Welp, I finished playing FPFP (for the first time in about - oh, I don't know - 25 years or so? Huzzah for Freddy.
This time 'round, I noticed a few (all right, many MANY) things that I didn't notice the first time 'round. For instance:
- Did you notice the Monty Python reference?
Try to open the door to the general shop in Act 4.
- The very, very many (oh, so many) silly names ...
-
Leisure Suit Larry's great-great-grandfather, of course - and voiced by Jan Rabsom, too!
- The end shot -
Freddy on a rearing horse, on top of the Sierra logo!
- The funny deaths. So many funny deaths. Loads and loads of 'em.
- And, of course, Srini ends up being a
medicine man...
I'm sure I forgot something, but ... oh well. Yes, this game was compared to "Blazing Saddles" - except, of course, Al and Josh couldn't put in any "Saddles"-type swearin', drinkin', or racist cowboys to be conquered ...
Oh, wait --
of course! Now I know why this game was compared to "Blazing Saddles":
1. In the movie,
the town of Rockridge is built on oil mines.
In the game,
the town of Coarsegold is built on oil mines.
2. In the movie, the Big Bad
(i.e. Hedley Lamarr) wants to get those oil mines, and will stop at nothing to do so.
In the game, the Big Bad
(i.e. Penelope Primm) wants to get those oil mines, and will stop at nothing to do so.
3. In the movie, the Big Bad is
stopped by the new sheriff of Rockridge..
In the game, the Big Bad is
stopped by the new (self-appointed) sheriff of Coarsegold..
4. Halfway through the movie, the hero has a
sexual encounter with Lili van Schtupp, who then joins his side.
Halfway through the game, the hero has a
sexual encounter with Madame Ovaree - but
she was always on his side.
5. Last, and most important: neither the movie nor the game are timid about stereotypes.
The movie displays racist stereotypes more overtly (well, it was the 70s), but the racist characters are ultimately defeated. So that's OK.
The game displays ... some stereotypes, but less overtly (well, it was the early 90s, and political correctness was just starting). On the other hand, none of these stereotypes (e.g. the characters of Hopalong the cook, Dominick the Indian, and to a lesser extent Srini the "other-kind-of-Indian") are malicious, so they're not all that offensive. (Of course, some of the PC brigade will disagree, but they probably won't play this type of game!)
All in all, I think the presence of stereotypes is a good thing. The setting is late-1880s, so it'd be stupid to pretend that California back then was just like California now.
Of course, there's always this:
More than you ever wanted to know about FPFP (from LarryLaffer.net)
And these - miscellaneous deaths!
Did you try to ...
- allow snails to slime town?
- fail to counteract laxative in water tower?
- allow city to burn down?
- jump on the wrong end of the teeter-totter, so the baking soda smashes you?
- allow Aces Hall to win all the town through poker?
In Act IV ...
- try to shoot the cowboys from the balcony?
- try to shoot "Aces" Hall?
In the school room battle:
- you do NOT to grab the student slate?
- you do NOT grab the other saber?
- you do NOT press forward during the sword fight?
- you do NOT hurl your ear at Kenny?
Inventory trouble
Did you try to ...
- eat the chemicals, pills or medications?
- eat the sample of horse flatulence?
- eat the
medicine for horse flatulence?
- NOT construct the gas mask properly, so you breathe the horse flatulence? (Several messages)
- eat the snail?
- drink the beer?
- drink the contaminated water tower from the spigot?
- drink the contaminated water sample from the bottle?
- take the anti-laxative before adding it to the water tower?
- eat 20 fifty-pound sacks of baking soda?
- shoot yourself with your gun?
- eat the steaming pile of horse crap?
- breathe nitrous oxide (aka laughing gas)?
Enjoy!