The "Help me remember the title of this game!" game!

[Samas]

Dear everyone,

I know you are a community of adventure/puzzle gamers, so it's worth a try:

I have been looking (on and off for the past 4 years) for a game that frustrated me as a child, and has since returned to haunt my sleepless nights. I cannot remember the name; I only really remember the first puzzle. A first puzzle that I couldn't, no matter what I tried, solve.

The first puzzle was set outside a mansion. You needed to get inside the mansion. The only way in was through the front door, but when you clicked on it a rude little man poked his head out and said you weren't allowed to enter without permission or something. To your right was a payphone, which I assumed you needed to use to get permission to enter the building. No matter what numbers I dialed I couldn't get anything.

It was back in the day when I didn't realise the true potential of the interwebz as a source of hints and cheats. Go figure.

I'm pretty sure it had the same feel and graphics as the old Myst and Zork games.

Any ideas?

[SidGarcia]

I've never played any of the old adventure games, so no help there.
I did a search on Google however, and this is what I found:
"Let's check out the phone booth to the right of the entrance-gate." (http://www.justadventure.com/Walkthroughs/MOTD/mystery.shtm#Coins for the phone) It also says something about how to get in. But I doubt this is what you're looking for, as this is not the first location or puzzle.

Hopefully there's a member here with an excellent knowledge about old adventure games.
Good luck, and welcome to the forum!

[PariahKing]

You're looking for Maniac Mansion.

[Ignatius]

You're looking for Maniac Mansion.

Sounds pretty much to it, but i dont remember the payphone...There was the doorbell, and then the mailbox...
By the way, in the case Maniac Mansion was the game, the door key is under the rug.

[Bagge]

You're looking for Maniac Mansion.

Probably not. There was no payphone outside the mansion.

[natlinxz]

I got one! It was an adventure game like maniac mansion. Except it was made by Lego. You play as Pepper, who has to deliver a Pizza to someone in this mansion, and the goal is to solve all the puzzles and get inside the house to deliver it. It was a free game if I remember right.

I'm having a lot of trouble remembering the title of this game, let alone a copy of it online.

[Arodin]

I got one! It was an adventure game like maniac mansion. Except it was made by Lego. You play as Pepper, who has to deliver a Pizza to someone in this mansion, and the goal is to solve all the puzzles and get inside the house to deliver it. It was a free game if I remember right.

I'm having a lot of trouble remembering the title of this game, let alone a copy of it online.

Lego Island
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lego_Island

[natlinxz]

Lego Island
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lego_Island

Not quite. I was playing Lego Island yesterday, it's a blast! But it's not the game I'm thinking of unfortunately.

[Samas]

You're looking for Maniac Mansion.

I don't think that's the one, I remember this one having a very distinct Myst feel to it - kind of like you click to move forward, there is a short cinematic of you moving forward etc. The art style was very photographic.

I have no idea about your Lego game - I googled 'Pepper lego pizza' which just brought up Lego Island and Lego Island 2 :( I'll ask one of my friends though - he is a notorious fan of everything Lego.


Good luck, and welcome to the forum!

Thanks Sid! :D

[Ignatius]

Mmm...i played this game a long time ago: Lost in Time http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_in_Time_(video_game) dont remember much of the beggining, although i do remember that the character starts outside a big house, so maybe...

[maximmortal]

Hugo's House of Horrors?

[Fulvio75]

Dr. Brain or The Isle of Dr. Brain or something...?

[16_BIT_MARIO1]

Your description sort of reminds me of Uninvited (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uninvited_%28game%29). But my NES broke and I haven't played it in years, so I'm not sure.

[natlinxz]

http://www.nesplay.com/play/Uninvited.html

Only play this if you owned the original game! (This means you 16BitMario1)

[Samas]

None of these are the elusive game I'm looking for, BUT I have found some new goodies! Thanks fellow forum-ers.

Although, I do posses fond memories of Hugo's House of Horrors - which also really, really frustrated me as a child :P

[natlinxz]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_graphic_adventure_games

Just read every game on that list and I'm sure it will come up!
(If you still remember the title)

[maximmortal]

Although, I do posses fond memories of Hugo's House of Horrors - which also really, really frustrated me as a child :P
Did you ever play that one where he was in the jungle?

[thanatos56]

You're description reminds me of an old Sierra game I played. It was called Shivers. Is there anything else you remember? And opening scene?

[Samas]

You're description reminds me of an old Sierra game I played. It was called Shivers. Is there anything else you remember? And opening scene?

For a split second there - I thought Shivers might be the one. The synopsis seemed kind of similar (it was about your guy exploring through a huge mansion, or museum). I remember on the back it had a picture of some weird looking guy flying in a kind of miniature toy airplane. I think maybe you had to pick things up and put them in the right place?

I'm not completely sure, I couldn't get past the first puzzle :( BUT I do remember it had those exact Myst style graphics and gameplay.

Did you ever play that one where he was in the jungle?

No! I don't think so... unless it was the one with a room where you had to dodge those bats? Stupid impossible bat-room. And when you finally got past them, some mummy thing would run up and kill you straight away anyway.

[thanatos56]

I've never really played Myst, I couldn't even figure out which puzzle I was trying to solve. What about Lighthouse, does that sound familiar? It probably isn't, but it's another Sierra game from around the same time and I think the house could be considered a mansion....

[Samas]

I've never really played Myst, I couldn't even figure out which puzzle I was trying to solve. What about Lighthouse, does that sound familiar? It probably isn't, but it's another Sierra game from around the same time and I think the house could be considered a mansion....

A lot of these Serria games you are mentioning seem like they have the same kind of feel as this game, so I can feel it getting closer. No luck with Lighthouse, though :(

And Myst is really difficult. When it gets to a point where you have to read a million books in the library in order to figure out a puzzle, it's just crazy. Probably the most hard-core puzzle games I've seen.