Name the Old Game!

[El_Cid]

Rules:

1.The game must be old to you(i.e. if you're 16 it could be a two year old game!). So no hard and fast rule on this here.

2.The aim of the thread is to educate each other on the wonderful history of computer gaming(even recent stuff).

3.All gaming platforms are acceptable.

4.Clues can be given in a variety of ways, text, pictures, sounds(this may depend on the upload limit for attachments). Try to not make them too obvious, leave yourself room to post a few.

5.The Clue giver keeps giving clues until someone correctly identifies the game, then that person has a go at posting their own game clues for the rest of us to guess......and so on

6.You can ask questions of the Clue-giver, but they are not obliged to answer...but it can help them shape new clues better for later!

7.You can make a few guesses between clues, but dont kick the pants out of it i.e. no repeat spam guessing as that can invalidate your attempt(at Clue givers discretion), and a new game will be found or the Clue giver can nominate someone to take over.

8.A score of successful posters is not mandatory, as this can lead to 'guess-the-game fatigue' when it's 'your' turn to start a new thread and update everyones scores. So this is just much more for the fun, but if someone wants to keep scores by all means do(But Dr.Spike will probably win!).

9.Use of Google/google-like searches should be declared if it gives you the answer you wouldn't have got otherwise. Note: using goolge is a bit like cheating! and may make some people cross ;)

10. You are not allowed to guess your own game when it is your turn to give the game to be guessed.

NOTE: use of the term 'joker' is when someone has won a game(they correctly guessed it) but at the time can't think of a new game to put into play, so they offer it up to the thread. They then can claim a 'joker' play later at any date in place of their game they passed on for that turn. It's kind of like an IOU.

*********************
list of games guessed so far:

Karateka
Bards Tale III
Big Birds hide and speak
Star Wars: Supremacy/Rebellion(in usa)
Return of Heracles
Double Dragon 2
Donkey Kong
Jagged Alliance(1)
Seven Cities of Gold
M.U.L.E
Wings
Colonization
Starflight
Pitfall
ET
Mario Teaches Typing
Dragon Warrior
Destiny of an Emperor
Ultima VIII: Pagan
Bards Tale(1?)
Paradroid
Mercenry(Novogen)
Commander Keen
Boulder Dash
Imperium Galactum
This mean WAR!(not guessed - cheers for headsup DC!)
Deadlock
The Lost Vikings
Supaplex
Le Mans
The Last Ninja
Aces of the Deep
Into the Eagles nest
Populous
Castles
Decathlon!
Daggerfall
Golvellius(not guessed!)
Alex Kidd in Miracle World
Commander Keen - Aliens ate my Babysitter!
Airbourne Ranger
Starlord(not guessed!)
International Karate+
Solo Flight
Age of Wonder
Pinball Construction Set
DefCon
Historyline 1914-1918
Oolite
North&South
Red Storm Rising
WWF Micro League Wrestling
The Bulge: Battle for Antwerp(Not Guessed!)
Stunt Car Racer
Tomb Raider
Donkey Kong Country
Madden 06(well Madden was guessed)
Cutthroats: Terror on the high seas
Trade Empires
Force 21(Not Guessed!)
Spy vs Spy
Europa Universalis
Diablo
No One Lives Forever
Full Throttle
Centurion - Defender of Rome
Power Drift
Lemmings!
Temco Bowl
Dizzy
Full House(not guessed)
Ignition!
Psychonauts
The Incredible Machine
Warcraft
Risk
Moebius: the Orb of Celestial Harmony(not guessed)
Krusty's Super Fun House
Team Fortress
Archon
Populas: The Begining
Harpoon
Neuromancer(googled - but it was tough)
Aladdin
Beneath a Steel Sky
Frontier: Elite II(kind of guessed)
MissionForce - Cyberstorm
Dungeon Master
Grand Theft Auto
Parodius
Rolo to the Rescue
Willow
Destiny
Re-volt
Kingpin
HardWar
Emperor of the fading Suns
Star Raiders II(aka The Last Starfighter)
Transport Tycoon
Heretic
SoulBringer
Companions of Xanth
Crystal Caves
The Sims!
Shenmue
Theme Park
Conqueror: A.D. 1086
Strike Fleet
Batman - Return of the Joker
Phantasy Star
Beach Head
Uncharted Waters 2
Pirates of the Caribbean
SkyFox
Star Fleet 1
A-Train
Imperium
Test Drive
Traffic Department
The Great Escape
Rock 'n' Roll Racing
Arcy 2 - (Not Guessed!)
The Incredible Toon Machine
Phantasmagoria
Fallen Haven(Not Guessed!)
Cultures
Spellcross(Not Guessed!)
Mega-lo-Mania
Morrowind
Fire Power(Not Guessed!)
Afterlife
Leander
Gender Wars
Hidden Agenda
Balance of Power
Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom
Donkey Kong Junior
Jetpack
Greenhouse - Game+Watch
Oil's well
Creatures
Defender of the Crown
Hidden and Dangerous
The Way of the Exploding Fist
Hamurabi
Bugaboo(the flea)
Captive II - Liberation
Magic the Gathering
Loco-Commotion
Star Trek: Birth of the Federation
Flip & Flop(not guessed!)
Walker(not guessed!)

****************

Ok I'll punt first:

Clue1: early side scrolling game with maybe the first use of film based story telling techniques.

[Mr. Scruffy]

wow - that´s vague. Can we ask questions? If so, i´d like to know the genre. If it´s adventure, i think i know the answer. But i think it is more likely to be a shooter or jump´n´run, since the adventure i am thinking of would not exactly fall in the category of EARLY side scrolling (which is very old - think ´scramble´, ´falcon patrol´ etc.)

EDIT: Nice thread idea BTW.

[DarkCloud]

-edit-

[Mr. Scruffy]

I think when El Cid says ´early´ side scroller, he is talking about some 80´s title - probably early 80´s, DC.

[Maquiladora]

The first side-scroller that comes to mind for me is Defender. Not sure about the "film based story telling techniques" though.

[Mr. Scruffy]

Okay, i´ll give my first thought then, as well: Maniac Mansion. Though, as i said, i wouldnt consider it an ´early´ side scroller, really. But it is certainly one of the first games to have film based story telling techniques (being from LucasFilm/Arts after all - remember the cut-scenes? ´gee - i am hungry...´)

[El_Cid]

Not yet - keep trying :b:

Clue 2: at the time it came out it was considered ground-breaking for a home computer game, using music and cut scenes to create, for that time, a new unique experience.

[Mr. Scruffy]

Great! That would still point me to MM, except the music part... ugh... well at least we know now its home computer. That means i probably know it... but hell... need more thinking (really nice thread, El Cid !)

[Mr. Scruffy]

Well, thinking about it, it probably is LucasFilm Games. And i did never see or play the earlier titles like ´koronis rift´ or ´the echelon´ - so i think its Koronis Rift... (the echelon wasnt a side-scroller, i know, and i am not sure about KR)

Want to set a new rule ? 3 guesses max per game and player ?

[Maquiladora]

I'm assuming you get one guess until the questioner confirms it's wrong.

[Mr. Scruffy]

Damn it - he went offline again ! He cant do that !!! aRGH! :D

[DrSpike]

El Cid, I'm surprised you aren't still smarting from the whupping I gave you in the 'Poly Name the Game threads. :cute:

We need to get Cap here so I can have some competition. :)

I'll guess Pitfall.

[Mr. Scruffy]

well, i remember the music (yes, it does play in my head right now - thanks - it will take days to get it out again), but if it had cut-scenes, i never progressed far enough to see them (i always found jump´n´run rather annoying). Also, it did not only scroll horizontally (at least the c64 version did scroll vertically as well, dont know about the vcs2600)- which is what i understand as ´side-scroller´.

About the competition - we´ll see about that, Dr. Spike... :D

EDIT: Can you point me to somesort of Pitfall walkthrough ? Cause how to progress in that game always remained one of the mysteries of my life...

EDIT II: Correct myself - i only ever saw Pitfall II, i guess...

EDIT III: Found a walkthrough for P2 myself - this balloon-part i never got, though i had heard rumors about balloons in the game.

[Nikolai]

Posting to be ready when a game I know comes along.:D

[El_Cid]

@ Dr.Spike,

I never smart or compete when the greater good is calling - but welcome master of guess the game via google......!!!! did i just say that!!! i'm very sorry! ;) (i dont think that btw).


Clue 3: this games early cut scene magic featured a hunting hawk on a characters arm.

( that is a bit of a giveaway clue!)

[I'll edit the rules for clarity for those that haven't played these games before]

[Nikolai]

I'm suddenly thinking of King's Quest, but that's probably very wrong.

[Mr. Scruffy]

ähem... a hawk on a character´s arm... now that makes me rather clueless... i am pretty sure i never played it... i think a good clue would be the platform(s) you know it was released on. Another question - where the ´cut scenes´ animated, or just still pictures? And the genre would still be greatly appreciated.

[DrSpike]

@ Dr.Spike,

I never smart or compete when the greater good is calling - but welcome master of guess the game via google......!!!! did i just say that!!! i'm very sorry! ;) (i dont think that btw).



Sour grapes. :(

[Mr. Scruffy]

Okay since it´s one guess per clue (i´ll just make that my rule) and you said the hawk is a giveaway clue, i say ´Hawkeye´. It´s a side-scroller (albeit i wouldnt classify it as early), and i have no idea if it features ´cut-scenes´ - all i know, is that it had pretty good graphics for its time.

[El_Cid]

Sour grapes. :(

I really dont think that - honestly, i just like to pull your leg about it :)

Clue 4: Far east

[Mr. Scruffy]

the game´s setting or the producer/publisher?

[Mr. Scruffy]

okay my last guess for tonight: Karateka

[Mr. Scruffy]

YESS ! Just watched a video of it on youtube - and it is Karateka - hahaha !

Note, i only googled it after the guess!

Good one, El Cid - ´early´ really fits here. In fact, that was one of the titles that got my older bro into computer-games and with him me. I have totally forgotten about it (and never played it myself).

So my turn, uh?

I guess i´ll have give easier clues, at least for the first (clue as well as game) one, since i am going to bed now:

STFL, FAFI, GILL, NUKE, ARBO

[Maquiladora]

Karateka :b:

[Mr. Scruffy]

oh, maq, that picture looked so familiar all of a sudden, since i have seen this little man as a dancer on an avatar - and never knew where it came from. It all makes sense, now :D

[Maquiladora]

For some reason the forum turned it into a jpg, without animation obviously. :mad:

[Mr. Scruffy]

No guess, yet? That can only mean that nobody seeing the hint yet played it. So discriptions from ´inside´ the game seem moot - i´ll have to make an approach from outside... which is hard.

7 (max) people trying to save 8 worlds, among which are: Arboria, Gelidia, Kenistia, Tenebrosia, Tarmitia and Malefia (+ one i forgot the name of and this one - kinda), fighting mad gods and half-gods and their minions. (excuse minor inaccuracies and spelling mistakes, please).

(okay the hint is not really from outside, but the genre should be obvious now)

Not to google on that hint is a matter of honor IMHO BTW - that would make it just too easy. It´s okay though that, if you have a guess, to google the game´s name to confirm the guess before you post it, if need be.

If no guess come in within the next 2 hours or so, this will have to do for 10 - sorry, RL calling...

[El_Cid]

okay my last guess for tonight: Karateka

:b: Thats the one. It was one of the first(maybe the first) game to use the technique called 'rotoscoping'(used more famously in 'Another World') for animation of the charaters and used music and cutsceens to progress the story.

The scene with the evil samurai(with the hawk on his arm) pointing to the prison where the princess was to be locked up was one of my early emotional highs in computer games. The music, the pacing, you really felt like you wanted to help her out. Great game, ahead of it's time:

http://www.mobygames.com/game/karateka

:b:

[El_Cid]

(small hint: if you use 'ClueX:' to proceed your clue on a new line it will stand out more from the post)

Ok well this is obviously an rpg, probably an old one(not one i played that i can remember)....oh hold on...maybe i did(some dusty old neuron fired up in the back of my skull!):

Guess: Amberstar(maybe Ambermoon)....one of those?

[Mr. Scruffy]

nope, none of those...

--------------
Hint 3a) AC -50 (no, thats not my diplomatic standing with Ali), Brilhasti, Chronomancers
--------------

Since that wont help you, if you havent played it (and dont use google):

--------------
Hint 3b) Sharing the name with a more modern production, that had very little to do with it, gameplay wise, at least.
--------------

[El_Cid]

lol well i'm enough of a grognad to know what 'AC-50' is refering to, but still nothing yet....give it time, others will come up with something :)

Did we have an era for this game yet(80's/90's etc)?

[DarkCloud]

Ultima? ... Zork?

[Ozbenno]

Hint 3b) Sharing the name with a more modern production, that had very little to do with it, gameplay wise, at least.
--------------

I would have said one of the Bards Tales (I, II or II) but don't think this hint fits (also can't find a confused smily). One of them had mad gods and many worlds.

[El_Cid]

Good shout on Bards Tale, i missed that last clue about a modern(different) remake.

hmmm.

Guess=Fallout? (well no it isnt that but i want to get it out the way!)

[Mr. Scruffy]

so- why doesnt anyone actually say it, then ?

(´would have said´ != log in ´millionaire-style´, uh?)

[El_Cid]

? So is it Bards Tale?

If so i think Ozbenno guessed it, even if he phrased his guess strangely(I susspect he wasn't 100% sure so was expressing that in his guess).

If you want a specific Bards Tale......well I think Ozbenno should get first shout, but if he doesn't come around in a little while we could all jump in and try to get the exact one you want.

that's if it is Bards Tale!! :D

[Mr. Scruffy]

I´ll spare you the exact part, despite it could have been identified by the hints: ARBO is a chronomancer spell - and those are only in III. The Thief of Fate, AC-50 is also unique to part 3 - the predecesors having higher armor class limits.

The hint with ´sharing the name´ refers to a game called Bard´s tale that was released just a couple of years ago, in which you summon party-members with your music, or something - i never played that one (http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/rpg/thebardstale/index.html).

So Ozbenno - your turn then.

[El_Cid]

http://www.mobygames.com/game-group/bards-tale-series

Great games, I only played the first one, and that was at a friends house, so i never got to complete it. But one of those series I have on list for playing at some point :)

The recent bards tale was different, more humour based(think like a Terry Prachet novel) but if you got the PC version it had the first three games on the same DVD.....you just needed an old PC/old PC emulation software to make them work. The Xbox version didnt have the older games on it.

yeh so over to Ozbenno :b:

[Alinestra Covelia]

Placeholder post. This is a good thread.

Also, diplomatic relations with Mr. Scruffy are cordial and we are at peace, not least because my words are backed with nuclear weapons.

[El_Cid]

Hey AC - I KNOW you are still playing your game of Xcom, and shouldn't you be doing something with books? But yeah this was something we used to do on poly in the OG thread......i was away for a bit and it seemed to stop.....so should be fun here :)

[Mr. Scruffy]

How much time do we let allow to pass, before the winner has to bring up the next game?

[El_Cid]

in previous games it could be a couple of days, but maybe if we have no sign tomorrow, then maybe someone could jump in, and Ozbenno can have his go later? lets see how it looks tomorrow.

What was your favourite bards Tale? Did you play them all?

[Mr. Scruffy]

Well, yes, i played them all, with duration and intensity as follows:

III,I,II

All on the C64, and there the fastloader, the save-anywhere feature and the automap made all the difference, compared to the other two - and that there was a walkthrough in my fav computermag (spaning 8 months!).

[El_Cid]

interesting order....how did you find going from 3 to 1 !!! and which was your favourite? I was more into the eye of the beholder games(i came across both series about the same time).

[Ozbenno]

I'll open the floor.

[DarkCloud]

? You don't have any game idea in mind?

[Metaliturtle]

I've got one in mind.

1st hint: "How many words can you make before the sun goes down?"

[Mr. Scruffy]

El_Cid: The list i posted was not the sequence, just how much and far through i played them. First i played I, and played it as far as the first few dungeons or so, the 2nd i only had a brief look at, but the 3rd, i played for about a year or so (and later on for a couple of weeks on an emulator) and to the end.

I´ll accept Metali´s push, provided, that Ozbenno got a joker on him now, and can steal a turn from him, whenever he got one right, okay?

I dont know the citation, so i´ll have a wild shot: ´Borrowed Time´

Reasoning the guess: This was a text-adventure, and i *think* you only had one day to play through, and were hunted by criminals right from the start. So you had to make as many words as you could, before the sun would set.

[El_Cid]

Borrowed time sounds like a good guess................

i'm going for something kinda very outthere:

guess = Speak & Spell

[Alinestra Covelia]

Speak & Spell! That was my favorite toy when I was a kid. My parents wanted me to be smart and ahead of the curve in school so they got me Speak & Spell and Speak & Math.

And an Apple IIc that typed in Dvorak, so I basically had to guess all the keys >_<

Essentially, the Covelia family raises its kids to be geeks, even the females. :)

[Mr. Scruffy]

More action - faster game, please !

[Alinestra Covelia]

Howdy Sheriff, killed any more people today?

- My, aren't we hungover this morning.

[El_Cid]

Speak & Spell! That was my favorite toy when I was a kid. My parents wanted me to be smart and ahead of the curve in school so they got me Speak & Spell and Speak & Math.

And an Apple IIc that typed in Dvorak, so I basically had to guess all the keys >_<

Essentially, the Covelia family raises its kids to be geeks, even the females. :)

I think i first found out about Speak&Spell from the E.T movie(so in the 80's some time?). I was too old to actualy need one, but i still thought it was awesome and very futuristic. I conspired to steal one from the sister of my best friend(i think i offered to get him some cigarette's in exchange?), and after two weeks in my hands it never worked again, having been burried in my camp in the forrest and fallen into the river a couple of times.

Come on Metaliturtle! more clues please :nod:

[Mr. Scruffy]

All he has to do is confirm my hit.

[El_Cid]

Feeling confident? ;) umm maybe Pm him?(maybe i will)

[Alinestra Covelia]

If it's not considered rude, this post (http://www.weplayciv.com/forums/showpost.php?p=10076&postcount=52) also has a game clue hook if Metaliturtle has really gone AWOL. If needed, I can remove that post so the thread flows more smoothly though.

[Mr. Scruffy]

That clue would be ´Law of the west´, ali. Eaaaasy :D

[Metaliturtle]

One of the characters is also a popular children's toy

[Mr. Scruffy]

So it is in the ´education for kids´ department, uh?

Dude, if that´s the case, it kinda sucks, cause, as you can imagine, english-speaking educational games were not very popular in germany. I did not pick up my first pieces of english from those...

I remember one game, where something that looked a lot like the ´cookie monster´ was the protagonist, and i *think* you were supposed to gather ingredients for a meal and cook or something - but as most of my games were pirated back then (and you always got more, than what you asked for - whole disc-boxes being lend out over weekends and such), it was one of the games, that i left without ever quite getting what it was about. But that was about cooking and the cookie-monster isnt really a toy, so...

It is too soon to complain, since i dont know the answer, and maybe i do have a fair chance - just in general, i´d suggest, we dont pick games, that could be counted as belonging to a national niche. For example, i wouldnt come up with games like ´Kaiser´, ´Hanse´, ´Vermeer´ or ´Fugger´, which were all very popular in germany, but i doubt that they made it to more than 1.000 comps outside of it (,autria and switzerland). Just saying...

So, this time, i cant even come up with a wild guess...

[Metaliturtle]

the children's toy was an international success, the game is for the NES

That should help.

[Dale]

Nah, couldn't be legend of zelda.

[Mr. Scruffy]

Hmmm... fine then. NES is not really my realm... i think i´ll have to concede this one - i have no idea, and am almost certain: i do not know this game.

[Metaliturtle]

The character whose name is on the box is a big yellow bird...

[El_Cid]

Aha! Takes me right back to my childhood - Sesame Street and Big bird....

ok so the game is, I think, "Big Birds hide and speak"

I never played it, it being a Nes game, but i had a friend who was always consoled up in that period and he had a bunch of these type of games(for his little bro) - I was a Big Bird fan so this stuck out for me......I think the cover/cart had a Big Bird and Ernie on it.....?

[Metaliturtle]

You win El Cid!

[El_Cid]

Big Bird and Mr. Snuffleupacuss(sp?) - thanks for the memory Metaliturtle :b: And a devilishly fiendish guess the game if i may say so :b:

http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=13795

lol it looks great!! my kinda game :D ok i had forgotten about the other characters on the cover.....Elmo....Burt(what is he doing to ernie!!)....not sure about the little yellow bird?

nice graphics btw - the Nes was a good bit of kit for the time.

ok give me a few to think of one........or Ozbenno!! do you want your go now?(i'll give some time for an answer on that)

[Metaliturtle]

What is Elmo preparing to do to Big Bird? It sure isn't the hokey pokey

[El_Cid]

What is Elmo preparing to do to Big Bird? It sure isn't the hokey pokey

ah indeed! I just realised Ernie is outside the window, so Bert isn't a perv like i thought!! Sesame street was a great kids show btw - it went downhill as it tried t get hip, but compared to stuff like Barney(that awful purple dinosaur?) it was a very good educational show. being a fan of the muppets probably helped.
No news from Ozbenno yet...........so i may go ahead with the new game in a little whie...

[Metaliturtle]

Did you know that Cookie monster and kermit weren't in that game because they are trademarked by a different company?

I just made that up!

[El_Cid]

lol - and i was going to believe you for a sec! you rotter :trouble:

ok new game:

Clue 1: as famous for it's really nasty UI/Controls as for it's subject matter.

[Dale]

Lotus Notes, or WordPerfect!

[El_Cid]

;) no.

[Metaliturtle]

leisure suit larry

[Dale]

Civilization: Call to Power! Though it's more famous for it's crap UI and the court case surrounding it's name, not really it's content. :p

[Mr. Scruffy]

So, the subject matter is rather unique, i figure. And i also assume, that the controls were already regarded as being nasty in its days.

Given how a lot more games back then had some innovative thought behind them, and how experimental UIs still were, that leaves quite a variety of titles.

For first shot, i say: ´Apollo 18 - Mission to the Moon´ (Accolade, 1988, MS-DOS & C64)

[Nikolai]

ET?:p

[Dale]

Ascendancy?

[Mr. Scruffy]

Dale, i dont think that was really unique in its subject (MoO and even MoO2, i think, came before it). The interface wasnt that bad either. It was the ´one ship per planet (+1)´-rule that sucked.

[El_Cid]

some good guesses, but no right answer yet.

Clue 2: At game start you could chose to play as the 'good' guys or the 'bad' guys. This choice made the game feel quite different.

[Dale]

Dale, i dont think that was really unique in its subject (MoO and even MoO2, i think, came before it). The interface wasnt that bad either. It was the ´one ship per planet (+1)´-rule that sucked.

He never said "unique" just famous for it's content. ;)

Also, are you kidding? The UI sucked balls! There wasn't much logic to where stuff was. :idiot:

[Dale]

Clue 2: At game start you could chose to play as the 'good' guys or the 'bad' guys. This choice made the game feel quite different.

Hmmm..... with both clues it's starting to sound like Afterlife (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afterlife_(computer_game))

[Mr. Scruffy]

A game where you can choose to play the good guyS or the bad guyS. hmmm...

Archon ?

[Nikolai]

Left Behind?:p Not very old though.

[Dale]

A game where you can choose to play the good guyS or the bad guyS. hmmm...

Archon ?

I think we might have a winner here! CoT what say you? :yes:

[El_Cid]

erm.....nope.

[Alinestra Covelia]

What are you talking about? Archon had an awesome user interface!

Archon Ultra was not so great. The game was really imbalanced. But the original Archon was cool. :b:

[El_Cid]

indeed it was, which is why i wouldn't count it as being as famous for its UI issues as it's game universe ;)

[Mr. Scruffy]

Yeah, i was wondering that one, too...

I would have another one, but accoring to my own rules, i may not say it before the next hint.

[El_Cid]

break your rules! :punk:

edit: you have 5mins to break your rules..............before i post the next clue. :)

so far we have a game with a strong universe/franchise to it and a really bad UI.

[Mr. Scruffy]

i can wait those five minutes...

we also have the choice of sides (each with multiple characters, it seems) - good or evil. And that choice is made at game start and really makes a difference, as to how the game ´feels´. Like i said, i have another idea - just not sure about the UI - cant quite remember...

EDIT: Looking at the time-stamps - those 5 mins are long over anyways !

[Mr. Scruffy]

wait - 5 man-minutes or 5 girl-gets-dressed-minutes?

[Alinestra Covelia]

5 man-minutes are the same as 5 girl-gets-dressed-minutes if she's wearing boy's clothes.

[El_Cid]

she was wearing none....sorry for the delay ;)

Ok this is sort of an extra clue to get you all in the ball park:

Clue 3: Dales guess of Afterlife(see above) is 100% correct in one particular way(but is not the game i'm looking for).

[DarkCloud]

Elite?

[El_Cid]

an old fav of mine, but no. What stands out about Afterlife and 'a franchised universe'(kinda clue 3.5!)

[Alinestra Covelia]

Star Wars: Supremacy?

(Known in the US as Star Wars: Rebellion.)


I have another guess as well but I'll wait till the next hint before I make it.

[Jack Hawksmoor]

Star Trek: Birth of the Federation?

[El_Cid]

Star Wars: Supremacy?

(Known in the US as Star Wars: Rebellion.)


I have another guess as well but I'll wait till the next hint before I make it.

Bingo :b:

http://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/star-wars-rebellion

It has flaws, but is still the best strat game you can play in a SW universe, to my mind. Choose your side(Alliance or Empire) at game start and muddle your way through a horrible interface to find a kinda cool starwars game........mmmmm

RebEd was a cool tool to allow you to modify much of the game, details at the foot of this wiki article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_Rebellion

At a later date i will run an AAR/Tactics/info thread about this game - you lucky people! ;)

[Dale]

That was going to be my next guess. :(

I really liked Rebellion, and tried hard to keep playing it. But the UI really killed it. :shame:

I didn't know about RebEd though.

[Alinestra Covelia]

Heh, that was my first guess but I would have guessed Good & Evil next.

Rebellion/Supremacy was okay, but the interface was so poor that I and a few friends had a hearty stab at making a Star Wars Supremacy Civ2 scenario. It got fairly far, too - we had a tech tree, civs, and various ships planned out. The main effort fizzled at placing all the star systems (as one-square planets with bases in a sea of ocean as space). I still have all the files around.



Okay, next game's first clue:

Every message you got in this game was framed by two Ionic pillars with serpents ascending them in coils.

[Metaliturtle]

Caesar?

[DarkCloud]

I figure Metaliturtle already won ... but may as well guess my second choice: Quest for Glory?

[Alinestra Covelia]

Caesar?


I figure Metaliturtle already won ... but may as well guess my second choice: Quest for Glory?

Nope, and nope. Although one of you is on the right track.

Second clue:

You have a set number of missions, but the order to go about them is (mostly) entirely up to you. Most involve killing a given creature or person, although a few revolve on the acquisition of certain treasures. One mission can only be completed without recourse to combat. If you start a fight, the mission will be impossible to complete - although the game gives you no warning of this!

[DarkCloud]

Kings Quest III? ... but the killing... ... Peasant's Quest! :!

Legend of Zelda?

[Mr. Scruffy]

I never played any star wars game - sorry.

Oh and the X-´quests´ - despite my porn-alias being ´Roger U. Wilcome´, i have very little experience with it (and the games as well).

Sounds like a King´s Quest. Being tricky and all...

[El_Cid]

this sounds like a very old game................but it's all a bit murky at the moment........

Guess = Warlords?(I dont think it was WarlordsIII which i did play)

[Alinestra Covelia]

Not King's Quest, nor is it Peasant's Quest ("and the Trogdor smote the Jhonka, and there was much burnination..."). It's not Legend of Zelda either (most of those were actually relatively linear in the main missions).


this sounds like a very old game

Yes, it is. Not Warlords.


Next clue: You had a finite number of heroes to choose from, listed in roughly historical order. The roster included mostly soldiers, as well as a thief, a healer, and two females. There was a horse on the roster too, and that hero was the fastest of all.

[DarkCloud]

Fire Emblem?

[El_Cid]

well it sounds interesting, pretty sure i didn't play it........but a small bell did ding! once...so i might know it....burger me if i can remember though.

Guess = Fantasy General?

[Alinestra Covelia]

Not Fire Emblem, not Fantasy General.

Third clue, the game was the first computer game I ever played. It was on the Apple IIc back in 1984, but the subject matter it deals with predates the game by about 3000 years.

[El_Cid]

ah...the appleII, you were cutting edge back then :)

i was still in black and white with no sound(and no tape player.....hold on no, no i had no tape player for the first year....so ok by '84 i had the ability to load and save games :b: ).

my knowledge of Apple games is quite poor.........so erm....

[Alinestra Covelia]

This game also came out on the Atari.

[Alinestra Covelia]

Latest clue:

The game had a scoring method (insofar as you needed one - I certainly never paid attention to it). For each mission completed, you got a set number of points. You also got a bonus of 200, minus 1 for each "step" you made. You got a second bonus of 200, minus 100 for each hero you lost, to a minimum of zero.

Some missions could be completed in a very small number of steps. One mission requires you to kill a serpent at the Plains of Panope. Once you do that, just reenter the Plains to confront the next mission (which cannot be completed through violence - you must answer a famous riddle).

[El_Cid]

my knowledge of Atari games is better................but no........I keep thinking:

Guess= BC Quest for tires............but i'm pretty sure that aint it.

I'm waiting for some others to chime in.........but if no one gets it i'm quite looking forward to the answer :b:

[Dale]

I have no idea to be honest. :(

[Alinestra Covelia]

These were the missions, in the order I like to complete them:

1. Slay the Nemean Lion (gets you the most powerful armor in the game)
2. Kill the Lernaean Hydra (permanently makes your weapons poisonous)
3. Kill the Serpent of Ares
4. Answer the Sphinx's riddle (if you attack the Sphinx, you cannot beat the game and must restart)
5. Clear Stymphalos swamp of the birds.
6. Kill the four mares of Diomedes.
7. Rescue Helen from Troy.
8. Rescue Penelope of Icatha.
9. Recover the cattle of Geryon.
10. Get the Golden Apples of Hesperides
11. Recover the Golden Fleece.
12. Kill the Minotaur.


The Minotaur quest was easily the most irritating because there was a shifting labyrinth (very well done, given how basic the game was) and it was very frustrating to get out of once you were in it. It is easier to leave it till the last thing to do, so you don't have to worry about escaping.

[Metaliturtle]

Return of Heracles?

[Alinestra Covelia]

Return of Heracles?

:b:

Correct!

An emulation of the Apple IIc version is here (http://www.virtualapple.org/returnofheraclesdisk.html). It's still a fun little game if you overlook the Ultima-style graphics, though I would suggest turning the sounds off as the music has not aged well.

[Metaliturtle]

Another NES Classic

This game contains a typo where the main character was called "Bimmy" by mistake in the intro scene.

[Alinestra Covelia]

I know this one, but I don't think it would be sporting of me to answer. :)

I didn't realize it was the intro scene. I thought it was the end-of-game cutscene. But I could be wrong.

[Metaliturtle]

No it smacks you right in the face as soon as you start the game.

[Alinestra Covelia]

I think the same game had a localization typo. It spelled the word "practiced" with an "s" as in "practised". This is not technically wrong, as the Brits use that spelling, but given that I bought the game in America it's a little odd.

The most powerful character in the game, bar none, was the first joinable NPC. All you have to do is stand there mashing A and you'd grind through the opposition.

[Metaliturtle]

My next hint will give it away if anyone else is going to guess.

[Alinestra Covelia]

If nobody is going to guess, say so and I will guess. :)

This game came out when I was about 11. I remember liking the end theme so much that I sat down in front of the piano and transcribed it by ear.

[Metaliturtle]

Go for it.

[Dale]

Double Dragon?

[Metaliturtle]

Which one?

[Metaliturtle]

Angry video game nerd did a special on it btw

[Dale]

Dunno. 2? :lol:

I just remember hearing someone talking about Bimmy in Double Dragon. Don't know which one though.

[Metaliturtle]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMg6_IXCjo4

Close enough Dale, you're up!

[Alinestra Covelia]

w00t for Dale!

[Dale]

In '81 it landed on my head.

[Mr. Scruffy]

Frogger ? jk... (unless you change your avatar to some sort of corcodile / alligator)

Lunar Lander? Was that out by ´81 - ´81 is a bit before me getting into video games.

[El_Cid]

Return of Heracles?


:b:

Correct!

An emulation of the Apple IIc version is here (http://www.virtualapple.org/returnofheraclesdisk.html). It's still a fun little game if you overlook the Ultima-style graphics, though I would suggest turning the sounds off as the music has not aged well.

cool - i didnt know this game :)

http://www.mobygames.com/game/atari-8-bit/return-of-heracles

only the atari version on moby sadly.....

[El_Cid]

Guess = Dig Dug?

[Dale]

My Name today still brings me fame.

[Dale]

No more guesses?

Well okay, this should make it easy...... :)

Rolling rolling jump and jump.

[El_Cid]

I think i got it :D

[Dale]

If you mean Dig Dug, no it's not that. :p

[DarkCloud]

Donkey Kong!

[Dale]

We have a winner! :)

[DarkCloud]

The first hint gave it away with "it landed on my head" ... the rolling made it more obvious. :D

[DarkCloud]

Hint 1: Mercs With Attitude/Flavour.

[Spaced Cowboy]

Jagged Alliance 2

[DarkCloud]

Shoot. That was too easy then. I should have gone with my other idea. I thought at least the first guess would be Commandos.
For the record the precise game was Jagged Alliance 1... I never played 2 :)

[Spaced Cowboy]

EA exploring game, mid '80's

[Dale]

Only one I can think of ATM is Adventure Construction Kit. :lol:

[Mr. Scruffy]

´Heart of Africa´

[El_Cid]

If you mean Dig Dug, no it's not that. :p

no i meant Donkey Kong - i wanted to give someone else a chance(and was eating dinner at the time!) :angel:

Guess = Seven Cities of Gold(not sure that was EA now...hmm?)

p.s. dang Darkcloud - your go was over fast!(although you would have been within your rights to say 'wrong' answer and wait for the actual first game to come up ;) - but that's done now)

[Mr. Scruffy]

haha, El Cid - naming the other option, uh? SCoG is kinda the predecceror to Heart of Africa...

I am pretty sure, one of us has it.

[Spaced Cowboy]

over to El Cid.

[Mr. Scruffy]

Zut! When there is a 50/50 chance... :D

[El_Cid]

over to El Cid.

cool - hi Spaced btw :)

Seven Cities of Gold was a great classic game:

http://www.mobygames.com/game/seven-cities-of-gold

ok Clue1: This game will be a little tribute to Spaced Cowboy (that should start things of nicely!)

[Mr. Scruffy]

Space Ace

[DarkCloud]

Roger Wilco.

[Dale]

Earthworm Jim

[Spaced Cowboy]

Hi CoT....


Spaceward Ho! 4??

[El_Cid]

Not that easy! ;) ( that's one of your fav games i think?)

Clue2: this game was a genre definer in terms of multiplayer gaming when it came out.

[DarkCloud]

Mechwarrior.
or
Elite?

[Spaced Cowboy]

No, 4x space games are my favorites. But went with that guess since I remember something about a cowboy hat in it.

How about Dune 2.

[Mr. Scruffy]

M.U.L.E. - thanks... :D

On a Bunton-trip, uh ?

[Mr. Scruffy]

hint 1: 1903, Kittyhawk, North Carolina...

[El_Cid]

M.U.L.E. - thanks... :D

On a Bunton-trip, uh ?

:b: yeah M.U.L.E

http://www.mobygames.com/game/mule

the link with Spaced Cowboy was a bit cryptic, as that was a reference to the recent good remake called SpaceHoRSE:

http://www.shrapnelgames.com/Gilligames/SH/SH_page.html

Guess1 = 1848

I'm just thinking of hex turnbased wargames for this one?

[Mr. Scruffy]

Why that? Something actually happened 1903 in Kittyhawk, NC.

[El_Cid]

.....it was the first hex based wargame that came to mind ;)

[Spaced Cowboy]

K. Hawk: Survival Instinct.

[Mr. Scruffy]

Okay 2nd hint: French music and a diary.

[Mr. Scruffy]

Too hard or too lazy ? :D

Bonus-Hint: Could (and should) have been mentioned in one particular thread in the ´other games´-section, but hasn´t yet. That´s why i didnt write anything in that thread yet.

[Dale]

Red Baron?

French music + diary reminds me of a WW1 game, I'm assuming you mean the top 10 old games thread (and it was a good game), and the first clue is the first flight so I'm assuming some early flight connection.

[Mr. Scruffy]

getting there, Dale, getting there.... :D Not Red Baron, though...

It´s not the ´10 old games thread´ either. But still: Pretty close.

[El_Cid]

My knowledge of american historic events is pretty poor sadly......

Guess2: Gettysburg

I'm still going with the hex type war game thing for now :)

[Dale]

Then next was Aces over Europe. :lol:

[Mr. Scruffy]

Not next, Dale - before.

Okay next hint: This game wasnt about gigantic ants, nor was it about middlevil england, but yet it was a ´cinematic´ experience...

[Mr. Scruffy]

My knowledge of american historic events is pretty poor sadly......

Guess2: Gettysburg

I'm still going with the hex type war game thing for now :)

1. Not so much about AMERICAN history (the game takes place in Europe - northern France mostly to be more specific)

2. NO HEX TYPE WAR GAME ! :D

[El_Cid]

surely not:

Guess3: 'Defender of the Crown'?

[Mr. Scruffy]

OMG - this is like playing battleships and you guys are surrounding my carrier with near-hits all around. NOT midevil england - northern france. And Dale got the timeframe allright.

(Though, if you care to successfully explain to me the connection of "Kittyhawk, NC, 1903" to "Defender of the Crown"´s game-topic, i say, you win :D )

[Mr. Scruffy]

So, we have the studio, the time and the place the game is set in - all have been mentioned/guessed correctly at one point or the other. All you need to do, is to put the pieces together. Additional clues should not be needed. I cant imagine none of you ever heard of the game.

EDIT: Okay, a last one: It´s not ´X of Fury´ (quite popular at the time on the same platform - think of little japanese soldiers screaming) - just X.

[Dale]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wings_(computer_game)

:D I loved Wings of Fury (never played this one).

[Mr. Scruffy]

´Wings´ it is. Finally. I already thought that you guys were f***ing with me.

Dale´s turn.

PS: The thread mentioned is the ´Amiga´-thread btw.

[El_Cid]

doh! I was way out on this one.

http://www.mobygames.com/game/wings

one of my favourite flight sims on the Amiga as well!!! It had a lot of style.

[Dale]

Clue 1: Released 4 years after the previous game I am still played today, but cannot step out from behind my cousins shadow.

[Mr. Scruffy]

´the previous game´ is wings (1990), right?

[Dale]

Yep. :)

[Mr. Scruffy]

and is it "cousin´s" or "cousins´" (one or more cousin(s)) ?

[Dale]

Need a guess before another clue. ;)

[Mr. Scruffy]

Well, i´go for the obvious one - though i kinda hope i am wrong:

XCom - Ufo Defense.

[Dale]

Yeah, you're wrong. :p

[Mr. Scruffy]

phew...

[Mr. Scruffy]

ha - dude - i should have known: You are talking about´Colonization´.

[Dale]

;)

Your turn

[El_Cid]

:lol: now that was too easy/obvious Dale............but i suppose if anyone was going to do Colonization here it had to be you :D

http://www.mobygames.com/game/sid-meiers-colonization

i used to have(might still do?) a folder of the music from the game that would random play in winamp :cool: one of my favourite game soundtracks ever.

[Dale]

Here's the Col music: http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=12027

[El_Cid]

Ah yeah!! I 'think' the DOS music was the same as the Amiga music? Still I really do love these tunes, so cheers Dale :)

and where's Mr.Scruffy gone - he normaly is very quick of the mark :lol: (i like sticking lol at the end in tribute of the 'jesus says lol' joke thread thing - i wont do it forever).

Ok time to find which PC has 7zip on and listen to these great tracks :b:

[Mr. Scruffy]

sorry, guys...

Okay... hmmm... hint1:

This game was advertised to have 25 men-years in it (meaning 5 people worked on it for 5 years or somesuch).

[Dale]

Duke Nukem Forever (1 man 25 years) :p

[Mr. Scruffy]

An ´E´ is missing at home - but then again, it´s not really ´home´ - just where you start from.

[nbcman]

Duke Nukem Forever (1 man 25 years) :p


And this is the #1 answer for where the 'forever' in Duke Nukem Forever comes from.

[Dale]

Based on the clues so far, I'm no closer to giving a real answer. Considering lots of games have 25 man-years in them. :)

[Mr. Scruffy]

nm

[El_Cid]

Guess1= Heroes of Might and magic?

[Mr. Scruffy]

http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/1/15562/613862-dos_inset_super.jpg

[Mr. Scruffy]

You see the pic, guys, right? Note the batch-logos. These guys are not from the Dharma-initiative...

[El_Cid]

no....still nothing concrete for me....although binary systems means something to me....just not sure what yet!........still i will fire one out based on that picture:

Guess2= Shuttle?

[Mr. Scruffy]

...these guys are from interstel

[El_Cid]

Guess3= Wing Commander?

more clues about the actual game please :)

[Dale]

Hang on, didn't Binary Systems make a game called Starflight?

[Mr. Scruffy]

Dale´s turn !

[Spaced Cowboy]

crap, I knew it when I saw the pic, awesome game!!!

[El_Cid]

aha! Starflight:

http://www.mobygames.com/game/starflight

sadly when this came out i was an atari800 guy - so i missed it! But boy did i want to play it! Still it's one of those i have in my 'too play' list, it has such a good reputation :)

[Mr. Scruffy]

It would be hard to find a game where you feel more ´Picard-ésque´ - even among the Star Trek games.

[Dale]

Okay sorry for the delay. :D

Clue 1: I started my design process as a man running in the centre of the screen.

[Mr. Scruffy]

Commando !

[El_Cid]

Guess 1: Impossible Mission?

[Metaliturtle]

GTA

[Dale]

Clue 2: The TV advertisement for me launched the career of actor-musician Jack Black.

[El_Cid]

interesting one there Dale :)

hmmm....

Guess2: Eye-Toy?

[Dale]

Hehehehe. ;)

I want to get to at least clue 4 this time. :lol:

[nbcman]

@ Dale

Doesn't look like you will make it:

1982 Made acting debut in a commercial for the Atari videogame Pitfall at age thirteen (date approximate) Credit to Hollywood.com

But I don't have a followup question, so if I am right someone else can ask the next question or you can keep Dale's question open until someone else gets it.

[Dale]

:rant:

But that's correct. :)

[nbcman]

OK this is probably an easy question:

What is the game based on an Oscar winning movie from the 80s that is often described as the worst video game ever?

[Metaliturtle]

ET

[nbcman]

Correct Metaliturtle.

[Metaliturtle]

Ok, this is a PC only* game starring Mario


*may also have made it for mac but who cares

[Dale]

Super Mario?

[Metaliturtle]

it may be considered edu-tainment by some

[Mr. Scruffy]

i am not even able to make guesses on this one - sorry.

[Tarvok]

Um... Mario Typing Adventure... yeah. :p

Is google allowed? There can't be that many computer games with Mario in it (unless you count his earlier unnamed career as "Jumpman."

[Jack Hawksmoor]

Uh, it isn't Mario's Time Machine? Or one of typing/learning numbers games?

[Metaliturtle]

Tarvok is very close in fact I'll give it to him, it's Mario Teaches Typing

[El_Cid]

Dales game: Pitfall

http://www.mobygames.com/game/pitfall

I didnt know about Jack Black doing a commercial for it - he must have been a young boy! I loved this game, and it's sequel pitfall II.

Nbcmans game: ET

http://www.mobygames.com/game/atari-2600/et-the-extra-terrestrial_

this game is infamous for possibly starting the first big computer game crash and also for being buried by the tens of thousands in a desert in the USA somewhere. A lesson about taking customers for chumps mr video game industry :yes:

Metaliturtles game: Mario Teaches Typing

http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/mario-teaches-typing

I didn't know of this game :)

Over to you Tarvok :b:

[Tarvok]

I knew there was some kind of Mario typing game; I just couldn't remember the name.

What about my question? Is Google allowed?

As to my game:

First and last in its series to have the dialogue written in "Ye Olde Butchered E Englishe".

[El_Cid]

Guess1= Darklands?(if you mean by first and last=only?)

As for Google - it is allowed but you should declare if you used it, and if it gives you the title you would not have otherwise got, then that is a foul(bad guess).

In your case you didnt get the name exactly write, so that is ok. putting clues into google is also not allowed to get the name of the game, but part of that responsibility is on the clue setter to make things cryptic and difficult to google.

Most guesses will be by people who know the game/have played it/seen it etc.

But keep with the game you have set as i'm sure i havent got it, but wanted to get it out the way ;)

[Mr. Scruffy]

i want to remind everybody, that local learning tools are no fair game IMHO.

---

I deduct this game is part of a larger series, but the only one that had its dialogues written in old (shakesperian) english. Dialogues narrows the genres down somewhat, but i cant make anything of the ´exclusive to the series´-part yet...

[El_Cid]

it's a 'on your honour' system. I only know of one person who ever abused it to the nth degree and that was Dr.Spike - he never got asked to the Palace to get knighted by the Queen, so keep that in mind. :cute:

but yeah as stated in the first post, under rules:

"Use of Google should be declared if it gives you the answer you wouldn't have got otherwise."

Are you an honourable man or a villain? etc

[Metaliturtle]

It's not Dragon Warrior for the NES? THat had some awful engrish

[Tarvok]

Metaliturtle got it, as I should have expected from his name (sounds like a DQ monster). I don't recall any of the dialogue feeling "engrish", but rather "Fake Old English" (which are two unrelated sets of incorrect usages).

Dang, I was hoping that'd be obscure enough I'd get to give a few more. Your deal, Metal Turtle. ;)

[Dale]

Tarvok:

Just to expand on the Google searching question. If I know what the game's name has in it, but not what the name is then I'll use Mobygames to get the proper name. For instance I may know it's a "Larry" game and check Mobygames to find it's full name of Leisure Suit Larry.

[Metaliturtle]

Ok another game that I've gotten into modding now.

It is set in the 3 kingdoms period of ancient china but is not an ROTK game

(this should be easy now)

[Tarvok]

Heh, unless you're hacking a ROM, it's probably not Destiny of an Emperor.

But if it is, I win?

[Metaliturtle]

it is and I am hacking a ROM, it's ok because I own the game.

[Tarvok]

Wow. Neat. What are you doing with it?

Man, its hard to come up with something not totally obvious. Hmm...

City Name: Tenebrae

[Metaliturtle]

reworking the game so that it's all me and my brothers. DoaE taught us how to read.

[Spaced Cowboy]

Ultima VII or was it VIII, me is so confused.

[Tarvok]

Wow, I'm busy all day, and I figured people would be like "When's the game going to continue?"

Spaced Cowboy, I'll give it to you this time because I was given it for a nearly wrong name earlier. But next time, I'm holding out for a specific guess. It was VIII. "What is this city?! It's only the biggest pile of bricks on the whole island! It's Tenebrae, and don't ya be forgettin' it!" (roughly paraphrased)

[El_Cid]

Tarvoks game that Metaliturtle got: Dragon Warrior

http://www.mobygames.com/game/dragon-warrior

It is the first in the DragonQuest games it seems? I've watched my gf play DragonQuestVIII, but the english was quite good in that one?

Metaliturtles game that Tarvok got: Destiny of an Emperor

http://www.mobygames.com/game/nes/destiny-of-an-emperor

RotK games i loved back in the day(just 1,2+3) - it's in the detail. I Didn't know about this game mind you. NES games are my achillies heel of gaming knowledge ;)

Tarvoks game that Spaced Cowboy got: UltimaVIII: Pagan

http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/ultima-viii-pagan

This was slightly different from the previous Ultima games, but had a cool name and graphicaly was quite cool.

Ok Spaced Cowboy - it's your go :b:

Wow you gents got through a lot of game in short order there, great guessing :)

[Metaliturtle]

El Cid you should try Destiny of an Emperor emulators are readily available and the games are sold cheap on amazon

[El_Cid]

How does it compare to the early RotK games on PC? I think the first few were great koei games, and even now they get a run out. Deep and pretty complex, albeit with the normal ui issues of many games of their era, the RotK games are excellent imho. So what does this Nes version do differently would you say?

[Metaliturtle]

DoaE is more like an RPG. Compared to any RotK game DoaE is going to be shorter with a more linear story.

[El_Cid]

ok thanks - i'll look into it :)

[Spaced Cowboy]

If you google this, you'll get it.

Mangar's mind fist.