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Under a Killing Moon
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In the impossibly far off future of 2042, Tex Murphy tries to solve a mystery that Ben & Jess don't actually remember specifics from.
Quest Quest podcast is Ben Vigeant and Jess Morrissette.
Editing by Ben Vigeant
Show art by Kevin "WilcoWeb" Wallace
Watch us on Twitch!
Ben: https://www.twitch.tv/ps_garak
Jess: https://www.twitch.tv/decafjedi
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Talk with us on Discord!
https://discord.gg/ve9fqjgPp2
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Transcript
Podcast Introduction and Klax Nostalgia
00:00:32
Speaker
It is the 2020s and there is time for quest quests. The adventure game podcast. You know, it's like clacks. It's the nineties and there's time for clacks. You know, what's clacks.
00:00:46
Speaker
What's clacks. What the hell. Ben, I'm a little bit like, I'm a little bit more in tune with the, with the culture of today. Like watch this, watch this six, seven,
00:01:00
Speaker
but What do you think? i here's Here's the the problem. Is that 6.7 is like my mom in her 70s has made 6.7 reference. So it's gone all the way around to it's like it's even difficult to ironically...
00:01:21
Speaker
yeah you know yeah i mean soldier 76 in overwatch has a 6-7 emote so i think that kills it right yeah you heard here first gang 6-7 dead what's the new funny number uh well you know like i'm trying to i'm trying to think there you know
00:01:45
Speaker
Robby's ones are out. those We're leaving those in 2025.
Funniest Number Skit Debate
00:01:49
Speaker
Many years ago, I watched a documentary about the writer's room, the legendary writer's room for for Sid Caesar's i comedy shows his most prominent one being your so show of shows but he he did ah like ah a bunch of them and he had a legendary had like Neil Simon and Mel Brooks and i think maybe Carl Reiner and at one point Woody Allen a person that we all still love um and ah like just a bunch of people that went on to yeah creators
00:02:25
Speaker
And I remember, like, one of the things I remember from this this documentary was that they had a long discussion. Like, they're like, we were so um serious about the comedy that we had a long argument over what was the funniest number one of the actors could say.
00:02:42
Speaker
And I think about that all the time because they're like, They're like, we were we were arguing and arguing and arguing because we really wanted to have it that she says a number. this is Imogene Coca, who is like the the one of the main members of the the company.
00:02:58
Speaker
And they ended up having her like come into the office and read a number. And I think it was as it's like, did you read this number, please? And she goes, 45. And they're like, there it is.
00:03:11
Speaker
ha, ha,
00:03:16
Speaker
No, we need better numbers. I think i think we're a little bit limited. Like, I know there are literally an unlimited number of numbers, but but like the digits are where we're limited. Like if we had like instead of 10 digits, if we had like 13 to work with, there could be a really funny number in there.
00:03:34
Speaker
Yeah. um Yeah, but that's that's it. now Now, Jess, I just want to note, There's really one reason why Klax stays in my my memory, which is to say that the n NES version ah ah has like a killer i ah theme song.
00:03:55
Speaker
Oh, yeah. Remained in my head.
00:04:11
Speaker
anything make you happier than when NES game had like anything resembling a voice sample in it? Oh yeah. Like that skate or die theme. It's just like skate or die.
00:04:25
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, that's pretty, I mean, that's good. That's good stuff.
Nostalgic Dive into Klax
00:04:30
Speaker
All right. Anyway, it's raising my blood pressure. Like it. So Klax was a post Tetris ah stacking like you know tiles come down ah match three puzzle game which honestly is not that much fun um but it does have good music it does have great sound effects it has the title card which says it is the 90s and there is time for clacks and it even has like
00:05:01
Speaker
like a like a really great logo where it has like a hand, like with the thumb, like the the fingers in the middle ah centered and then the the pinky and the thumb far out. Ah, the reverse Vulcan salute.
00:05:16
Speaker
Yeah, it has the reverse Vulcan salute. i It like, I think there of the, the there there was obviously like kind of a school of thought, which you would see later with Zoop.
00:05:31
Speaker
um i where it's just like not the soup yeah yeah where it was just like really what you need is an aesthetic and work backwards ah yeah like yeah yeah which you know like if you think about and I believe you when we talked about this you hadn't played it ah but like luminous Like, that's ah that's a really great puzzle game with spectacular aesthetics. And now Tetris has gotten, like, you know, Tetris has Tetris effect, which also does, like, that is a good way to kind of dress up
00:06:03
Speaker
whatever your falling blocks game is, is it's like, oh yeah, it just has some sort of aesthetic. Yeah. Like how on the Game Boy, they chose to make it all like green and black. Yeah. And Tetris was so popular on the Game Boy that every game after it was just like, we're going to try to get a little of that Tetris magic and make our game green and black as well. And, and different shades of gray.
00:06:26
Speaker
How are you doing, Jess? Happy new year. Happy new year to YouTube, Ben. We are recording this, uh, uh, on the 2nd of January. We've got a good feel for what 2026 looks like already. Uh, what, what, what do you, uh, what do you think? Is this going to be a good one, Ben, or is it all downhill? This is the, the greatest year uh, uh, in the, the pantry.
00:06:50
Speaker
i took look in the year pantry. I, I snuck a glimpse. And it's it's just up and up. So far, every day has been better than the last one. And I anticipate that continuing and until the 31st of December.
00:07:07
Speaker
wow That's amazing because last year was like like a coffin on roller skates. It just kept getting worse. I mean, it was, yeah, I mean, this one's got to turn it around. And you know what's going to be the secret to turn it around?
00:07:19
Speaker
What is that? Adventure games. I think it's going to be the discussion, ah you know, the free discussion, the uncensored discussion of video games here at Quest Quest, the adventure game podcast.
Reviewing Mid-2000s Gaming Culture
00:07:33
Speaker
Jess, I got a question for you. Did you read, this was making, like, kind of, this was this was kind of, like, looping around on ah Blue Sky, I think, yesterday. ah Like, ah the, somebody found, like, this old cracked, like,
00:07:48
Speaker
article ah it was uh phil phil salvador uh from ah the video game history foundation um found uh for the from from cracked.com uh this is from uh it looks like 2007 or so a gamers manifesto oh finally finally Oh, God. Yeah, no. I mean, this is this is what I need. i read this um and, ah you know, they' give us AI that will actually outsmart us from now now and then. Don't bullshit me about your graphics. Nipples? question mark Don't us on the difficulty. Don't bullshit us on the game's features.
00:08:38
Speaker
So on and so forth. And like beyond everything else, i reading reading this whole ah ah piece ah just kind of reminded me of that very, like the mid-2000s style of nerd ah blogging.
00:09:03
Speaker
Yes. You know, like there was a very specific, right like it was this this kind of meme thing kind of like because the like and there is like a ah spectrum here right because you have like on one end you have like Tycho um yeah on Penny Arcade who would write like very dense paragraphs it was yeah very um uh, Dennis Miller oh video games. Yeah. I think that's a good, a good comparison there. Yeah. Going for the $5 words whenever, uh, the opportunity rolls around very faux erudite. Yeah.
00:09:44
Speaker
Yeah. And then I think on the, the, like the other side of this, uh, like you have like kind of Maddox, which like the, the, what was it? The greatest website in the universe. Yeah.
00:09:57
Speaker
And that was like more kind of lists and like kind of short, like little, little pieces, very image heavy. Like that's the Sean baby zone as well. Yeah. Sean baby old man, Murray. Yeah. Old man. Murray was kind of closer to the, the Tycho spectrum because those were all, let me, let me say something, uh, right now. I absolutely do think we can get Sean baby on the podcast. that That's what you're about to ask. yeah yeah um But no, I was going to say, I've never read the the infamous old man, Murray piece that was mean about Gabriel night three. I've only, and because you want to know what I've never finished reading in our, as far as I'm concerned, ah that's too many words. I'm not going to read all that.
00:10:46
Speaker
I've read long books, but I'm just not going to read your long fucking post from 26 years ago. Yeah. And I'm not going to read any books either anymore because that was one my resolutions this year. Yeah.
00:10:57
Speaker
No more books. You want to know what my New Year's resolutions were, Jess? Yeah. 640 by 480. six forty by four eighty Oh man, I could see it twinkling in your eyes and I didn't want to put a stop to it. wanted to hear it. wanted to hear it. And there it was, that made my day. Thank you, Ben. Thank you.
00:11:19
Speaker
But, uh, you know, like it, it, it, um, like reading. Did you enjoy that commentary at all at the time? Like, I read all of them other than, didn't read the denser word side of the spectrum, but I did. I wasn't, I didn't think like, that's a lot of tedious bullshit, which is what my opinion of
Creating Comedy Blogs and Pop Culture Maturity
00:11:45
Speaker
it is now. Yes. At the time I was just like, Oh, this is far too smart. It would be, it would fun nowadays to like, just be like, Oh, I always knew that was horse shit.
00:11:53
Speaker
But no. Yeah. No. I was a child I spake as a child. Yeah. Like, you know, somewhere on here, like you also have like the something awful, uh, like front pages, which that would vary depending on the author too, because it's like some of them were like really, really long and wordy. And some of them would like, just do like little things.
00:12:15
Speaker
but I mean, you and I both also ah tried our hand at like, uh, mid aughts comedy blogs as well.
00:12:26
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, and definitely like i think, For mine, I ran like a site that was like a combination of personal stories and then like entertainment type stuff, pop culture, reviews of crap, all that sort of thing.
00:12:44
Speaker
And I would say snark is definitely the vibe I was going for. Like, I don't think I was trying to be overly clever, but I definitely wanted to be snarky. Like everything was through a couple of layers of ironic detachment, which now to go back and read that makes me just want to throw up when I read that, because I think that somewhere along the way, I rolled back around to sincerity and I find that much more fulfilling. But Yeah, they I definitely had my mid-aughts, you know, look at me be snarky about things. It's like, oh, you want hear what I think about the Star Wars prequels? Because I've got some ideas loaded up for you. You hear about this Jar Jar?
00:13:27
Speaker
ah Jar Jar Vinks? I've never heard of him. Well, he's a Gungan from the planet Naboo. Uh-huh. And you know what? He's fine. It's a kid's movie. It doesn't matter.
00:13:40
Speaker
You know, it's really it's really funny kind of thinking about ah things that used to make me weird, angry, which I just could not give a shit about now. And this is even like within like the last like three or four years. It's a rolling scale, yeah. Like, you know...
00:14:00
Speaker
I'm just too beaten down by the world to be sufficiently mad, ah about like Star Trek anymore. Like I just, like, I'll just see something and just be like either old or new. Um, like, you know I'll just see something and it looks stupid and I'll just be like, all right.
00:14:18
Speaker
Yeah, realizing that, like, reaching that point with a lot of pop culture is maybe one of the, like, best things to ever happen to me. Like, getting to a point where it's just like, I can go watch a Star Wars film and be like, kind of enjoyed that. That was pretty good.
00:14:32
Speaker
And not have to worry about ah whether or not that was the correct answer or not. that's so I think we've become mature, Ben, is what the answer is. but But I do want to say conversely, though, I do still enjoy being a hater. This doesn't mean won't be a hater. Like, yeah I'll definitely be like, ugh, that's the Star Trek thing. And then be like, this sucks. But then I'll just be like, then kind of move on.
00:14:57
Speaker
Like, I guess my point is, is that I think like, it ah when when I see someone like take it remarkably personally or take it like,
00:15:10
Speaker
Personally, in either direction. Like, it's like, you know, this is an affront to the fans. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And it just like it's just it's just that, you know, they just had Michelle Yeoh for a week, and they decided to make a movie.
00:15:25
Speaker
Yeah. And you know what? There are lots of bad movies. It was...
Satirical Review of Star Trek
00:15:30
Speaker
particularly bad it might even be worse than Star Trek Nemesis uh but it's like oh by far by far like not even like have you re-watched Star Trek Nemesis recently it's quite poor I mean it is but is it as bad as section 31 well yeah I mean the the the problem I guess I guess the the problem is in section 31 there's only one character you know about and if you're me you already don't like her
00:16:00
Speaker
um mileage may vary on that like obviously I like Michelle Yeoh but I don't like character doesn't offer a lot to like what would be and then a cannibalistic fascist yeah and then everybody else is like characters I don't know a couple actors I like oh yeah yeah absolutely you know I think Sam Richardson is is really great oh he's wonderful put him in everything and he tries like he does try in section 31 one the One of the highlights, but, but it's just like, you know, I watched it and I was like, Oh, that was terrible. okay Okay, Ben, give me your, give me your mid two thousands, uh, angry Star Trek nerd review of section 31.
00:16:48
Speaker
This is section 31 is offensive to the fans and Paramount should a apologize for making me sit through that fucking garbage for two and a half hours or however the fuck long it was. If it was shorter than that, it felt longer. They should apologize for 10 hours.
00:17:13
Speaker
There was. and and by the way, I didn't even pay attention to most of it.
00:17:21
Speaker
Wow. That's pretty good. I want, was it Akiva Goldsman? Is he the, is that the, probably is that the, the, the Star Trek guy now? I don't even know who the, the, the Star Trek man is. Listen here, Harv Bennett.
00:17:37
Speaker
Yeah. Harv Bennett.
00:17:41
Speaker
ah ah see wait who's the Who's the Star Trek man now? who who is the is Who's the man that everyone's at? Gene Star Trekman?
00:17:52
Speaker
like Who's who's the the the the man that they're everyone... like Oh, Brannon. Who's the... Yeah, the ban air Berman and Braga of yeah Star Trek now. I think it's Akiva.
00:18:05
Speaker
Oh, it's Alex Kurtzman. Oh, that's right. Kurtzman. Akiva is... I don't know if he's... yeah in he worked on Strange New... I don't know. J.J. Abrams.
00:18:19
Speaker
And he also worked on... Like, he did work on Disco, Picard, and Strange New Worlds. um He's one of the... and But I think Kurtzman is the... i don't i don't yeah I don't give a shit about it. I'll watch a little, like, like there's ah there's ah the new like Academy show. It does not look good. No.
00:18:40
Speaker
i watch I'll watch him i'll i'll i'll give it. I'll give it a couple episodes or
Humorous Critique of Star Trek Games
00:18:47
Speaker
maybe about 20 minutes of the first episode. yeah Very possible that that, but but you know what?
00:18:55
Speaker
They did get my ass with ah Holly Hunter and what's his name? um ah ah ah You know what I'm saying. The the Sideways. Yeah. ah Paul Giamatti. Paul Giamatti.
00:19:08
Speaker
i You know. sadly mr sideways mr sideways yeah i mean uh uh was it lefto not leftovers i don't know the leftovers i truly avoid the tv show uh the the oh yeah the daemon uh daemon lostman
00:19:33
Speaker
oh boy oh boy oh boy oh man i did i did enjoy your review but i have a note if that's okay holdovers the whole holdovers the whole i would like to have heard you use the phrase steaming dump at some point he took a steaming jump dump right on my chest really Yeah.
00:19:56
Speaker
And I paid him $50 for it. Well, that's a bargain. No, it's, it's, it's, it's a thing. And don't kink shame. Um, now, uh, now that everyone has stopped listening to the podcast, I'd say there's a good chance. I'll never hear that part. Yeah. They, they probably are like, well, they, they've, they've been skipped 30 until they're like, okay. Uh, where are they've been playing. All right That tune is all right. Great. Now they will talk about the game, but no, uh, Jess,
00:20:26
Speaker
What have you been playing? Whoa, what have I been playing? Ben, do you know Blippo Plus? I bought it. You bought it. I bought it. um And I haven't played it. And I didn't watch your stream expressly because yes I was like, I want this.
00:20:43
Speaker
I want this to be like, I know that it's it's an odd game. O-O-G. Yes. And I know...
00:20:58
Speaker
that people I know quite enjoy it. It was on, was it on the play date? It was on the play date. This is a hand cranked game. Came from the cranker. Yeah, you got to crank this one. Crank it. Yeah.
00:21:11
Speaker
Yeah. cra It's a real cranky anchor, if you will. But man, I think I love this game. And I think you'll like it even more. Can give an idea if the listeners aren't aware
Exploration of Blippo Plus
00:21:23
Speaker
of this one? It's a FMV game.
00:21:27
Speaker
maybe a little less interactive than some I've played in the sense that you are simply flipping through the channels of public access television in planet far, far away named Planet Blip.
00:21:42
Speaker
And it is all very... low budget, bizarre, just incomprehensible television that you're watching. yeah You'll like tune in for a weird cooking show and then you'll flip the channel and get like their version of Doctor Who, which is just like,
00:22:01
Speaker
a bar that floats through space and has patrons coming in and out of it. And then you'll flip again, it's like a soap opera set in a hospital where everyone's a clone of one another. And just bizarre public access television stuff.
00:22:18
Speaker
And the way the game unfolds is, as you watch these clips, you start to stumble across this idea that this planet is beginning to pick up strange transmissions from space.
00:22:29
Speaker
And as you learn about this through the various programs you tune into, it slowly unlocks more channels and more content. um So far, I've only played like three hours of it.
00:22:42
Speaker
And really, there's not so much an interactive element beyond just flipping the channels so far. So it's a very, you know, a very... I wouldn't say passive in that you're actively sort of flipping through the channels and stuff, but certainly you're not like solving puzzles. You're not hypnospace outlaw searching, but i do think it has some of that hypnospace outlaw DNA. You're just discovering this weird world and trying to pay attention to things and pick up on little clues that are to help you figure out a plot that at least up to this point isn't being stated completely explicitly but mostly it's just a joy to watch weird television like the the group of actors and uh the writers and everyone who uh yeah and and the uh the people who filmed this they
00:23:32
Speaker
did beautiful work, just creating a bizarre world, bizarre fashions, bizarre hairstyles, and just a a weird sense of humor that kind of has almost that who It's weirder than like SCTV.
00:23:50
Speaker
It's almost like the kind of weird video clips that used to pop up on Nickelodeon during the 80s on shows like Out of Control or Turkey Television. Just like, you know, roly poly fish heads kind of energy, if you will. Well, you know, just...
00:24:09
Speaker
There's a thing I've started to do to torture my friends when we're all kind of hanging out on Discord and sharing the screen and finding weird stuff. Which is, I'll go to the the great website, archive.org. Yeah. Click television and then just start looking through the weirder archives to find stuff to watch.
00:24:37
Speaker
And so this game kind of sounds like what I do, like i because
00:24:51
Speaker
I'll scroll right past anything that like looks actually interesting or something that I've heard of. like It's like I want to find like the weirdest thing or the bad garbage.
00:25:05
Speaker
And I'm here to say, like, now, maybe this is more familiar to you as someone of this generation, but Jesus Christ, Sid and Marty Croft made a lot of fucking trash in the 70s.
00:25:16
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. We watched, was, there's like, there's a thing on archive.org, which is just like television. So I clicked on that and I was like, going to click on every single thing that has like a stupid name.
00:25:29
Speaker
And like all of them were Sid and Marty Croft shows. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. like Dr. Shrink Dr. Shrinky or something yeah it's like this weird man that has a shrink ray uh it sounds amazing You know, will say as I played Blipo Plus, the whole time I was playing it, I thought, I'm loving this game, and I think Ben would like it even more. Yeah, I'm excited to check it out. Yeah, and it's a weird one to stream because you're kind of just like sitting there watching, like, ha ha, that's weird.
00:26:05
Speaker
And, you then flipping the next channel, like, ah, that's weird too. But... I think that it will hit even closer to you. Because I wouldn't say I'm necessarily a weird television aficionado. Like, I didn't grow up with public access in my hometown or anything like that. So I feel like this will hit right in your sweet spot. So yeah, Blupo check it out. Ben, what have you been playing?
Adventure Games: Foolish Mortals and Voodoo Detective
00:26:29
Speaker
Well, Jess, I'll talk a little bit about, and maybe, you know, maybe this might be an episode.
00:26:37
Speaker
But so I started playing on my stream, Foolish Mortals, because there was that that recent adventure game hotspot list. And this was, I think, at the bottom of the list, 25, and of like best game, like best adventures from like the century.
00:26:58
Speaker
Um, and, and they, they couldn't come up with enough nice things to say about it now. So I've only played it about 90 minutes so far.
00:27:10
Speaker
So, you know, maybe my opinion will change, but it's really interesting, uh, to me playing it because it like, it's a very interesting game because I also, i have no complaints about it.
00:27:28
Speaker
It is, it's just funny to me because it's just kind of like,
00:27:36
Speaker
what adventure game, like what kind of a, your main ask or not your, but like the baseline, what some people ask or think of when they think of an adventure game, what that adventure game is.
00:27:55
Speaker
If that makes sense. Yeah. Like it is, like heavily inspired by Monkey Island. And like it has like writing that feels very reminiscent of the first Broken Sword game.
00:28:10
Speaker
And it looks kind of like the like the the character models kind of look broken swordy as do like the hand drawn backgrounds. The voice performances are excellent.
00:28:23
Speaker
The writing is all pretty good. And like it's Just when I play it, I'm just like, man, it's like there's there's a certain that's what this is.
00:28:49
Speaker
Yeah. And there is a, yeah, I think there's a strong demand for that. i think for a lot of people, that's exactly what... what we're looking for an adventure game. There's nothing wrong with that. I mean, there's a reason that style is so beloved. um You know, I've been playing Voodoo Detective. did You just heard that. i I missed that last night. You f played that last night, right? Yeah, fantastic.
00:29:12
Speaker
Also, and very much cut from that same cloth. um You know, it's doing a lot of that same sort of thing. Honestly, maybe that would be a good combo episode. Just two Voodoo adventure games just rolled into one. Yeah, there's like, voo yeah, again, like there's voodoo stuff in it like,
00:29:33
Speaker
you know, i'm I'm looking here, voodoo detective. It says like the first bulleted point, Monkey Island inspired point. You have to write that though if you want to sell copies, right? Yeah. Like, and, and, you know, like, yeah, you, you have to, and then like, let's see here. How far do we get to a monkey island in the description here?
00:29:54
Speaker
Monkey. They don't have it in the description. Wow. That's bold. Talk some foolish mortals. that, that, you know what? Good for them.
00:30:05
Speaker
Um, uh, But, oh yeah, you know, I am- Ron Gilbert probably sued him. Slick Ronnie probably said no way. i'm in I'm enjoying it. It's just kind of funny to me because it's just like, oh, this is the game that, like, here's the the other thing. It's like, so, like, the first section, which I'm i'm just wrapping up, like, the first act, like, it's like, okay, here's your list of seven things you have to get and a big open map.
00:30:33
Speaker
Yeah. You know, like here, you know, and then it's like, so that's what like, you know, like Toonstruck does. And that's what Monk Island does. That's what like so many, it's, it's just, it's like, you know, this is what you want.
00:30:48
Speaker
Here you go. And, and so it's, it you know, it's interesting. Like, I think, i you know,
00:30:59
Speaker
like they're and so i i think my point is is it's like if you're someone that like you know explicitly wants this type of game uh you know here it is don't complain yeah if you don't want this kind game like if you're looking for like a city management sim you're gonna hate it It's got none of that.
00:31:25
Speaker
Like you probably want like city skylines or or like SimCity, if you're looking for just like a point and click, it sounds like it's definitely one of those. Yeah. uh but anyway yeah you know it's uh it's pretty good i'm looking forward to playing more of it um all right so uh this week uh we are uh looking backwards and talking about a game i think we talked about a little bit we have and we've teased
Tex Murphy Series Overview
00:31:54
Speaker
i believe that we do this episode um
00:31:57
Speaker
Today we're talking about ah Under a Killing Moon. Look out for that moon. Yeah. It's a killer. From 1994.
00:32:09
Speaker
Unbelievable. ah From Access Software. ah This is what the third text Murphy. Yeah, we got mean streets. We've got Martian memorandum and we've got under a killing moon, which is really a reboot of this, this franchise. And, and while like, but before we get into the discussion of it, let's do a little bit of ah eBay prices, right? Which I forgot. ah But I have here for you, Jess.
00:32:41
Speaker
How much for mean streets? That's the first one. Okay. Access software, five and a quarter floppies, uh, for IBM Tandy PC, 1989, uh,
00:32:56
Speaker
And I'm going to note, ah it's it's three and a half. It has a photo of the floppies. These are three and a half floppies. but Okay, but says Vavacord. Good start, good start. Yeah, yeah. It looks like it's in box and we've got some documentation. How much, Jess?
00:33:14
Speaker
Okay, now i want to preface this by saying i have previously owned this box. Oh, so you you've owned this box. Like, did you have it at the time? Let me tell you, um, my aunt Linda, uh, when I was growing up briefly dated a guy who was a beta tester for access software. Wow. And during this brief relationship, I managed to acquire like a full inbox. Cause I think once he played through the games, they sent him the box copy as like, uh, maybe his entire payment, he may have just been some copy serve nerd who was doing this. Who knows? Very possible.
00:33:53
Speaker
Um, I got a copy of links, the challenge of golf and mean street. So I have held this box in my hand. I know what it feels like. i and it's not sealed because you can see the disc. I'm going to say this is 34 95. Uh, you are under, but not by too much.
00:34:18
Speaker
okay forty nine ah Very close. yeah It's 55. Oh, man, that's not too bad. That's not too bad. We got the box. We got the discs. We've got a manual. ah And it looks like like a reference card and some stuff.
00:34:33
Speaker
So, you know, like, I don't think the thing about Mean Streets, I have not played. Did you actually play it? Yeah, it's awful. yeah it's's I hear it's not very good. It's awful. Well, Ben, let me hit you with an eBay auction because I had one queued up as well. Yeah, go for This is about the game we're talking about. This is under a killing That's why i looked up Mean Streets because I was like, one of us is going to do under a killing me.
00:34:57
Speaker
I've got here for you, Ben. Okay. A factory sealed copy. Hmm. of killing moon it looks beautiful it still has a sticker that says featuring the voice of james earl jones huh this is from uh a seller with 100 positive over 742 cells so you know this person what's the trust what is the so what is the description up top okay yeah good good what is that point okay Oh, they just copied and pasted out of Wikipedia. Here's what it is. Your alter ego is a private investigator. Text. Oh, no, no. just meant title. Just the title. Oh.
00:35:35
Speaker
Like, what's the headline? Under a Killing Moon. Parentheses. Four disk. PC. CD-ROM. MS-DOS. Box set. Okay.
00:35:46
Speaker
I am going to say, so it's factory sealed. And this is a popular game. This is this is a game that people like as opposed to Mean Streets. It's more than, going to say this is more than Mean Streets.
00:35:58
Speaker
Yes, you're correct. So, okay. ah All right. So it's it's it's more than Mean Streets. But, you know, like Tex Murphy, this is not, this is not like...
00:36:13
Speaker
ah like a famous like CRE or something. CRE and LucasArts games are wildly inflated. yeah they They break this market. So I think it's going to be a little more reasonably priced, but it will be like kind of, so I'm going to say 275.
00:36:29
Speaker
two seventy five Oh, Ben, way, way less. You can have this for so much less. So much less. A fraction of that. Wow. Okay.
00:36:39
Speaker
I mean, may buy this after this talk's over. But it's more than Mean Streets at 55. let's say 75. little bit more. 80. Or 90. little bit more or ninety 90 it's 90 dollars which honestly i mean is too much good that's that's not bad though that's not let let me let me look this let me look this up uh okay it's uh classic electrics is the so should we be uh giving them this just really dark like sure whatever uh under a killing moon factory i see this yeah and i
00:37:13
Speaker
I mean, it looks nice. Handsome. It looks nice. Yeah. nice You know, maybe, maybe I'm just nuts. Wait, hold on. It says factory sealed.
00:37:25
Speaker
Wait a second. We have photos of the manual here. Oh, wait wait, wait, wait, wait. Yeah, the box is open because we have the manual and reference cards and stuff like that. So it's just the disk. This is totally different. No, no, that's $60. I'm not paying $90. Yeah.
00:37:43
Speaker
That's horseshit. Good detective work, but still. It's not bad press, I guess. I mean, if you want Under a Killing Moon. Those discs are going to be super clean.
Under a Killing Moon: Technological Achievements
00:37:55
Speaker
So, yeah, let's let's let's let's talk about Under a Killing Moon. um This is interesting. So I've played...
00:38:03
Speaker
The other access adventure game that I've played is the, what is it? Amazon. the ah What's it called? the oh yeah.
00:38:16
Speaker
ah Yeah. the Guardians of the Amazon? something Yeah, Guardians. Let's see. Of Eden? Oh, Amazon colon guardians of Eden.
00:38:26
Speaker
Thank you. Yeah. um And all new, that is the previous adventure game that they put out. to this that is like so looking at like ah ah access software's list of games they released ah a Amazon Guardians of Eden comes out in 92 then you have three golf games and then 1994 under a killing moon
00:38:56
Speaker
Those golf games are amazing too. don't know you're playing links. So I have not, but they do look very sharp, don't they? They have that great real sound thing where they make your PC speaker digitize speech magically. So good. the i mean, it is it's it's very clear. And I believe that that's the tech like the same engine and the technology that Under a Killing Moon is working under. Yeah.
00:39:23
Speaker
I think it's basically a golf sim turned into a, yeah. So, all right. Isn't golf the ultimate adventure? What is under a killing moon? Tex Murphy under a killing moon, Jess.
00:39:35
Speaker
let's Let's set the table now. It is a um sort of, a future noir a mystery story set in New San Francisco in like the year 2042 is that right ish it's a post-apocalyptic world where humans live alongside post-nuclear mutants and we follow the adventures of down on his luck private investigator Tex Murphy, ah who starts out by investigating a robbery at a local pawn shop and finds himself stumbling into a much larger conspiracy with forces far beyond his comprehension, conspiring against him. In fact, so far beyond his comprehension that even Ben and i who have both recently played this game or reviewed it, had to like make sure that each of us understood the plot before we began our podcast today.
00:40:33
Speaker
Yeah, the so my enjoyment of this game, which is a game that I love. Yeah. um i really I really, really love um Under a Killing Moon, which is not something I could say about Amazon Guardians of Eden,
00:40:48
Speaker
um i is not linked to the plot itself. No, that's very secondary, I think, at every stage of this game.
00:41:01
Speaker
Like, me yeah, same, which is why I'm interested in, like, we were talking a little bit before, ah before we started the record, like they, they, they've published like novelizations of this. And I'm just kind of like,
00:41:19
Speaker
the the things that I enjoy about this game can't be novelized. ah yeah Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I don't know if the plot is really what I wanted more focus on. um No, I mean,
00:41:34
Speaker
This is a super charming game. It's very funny. You know, it's also, maybe before we get into that, this game is a technological marvel. right Right. For 1994. I mean, you got to think about this. the way Basically, the way the game works is it combines full motion video clips. That's where most of your dialogue scenes and cut scenes and everything are going be full motion video. And nice looking video, too. I mean, Phantasmagoria comes out a few years after this. And I think this game looks quite a bit better most of the time.
00:42:05
Speaker
um it's It's interesting because Phantasmagoria also has like obviously a higher budget. Yes. And like they Phantasmagoria I think one of the the tricks about this game not to say that it's low effort because it's not but Like Phantasmagoria as an FMV game, like really, really has extremely high ambitions connected to it, which I think kind of limit it a little bit. Yeah. Whereas this is like kind of
00:42:47
Speaker
so You know, there's there's ah there's a thing I think about, which is it's like, I love ah like old Doctor Who, like the 60s to the 80s run of Doctor Who.
00:43:00
Speaker
um and And I love it because like ah pretty much for for all of those episodes, i There's an understanding. It's like we can't really render like an alien planet or like a space station or an alien in any sort of convincing way. Like it's always you're never going to be able to look at like a costume from like 60s to 80s Doctor Who and be like, wow, that's a real alien.
00:43:29
Speaker
you you you you're you're going to say you know god bless him for trying that that looks neat you know yeah and this has some of that vibe yeah absolutely and i think there's a certain freedom that you get when like you accept that like it's like okay uh uh we are never going to be able to make like a really convincing looking alien or a convincing looking spaceship or, or any of that.
00:43:57
Speaker
So we can't make anything look convincing. So therefore we can do anything. That's right. no No matter what. And like, so it actually becomes like, if you have enough budget to make things look,
00:44:11
Speaker
like good, it becomes a straight jacket because it's like, right well, we don't want it to look great. Trying to be serious. And it wants to have you take this game seriously at some level.
00:44:22
Speaker
And it's swinging way above its weight class. It's, you know, i mean, this, I feel like under a killing moon really gets that but mean it's in everything from the makeup on the mutants and how silly i mean it would wouldn't be at all out of place in something like doctor who or some sort of like afternoon live action kids show or you know um which works for it it allows you to sort of not have to worry about any of it because the game isn't taking itself too seriously yeah like it it gives you permission to be like, yeah, it's, it's a guy in a costume who cares. Like, yeah. And it that too yeah it hits you with, um, like very amusingly poorly acted scenes right away where it makes it clear. Like, it's like, we're aware that we don't have access to great actors. Like, um, because, uh, very early on,
00:45:26
Speaker
It's very clear they put a ton of effort into ah Texas office. Yes. Because there's a ton of interactables, ah many of which like create little like short little videos that you watch.
00:45:40
Speaker
And one of them is like something that like shows a ah flashback to your ex-wife a hitting on like an upholsterer. yeah And it is very...
00:45:53
Speaker
very uh like a ah lonely housewife uh hitting on the pizza boy ah level porn acting like it's like this guy hello ma'am I'm here to yeah do your chair and she's like wow you're so strong like yeah the acting is so like monotone and poor yeah
Charm and Humor of Tex Murphy
00:46:19
Speaker
It's hilarious. And it's a very funny scene.
00:46:21
Speaker
And I don't think that's unintentional. No, it's totally. it was Exactly. Yeah. I mean, and that, yeah, that gives a certain charm. They combine, I think what's fascinating about this game, like technologically to me is it combines this FMV, which is very charming start to finish um with,
00:46:40
Speaker
a first person engine that you use to move around the world and explore and look behind things and duck under stuff. And when you think about like 94, still like first person shooters were a newish phenomenon. Still the idea of bringing this technology to bear on a full motion video game,
00:47:05
Speaker
opens up some really fascinating and I think rewarding aspects, especially since you're a detective and your job's to detect and to notice little details and to look behind things to see if there's something interesting. In a few places, I think it also leads to some minor frustration where you have like the only thing worse than a pixel hunt is 3D pixel hunt, right? Like when you're looking for the world's smallest couple of dots, right?
00:47:30
Speaker
Yeah, it's funny because it's like I actually, the the the searching in it is I find one of the most pleasurable parts. It was up until the first time I couldn't find something. yeah And then i was like, this is awful. I hate this. No, yeah no, no. You got to do your your your angry video game nerd voice. Like you got a a couple octaves up, please. um This horseshit.
00:47:57
Speaker
Is that my point? Is there anything about steaming the loads of shit something? Oh, steaming dumps of buffalo. Yeah. like um it what what was what What is crazy to me is that the 3D environments, I think, look wonderful.
00:48:17
Speaker
like I really think for 1994, they...
00:48:22
Speaker
they like the level of detail in the 3d environment. So like the way it is, is that like you, you, you pilot, it you pilot techs around like with one of the worst control schemes ever devised, which you can mod out.
00:48:45
Speaker
And I'll do the plug now. MoralRecordings.itch.io
00:48:54
Speaker
MoralRecordings has created WSAD.com. ah s a a control scheme with which you really want because otherwise this is one of those rare games where you move around in first person by like moving your mouse forward like it's a track ball you just continue to like push it forward to move forward which assuming that you don't have an infinite desk and very long arms is a very bad way to control any first person interface. Moral recordings has fixed that.
00:49:27
Speaker
This game is more playable than ever, thanks to thanks to their noble efforts. Yeah, ah it's it's it's really ah it's really impressive. um And I think that's like one of the major humps to playing this is is like, and even before, like when I first tried Under a Killing Moon,
00:49:48
Speaker
um When I got it on some Gog sale, I think like years ago, like I was like, oh, I want to try this out. And then like the control scheme, I was like, fuck this. close No, it is really off putting. mean, even like cursor keys would be such an improvement, but no, no, no, no. But i will say again, the 3d looks great. Like yeah this is not We only had like at the time computers could only render like four polygons.
00:50:17
Speaker
Like you had a ah sphere, a pyramid, a box and a long box. We're the only things that you and these got slap textures on that and hope it looks good.
00:50:27
Speaker
And somehow this game makes a lot of these environments look really, really gorgeous. it's It's a great, great looking game. I mean, the FMV looks fun in its cheesy B-movie way.
00:50:40
Speaker
The 3D looks better than a lot of the 3D that was kicking around at the time. the The handful of stars that they have in the game are all like ah ah people that clearly were there for like, you know, they could get for like a couple hours.
00:50:57
Speaker
Yes. Especially I think the one that jumps out the most would be Margot Robbie of Superman fame. yeah Yeah. No, Margot Robbie. Margot Kidder. I, Tonya? Yeah, they they got it. She was young. Here's the thing. She was just starting out. She was like three years old. No, Margot Robbie. Margot Kidder of Superman fame. Margot Kidder.
00:51:18
Speaker
Margot Kidder. Yeah, I'm a Kidder. That's why I said Margot Robbie. Oh, you were just doing you were just doing one of your goof-em-ups. I was doing my classic Jess goof them ups, but Marco Kidder, uh, is in this for a split second.
00:51:33
Speaker
Um, but boy, was she all over the advertising for this game? Like she was a big selling point for this. It's like, you were going to get to interact with Margo rock.
00:51:45
Speaker
Marco Kidder. What's wrong with me, Ben? What's happened? I've just got Margo Robbie on the mind. Well, was she in, is she in a thing? that you saw recently probably yeah probably right sure i mean at tanya was very good we should episode about that i thought it was fine yeah fine no yeah it wasn't she was good she was great she was great yeah great Yeah, but Margot Kidder in this shows up as ah you know, bartender and is in one, like one scene and has very little to do, but. James Earl Jones does like ah a handful of narration things. Yeah, but not a lot. Yeah, i mean, because Tex is narrating most of his own adventure in classic noir style. ah So yeah, we we get James Earl Jones as the, what is it, the great PI in the sky? Yeah.
00:52:35
Speaker
Yeah, I think that's the... Yeah, he's mostly there to read death messages and to narrate cut scenes. um So when he died, he's like, whoops, screwed up again, Tex. One of the the really wonderful things about... So the the FMV, and also, like, it's floated by... is played by the the designer, ah Chris Jones, and... it should be a recipe for disaster. it should be.
00:53:05
Speaker
and instead... It just had like he he's just a very naturally charming like performer. Like he just just has it like I don't know like he does.
00:53:20
Speaker
He's just someone that's fun to spend time with. Like it's yeah just a fun performance. Yeah. Because Texas iss a real doofus. Yeah. In a lot of ways. And Chris Jones just nails that he makes him such a likable character.
00:53:37
Speaker
Yeah, go ahead. He negotiates, like, the it the the the kind of, like, thread that they're they're trying to get through the needle point of it's like...
00:53:54
Speaker
ah you know, like this isn't serious acting, but it's like pretty, like, because he's not doing a monotone, like, you know, like that, that performance I was talking about, like with his ex-wife and like the the yeah hair upholsterer, like he's, he's, he's acting, but like, it's a very, like, again, it's, he just,
00:54:18
Speaker
Yeah, it's it's a performance that's all, like, charm and very... Like, the the writing, which it's him and Aaron Connors, is very, like, kind of boiler boilerplate, fun, noir stuff. Like, tons of great little jokes.
00:54:39
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. And he does a good job, because there are a lot of scenes where Tex needs to be... dumber than everyone around him. And he's good at playing text dumb. And there are occasionally scenes where text maybe has the upper hand of people around him and has a better sense of what's going on. They do. And he can play text being kind of smarmy as well. And i managed to pull both off with a surprising amount charm. like I can understand why because this is the only and I believe this is the case with you this is the only Tex Murphy game I've played I guess you've played a little bit of yeah but that barely counts but like the FMVs which I'm yeah I'm looking forward to like I do I know people love the Pandora directive um
00:55:23
Speaker
Like there's his, his performance is, is so key to how this works. And i think it within it, like his performance is exactly the same way. Like reason why I like everything else in that it's like,
00:55:45
Speaker
It's easygoing. It's charming. It's fun. it can be serious when it's needed to be, but it's mostly like, you know, it's mostly just kind of fun. And yeah like, and that's this game. Like it gets serious towards the end and it has like, it's kind of serious about its plot, which neither of us quite remember.
00:56:09
Speaker
i But like, you know It's a vibe. It is a a a community theater production of Blade Runner.
00:56:21
Speaker
and she has Yes, that's exactly what it is and like you know It's like, whoa, I didn't know that the ah coach of ah the soccer team was that much fun on the stage.
00:56:34
Speaker
Yeah, no, it absolutely has has those vibes. And yeah, honestly, I think as you get to the final act, which I mean, spoiler alert from a game from 1994, you know that Killing Moon from the title?
00:56:52
Speaker
You end up on it. Yeah, that's right. You know what, though? That's that's a pretty good gag in that like it's like that could just be the name of like a Dashiell Hammett.
00:57:02
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. ah ah You know, thing. And instead, like you do end up on the moon that has the potential to kill things. Yeah. um But yeah, absolutely. I mean by the time you get there, it can. i mean, on the one hand,
00:57:20
Speaker
it rushes through this final act quite a bit but probably that's for the best because now it's all like serious Texas on a moon base having to stop this evil plot and a lot of the silly kind of detective stuff that made the rest of the game fun drops out in favor the worst parts of the game are i about like towards the middle two thirds through it there's like a stealth sequence yeah you have to avoid and especially and i wonder i haven't played like i haven't replayed this uh with ah the the better controls but like so you're you're you're you're breaking in and investigating in like some powerful person's
00:58:05
Speaker
house and like they have these sentry droids that you have to avoid and they follow like and to be clear this isn't that difficult it's just not that difficult it's more difficult than needs to be yeah it's it's annoying and then it's also made difficult by the fact that your movement is this like trackball style like marble madness yeah Someone, here's here's what I say.
Challenges in Under a Killing Moon
00:58:31
Speaker
Someone should make an arcade cabinet with the Tex Murphy games where you play it on a trackball. Just mod out a golden tee. Yeah. And yeah I mean, and that would really be full circle. It would be. Because, yeah, with the golf heritage of this game. Yeah, no.
00:58:47
Speaker
Like, yeah, it has like these things like ah both at the two thirds point. And then I believe ah towards the end ah game two, there's a little bit of that. um which is kind of noteworthy because a lot of the rest of the game is plays pretty fair and also doesn't quite, like, bullshit you.
00:59:13
Speaker
Like, it's a 1994 game, and Phantasmagoria year later does this too like does this, too, but it has, like, the full walkthrough in the game. Right. Yeah, I mean, it's, and I think with those stealth sequences too, it's sort of that weird period in video games where designers were getting interested in stealth, but weren't yet really building engines that could accommodate stealth particularly well.
00:59:41
Speaker
Like we're still a little bit before Thief, the Dark Project. And so things like that. So you get designers trying to integrate things stealth in the engines that don't have things like shadows or good like object detection or know measures of sound or 3d audio or anything that would make them easier to follow so yeah you kind get a section it's not that hard but is yeah the controls make it more frustrating it has to yeah and
01:00:15
Speaker
like i the the other bump i I have with the game is that like and this especially becomes a problem when ah again i think this is ah the Margo Kidder.
01:00:29
Speaker
Yes. As they yeah. um ah Where like you get dialogue like your dialogue options are all very vague. Like, they're not your LucasArts style, like, exactly what it is. It's instead, like... Charming repartee. Yeah. Like, charming repartee, withering put-down inquiry.
01:00:53
Speaker
and Show off your know-how. Yeah, Yeah. And... And that's all like, honestly, like it's the first couple times you see that you're like, oh, that's kind of fun. But once you get dialogue puzzles, where you could get killed if you do it incorrectly, and your options are all these very like vague ah things like that, then you're just kind of like, that's good.
01:01:18
Speaker
Yeah, there were a couple of points in the game. One, the Margot Kidder interaction. Then another, I think, with the guy who owns the pawn shop for me, where it was like a series of maybe...
01:01:32
Speaker
seven or eight dialogue choices that you had to pick the right option each time. The descriptions weren't entirely clear what you would be saying. And if you messed up any one of those, you were sent down a path that was going to end in either failure or death.
01:01:49
Speaker
And it kind of becomes, a well, can I remember the right, like eight dialogue presses in a row when all of the dialogue options are not particularly descriptive, which again, doesn't happen too frequently through the game. Really the Margot Kidder one, i think is the one That's the worst one. That's the one that has like the death attached to it. where it's like and And I imagine, you know for us, death here is we have to listen to James Earl Jones narrate our death or whatever. and we And you want to know what?
01:02:22
Speaker
I've been told that's actually what happens when you die. Is that i have james James Earl? i've i've I've been told because I met someone. Your friend Grayson was medically dead. Yeah, Grayson was medically dead for a little bit. and he And I was like, well, what was it like? And he said, I got like kind of a a pithy, ah like kind of, you know, ah epitaph on my life as delivered by James Earl Jones.
01:02:50
Speaker
Yeah. Restart, restore at least once more. Yeah. And then he um he picked restore. Thank goodness. Yeah. It wasn't Well, he did try restart and that's how he got baby Grayson. That's well.
01:03:04
Speaker
That's beside the point. No, I think that, you know. Yeah, but i mean, can you imagine doing this back in the day when this was on your double speed CD-ROM?
01:03:15
Speaker
so Because it probably took a little while up to spin up all of those FMVs, I suspect, and then to reload your game. And i bet these puzzles were so frustrating.
01:03:28
Speaker
Richard Cobbett, a friend of the the show who who we had on last year. Yeah. ah He, i remember when I was posting, it's just like, wow, I'm playing Under a Killing Moon. This game is incredible. I remember him like responding and being like, you know, it's not like if you were playing it at the time, there the the disc swapping was exhausted. like Yeah. Like, as I understand it, like a lot of the stuff on Chandler street, uh, which is where Texas HQ and a lot of his, uh, love is close friends and informants and other folks are all okay. I think all of that was mostly on one disc. Uh, but then once you start getting out of the Chandler Avenue stuff, I think that's when you start seeing the disc swapping and other stuff like that. So they tried to optimize it where they could,
01:04:26
Speaker
But even then, yeah, i mean you just think about, know, how long it probably took to spin up a little 45 second video clip every time you say something. Yeah, this is 1994 CD ROM. And this is it a DOS game. Yeah. And so like optimized for CD stuff. And so, so think about that. Like, it's like, yeah, so you probably like what best case scenario, you have a dual speed, let alone, like, it's like, what?
01:04:55
Speaker
Because this is, I think this had, like, you could modify what resolutions this this ran at. So you could get this in, like, a postage stamp that, like, moves at, like, five frames, you know, a minute. Yeah.
01:05:15
Speaker
And then like, it's like, you know, you click on something and it starts a video and you're, you know, you, you go and, you know, put the kettle on to have some tea and it, like, I still missed that sound of a, I mean, I guess I still have a quote. I remember that sound at the, whee!
01:05:34
Speaker
you know yeah i mean it's not that different than the sound like that your video card gives you nowadays occasionally when you kick into some serious 3d or something like that heats up my room this worries me ben i'm afraid that your nvidia card is going to burn you alive one day yeah i've had a good run that's true it's the way you have wanted to go yeah the look What am I going to Buy a video card in this year? Those are all needed for our beloved data centers.
01:06:09
Speaker
That's true. That's true. i mean, how else would we have gotten in the script for this episode if it weren't for all those data centers? Bumped out.
01:06:21
Speaker
Useful summaries. But I mean, I think this is, it's it's notable. And this is something that... um ah in like ah ah if I recall correctly ah Jimmy Mayer's write up of this game had as well it feels like a very friendly game like it's very generous to the player which is interesting when you consider all of the access games that came up before it which weren't um ah like ah ah you know Amazon Guardians of Eden anything but
01:06:55
Speaker
yeah like and And you were saying like it fitting in the stealth that sequence kind of, I think that also kind of fits into like Amazon Guardians of Eden.
01:07:07
Speaker
um and And this is what ah the sense I get having like looked at what what people say about their other adventure games. That game has like arcade sequences and it has, like I think there's also a sense of because that that game and mean streets and under a killing moon and i'm pretty sure all of these they're they're sold as interactive movies yeah and i think so i i think the idea of having all of that is it's like well
01:07:46
Speaker
So it's an interactive movie. So this is like an action scene where this is like, ah you know, like we're giving you a full movie experience, a full movie experience. It's not just a ah it's not just an adventure with like puzzles and dialogue and like little video things it it has like these moments of like action where you have to like you know sneak around and avoid these like sentry droids and you have to like use an inventory item at exactly the right time you know like and there's a timer and stuff like that and
01:08:26
Speaker
you know ah i because that was kind of what access was after the whole time like that was what they were after with the original like you know with with mean streets and what they were after with uh amazon guardian of eden like they're always even so even links was trying to be like a photo realistic yeah golf sim mean it's digitizing photographs of actual golf courses and you know bringing in bird sounds and stuff that are playing over your pc speaker and you know they're they they were big on like let's push the envelope technologically and i mean this game is very much reflective of that and know you mentioned earlier you know it's it's
01:09:11
Speaker
it's an It's an easy game to to spend time with. I mean, the hint system in it, I think, is really beautifully realized, too. I think that under Achille Moon, the approach, basically, it has like your Invisi-Clue style hints built into the game.
01:09:27
Speaker
And in order to access it, you trade off points from your score. And generally speaking, you have more than enough points to get all the hints you want out of the game. It's not like a I'm going to not be able to to get a hint when I need it.
Player-Friendly Aspects of the Game
01:09:42
Speaker
And it makes it ah a very friendly game to get because I have a feeling I would have needed a walkthrough for this one. And it's kind of nice when the game is like, yeah, we know you probably need a walkthrough this point. So here's some progressive clues to get you to that.
01:09:56
Speaker
Yeah, and and I think that's also like kind of helpful for, like especially since this is you're searching in a 3D environment. And so, like yeah, it's like, oh, maybe you missed this thing.
01:10:07
Speaker
yeah Maybe yeah you didn't look at the shelf. um Yeah. And, you know, I talked about this ah like with Paradise Killer ah and you know and some other stuff.
01:10:19
Speaker
But like, I think that the, i you know, searching around and being a detective in a 3D space, like when I played it for the first time in this, I i thought that was just so like ingenious.
01:10:39
Speaker
and um And I know like, I know that like it has carried on in some of the frogware, Sherlock Holmes games, which, which I do need to to play.
01:10:52
Speaker
And I do think you'll enjoy those when you get around. Um, and like, as I said, like paradise killer does this and some other games do this too. Um, the, like, I, I do think there's a really, there's something really, ah it It scratches my brain in a fun way to just search in a 3D space.
01:11:19
Speaker
Yeah. Like, I think, like, in ah in a way where, and I know that, like, hidden object games are are beloved by by folks, too. So, like, but, you know, I have more fun doing a hunt and a search role-playing as a detective in a three d space than,
01:11:38
Speaker
And maybe like, I like it more in under a killing moon because there's such limited spaces like by like the technology. It can only be like a couple of rooms that you're looking at. Cause I can open world adventure or anything like that. well no. Paradise killer is an open world. And you're just wandering around. Uh, and like, I've been can't get enough of that game.
01:11:58
Speaker
Um, is I think there's something really special and fun to that. and i and and and i And I would love to see, i you know, somebody of like this generation of ah adventure game ah developers ah give it a ah crack, though i think that probably it would be a lot of effort for you know like there's there's a reason why you know everybody's not making the games that i want yeah give it to them because they suck because they don't believe in making good games when you were was it different when you were younger though because they want to make slop for idiots they don't want to make good stuff that's why that's why
01:12:51
Speaker
Yeah, I think the game developers are doing their best. No! And honestly, I just am glad they get to, like, share a little expression of their heart with us. No!
01:13:03
Speaker
Yeah, they're also real people. And, you know, you know they work pretty tough hours and no spend time away from families and... sometimes it's thankless like they get you know just i'm sorry ben you look like you to say something i think this new character could work for you we're going to get like twice as many downloads on this episode we're going to get like comments on spotify they're just like this guy this new guy you got on here finally some some energy i can get behind
01:13:38
Speaker
But yeah, I don't know. I really, i think there's a lot of, and and and maybe there there's even more games than the the Sherlock Holmes, and like in the the Paradise Killers of the world. There have to be, yeah. You know, it's like, Ben, you say that this doesn't exist. It's just that you don't know about them.
01:13:54
Speaker
It's just unlikely. There's... There's a like a thing I see online where like it's like there's a ah like a critic that I follow who will just like get like we'll just post.
01:14:08
Speaker
It's like whenever there's like a hot take on on an old movie where somebody writes it as if they're like the first person to come up with this because it's like you know it's the 2020s and we're so smart and in the past everyone was stupid. And he's just like... We were saying this in the nineties or saying this in the eighties saying this in the seventies. We're saying this is like, you know, like it's like people, people were aware of things. Like, it's like, we didn't invent being smart ah today.
01:14:38
Speaker
ah
01:14:41
Speaker
It's like, when you go back and like read computer gaming worlds review a police quest one back in the day and there there's some kind of problematic elements. Yeah. Yeah, but not their review of, like, Police Quest 3, where they're like, this is the greatest game ever made. They nailed it. They're like, this, this is an adventure game.
01:15:08
Speaker
Anyway, ah yeah, and I think, you know, it's it's interesting. Like, so it has... You know, the the interface going back to that, like, so the movement, which is now is like fixed and improved, like, it's like you move and then you, you like pause and then it gives you the interface to kind of like interact with stuff.
01:15:35
Speaker
And it's a little like overall, like the UI is kind of like weird and a little clunky. But the thing is, is that, you know, it's 1994. They were probably developing this 1993. Like, it's like, this is pretty impressive. And once you get in the swing of it, especially now that the biggest problem with it has been fixed.
01:15:58
Speaker
you know, just fucking play it. Like, I think, I think now, now that the, the, that WSAD, uh, uh, or ASD, uh, uh, controls have been added. It's no more excuses.
01:16:13
Speaker
No, you guys get out there and play. got to play this one, gang. We're tired of your excuses. I listen. I've heard all of your excuses. They're wrong.
Recommendation for Under a Killing Moon
01:16:20
Speaker
yeah We've let you guys slide on all of these excuses for far too long enough. Yeah. I mean, that's how you have ended up in this state.
01:16:30
Speaker
Yeah. That's how we ended up in the state. Yeah. Once you play under a killing moon, we'll fix all of your problems. That's true. No matter what your problems might be, this game's got the solution.
01:16:44
Speaker
But, uh, all right. Is there, is there anything else to say about it? I mean, it's a good game. where are you going to do? i like this game. Yeah. I'd love to know what it's about someday. ah but I mean, it's a Maltese Falcon pastiche. Yeah.
01:17:01
Speaker
Meets like some sort moon raker style. Some moon raker stuff because it takes, there's a part that takes place on the moon.
01:17:12
Speaker
Well, mean, isn't the moon being used for evil things in Moonraker? don't know. Well, now i need to know Moonraker is about. Ben Vamp while read about Moonraker. All right. So. Okay.
01:17:26
Speaker
Vamparter. you know ah but but You know, Moonraker. Uh-huh. Was that based on one of his novels or is that when they started to to go off? Yeah.
01:17:38
Speaker
Let's see. That's a great question. It's one that has astronaut Dr. Holly. that Is that Roger Moore? It is is that Roger Moore. Yeah. It's Roger Moore based on moonraker by Ian Fleming it's based on a book. It's based on a book. It's based on a book. Now. oh oh yeah. Here you go. ah ha my Ben, I am more correct than you thought. I didn't think I was wrong. And it turns out once again, I wasn't.
01:18:04
Speaker
Finally, Bond goes into outer space to prevent a plot to wipe out the world population and repopulate humanity with a master race. Which is essentially the plot of this game, I think. It is actually kind of the plot, isn't it? Yeah. Well, well, well. Are you Bond guy? mean, I've watched a Bond films. Are you someone that considers it, your job?
01:18:28
Speaker
Like, because I, like, I, like, people who are like, well, there's a new James Bond movie out, so I must see it. i can't I mean, yeah, I kind of, like, I'm not rushed to the theater, but I'll watch them when they hit streaming. Yeah, I mean, I like, I i don't know. who mean there Who's your bond?
01:18:48
Speaker
Like as a kid, what was on TBS all the time when I was growing up, which was like my point of reference, yeah were the Roger Moore films. um So like live and let die is kind of the bond I think of.
01:19:04
Speaker
Yeah, that that's the bond I think of. And which is funny because it's like, I mean, it's all about voodoo and things, which again is a great starting point for any adventure.
01:19:15
Speaker
I... have never particularly like bond is a thing I've tried to get into out of a sense of it's like, Oh, this is important. Yeah. You know, like, it's like, this is important. And then like, every time I've watched a James Bond, I've been like, mostly bored.
01:19:31
Speaker
The Sean Connery ones are so ridiculous to me that like, I can't watch them in a serious way. Like, and part of it is, and I use clips from this sometimes in my classes. Like, I don't know if I've ever seen a performer and film so bent on performing masculinity as Sean Connery is in some of those early James. And part of it is, you know, I think just he's so hairy ah that he can't help it ah But it's a, yeah, he's so over the top as Bond. I have trouble getting into what probably a lot of people would argue are some of your better Bond films. don't know if there are a lot of people out there saying Roger Moore is is the better Bond. i mean, we probably should settle this though here while we're on the podcast. Who's the better Bond?
01:20:19
Speaker
i I just said that I'm absolutely agnostic on James Bond. Well, there was that one unofficial film where Woody Allen, who you mentioned earlier, played James Bond. Would you go with him? The the original Casino Royale. The original Casino Royale, yeah. It could terrible, but it does have a great theme by Herb Alpert in the Tijuana Brass, memorably used in an an SNL sketch.
01:20:41
Speaker
wow so you're saying that's your favorite what do you know it has uh well i mean i think he's only in it for a little like a bit because it like several bonds that's the joke there's like multiple people that play does does peter sellers play multiple people who play multiple bots i don't even does peter sellers play bond it's been because he's norbit in it all over the place in those films you you ever see the mouse that roared No, we've talked about this before. We have.
01:21:09
Speaker
We have. yeah Maybe on the podcast. Terrible. You ever seen Dr. Strangelove? It's really good. Do you know who else is in that? I've seen it. James Earl Jones and Margot Robbie.
01:21:24
Speaker
Jess, you must be kidding. Yeah, kidder. ah Oh, we like to have fun here at Quest Quest, the adventure game podcast. Any last words on Under a Killing Moon?
01:21:35
Speaker
If you haven't played this one, go play it. Yeah, it's good. It's you'll enjoy. If you enjoy old adventure games, you're going to enjoy under a killing moon. It's super charming. Yeah. Moral, moral recordings. dot itch.io that will get you to get you to the WSAD ASD WSA. That's hard to remember. I've created a bit.ly. It's bit.ly forward slash capital J R 1 Q T U 7 8 2 1
01:22:08
Speaker
seven four four one s a t you seven eight two one Tex Murphy. Jess, you didn't, it's case sensitive and you didn't say when it was uppercase. So oh you have to go yeah every fourth letter. and And can you please say all those letters that you just said again, um exactly the same. And then just know when it's uppercase and lowercase. Okay. Yeah. I'm sorry. ah Lowercase B, lowercase I, lowercase T, lowercase period. Oh, so the L Y is also...
01:22:45
Speaker
Well, you didn't let me get to the end of it. Capital L, lowercase y, forward slash. Don't you hate women? Yeah, no, mean, just, yeah probably made Ben's way a word. Actually, hold on. Let me, it's, ah there I have a QR code.
01:22:59
Speaker
Okay, yeah, could you describe it? Yeah, yeah, I'll describe it. It's a white box okay with some black pixels in it. It kind of looks like if you if you you squint a little bit, when you turn your head, looks kind of like a ah fawn lost in a blizzard.
01:23:19
Speaker
Weird, because when I look at it, I see two butterflies kissing. Well, you should you should talk to a professional about that. and That means something. my My visual of it is it is the normal one. Did you know that with Rorschachs, there's a correct answer and a wrong answer?
01:23:40
Speaker
it only knows. That's actually what that's that's what you go, like, you know, when you're getting an advanced degree to become like a ah a therapist. Like, it's just essentially rote memorization of what the correct and incorrect answers to all the Rorschachs are.
01:23:57
Speaker
That's right. and And including the advanced ones, like the really hard ones. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. they don't tell you is the right answer is just penis over and over again. Really? Yeah. The supremely abstract ones where like, it's really hard to, to figure out what, what they are like. Yeah. That's, that's what you get to like, as you're getting near your dissertation and the dissertation is a Rorschach test. Yeah.
01:24:25
Speaker
delivered by a, uh, uh, delivered by a panel and they're all in, uh, Sigmund Freud cosplay. Yeah. And if you get one wrong, not only to be clear, uh, yeah. Oh And to be clear.
01:24:40
Speaker
shaved heads, not a bald wig or a bald cap. They, they, they shave their their heads for, for any time. Yeah. yeah You've had a ah professor of psychology or, you know, a a psychiatrist or anyone like that. Yeah. Yeah.
01:24:56
Speaker
yeah They've all had their heads shaved recently, probably if they've had like a PhD candidate coming through. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. They all have to do it. Um, it's, for yeah, it's just part of, yeah, it's like their academic regalia. Yeah.
01:25:10
Speaker
why do you think they wear the little caps? Yeah. And now, Jess, when you ah teach your ah classes, you do it with a mortar mortar board on and and your robe, right? Only if it's really cold in the classroom, I'll sometimes put on the robe.
01:25:23
Speaker
You know, Ben, I've ever told you this part of academic regalia, I wear a Battle of Yavin medal. You really? Yeah. I do. Yeah. And, uh, I've, uh, I've had several people, um, ask me what it is and I always just make up some award that I've won, but yeah, I wear on my neck with my whole regalia. I wear a battle of the Ivan metal just myself. anyone ever gotten it though?
01:25:47
Speaker
Not yet. Not yet. Um, it's, uh, it's a pretty distinctive looking metal. I mean, it's kind of like the way it looks with my robe and everything. So, uh, yeah. Um,
01:25:59
Speaker
Is it like bronze? Is it plastic? Like what is it? Oh, it's bronze. It's cast with a mass brown a brown ribbon. I see exactly this from Entertainment Earth. I'm looking at the middle of Yavin replica.
01:26:16
Speaker
um sold out for informational purposes. and Yeah, probably a lot of other professors bought it. um Yeah, I have a medal for like teaching or something, but it's boring. It looks like I just like won the 100 yard dash or something. um I want, I want, you know, the battle you have in there.
01:26:33
Speaker
um Or maybe everyone does recognize and I was like, that's sad.
Humorous Podcast Anecdotes and Listener Interaction
01:26:37
Speaker
does he need so much attention? I mean, that's a pretty good deep cut though. Like, I mean, yeah you know, it's not,
01:26:46
Speaker
i I have, I think, one friend that would be able to like eyeball and go, I know what that is. like Do a little secret smile at you. Be like, pretty good.
01:26:58
Speaker
Everybody else would just be like, so I don't think Harvard gives the gives that smile. I got this in divinity school ah where I studied the force.
01:27:12
Speaker
laughter laughter Well, this has been Quest Quest, the adventure game podcast. Thank you so much for listening. ah Send us an email if if you have any questions or if there's a game you wanted us to talk about or whatever. It's guaranteed and might end up in a ditch where I send all the emails, but some of them get run. And that's questquestpodcast at gmail.com.
01:27:39
Speaker
uh, and, uh, also rate and review always helps. It does. It does. It helps our self-esteem. Yeah. You know, especially if you like emphasize like, you know, whose content you're enjoying more.
Podcast Listenership Patterns and Sabotage
01:27:55
Speaker
Uh, I, I'm curious, you know, just, this is so, i like download numbers are, are often pegged to like, there, there, there, there's a lot of people that, that listen to, to most of our, like the, the majority of our listeners will listen to, to most of the podcast.
01:28:17
Speaker
But then there's like, I'll say like about 40 to 50 people that will just see the title and and listen or skip it. Which is me on a lot of podcasts. Yeah. and and And so my question for you is, do you think, ah so the the bottom here the The games that people are least interested in hearing us talk about them are bafflingly Star Trek 25th anniversary ah and baffling um
01:28:49
Speaker
ah ah Tales from the Borderlands, which I'll note have the same amount of downloads. Yeah. Yeah. And I will say Ben was sandbagging us on, uh, tells us borderline. He wasn't putting in a hundred percent. So I'm not surprised that listens were down on that one. But no, that, that would be, that would be on, uh, the previous podcast because no one, even like if they listened to it for like five seconds,
01:29:14
Speaker
You know, no, I put out like when I announced it on social media, i said, ba don't listen to this one. Don't listen to this one. So I did. Yeah. I mean your sandbagging caused me to like actively sabotage the episode. Okay.
01:29:26
Speaker
So, all right. So at the bottom we have tales of the, from the borderlands and again, bafflingly star Trek 25. That's a good episode. Hey Ben. Hey Ben. Hey Ben.
01:29:38
Speaker
Demon world. Yeah. and Remember Demon World? I'll always remember Demon World. um and then ah And then up towards the top, Quest for Glory 1.
01:29:53
Speaker
Obviously. Maybe the best game ever. Yeah. Like, Quest for Glory 1, King's Quest 3, which, yes, I know. i know. three well we'll get back to it, I promise.
01:30:07
Speaker
uh uh cooking up something code code name ice man for some reason ah like uh so my question for you is do you think uh uh where do you think this will land square in the middle of the upper half
01:30:34
Speaker
top 25 top 25 so you think so our i would say the our our top 25 uh wait man ben before you say these numbers multiply them by a certain factor so we don't sound so like small time sure i'm not going to say the numbers okay uh uh but they're you know they're not great um let's say 10 million listeners yeah for our average episode yeah 10 million listeners And, i like, so that would be, ah an average, like kind of nineties cannon game is, is the, the, the top. So it's like the, the, all the space quest episodes and phantasmagoria and maniac mansion.
01:31:19
Speaker
Um, uh, uh, those are all, and then, at the bottom, Star Trek, the 25th, a nineties cannon episode that for some reason, a game trackers, two trackies here talking about a beloved point and click adventure game. It's so weird.
01:31:43
Speaker
please just rerecord that one. so weird so weird i just do not understand and we said all kinds of funny things in that one like do you remember the funny things you said i don't remember any shit i say i'll never forget some of the things you said in that episode great i'm yeah you yeah i mean you were you were on on that one ben great but uh but yeah so i am curious Like more people are interested in listening to us discuss copy protection than listening to us discuss Star Trek 25.
01:32:17
Speaker
And it has copy protection. How does that make sense? It's got it all. All right. and and i want to be clear this isn't self-pitying i'm just mostly curious where like where does tex murphy fit on that in the in the canon um anyway you know what email us and leave comments about what sorts of topics you want to hear us talk about yeah if you want to hear do
Podcast Content Preparation and Space Quest 4 Teaser
01:32:40
Speaker
three more episodes about under a killing moon ben and i will try to figure out what the plot of it was and we'll talk about that next time And it's like, i where what am I going to do? Prepare for this? I rewatched some stuff. I read some notes.
01:32:51
Speaker
I played like 10 hours of Under a Killing Moon to prepare for this. i still don't know what the plot was. I called up Chris Jones and we had a five-hour conversation and he told me everything that happened behind the scenes. And I still don't, I didn't cover it.
01:33:05
Speaker
I called up Chris Roberts and he seemed a little like confused about why i was asking so many questions about Tex Murphy. But you know what? Still very helpful. Yeah?
01:33:18
Speaker
That's cool, I guess. Yeah. i Did you talk to him about Strike Commander? No, I didn't know. Did he work on games? ah Kind of. Did you play Privateer?
01:33:32
Speaker
i You know, no. I did play Freelancer. Ah. Good game. Yeah, Freelancer was pretty good. Did you play Freelancer? Yeah, I did play some Freelancer. Yeah.
01:33:43
Speaker
Yeah, it's pretty good. Yeah, that's not bad. You can control it with a mouse. That was my favorite part, honestly. Yeah? used track mouse. It had mouse controls. Ugh. Like, click and drag to for a space sim.
01:33:57
Speaker
Still no one's doing that shit. You didn't have your Thrustmaster? i Uh... I'll save that for offline. All right. We'll see you next week when we discuss Space Quest 4.
01:34:25
Speaker
So here's the thing about Space Quest 4, Jess. Uh-huh. Is that... All right. So the the plot of Space Quest 4, are they ever called the Time Rippers in the game? We discussed this, but let's let's get this now that you've been thinking about it in Space Quest 4. I don't think they are. I don't think they're directly referred to as the Time Rippers, per se. Do you think...
01:34:47
Speaker
Do you think that like Scott and Mark came up with that name or do you think that was like kind of a marketing, like they were just like, they, they kind of came up with it. That's a good question. You know, because you know, I'm not sure.
01:35:01
Speaker
i We happen to have a special guest, Scott Murphy right here. He's been sitting, sitting in the wings for this entire episode in case space quest for out he disconnected. Oh yeah. No, he's having a little, he's having, he's connected again.
01:35:16
Speaker
ah he's connected again I've seen him. Scott, Scott, Scott. So, yeah um, the time the, okay. First of all, love your work. Yeah. Love the space quest games. Big fan. Yeah. The, um, in space quest for, you know, it's subtitled Roger Wilco and the time rappers. Um, did, did you guys name Roger Wilco jr and his time traveling, uh, his time traveling? We never really see him for the bad guys.
01:35:39
Speaker
No, they're the sequel police. I think that it's Roger Wilcoe Jr.'s. Oh, so he was a Time Ripper? I'm sorry, Scott. I always thought that the Time Rippers were the bad guys, and that was another name for the sequel police.
Space Quest 4 Plot Discussion and Humorous Asides
01:35:53
Speaker
No, no, I think that the Time Ripper... I'm sorry. Scott, but hold on. Yeah, because my impression is that... The Time Rippers were what Roger Wilcoe Jr.'s called?
01:36:07
Speaker
I thought so. Hold on. All right. Let's look at the box here. Scott, just a second. We're going to mute you for just a second. Yeah. Let's look at the back of the box and see what the description. I'm going to go to the Space Quest Omnipedia because that's going to have all the best answers.
01:36:27
Speaker
Let's see. and We'll talk by more about this next week. Bear with us. Yeah, I'm sorry. Yeah. um Okay. So, all right. Let's see. Movie games, Space Quest IV. It's like, do you mean Space Quest IV? Yeah. All right.
01:36:46
Speaker
ah Yeah, of course. Yeah. I mean, I'd also be curious to talk about that, Scott, in just a moment. i Like this switch between Roman numerals and like Arabic numerals. All right. So here I'm going to read the description. Okay.
01:36:56
Speaker
Okay. ah but but but but bu but but but it doesn't say anything other than Time Rippers here all right Roger Wilco embarks on a topsy-turvy trip through space and time in this fourth chapter in the award-winning Space Quest series what awards ah Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers from a nostalgic look at his past in Space Quest 1 to a terrifying visit in the future of Space Quest 12 Roger's on the run again on it hot on his ion trail are the sequel police who he doesn't refer to as the Time Rippers um heavily cross time or deadly cross time assassins are out to put an end Roger your and all space quest nonsense once and for all once again it's up to Roger Wilco to save the past or save the future or is that the past of space quest series and keep the universe safe for fair play bad jokes and lots more space quest games let's keep a note there's only two space quest games after that so he actually failed
01:37:54
Speaker
Wow. and But so the time rippers. All right. ah Here's my thing. Just bear with us for just a second. Um,
01:38:05
Speaker
It says on the Space Quest Omnipedia, which, Ben, like a lot of these Wikia sites, you know, i can't necessarily vouch for the accuracy of this, but it describes the Time Rippers as a band of insurgents trying to overthrow Sludge Valhalla and his sequel police on Xenon in the Space Quest 12 time period.
01:38:23
Speaker
Roger Wilco's son was a member of this group. Professor Lloyd was also likely a member or at least associated with them. It says here they are men of few words. They're courageous fighters, not murderous.
01:38:35
Speaker
Rescue Roger from the sequel police at the beginning Space Quest IV. That's just a sentence fragment. Send Roger into the future. Space Quest XII, also a sentence fragment. Rebellious to Vohal's take. yeah They fight to the end to take back their planet from the infected supercomputer. Yeah, I mean, grammatically, it leaves a lot to be desired. And Scott, as someone who loves to construct like a beautiful sentence, I know that that probably drives you would say but we'll get to you in just one second. Jess, I just made a discovery. Yeah. Yeah. Which is, I'm looking at, I'm on Moby Games, I'm looking at this, and there's this
01:39:16
Speaker
um ah CD-ROM, like, or just one of the jewel case releases of the game on CD. And ah on the back, because it only has space for one screen screenshot, it's an EGA one. And clearly this is the CD-ROM, so it wouldn't be that. that's That's just, Scott, what do you think?
01:39:38
Speaker
Oh, shit, he disconnected again.