Sierra calling the remakes "VGA"

[Tawmis]

So I think it's interesting (been mentioned a few times, because I will say things like "King's Quest VGA" when it's technically the SCI version vs the AGI version).

I've seen ads where they refer to LSL1 remake as VGA (by Sierra, not the Kickstarter), and KQ1 is referred to as VGA in the collection.

I'd imagine this was probably a way to advertise that these were higher versions of the original release.

And the general market would know "EGA Graphics" vs "VGA Graphics" (EGA = 16, VGA = 256) back then.

And it's something that's clearly always stuck with me. Because Sierra trying to sell LSL1, KQ1, PQ1 remakes as "SCI" would have probably caused confusion; because back then most people didn't know/care about the game engine source.

[MusicallyInspired]

The key thing here is that they only called KQ1SCI "VGA" in the collection manual and documentation. I'm convinced it's an oversight and someone just assumed it was VGA because all the rest of the remakes actually are. If there's proof to the contrary though, I'd love to see it. Because KQ1SCI is definitely not VGA in any way shape or form.

To the point where the other Sierra collections call the remake the folder names PQ1_VGA, SQ1VGA, LSL1VGA, etc. But for the KQ collections they name the remake KQ1NEW. The SQ Collection actually names SQ1AGI's folder "SQ1EGA" and is the only collection to do so. The other collections don't have any suffix for the AGI originals.

Actually, the QFG Anthology names the folders QG1OLD and QG1NEW despite those actually being EGA and VGA. But that's the only inconsistency.

[Tawmis]

The key thing here is that they only called KQ1SCI "VGA" in the collection manual and documentation.

I feel like they specifically call out the LSL Remake as "VGA" in this ad as well, because they not "EGA/Tandy 16 Color also available."

[Collector]

But the LSL1 SCI remake was VGA, even if they did also did an EGA version of the SCI. KQ1 is the only SCI remake that was EGA only.

[Tawmis]

But the LSL1 SCI remake was VGA, even if they did also did an EGA version of the SCI. KQ1 is the only SCI remake that was EGA only.

Ah! I didn't even think of that (not played the LSL1 remake in awhile; usually stick to the original, nostalgia)

It's curious then - that they didn't remake their flagship title "King's Quest 1" in true VGA, like they did LSL. I feel like (and I could be wrong, since I can't remember) - but I thought they all came out roughly the same time?

I am guessing KQ1SCI was made first; and the others followed with better graphics.

[MusicallyInspired]

It's not in VGA, no, but they did go to King's Quest first for their first remake, being their flagship series. They just didn't have VGA capability when the project was started. I guess once they had VGA going (for KQ5) there was too much work done to go back and change SCI versions. KQ1SCI was released not at all long before KQ5 (the first VGA game). KQ1 and QFG2 were the last EGA parser games Sierra ever did.

And yeah, the line about "EGA/16-colour version also available" was never referring to the original AGI versions of the games, but instead to alternate EGA versions of the VGA remakes themselves (ie- SQ1VGA, LSL1VGA, LSL5, KQ5, SQ4, Longbow, etc) that you could mail away to get the disks for by trading your 256 colour versions. In LSL1VGA's case, there is an EGA version of it that's not the AGI original.

QFG1VGA didn't have an alternate EGA version because it was SCI1.1 and came bundled with an EGA driver with the same game, rather than the earlier SCI1.0 games that had to have completely alternate versions made for EGA. Ditto PQ1VGA which also came with a driver and was SCI1.1. So Sierra's remakes spanned SCI0, SCI1.0, and SCI1.1. Definitely not all released at the same time (certainly not developed at the same time).

[Tawmis]

And yeah, the line about "EGA/16-colour version also available" was never referring to the original AGI versions of the games, but instead to alternate EGA versions of the VGA remakes themselves (ie- SQ1VGA, LSL1VGA, LSL5, KQ5, SQ4, Longbow, etc) that you could mail away to get the disks for by trading your 256 colour versions. In LSL1VGA's case, there is an EGA version of it that's not the AGI original.

Yup, I figured that much. (I have the EGA KQ5 because back in the day my Tandy 1000 SX couldn't handle the 256 color... or it could have been the disks - my Tandy 1000SX did not have High Density drives...)

[MusicallyInspired]

Same! We had a Tandy 1000 and my dad got copies of SQ4 and KQ5 in EGA. I still have a VHS recording of KQ5EGA being played on it (because the Tandy 1000 we had had RCA composite video and audio outputs!

[Tawmis]

Same! We had a Tandy 1000 and my dad got copies of SQ4 and KQ5 in EGA. I still have a VHS recording of KQ5EGA being played on it (because the Tandy 1000 we had had RCA composite video and audio outputs!

Look at you being fancy and ahead of your time!

My friend Shawn and I did something similar - but we moves - we used a box that would record the video and allow us to voice over it.

The idea WAS to capture games; but we never got it to work right.

Somewhere I still have my receipt for my Tandy 1000 SX - it came out over 1,000.00 back then (with a monitor).

EDIT - Damn it. Thought I'd scanned it and posted it here on SHP - but only found this:
http://sierrahelp.com/forums/viewtopic. ... 231#p70231

[notbobsmith]

EDIT - Damn it. Thought I'd scanned it and posted it here on SHP - but only found this:
http://sierrahelp.com/forums/viewtopic. ... 231#p70231

Missed this thread the first time, but I love how I also had the same dust cover.

[Tawmis]

EDIT - Damn it. Thought I'd scanned it and posted it here on SHP - but only found this:
http://sierrahelp.com/forums/viewtopic. ... 231#p70231

Missed this thread the first time, but I love how I also had the same dust cover.

You're in the Tandy 1000 family too?

(Man, I went digging in my garage for the receipt - I can't remember where I put it - but even my wife remembers I have it - because I have found it in the past and been like, "Wow! Look! I need to put this in a safe place!" ...

A little too safe today, apparently.

[MusicallyInspired]

We had the Tandy 1000 with the keyboard built into the computer itself (whichever one that was). My dad had a very similar dust cover for that but not the monitor. I still have one for my Coco3. Those Tandy dust covers were nice.

[goatmeal]

(Man, I went digging in my garage for the receipt - I can't remember where I put it - but even my wife remembers I have it - because I have found it in the past and been like, "Wow! Look! I need to put this in a safe place!" ...

A little too safe today, apparently.

You sound like me, Tawmis:

I hide things so well, even _I_ can't find them!

[goatmeal]

We had the Tandy 1000 with the keyboard built into the computer itself (whichever one that was). My dad had a very similar dust cover for that but not the monitor. I still have one for my Coco3. Those Tandy dust covers were nice.

Well, I'm Tandy PC-adjacent; we had the old grey CoCo.

[notbobsmith]

EDIT - Damn it. Thought I'd scanned it and posted it here on SHP - but only found this:
http://sierrahelp.com/forums/viewtopic. ... 231#p70231

Missed this thread the first time, but I love how I also had the same dust cover.

You're in the Tandy 1000 family too?

Yep. Actually mentioned it a few days ago in a PQ thread:
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=5771&p=83930&hilit=tandy#p83930

It actually came up quite a while ago:

http://sierrahelp.com/forums/viewtopic. ... 324#p59251