22nd September 2004, 10:08 AM
Aside from having to always remember to introduce yourself and say goodbye (and no, you never have to click on yourself to start a conversation), that about describes the Laura Bow games. Yep, there are a whole lot of conversations trees and many many topics to pick from when talking with someone. Just about every single thing you do becomes a topic heading, as well as every item you pick up.
About KQ7. Yes, I remember that part with going through those woods. Indeed, it's hard to imagine how they missed each other. However, Valanice was a weird creature at the time... This brings up something else, both of them have to defeat the same enemy on their own terms. That's a bit odd...
Anyway, about the art style. Roberta always made it clear this was supposed to be a fantasy story, the lighthearted kind. The series isn't a comedy, though it has it's moments (this is why people who judge the game based on how good or bad the jokes are... suck), it's a serious story, especially KQ4 and KQ6, but told in a lighthearted way. KQ7 is the most Disney-like of all of them, and has the art style to match. It is markedly different from KQ5's style though. If you play KQ6, you'll see when the characters talk to each other, the profiles of them that come up showing them talking are in "super VGA". They kept the same art style as those two games. Certainly it was always meant to look animated, but KQ6 picked a different art style. Anyway, yeah, for the technology they had making each game, I'd say the art style fits just fine. It's just too bad KQ8 had to be the lowest common denominator, turning the series into a hack and slash adventure game with arse controls, really poor graphics AND art style, and a story that has potential but was executed VERY poorly. I mean, one of the three legendary artifacts doesn't even DO anything at the end of the game. (Really, the main problem was the puzzles were an afterthought and all the battles were pathetically easy AND pathetically boring. I guess the main problem then would be the WHOLE GAME.) I think Roberta had to have been forced to make the game like that, because honestly this goes against what she said she would NEVER do to the series. It would be like if the next Zelda game suddenly starred Link McButchington, the bad arse punk rocker who's going to hell to kill all the demons personally, with the Master Machinegun and his wacky but annoying sidekick, Lemonfresh the arabian thief who you just know is going to betray him in the end, but Link will kill him without a second thought and it won't affect him at all.
Anyway, about the text thing, yeah we both discussed that before and agreed. Pretty much, they really could have and should have put a text+speech option in there, but it was early on in making these kinds of games or something so, at the time, they just didn't realize people would want such a thing. KQ7 doesn't have any text at all though. I mean, it's not really NEEDED, unless you happen to be deaf, but it's a nice bonus when you keep thinking someone said "twice the fencepost" and you have to read what they actually said.
About KQ1, since you apparently have no mouse support and PC speaker sound, yes it's the older one. The updated one still used EGA, but it used it MUCH better and nearly convinced me it was using more than 16 colors, but it wasn't. Actually, after remaking KQ1, the fans revolted because they said it was like colorizing old black and white movies. Honestly, I think those people need to get a grip :D. Point is, in all the collections now, they contain both the original KQ1 and the remade version, which I'm all for.
And yes, I was thinking of Thexder :D. I know I have a disk with that SOMEWHERE, but I have no idea if my computer will be able to play it without going WAY too fast... I know that game was frickin' HARD though :D.
About KQ7. Yes, I remember that part with going through those woods. Indeed, it's hard to imagine how they missed each other. However, Valanice was a weird creature at the time... This brings up something else, both of them have to defeat the same enemy on their own terms. That's a bit odd...
Anyway, about the art style. Roberta always made it clear this was supposed to be a fantasy story, the lighthearted kind. The series isn't a comedy, though it has it's moments (this is why people who judge the game based on how good or bad the jokes are... suck), it's a serious story, especially KQ4 and KQ6, but told in a lighthearted way. KQ7 is the most Disney-like of all of them, and has the art style to match. It is markedly different from KQ5's style though. If you play KQ6, you'll see when the characters talk to each other, the profiles of them that come up showing them talking are in "super VGA". They kept the same art style as those two games. Certainly it was always meant to look animated, but KQ6 picked a different art style. Anyway, yeah, for the technology they had making each game, I'd say the art style fits just fine. It's just too bad KQ8 had to be the lowest common denominator, turning the series into a hack and slash adventure game with arse controls, really poor graphics AND art style, and a story that has potential but was executed VERY poorly. I mean, one of the three legendary artifacts doesn't even DO anything at the end of the game. (Really, the main problem was the puzzles were an afterthought and all the battles were pathetically easy AND pathetically boring. I guess the main problem then would be the WHOLE GAME.) I think Roberta had to have been forced to make the game like that, because honestly this goes against what she said she would NEVER do to the series. It would be like if the next Zelda game suddenly starred Link McButchington, the bad arse punk rocker who's going to hell to kill all the demons personally, with the Master Machinegun and his wacky but annoying sidekick, Lemonfresh the arabian thief who you just know is going to betray him in the end, but Link will kill him without a second thought and it won't affect him at all.
Anyway, about the text thing, yeah we both discussed that before and agreed. Pretty much, they really could have and should have put a text+speech option in there, but it was early on in making these kinds of games or something so, at the time, they just didn't realize people would want such a thing. KQ7 doesn't have any text at all though. I mean, it's not really NEEDED, unless you happen to be deaf, but it's a nice bonus when you keep thinking someone said "twice the fencepost" and you have to read what they actually said.
About KQ1, since you apparently have no mouse support and PC speaker sound, yes it's the older one. The updated one still used EGA, but it used it MUCH better and nearly convinced me it was using more than 16 colors, but it wasn't. Actually, after remaking KQ1, the fans revolted because they said it was like colorizing old black and white movies. Honestly, I think those people need to get a grip :D. Point is, in all the collections now, they contain both the original KQ1 and the remade version, which I'm all for.
And yes, I was thinking of Thexder :D. I know I have a disk with that SOMEWHERE, but I have no idea if my computer will be able to play it without going WAY too fast... I know that game was frickin' HARD though :D.
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Charles Babbage (1791-1871)