King's Quest Spin-offs

[Lexxbomb]

Intersting that Braggins mentions Historians...
I agree that games are a form of Cultural Capital - but Historians do not view history like an encyclopedia, all history is up for revision. When Mask of Eternia was released major releases were never considered spin-offs and as such would have been defined as the next major installment in the series , while today in our market we understand how spins offs can be larger and potentially generate more income... Todays gaming historians would actually examine the series and break it down into sagas
KQ1+KQ2+KQ5 are Graham's Saga
KQ3+KQ6 are Alexander's Saga
KQ4+KQ7 are Rosella's Saga

with the exclussion of Mask of Eternia all of the series focuses on the Royal Family (hence its name of Kings Quest) - in Mask the main character is not part of the royal family - it would only work as part of the series thematicly if Connor became the new king as Graham was a knight in the first game... he doesn't so it clashes with the series on a thematic level...as such a gaming historian would actuyally argue that it should be renamed "Kings Quest : Mask of Eternia" and be recognised as a spin off.


on a side note, I enjoyed playing Mask of Eternia and im not saying it was horrible - just that it should be recognised with more modern lenses as a spin off.

[BagginsKQ]

What is this Mask of Eternia game you keep mentioning is it a He-Man game?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternia

By the power of Grayskull!

I agree that games are a form of Cultural Capital - but Historians do not view history like an encyclopedia, all history is up for revision.

I actually do follow this sort of thing, and find it fascinating. While this is partly true , "revisionism' without good reason with supporting facts is largely frowned upon. While sometimes it can be legitimate, that is to say there are solid 'facts' (archaeological research, maybe old government documents finally released to the public that shed new details), that confirm an event didn't happen the way contemporay writers and historians recorded it, or were told to record it, facts were suppressed, or misleading and biased opinions were made, etc (more common with military documents, government documents, and especially in toltalitarian regimes). However, often times "revisionism" is an illegitimate negation of historical record, also called 'denial', or negationism... As it chooses to ignore solid and citeable facts. However in general, a revisionist is not someone a person would want to be compared to, as it generally has negative connotations.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histor..._(negationism))

Sometimes you get some strange ideas, like the idea that all the wars after WW2 and including WW2, were actually part of the actual "WW2". That is to say, that WW2 never really ended, but continued into the Cold War, and that Cold War is only part of WW2 (or WW2 is part of the greater Cold War). So not only are 'wars' not thrown out of the historical record, but rather combined into some uber '100 years war' by the revisionists... But other facts or detailed or negated or glossed over including the fact that the field of battle changed, as did the opposing forces/governments involved...

One of my personal favorites for its 'colorful' description, is from some South Korean historians perspective in history is the idea that Korean War was 'WW3', the reasoning? Because with the UN involved, and because Russia and China, and a few other communist countries were supporting North Korea, there were representitives from around the world. No matter, that they were fighting over a very small region geography... Add to the fact that the war never actually truly ended (just a cease-fire), and thus that 'war' technically exists to this day, although its generally 'cold'!

Now, to point out many themes that you overlooked!

Actually KQ1 + KQ8 link up in themes as well. They are both games about a knight (Connor and Graham) who saves the kingdom of Daventry from near destruction evil (invasion and cataclysm), and save the king (Edward and Graham.) Actually its where the series went full circle, in a sense the ouroboros! A passing of torch so to speak, as they would say in Joseph Campbell (btw Mask of Eternity is probably an allusion to Joseph Campbell's Masks of Eternity)!

In a way KQ3 and KQ8 share the idea of an unknown peasant who saves Daventry as well! Both make names for themselves by the end. Gwydion finds out he is Alexander, a noble prince, Connor finds out he is the prophecied Champion Eternal and noble.

Did you know that Graham and Connor are the only two characters in the KQ games to have a 'jump command'?

Did you know counting boxart, Connor and Graham are the only characters shown to wear full suits of armor (KQ1 PCJR box, and the KQ8 box).

Did you know that Connor and Graham begin their respective games wearing nearly the same costume (w/ Connor minus the Adventure's cap)? Graham wears red, while Connor wears tan. Incidently Alexander wore the same costume in KQ5, but in a kind of cyan/blue.

KQ6 and KQ8 are the only two games to have a "Sword Cursor"?
http://kingsquest.wikia.com/wiki/Sword_Cursor

Another thing is the magic mirror, it appears in 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8! The mirror actually has more importance in the even number games strangely enough! That is the even number games the mirror is used to set the adventure, and show the quest objective! I.E. the mirror gives a 'prophetic' image to the hero or heros or even other characters. See, 2, 4, 6, and 8 (these visions are shown in the game on screen). These are the mirror themed quests.

Odd numbered KQ games, that may include the mirror, the mirror is 'rescued or fixed'. For example its rescued in KQ1, and fixed in KQ3! But doesn't appear in 5 (although it would technically be rescued along with the castle in 5) nor does it appear in 7.

Daventry as a land to explore only appears in 1, 3, and 8 in a playable way. Outside appears physically only briefly in 2, 5, and 7. The town of Daventry is alluded to in KQ1 manual, mentioned in KQ2 manual, and KQ5 manual, but only appears in KQ8.

KQ1, KQ3, KQ4, and KQ8 are all stories that involve saving the King of Daventry from death or destruction.

KQ1, KQ3, KQ5 and KQ8 all focus on saving the kingdom of Daventry itself from destruction.

Did you know that they almost made KQ8 have Alexander as the playable character? But Robert decided that she wanted someone new instead? Because Alexander should be allowed to rule his kingdom, and he already had a happy ending?

KQ5 and KQ6 link up as the story of Cassima, Abdul and Green Isles. Likewise KQ1 and KQ3 link up around the gnome Rumplestiltskin. KQ5 also includes Rumplestiltskin, but his personality doesn't match up in any way.

KQ7 is one of the only games in the series that doesn't involve rescuing the King of Daventry, nor rescuing the kingdom in anyway! It does involve rescuing the king and kingdom in another country though. But Daventry has very little involvement in the entire story. But this is different than any previous KQ game (other than KQ2). Although KQ2, it is mentioned is all about finding a wife so that he can have heirs, so that the kingdom would not end up like it did under Edward (a king who had no blood heirs to pass the kingdom to)! So in a way it is kinda about 'saving the kingdom or rather dynasty'. But KQ7 has nothing to do with saving the kingdom in any form.

Did you know that KQ7 is the only KQ game to not contain Graham, but Graham appears in nearly every game of the series including 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8.

Did you know there were some reviews from when KQ7 came out, where the reviewers thought it should be considered a 'spinoff'? Felt it didn't fit with the earlier KQ games all, and that it felt different than KQ4 even? Did you also know that Roberta almost thought about marketing it as King's Quest: The Prince-Less Bride (abbreviated KQ7)?

[BagginsKQ]

So, what about a KQ Battle Chess game?

Like the old Battle Chess series?

[techie775]

Originally Posted by BagginsKQ

So, what about a KQ Battle Chess game?

Like the old Battle Chess series?

I have never seen this SW computer chess game, but now I really want to play it....

[gamingafter40]

Okay, back to the original topic for a moment... found a KQ reference I don't think has been mentioned here yet...

I was playing Space Quest IV this weekend for the first time in a long while, and spotted a cameo by Cedric the Owl within the Ms. Astro Chicken game at the Galaxy Galleria's arcade.

He flies by near the top of the screen, in the same zone the plane towing the MediaVision banner occupies at other times. It seems to be random and fairly rare, but I don't know many other owls who wear blue vests and a monocle.

[BagginsKQ]

You can actually shoot Cedric for points in that game.

Cedric is also in Freddy Pharkas. Where he also dies a gruesome death!

You you can mention Cedric in QFG4, as well, to which Leshy will "shudder'.

There is a Cedric reference in SQ6 as well on the DeepShip, where if you try to enter one of the locations on the ship, the narrator, says if you go in there I'm staying out here.

Although I don't think these 'easter eggs' count as spinoffs!

Not anymore than Graham appearing in SQ4 on Estros, or being mentioned in Laura Bow 2, or Freddy Pharkas, or Police Quest 1 and 2 (along with Rosella), makes those games spinoffs!

Or Genesta and Rosella mentioned in the Quest for Glory series (see also Rosella doll)!

The Hoyle Book of Games Volume 1 was slightly more 'spinoffy' of multiple Sierra games, in that it actually had quite a bit of dialogue between the various characters (and adds some backstory to the KQ universe between Graham and Rosella).

Hoyle 3 and Hoyle 4 also has several KQ characters (but they aren't used for any deep effect, no conversations). But was not really a spinoff (though they did make a KQ spinoff out of that game, by using it to make Graham's Board Games Challenge!).

There was also Quest for Daventry pinball game included with the Take-A-Break pinball that was a bit of a spinoff from KQ5. Including Cedric and everything from that game!

Of course King's Questions, the King's Quest trivia game!

Interestingly enough King's Quest was actually a spinoff of Wizard and the Princess (which is considered the prequel to the series)!

[techie775]

Originally Posted by gamingafter40

Okay, back to the original topic for a moment... found a KQ reference I don't think has been mentioned here yet...

Don't forget in the end of Leisure Suit Larry 3 Roberts directs "Rosella" to climb the whale tongue in Sierra Studios when Larry and Patti end up there. and in LSL2 Rosella cuts larry's hair.

Sorry I wasn't trying to steer the topic into another direction with sw chess I just never saw it before.

[BagginsKQ]

Hey, the original topic was about 'creating a KQ spinoff" in other genres... I think a Kign's Quest Battle Chess could make for a interesting game! I was on topic!

[Chyron8472]

Poker Night at the Inventory 2 with Cedric as one of the characters.

[BagginsKQ]

It's a poisonous hand...!

[gamingafter40]

All overhanging foliage was banned from the Inventory after the notorious "Look, Graham! Tycho has four aces!" incident.

[exo]

I want to see King Graham in the Land of the Lounge Lizards.... hope he remembers his condoms...