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View Full Version : Grim Fandango, Monkey Island & KQ6 - Featured in Gamespot Valentines Day Video!


Dasilva
02-14-2006, 02:12 PM
Stick with the movie and watch all of it, its only 4-5 minutes, you'll get a look at some footage from Grim Fandango, Monkey Island & KQ6 in this special love song video. :)

http://www.gamespot.com/features/6144012/index.html


Alexander and Cassima (King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow)
Carrie Gouskos

Sure, he's a prince and she's a princess, and they're both the highest quality specimens that VGA-256 could possibly provide, but the love between Alexander and Cassima is darkened by the plots of a sinister vizier who stands between the star-crossed lovers, between Cassima and her crown, and between the entire royal family and their lives in King's Quest VI.

It begins at the end of King's Quest V, the last adventure of Daventry's King Graham, who must free his family and the princess from a distant land, Cassima, from the clutches of an evil wizard. Cassima isn't home for long when she's imprisoned again, in her own castle, this time by the court vizier. (As a side note to all future kings and queens, you might want to consider getting rid of all the wizards and viziers, since they're generally nothing but trouble.) Alexander, who is been visibly aggrieved by his separation from the raven-haired beauty, taps into her pain spiritually by way of a magic mirror, and is off to find, rescue, and yes, eventually marry Cassima.

http://img.gamespot.com/gamespot/images/2006/features/valentines/valentines_embed006.jpg
A prince to rescue a princess locked away in a tower. The stuff fairy tales are made of, right?

The lengths Alexander goes to are a little extreme, from scaling the cliffs of the Winged Ones and defeating the Minotaur in the catacombs (a puzzle, which is about as complicated and perilous as you would imagine the catacombs to be) to exploring the depths of Hell in order to bring her murdered parents back to life. In the game's alternate ending, Alexander can dress up like a serving woman in order to sneak into the castle. But it's even better told the long way, in which Alexander conjures spells, befriends the court jester, and eventually stops the vizier's sham wedding to Cassima.

Along the way you're treated to heartwarming moments, like Alexander sending love notes and flowers to the imprisoned maiden by way of her pet mockingbird, and a tender conversation in which he addresses her through a hole in her bedroom wall. Only in a love story like this could he come across as a romantic and not a Peeping Tom. Of course, in the end, all nefarious plots are foiled, and Alexander and Cassima are able to be together once again. The story between these two couldn't end any other way than happily ever after...unless you never figure out how to get past Death, in which case the game might hit a little too close to reality.


Guybrush Threepwood and Elaine Marley (Monkey Island series)
Jason Ocampo

http://img.gamespot.com/gamespot/images/2006/features/valentines/valentines_embed008.jpg
Undead pirates and the secrets of Monkey Island are no match for the love between a wannabe bucanneer and his heroine.

Lovable and cuddly are generally good traits to have if you're a guy wanting to attract the girls. But if you're a wannabe pirate like Guybrush Threepwood, the hero of LucasArts' classic Monkey Island adventure games, lovable and cuddly can be something of a detriment. After all, how are you supposed to become the most notorious pirate in the Caribbean if no one can even say your name with a straight face? Yet the fact that Guybrush shrugs off the horrible mangling of his name ("Gibberish Driftwood"), while also saving the day multiple times against the evil undead pirate LeChuck, just to win the heart of the beautiful Elaine Marley, is proof of his good-natured intent.

At first, it doesn't look like a natural match. Guybrush is a hapless, bright-eyed youth who would make the least likely pirate, mainly because there's not a mean bone in his body. Meanwhile, the beautiful Elaine is the governor of the Tri-Island area and has no shortage of suitors, including LeChuck. (Rumor has it that Elaine once told the living LeChuck to "drop dead," and so he did. Unfortunately, he didn't stay dead.) Yet the two immediately fall in love after Guybrush tries and fails to rob Elaine as part of his pirate trials. Guybrush and Elaine's relationship blossoms in what becomes one of the greatest love stories of our time, even though Elaine has to keep bailing Guybrush out of his "rescue attempts" to save her from the many perils that go with living so close to the infamous Monkey Island. By the end of the fourth and final game in the series, fittingly titled Escape from Monkey Island, Guybrush and Elaine go sailing off together in search of adventure and romance. And we, dear friends, find ourselves longing for them to come back someday.


Manny Calavera and Mercedes "Meche" Colomar (Grim Fandango)
Andrew Park

http://img.gamespot.com/gamespot/images/2006/features/valentines/valentines_embed002.jpg
Here's looking at you, kid.

Of all the undead travel agencies, in all the towns, in all the world, the deceased soul of saintly nun Mercedes "Meche" Colomar had to walk into Manny Calavera's. Actually, that's not quite accurate--the debonair-but-down-on-his-luck Manny poached Meche's soul (and travel package) from his manipulative rival, Domino Hurley, and set into action a chain of events that led to one of the most endearing stories ever told in a game. The game was Grim Fandango, which fused the pastel colors of traditional Mexican papier-mâché artwork with the sensibilities of a classic film noir motion picture.

And like in any good film noir romance, Manny and Meche's relationship is fraught with tragedy, guilt, heartache, false leads, and dramatic irony. In their first conversation, the perplexed Manny desperately tries to find some dirt on the virtuous Meche--only because her virtuous soul should mean a big, fat commission for him. The scene in which Manny has that first interview with Meche--asking such polite and tasteful questions like whether or not she's ever killed anyone, followed by "Come on, not even a little killing?" followed by Meche's genuinely sorrowful apology to an absent Manny--sets the tone for their bittersweet but memorable relationship.

Spiwak
02-14-2006, 02:55 PM
That was a good feature and video. Made me reeeeeaaaally want to replay Final Fantasy VIII, and a lot of those games actually.

I'm such a sucker for romance...

jjacob
02-14-2006, 03:47 PM
Aren't we all just a bunch of sappy romantics :D Great video!

Dasilva
02-14-2006, 04:05 PM
Indeed, the problem is sharing the sappyness. :P

jjacob
02-14-2006, 05:18 PM
Ofcourse, we gotta work hard to keep that tough guy exterior :D

fov
02-14-2006, 06:05 PM
Along the way you're treated to heartwarming moments, like Alexander sending love notes and flowers to the imprisoned maiden by way of her pet mockingbird,

Err, I'm pretty sure it's a nightengale. :o

In any case, nice write-up. I'm not going to read the others because I haven't played/finished those games yet. I'll check out the video in a little bit, though.

the gnome
02-15-2006, 12:29 AM
Hated the music, but the video was great in a nostalgic way...

Dasilva
02-15-2006, 12:35 AM
Im glad someone at Gamespot loves us adventure gamers! :o

saucyminx
02-15-2006, 01:05 AM
Do I have to be a member to watch the video??? :frown:

Dasilva
02-15-2006, 01:15 AM
No. :P

Synesthesia
02-15-2006, 01:20 AM
I'm such a sucker for romance...

http://kaworu.com/lj/50kzombies.jpg

saucyminx
02-15-2006, 01:21 AM
Oh ok, got it. Non-members only get to download the low-res vids. :)

Xman
02-15-2006, 01:57 AM
Hehe, that was a pretty cool vid. All those games driven by love...makes me feel all mushy inside :P

Dasilva
02-15-2006, 03:22 AM
http://kaworu.com/lj/50kzombies.jpg

Whats that about? :P