"Thanks for playing you've been a real pant load"

It's amazing to me how many times I will see something and compare it to something I have seen in a game I've played. Okay, yeah that seems a little odd and I really need to get out more, but all that does is allow me to continue to see things and hear voices. I was having a few cocktails at a favorite establishment, yes I do socialize without a keyboard. Someone in the group was referring to a funny event and said, "...yeah that was a real pant load." Immediately I went nostalgic,
"Thank you for playing Space Quest 4 and as usual you've been a real pant load."

*Sigh* those were the days.....

Image by timmarshall via Flickr

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What an era in video games. The 80's and early 90's opened up a whole new world for me in entertainment. Names like Ken and Roberta Williams, Lori and Corey Cole, Scott Murphy, Mark Crowe and good 'ole Al Lowe.

These were my heroes, my celebrity's, I think I played almost everything Sierra On-Line produced and what a ride it was. Kings Quest, Police Quest, Space Quest and many more titles made their way into my new found obsession.

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As Gamers we have all had our "first time". That magic moment when you felt funny inside and your knees went weak, wait...that was another first time, but this was kinda of like that.

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It was the time of CGA, the Color Graphics Adapter and a true 2d gaming environment. It was pixels the size of your thumb and very grainy but it had the same impact going from a black and white TV to Color. CGA lead to EGA "Enhanced Graphics Adapter" and then to VGA.

We had it all, at least we thought. How can this get any better. We had the Roland MT-32, well I didn't, my rich neighbor did, but I had an Ad Lib sound card for my IBM and my immersion was complete. I never left my PC for the next 10 years. The soundtracks for these games began to be recognizable as if they were the top ten tunes on the radio.

After my little nostalgic flashback and upon returning home somewhat inebriated, yes it's the voices, I started digging through the old shoe box of games to see what had survived. Have you ever had a tune stuck in your head to the point that you need to listen to it or start chewing on the couch? I wanted to stroll down memory lane to see Daventry, the planet Phleebhut, Help Laura Bow solve a mystery, yeah I have to admit I enjoyed the Laura Bow Mystery series as well, don't make fun of me, talk to the voices.

 The humor was slapstick and one liners at it's best. Space Quest 6 was probably one of my favorites but the rest of the series is very well written as well. Gary Owens who was the announcer for Rowen and Martins Laugh in, the voice of Space Ghost and several other noted persona's, was also the announcer for Space Quest 6. The developers choosing Gary was a perfect match for the way it was written and designed.

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There were so many hours spent in the stories and worlds that 
the Sierra On-Line team created, almost 20 years of great entertainment. I have some great memories of puzzles that had stumped me for days, the satire, the drama and fear.....yes my precious, fear. Gabriel Knight and Phantasmagoria were games to play with the lights out...if you dare.

Image by Michael Heilemann via Flickr

I am going to run off, grab Roger Wilco and play me some Astro Chicken, meanwhile mouse over to these links and check out some memorable moments and ground breaking gaming history.

 Space Quest 4: Memorable Moments

Sierra Games On-Line