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Just remebered the box cover of first Larry game (or to be more preciese - "Softporn" text adventure on which "Larry 1" was based on) ;-)
http://www.mobygames.com/game/apple2/softporn-adventure/cover-art/gameCoverId,57123

I had my suspicions, but according to the trivia section:

On the game cover, the woman on the far right is none other than ex-Sierra employee, Roberta Williams, who also posed for print ads in magazines such as Softalk.

   

I guess you really do learn something new every day.

Wow.....the very first public thread on the new forums goes off-topic within a matter of days.

Okay, I'll steer this away a little bit from all the yummy food talk, then. [/quote]
I'm afraid I'll have to side with Brit on this one. I've got a real hankering for a good police procedural these days. Hard-boiled plotline, suspect interrogation, forensic work, gritty anti-hero, shootouts with criminals... what's not to like?

When I switched to the IBM-compatible, my first favorite game was "Tass Times in Tonetown" in 1986.

Hey, I can't believe someone else remembers this gem. Very trippy game. I think I still have the fold-out newspaper that came with it tucked away somewhere.

The reason Japanese games like Final Fantasy still have appeal- despite the fighting that bores me at times- is because, while non-linear plots are interesting for a time, it is the relatively linear story that a person gets to experience that intrigues them. The player wants interactivity, they want choices, but they want STRUCTURE too. The human mind naturally wants some sort of structure and path, without which eventually we either panic, get bored, or give up. Movies, and linear stories, will never loose their appeal- and that is why I also believe adventure games like Himalaya is making have a chance still.

Well, I agree and disagree. In one sense, linear narrative structure is good because the joys of good storytelling is something no one can deny. The thing is, non-linearity can be just as amazing. If well-implemented, it can give players a sense that their actions are not pre-scripted, that their destiny is their own to write, and that their choices have an impact on a non-static game world. You gotta admit that's pretty seductive too, especially since it's unique to games as an artistic medium.

I thought it might be nice to open things up with a spot for folks to post their first impressions of Al Emmo (when it comes out)- or even their impressions prior to- and thoughts of what might come next, what you'd like to come next, etc.

Having finished the game now, I must say that Al Emmo is a lot of fun. It's got charming old-school flavour, memorable characters, and some genuinely funny moments. Puzzle-wise, it's a lot easier than I expected (and believe me when I say that I'm no puzzle-solving savant). Still, that's okay in the end, because not everyone enjoys Mensa entrance exams like the Myst games. I know I certainly have mixed feelings about that series.

That's also why I support the designers' decision to make one particular puzzle near the end easier.


I actually thought it was a stiff but enjoyable challenge, sorta like the adventure game equivalent of a "boss fight". Unfortunately, though, its difficulty really stuck out like a sore thumb in the game.

But to get back on track: after playing Al Emmo for awhile, you'll realize that it does a lot of things right that many modern-day adventure games still struggle with. It's got tons of interactive hotspots to boost immersion. It's got puzzles that are largely goal-based instead of arbitrary. It stays away from masochistic pixel-hunting. And maybe, best of all, it's got an avatar than you aren't forced to watch trudge slowly across game screens (while pixel-hunting, natch).

Could Al Emmo be a long-term franchise? Maybe. It's definitely got potential and I think many adventure gamers will be quite pleased with Himalaya's debut. But, as Yoda says: "impossible to see, the future is."

I can't speak for the developers or their marketing team, but here's my thoughts as a consumer (and a first-waver who enjoyed Al Emmo quite a bit).

From my experience, the vast majority of indie adventure games range from about $9.99 US to $19.99. For some recent examples, consider "Bone: Adventure Out of Boneville" ($19.99), "Hope Springs Eternal" ($18.00), and "Shady Brook" ($9.99).

Even AAA mainstream titles from, say, The Adventure Company (http://tinyurl.com/eh6gf) only top out at $29.99... and these guys are one of the biggest adventure publishers around right now.

IMHO:
- $30 or more = hardcore and nostalgic niche-gamers only
- $20-$30 = not competitive enough
- $15-$20 = my pick for most reasonable
- $10-$15 = great deal
- $10 or less = perfect impulse buy for those outside the targeted demographic

That's my two cents, anyway (incompetent pun intended ).