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I think I’m getting near the end as well. Haven’t found a to find a camera yet, or a film to develop. I have a demo tape, but my only envelope is ripped (like my characters, that is one serious workout machine).

I wish I had been able to help Ed, but that ship has sailed. I think I can still team up with Green Tentacle. Funny how many characters in “Maniac Mansion” and “Day of the Tentacle” are in some kind of music scene, I think it has something to do with the people that hung out with the developers at the time.

Vegetable Party - 13 June 2021 02:43 PM

I think I’m getting near the end as well. Haven’t found a to find a camera yet, or a film to develop. I have a demo tape, but my only envelope is ripped (like my characters, that is one serious workout machine).

I wish I had been able to help Ed, but that ship has sailed. I think I can still team up with Green Tentacle. Funny how many characters in “Maniac Mansion” and “Day of the Tentacle” are in some kind of music scene, I think it has something to do with the people that hung out with the developers at the time.

Ripped envelope is a dead end.

Maybe the characters’ affinity for music is a reflection of Tim Schafer’s love for the stuff, too? It figures prominently in several of his games: MM, DoTT, Brutal Legend, Full Throttle…

True!

And there’s this poster in Green Tentacle’s room:

...Aaaaaand finished! Wow, that was satisfying! In psychology, there’s this concept of ‘unfinished business’, where a parts of a person can’t mature beyond a certain point in his life, due to feeling that something was left undone around that point. Well, Maniac Mansion was one of the biggest pieces of unfinished business in my gaming life. Being so madly in love with Day of the Tentacle, it always bothered me (just a little) that I’d never even bothered to give the original a serious try—especially since I normally insist on playing a series in order. Well, I’m glad I finally played it—thank you very much, Dcast, for suggesting that we do this before moving on to DoTT, and I’m also glad that I actually enjoyed it. Was not expecting to like it as much as I did. Also was not expecting it to be so short. That’s not an indictment—I actually think it’s the perfect length, and the multiple characters and optional puzzles, scenes, and endings add so much replay value that I don’t think anyone would have felt ripped off had they paid full price for the game back in 1987 - 1989 (original and deluxe versions…I think I got those dates right). Speaking of endings, the one I got was very very short, although there were a couple of really cool cut scenes leading up to it. One of the coolest parts of the game is definitely what happens after you call the Meteor Police. That put a grin on my face like I just ate all the pies on the windowsill and got away with it. Blueberry pies, obviously—I mean, just look at me.

No rush to anyone who wants to continue this in a DoTT CPT. I’ve got plenty to play until then, and will continue to participate in this thread. Maybe I’ll play it again with a different character and try to not do the epic garage thing until the proper time this time.

Oh, and regarding the attached picture: Where’s Laverne when you need her?

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I just looked at one screenshot of The Castle and I am so in. Let’s do it after DoTT.

Yeah, you’ve got to get that package and take the stamp off it. Just leave someone outside the mansion at the beginning of the game to intercept it. This is totally the kind of game where, even though there are multiple ways to solve it, you have to view the entire thing as one big puzzle: you either solve it, or you don’t, and have to reset it.

Dcast wrote:

You’re welcome! It might or might not have something to do with my OCD-like behavior towards doing things in order. I wouldn’t physically be able to play something if there’s a fist part I can play Grin (well, psychologically, of course, but I’m sure I’m getting the point across).

I am the same way. The thing is, I played DoTT as a youngster who wasn’t even aware that Maniac Mansion existed until I found it on Ed’s computer, and back then I didn’t have this aversion to playing sequels first.

By the way, my biggest regret about choosing Bernard and Dave is that neither one of them was willing to put the hamster in the microwave. I think Razor might be willing, but after playing the piano she became my designated loose brick pusher.

I found this article showing all the versions of the game. It seems like there is a 2004 AGS remake that is pretty good. I’ll dl that and play through with some characters who know how to use a microwave.
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/maniac-mansion/

Oh! I also just heard on a podcast that this is the first game with cut-scenes, and that Gary Winnick is the fella who coined the term. Is this true? Hmmm…1987…that’s a year before Ninja Gaiden, so maybe it is…unless you count the little between level skits in Pac Man?

Finished the game!

@dcast:
I figured out the use of the old rusty key.. just by trying it on every door I hadn’t opened yet. It worked on the door I least expected!

And the epic event.. I figured it out right before the ending, it allowed me to finish the game in an epic way.

Never got any phone to work, but I did get both Ed and Green T. on my side.

The dead-ends were the weakest point of the game. I think some of it must’ve been intentional, maybe it had to do with the ideas and attitudes of designers at the time. It’s one of those things that make “Maniac Mansion” an interesting title in the LucasArts catalogue, graphically and structurally it’s not typical of their later style.

I liked some of it’s puzzles, though I agree with Dcast, many were pretty obscure. I liked the one where you got the key from the chandelier. Fixing the wires was a nice sequence as well, kind of similar to the pool, but for some reason I liked it more.

Took me a while to find the undeveloped film. I had noticed something odd in that location, but I tried something else and just left it after that. I don’t know why there’d be an undeveloped film in that place. It would’ve made more sense to find it in a garbage can, or something.

I thought the game was pretty cool. It’s very much of it’s time, which is a good thing: isn’t it fascinating we get to play this stuff on modern technology? It gives a sense of how the genre has developed, the origins of creative puzzle design.. and also what was left behind.

Thanks for the CPT, Baron and Dcast!

Spoilers ahoy, so if you haven’t played this game or plan on going back and trying it with other characters, maybe skip this.

@VP, we must have played this game like Jack Sprat and his wife, because you solved all the puzzles I didn’t, and I solved everything that you didn’t. I didn’t choose the photographer, so couldn’t develop the film, even though I had quickly gathered everything needed. I liked having to mop up the developer from under the grate…too bad I couldn’t use it! Also, I never did figure out how to fix the wires in the attic. Do they power the arcade games? I reckon that might give you an alternative means of collecting dimes?
I got mine from the piggy bank. Since I couldn’t develop the plans, I couldn’t figure out how to get Ed on my side—is this even possible?—so I let him capture one of my party people, and raided his room for everything I needed from him while he was plopping them in the dungeon.
I did get GT on my side, and he promised to protect me no matter what…but he didn’t do anything of the sort. How exactly does he protect you? Is it even necessary to befriend him by getting him the contract? Maybe there is an alternative way of dealing with PT and the Meteor that makes his friendship necessary. I disposed of the meteor by calling the Meteor Police, then picking up their dropped badge and giving it to PT when he tried to stop me from going into the lab. Wow, those police have got authority!

I never interacted with the nuclear reactor or the furnace in the basement either. Is there a scenario in which this is necessary?

Did anyone else get a better ending than Dave and Sandy standing on the front porch, where they exchange a couple of sentences, and then ‘Press F4 to play again?’

Finally, I’m in middle of listening to an episode of The Point and Click Podcast about this game that has some really interesting info about its history, development, and the people who developed it. Point and Click is one of my favorite gaming podcasts, unfortunately ended after only 25 or so episodes, but suffice it to say that if you are reading this post, you will probably enjoy it.

@ Luhr, thank goodness I hardly ever watch *anything*, or I might be tempted. I’ve been aware of the show for a long time, but never tried to watch it. Maybe I’ll give an episode a try one day.

@Baron_Blubba: That’s pretty impressive for such an old game! We took completely different paths. The wiring, arcade + Ed and/or Green are part of the same solution. Both Ed and Green Tentacle can come to your aid. I tried twice, Ed jumped in the first time, the second time, it was Green T.

I’ll check out the podcast. Did a quick check of the Maniac Mansion TV show. Wow. Almost “Twin Peaks”, but with less direction and artistry. Reminded me of “Space Ghost: Coast to Coast” as well, but not as flippant and snappy.

So.. that just leaves weird, I guess. The intro suggests it is based on the game, but that’s about it. There are no tentacles. None!

By the way, I really wonder what happens when you have Wendy on your team and apply her skill. From what I can tell, there’s one unique item only she can “fix” and use to the advantage of your crew.

Wendy helps the Meteor fulfill one of his ambitions.

So…I think the GOG version that I played has been ‘softened up’ somewhat, which is why I was able to beat the game without solving the wires in the attic puzzle *and* I didn’t have to solve the telescope puzzle either (although I did). Basically, perhaps in an effort to circumvent copy protection, all numerical codes in the game (with the exception of Edna’s phone number) were irrelevant. I *could* cause a game over by entering the incorrect codes to the blast door that leads to the attic, but it was open already so I didn’t have to bother. I was able to waltz right into the lab and open Edna’s safe with any combination. This is a bit of a bummer. I would have liked to have solved these, but I figured at the time that they were just more copy protection. Listening to podcasts about the game, I learned that this isn’t the case. Oh well!

So, when would everyone like to move on to DoTT?

Will respond to the rest of your post tomorrow, but for now:
No dead ends in Day of the Tentacle. It’s a perfect game, I think.
Can we start Friday? I figure I’ll be finished Fran Bow by then. It (Fran Bow) is pretty easy so far…and pretty good, too.

Yeah, I didn’t think the Fran Bow guard was a joke. Quite the opposite. There are different kinds of nightmares, and that one was a little too disgusting…it’s different than all the other nightmares in the game.
I see what you mean that it might be longer than I was expecting. I’m about to hit the end of Chapter 2 Part 2. Still think it’s great!
But, feel free to start DoTT whenever you like. Before we started the MM playthrough, I had put an hour into the game already. Since I know the game by heart at this point, I’ll have no trouble discussing it and catching up if you guys pull ahead. I’ll make a topic for the playthrough tomorrow…or we could just carry on here and I’ll change the title of this topic.