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Retro game reviews
I’ve just read the review for Adventure in Serenia released in 1980. It got 1 star.
I just wanted to ask was the game only worth 1 star in 1980? & if not is it fair to judge early games in the context of present day standards? 
In the context of the time, when Adventure in Serenia, or the Wizard and the Princess, was made, I’d say it’s definitely a game that would have garnered a better review back when it came out.
A couple of years ago, I played through all of the old SierraVenture titles and I do admit that I needed a walkthrough for them all, as I really don’t have the kind of patience they require. As games, they haven’t aged well at all. But, SierraVenture, as a whole, is more of a historically significant series of genes, as the first game in that series, Mystery House, gave the start for Roberta and Ken Williams. And the series as a whole was an early testbed on what they could do technically on the computers of the era.
And besides, Adventure in Serenia is the King’s Quest 0, really. So that too is pretty significant.
I wrote more of them on my blog: https://playernone.blogspot.com/2018/02/sierra-hi-res-series-conclusion.html
In the context of the time, when Adventure in Serenia, or the Wizard and the Princess, was made, I’d say it’s definitely a game that would have garnered a better review back when it came out.
Thankyou for your reply tomimt…....
.... And the series as a whole was an early testbed on what they could do technically on the computers of the era.
so very worthy of a little more respect than just the 1 star? But saying that how can you rate a 40 + years old game basing it on modern standards so perhaps the retro games should not be rated?
I wrote more of them on my blog: https://playernone.blogspot.com/2018/02/sierra-hi-res-series-conclusion.html
Thankyou for the link.
“If you’re any fan of computer adventures, then this is one of the most amazing, intriguing, fascinating, frustrating and graphically appealing adventures around… On-line seems to produce some of the top software from what I’ve seen. Their graphics are superb, action good, and games well designed.” (c) 1981 issue of Ares Magazine, page 27
Definitely different standards - if any, for the lack of graphic adventures back in 1981. But I think it’s fair to judge old games while keeping the progress in mind. Roberta Williams herself said in the latest interview that she considers The Colossal Cave to be the best adventure ever designed. I never played it, but that’s some serious compliment for a game which started it all. On the other hand, I’ve never heard anyone praising Roberta’s own early adventures
ADDED What I find weird is that the reviewer at AdventureGamers played the inferior PC version because it’s “the most available version”. In case of such oldies the most advanced versions should be considered, especially since the game was originally developed for Apple and only then ported to IBM. Those ports were always bad because of the limited technology.
PC means personal computer
And the series as a whole was an early testbed on what they could do technically on the computers of the era. so very worthy of a little more respect than just the 1 star? But saying that how can you rate a 40 + years old game basing it on modern standards so perhaps the retro games should not be rated?
Personally, I wouldn’t rate really old games. Time is often rather unkind to games, as what constituted as good game design and good gameplay back in the 80s is quite different from what those things mean now. I consider them to be more historical relics than anything else.
So very worthy of a little more respect than just the 1 star? But saying that how can you rate a 40 + years old game basing it on modern standards so perhaps the retro games should not be rated?
Couple of things happening here. One, as Tomint mentioned, Sierra was at the forefront of “pushing the technology envelope.” They were always the first to make some form of technology obsolete. Whether it be a computer chip: they were the first to say that this is the last game we will ship that will run on a 286,386,486 machine. Or even an OS! This is the last game that will run on Windows (X). Chose your platform. And they were among the first, if not the first to make some delivery systems obsolete. After Phantasmagoria, no game Sierra delivered would be delivered on any version of a floppy disc. While advancing game design, these technology mandates pissed off a lot of people. So should those early games be held to a different standard than games that succeeded them? Absolutely. Technologically you can’t even compare KQ1 with FPFP.
The other thing that Tomint also mentioned is that the older games were much more complex story-and-puzzle wise. Which made up for a lack of ability to do anything graphics-wise. From that perspective, I think KQ1 would compare very favorably against a “retro” style game that was reviewed very favorably by AG. That game would be Kathy Rain. I can see why Tomint needed a WT to get through the Sierra catalog. KR is quite simple by comparison.
Not sure this simplifies anything.
For whom the games toll,
they toll for thee.
Definitely different standards - if any, for the lack of graphic adventures back in 1981. But I think it’s fair to judge old games while keeping the progress in mind. Roberta Williams herself said in the latest interview that she considers The Colossal Cave to be the best adventure ever designed. I never played it, but that’s some serious compliment for a game which started it all. On the other hand, I’ve never heard anyone praising Roberta’s own early adventures
Did she really say that? Roberta 
I played Colossal Cave way back when. It didn’t leave a lasting impression and I LIKE text adventures! Writing: Dry, descriptive, dull. Puzzles: rusty lock—> oil lock. Story: where?
Sure, it must have been a fantastic experience in 1977 when computer games were nonexistent. But that’s it.
Butter my buns and call me a biscuit! - Agent A
Definitely different standards - if any, for the lack of graphic adventures back in 1981. But I think it’s fair to judge old games while keeping the progress in mind. Roberta Williams herself said in the latest interview that she considers The Colossal Cave to be the best adventure ever designed. I never played it, but that’s some serious compliment for a game which started it all. On the other hand, I’ve never heard anyone praising Roberta’s own early adventures
Did she really say that? Roberta
I played Colossal Cave way back when. It didn’t leave a lasting impression and I LIKE text adventures! Writing: Dry, descriptive, dull. Puzzles: rusty lock—> oil lock. Story: where?
Sure, it must have been a fantastic experience in 1977 when computer games were nonexistent. But that’s it.
Never played it but I could see it being be the best she ever designed. I wasn’t that impressed with any of her games.
Jane Jensen, on the other hand…
AKA Charo
Never played it but I could see it being be the best she ever designed. I wasn’t that impressed with any of her games.
The developer of Colossal Cave was Will Crowther. Roberta had nothing whatsoever to do with the game.
Jane Jensen, on the other hand…
Ah yes. Jane knows how to tell a story. Roberta does not.
Butter my buns and call me a biscuit! - Agent A
i am overdone with that JJ praise, hence Moebius or Gray Matter would never come close to any of RW’s adventures.
Roberta sailed the seven seas (at least) with KQs adventures, a passenger on the sixth journey should never forfeit Roberta of her epic work.
as for the topic, a retro game like Wizard and the Princess must at least be highly considered for its significance to the genre, never mind how it was rated then or now
Did she really say that? Roberta
I played Colossal Cave way back when. It didn’t leave a lasting impression and I LIKE text adventures! Writing: Dry, descriptive, dull. Puzzles: rusty lock—> oil lock. Story: where?
Sure, it must have been a fantastic experience in 1977 when computer games were nonexistent. But that’s it.
She talked about it in the video by MetalJesusRocks. Yes, she is rewriting and kinda promoting it right now, but she sounded pretty confident in that the game is timeless and the original design was perfect and unsurpassed and doesn’t need any significant changes to be made. I was also surprised to hear it, I always thought the Zork games set the adventure standards, but Roberta thinks otherwise.
i am overdone with that JJ praise, hence Moebius or Gray Matter would never come close to any of RW’s adventures.
Roberta sailed the seven seas (at least) with KQs adventures, a passenger on the sixth journey should never forfeit Roberta of her epic work.
Absolutely, what not to like about King’s Quest (at least starting with 3) or Laura Bow games? Not to mention that she supervised the entire Sierra catalogue.
PC means personal computer
She talked about it in the video by MetalJesusRocks. Yes, she is rewriting and kinda promoting it right now, but she sounded pretty confident in that the game is timeless and the original design was perfect and unsurpassed and doesn’t need any significant changes to be made. I was also surprised to hear it, I always thought the Zork games set the adventure standards, but Roberta thinks otherwise.
Weird. I guess she would say that if she’s rewriting it. But if it’s timeless and unsurpassed why doesn’t she simply leave it alone.
I wouldn’t want to replay the Zork games if you paid me. 
Butter my buns and call me a biscuit! - Agent A
Weird. I guess she would say that if she’s rewriting it. But if it’s timeless and unsurpassed why doesn’t she simply leave it alone.
I guess it’s an interesting exercise to try and bring it to modern VR devices and more modern graphics and controls.
I can see the appeal in it for her, Colossal Cave was the game that sparked her own game-designer career, as it was the first adventure game she played and made her want to design her own games.
Now, she has been out of the business for 20 years, so trying to re-create something that sparked her career seems as good of an idea as any. Peter Jackson remade King Kong for a similar reason: it was the movie that made him want to make movies and he wanted to upgrade it to modern technology.
If that’s a smart approach, or if it should even be done, is an entirely different discussion, but I do see the appeal. And for what’s worth, I’m intrigued by what Ken and Roberta with their team manage to come up with. By their own admission, they haven’t really been following the modern games industry, so how that will affect the design is anyone’s guess.
On another note, I’ve never played Colossal Cabe myself, so I can’t really comment on it further other than in a very superficial level.
Hi, It’s the first time that I see a retro review on AG. I don’t know if there were others in the past, or if this is related to Jackal’s departure. I must say that I don’t find a retro review very apropriate… Is it to seduce a part of the community who prefers old games and lives in the nostalgia of an era? If that is the case, I can understand it, I have no problem with nostalgia and I do feel very attached to some old games. So I’m not criticizing, but however does such an article bring a positive signal for the future of the site? Retro reviews of games that most people have never heard about, and that now look more dated than a gameboy color game, what is the point? I don’t get it, sorry. To me it can only lend to misunderstandings. Why that specific game? Why the low rate? Why now? Why…?? Reviewing old games is always a very perilous exercise when you’re not in the original context anymore. I mean, if for example my game ASA had a retro review today, I have no doubt that it would probably have 1 or 2 less stars (or even worst), because everything’s different technically and artistically speaking in 2022, the market is different (there were no more Myst-like games in 2011), people have said what they had to say about the game, and as a result people’s feelings and general idea regarding the game *are* different. Well, I don’t know what to think of all of it… Again I’m not criticizing and it might be a good thing after all, if that is what the readers of AG want to read. It’s just that, personally as an adventure dev, something sounds wrong to my ears, even if I’m unable right now to tell what exactly. Maybe a retro review should have a different system of rating, with just a final verdict, rather than using the system of stars like the new games. Well, just wanted to react to this, but do what you want of course.
Never played it but I could see it being be the best she ever designed. I wasn’t that impressed with any of her games.
The developer of Colossal Cave was Will Crowther. Roberta had nothing whatsoever to do with the game.
Ah, that shows my knowledge of classic game history!
AKA Charo
Absolutely, what not to like about King’s Quest (at least starting with 3) or Laura Bow games? Not to mention that she supervised the entire Sierra catalogue.
KQ3 was pretty good, I’ll grant you that. And I quite liked Laura Bow 2 which didn’t have the tedious legwork of the 1st game.
AKA Charo
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