The One Thing That Stuck Out For Me About King's Quest...

[Tawmis]

The One Thing That Stuck Out For Me About King's Quest...

All of Sierra's "main" games were very different in themes, and as a result - the way the game played, interacted, etc.

If you had to pick out ONE thing (good, or bad) - about the game, that left a lasting impression (and feel free to go into detail) - what would it be?

And I'd like it to be just ONE thing (because on some of our favorites, it's too easy to list all the things we enjoyed).

I want to focus on what made EACH game of the different titles (GK, LSL, PQ, KQ, etc) different than one another?

[Tawmis]

For me the one thing that stuck out about King's Quest was the family theme. Not just because King's Quest was "the family game" - but the themes of the games themselves always centered around family (excluding the first one). Each of them built on the family, or had happy family events - you really felt like each of the characters cared for one another.

[Mostly]

My fondest, oldest memories are of KQ1 and KQ6.

The blend of different fairy tales stands out to me for KQ1. It was so exciting to move that little pixel guy around the screen and discover a wicked witch, a woodcutter's house, a gnome (IFNKOVHGROGHPRM!), magic beans, a fire-breathing dragon, and more. One specific detail I remember is getting stuck on the goat. Use carrot with goat, give carrot to goat, trick goat with carrot, etc. All I had to do was "show" it the darn carrot!

KQ6 stands out to me for its puzzles, especially things like the Cliffs of Logic. I loved the supplemental materials detailing lore in the Green Isles which included clues to puzzles. Traveling between the lands and swapping for items at the pawn shop gave the game an "open-world" feel.

[Tawmis]

My fondest, oldest memories are of KQ1 and KQ6.

The blend of different fairy tales stands out to me for KQ1. It was so exciting to move that little pixel guy around the screen and discover a wicked witch, a woodcutter's house, a gnome (IFNKOVHGROGHPRM!), magic beans, a fire-breathing dragon, and more. One specific detail I remember is getting stuck on the goat. Use carrot with goat, give carrot to goat, trick goat with carrot, etc. All I had to do was "show" it the darn carrot!

KQ6 stands out to me for its puzzles, especially things like the Cliffs of Logic. I loved the supplemental materials detailing lore in the Green Isles which included clues to puzzles. Traveling between the lands and swapping for items at the pawn shop gave the game an "open-world" feel.

I don't know if the magic beans were something I enjoyed... https://youtu.be/Oe8YbvyCv3U?t=1519

[Collector]

KQ6 stands out to me for its puzzles, especially things like the Cliffs of Logic. I loved the supplemental materials detailing lore in the Green Isles which included clues to puzzles. Traveling between the lands and swapping for items at the pawn shop gave the game an "open-world" feel.

KQ6 was an amazing game for its time. All of the lands were so intriguing and begged to be explored. The "Guidebook to the Land of the Green Isles" lent such depth to the lore as Mostly said and made the copy protection fun rather than an annoyance. The puzzles were organic to the narrative . It was a time without walkthroughs, so you could be stuck on some of the puzzles for a while. Even so, they were without the "moon logic" that diminished so many other games and you did not feel cheated when you finally figured it out. As Almirena said, it was the template that all other adventure games should be based on.

[Datadog]

KQ6 was an amazing game for its time. All of the lands were so intriguing and begged to be explored. The "Guidebook to the Land of the Green Isles" lent such depth to the lore as Mostly said and made the copy protection fun rather than an annoyance. The puzzles were organic to the narrative . It was a time without walkthroughs, so you could be stuck on some of the puzzles for a while. Even so, they were without the "moon logic" that diminished so many other games and you did not feel cheated when you finally figured it out. As Almirena said, it was the template that all other adventure games should be based on.

I agree so much with this. Even the game's moon logic felt organic and poetic, where unusual solutions were carefully hinted at.

What really sticks out at me about KQ6 is that when you take a step back and look at the game's grand design, there's an incredible puzzle network that rewards players for solving optional puzzles. Finding that spellbook alone opens up about half the game's content with its ingredient quest and alternate story path.

[MusicallyInspired]

KQ5 had such a captivating story for me as a kid. Really reeled me in. Just like a Disney movie or something. Graham had to save his entire castle (let alone a damsel in distress)! That introduction sequence just set the tone. We didn't have the CD-ROM version so it was all text and our imaginations. There's something about music and sfx only in a game like that that makes your imagination burst at the seams. With Cedric explaining the tale and the music in the background just dunking you in the tank of immersion.

Also, the way Graham walked every where. Just a very powerful commanding presence. He may have been older but he was strong and truly heroic. Definitely an icon of classic adventure games. I mean, he was anyway, but his look in KQ5 was the best expression of that. I love this game. Love the adventure. It felt so LONG with so many varied types of locations too. The town, an old cottage for Crispin, a dark enchanted evil forest, a desert, snowy mountains, a beach, a sea, exotic island, and finally Mordack's lair. It was QUITE the journey! Epic is the only word that fits the scale my mind gave that game back then. I loved every moment of it.

I also got that same GK1 strong story/emotional reaction from KQ6 and its ending. It was like a mix of the Disney-esque KQ5 vibe with the string-tugging GK1 vibe.

I also remember dad getting the KQ1 remake for the first time and beating it in one night. I was so impressed! (I didn't realize how short the game actually is)

[Tawmis]

What really sticks out at me about KQ6 is that when you take a step back and look at the game's grand design, there's an incredible puzzle network that rewards players for solving optional puzzles. Finding that spellbook alone opens up about half the game's content with its ingredient quest and alternate story path.

The spellbook? Well for KQ3, you need to do it. Or else Manahahahanananahana (slight typo on his name, I'm sure) will hunt you down no matter WHERE you go.

I remember when I found out about the developer's "teleport" thing - I'd teleport to different screens and no matter where I went Manahahahanananahana would show up in a cloud of smoke...!

KQ5 had such a captivating story for me as a kid. Really reeled me in. Just like a Disney movie or something. Graham had to save his entire castle (let alone a damsel in distress)! That introduction sequence just set the tone. We didn't have the CD-ROM version so it was all text and our imaginations. There's something about music and sfx only in a game like that that makes your imagination burst at the seams. With Cedric explaining the tale and the music in the background just dunking you in the tank of immersion.
I also remember dad getting the KQ1 remake for the first time and beating it in one night. I was so impressed! (I didn't realize how short the game actually is)

I liked Cedric being there to explain what happened and taking you to his "Master"... but him following you around (mostly because of the voice) was grating - even back then. It was toooooo (said in a Cedric voice) over the top.

And yes, if you know what to do in KQ1, you can burn through that VERY QUICKLY.

[Rath Darkblade]

The spellbook? Well for KQ3, you need to do it. Or else Manahahahanananahana (slight typo on his name, I'm sure) will hunt you down no matter WHERE you go.

Oh? I was sure his name was Mahnamahnan.

I liked Cedric being there to explain what happened and taking you to his "Master"... but him following you around (mostly because of the voice) was grating - even back then. It was toooooo (said in a Cedric voice) over the top.

Look out! A POI-sonous owl!

[MusicallyInspired]

Like I said, I originally only played the floppy version so no voices. But when we got the CD-ROM "multimedia" version I flipped out! I didn't care how bad the voices were. I didn't even notice. I was just geeking out at my computer able to play voices. I remember getting the CD version of DOTT for the first time too and having the same reaction.

Also, it's "Manannan". Easy. 1N-2N's-1N.

[Tawmis]

Like I said, I originally only played the floppy version so no voices. But when we got the CD-ROM "multimedia" version I flipped out! I didn't care how bad the voices were. I didn't even notice. I was just geeking out at my computer able to play voices. I remember getting the CD version of DOTT for the first time too and having the same reaction.

Also, it's "Manannan". Easy. 1N-2N's-1N.

Not sure what DOTT is?

And the wizard's name is like banana... I can never spell that right either. (I always spell it "bannana"... sort of like how Manannan's name is spelt...)

[Rath Darkblade]

Not sure what DOTT is?

Day of the Tentacle, 1993 LucasArts sequel to the classic game, Maniac Mansion.

Two years ago, it was re-mastered by Double Fine, and is now available on Steam. (Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned that?)

By the way, I noticed that a 'new' King's Quest is also on Steam (although it's not really all that new). Any thoughts on that one?

And the wizard's name is like banana... I can never spell that right either. (I always spell it "bannana"... sort of like how Manannan's name is spelt...)

Oh, so then you're like Nanny Ogg (from Terry Pratchett's Discworld), then? She does like her "banananana dakry". (Note: Nanny knew how to start spelling 'banana', but she didn't know when to stop).

Speaking of Nanny and bananas - here is her recipe for banananana soup surprise.

[Tawmis]

By the way, I noticed that a 'new' King's Quest is also on Steam (although it's not really all that new). Any thoughts on that one?

I've, personally, not bought it.

[MusicallyInspired]

I loved the new King's Quest. The gameplay got progressively watered down with each episode (due to losing budget from ActiVision for not making it the hit they were expecting), but it's quite charming and I really like it. Sure, Graham acts more like Guybrush Threepwood from Curse of Monkey Island than what he was originally in the series, but it's still quite nice and a great homage to the classics. It deserves more love than I perceive it actually gets. It's better than a Telltale game that's for sure.

[Datadog]

Yeah, you can really see the budget diluting with each episode. The heart and the charm is still there, but Episode 1 is where all the meat is. Still, it does pull off some genuine tearjerker moments near the end. And Christopher Lloyd's narration was spot-on throughout.