... er... "inter­ work together to get back to the present, esting" houseguests. They join forces with an enormous cast of and save the world. Along the way they Tim Delacruz Sonoma Sweetie! characters, running the gamut from a talking horse to the first meet and interact with historical figures, Here's the scoop on DOTTs President of the United States. In this new adventure, gamers evil tentacles, and many other bizarre ruddly, cozy, & caring everywhere can save humanity from the sinister mutated Purple characters. designer, Tim Delacruz! Tentacle, who has slurped up enough toxic waste to alter his nM:You have a mad scientist, mon­ genes, propagate a race of super-slimy suction cupped brothers ster tentacles, vivisection ... (verything a Real Full Name: Timothy John Delacruz and take over the world! game player could want! i Nickname: Meanest Does this mean Day of the 'Tentacle has Boy in the World trical tape (they liked it) and threaten to three paths? Birthdate: July 26, I967 burn all their Sam and MaxN comics. But Sign: Leo! DAVI': The game has tltree pailis, they agreed (between rounds of Street­ Birthplace: Sonoma, but it's different from Indiarf Jones and Fighter II, of course) to answer some California t11e Fate of Atlantis, becau1Jyou play all Height: 5'10" questions about this new game. Read on Food: the kids at once and cans ·1ch freely Weight: and learn from them (and their team of Screaming between them at any time. If one kid gets enormous! funativity experts) all about running hog Yellow Zonkers stuck and can't figure out hat to do, Eye Color: wild and making the game they've always Drink: you can switch to a completely different brown, the col dreamed about: Day of the Tentacle! chocolate Coke scene and explore until you have the or of puppies Turn-ons: Actor: Sandy Duncan! [IMPORTANT DlSClAIMER: THIS divine inspiration to go back to the first Hair Color: new yo-yo strings, Music: accordion WHOLE "INTERVIEW" WAS, OF one. It's very possible that what you need dark brown, puppies, &: Dave! Super Heros: COURSE, COMPLETELY FABRICATED the color of Turn-offs: Home Shop­ to continue with Laverne in the future Ultra Man, Underdog, BY SOMEONE WITH A CERTIFIED dark puppies ping Network, cynical can be acquired by Hoagie in the past. &Shaft DEGREE IN MARKETING, TO PRO­ people, &: Satanists The kids' paths all interrelate, and they're FA'fORITESI Sport: !'amour! ntl ADVENTURER TECT THE READER FROM THE WAY Dream Date: wipin' out always helping each other ut. Color: brown, the Money: Monkey Bucks GAME DESIGNERS ACTUALLY on dirt bikes! DM: There's also com11letely differ­ color of puppies Biggest Inlluence: Dave! SPEAK.] ent art and a different cast ~f characters , , Laverne is fun iust to walk around because she seems to have a mind of her own. about thirty hours when Why did you make you play the game, so this game - they'd better be entertain­ what inspired you? ing. With Bernard, as soon DAV.:Wehada as you see him walking bunch of great ideas around for the first time, for puzzles using nov­ before he even says or does elty items and other anything, you laugh. He toys that we like to play walks goofy, he talks with ourselves, and we goofy, he's even entertain­ thought we could make a between Da y ing when he stands still. good game around them. Elfrnan and rl Walking Hoagie around is We felt like we had to Stalling. like piloting a blimp make good use of our nM: It's he through a china shop, and ideas or risk exploding music that a Carl Laverne is fun just to walk and splattering creative Stalling!Dan Elf­ around because she seems juices et>erywhere! man/Chuck Jones to have a mind of her own nM: With Monkey love child would com­ -- like she might do some- Island, we were limited to pose. Even though the thing dangerous at any moment. making puzzles out of bamboo, bananas initial PC release ver­ that every time you What do you mean by and piratey objects. 1 wanted to do some­ sion won't have voices, expected a payoff, it would do something "interactive cartoon"? thing more contemporary. I wanted to be we'll look at it as a possibility in the that was kind of a non-payoff. The end­ able to make a bomb out of Pop Rocks future for CD-ROM. ing for Monkey 2 was considered kind of DAW: A good example is the scene and Coke. Also, 1 really like to work on a non-payoff, but it was a joke, and some in Monkey ls land 2 where Largo La How is this e ing going to compare comedies. If I tried to do an Indy game, l people didn't like that. Understandably, Grande picks up Guybrush and shakes with the ending of our other games? would tum it into a slapstick comedy tbey had a lot of expectations after going him upside down to get his money. Peo­ and that wouldn't be good. ln reality, I'm n M: The ending is going to be glori- through 40 hours of hard work.. With ple saved the game at that point so thev that was kind of a non-payoff. The end·­ "interactive cartoon"? thing more contemporary. l wanted to be we'll look at it as a possibility in the able to make a bomb out of Pop Rocks future for CD-ROM. ing for Monkey 2 was considered kind of DAVI': A good example is the scene and Coke. Also, l really like to work on a non-payoff, but it was a joke, and some in Monkey Island 2 where Llirgo Lli How is this en ing going to compare comedies. U I tried to do an Indy game, I people didn't like that. Understandably, Grande picks up Guybrush and shakes with the ending of our other games? would tum it into a slapstick comedy they had a lot of expectations after going him upside down to get his money.