[D.C.]

I love Space Quest. I think I actually did play them out of order. Space Quest 4, 5 and 6 are the highlights I think. But if you're game definately play them all! But if you don't feel like it you can definately play them out of order - even when they talk about any continuity you can usually fill in the gaps if you haven't played the game they're referring too.

[jcornwall]

There doesn't seem to be much love for Space Quest 3. That was my favourite part of the whole series!

I've played SQ 1-4 and have 5-6 sitting on my shelf, which I'll get round to. I found the death sequences in the first game a bit off-putting (I'll be honest, Lucasarts always had my heart!) but it was worth playing. SQ2 is probably the part I'd least recommend as it has a few annoying dead ends and didn't seem enjoyable enough to back it up. SQ4 had a grittier graphics style but was hilarious once you got into it, though it too had some dead ends.

But SQ3! Graphically it's not up to scratch with the later games, sure, and it had a text parser (which isn't as annoying as you might think). However, the story, the characters, the locations, the ending - it's the one part of the series that I can recall completely in my head. I still chuckle at Monolith Burger to this day!

You've probably got at least one recommendation for every part of the series here (apart from SQ6 - I've yet to find out why no-one likes that one), so you may as well play them all. They do have a coherent story which is fun to follow. But just remember the Sierra mantra - save early, save often.

[D.C.]

Hey, I like SQ6 if that counts for anything.

[ILoveYou]

^^Hey Fov!

Anyways, I haven't either nor am I interested hehe

[Bobske]

I would say: Play all of them and play them in order!

I agree with the above comments that SQ1 and 2 aren't that interesting because of the text parser or the many deaths but you can complete the games in less than 90 minutes so it would be a waste not to play them!

I think you would miss some great references and jokes if you don't play the game in order...

[Dasilva]

Exactly. The games aren't Oblivion, play it with a walkthrough if you really just want to speed through the first games. But they all have that magic in them.

[Phod]

Hehe.. I'm definitely hitting Space Quest 1 (original!) next after Martian Memorandum (hello, can I add the f'in quicksand path puzzle to most annoying ever? Thanks!).

[BerserkerTails]

Definitely play them in order, starting from the original number 1, all the way through to six. There are some continuing plot elements through the games, such as the end of two and beginning of three. Four wouldn't be as funny if you hadn't at least played the original Space Quest 1 due to a lot of references to it, and five would be a bit hard to understand in parts if you hadn't played four.

And six needs at least number five before it.

So just play them through.

As for the NewRisingSun patch, it's the first on the list here:
http://www.spacequest.net/sq4/patches/

It fixes a lot of problems with the CD version of the game, replacing some of the changed graphics with the superior DOS ones, and makes it playable on modern computers, since there are some timed elements that were impossible to finish with faster computers.

[Phod]

Heh, you mentioned it and so does the patch info, but Space Quest 4 floppy version had some better graphics than the CD version? What was up with that?

[D.C.]

Be sure to watch the SQ7 trailer after you complete SQ6 as well. Depressingly awesome trailer. Damn you Sierra!

[Bobske]

Originally Posted by Phod

Heh, you mentioned it and so does the patch info, but Space Quest 4 floppy version had some better graphics than the CD version? What was up with that?

I don't know if it had better graphics, but I remember that some graphics were changed because of some copyrights problems. It had to do something with the mall and Radio Shock

Correct me if I'm wrong

[BerserkerTails]

Originally Posted by Phod

Heh, you mentioned it and so does the patch info, but Space Quest 4 floppy version had some better graphics than the CD version? What was up with that?

Sierra wanted to make sure the CD Version worked perfectly in Windows 3.1, since the disk version was DOS only, so to do that, they had to change a few things. The pallette for some shots isn't as nice looking. There is also some weird oddities in the CD version, like one character not waving his arms as he talks like he did in the DOS version.

And like mentioned before, there were some copyright iddues that needed changing. For example, the store "Radio Shock" (A play on the store "Radio Shack") became "Hz. so Good" in the CD version.

[Aurebesh]

Anyone who has all of them but still haven't played none should play them by order. Otherwise, there ARE things you won't understand in the sequels (one good example would be something that happens in SQ2 that affects both SQ3 and SQ5, but there are more, of course).
If you encounter difficulties with the early, parser-based games simply use a walkthrough.

I don't think I played them in order but I played what I could get, I didn't have them all at the same time (probably finished SQ3 first).

[Burge]

Originally Posted by Tower of Power

I'm "guilty" as well, and it goes as far as 90% ignoring all the sierra classics excluding Gabriel Knights.

I'm the opposite, played LOTS of Sierra adventures but somehow missed the GKs.

[Putrid Moldyman]

I've played SQ1 (both versions) and 2. It actually wasn't too long ago that I played through SQ2, and yet I remember almost nothing about it.

SQ1 is all right, and I definitely feel that the EGA version is more of a challenge. The VGA remake, which was my first experience with the series, is the only adventure game that I've ever finished entirely without a walkthrough, and I still had difficulty with the damn EGA version after having finished the newer one first.

Well, I've got the collection coming to me any day now. Here's hoping I become a fan.

[Nelza]

Originally Posted by jcornwall

I've played SQ 1-4 and have 5-6 sitting on my shelf, which I'll get round to. I found the death sequences in the first game a bit off-putting (I'll be honest, Lucasarts always had my heart!) but it was worth playing.

I found it funny the first time I played a Lucasarts Adventure. I was like waiting to die in it.

[QFG]

I played 3, 4, and 5 when they were "new." My memory of 3 (until my recent playthrough) was hazy at best, since I was "playing" it over the shoulder of a friend who had it.

I LOVED 4 and 5, probably giving 4 the nod as my favorite.

Recently I played through the first five (hated 2, damn that game...! SO MANY DEATHS), and loved 1 and 3 tremendously. About halfway through #6, still, that game just doesn't catch my imagination or attention.

[stepurhan]

Originally Posted by bruno321

Well, I started playing AGs back when Indy Atlantis, so I only got to see the parser adventures when I started getting into adventure gaming forums and the kind (much later), so I guess you can understand it's something that to some people is extremely awkward and difficult to use and something that's become archaic. You know, like writing in stone when you're used to typing on a computer (a little drastic, I know, but you get the point )

Ah but, as DaSilva said, you have much greater flexibility. With most point and click interfaces your actions are limited to commands that fit the control icons (though some can dual task, such as a mouth meaning talk or eat in context) There is also the all too common risk with point and clicker that you can solve them by just trying all of the limited commands on everything when you're stuck. (Not really solving the puzzle with your brain at all.)

If anyone is interested in seeing how the text parser can create interesting puzzles then it's worth checking out Trilby's Notes (though you should play the 5 days a stranger and 7 days a sceptic first if you want to follow the story) There is at least one puzzle that would be impossible to implement in a point and click interface.

From my experience the only big downer in parser based games in when the authors have used limited/obscure vocabulary so you have to guess what word they want you to use. With a well-designed parser (hints in the game text as to which words are likely to be usable and variant words accepted) this isn't an issue.

I have a Space Quest game (Time Rippers. Which number is that?) but I've never got around to playing it.

[Josho]

Originally Posted by stepurhan

If anyone is interested in seeing how the text parser can create interesting puzzles then it's worth checking out Trilby's Notes (though you should play the 5 days a stranger and 7 days a sceptic first if you want to follow the story) There is at least one puzzle that would be impossible to implement in a point and click interface.

Or, for that matter, such true classics as LEATHER GODDESSES OF PHOBOS (the original), BUREAUCRACY, and HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY, all of which have marvelous, entertaining, creative, funny puzzles that would not be feasible with a point-and-click interface.

--Josh

[BerserkerTails]

Originally Posted by Josho

Or, for that matter, such true classics as LEATHER GODDESSES OF PHOBOS (the original), BUREAUCRACY, and HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO UNIVERSE, all of which have marvelous, entertaining, creative, funny puzzles that would not be feasible with a point-and-click interface.

--Josh

Man, Hitchhiker's Guide had some great parser puzzles... And some frustrating puzzles too! Who knew you needed all the lint...?