Paw's King's Quest Retrospective

[Tawmis]

Dying was one of the features of Space Quest, though. If you didn't laugh at the deaths and all the crazy ways you could die then you weren't playing it for the right reasons! lol

Aside from GK, I think the Space Quest series may have aged the best of all the Sierra series, because of its goofy humor and surprisingly original and entertaining storylines.

Hrm, I agree that SQ aged well, but I think LSL also aged very well.

[Datadog]

I still think QFG aged the best. Its game design is more comparable to modern games and the puzzles and quests are mostly straight-forward with the least amount of "why won't the game let me do THIS?"

[DeadPoolX]

I think it depends how you define "aged well." Do you mean graphics? Interface? Story? Ease-of-use? Setting?

There are a lot of variables to consider.

[MusicallyInspired]

Paw's playthrough of KQ3Redux. In 6 parts.

http://blip.tv/pawdugan/episode-5514055

He also has a playthrough of KQ1SCI (Sierra's remake not AGDI's).

[AndreaDraco]

Well, "game designers" don't really exist nowadays. Today it's far more of a group effort with a development team.

And when the development team is somewhat incompetent - I'm referring more to Tonuzaba than Wizarbox - the final result is inevitably hindered.

[jujigatame]

Dying was one of the features of Space Quest, though. If you didn't laugh at the deaths and all the crazy ways you could die then you weren't playing it for the right reasons! lol

Aside from GK, I think the Space Quest series may have aged the best of all the Sierra series, because of its goofy humor and surprisingly original and entertaining storylines.

Hrm, I agree that SQ aged well, but I think LSL also aged very well.

Honestly, LSL never really appealed to me. The whole series was so one-note. Definitely not a series I've ever been tempted to go back and replay.

[jujigatame]

I still think QFG aged the best. Its game design is more comparable to modern games and the puzzles and quests are mostly straight-forward with the least amount of "why won't the game let me do THIS?"

I would agree (QFG was always a favorite of mine) but a year or two ago I tried playing through the whole series back-to-back, and some gameplay issues and general bugginess made it less enjoyable than it could have been. Around the same time I played through the Police Quest and Space Quest series, and I think SQ was the series where I said "this sucks" the least.

[Tawmis]

Dying was one of the features of Space Quest, though. If you didn't laugh at the deaths and all the crazy ways you could die then you weren't playing it for the right reasons! lol

Aside from GK, I think the Space Quest series may have aged the best of all the Sierra series, because of its goofy humor and surprisingly original and entertaining storylines.

Hrm, I agree that SQ aged well, but I think LSL also aged very well.

Honestly, LSL never really appealed to me. The whole series was so one-note. Definitely not a series I've ever been tempted to go back and replay.

Well, see something doesn't have to appeal to you to be good. For example, I can't stand anime type animation. Bugs the Hades out of me, yet I love cartoons. There's no denying that whatever Anime art does - it does it well, considering the mass flock of people that enjoy it. Same with Star Trek. I am not a fan of Star Trek, but it's doing something right to have as many fans as it does.

To me, LSL has the jokes, that make fun of Larry and his loser'ness (yeah, I made that a word just now). It has very few "dated" references - and those that are in there, are usually to make fun of Larry (and his desire to wear a Leisure Suit, which - at one time, was the "thing to do"). So all of the jokes, to me, remain current - because it's all about mocking Larry. And that, to me, makes it a game that's aged well.

Although, what to you, make LSL so "one-note" and yet SQ was not so "one-note." To me, the two series are virtually the same.

LSL1 and SQ1 - Not much to it really.
LSL2 and SQ2 - To me, LSL2 saw a HUGE improvement. The game felt immensely large. SQ2, to me, didn't grow beyond SQ1.
LS3 and SQ3 - Finally, SQ3 makes a huge leap forward! This is my favorite SQ3, and reminds me much of LSL2, in how big it feels.
LSL4 -... Waitaminute.
LSL5 and SQ4 - Both of these games were huge, but this one, I would hand over to SQ4 to being the better of the two. (Story and art). Although everyone who bitches about "dead ends and sudden deaths" should love LSL5, as it is virtually impossible to get stuck.
LSL6 and SQ5 - I thought both of them did very awesome here. LSL6 felt big, had great graphics, fun story! SQ5, really did awesome with the story here! Felt nice and big and introduced some fun characters.
LSL7 and SQ6 - I think I would have to hand this one to LSL7, with all the characters that were introduced. SQ6 was good, but a little off the mark.

[jujigatame]

Are you really asking what makes LSL one-note? I mean, come on. The majority of the LSL games have an extremely perfunctory storyline of "get Larry laid" in varying environments. The whole series is just an unending string of sophomoric sex jokes.

[Tawmis]

Are you really asking what makes LSL one-note? I mean, come on. The majority of the LSL games have an extremely perfunctory storyline of "get Larry laid" in varying environments. The whole series is just an unending string of sophomoric sex jokes.

Uh, all right - tell me the uh, the complex story behind a janitor trying to save the universe? Over... and over... again?

[jujigatame]

The storylines of the SQ series were pretty varied and evolving:

1) Roger escapes from his ship as it is being destroyed and must save his home planet from attack.
2) Roger is kidnapped on a jungle island by Vohaul and has to escape.
3) Roger saves the Guys from Andromeda from ScumSoft.
4) Roger is summoned through time to a dystopian future where he must fight Vohaul's attempt to subjugate humanity.
5) Roger cheats his way into a StarCon captaincy and must uncover a pollution conspiracy.
6) Roger is busted back to janitor and foils attempts at body theft by the evil Sharpei.

The storylines of LSL, not so much:

1-7) Larry tries to get laid.

[Tawmis]

The storylines of the SQ series were pretty varied and evolving:

1) Roger escapes from his ship as it is being destroyed and must save his home planet from attack.
2) Roger is kidnapped on a jungle island by Vohaul and has to escape.
3) Roger saves the Guys from Andromeda from ScumSoft.
4) Roger is summoned through time to a dystopian future where he must fight Vohaul's attempt to subjugate humanity.
5) Roger cheats his way into a StarCon captaincy and must uncover a pollution conspiracy.
6) Roger is busted back to janitor and foils attempts at body theft by the evil Sharpei.

The storylines of LSL, not so much:

1-7) Larry tries to get laid.

Not all of them. I actually think LSL2 and LSL3 had a pretty good story to go with it.
And LSL5, I don't think Larry actually ever has sex...?

1. Larry goes to Lost Wages to try and get laid.
2. Larry wins the lotto, goes on a cruise, lands on an island, meets the woman of his dreams and defeats the evil Dr. Nonookie!
3. The woman of his dreams leaves him; and Larry meets Patti. The game actually switches back and forth between both characters.
4. A mystery...!
5. Larry doesn't even get laid, once. Not a single time. If memory serves me. He works for a Pron Company. Patti is also in it as secret service chick.
6. No more Patti, and this time, Larry's at a resort. Granted the idea is to get laid, but each of them requires some pretty unique ways.
7. Larry's on a cruise, and yes, trying to get laid. But once again, it's some fun and creative puzzles!

[AndreaDraco]

I agree, Tawmis. LSL1 story was indeed a mere excuse for some raunchy jokes and one can even say that LSL2 is not so different. But LSL3 is more mature than the others and with a more complex, nuanced story. LSL5 is an ejoyable parody of spy-movies. ON LSL6-LSL7, on the other hand, I must agree with jujigatame. They are the worst of the bunch in my opinion, with no story to talk of.

However, I would also like to point out that, despite the wording jujigatame chose, at least three SQ games were no more than "a janitor saves the world" with different settings.

[Tawmis]

The storylines of the SQ series were pretty varied and evolving:
1-7) Larry tries to get laid.

Come defend Space Quest in the polls!