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Space Quest 1
99 Plays8 hours ago
Despite Ben's best efforts, Jess strong arms in a Space Quest game. Boo hiss. Or hooray, depending on who is reading this.
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
Give us a review, they help people find this show! Unless you hated it, in which case, don't.
Talk with us on Discord!
https://discord.gg/ve9fqjgPp2
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Transcript
Introduction and Humorous Banter
00:00:31
Speaker
Hello podcast. This is PS Garrick podcast. It's so nice to have you back where you belong.
00:00:43
Speaker
I said hello podcast. All right. I don't look. Oh, yeah. keep going Hey, baby. I heard you left our podcast, but we want you back, baby. This is the breakdown in the middle of the song. and This was not that was a smooth R&B song, right? Like Hello Dolly?
00:01:00
Speaker
No, I've never heard that song. What?
Exploring Music and Humor
00:01:03
Speaker
Hello Dolly. You mean like the Clone Sheep? It's a song sung by Satchmo by Louis Armstrong.
00:01:12
Speaker
Oh, Louis Armstrong. Yeah. Never heard of him. Hello. Hello. There's a whole airport named after him. Named Hello Dolly? Is that in Sevierville? Where is that?
00:01:25
Speaker
yeah Yeah. Yeah.
00:01:30
Speaker
ah
00:01:32
Speaker
yeah yeah you right now are you putting me on do you not know do yeah that hello dolly yeah yeah i do yeah yeah i was yeah that was a bit that was a bit for the podcast everybody knows hello dolly yeah yeah no that was that ah wally does doesn't wally love i think that's one of his things yeah yeah that's like his deal uh you know what i love though what Hello, Jerry.
00:01:58
Speaker
You remember from Seinfeld? That's pretty good. Yeah, that's pretty good. You remember Newman? You know what I Yeah. yeah Hello, baby. this is the Big Bopper speaking. Chantilly lace and a pretty face and a ponytail and something else and lots of things.
00:02:18
Speaker
Yeah. Wow. You have a a lot of Chantilly lace in the pocket. A lot that was made up. I was improv-ing a lot of that. but i think I think it's just like Chantilly lace and a pretty face and maybe a ponytail.
00:02:29
Speaker
i mean... The sad thing is the day the music died, I mean, it still affects all of us. So, you know, like my big bopper stuff isn't where you've been. This is amazing. And then this is, this is what people tune into quest quest, the adventure game podcast where I'm Jesse's been. Yeah. Um,
00:02:45
Speaker
The other day i was talking to my dad on the phone and just sort of apropos of nothing. ah hu He says, right. Earlier today, i was reading up on the day the music died.
00:02:58
Speaker
And he had something an old man would do. That's right. Cause I mean, for him, that's probably like, it's probably like, this it's probably like yesterday. That's right. That's exactly right. And he like wanted to talk about it. And I broke out a lot of quality big bopper humor that I think he thought was all just being like improvised on the spot and didn't realize I've been workshopping big bopper humor for two or three years now.
00:03:22
Speaker
Yeah. But it
Nostalgia and Food Adventures
00:03:24
Speaker
killed. It killed with that audience of one. I mean, not like that plane. but but Which killed an audience of four. Yeah.
00:03:34
Speaker
so
00:03:41
Speaker
Oh, no. Uh-oh. Dear Quest Quest, the adventure game podcast, I can't believe that you made light of the day the music died. It's me, Big Bopper the Fourth.
00:03:53
Speaker
I've got concerns about this. Wouldn't you be Little Bopper the Third?
00:04:07
Speaker
Or was each subsequent bopper bigger than the last? Maybe it was like, maybe it was his father was named Big Bop. He was Big Bopper and his son was Big Bopist.
00:04:21
Speaker
Big Bopperman. It's me, Bib Bopperman. Bib Bopperman. but that but that Yeah, that's ah that the George Lucas is was going to put that in ah like a Star Wars.
00:04:34
Speaker
It's me, Senator Bibbopperman.
00:04:39
Speaker
I have a lot about trade The Trade Federation and tariffs and and intergalactic commerce.
00:04:54
Speaker
It's me, bit Bopperman. Yay!
00:05:01
Speaker
So yeah, this is a podcast about adventure games. And Ben, how are you doing today? Doing pretty well. ah You know, I've got, I'm i'm i'm i'm and i'm torn between two worlds right Oh man, that's tough. Torn between two worlds. You want to know the two worlds I'm in?
00:05:18
Speaker
That I'm torn in between? More, are you, yes, please. the The satisfaction of having ate a ah great burrito and the exhaustion Of having ate a great burrito. And when I say a great burrito, I really ate two.
00:05:35
Speaker
two burritos are these like well these are burritos i made at home it's it's like i'm not having like a like two chipotles like yeah yeah those they were pretty sizable because i like i uh i made all the the burrito shit yesterday and then i i heated it all up in a bowl and when i made like the the first burrito i was like this is there's there's enough in this bowl for two so It was yeah yeah like the second burrito, especially if it's a little more shell than the first one, because I've run through a lot of my toppings like the second burrito or last taco has a certain appeal when it's now shell heavy.
00:06:14
Speaker
Well, this is so this was the crazy thing is, is that normally that is the case. Normally, that was the case. But with this second burrito, I miscalculated and there was way more in the bowl.
00:06:30
Speaker
And I was like, and I'm not going to put it back in the fridge. I'm going eat all. yeah I heat it up. And I want to be clear. There's like five days of burrito in this, in this burrito. I have to know what was in the burrito right now.
00:06:46
Speaker
Oh, okay. So this is a shredded chicken. Yes, yes. We we started ah with ah some ah garlic and cinnamon and cumin. Then ah we added ah some of the the the chili peppers in adobo.
00:07:06
Speaker
I was hoping that was in there. I was hoping this would be adobo chicken. Yes, thank you. uh uh the uh chili that some uh tomato uh sauce like there's a little there's little gua can those little those little goya cans of uh tomato sauce some of that um then we of course we we add the chicken little chicken broth huh and we instant pot that fucker we we we pressurize it then we shred that shit up we destroy that chicken Take that.
00:07:35
Speaker
And then we, we, we, that this is what the, the, the recipe called for. It called for a potato masher to the chicken. Just mash, mash, mash, like fucking shred that shit up.
00:07:46
Speaker
Yeah. Then back too good too long. yeah
00:07:53
Speaker
and yeah factory factory factory chickens uh tend to to have a really easy life oh look who has a factory job don't have to brag about it chickens um uh uh uh then ah so we have uh some uh refried uh pinto beans Which I didn't know, like, this had, like, the fun texture. It had the fun fun texture. it wasn't, like, that full shorp.
00:08:19
Speaker
You saw the beans in it, which is Okay. ah Some of the ranch, like, the ranchero ah cream or crema, like, ah the thinner sour cream. yeah.
00:08:31
Speaker
um cotia Some have that. Some rice, some avocado, and then ah some ah mango habanero salsa. soul so And then top it with classic Kraft macaroni and cheese. Yeah.
Gaming Nostalgia and Collecting
00:08:46
Speaker
yeah And then, and then that that's the, the burrito. And then yesterday, I didn't do this today, but I, but I will do it tomorrow because there's a lot of this shit left.
00:08:55
Speaker
Uh, I bought some extremely ripe plantains and I'm like a slow, uh, pan, you know, like a crisping up, uh,
00:09:08
Speaker
plantain discs and that's the the side uh some uh little plantain discs uh because and so what i do with those plantains is i i i take them they uh you know i cook them in an oil i get them like uh golden but often i i overcook them they're a little black that's fine uh and then uh i squeeze a lime and then this is where everybody's gonna sign off Okay. but Careful. just going sign off here.
00:09:42
Speaker
Add a little QP. Add a little of the Kewpie mayo. to yeah You have intrigued me. This would not be my first choice, but I'd like to know more. I add a little of the Kewpie mayo to the plantains with ah like the sauteed plantains. That makes sense.
00:10:03
Speaker
And it adds like a little bit like it plays up like the savory and then it gives it a nice little umami mouth feel. Can I tell you, Ben, when you started describing this burrito, the first thing I thought was,
00:10:19
Speaker
Gosh, I hope their plantains connect with this in some way. And that's like, I'm not going to say that out loud because surely Ben has not added plantains in any form inside or outside this burrito. and It just makes me happy to know that like I'm thinking plantains, you're thinking plantains somewhere. We're staring up at the same stars thinking about plantains, you know, it's just amazing. Like there's a, a rep a restaurant in Cincinnati that I love. It's a Colombian a rep a place.
00:10:48
Speaker
Oh, I'll fuck up some of those. Oh God. They have what they call their great a wrap up. And let me tell you it's the perfect a wrap a shell. They do like steak, chicken, chorizo, black beans, cheese, and they put fried sauteed plantains into the a wrap up with it.
00:11:04
Speaker
And it is like you take a bite and it is the most savory bite of heaven imaginable. It is such an amazing restaurant. Yeah, that sounds wonderful. I was actually... I go to Cincinnati, I have to eat there.
00:11:19
Speaker
you're You're giving me all the the hottest Cincinnati recommendations. It's not that hard for good restaurants. Are you looking at the Arepa place now? No, I'm i'm ah looking. You could tell because we have our cameras on. You could tell that like my my face is white. I'm looking at not... I can see a picture of Arepas reflecting your eyes. yes i'm I'm trying to find the name of... There's this place here and uh chicago which is which is not is what that that's uh venezuelan right think this place is a colombian arapa place well yeah i guess now that i'm with their website they say colombian and venezuelan we'll say yeah i would i because i think uh i think those are uh more canonically maybe yeah believe that they are venezuelan but i'm not i'm not a scholar of this they call it the colombian version of a grilled cheese on their website
00:12:13
Speaker
But there's this wonderful place here in Chicago called Arazu, which is Costa Rican. And they, way that they cook ripe plantain,
00:12:27
Speaker
<unk> a like a rape plantain is like there's there's no other place that i've had and i'm i'm sure there are like i'm just saying i've been to that have cooked a plantain so perfectly where it's a little like a little bit crispy on the outside then entirely nice and soft like banana and sweet on the on the inside but in a good way yeah like yeah and like so you have like that that mix of textures and they
00:13:01
Speaker
theyve They've had, and the last time I had it, it wasn't as good, but the the the first couple times their vegetarian ah burrito was plantain-forward.
Deep Dive into Space Quest
00:13:13
Speaker
Oh, that's right up my alley. yeah And so I would always get the vegetarian ah burrito because it was just like a burrito with all the burrito shit in it. And ah the the protein, which a plantain is not a protein, was...
00:13:27
Speaker
was a plantain and it had like that wonderful like kind of that wonderful texture that very mellow sweetness it was absolutely almost started like caramelized on the outside oh yeah yeah i mean oh yeah so i mean You and I are both the both Puerto Rico ah guys, right? I mean, love love Puerto Rico. And I have to say my favorite thing about going to Puerto Rico is just getting my hands on as many plantains at every meal as I possibly can.
00:13:59
Speaker
Just every form, tostones. ah just a straight up like you said sort of you know nice golden baked sort of sauteed caramelized any form I'll eat plantain I'll be happy mofongo oh my god it was excellent mofongo oh have you mash up those plantains put them with some lard Did I tell you about ah the Chicago Puerto Rican a specialty of Iberitos?
00:14:30
Speaker
I don't know if you did. So an Iberito, which I'm adding like a little accent at the end. i might be fucking that up. um So apologies. I studied French.
00:14:40
Speaker
Oh, man, we've got a bunch of emails about this already. i don't even know how they've heard it yet. But Iberito is a a steak sandwich. Where the bread is thinly sliced and pressed down and fried.
00:14:59
Speaker
plantain yeah. Amazing. Yeah. Hey, Ben. Hey, Ben. I'll have a steak sandwich and a steak sandwich.
00:15:09
Speaker
and have Have you ever seen Fletch? No. It has. It stars Chevy Chase. Yeah. ah I'm not familiar with his oeuvre. Oh, yeah not you haven't enjoyed the canon, as we call it? ah does us her you know Maybe one day... In film studies?
00:15:26
Speaker
Maybe one day i'll I'll dedicate my life to watching all of the Chevy Chase films and television programs. But not until that day. Yeah, I got to talk about ah adventures. I got to talk about what I've been playing.
00:15:42
Speaker
Well, let me ask you your a question, Ben. Yeah. have you been playing? Oh. I've been playing the game Ball Pit, Ball X Pit. You've seen this, right? Ball X Pit. Again, I feel like this is a, you're punking me. Where's Ashton Kutcher?
00:16:00
Speaker
Ashton Kutcher? Ashton Kutcher. I always thought it was Kutcher. Kutcher. Kutcher. Ashton Kutcher. Hot Kutcher.
00:16:12
Speaker
Couture.
00:16:14
Speaker
See, I said I studied French. Oh, yes. I'm now looking at the ball expert. this Yeah, this looks like something i would expect for what you've been playing. Yeah, this is like things are bouncing everywhere.
00:16:30
Speaker
It is
00:16:35
Speaker
like a survivors style game and auto shooter. Mm hmm. Cross with breakout. Oh, that's fun.
00:16:46
Speaker
Yeah, it's fun. Like it is. It's doing well. It's selling like extremely well. I like all the freaks that love this type of game are playing it.
00:17:00
Speaker
And so I've been playing it and I'm having a good time. Like I'm getting engaged with it, but I'm going to tell you right now, Jess, when I'm done with it, I feel i feel empty.
00:17:11
Speaker
Wow. Wow. You know what I feel like? I have the feeling of, you tell me if if you're familiar with this feeling or not. Maybe you're not.
00:17:23
Speaker
But you know, when I was college,
00:17:27
Speaker
the student union on like Friday nights, Saturday nights, they would have like a late night menu of like little snackies, right? Like that they, you know, and you know, it'd be like fries and chicken tenders, blah, blah, blah. Yeah. But what I would always order or I would often order is the mozzarella sticks.
00:17:52
Speaker
And it was usually like five, five or six, And like this was like my arc of the mozzarella sticks like the whole time. It would be fuck yeah.
00:18:05
Speaker
Mozzarella sticks. I love this. Oh, this mozzarella. Great. That's number two. Mozzarella stick number three. Okay. Mozzarella stick four. I don't know about ordering these mozzarella sticks. And then the final mozzarella stick, I was like, I shouldn't have ordered mozzarella sticks.
00:18:23
Speaker
You can leave that one uneaten most of the time. I mean, it is it is a function of, on the one hand, the mozzarella sticks are getting cold. That's making every bite worse than the previous bite. That's true. Which is never what you want from any food.
00:18:37
Speaker
But also, yeah, it's like you need a bite. like You need to share your mozzarella stick appetizer with someone else. like nobody needs five it's it's too many it's gonna just disappoint by the end yeah and and that's kind of how this is a metaphor yeah that's how i feel about ball pit which is like i'm playing it and i'm like i'm having a good time but i'm just kind of like i don't know like it it it doesn't fulfill me spiritually wow um
00:19:09
Speaker
Wow, I hate to hear that. That's always... i mean, I don't know how a game that is currently sitting at 4,700 reviews on Steam and overwhelmingly positive consensus could not spiritually fulfill you. What are you looking for, Ben?
00:19:23
Speaker
Like, literally just going to Steam and just says under the English reviews, perfect? You know, this is... You know, there's there's all this discussion over, like, you know, how how difficult it is to be games media right now, especially, like, in reviews and all that.
00:19:43
Speaker
And, uh... But I'll tell you, even at the height of the gaming crowd, other than Scorpia, there wasn't ever a critic that rated things on if it spiritually... told you.
00:19:58
Speaker
Uh... Shout out to Scorpio. I don't know.
00:20:06
Speaker
It's odd, like it's a game, like it has like that kind of addictive, you know, that kind of addictive, easy roguelike loop. Because you've never played like Vampire Survivors. no, no, no. You should try one of them just to see.
00:20:24
Speaker
Well, you know, I've never tried a roguelike until Hades really. And you know, I really dug it. So it's possible that some of these genres I've chosen to ignore could actually be good and and like maybe my preconceived notions that ran counter to millions of other people were simply wrong.
00:20:43
Speaker
right You should just try out Vampire Survivors because it's not like
00:20:51
Speaker
it is remarkably easy. Like, you know, it's not, yeah like, I don't even know vampire survivors as a rogue. Like, i don't know what you mean. Like, it's a survivor's life. It is a game that spawned a genre.
00:21:06
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, it's again, just ah a genre i haven't touched, like roguelikes. Let me ask you a question. i have ah I have an important question. yeah Are the survivors vampires or have they survived vampires?
00:21:21
Speaker
Uh, well, I think until they, uh, added the, uh, Castlevania DLC, I don't even think it had vampires in
00:21:31
Speaker
Man, you are selling me on this. If they don't sparkle at the sunlight, like Edward Pellan, I am not playing that game. What if it was werewolf survivors and they all had, like, just the most incredible bodies?
00:21:45
Speaker
Have ever told you about- shredded- Have ever told you about like how Taylor Lautner lives on in our in our home? He lives in your house?
00:21:56
Speaker
yeah It's been tough time since the- Is he like Roy in that episode of The Simpsons? No, like, we have a phrase here at the Morissette household, which is, anytime someone is walking around in jeans but has not put on their shirt yet, we call it werewolf-in-it.
00:22:16
Speaker
Because, like, in all of the promos for Twilight, you know, he was... Jacob was always depicted, you know, walking around in jeans and no shirt. You should...
00:22:28
Speaker
Let me mix it up for you if you want to add one. Yeah. You know, let me let me punch up. Let me go into the Morissette family writers room. Okay, please. yeah also you could also call it ah Smallville DVD season one.
00:22:42
Speaker
a yeah I don't know, feel like werewolfing it's a little catchy. No, I really think Smallville DVD in it, season one, really just rules right up the top. I think that requires a lot more explanation. No, I don't think so.
00:23:05
Speaker
Just werewolfing it, man. Oh.
00:23:14
Speaker
What have you been playing, Jess? Oh, gosh, Ben. I feel like I have to talk about because i can't imagine this is ever an episode. I'm not burning through future content. Are you going to talk about this? is I wanted you to talk about this. Is this the game you played last night?
00:23:26
Speaker
Yes. ister talk I really wanted you talk about this. Oh, gosh. i want talk about... a point and click adventure for the Game Boy Color, which is already a weird thing to exist. The fact that there are multiple point andc click adventures on the Game Boy Color is bizarre to me. But last night I streamed. least one of them good. least one, but the Scooby Doo one, quite charming. Really good stuff. Classic Creep Capers, I highly recommend it. But last night I played,
00:23:52
Speaker
the new Addams Family series, which was based on a Fox Kids Addams Family reboot, a live action reboot that ran from 1998 1999. I think it was one season.
00:24:06
Speaker
This game doesn't come out until 2001. 50%. oh But that's wild, right? Like, the game comes out two years after the series has ended. So already, that's a bad media tie-in, I feel like.
00:24:19
Speaker
But it's a point-and-click adventure where you mostly play as Pugsley, walking around the Addams Family Mansion. You know, the thing is, when you're walking around there, you start to realize this mansion, it's full of maniacs, Ben.
00:24:32
Speaker
Those Addamses, they just, I mean... They're kooky. Yeah. They're ooky. Yeah. You know how, like, when you look outside, Ben, and it's a rainy day? Like, what do you think?
00:24:44
Speaker
Oh, terrible. Hate it. Yeah, it's going spoil activities. It's going to a dreary vibe. Like, I can't go out and, like, go to the park. and you're you're You're stealing a Ben and Grayson bin.
00:24:57
Speaker
I just want to i want to be clear. Yeah. This this is this is a bit that Grayson and I can do for literally hours. and Ben, welcome to the mind of Mencia. I just stole your awesome joke. um That's right. No, but mean, it's the Addams Family. You all know what the Addams Family is. And boy, this game. Like, Ben, you watched me play a good chunk of it. Terrible.
00:25:23
Speaker
I watched you play, i pray like I came in like 20 minutes in. So yeah I saw, and
00:25:33
Speaker
well, first off, so there was a, I missed, so by missing the beginning, I missed, you you said, so this comes out two years after it had already been pulled from the air. Yes. you You also kept making mention that It was like a translation. Did this come out in the US? s Like what was the like, what's the story there?
00:25:52
Speaker
That's a great question. I can't find like when I go to my local game store to legally buy a purchased copy of this. um I can only find copies of it that are from the European region. um I'm not finding North American release and at the beginning you have a menu to select language that Has a British flag and instead of an American flag is your choice So I really assume this is a European exclusive and the only walkthrough I could find of it on the entire internet was written in Spanish Which I use Google translate to to translate for the stream and so where who where were the developers?
00:26:36
Speaker
That's a good question. actually didn't look that up. mean, that's the answer to the question. Yeah. Let's see. Adam's Family. I'm sorry. It's new Adam's Family series. The game is called Series as part of the title, which that's funny too. Like that you include the series in there.
00:26:50
Speaker
Is it developed by Seventh Sense? Yeah. Seventh Sense. which I've never heard of them. it was published Microids, which also, so I'm looking here, according to, to Wikipedia, it did come out. It says North America. It had a North American release, which, you know, in fairness, doesn't necessarily mean that it came out in the United States, but it probably like seven cents.
00:27:20
Speaker
I'm getting the sense Italian, Italian, Italian developer. Uh, It's a spaghetti adventure, Western-style horror game.
00:27:36
Speaker
From the official... was founded 2001.
00:27:44
Speaker
Let's see here. In Sicily. Yeah. I'm reading, like, this little bio... of them, that which is also very clearly translated, like, because it has very strange grammar.
00:27:58
Speaker
And honestly, board game geek of all places. But I don't get the feeling that the translation was the biggest issue here. Like, there were some poorly translated bits. No, the translation was fine. it's more just...
00:28:12
Speaker
This is a sort of your classic lazily designed adventure game that has a fair number of moon logic puzzles and like horrible arcade sequences like in an engine that's not built to handle it. We're really where it it just kind of like lost the plot because it could have been breezy without them. But the presence of the arcade sequences really just dragged it to ah to a top. I finished it. I mean, it was not good. i mean, I wanted it to be good. An Addams Family point and click adventure game is a great idea. I really think. Yeah.
00:28:51
Speaker
And there's lot you can do with that. And also, I think it's funny that you like you would choose to start nobody's favorite member of the Addams Family Pugsley.
00:29:02
Speaker
Now, was that true before the movie? Because like Pugsley, You know, I watched the first Addams Family movie, like, last year.
00:29:17
Speaker
like, Hugsley and Wednesday don't get a ton to do. Like, you can tell little kid, Christina Ricci, has it.
00:29:28
Speaker
She's going places. Right away. Like, they both...
00:29:34
Speaker
get don't like they don't get a ton yeah like you could tell right away like this little kid has has some sort of like she's really funny like and they give her the ball let her run with it in the sequel like that's when she gets yeah her shot yeah in adam's family values they're they're like oh you're really talented like here's a whole plot Yeah, but imagine that poor Pugsley kid, like whatever actor played Pugsley, nobody knows his name, it's not even an IMDB. um The kid that plays Pugsley, like you're in a cast with Raul Julia, Angelica Houston, Christopher Lloyd, and Christina Ricci as a young phenom. And it's like, you're supposed to somehow stand out in that cast. It's like that poor kid. I mean, not only was he underserved by the script, but you're have to like,
00:30:24
Speaker
act your butt off to get seen in that production. He, uh, yeah, he's a retired, like, he he was just a child actor. He retired. He...
00:30:35
Speaker
Um, you know, he probably, you think we can get him on the podcast to talk about this game? He's a teamster, according to Wikipedia. Oh, so we can afford him. Yeah, no, he's not going to work for free.
00:30:48
Speaker
He's going to, he's going to, uh, absolutely be like, all right, yeah, my my time is valuable. I'll take constant breaks. don't even really understand. This is all just jokes I've heard in adventure games that I'm just repeating now.
00:31:01
Speaker
Um, but anyway, uh, we also have an email. QuestQuestPodcast at gmail.com. It's from our friend Martin. And the subject line is Steely Dan.
00:31:17
Speaker
ah I'm going to grab a drink. How long do you think? that How long is this email? How many paragraphs? It's a couple of paragraphs. Go ahead. Hello. Greatly enjoying the podcast still. Keep up the great work. On the last episode, the subject of Steely Dan was brought up, and as another middle-aged white man myself, i have some opinions on this. I'd like to...
00:31:44
Speaker
Out me, you, and Grayson, I should be the one with opinions about Steely Dan. Yeah, i'm I'm sincerely quite surprised here. Yes. That this is just the thing that you missed.
00:31:56
Speaker
Grayson suggested... I'm too big into Fogcat.
00:32:03
Speaker
Grayson suggested you start your Steely Dan journey by listening to Asia. I get that. Asia is definitely one of, if not, the best album by them. But depending on where you're coming from, i can see how perhaps it's not the best starter album.
00:32:20
Speaker
It wasn't for me. You see, it's very smooth. It might be the group's smoothest, which is saying a lot, because being smooth Steely Dan's whole thing.
00:32:33
Speaker
When I started listening to Steely Dan, I was used to listening to music that's a lot less smooth. I love this email, by the way. This is amazing. This is the best email we've ever gotten. Like, i wasn't I wasn't here for it at first, and now I'm really locked in.
00:32:46
Speaker
And I found Asia a bit too much at first. So you're listening to Asia and thinking to yourself, boy, this might be a little too smooth for me as well. And my suggestion is to listen to Steely Dan's debut album, Can't Buy a Thrill.
00:33:00
Speaker
To me, this album's a lot more raw and rough around the edges while still offering the catchy yacht rock style Steely Dan is famous for. I think it's fair to say all of Steely Dan's work can be placed on a Can't Buy a Thrill to age a spectrum.
00:33:14
Speaker
If you look at it like this, then coming in from either end makes sense in a way. Cheers. That's an amazing email. I loved email. Yeah. I mean, it's a really good point. Sometimes with certain bands, yeah you don't want to introduce like somebody to their best work, right? There are better entry points. Sometimes the very best work, you want save something for someone to appreciate down the It's like when people come to me and I say like,
00:33:37
Speaker
Don't start your Limp Bizkit journey with chocolate starfish and the hot dog flavored water. You're going to like see some of their other work first and then like reward yourself down the road with that classic. So, yeah. So, so Jesse, I'm going to take now this, this email has spurred me to, to admit something that I did this week.
00:33:57
Speaker
Okay. You went to a Limp Bizkit concert. Yeah. Um, this week, uh, When I got paid, I ordered a vinyl player and nice speakers.
00:34:13
Speaker
Oh, Ben, I love this for you. And I was like, and I knew like when I hit purchase, I was like, this is potentially, this is potentially the beginning of something.
00:34:29
Speaker
It's also almost like you just hit like a $10,000 purchase button because that's going to like the lifetime investment in this purchase. Yeah, I mean, yeah you you made a huge commitment. It's like you chose to have a child.
00:34:41
Speaker
Yeah. This is...
00:34:45
Speaker
this is This is a thing now, there is absolutely the that this becomes like a kind of a dilettante style, like collection hobby where I'm like, I think I might be into this. And then like, you know, this vinyl player and the nice speakers just sit on sit on the shelf, you know, after having played like a record or two.
00:35:09
Speaker
But like, you know, there was a certain amount of gravity that I felt when I bought it because I was just like, this is, this is, you know, to your point, Jess, it's like I'm buying, spending more money.
00:35:24
Speaker
Yes. And you will also mark a period of your life before and after clicking that purchase, I feel like, because now you're a vinyl guy. I can see you right now in a record shop flipping through, just flipping through, bit oh oh, Miles Davis, and like grabbing that and taking it home. I mean, you know, talk about smooth.
00:35:42
Speaker
That's smooth. That's smooth, baby. That's brisk, baby. You remember those great commercials? You want to know what? I did listen to Asia this week before yeah I got this email. And you know what? I did think it was little too smooth.
00:35:55
Speaker
Just simply a little too smooth. Yeah. You know what? yeah i'm i'm i'm I'm going to go back, but, you know, maybe to the wreck like, you know, living living such as I do in the great city of Chicago, there's an embarrassment of a record stores.
00:36:13
Speaker
ah And like, it's also the second that I purchased this player. Um, like I, I let a couple, like two, two real vinyl heads friends of mine know.
00:36:29
Speaker
And, you know, I got just completely bombarded ah with, it's like, oh, well, because it's like in a, in a city like Chicago, there's a fair amount of record stores and also in like the surrounding suburbs as well.
00:36:47
Speaker
and And so it's just like, oh, well, you know, like there's this place and there's this place. You know, actually, like I actually got this incredible thing that this one place, you have to go here, you have to go here.
00:36:59
Speaker
So not only is it this, but it's also it's like it's now like that I have to like schlep all over the fucking place.
00:37:11
Speaker
Yeah. You know, like I'm gonna have to, like, because it's not just going to one record store. No, no, no, no, no. That's not what it's about at all. It's about going to like, you know, at least a half dozen.
00:37:27
Speaker
You know, when i was growing up, my parents collected depression era glassware and built a large collection of a very specific pattern and color. So they have like the full like eight piece setting of this and they did it in era before eBay and traveled like all around the place, like to, you know, destinations, you know, four or five hours away, sometimes to go to antique shops to look for this sort of stuff.
00:37:57
Speaker
And my dad, I once asked, he's like, why do you collect this glassware? Like, what what's so what's so appealing about it? And he said to me, son, sometimes a hobby is just an excuse to spend some money and spend some time and feel good about it.
00:38:16
Speaker
And I feel like vinyl is the perfect example of that sort of hobby. There's something to be said for just like, you know what I'm doing this Saturday? I'm hitting a couple of record stores.
00:38:27
Speaker
And that's going to be a good Saturday morning for me. Ben, you have taken your first step into a wide new universe. it's i think it was also part of it's like you know i moved into this this new home and throwing swinging parties constantly you know the the fishbowl's out the keys are in the the eyes have been like swinging like in the 60s so like in a frank no no i'm throwing swingers parties oh like upside down pineapples yeah yeah yeah
00:39:02
Speaker
And, um, but, but like there was, there was a little switch that flipped in me when it's like, all right, well, you know, now this is like a, a, a home and I'm gonna like, you know, live here for a long time, most likely.
00:39:19
Speaker
Um, and so it's like, I, I, there, there's a little part of me that was just like, okay, now you have to like, you find little, little things to, to do with,
00:39:31
Speaker
Little pieces of foil to line your nest with. Yeah, exactly. I got to magpie it up here. i mean, listen, you know you have and you've been like and, you know, and that's the thing with with collecting is that like once once you get one thing,
00:39:49
Speaker
then you have 20, you know? yeah it Like, i'm i'm i'm' I'm prompting you to talk about Jesus Christ, Jess. Jess, for the record, so I was prompting Jess to talk about his growing collection of, like, old computer games.
00:40:11
Speaker
Which, when did you buy the first one, Jess? Oh, gosh. I think I got, like... Christmas 2024, my wife got me a copy of King's Quest V for the NES.
00:40:23
Speaker
Yeah. And so that is... Less than two years. Less than one year. No, wait, this is 2023. 2023 is Christmas 2023. I can't know how years work. so But it is less than two years now. Yeah. And now, like, Jess craned his camera over to his shelf, and it's all... And and here's the thing. You're not, like...
00:40:44
Speaker
You know, you're not playing those. No, no, no. I just like to look at them. yeah i just I try not to buy any other physical media. Like, I don't buy books anymore. I do e-books for everything. i love having books. That's definitely a a collection thing. I have, like, so many at my office at work. I've just kind of like, tried to, like, reduce my physical media footprint.
00:41:06
Speaker
Oh, no. like yeah This is the opposite that. This is the opposite that. But then I've got, like... These dumb pieces of physical media I can't even use for anything, but man, I like looking at it. Like, I'm looking over there right now, and I'm looking at the Return to Zork box, and I'm thinking, I'd like to Return to Zork.
00:41:22
Speaker
Would you really? No, not really. i played like 10 minutes of that game. I just saw it used for like 10 bucks one day. i like, I can't pass up Return to Zork. I've definitely, i'm I'm going the opposite direction than you on physical media. I have a. I think that's the wiser choice. 4K UHD player.
00:41:44
Speaker
I like, I'm, I'm moving back to like getting like Blu-rays. can see all your laser discs in the background. I've got all my laser discs. Um, you know, this is the second time that laser discs have come up today.
00:41:59
Speaker
Yes. They're making a comeback. They're bigger now than ever. Anyway. You got your projection television, your laser discs. You're ready to go.
00:42:11
Speaker
Your 8-point wired speakers. So, you know, we've we've talked about ah ah music and food and collecting i for about 40 minutes or so.
00:42:23
Speaker
So why not get to the subject of ah today's podcast, which is we're going to talk about Microprose's adventure game, a Return of the Phantom. Speaking of return, ah like, you know, return to Zord.
00:42:36
Speaker
Do you think that they were referencing... Return to Zork when they made Return of the Phantom, because I believe that that came later. I'd have to double check. game What's up?
00:42:49
Speaker
And do we have to talk about that? Well, you see, it's actually really interesting because Return of the Phantom adds a brand new tale to the legendary tale of the Phantom of the Opera.
00:43:00
Speaker
He returned to see. I mean, ah first of all, it's not October anymore. This like we don't need it.
00:43:10
Speaker
Well, maybe it's October forever. I take that back. We've done bunch of spooky. I'm still spooked out from talking about Phantasmagoria last episode. I'm still spooked out from talking about Maniac Mansion.
00:43:23
Speaker
That's terrifying. I mean, can you imagine a mansion full of maniacs? How terrifying that would be? I can imagine one maniac. I can imagine two maniacs.
00:43:36
Speaker
But imagine if there was a third maniac. Okay, that's too much. Yeah, that's right. That's one. I mean, Ben, I respect what you're trying to do here.
00:43:47
Speaker
And I mean, I think I've been very clear throughout the history of this podcast that I respect you as a co-host. ahha But this topic is just horseshit.
00:43:59
Speaker
so I'm sorry. but I'm sorry. a phantom Yeah, no. i Ben, let me tell you what we're doing. I'm calling an audible. Get ready to change the title of this episode. Use a code quest quest five on audible.com.
00:44:16
Speaker
I recommend a Phantom of the Opera ah by ah Edgar Dumas. yeah sure mark was that who wrote it sure we're trying to be a little bit more organic with like our advertising i mean that's why i'm not mentioning right now that ben is wearing a blue apron uh he just is like that's not mean you use code adventure boys for three feet free meals uh but all of them have to be lunch
00:44:46
Speaker
it's ah ah It was written by ah Gaston Leroux. Totally wrong. No one writes like Gaston. I always do say that. All right, fine, Jess. What do you want? You know what, Ben?
00:44:57
Speaker
I'm sick of your of your or your petty grudge against the Space Quest series. And I am telling you, we are going to talk about Space Quest 1, the Sarian encounter this week. Is there was there any particular reason that you're really feeling Space Quest lately? Because it's such a good game.
00:45:19
Speaker
But...
00:45:21
Speaker
But also this month, Ben, is an auspicious month. ah The month of November 2025 is the 30th anniversary of Roger Wilco's Virtual Broom Closet, my Space Quest site that I launched way back in 1995. It launched in November, and now it's turned 30 years old. Jesus fucking Christ.
00:45:47
Speaker
yeah I mean, that makes me older than like Google, CNN.com, New York Times hadn't launched a website yet. I mean, you really, to put this in context, I mean, it's like really early web and has been up continuously since then. And you know what?
00:46:01
Speaker
Was frequently updated for 10 years and has just sat for 20 until by the time you're listening to this. I've updated the virtual broom closet to celebrate the 30th anniversary. it's It's really something else.
00:46:16
Speaker
ah the The reviews are pouring in, I'm sure. And people are like, Jess, what a what a gift you've given to the community. But I'm kind hyped about Space Quest. Ben, I think we should talk not just about Space Quest 1, but also Space Quest 2, also Space Quest 3.
00:46:37
Speaker
And then for the next five to six weeks, depending on if we give like fan games each their episode, I'm thinking sometime around January, we can move on to talk about a different Sierra game.
00:46:48
Speaker
Well, I'll never play space quest for that's a promise. Um, or talk about it. I have, point well, there you go. There you go. But Ben, there it is. Now, here's a question.
00:47:07
Speaker
Is this the only one that holds on to the original theme all the way through?
00:47:19
Speaker
Larry. Larry really holds onto that thing. Yeah. Does Quest for Glory hold onto its march all the way through? Yeah, but I'm, like, and from, like, like AGI. like be Like, Quest for Glory, like, at that point, you have, like, it's playing on AdLib. Like, you have, like, that...
00:47:40
Speaker
It's more like real to start with, so it's easier to keep using it. yeah Right. yeah But no, this one not this one, Larry, I would say. Because King's Quest, I mean, it had green sleeves. It had green sleeves, and they ended up with green sleeves after, what, two?
00:47:53
Speaker
Yeah, I think so. Three has that really great name. Yes. That's very like minor key and very moody. It's like very, it's a great thing.
00:48:04
Speaker
But this, this is composed by Mark Crowe. One the two guys from Andromeda. He's the artist on the games. And also wrote this theme didn't know that he composed this. He did. This is a Mark Crowe joint.
00:48:15
Speaker
Did he do other music for, for the other? I don't believe he did. think this, I don't know that he fancied himself a musician necessarily. Um, it's a complicated little tune.
00:48:26
Speaker
Yeah. It's got like for a three voice speaker. That's like got layers going on to it, right? That's the, that's the space quest theme. I love it. Who doesn't love it? It's space quest one, baby. So yeah, we're talking about space quest one, 1986. Yes.
00:48:41
Speaker
yes ah you know, the year I was born. Yeah. Um, I played this game the following year 1987. and nineteen eighty seven So yeah. And did you play it the year you were born, Ben?
00:48:57
Speaker
I did play it. You probably don't remember. No, I remember it clearly. We played it on our our PC junior. Okay. So, This is, you know, in in preparing ah for for this podcast, like I, you know, spoiler, did not prepare for a Return of the Phantom.
00:49:17
Speaker
ah But so he's like angrily like wadding up notes at the trash can right now. he's like He's trying to play it cool for the listener, but I know the truth.
00:49:28
Speaker
um But when I was preparing for it, I did have the the thought, and I've never really thought about this, but this is the first non-Kings quest.
00:49:40
Speaker
Like, there are other AGI games, there are other adventure games that Sierra made, but Space Quest is the first quest after Kings. like it It is. Or rather, it's the second quest.
00:49:50
Speaker
Yeah, you have like Black Cauldron thrown in there, I think, in be between the two. Donald Duck's math. Yeah, it's a stuff like that. but yeah, in terms of like, we are doing another quest game. Space Quest is going to be their first attempt to like directly build on this quest franchise. It's like the beginning of using that as branding for for the entire adventure line. Here comes with Space Quest.
00:50:13
Speaker
Originally titled Star Quest ah during the development. Yeah, worst name. Yeah. But, ah but then, you know, but if they kept it as StarQuest, they probably would have been able to, to keep StarQuest on the box in big text, as opposed to ah what the Cincinnati Children's Museum, what's the Indianapolis Children's Museum children's museum that like, it's like, Hey, we trademarked Space Quest.
00:50:41
Speaker
You, you could use it, but you have to put another name on the box bigger. Yeah, it's like we have a plywood space capsule that kids go in on field trips and push ah fake buttons on.
00:50:53
Speaker
And we called that exhibit Space Quest and we trademarked it, you idiots. It's kind shocking that they didn't trademark that sooner unless like indiana like unless the the Children's Museum already had it like in 1986.
00:51:06
Speaker
um Yeah. So I'm going to set up this this series because we are going to talk about Space Quest for this month. for this month That's big commitment, Ben.
00:51:17
Speaker
Yeah. We're going to talk about ah Space Quest for for this month. I'm going to position myself ah pretty pretty early here, um which is that Space Quest never, like of of the quests or like adventure series, so like expanding outside of Sierra, was never quite my it not even quite it was never my series here and
00:51:49
Speaker
i like uh i i it it i think what kind of kind of bounced me on it like other than like the first one i played was five which also terrified me because oh it's got the cucoid yeah that's right yeah um uh but um none of the, like, as a kid, when I heard comedy, like this is a ah comedy game, yeah I would think something that was a lot more like just straightforwardly like punchline and goofy and silly and like joke, joke, joke.
00:52:41
Speaker
And so that would be Monkey Island two one because 1 is actually pretty dry, too. Yeah. um And I don't know Space Quest ever becomes that until Space Quest 6, maybe?
00:52:55
Speaker
Space Quest 6 is... It's a joke....straightforwardly the jokiest, and that's yeah because it's written primarily by, like, a former stand-up. Yeah. You know, Josh.
00:53:06
Speaker
um Yeah. Like... So, you know, I hear there's this like kind of sci-fi comedy adventure game and I'm like, okay, cool. That sounds like a lot of like, that will be silly and and funny.
00:53:23
Speaker
And like, it has never like, um you know, i it always kind of bounced off of me because the the the humor of it uh like didn't quite click uh for me and have you played space quest 2 we'll we'll get there next week okay okay because i can't wait ah i can't wait what what i realized i when i was preparing for this uh uh today because i was thinking and i i was like in space quest 1 i don't even i like there there's a couple like little sequences where i'm like hey that's kind of funny um
00:54:09
Speaker
But one thing that I realized, like, so Space Quest 1, it begins, this tune is playing. And you have a bunch of text. It hits you with a whole bunch of exposition.
00:54:22
Speaker
And it's just a bunch of, like, sci-fi nonsense. Like, it's just like, there's this planet, and the star is dying, and blah, blah, blah. And there's absolutely, all of this is played completely straight.
00:54:33
Speaker
Um, like it's, it's, it's just straight. Like, it's like, there's this thing and there's this thing and it's just like, okay, okay, okay. And I, it's like playing this today. I'm just thinking myself, like, all right, like, so no jokes. Like my, my opinion is, is not, and it's a very kind of like traditional kind of boring sci-fi setup. It's like, they have to find another star.
00:54:58
Speaker
Yeah. Like a thing to, to save their star or whatever. And then, and then it goes, and there was a ship that was sent there to to solve this problem. ah You're the janitor and you're not good at it.
00:55:10
Speaker
And then I was like, okay, I get the joke. Like it it takes, it's a much more wry game, like where it's it's just more like the the the joke is at least the way that i I, you know, like it it clicked for me.
00:55:29
Speaker
was it's like the joke is that you shouldn't be in this situation and that's it right like is that it right yeah i mean you're just like an unlikely hero yeah you're a like at some level the beneficiary and the victim of fate right you've just kind of been you know just found yourself through sheer happenstance surviving this attack by the sarians and now you're kind of somewhat committed to saving the day like you're sort bumbling forward doing that you know and i think that's interesting you know comedy especially in space quest one i feel like as you said it's not necessarily a joke forward kind of game i mean there's certainly some sarcastic descriptions and bits of dialogue and stuff like that but it's not like it's not beating you over the head with direct references to other popular sci-fi i mean some of it's there i mean you're crash landing on a desert planet and doing desert planet-y sort stuff but
00:56:22
Speaker
it's not a star trek spoof it's got elements of star wars going on but it's not a direct uh not direct rep on star wars like just a very light touch of that which is interesting for yeah for for nerds of that era that they it is if there isn't like a princess leia exactly you know in fact there won't be a woman in this series for several episodes really uh
00:56:49
Speaker
Yeah, ah this one does not pass the Bechdel test at any point in its history. How did, so 1987. Yes. So your your first game is King's Quest 2.
00:57:01
Speaker
Yes, second Sierra game is going to be Space Quest 1 on my 10th birthday. Okay, so it's your 10th birthday. Yeah. And to set this up, I have no idea Space Quest even exists.
00:57:13
Speaker
I don't know. i don't even know there's a company called Sierra. I just think that's the word that you type into a computer to make it play a game, basically, at this point. So I have, like, this arrives in a box on my...
00:57:26
Speaker
10th birthday. and it's a very handsome box. Oh, it's a beautiful box. I had the all black version, like the grid, rather than like the this ship and the paper craft looking and one. the The Space Quest one, which again, is not screaming comedy.
00:57:41
Speaker
like No. it It is screaming space adventure. but Exactly. And I think that for me, that's what I took this game to be. Like, I got the idea that like, you know, we're a janitor in this game.
00:57:56
Speaker
But i think I took that as a kid, not knowing this was supposed to be a comedy, really just knowing this is the new game I'm playing. I think I took that more as like a story of like the unlikeliest hero kind of proceeded toward the game from there. Like for me, space quest one, I think when I played it originally, it's like, this is a fairly serious space adventure with some funny bits thrown in. Cause I don't think I knew it was supposed to be selling me as a comedy and I was a 10 year old. So, you know, i was not exactly a astute scholar of media.
00:58:32
Speaker
yeah ah Like, I mean, I think the other place where the comedy comes from, and this is, it kind of underlines that you're the unlikely hero, is, like, this is the best thing in in the the Space Quest games, correct? Like, the depths.
00:58:47
Speaker
Like, that's it. Yeah. like that's really And that's, like, you know, it's like Lemmings. Like, you know, it's, it's the the the joy in it is...
00:59:00
Speaker
like, you know, seeing like the various ways that Roger gets like completely destroyed or like, you know, vaporized or sliced in half by a laser or asphyxiated or like hilariously sent to Daventry or, yeah you know.
00:59:18
Speaker
and and I mean, is it fair to say if this series has like a legacy in the broader adventure genre, maybe that's it. Like turning death into rather than like a punishment for the player.
00:59:30
Speaker
like so But even then, like some of the Infocom games had fun with the idea of being eaten by a Gru and tried to, you know, it's like, it's a game over, but they tried to add a touch of levity to some of that. So maybe even there, i mean, yeah, but I think it is one of the defining traits. I mean, it's why that's one of the big things that's going to set it apart from certainly King's Quest, where death was random, but seldom particularly entertaining. It could be a little bit more frustrating. The idea with a good Space Quest death is hopefully, even though you may have to restart, restore,
01:00:00
Speaker
at least once more that maybe you got a little chuckle out of it, if nothing else. Yeah. Like, so that was, that was a big question I had for you, which was when like, yeah. So you, you played as a 10 year old, I was sincerely like curious, like did, you know, were you playing it and just like, you know, cracking up constantly, you know,
01:00:29
Speaker
I think I've talked about this before on my streams. I don't know if I've ever talked about on the podcast, but for that 10th birthday, I had several of my friends, uh, over, uh, for a little party.
01:00:42
Speaker
Um, and at least one of them has written a letter into the, to the podcast before. yeah Andy, if if you're listening, shout out to Andy, but a couple other friends too were with me. And, um,
01:00:54
Speaker
I was one of those kids, like I had, I constantly had tape recorders around, yeah cassette recorders. yeah And I like to record just random stuff. Like I would record myself just like doing a little one man plays into it. I would record music off the radio. i would just record my parents' conversations for no reason.
01:01:14
Speaker
Just the thought of recording something. And before we played Space Quest 1 for the first time, I popped in a cassette and just started recording it. And what I wouldn't give to find that cassette today. There's a decent chance it's somewhere in my parents' attic.
01:01:27
Speaker
But what a weird little treasure that would be. But, you know, I listened to it a few years after that. Like probably in the mid-90s was the last time I saw this cassette.
01:01:39
Speaker
And we were having a good time. like solving these puzzles together, sort of a collaborative. We're all huddled around the monitor. Try this, try that. And certainly some of the best tape.
01:01:51
Speaker
Yeah, know this would be the best tape. I mean, like literally this is internet gold, right? This is like, what is my origin story? I think what, so, all right. So I'm, I'm, I'm, you know, with, ah with like, you know, if, if you'd be okay with it, I'm putting, ah like a flag in,
01:02:11
Speaker
this might be a fun thing to do, like a commentary, like play at least maybe not all of it. Like, because that would probably be kind of boring, but like, you know, you would pick like a couple of clips and then maybe we have like a little bit of an episode. I would love to have that. I would love to get hold of that. we We play and then like, you know, I hit pause Like, and you're just like, all right. So yeah, that's, ah that's what you're going to shocked by is when 10 year old me sounds exactly like this.
01:02:41
Speaker
And you're just like, this is so bizarre. It's incredible baritone for a little boy. Yeah. Um, but i mean, yeah, I mean, it was, were having fun cause we were a bunch of 10 year olds sitting around playing a game that occasionally has like a fart joke or something in it.
01:02:57
Speaker
But for the most part, you know, it was, uh, you know, I don't think we knew this was meant to be a flat out comedy. So it's kind of like, we're taking this seriously. got to get off the ship before it blows up and I've got to get out of the desert before I dive thirst or something eats me. And yeah, in that sense, it was, yeah, I think that in some ways this is part of what makes Space Quest 1 pretty interesting. I think by the time you get Space Quest 2, Scott Murphy is the as the primary writer here is really leaning into
01:03:32
Speaker
More of that, how much like sarcasm and how many $10 words for comedic effect can I fit into some of these descriptions? So it's becoming a little jokier by that point.
01:03:45
Speaker
Space Quest 3, 4, and 5, think is only going to continue to ramp up the amount comedy until 6, like you said, is just a straight up, this game exists to serve you jokes when you click on things. Yeah, like I would...
01:03:58
Speaker
Like probably the, would, would you say that like the most, so, so, so walk, walk through because Space Quest 1 is, very episodic.
01:04:12
Speaker
Yeah, it's definitely, it's got a nice little three act structure. if Like it is like, so walk us like what are each of the the segments? Because we could easily, because it's a very short game. You could finish it pretty quickly.
01:04:27
Speaker
You could probably be playing it as we finish recording this podcast. we You actually probably could finish the game. And I'm talking like, I'm sure like the speed run time for it is like six minutes or some shit. That's right. Yeah. I mean, I wouldn't be speed running, but I would be fast running.
01:04:41
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I'd be speed walking. I'd be like in the mall, just like speed walking. Yeah, yeah. But yeah, I mean, Roger wakes up on the Arcata. It's been taken over by the Sarians.
01:04:54
Speaker
They've stolen the star generator, devassed with the power to create or destroy, kind like the Genesis devassed from Wrath of Khan. ah He escapes in a pod. He crashes on the planet of Corona.
01:05:06
Speaker
He eventually makes his way to the settlement of Eulens Flats, where he acquires a droid and a ship. He takes off to intercept the Sarians aboard the Deltar. He infiltrates their ship and eventually finds the Star Generator, ah sets it self-destruct, and escapes to be awarded the Golden Mop for all of his heroic efforts.
01:05:28
Speaker
So, yeah. So it's like, okay, so you have the Arcata section. Corona. Yeah. ch And then you have the first chunk on the planet.
01:05:40
Speaker
Yeah, that's going to be your like killing the Orat, getting the skimmer so you can reach the settlement. And then you have Ulan's Flats, which you had explain to me.
01:05:52
Speaker
which you had to explain to me I've explained this to so many people and honestly, Ben, this is something that I only got in like the last like seven or eight years. This is, I spent years writing about space quest on a website and it never clicked for me that this was a flatulence joke. And I know that there are listeners right now that are just like, today I learned.
01:06:12
Speaker
Yeah. It's like, yeah. You want flats, flatulence. It's such a brilliant name. It's a really good name. It just sounds like a sci-fi place in the desert. I mean, it's beautiful. it is a brilliant little piece of writing that went over my head for decades.
01:06:29
Speaker
But um yeah. And then you get a ship. And from there, the last section of the game is the Delta. So it's got three acts. But I think that middle part, you could kind of break down. Yeah. Into the, you know acquiring the skimmer.
01:06:40
Speaker
And then what happens in Ulan's Flats once you get there. And the, um, I would say Eulens flats is probably like the most like joke heavy part of the game.
01:06:53
Speaker
Right. I think so. You know, you get bits there. Like you go to the used ship dealer and if you buy the wrong ships, they all have comedic ways that they don't work out for you.
01:07:05
Speaker
Uh, so there are lots of gags there. Yeah, there's like the most, cat like there's the the the like kind of slimy guy that tried like that you have to kind of get the best value for your skimmer. It becomes like ah a stereotypical 70s pimp and the in the VGA remake for some reason. I'm saving discussion of the VGA version for the end because I okay i i do want to talk about that.
01:07:32
Speaker
um uh uh and then like and then you have ah in the bar ah that like the alien blues brothers and they're actually blue isn't that funny um and uh what is it uh zz top yeah but apparently they got a little bit sued for that one they got a little sued a tiny sue yeah I mean, I do think, I think they probably got a cease and desist. I think that a lot of these lawsuits that like appear in wikis sometimes maybe weren't actual lawsuits so much as like, please take our band out of your game. And they're like, okay.
01:08:10
Speaker
And the, I mean the, the, and then there's like a robot, like you have to buy a robot there and it's like, it's like a Toys R Us joke, right? Yeah. Droids be us, I believe is. Yeah. that They also got a C and Dion. Correct. Yeah. That's right. That's right. Droids are us.
01:08:29
Speaker
Yeah. They renamed to droids be us. I see. Which is actually, i think a better gag.
01:08:38
Speaker
Yeah. I think droids be, be us is, is like more straightforwardly a joke. That's right. yeah Otherwise it's just like, we're doing the same thing that they did. Uh, it's like we switched one of the words, which isn't exactly a joke structure.
01:08:52
Speaker
Yeah. Whereas droids BS that kills baby. Just like the big boppers. you know I was also, so I was also kind of thinking about this within like, So this is like the the second quest game, which the previous game to come out, like the game that came right before this was King's Quest 3. So you have three King's Quest before you this. You have the Black Cauldron, Donald Duck's Play, and Donald Duck's Playground, just in terms of AGI games.
01:09:21
Speaker
Yeah. um And like, you know, I've been trying to put myself also in the in the mind of Like, it's it's completely different than all of those games.
01:09:38
Speaker
um All of those games i feature you, like, kind of wandering around like a fantasy wilderness. All of them. Yes. lot of green.
01:09:50
Speaker
Lots of green, green forests. Like, Black Cauldron has some really beautiful art, I believe, by Mark Pro. Mm-hmm. But like it is very similar to like those those other other ones there.
01:10:06
Speaker
um And Space Quest like is very like the that that first game is extremely different.
01:10:18
Speaker
than uh all like the the king's quest games the those the first two king's quests and to an extent king's quest 3 as well essentially just give you like this big open like world to explore and wander around whereas space quest more of these like tight little as i said like little episodes and And working on timers to like when you say tight. I mean, yeah, you're like you have arcada a constant through the series.
01:10:50
Speaker
Like yeah. It really is. Yeah. I mean, it's it I mean, I think what does three have a timer per se running on it? and Not as i'm I'm not necessarily saying like timer in as much as, but just like that. is like minute Yeah. Like, you know, like in like space quest three, you'll, you'll be chased by Arnoid. Like, yeah, that's right. You're constantly under like a time-based pressure, which doesn't exist in, um,
01:11:20
Speaker
Like, I guess there's kind of a timer in King's Quest 3, but it's mostly there to irritate you. Yeah. and I mean, that is a constant. and I mean, you also see that, too, with the fact that Space Quest 1 begins a trend for this series, which is incorporating arcade sequences, too.
01:11:35
Speaker
Yeah. Which was new for CRM. And guess what? Black Cauldron had the dodge some rocks being thrown down at you yeah segment. So you later brought back to Conquest of Longbow.
01:11:48
Speaker
That's right. And you know what? It was just as good then. um Because now it's from a worse angle. Yeah. ah But yeah, you know, the skimmer sequence adds this arcade element that was somewhat new for for adventure games. In fact, so much so that in her review of it,
01:12:05
Speaker
for computer gaming world, Scorpia, was very critical of this and and actually had a little sidebar. She did not find it spiritually fulfilling. That's right. She has a sidebar in this review that's like, do arcade sequences have a place in adventure games? And her answer is no, no. that's that's she She was the ultimate adventure game grognard. ah she is She is not going to stand for that. The skimmer sequence is funny because it's ah an arcade ah sequence. Like, so, you know, there's this little flying thing. You have to avoid rocks.
01:12:42
Speaker
I was better at it as a kid and now I'm considerably worse at it. Like I'm terrible at the skimmer sequence now, which is pretty interesting. And let's tell ourselves that has to do with like DOS box cycles. It's VM.
01:12:59
Speaker
Yeah. Cause like I was really good at it as a kid too. Like I would actually, I mean, this is what kind of nerd I was. I had a saved game like right before the skimmer sequence. And sometimes I would just load up space. Oh, I had fun with the skimmer sequence as a kid too. Yeah. Yeah.
01:13:12
Speaker
But now it's just like, oh, skimmer sequence, man. ah But yeah, I used to be good at it. And I can only assume I've got I've played so many more video games. I must be better. Yeah.
01:13:22
Speaker
So clearly it's an emulation bug. Must be. Now I need to drop my cycles. Every time I have a product dust box, someone's like, if you try dropping your cycles. So it's like probably you drop your fucking cycles. Leave me alone.
01:13:36
Speaker
You're off your high horse. Yeah. Who are you tell me about my cycles? Are you my my spin instructor? um Now, do you have anything else to say about nineteen Space Quest 1986 before we talk a little bit about Space Quest, the remake 1991, question mark, I believe? Yeah, I think something that just like follow up where we were at. I do feel like the structure of of Space Quest ninety another...
01:14:09
Speaker
narrative leap forward for CR. I mean, we talked about before how King's Quest 3 is this huge yeah advancement in terms of storytelling versus King's Quest 1 and 2, which have very little interest in storytelling. They have set up, I don't know if they have story after that, really, per se.
01:14:24
Speaker
Whereas King's Quest 3 adds quite a bit more narrative. And here with Space Quest, you're kind seeing something closer to a three act structure. You're seeing something closer to a hero with a thousand faces. Like you're really doing ah game with a clear but beginning, middle and end rising action, all that sort of good stuff that you expect from like ah you know, a good plot. as so yeah I was also getting to this a little bit, like in that it's very different. It has, um,
01:14:57
Speaker
Like, you know, some of the, like the the art in it, like Mark Crowe who did like co-designed it and did the art. Like he was a very, like he was very talented, especially like an AGI person.
01:15:12
Speaker
And, um, like the, uh, a lot of it looks very different. Um, and in cool ways, like in kind of like the, the sequence where you see like that massive head that talks to you. Like when you get to the end of the game, rah ra ra that's the sounding mix.
01:15:34
Speaker
And would you want more time with that? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. but that re black and that that Um, the, like that looks really cool.
01:15:44
Speaker
Like it does. there's and then that triangular door opens up in the completely dark room. And like that for HGI, that's pretty cinematic, right? A giant head and like a sci-fi door. Yeah.
01:15:58
Speaker
So yeah, like, I mean, it it looks, it's not at all like the games that came before it or really the games that like the, you know, it's not like leisure suit Larry, which also has a plot. and like a little bit more like texture to the world ah that it's in or like ah police quest one, which has like straightforwardly a plot, you know, like, Oh yeah. um You know, by, by the master storyteller himself, James Walls.
01:16:28
Speaker
of Jimothy, Sir Jimothy Walls. um I mean, i feel like this applies to all of the 16 color space quest games. Like, Mark Crowe's use of blues and purples to create these sort of evocative booty scenes. And it's something he does beautifully in Black Cauldron as well. ah Just like his his use of purples and magentas and just that limited EGA palette in unexpected ways.
01:16:55
Speaker
I mean, it is it gives these games such a unique look and adds, I feel like, a richness that is missing from some of Sierra's other 16 color entries. I mean, it really reaches its peak by Space Quest 3, but we're not talking about Space Quest 3 today.
01:17:13
Speaker
ah So Space Quest one was remade 1991 point and click ah interface. Apparently ah very little to none.
01:17:26
Speaker
ah no i input by the the two guys ah who designed it. And if this is to be believed, like very little knowledge, it was even being developed.
01:17:38
Speaker
Oh, really? That's why. That's what, that's what they've claimed, which I don't know. I mean, Sierra was still a relatively small company there in Oakhurst. Like, i don't know how people could be working on remakes of several early Sierra games down the hall from you. And you like, wouldn't choke your head and say, you do anything a space quest down here.
01:17:56
Speaker
i mean, I, I would, I would guess that. uh they were just so head down on should be yeah like you know space quest uh four yeah and like the other stuff because you know they worked on other like programmed and did oh yeah the other game they would pull them over to whatever project needed help at any given time that's where the sierra model it's like If you're a programmer, you know, even if you are a designer of a series like Scott Murphy and we need programmers over on Police Quest, we're dragging you in. If you're Mark, we're going to need art somewhere, you know, you're going to take a break from what you're doing and come help get this project product out the door.
01:18:36
Speaker
That was definitely the model at the time. So, yeah, and I mean, I do think that lot of these Sierra developers were in kind of perma crunch mode ah for a lot of this early era. right I mean, yeah that's right.
01:18:47
Speaker
Look, I mean, look at the results. We're still talking about these games today. But ah ah so the remake. So this is what I played first. I did not play. I did not. by I played Space Quest 1 VGA first.
01:19:04
Speaker
And, you know, like, i so so one of the things that they did was like they like they they did the art and they You know, and it says this, and this is how it was described, if I recall correctly, on the box itself. This is how it's described on the Wikipedia article.
01:19:24
Speaker
Quote, a 1950s retro-futuristic B-movie style. Eh, it doesn't really give me that. You don't think? I don't think the art's that, like, eight I think it could do that.
01:19:39
Speaker
if If it wanted to be B-movie, yeah. I think it needed to to turn it up. Like it feels a little subdued. it, like, like You say that to me and I'm like, I guess I see it.
01:19:52
Speaker
Right. Yeah. But like, I feel that they could have done a much, honestly, it's just that they could have done a much better job. If that was, that's the probably the, yeah I mean, you get the nods toward a kitschy style of science fiction, you know, like kitsch to it, but it's not consistent. Like you see like the title sings, like the rendering of the logo and all that sort of stuff during the intro.
01:20:16
Speaker
is very trying to capture that retro futuristic vibe but then a lot of the character designs are kind of all over the place you know it's literally like 50 space diner is what the titles uh are going for i feel like what the the title i don't remember what the how the title looked so No, it's pretty good.
01:20:36
Speaker
I always go to like Sierra wallpaper.com for this sort of question. ah Oh yeah, no, it does. Yeah. It looks like a diner. That's right. Yeah. So it's, i mean, that part of it, I feel like it's doing a lot of the heavy lifting for how people describe this. I think,
01:20:52
Speaker
Day glow might be a ah word that they could be applied here. But so yeah, visually style wise, it's a little bit all over the place. I kind of like it.
01:21:04
Speaker
Like it, to you know, I think that it, it is a better looking game than some people would give it credit for. ah But yeah, I don't know if it, if it quite pulls off what it says it's pulling off.
01:21:19
Speaker
I, you know, the It does add one joke that I really like, which is it has the instant replay when you walk into the laser.
01:21:31
Speaker
And, ah like, that's fun. I think the... The big, bright, cheery colors of it, like, actually only, like, serve to further, ah like, make the confusion of why isn't this funny?
01:21:54
Speaker
It's, yeah I mean, that's an interesting point. I mean, if anything, it feels more out of tone with yeah maybe, because it feels like now things look super wacky, but it's exactly a wacky game. It looks wackier than it is as a game. Yeah.
01:22:09
Speaker
Yeah. Um, it does have great music though. It's a really good music. Oh, it does. Yeah. Ken Allen really rocks the soundtrack on this one. I mean, I, at the time, of course I was listening to it on Tandy, but like the MT 32 version of the soundtrack is, uh, it's full of some real bangers. I mean, it's good stuff, but, uh, but yeah, I mean, I think it's fine. It has the problem that all of the VGA, uh, remakes other than quest for glory one have, which is that,
01:22:38
Speaker
And remaking a AGI first installment in the SEI engine, like kind of reveals how like it's like, you know, SEI games could ah support so much more.
01:22:53
Speaker
Like yeah support like a lot of dialogue and a lot of character and a lot of like descriptions and a lot of other stuff. And the AGI engine, like maybe it could, but they didn't do that. I'm like, if that's just not, they probably didn't have the space. yeah So on and so on and so on. Like, and so it also like, not only is there that distance between um the ah like, Hey, i like I, this looks like it should be making me laugh more.
01:23:27
Speaker
ah hu It also like looks like a Sierra like you know early to mid-90s point-and-click adventure, but it has as much gameplay as mid-80s Sierra yeah ah parser adventure.
01:23:44
Speaker
And you like release it a few months after Space Quest four. And it's hard for it not to like pale in comparison with a fully you realized more modern adventure game design.
01:23:55
Speaker
it's just like, yeah, this is kind of a fresh coat of paint on what was a much simpler game at the time. I mean, it's better than Space Quest four, but I don't want to. don't want to like cause trouble. Uh huh.
01:24:09
Speaker
I'm not just lobbing that out there as a grenade or anything. Yeah, I mean, I would probably agree with that. Anyway, and well never know because any final thoughts?
01:24:21
Speaker
Final thoughts. You know, i liked Space Quest as a kid. i You know, this was a game that, I mean, no surprise, I was a science fiction nerd growing up. I hadn't encountered Hitchhiker's Guide yet, but I was...
01:24:36
Speaker
deep into Star Trek and Star Wars by age 10. i mean, this this was a game that was in a lot of ways made for me. and especially as much as I love King's Quest 2. I mean, King's Quest 2 was the greatest toy I ever owned when I got it, you know, the year before.
01:24:58
Speaker
And getting a chance to now play in a genre that was more my style, you know, science fiction. it was It was the game I was looking for at the time. you know I think this one does, again... In the AGI era, you kind have games that are all over the place in terms of both how you design an adventure game and just how you tell a story.
01:25:17
Speaker
Some are good at one and not the other. Some are not that good at either. And I think Space Quest does a pretty good job of offering you an adventure game and telling a clear story with some pacing, maybe a little better than a lot of these AGI entries. All
Audience Interaction and Metrics
01:25:36
Speaker
right.
01:25:37
Speaker
There have it. Ben, you're not convinced. You're sitting here saying like, nope, I don't like Space Quest still. Jess, you haven't convinced me. I don't hate it. I, you know, it's still like, I'm, I'm just kind of like, yeah, it's fine. Yeah. um I think that's a, nor I mean, we talked about this before the stream. it's sort of weird for me again, part of the reason we're doing this, I guess the reason we're doing this is sort of in celebration of this, this weird milestone for my website of it in 30 A 30 year old website is crazy.
01:26:06
Speaker
That's right. And please, if you're a listener who is younger than 30 years old, I don't think there's any chance. I don't, I don't think there's a single person. If you are, please drop us a line at quest quest podcast.com and tell us what it's like to be younger than my website.
01:26:19
Speaker
um But tell us what it's like to have grown up, ah you know, since you were born in like 2019 whatever. yeah, but i I don't think there's any listeners that young, unless they're just in the car.
01:26:33
Speaker
you know There could be some unwilling listeners. yeah And if you're out of there, yeah shout out to all the kids who are in car seats in the backseat of their dad's car right now. We appreciate you too. You're, you're, you're goosing our metrics and that's what we're looking for. Yeah. Because our, our platform does pick up everybody that's in the car.
01:26:52
Speaker
That's why we're doing Zencaster. It is the only platform ah that does that. I don't even know how they do that.
Personal Reflections and Comparisons
01:26:58
Speaker
Do you think they're, Ben, do you think that's just something they tell us? Yeah. I do. They, they, they, well, I think they have eyes everywhere.
01:27:06
Speaker
Wow. Yeah. Yeah. That's why we can't get out this contract. But no, i I think that especially the, like, ah and you know, i' I'll move. we'll We'll talk about the other games when we get there.
01:27:21
Speaker
I think it's Space Quest 1 is really interesting and, ah like, intriguing within its context, but it doesn't do that much for me now.
01:27:34
Speaker
and And that's fine. um like But i you know like I appreciate it as it's like, yeah, they there was this really... um like it it looks great and it does something very different with narrative and gameplay.
01:27:51
Speaker
And some of that stuff doesn't work. Uh, and some of that stuff works great. Um, yeah, some stuff like multiple solutions, like yeah we're at spider droid thing. That's kind of neat for AGI. you don't see a lot of that in this era. Yeah. Like you, there was a little bit of that in like king the, the, the King's quest, but yeah, it gives you a little bit of like something to mess around with it.
01:28:14
Speaker
Um, And yeah, like, you know, like, i i don't know, because it's like, I do love ah sci-fi, and I do have a favorite space quest. isn't it. But...
01:28:27
Speaker
um by space quest 2 you'll hear it here next week yeah uh but uh but yeah like i don't know like it's it's it's very interesting to me because ah space space quest has you know uh like some some real fans and it's something it historians yeah and it uh at least has one anyway but like i but like
01:28:59
Speaker
it like I've never quite been able to see it in in that way that like say when ah i was a bored teenager and just ah you know the sliders ah forum that I was on and mostly become ah you know empty so I was just kind of casting around for forums to join so I joined the virtual room closets forum uh like and i was like yeah i like space quest too but it was just mostly because you know my other forum just want to be popular i yeah and that yeah that was just it was like a way that i just had to you know i i have uh posters disease and um uh i just had to find somewhere to post chronic Yeah. Going back years at this point. Yeah, no, that's right.
01:29:54
Speaker
Isn't it? mean, that is a strange, i mean, yeah, but, but yeah, I was looping around to, I think I got sidetracked on this, you know, for me, I think as time has gone on, I still love the Space Quest series. I mean, these are still games that I adore and I love each of them in their own way. even Even the parts of the games that aren't so great, they're things that I just have so much nostalgia for it ah that really works for me. But, you know, I think in a lot of ways, you know, we talked about this before stream, you know, the Gabriel Knight series now is ah is a series that
01:30:26
Speaker
you vice for my favorite Sierra series, um you know, quest for glory is has only grown in my steam, I think, as I've had chance to think it's for glory for me. Not no question.
01:30:38
Speaker
Yeah, that no question. Yeah, yeah. If you will. Exactly. You couldn't tell this, but Ben did italics with his eyebrows. For the first time that word, eyebrow italics. Yeah.
01:30:48
Speaker
I italics as, uh, as those are often called. Yes. Nailed it. Uh, could you edit that back in? So it sounds like we said italics from the first place. All right. Click, click, click, click, click. Okay. From one. Okay. Well, Welcome to the podcast, everyone. are we going to do the whole thing over to get that? Yeah.
01:31:05
Speaker
Okay. Okay. ah No, but yeah, that's, but Space Quest is still special to me. I can't help but feel nostalgic. I will say, we'll talk more about this, I'm sure, but going back and revisiting my website and like looking at fan fiction I wrote when I was 18. Oh, brother. And things like that. It's like,
01:31:24
Speaker
hi ka I don't even know where I could find the fan fiction that I wrote when I was that age. And I don't yeah i don't care to ever. i mean I'm just shocked to see how smutty it was. I can't believe that was all that was on my mind. Yeah, like when I was 18. Yeah, it was just like constant, like just slash. disgust And I was slashing everybody.
01:31:43
Speaker
Like, i you want to. Yeah. see that go Slash in drool. Slash in honey, the used spaceship salesman. Yeah. I mean, it was like, it was just like slash, slash, slash, slash. Slash in Jaime Lipschitz.
01:31:59
Speaker
Yeah. was slashing Slash in slash Bo Hall. Sledge's brother. Yeah. Yeah. ala I did some slash, slash fiction. That's yeah. i mean, that's, uh,
01:32:11
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, it it's, it is a style. Like, it just takes me back. I feel like part of me feels like I'm that 10 year old again when I play Space Quest one, then part of me feels like I'm that 18 year old in a dorm room, writing walkthroughs so I can launch some website. And
Conclusion and Engagement
01:32:27
Speaker
I think that no matter what other adventure games I play, it's gonna be hard for Space Quest to ever not have that special place in my heart. When you wrote that walkthrough, did you refer back to that tape?
01:32:36
Speaker
Like to be like, oh, yeah, wait, how did ah Andy figure this out? Well, first of all, I mean, don't know if Andy. Andy seems like a smart guy. He seemed pretty smart. Yeah, I mean, he is pretty smart guy. mean, if you've seen me play an adventure game in 2025, just assume was worse at it 1987.
01:32:49
Speaker
That's pretty safe assumption. So, yeah, need all the help can get. as always if you've seen me play an adventure game in in twenty twenty five just assume i was worse at it and nineteen eighty seven that's a pretty safe assumption so yeah i needed all the help i can get But yeah, Space Quest 1 is so special to me because of that. I can't help but love this game because it reminds me of being a kid again in a way that all CR games and all games like Monkey Isle and other stuff do. But Space Quest is always the one that's like, oh, man, that was my childhood kind of balled up in one game.
01:33:27
Speaker
All right. Well, thank you for listening to quest quest, the adventure game podcast. If you enjoyed this, please leave us a five ah star review for a star. Who the fuck does that with a podcast?
01:33:38
Speaker
what are you trying to say? Like, what are you trying to say? with ruber like Give me a break. It's good, but it could be better. It's like, I'd rather you just didn't leave a review at all. Leave a review. If it's like an insult, I'd rather see one star.
01:33:48
Speaker
Yeah. One star is taking a stand. I dare you. I dare you listener. Go out there and give us a one star review right now. Be a man. Do it. um i And you can send us an email at quest quest podcast at gmail.com. Do you have a favorite a Steely Dan a starter album?
01:34:11
Speaker
ah Let me know. You know, pretty soon we'll be spending a lot of time on here talking about Super Tramp. so i'm really yeah I'm really looking forward to it. What's your favorite song about Space Quest 3?
01:34:23
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, it's Space Quest 3. Why didn't they? all right. No, that's a question for when we get there. All right. i Well, thank you so much. Email, blah, blah.
01:34:35
Speaker
And join us next week when we talk about Return of the Phantom.