What do you think about Grim Fandango? Lucasarts Discussion.

coltyhuxx

coltyhuxx

CAGiversary!
I have the discs sitting on my desk at the moment. I remember playing about two hours into it several years back. I didn't like the control schema at all.. really, are tank controls good in an adventure game???? Ughhh. (No, they are not.. and my opinion is right;) )

Does it get pretty good? I've heard a lot of good things about it. Maybe I'd get used to the controls. I'm just an old-school control-with-a-mouse please gamer.

Edit: Expanding topic to discuss Lucasarts games.
 
I installed it but it wouldn't run right on my desktop... it ran too fast, literally. Like, my characters would move at 3x normal speed so it made doing anything nearly impossible.
 
[quote name='Vinny']I installed it but it wouldn't run right on my desktop... it ran too fast, literally. Like, my characters would move at 3x normal speed so it made doing anything nearly impossible.[/QUOTE]

You can try running it through DosBox. Also if you have hyperthreading (Intel CPUs), you have to turn it off in your bios.

Fantastic game, but I need to finish it. It's Tim Shaefer, ok? Tim Shaefer is the feeling you get right before you orgasm.

Don't believe me? Test it yourself. Right before it happens, your mind will instantaneously think about Tim Shaefer for a moment so infinitely finite that you won't remember it.

But it did happen.
 
[quote name='Strell']You can try running it through DosBox. Also if you have hyperthreading (Intel CPUs), you have to turn it off in your bios.[/QUOTE]
Uhhhh....Since when has DOSBox run Windows 95 games?

Also, there's a patch that should fix the HT problem on Grin Fandango:
http://www.lucasforums.com/showthread.php?t=147235

And lastly, yeah, incredible game. The last truly great adventure game from LucasArts (Escape from Monkey Island wasn't the greatest). I named my cat "Squeaky" after a line of dialog in the game ("Aw, it's a squeaky little kitty," when Manny inspects the cat balloon animal). That, and because "squeaky" describes her meows. :)
 
[quote name='RollingSkull']Grim Fandango is awesome. Definitely worth the effort.

Does ImageCFG work on System Shock 2 as well?[/QUOTE]
Beats me. I don't have SS2 handy at the moment...
 
Thinks it stupid, given more credit for what it did for games.. whatever.
That its worth. and whats his name "Schaiffer" who whatever is also given more credit then he's worth. Nice job making a new company and how did that Psychonauts sells? Exactly...
 
[quote name='LanceJr']Thinks it stupid, given more credit for what it did for games.. whatever.
That its worth. and whats his name "Schaiffer" who whatever is also given more credit then he's worth. Nice job making a new company and how did that Psychonauts sells? Exactly...[/QUOTE]

Wow. What retarded logic.

Do you have any idea how honestly brilliant Psychonauts is? For a company less than half the size of most third parties, the fact that they cranked out something better than a lot of the crap out there - both in pure mechanics and aesthetics - speaks a lot about their talent. I won't go into the fact that it was universally lauded by critics.

And his name is Shafer. But I guess if you can't even bother to spell his name correctly, you don't exactly know what the f*ck you are talking about.
 
[quote name='LanceJr']Thinks it stupid, given more credit for what it did for games.. whatever.
That its worth. and whats his name "Schaiffer" who whatever is also given more credit then he's worth. Nice job making a new company and how did that Psychonauts sells? Exactly...[/QUOTE]

Sales figures and critical acclaim are two very different and unrelated things. By your thinking, Madden is the best game ever. Period.
 
First off, if it wasn't for Tim Schafer, none of you would be here today. I don't mean in relation to video games, I mean in the Biblical sense.

Psychonauts haters are reserved their very own ring in hell, you can read all about them in Dante Alighieri's Inferno, they are the ones that are punished by the sodomites.

Grim Fandango is amazing, those not in the know just don't know.

(Now, on a serious note, the interface differences between older adventure games and LucasArts' GRIMM engine have irked many people beyond belief. Personally, I have to admit that I'm in the camp of "haters" though getting used to the interface is a miniscule price to pay for what Grim Fandango has in store for you. Ironically, GRIMM engine has been updated and fixed for Escape from Monkey Island, a game that was so bad, that even an improved engine could not really save it.)

Whether you understand why Gilbert and Shafer are important to the gaming community, and why I've purchased 8 copies of Psychonauts as gifts for people over the course of years, (that is a discussion that is rooted firmly in my impreccable taste and superior intellect) Grim Fandango is amazing and that is a fact.

By fact, of course, I mean my opinion. And by opinion, I mean FACT. They are so interchangible, really! On a serious note, Shafer's work is to me what "Halo" and "God of War" is to so many other people.


Act II and Act III are out of this world.
 
[quote name='Full_Throttle']How does GF compare with Day of the Tentacle? That game was quite entertaining when I played it.[/quote]

I think that Grim Fandango is the most epic of Shafer's tales. Probably even moreso than Psychonauts (btw, Psychonauts is brilliant.) However, Day of the Tentacle is adventure gaming PERFECTION. Nothing comes close, despite it being an obvious "mega-hit" in the adventure world. Grim Fandango is a tour-de-force film noir with brilliant everything, but do expect the game to have a span of 4 years in the Afterworld of the South Americas (sorry, ignorant white guy here, I don't know if it's Mexican or Brazilian, or what).

Full Throttle is "Diet Schafer" which still manages to satisfy more than anything else. Play it if you can your hands on it. Pretty easy, and brilliantly cinematic.


ALSO! If your shit runs too fast, use TURBO (Google it) to slow down your CPU to whatever it needs to be to be all smoov. Running the game in Win95 Compatibility mode helps, but those with service pack 1.x should run it in Windows 98 Compatibility mode to prevent some annoyance. If you need help with particulars when it comes to running anything old on PC, holla via PM.
 
Grim Fandango is an awesome game. Do whatever you have to do to get the game up and running. It'll give you more pleasure than 90% of the games on shelves today.
 
Hm, someone said something about changing the controls? Color me doubtful about that. (Although it wouldn't be the first time I've been dead-wrong.)

But, seriously... by change, what do you mean, invert? I want point and click, damnit!!

I think I'm just having a longing for a good adventure game. Phoenix Wright is awesome but "law" isn't really my favorite genre.. I'm more into the fantasy/sci-fi.

And, frankly, I miss that Lucasarts humor and epic art direction...(a meaningful compliment, being that I grew up on the Sierra games.. and when LucasArts came around I was like, "oh... so this is how you do it.") Fate of Atlantis and Loom are coming to mind. Even though Loom was an appetizer of a game.

Loom represent!
http://www.youtube.com/v/B0w2igGNpfA
How about frickin' ZakMcKraken and the Alien Mindbenders? You guys remember that one? I still have the musical intro stuck in my head. (skip ahead a little if you haven't checked this one out...don't worry, no spoilers, will only confuse you)..
http://www.youtube.com/v/gc-lNxjLIBk
 
[quote name='The Crotch']2: Why do I picture you as a pirate with an "Ask me about LOOM" button on your shirt?[/quote]

That's ME, byotch! :whistle2:#


Have you played the new Sam & Max: Season I? I just pray you weren't one of the people that were so dissapointed with Episode 2 (or three, or whatever) that you missed out on it. Tasty stuff, though maybe a little too easy. But still, loved it.

Whoever said that Zak McKracken is awesome is correct.

And although not "technically" an adventure, Psychonauts is amazing. I do recommend it greatly.

Oh yeah, for sci-fi, check out The Dig. It runs extremely well under SCUMMVM, and if you haven't played it, you should. It's cheezy-cinematic, but the puzzles are ace.

Oh, and the first two Discworld games are amazing (haven't played Discworld Noir), but being a fan of Pratchett and ability to stomach HOURS worth of hilarious British dialogue are a must, otherwise don't bother.


Any Space Quest fans up in this bitch?
 
[quote name='MarioColbert']Any Space Quest fans up in this bitch?[/QUOTE]Hellz yeah, but I'd hate to hijack this thread with Sierra talk.

I loved pretty much all the LucasArts adventures I played (haven't played the Dig yet), but I have to admit I wasn't that impressed with Full Throttle. I didn't get into that one, didn't seem as fun to me. And all I remember about the game are long video sequences of getting on and off highways.
 
I love Grim Fandango to death (har har), but the last third of the game drags mightily.

Sam and Max Hit the Road is the pinnacle of LucasArtsGames achievement. I haven't tried the new S&M games from Telltale yet 'cos I'm afraid. That and the new voice actors.
 
I have not played the DIG or Full Throttle... I remember seeing some adverts for DIG, guess it wasn't marketed too well...
 
Grim Fandango is the only LucasArts game to top Monkey Island 2 and 3 in my mind. The story, the music, the voice acting, the puzzles, the art design...It's just a beautiful production from start to finish.

The Dig is great and highly underrated. Very atmospheric, even by today's standards. Good voice acting too. The animated cutscenes, as mentioned, are laughably bad, but the in-game graphics are stunning. I really liked the art design.

Full Throttle is fun and I enjoyed it while it lasted, but it's very short. Still, definitely worth a play.
 
I saw on IMDB some mention of Sophia Haphgood being in the new jones movie. Highly, highly, unsubstantiated rumor... but it gave me pause for a second.
 
[quote name='coltyhuxx']I saw on IMDB some mention of Sophia Haphgood being in the new jones movie. Highly, highly, unsubstantiated rumor... but it gave me pause for a second.[/quote]
I heard that she'll be played by Shia LaBeouf...

...or something.
 
Full Throttle is actually quite excellent, though I do understand the concerns for the overly cinematic flare. I think around the same time Sierra were doing Phantasmagoria, so it kind of makes sense. Plus, the Wing Commander III and IV were developed around the same time, too, if you recall correctly.

Day of the Tentacle is probably my favorite SCUMM game of all time. I really love Grim Fandango for everything that it was. The Dig is not too hard, but it is confusing. The puzzles sometimes play around with the nebuloud logic of Myst and Riven, though still providing a bit more in the way of hints and clues than the examples. Jawbraker puzzle in Monkey Island 3 is a bad puzzle, as is the lead-in for getting into the locked up bank in Monkey Island 4. Gilbert's puzzles are the best because of how much sense they make. Day of the Tentacle, Monkey Island 2, and Grim Fandango (along with Full Throttle, because I LIKE IT) are great examples of sensible puzzles that are challenging and at times unique, but without the "advanced puzzle syndrome" that so many great games suffer from.
 
[quote name='MarioColbert']Day of the Tentacle, Monkey Island 2, and Grim Fandango (along with Full Throttle, because I LIKE IT) are great examples of sensible puzzles that are challenging and at times unique, but without the "advanced puzzle syndrome" that so many great games suffer from.[/QUOTE]I loved DOTT too, but I dunno if I'd consider the puzzles in that game "sensible puzzles". Maybe I didn't have my adventure game cap on tight enough, but I remember looking at the walkthrough frequently for that game. (The one puzzle [I think] I vaguely remember is something with a cat and white-out.)
 
[quote name='judyjudyjudy']I loved DOTT too, but I dunno if I'd consider the puzzles in that game "sensible puzzles". Maybe I didn't have my adventure game cap on tight enough, but I remember looking at the walkthrough frequently for that game. (The one puzzle [I think] I vaguely remember is something with a cat and white-out.)[/quote]

Oh yeah, the use of Boo-boo-B-Gon(TM) on the Fence.

True enough, the puzzle by itself seems to be illogical. However, the refences to skunks inside the "human prison" and the whole lead-in about cartoons and whatnot is a rather big hint. Since you need to make an animal look like a skunk (that much is particularly set in the dialogue tree with the Edisons after you get rid of the guard), the only animal present is the cat, and the closest to white paint is the Boo-Boo-B-Gon(TM). I like that puzzle a lot, because it does require "creative thought" but doesn't require you to pixel-hunt for things.

Oh yeah, I guess I should say that if you don't want me to spoil a puzzle in a 10 year old game, don't read the previous paragrarh.
 
Have you played this game recently or do you just have spectacular memory? All I remember about that part of the game is cat, fence, paint, and "how the fuck was I supposed to know this?" It sounds like I most likely missed a lot of hints in the dialogue... either that or I just don't remember.

Methinks I need to give this game another whirl.
 
I loved Psychonauts...probably the most fun I had with my original Xbox.

Where would a not-very-resourceful person such as myself find a copy of Grim Fandango to play? Ebay, I presume...but is there a cheaper/better/easier way?

On the subject of my limited exposure to anything Lucasarts: Armed and Dangerous was a lot of fun and had a great sense of humor, but the cutscenes were absolute shite. Mercenaries rocked, though...that game owned my soul for about a month.
 
[quote name='judyjudyjudy']Have you played this game recently or do you just have spectacular memory? [/quote]

I do have a spectacular memory, yes. For example, I can beat the original Prince of Persia from the first try in the alloted one hour, though I won't say that I won't die ever (and in fact guarantee at least one death to the "won't approach you" guy in Level 8). Last I was challenged to do so was in 2001 or 2002, and I should have bet the guy money, because I did it in 54 minutes. (My best time for Prince of Persia 1 is 49 minutes.)

As far as adventure games are concerned, I can beat any Space Quest or Leisure Suit Larry in front of you, without use of anything other than the game manuals for copy protection related questions. Since there are too many games to list in LucasArts catalog, I will say that I will not be able to do it with the following titles: Maniac Mansion (never beat it all the way), Zak McKracken (not sure if I remember Mars all that well), and Monkey Island 4 (playing it safe, since I didn't like it, and only played through it once.) I have spent the entirety of Middle School playing those games, and it was back in Russia, where there were no hint books or online FAQs. Also, despite my love for my English-Russian Dictionary that was used to understand what the fuck was going on, certain words used by Sam & Max remained a mystery to me until 1998, when I had the chance to replay those titles in the United States.

Yes, this is a severe uncloseting of my nerdyness. My folks got me a PC back in Russia, and would not, no matter how much I begged, cash our for a Nintendo. Old PC games is something of a big nostalgia for me, and Roger Wilco is my Mario. I would apologize for loving something so old and so "uncool" by today's gaming standards. But truth is, I'm too old to care.
 
I didn't like Sam and Max Hit the Road. Seemed more like an excuse for the dog and rabbit to be funny than anything they needed me to play. Was hilarious, but not that much fun.

As far as I'm concerned, Sierra only made one adventure game: Quest For fucking Glory fucking IV, bitches. There is nothing else by Sierra that measures up.
 
[quote name='MarioColbert']Jawbraker puzzle in Monkey Island 3 is a bad puzzle, as is the lead-in for getting into the locked up bank in Monkey Island 4. Gilbert's puzzles are the best because of how much sense they make.[/quote]
What? Have you forgotten the chicken with a pulley in it? :roll:

[quote name='RollingSkull']As far as I'm concerned, Sierra only made one adventure game: Quest For fucking Glory fucking IV, bitches. There is nothing else by Sierra that measures up.[/quote]
As far as Sierra goes, I was a fan of the two Manhunter games, the first couple LSL cames, the first couple King's Quests, and Gold Rush. But none of them came close to capturing my imagination or made me laugh as much as even the lowliest LucasArts game.

[quote name='doctorfaustus']I love these games but I am lost most of the time and end up feeling nausated.[/quote]

Nausated? Sick and satisfied?
 
[quote name='MarioColbert']I do have a spectacular memory, yes. For example, I can beat the original Prince of Persia from the first try in the alloted one hour, though I won't say that I won't die ever (and in fact guarantee at least one death to the "won't approach you" guy in Level 8). Last I was challenged to do so was in 2001 or 2002, and I should have bet the guy money, because I did it in 54 minutes. (My best time for Prince of Persia 1 is 49 minutes.)

As far as adventure games are concerned, I can beat any Space Quest or Leisure Suit Larry in front of you, without use of anything other than the game manuals for copy protection related questions. Since there are too many games to list in LucasArts catalog, I will say that I will not be able to do it with the following titles: Maniac Mansion (never beat it all the way), Zak McKracken (not sure if I remember Mars all that well), and Monkey Island 4 (playing it safe, since I didn't like it, and only played through it once.) I have spent the entirety of Middle School playing those games, and it was back in Russia, where there were no hint books or online FAQs. Also, despite my love for my English-Russian Dictionary that was used to understand what the fuck was going on, certain words used by Sam & Max remained a mystery to me until 1998, when I had the chance to replay those titles in the United States.

Yes, this is a severe uncloseting of my nerdyness. My folks got me a PC back in Russia, and would not, no matter how much I begged, cash our for a Nintendo. Old PC games is something of a big nostalgia for me, and Roger Wilco is my Mario. I would apologize for loving something so old and so "uncool" by today's gaming standards. But truth is, I'm too old to care.[/quote]
I highly recommend going back and playing Maniac Mansion, I recently played it and it holds up surprisingly well. Or you can play the Deluxe version which makes it even better.
 
The jawbreaker puzzle and the Youngest Pirate Ever puzzles in CMI both blew, but I had no trouble with the former because I was hand-iconing everyone.
 
At one point in my life, I prided myself on being able to run through Maniac Mansion for the NES in one sitting. I never played it through on a computer, although I believe there was a copy of it on DOTT.

For those of you asking about Grim Fandango, the obvious answer is illegally downloading a copy, but I can't think of many legit options other than eBay or other online retailers w/ seller-communities. Perhaps one day LucasArts will team with Valve to release their catalogue of adventure games on Steam—I would have purchased the Longest Journey that way if I hadn't already grabbed a jewelcase copy at Target.

I have a retail copy (w/o the box, but with the soundtrack CD); if anyone's interested in a trade or purchase, send me a PM.
 
I've liquidated a few games over the years, but I'm proud to say I still have all of my old LucasArts games in their boxes.

In fact, I think I'm going to go ahead and order a R4DS adapter so I can play them on my DS using SCUMMVM DS.
 
[quote name='dfg']I love Grim Fandango to death (har har), but the last third of the game drags mightily.

Sam and Max Hit the Road is the pinnacle of LucasArtsGames achievement. I haven't tried the new S&M games from Telltale yet 'cos I'm afraid. That and the new voice actors.[/QUOTE]

I've played all the way through S&M Season One and it is definitely one of the most enjoyable adventure games to come out in years. It's not until Episode 4 that it kicks into classic S&M zaniness though. And overall it's nowhere near the challenge of earlier Lucasarts games. And I almost-but-not-quite got used to Max's new voice. (Sam's is fine.)

Still, well worth playing and, as the first successful episodic game, interesting from a game design perspective to see how they were able to course-correct halfway through the season.


"I think we've stumbled upon the secret warehouse where Steve Wozniak films erotic movies."
 
[quote name='mforge']I've played all the way through S&M Season One and it is definitely one of the most enjoyable adventure games to come out in years. It's not until Episode 4 that it kicks into classic S&M zaniness though. And overall it's nowhere near the challenge of earlier Lucasarts games. And I almost-but-not-quite got used to Max's new voice. (Sam's is fine.)[/quote]

Okay, as far as Season One is concerned. Episodes 5 and 6 alone make it an instant classic. Trust me, Telltale know what they are doing (plus, a lot of them are ex-LucasArts developers). The engine is great, the puzzles are solid (though EASIER than the original game), and the execution is quite spectacular in places. I loved it.

And yes, Maniac Mansion IS inside of DOTT. You can play it in game by "USE" Ed's computer. Or, you can just load it up in SCUMM from MM sub-directory of DOTT.

Despite the fact that I prefer LucasArts games to Sierra's as well, I will never back off from my fanboyism of SQ and LSL series. I grew up with those games, and that's that.

[quote name='Tybee'] What? Have you forgotten the chicken with a pulley in it? :roll:[/quote]

How does that not make sense? :lol: And please define "lowliest LucasArts game." The only contender for this title is Monkey Island 4, and SQ3-5 (inclusive) trump it bad.
 
[quote name='MarioColbert']How does that not make sense? :lol: And please define "lowliest LucasArts game." The only contender for this title is Monkey Island 4, and SQ3-5 (inclusive) trump it bad.[/quote]
Well, even MI4 had its good points (Michael Land music, some of the humor). Yes, that's how big a LucasArts whore I am. ;)

"Lowliest" was probably bad word choice on my part. I consider Full Throttle, Loom, and one or two others to be minor LA adventures simply because they're so short and their world's aren't quite as immersive as some of the other games. But I still love them. I would have loved a sequel to either.

I even have the original Loom pacakage that came with the audio drama CD, which is ripped to my iPod. ;)
 
Monkey Kombat! Ugh.

Actually, it was playing Monkey Island 4 for the PS2 that led me to check out the rest of the series from the beginning, but that's more a testament to my fondness for the genre rather than a credit to MI4's quality.

I think Loom was one of the first games I played that was illicitly acquired. Someone gave me a copy with a photocopy of the manual.

Thanks to the posters who commented on the new Sam and Max series. I do owe it to myself and my belief in supporting "indie" artists to check it out.
 
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