SQ2 is actually my second favourite. Probably because I spent so much time on it as a kid. SQ1 after that.

The worst from my point of view is Space Quest VI for sure. At that point, the game was lead by One Phoney From Andromeda, and the story changed the direction. Also, they quit the classic VGA animations, which I liked a lot, and the puzzles became ridiculously hard, like the Android puzzle. I also thought that the classic characters from Space Quest V would still be in, but no. Beatrice, Cliffy and all the rest of the crew dissapeared. The story turned also in a darker plot, with some stuff like the false death of Stellar, the music change, and the lack of companions for Roger.

Personally I've always found SQ2 to a bit boring, if not for anything else, but a bit lackluster environments. It has it's own merits, but of the first three I've always found SQ2 to be the weakest one.

SQ2 was one of the later ones I played. I went from 1 to 3 to 4 and then the entire series from beginning to end when I got the Space Quest Collection that had all six games. As such, 2, 5, and 6 felt the weakest to me because I played them so much later than the others.

Josh Mandel is no Phony Guy From Andromeda. He's the honourary Third Guy in my opinion. He missed the mark a bit with SQ6, but he is a great game designer and a hilarious writer. SQ6 has some of the funniest lines in the whole series.

 

Josh has said that he feels very badly that SQ6 wasn't as well received by fans. He respected SQ very much and tried to do the series justice. He took it hard that it wasn't considered very SQ-like by fans and that some people hated it. He DID leave halfway through it and that hurt it quite a bit.

 

He said he wanted to bring it back to its roots, so he made Roger a janitor again. He also wanted it to have some of the non-linearness from SQ3. He tried hard to bring back the feel from SQ3. Even Fester Blatz returned. Odd that it turned out so different.

I'd say the art style has a lot to do with why SQ6 is so hard to digest. It's an odd mix of cartoony characters and more realistic inclined backgrounds. Also cyberpunkish feel of the first segment didn't feel like Space Quest to me. But I do like it better than SQ5. (I'd say my preferred order is: 4, 3, 1, 6, 2, 5)

At least its animation is better than KQ7.

I was not saying that Josh is the One Phoney From Andromeda, I was talking about Mark Crowe.

SQ6 is the very reason I got into PC games. Some of the locations/music/writing remain my favorites from the whole seires. But yeah, 5 and 6 are definitely a departure from the earlier games (which is probably why I don't like those as much as the later games - with the exception of SQ3, which I loved... "Y'all come back now, ya hear? Alien scum!").

I think people like most the first Space Quest(s) they played more than any others. By the way, you're lucky to have that profile name, Fronzel Neekburm. ;)

I was not saying that Josh is the One Phoney From Andromeda, I was talking about Mark Crowe.

 

Saywut?

I was not saying that Josh is the One Phoney From Andromeda, I was talking about Mark Crowe.

 

That makes no sense. Mark and Scott are THE Two Guys From Andromeda.

I was not saying that Josh is the One Phoney From Andromeda, I was talking about Mark Crowe.

 

Does not compute. That's a huge logic error right there.

I was not saying that Josh is the One Phoney From Andromeda, I was talking about Mark Crowe.

 

I believe you are confused and, at worst, being insulting.

I was not saying that Josh is the One Phoney From Andromeda, I was talking about Mark Crowe.

 

The worst from my point of view is Space Quest VI for sure. At that point, the game was lead by One Phoney From Andromeda, and the story changed the direction. Also, they quit the classic VGA animations, which I liked a lot, and the puzzles became ridiculously hard, like the Android puzzle. I also thought that the classic characters from Space Quest V would still be in, but no. Beatrice, Cliffy and all the rest of the crew dissapeared. The story turned also in a darker plot, with some stuff like the false death of Stellar, the music change, and the lack of companions for Roger.

 

Mark Crowe designed (himself) the game with the characters you missed so much from SQ6. Mark Crowe designed SQ5 not SQ6. Josh Mandel designed SQ6 and then left Sierra halfway through its development, Scott Murphey and Leslie Balfour (I believe) finished it off. Mark is one of the classic Two Guys From Andromeda. You need to get your facts straight, man.

Mark Crowe designed (himself) the game with the characters you missed so much from SQ6. Mark Crowe designed SQ5 not SQ6. Josh Mandel designed SQ6 and then left Sierra halfway through its development, Scott Murphey and Leslie Balfour (I believe) finished it off. Mark is one of the classic Two Guys From Andromeda. You need to get your facts straight, man.

 

Did no one else read the Galactic Inquirer?

 

:o

 

 

...well...he still didn't make SQ6. Also I never had that book. Only ever had the game with the collection.

I wonder if Sierra had the rights to use an actual screencap of a Talosian. Fair use, I suppose?

Fair use, I suppose?

 

Not giving a fuck, morelike.

 

I'd guess they would use that kind of stuff until someone found out about it and threatened legal action.

Oh, I think they gave plenty of those after all the legal hassle they'd already had to go through on account of the Two Guys. Droids 'B Us, ZZ Top, Radio Shock, etc. I honestly don't think they'd want to pit their own army of lawyers against Paramount's ditto. They could come out a whole lot poorer.

I thought in one or a couple of the podcasts with the Two Guys or Ken Williams (both?) they said all these legal issues didn't actually happen and that they were just paranoid about legal action.

As far as I can tell from various sources - e.g. the original SpaceQuest.Net and the Sierra Chest - Sierra was sued over the Droids-R-Us gag. They won the suit, but would still have to change the name to Droids-B-Us. Both Frans and Rudy have obviously spent a lot of time researching over the years, so I personally believe this story, even though I've never talked to Scott or Mark about it.

 

As far as Radio Shock goes, you're probably right; Frans' wording states that the Two Guys were "almost" sent to court. I suppose that makes it more likely that Ken Williams, possibly after reaching an agreement with Radio Shack, ordered them to change that name into Hz. So Good.

 

So I suppose it was mostly paranoia, albeit some well-founded cases of it, given that Sierra was apparently hauled into court on account of the Guys at least once.

As far as Radio Shock goes, you're probably right; Frans' wording states that the Two Guys were "almost" sent to court. I suppose that makes it more likely that Ken Williams, possibly after reaching an agreement with Radio Shack, ordered them to change that name into Hz. So Good.

 

Truth: Sierra changed Radio Shock to Hz So Good of their own free will because they didn't want a lawsuit.

 

Truth: No women's organizations ever sued or complained over the Latex Babes. Mark was kind of disappointed, actually.

 

Truth: They actually did get in trouble for using the Eveready/Energizer/Duracell bunny in SQ4, because, apparently, the bunny is owned by one company overseas and another company domestically (in U.S.). It was settled out of court, though, so no lawsuit.

 

Truth: ZZ-Top actually found out about their appearance, years after the release of the game, and threatened to sue (ironic having no sense of humor and sporting beards like that, eh?). Again, settled out of court.

 

Truth: I'm a jerk.

 

Truth: So is Fred.

 

Truth: Space Quest fans are awesome.

 

Truth: My foot itches.

Truth: I'm a jerk.

Come on, don't be hard on yourself. You're a great guy, man.

 

So is Fred.

Preach it, brother.

Truth: I'm evil and two-faced (Yes, I'm milking that for all it's worth. That's pure gold right there.)