Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventure” released

Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by wolfgke on Sunday June 21, 2020 @02:32PM (#23594120)

A cyberpunk-themed adventure in pixel-art style was released very recently in May 2020. I mention this since I can imagine that some people in the HN audience might love it:

VirtuaVerse

* https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=VirtuaVerse&oldid...

* https://www.gog.com/game/virtuaverse

* https://store.steampowered.com/app/1019310/VirtuaVerse/

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by shmerl on Sunday June 21, 2020 @05:34PM (#23595603)

I just finished it not long ago. Some puzzles are very hard but the game is pretty good.

The soundtrack is superb too: https://masterbootrecord.bandcamp.com/album/virtuaverse-ost

See also: https://valenberg.tumblr.com

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by the_af on Sunday June 21, 2020 @05:50PM (#23595696)

Thanks for posting this! As a fan of adventures, cyberpunk and pixel art, I somehow missed this. It looks just like my cup of tea.

I don't know if this will repay your helpful post, but be sure to check out Gemini Rue, also an old-fashioned point-and-click scifi game: https://store.steampowered.com/app/80310/Gemini_Rue/

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by atombender on Sunday June 21, 2020 @08:34PM (#23596463)

Also, Technobabylon, published (but not developed) by the same people, Wadjet Eye.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/307580/Technobabylon/

While good, I thought Wadjet's Primordia, where you play a robot in a postapocalyptic civilization where humans no longer exist, was better:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/227000/Primordia/?curator...

Shardlight, another postapocalyptic sci-fi story, is also great:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/336130/Shardlight/?curato...

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by the_af on Monday June 22, 2020 @10:36AM (#23600638)

Wow, these were all outside my radar. Thanks for mentioning them!

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by wolfgke on Sunday June 21, 2020 @06:57PM (#23596020)

Even thoughit looks like I would like the story setting of Gemini Rue, I am not sure whether I would like this game or not. The reviews mention action sequences; these are rather not my cup of tea.

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by the_af on Sunday June 21, 2020 @08:32PM (#23596453)

I don't remember any action sequences, so they must be minimal. It's a point and click adventure.

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by someguyorother on Monday June 22, 2020 @07:54AM (#23599210)

There are a few, mostly when you're being attacked by Boryokudan on the streets of the initial world, but also when you're playing the second character and training your shooting skills.

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by unixhero on Monday June 22, 2020 @02:37AM (#23597793)

Looks amazing, thanks!

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by martin_bech on Sunday June 21, 2020 @02:09PM (#23593908)

Then you should absolutely play Monkey Island. Its available in a good "remastered" edition. https://store.steampowered.com/app/32360/The_Secret_of_Monke...

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by dividuum on Sunday June 21, 2020 @03:17PM (#23594559)

And Monkey Island II as well as Day of the Tentacle. Both also remastered:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/388210/Day_of_the_Tentacl... https://store.steampowered.com/app/32460/Monkey_Island_2_Spe...

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by pengaru on Sunday June 21, 2020 @03:58PM (#23594892)

DOTT is particularly special for being a sequel to Maniac Mansion, a Gilbert game I had briefly played somewhere on the original NES.

The entire Maniac Mansion game is also included in playable form within DOTT, on a virtual computer found within the game's environment.

I remember first playing DOTT on the PC and discovering the embedded Maniac Mansion. Up until that point I hadn't realized I was playing a sequel to that NES game I'd long forgotten about.

They're fun games, quirky with a great sense of humor and playful innocence about them.

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by unixhero on Monday June 22, 2020 @02:39AM (#23597802)

What's strange is that it is unclear to me which build the Maniac Mansion embedded version is. It is not the PC one. As a kid I tried to replace the lfl files from the maniacm subdir in DOTT om the Maniac Mansion root folder. It didn't work. :)

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by jonny_eh on Sunday June 21, 2020 @04:01PM (#23594915)

Even though the first two entries in the Monkey Island series are classics, my personal favourite is the 3rd, The Curse of Monkey Island. Gorgeous artwork, beautiful music, and hilarious writing and voice acting.

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by klipt on Sunday June 21, 2020 @05:43PM (#23595660)

We'll fight you in the harbor
We'll battle you on land
When you meet singing pirates

They'll be more than you can stand.

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by riffraff on Sunday June 21, 2020 @04:26PM (#23595124)

I agree, but art-wise the remastered editions are also pretty nice.

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by WorldMaker on Monday June 22, 2020 @01:26PM (#23602967)

Though take the time to revisit the original art because some of it is a master class in early pixel art, and Monkey Island II was a master class in early MIDI work that stands nearly unbeaten in what it did dynamically and adroitly (search keyword for technical tales: iMUSE), and the lone full collaboration between all three of LucasArts' composers. One of the great things that both Monkey Island remasters did was make it a one button push to switch between original and remastered art and music (including the ability to do it mid-scene).

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by silveroriole on Sunday June 21, 2020 @04:08PM (#23594985)

I really wish HN had spoiler tags so I could give a warning about why lots of people will find the story disappointing compared to classic adventure games. I guess maybe I can say that if you were ever annoyed by the ending of Monkey Island 2, stay far away from this one.

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by Trasmatta on Sunday June 21, 2020 @04:13PM (#23595019)

I loved the ending of Monkey Island 2, so maybe I would enjoy this game.

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by sedatk on Sunday June 21, 2020 @05:09PM (#23595420)

I loved it too. I loved how they connected it to the first game in the ending chapter and all the fourth wall breaks.

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by talideon on Sunday June 21, 2020 @07:32PM (#23596187)

Too "fourth wall" for you, I'm guessing? I mean the whole game was heavily fourth wall from the beginning.

(That's as close to a non-spoiler as I can get.)

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by someguyorother on Monday June 22, 2020 @04:22AM (#23598229)

I completely agree. There's a sort of modern sentiment that a reference is funny in itself, and that fourth-wall is funny just by being fourth-wall.

I also had the feeling it was a little too proud of some of its (other) jokes, and wore them out.

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by silveroriole on Monday June 22, 2020 @06:32AM (#23598821)

In this case it’s not even that modern, since Gilbert was responsible for the MI2 ending. So in the last 30 years he still hasn’t realised that ending with “it was all a dream” isn’t really that clever!

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by someguyorother on Monday June 22, 2020 @07:36AM (#23599118)

That's part of it, but there's also the part that values shout-outs or references for their own sake. There's much more of that now than there was in MI2's time.

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by wolfgke on Monday June 22, 2020 @06:28AM (#23598798)

> I really wish HN had spoiler tags

Use ROT13

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by rasz on Monday June 22, 2020 @06:44AM (#23598884)

Pixel Art adventure games like Thimbleweed Park, http://darksidedetective.com, http://snailtrek.com, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unavowed, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primordia_(video_game), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemini_Rue, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technobabylon work mostly on people who grew up on LucasArts 'Monkey Island', 'Sam & Max Hit the Road', 'Day of the Tentacle', Revolution Software 'Beneath a Steel Sky'/'Broken Sword', and maybe Sierras Kingsquest/Spacequest.

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by koski_pindora on Sunday June 21, 2020 @02:56PM (#23594358)

You might like Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis too. That is an awesome game. I like it as much as any of the films. (Or even more. There are at least 3 different ways to play it through.)

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by rob74 on Sunday June 21, 2020 @07:08PM (#23596083)

Happy to see there are at least some new players introduced to the adventure genre by Thimbleweed Park - I honestly wasn't sure it would be enjoyable without the "nostalgia factor". I can only agree with the other posters: if you enjoyed Thimbleweed Park, you'll probably enjoy the original LucasArts games even more! My personal favourites are Monkey Island 1/2 and the Indiana Jones adventures (Last Crusade & The Fate of Atlantis). As for Thimbleweed Park, I'm sorry to say I never finished it - at some point, it seems to lose focus with lots of locations you can go to, several characters to play and not really a clear sense of what you should do next...

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by leetrout on Monday June 22, 2020 @02:45PM (#23604027)

Yes! It gets overwhelming and a bit frustrating. I had to google a couple of the puzzles.

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by bdefore on Sunday June 21, 2020 @04:08PM (#23594983)

Welcome to a new style of gaming! There's a lot of hidden gems out there. Since you're into quirky I highly recommend Dropsy: https://store.steampowered.com/app/274350/Dropsy/ ... Really unique and excellent character development.

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by rmetzler on Sunday June 21, 2020 @02:37PM (#23594174)

I think it is a must to play the monkey island adventures then! If you want to compare this to a movie or show, Pirates of the Caribbean would probably be mentioned, but monkey island was first.

I grew up with this kind of games and the Lucas arts games were the ones I liked the best. Zak McKracken, Day of the Tentacle and lots of other adventures was what I like to play in the 90s.

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by Chazprime on Sunday June 21, 2020 @04:00PM (#23594902)

Fun fact: Pirates of the Caribbean began life as a film adaptation of Monkey Island at ILM.

Quite a few details survived the script rewrites...remember the jailhouse dog with the keys in its mouth in the first Pirates?

I believe Gilbert has petitioned Disney a few times now for the rights to Monkey Island to create new games, though I don’t think they’ve responded.

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by squeaky-clean on Sunday June 21, 2020 @05:54PM (#23595718)

I always thought the jailhouse dog was an homage to the part of the Disney ride where a dog is holding a key in its mouth in front of a bunch of prisoners. I've never played any of the Monkey Island games to know if that's significant in them though.

https://pirates.fandom.com/wiki/Pirates_of_the_Caribbean_(ri...

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by WorldMaker on Monday June 22, 2020 @01:31PM (#23603037)

The Monkey Island game was heavily influenced by the Disney ride and (as sibling comment noted) Tim Powers' book On Stranger Tides. The Venn Diagram of who influenced who is nearly a circle, as the game was influenced by the Disney ride and the book and the movies were influenced by the ride and the games and the book and now the updates to the ride are influenced from the movies and the book. Disney even owns the Monkey Island games now in buying Lucasfilm, so all your pirate fictions are belong to Disney. (Yarr.)

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by teddyh on Monday June 22, 2020 @03:18AM (#23597958)

Fun fact: The true inspiration for most of Monkey Island was, in fact, the 1987 novel On Stranger Tides¹ by Tim Powers (no, not the 2011 Jack Sparrow movie).

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=On_Stranger_Tides...

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by aasasd on Sunday June 21, 2020 @04:26PM (#23595120)

> The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise originated with the theme ride, which opened at Disneyland in 1967

IIRC Monkey Island took some inspiration from the rides.

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by HellDunkel on Sunday June 21, 2020 @02:19PM (#23594020)

I used to play a lot of these games when they had state of the art graphics. I loved the art style but the story&characters didnt really grow on me.

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by mikewhy on Monday June 22, 2020 @12:48PM (#23602417)

Something you may want to check out is Backbone (https://store.steampowered.com/app/865610/Backbone/). While not true point-and-click, it is the same style of gameplay. There's only a demo available right now.

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by ponker on Sunday June 21, 2020 @10:50PM (#23597025)

You are in luck because Thimbleweed Park is like a 4/10 game and you still loved it. Try Grim Fandango next.

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by ekianjo on Sunday June 21, 2020 @07:14PM (#23596115)

If its the first game you have played in that category, you havent played the best.

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Re:Source code of “Delores: A Thimbleweed Park mini-adventur... by tempodox on Sunday June 21, 2020 @02:15PM (#23593966)

The signals are strong tonight!

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