Sierra Quest Collections

[Dark Jaguar]

I remember 'Black Monday' well, it was very sad... :( :(

... you just learned about this now? I mean, haven't I mentioned that stuff many times before, and even linked articles and stuff?

I knew about it but I never read this letter, which reveals a few of the finer details.

I actually don't have a big problem with this. While a collection that included every version of every game would obviously be best for collectors (who probably already own most of the games included anyway, else why would they care?), it makes a lot of sense that a standard collection would simply include one version of each game... either the best version or the easiest one to port, depending on how committed the team making the collection is. Though it does often end up being the latter of those, that isn't always a huge problem...

KQ1: So they included the remade version... so? Is the original one actually better in some way, or is that pure nostalgia speaking? Collections don't listen to that, or else, for instance, Super Mario Allstars would have had a "NES Graphics" mode...

There are two things you need to realize about the remade one. The first is they changed a lot of the puzzles, and replaced some of the puzzles with cinematic sequences. So yes, they are different in terms of gameplay too. Secondly, as all the collector's edition instruction booklets have mentioned, there was actually some outcry when they remade it compairing it to colorizing old movies (which I don't see a big problem with), so they decided to include both versions, the latest versions of both versions mind you :D. So yes, it would have been a good idea to include them. And, no, they would NOT need to port it. That game doesn't even need DOSbox. It'll run on EVERYTHING that's DOS with NO flaws, and all they needed to do was create a shortcut file, use an already existing supply of icons if they want, and the shortcut only needs one little modification in the form of full screen (and it actually doesn't really need that as it'll run in a window). KQ1, along with KQ2 and KQ3, are pretty much the most compatible games Sierra has ever made. They don't even do a disk check (not since the CD collections at least) and they just use the PC speaker for sound, I mean it's just plain compatible. And, since the game takes up less than a meg of space, there's no reason, at all, for them to not include it.

But really, how often do collections include multiple versions of games? Very, very rarely... Sierra did for some of their 'Collection Series' titles in the late '90s, but that was the real Sierra, not Vivendi Universal Games' "Sierra" label...

Good point. One I've brought up before. Metroid Zero Mission included the original Metroid, and all the previous KQ collections have included the first version of KQ1, but aside from that I can't really think of any that do that. They SHOULD though. When there's such a major upgrade that it's almost a new game (well, KQ1 isn't that much of an upgrade or change relative to some new remakes these days, it could have been fully mouse driven for example), including the older game should be a matter of course, especially when those old games are so small. Sword of Mana, for example, should have included Final Fantasy Adventure, at least as an unlockable. Since a GBA has a GBC processor in it, that should have been easily doable (though it may have caused issues with the DS). And, actually, I thought they should have included the original NES games in Mario All-Stars. Space concerns were still tight enough even during SNES times that including extra NES games would have been a problem though. No excuse today though, in the form of those Mario Advance games.

You are right about Sierra being a shell, and that today's Sierra wouldn't do that. In fact, THAT IS MY ENTIRE POINT, that they don't do that! Along with skimping out on Mask of Eternity and that one Leisure Suit Larry game... well it's annoying when they just do this boot out the door job...

and besides, back then all versions were playable the same. Now, you'd have to port those Win3.1 games to XP to make them playable, right? I mean, do the Windows titles actually work in XP? With like how KQ5 requires 256 color 640x480 to even start in Windows, and with all the bugs with getting the sound working (yeah, it's even worse in DOS, but the Windows versions can be a pain too at times...)? And with those awful blue bars on the top of the screen all the time? No, DOS is better. And a LOT easier to make working in XP. :)

KQ5-DOS may have huge cursors (and it does), but they look so much better than those awful Windows ones... instead of maybe too large, they're way, way too small, and as I said artistically are awful...

As for the music, KQ7-DOS definitely has MIDI, I was listening to it when I played the game... I don't think I noticed a difference between the music in Windows and DOS. Can't check it though, as the Windows one requires the CD (there is no file you can edit to make it look only at the HDD, unlike the DOS version -- another flaw with the Windows versions... -- KQ5 excepted, that one's Windows one does work off the HDD once modified. :)) and I don't have it here.

Those aweful blue bars... that's all you keep going on about. Are they that big a deal? Most programs do have those you know. While it would be nice to get rid of them, are they really that distracting? Just think of it as part of your moniter and put it out of your mind if that's the thing that's getting to you. And, yes, the Windows versions are very hard to get working these days (unless you just install Windows 3.x under DOSbox, but that would require a copy of that, which I happen to have in my big bin of old discarded floppy disks, though that is a very round about way of doing it). Sound usually works just fine in the Windows versions, if you can get the game itself to start at any rate. The problem with DOS games is the sound quality for the midi, at least in KQ5 and KQ6 (from what I've played) is pretty bad, at least compaired to what it could be.

The windows ones aren't that bad. They do the job just fine, and how can they be too small? Well, you do still use 800 x 600, so maybe that's the issue. If you run the game in a window they might be hard to see, but if you can see them, a small cursor in a point and click adventure game is a blessing. The issue for me is finding that "sweet spot" on the cursor, the active point. If it's too big, I'll just keep missing, and some of those cursors are so big they hide whatever it was I was trying to click on so I lose track of it. They do look a lot better though, that's true. As I said, I would prefer it if they just bumped up the resolution (shrinking the cursors) so there would be the best of both worlds, but if it's a choice between usability and aesthetics, well I've made my choice. So that leaves the music being worse. If you prize some nicer looking cursors and the lack of a blue bar over superior music (and in the case of KQ6, the cursors are the same just smaller (for the most part) and the character portraits are WAAAY better in Windows), then okay, but that's certainly not where my priorities lie...

KQ7 I might actually prefer in DOS. I can't see any issues with the DOS version of that, and as you said I can run it straight from the HD only in DOS. But, KQ5 and 6? For me the choice goes to Windows and it's a pretty clear cut one at that.

I don't have KQs 2, 3, 4, or 6, SQs 1-4 or 6, or any of the Police Quest or LSL games, but I'm not sure if I'm getting any of these... KQ7 was mostly fun, but 5 was so annoying that I don't know if I'd actually like 6, and 2-4 are running in 1's engine, which is really basic... as for SQ (the other major one) 5 is great, and I'd like 6, so I'd consider that one... maybe. 5 is incredibly frusterating though... all Sierra adventure games are, really. That's why I'm not sure how many of them I actually want... :D

5 and 6 are worlds apart. 5 had a number of illogical puzzles. I had fun but it was one of the worse games in the series. 6 however is my personal favorite in the series. If it's your impression of 5 that's keeping you away, think more of 7. You seemed to like that one. This one really is an amazing experience. All the puzzles are logical and have sufficient clues for you to figure them out. It's still hard, but you shouldn't have to resort to a guide if you are willing to stick it out. When you save your game, just make a new file each time (these days space should not be a concern for this game's save files) and you should be fine if you get stuck (which is rarer in this game, but still possible, they only actually got rid of the stuck issue in KQ7). And, unlike 5, there's actually real different ways to solve at least some of the puzzles (as opposed to, do I give the gold needle to this guy and the coin to this guy, or visa versa?), and potential for a split in the direction of the game depending on one critical decision you make as the final hour approaches. Plus, the voice acting is the best in the entire series by a huge margin.

Sierra today is just not up to the task of being kick-awesome and delivering the same quality they used to.