Category: Retropixel

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Finished: Thimbleweed Park

So yes. I’ve been to Thimbleweed Park. If you’ve ever played some gems-a-boo of  Ron Gilbert, Garry Winnick and David Fox, this is definitively one game-a-rino for you. This game lets you feel the kinship to Maniac Mansion. A lot of references, gimmicks and puns related to Maniac Mansion and other great Mmucas Flem Games. xD

Dave and Sandy are living in Thimbleweed Park owning a Diner. Bernard’s Cousin works at a Quickie-Pal. So lots and lots of fun with this one.

If I had seen this on kickstarter, I would’ve supported it. So here you’ve got the Mulder and Scully (X-Files) Look-Alikes Agent Ray and Reyes solving the case of a murder that happened in Thimbleweed Park. A foreigner called Boris (probably german) dies in the beginning. And as a fun fact, german author Boris Schneider-Johne (the Translator of many Lucasfilm Games like Monkey Island) translated Thimbleweed Park as his last project. You’re meeting a lot of strange and funny characters that keeps the game lively as it could be.

You can choose an easy or a hard approach to the game, without changing this decision in the game. As somewhat experienced Point’n’Click Adventurer you may have up to 14-15 hours fun with this gem.

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Finished: Maniac Mansion

Yep. the old one. Aaand – I finished it on my android phone (thank you ScummVM). I don’t know how often I played this one through, but this is my first time on the phone.

This is a true Lucasfilm classic. First released in 1987 it is already 30 years old now! You can get it on GOG.com if you don’t already own it.

The introduction screen (Kids: Dave, Syd, Michael, Wendy, Bernard, Razor and Jeff)

The story is all about Dave and his friends (you can choose up to two more companions on this Quest), trying to rescue Dave’s girl Sandy from the clutches of evil Dr. Fred. Dr. Fred himself, got possessed by an alien meteor, you additionally have to get rid of. (You can see it falling onto his ground in the intro sequence). For my playthrough I chose egghead Bernard Bernoulli, and Razor (screenshot), the cool leadsinger of her band Razor and the Scummets. If Razor wasn’t captured by Nurse Edna, she made herself the strongest character in the game and destroyed some lighting to get hidden keys. Bernard was nerding around, but got the Ham Radio online. So if you ever wanted to meet Purple and Green, get some Nachos and Cola (Jaw*: this is unhealthy!), put on the 80s John Hughes Vibe playlist on YT (or any other synthpop 80s playlist) and get going xD …

Razor got captured …

*Jaw: Just a warning

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Finished: Undertale ~Floweys Vengeance~


and you thought ~this is the end~ but it nevertheless started right through it all again. After all these hard fights, you’ll really get kicked. If you’re like me on the path of a peaceful struggle without violence then it could be easier for you, but it still was hard ~

So I had to run through all these places, talking to many of them monsters AGAIN ~NOW~ trying to get to know the story of Alphys. I’d say some 2 hours more to play until you fight ASGORE again. Then for the good of it.

BUT! ~ I did it. I stayed determined and I’ve finished the game.

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Stay determined.

Well… I did a lot of things. I really tried hard to escape all those attacks. I will win eventually – You’ll see.. cuz I’m determined!

In the meantime I strolled through the caves of the Underworld, met friends, had cooking parties, talked a lot, bought stuff (mostly Crab Apples) and enjoyed snail races. And of course touched those squeaky mushrooms.

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Finished: Red Strings Club

Well, at least the for the first time. Whoa. That game was quite entertaining. It even turned out totally unexpected. Have you ever played a game and you knew how it would end? Bummer.

Give Red Strings Club a try if you’re in Cyberpunk dystopian stuff. It’s a really short story (about 4-5 hours), but it’s replayable. And thats something today. Isn’t it? Ok. Guess you’re right. Beat me ….

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Someone’s approaching the bar!

In a world ruled by corporations and technology “Supercontinent” is one of the most important. It produces neural implants that can enhance or alter human conscience. Two friends, Donovan and Brandeis discover a secret, that a missing android Type Akara-184 holds. This Akara Unit just came to Donovan and his bar – “the Red Strings Club” – because it was hacked by a hacking group called PROXYMA at Supercontinent itself.

Now it is up to the player to discover the secret behind Supercontinents plan to manipulate their sold human implants. The story begins with a falling Brandeis. Seemingly from a high building. It all starts ~ with the end. Or so it seems.

The beginning captures me right away, with its athmosphere (raining of course), the melodic intriguing soundtrack – And if you’ve read William Gibsons “Neuromancer” or played “Shadowrun”, or have seen “Blade Runner” it’ll get you too.  All of these seem to be the muse of cyberspace. Like Case in Neuromancer, Brandeis is a cyberspace hacker discovering  Supercontinent’s plot from the secret Akara Unit ..

Now they hide Akara-184 as a Chobits-like doorman welcoming customers at Donovans bar …

Let me give you some screens:

 

More human than human is our motto (Dr. Eldon Tyrell)

Blade Runner – 1984

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It breaks my heart …

… all too often. But, all the way after meeting PAPYRUS and his comic brother sans (one of the greatest font puns!), after fighting UNDYNE and making friends with some other monsters, I still think about how to entwine and curdle up Muffet, the cute spider monster lady.

Up until now I like Aaron. Our flex duels are awesome, amazing and historical! And the Mettaton Game Shows. “Amazing” (insert nosy voice here)!

I mostly failed my first assumption of the soundtrack. Sometimes it is quite a soothing pianoplay, then 8bit-MIDI followed e.g. by an addacio of 8bit warfare in fights. Another time its a beautiful athmospheric synthesized sound. I like especially the squeaking mushrooms. It is so much fun to turn them off and on (squeak, squeak) 😀

Well ~ Gotta go, lie around with my friend Nabstablook … ^^

Some more screenshots for you:

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About Undertale …

Well, at first I thought “what a crappy JRPG”. The graphics felt like those old EGA Games and the music like those old retro 8bit-MIDI-Chiptunes. Quiet an Impression. But once captured within, you’re really lost. As a “one man” Project, all done by Toby Fox (you can read all about it on other pages) it is a really impressive piece of artwork. Since I am a fan of JRPGs, I played my fair share of some. Undertale’s story is mainly a shared world of humans and monsters, wherein the monsters left the surface and are dwelling in the underground. Your main character is falling down into this underground and “fights” his/her way back. You’ll encounter a rich story with funny parts, and a thorough gameplay. Either to fight monsters or to spare monsters and befriend some on your way. Like “not” fighting the introductory character TORIEL. But don’t let me spoil you.

You’ll start in some ruins rescued by TORIEL from your fall. In this introductory part you’ll learn everything you need to know about the gameplay and controls. I really liked switching off the lamp in your room results in turning the music into a music box’s lullaby.