The Sierra * Quest Series

[Modeps]

When Sierra was originally around and making games, they came out with a few different series of games, King's Quest, Hero's Quest (now known as Quest for Glory), Space Quest (my fav), Police Quest (another fantastic series)... Basically the originals were graphical, text based adventures. Much akin to the likes of zork, where you typed all your commands out, but with pretty graphics to look at and an avatar to control with the arrow keys (or numpad). Depending on your skill you would aquire an amount of points before ending the game.... basically a completion meter if you did everything there was to do.

Around the time of Space Quest 4, they changed, they took a step for the worse and changed to a point and click interface, thus causing the entire line to basicaly disentegrate. A few more versions came out, but they were truly crap.

What are your fond memories of these games? Id have to say my favorites were Space Quest 3, and Police Quest 2.

 

[GaryShandling]

All police quests, swat 1.





Then leisure suit larry up to 7.

 

[Encryptic]

Those games were great. I loved Leisure Suit Larry, Space Quest and Hero's Quest. Personally, I think the point and click interface worked better, though.

 

[Modeps]

Sure it "worked" better, but it also took out a lot of the imagination and thinking you had to put into the game.

 

[Nemesis77]

Perhaps the point 'n click interface simplified things, but it also removed commands like "Put the airsick bag in the hair rejuvenator
bottle.". The best UI was in LSL: Love for Sail. It was point 'n click, but it also had a parser

 

[Modeps]

It'd be a refreshing change of pace to see a newer game come out with a similar interface. I agree that Love For Sail had a great interface. hmmm if only I could program more than websites.

 

[Dacalo]

ahh the memories... those were awesome games

I also enjoyed the first Gabriel Knight game

 

[GaryShandling]

Point and click arent really designed to be that puzzling, its more of a movie experience. Anyone else pissed that LSL8 isnt being made?

 

[Modeps]

Originally posted by: Dacalo
ahh the memories... those were awesome games

I also enjoyed the first Gabriel Knight game

Ah yes, I almost forgot about those! What I really loved about GK was the fact that they were all based on historical fact/myth... unfortunately though I never played completely though #1, only 2 and 3.

 

[dullard]

I grew up on those games - and loved most of them. The original Hero's Quest was my favorite by far.

You are correct that the point and click interface killed gaming as we knew it. Before point and click, a game could take you months to complete - spending hours each day coming up with the most unusual things to do with items (and most had a funny outcome). But then point and click came along, you clicked on everything in the room, moved to the next room, clicked on everything, repeat, and you won.

For example I think it took me 5 months to complete Space Quest. Then another 3-4 months to complete Space Quest 2. Space Quest 3 was point and click and it took me 9 hours of play time (actually it took 3 days since one of the disks was faulty and I needed to wait to get it replaced from the store.) You never got your moneys worth anymore, you never had fun anymore. Gaming has never been the same. Even very popular games were lacking in fun - Myst or Raven for example - just keep clicking randomly and you will win the game.

There have been some good games since then - but nothing that took months of all fun to complete. I've never felt like I've gotten my moneys worth again (so I only buy them when they drop to <$10).

 

[UNCjigga]

OMG King's Quest 3 is what made me convince my dad to upgrade to EGA monitor/video. "Look dad! It's not just pink and cyan now...its red and blue!!!"

King's Quest 4 was the best IMHO ("whoa, I'm a girl!" >STRIP NAKED <ENTER> = "I wouldn't wanna do that! There are people watching!") KQ5 was aiight, (VGA!) but yea it went downhill pretty quick after that.

Favorite 'Quest' series is Space Quest...some of the funniest games evAr!!! I love all the blatant Star Wars/Star Trek puns thrown in!

Oh yeah...remembered something! WTF do you do with the 'plant' in Space Quest 3?

 

[Modeps]

Dullard, I think you mean SQ4 was the point and click one. Myst and Riven were terrible! I cant believe people actually liked 'em (they were probably fooled becaure the books had video in them!).
Return To Zork had a decent interface. Still no typing but they worked hard to make it really tough. Too bad it didnt work right on a lot of PCs.

 

[TJN23]

don't get me all emotional now! god i loved those games...the best was kings quest 4, the perils of rosella...u could still use the num pad to direct...ahh the memories...and sq2...ahh

 

[polypterus]

I lost interest when they went to point 'n click, but my favorite of the originals was definitely Police Quest 2. Gold Rush! was also one my favorites. The KQ series was always good (even the first two VGA ones were good). I played literally every 3D adventure Sierra put out, from Manhunter to Black Cauldron and every thing else in between. Good times... taught me a lot of good skills as a kid I think.

I really miss those games. imho the only good adventure game since then has been Grim Fandango (and some of the other Lucas ones were okay, like Day of the Tentacle).

dc

 

[UNCjigga]

oh yea...almost forgot about LSL!!!

 

[Modeps]

It's good that you mention Day of the Tetacle... but Maniac Mansion was where it was at. I wonder if it was the first game with multiple endings?

 

[UNCjigga]

Originally posted by: TJN23
don't get me all emotional now! god i loved those games...the best was kings quest 4, the perils of rosella...u could still use the num pad to direct...ahh the memories...and sq2...ahh

Dude, I swear the best thing about KQ4 was the music!!! So creepy and immersive at times!!! I remember getting chills when I was in the house with all the ghosts, and when I walked into the crypt late at night...and when the ogre came out to eat me!!! I think this is when I got my first sound card...the Ad-Lib (MIDI only...no wave!) Rocked my world. Rich-ass kid down the street had the LAPC-1 though (Roland wavetable) so we'd go play at his house.

 

[Derango]

Yea, KQ4 had good music, but I found I liked KQ6 the best.

haven't played much of the space quest series, but what I have played is awesome
I'll have to find sq6 somewhere, I played a demo of that and it was awesome

 

[fonzinator]

Originally posted by: dougcio
I lost interest when they went to point 'n click, but my favorite of the originals was definitely Police Quest 2. Gold Rush! was also one my favorites. The KQ series was always good (even the first two VGA ones were good). I played literally every 3D adventure Sierra put out, from Manhunter to Black Cauldron and every thing else in between. Good times... taught me a lot of good skills as a kid I think.

I really miss those games. imho the only good adventure game since then has been Grim Fandango (and some of the other Lucas ones were okay, like Day of the Tentacle).

dc

Gold Rush ROCKED!! I've been trying to find that game on the net for a long time.

 

[compudog]

Those games were so cool! LSL, * Quest, I even had a full text (No graphics at all!) Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy that I played on my old TI-99/4A in the eighties!

 

[codeyf]

Game that owned me was....

Legend of Kyrandia

One of the first Westwood titles. Fricken game pwned me. I had used graph paper to map out the entire cave system you had to go thru where you had to carry the berries that glowed to light your way....otherwise the Gruels would get ya

That and Day of the Tentacle, Sam and Max Hit The Road, and LSL7

 

[Looney]

ALL Of them! Police Quest, Leisure Suit Larry, Space Quest... i played them all, and loved them.

 

[pukemon]

I liked King's Quest VI... in all it's VGA point 'n click glory, complete with that cheesy "Girl in the tower" song at the end... Yeah they don't make em like they used to.

Favorite text based one, and best EGA game they did was probably Space Quest III. I think Supertramp did the music for that one.

 

[Sid59]

ahh police quest. Had to have a manual for the keyword to play. Couldn't photocopy the manual cause it was printed on dark paper. Classic.

 

[Modeps]

Originally posted by: Sid59
ahh police quest. Had to have a manual for the keyword to play. Couldn't photocopy the manual cause it was printed on dark paper. Classic.

lol, "please type word 4 from paragraph 3 on page 5"