A Childhood in SierraTM Part I

It all started the other night when I was reading about the 13 scariest moment in video game history. Number 2 (warning it's a touch gross) was this scene from a video game of my childhood, which was Phantasmagoria a game I played countless times in my preteen and early teenage years. This game was made by none other than Sierra a company that's games shaped my childhood.

Not having many friends growing up I had three big hobbies. Playing in the woods by myself for countless hours and and creating imaginary tales in my mind, riding my bike for hours and continuing the story trend and playing Sierra computer games for hours and letting the stories be told me me. Sierra created some of the most amazing Adventure games of all time. Unfortunately, as time progressed and people got bored with stories and wanted blood, these games have faded away.

The graphics were impressive and pixelated, but above all else the stories of each game were enticing and memorizing, join me as I take a walk down memory lane...*

Long ago it all started with this game, Torin's Passage, that just transported me into this magical world where I was mystified. I played this game probably hundreds of times looking to solve all the secrets. The puzzles were very difficult for a 8 year old, but I solved them using only the cryptic hint guide in the game. The game kept score of 100 points and I can rightly say that you could only ever get 99 points total. I played enough times and never got that final point! It also had 7 chapters, which each chapter took place in a different world. You could start in any world, but you wouldn't see all the story movies that let the cute tale unfold. It had plot twists that used to leave me in tears. The love story was bittersweet and the ending was complete but tragic in it's own way.

Then my aunt introduced me to Kings Quest VII. I was hooked from the moment it installed onto my computer. It was difficult and once again enticing, when I discovered that the preceding six other games were available in the Roberta William's collectors edition I was in bliss! Who needed friends when the Daventry family was there to show you the way? Granted the games were a touch primitive and the graphics weren't complex, but the story was impressive.

In seven games they told the story of a royal family and their adventures. The first game told of Sir Graham's quest to become king of Daventry. The second was about Graham's quest for his soon to be wife, Valanice, who was trapped in a tower. The third game told the story of their son, Edgar who was kidnapped by a wizard as a baby and his return to Daventry and learning of his true family. The fourth of Rosella as she set out on her own quest to save Graham as he fell ill. The fifth returned Graham as his entire Kingdom has been stolen by an evil wizard and put into a Jar. The sixth (and probably the best of the games) told of Edgar's adventure to find his true love (following in his father's footsteps of course, but this time the game was so complex). Finally, the seventh was Rosella's chance to find her long lost love and for the first time you played Valanice (the sassy dame she was indeed). The stories were all interweaved and that made them all the more amazing.

I even bought a book that catalogued the entire series, The King's Quest Companion, which contained all you ever needed to know. Including maps of each of the lands they traveled.

Then came Space Quest. This series proved that games coule be incredibly humorous and still interesting for Six Episodes. They were parodies of everything Space and Sci-Fi. They mocked Star Wars, Philip K. Dick, Terminator and even the Wizard of Oz. The Titles were SQ I: The Sarien Encounter, SQ II: Vohaul's Revenge, SQ III: The Pirates of Pestulon, SQ IV: Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers, SQ V: The Next Mutation and SQ VI: The Spinal Frontier.

Each one got more funny as they went on. The best of this series was SQ IV where you traveled in time through the different Space Quest games of the past, present and future. It was a brilliant idea! Genius even. Specially when SQ IV ended with you meeting your future wife, only to meet her for real in the next game. Talk about wonderful plot twists!

End of Part 1, Part 2 soon!

* Some links lead to youtube videos others lead to pictures. Click them all to get a feel of my childhood.