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Flight of the Amazon Queen
You mean that both screenshots look to be of similar quality?
Is that really what you think? Okay, it’s not the same difference between a Rembrandt and the art teacher down the street, but still, it’s significant.
That Indy scene has a bit better use of perspective, but other than that I’d say the quality is pretty close.
But what it comes down for me is, that I didn’t like the puzzles on FotAMQ. Sure, some of them can be seen as jabs towards the genre (the gorilla one for an example) but overall I take Indy over it.
@Oscar:
Hey, I hate to be put into a position where I’m arguing against FoA, one of my favorite adventure games of all time, but really, FotAQ has some wonderfully vivid, detailed, and creatively composed scenes. The screenshot you picked is by far one of the blandest of the game, and you’re holding it up as though it’s par for the course, when it is not. FoA has some amazing screens, too, particularly its wider vistas, but it’s also got some bland repetitive areas as well, (most of its major interiors, actually—the labyrinth, Atlantis itself, etc.) In my opinion, FotAQ is actually far more diverse and vivid in its scenery, particularly for a game that mostly takes place in one locale. It’s more cartoonish, sure, but that’s just a stylistic difference, not a step up or down in quality. Compare a Google image search of each title—I don’t think the superiority of FoA graphics is as secure and clear-cut as you think it is. 
And if we’re talking animation quality, I think FotAQ wins hands down. The sprite-work in that game is absolutely excellent (for a 320x200 game of that era, of course.)
Wow, suddenly FotAQ is a controversial game! I played it on the iPhone when I was in the hospital last year and it certainly made that period in my life more fun. I think I paid a few euros for it but it was worth the price, even on that tiny screen.
@Oscar:
Hey, I hate to be put into a position where I’m arguing against FoA, one of my favorite adventure games of all time, but really, FotAQ has some wonderfully vivid, detailed, and creatively composed scenes. The screenshot you picked is by far one of the blandest of the game, and you’re holding it up as though it’s par for the course, when it is not. FoA has some amazing screens, too, particularly its wider vistas, but it’s also got some bland repetitive areas as well, (most of its major interiors, actually—the labyrinth, Atlantis itself, etc.) In my opinion, FotAQ is actually far more diverse and vivid in its scenery, particularly for a game that mostly takes place in one locale. It’s more cartoonish, sure, but that’s just a stylistic difference, not a step up or down in quality. Compare a Google image search of each title—I don’t think the superiority of FoA graphics is as secure and clear-cut as you think it is.
And if we’re talking animation quality, I think FotAQ wins hands down. The sprite-work in that game is absolutely excellent (for a 320x200 game of that era, of course.)
There’s no point arguing, but I went through all the Mobygames shots (over 100) of each game and FOA was by far better in every one. I originally had the shot of the giant log up against the Tikal jungle. It’s not just a stylistic difference, not by a long shot.
But again, no point arguing about this. This is a forum where people actually think Memoria is better than Night of the Rabbit, after all 
But again, no point arguing about this. This is a forum where people actually think Memoria is better than Night of the Rabbit, after all
I don’t know if I can say which is better, but I certainly enjoyed Memoria more than NoTR. Why does that contribute to making this a forum where there’s no point arguing about Flight of the Amazon Queens graphics compared to Fate of Atlantis’?
I’m confused.
Duckman: Can you believe it? Five hundred bucks for a parking ticket?
Cornfed Pig: You parked in a handicapped zone.
Duckman: Who cares? Nobody parks there anyway, except for the people who are supposed to park there and, hell, I can outrun them anytime.
But again, no point arguing about this. This is a forum where people actually think Memoria is better than Night of the Rabbit, after all
I don’t know if I can say which is better, but I certainly enjoyed Memoria more than NoTR. Why does that contribute to making this a forum where there’s no point arguing about Flight of the Amazon Queens graphics compared to Fate of Atlantis’?
I’m confused.
That’s not what I said. There’s a difference between enjoying a game more than another game and thinking it is better.
What had me confused was the implication that finding Memoria to be the superior of the two is an outrageous idea. They’re pretty much on the same level of quality, though NoTR, arguably, has slightly better voice acting. Both are great games, but for me, the artstyle of Memoria appeals a slight bit more, and I felt the puzzles were better integrated with the story, which is what had my scale tilt in favour of Memoria.
Duckman: Can you believe it? Five hundred bucks for a parking ticket?
Cornfed Pig: You parked in a handicapped zone.
Duckman: Who cares? Nobody parks there anyway, except for the people who are supposed to park there and, hell, I can outrun them anytime.
I played Flight of the Amazon Queen back in the day and thought it was pretty close to Lucas games. Would have to play it again to see how well my memory serves me.
Anyway it’s a no-brainer that any adventurer should grab it now for their GOG library.
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I’d like to see your top 20 Tim, because I’ve seen you call a number of games top 20 but you’re going to have to throw some games out at one point, and I don’t believe it would be a DS game over something like FOTAQ
Yes, there are several adventure games that I describe as being “on my all-time top 20”, exactly 20 of them… 
At this point in time, there are exactly 20 adventure games that I’ve given 4.5/5 or 5/5 - that’s my top 20, and Flight of the Amazon Queen is on there…
If you want the complete top 20, here it is:
Note: most of them don’t have an actual order because compiling a list like this is mostly done by comparing apples and oranges, imo. That’s why several get lumped together (and are thus sorted by approximate release date).
1. The Curse of Monkey Island
2-6. Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
2-6. Day of the Tentacle
2-6. Full Throttle
2-6. Grim Fandango
2-6. Phoenix Wright, Ace Attorney
7-8. The Dig
7-8. Callahan’s Crosstime Saloon
9-14. The Secret of Monkey Island
9-14. Discworld: Noir
9-14. Phoenix Wright, Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations
9-14. Time Hollow
9-14. 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors
9-14. To the Moon
15-20. Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge
15-20. Simon the Sorcerer
15-20. Simon the Sorcerer II: The Lion, the Wizard and the Wardrobe
15-20. Flight of the Amazon Queen
15-20. Discworld
15-20. Dreamfall: The Longest Journey
Problems will arise once I give another game 4.5/5 or more (and to be honest, that’s currently looking like a real possibility for GK1). Then I’d probably have to either kick a game out of the top 20 or expand that top 20 to a top 21.
But should I decide to kick a game out, then I think I’d sooner kick the first Discworld or the first Simon game out than Flight of the Amazon Queen. THAT’s how good I think it is…
Not everyone is going to like FotAQ equally, and I understand that you don’t think it’s nowhere near as good as I think it is. I respect that. But I’d like to stress that “it’s in my top 20” is not something I pulled out of my ass…
Also, about FotAQ: there are several instances in the game that are just hilarious (the encounters with the gorilla, waiting for the sloth, the Amazon tribe’s “prisoners”, the ridiculousness of the evil scientist’s plan, etc.).
That main character Joe King isn’t as utterly awesome as Indiana Jones, is precisely because it’s hard to compete with Indiana Jones. Lost Horizon’s Fenton Paddock had the same problem: the character’s trying so hard to be Indiana Jones, but it’s really just a watered down version. “Indiana Jones light”. Blame Robert Redford Harrison Ford. 
The truth can’t hurt you, it’s just like the dark: it scares you witless but in time you see things clear and stark. - Elvis Costello
Maybe this time I can be strong, but since I know who I am, I’m probably wrong. Maybe this time I can go far, but thinking about where I’ve been ain’t helping me start. - Michael Kiwanuka
Speaking about “accesible to everyone” - between ScummVM and GOG, Flight of the Amazon Queen has been available for free also in Dotemu for a long time.
Apart from the graphics, sound… I think it’s not that easy to compare Flight of the Amazon Queen and Fate of Atlantis - I’ve always thought FoA is in a way a more “serious” take on a typical globetrotting adventure. Not that it lacks humor, but it’s definitely not your-typical LucasArts tongue-in-cheek material, with all the mythological/pulp stories inspiration that could probably match Spielberg/Lucas work (that’s also why I’ve always thought there’s a slight discrepancy between the general mood of the game and the graphics which are easily associated with comedy adventures). On the other hand, I’ve read FOTAQ is a homage to Serial films of the 50s/60s, and I’ve found it like a “playing comic book” - and the game doesn’t try to hide it, as there’re very obvious comic references throughout the game 
:
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I played this on my Amiga back in the day, and I replayed it when it became downloadable for free on the ScummVM homepage. It’s a good classic adventure and if it had been in the Lucas catalogue, I don’t think it would stand out as a black sheep. I always thought it had somewhat of a Ron Gilberty wibe to it. If you like the early Lucas games, you shouldn’t miss out on this. It’s FREE!
Duckman: Can you believe it? Five hundred bucks for a parking ticket?
Cornfed Pig: You parked in a handicapped zone.
Duckman: Who cares? Nobody parks there anyway, except for the people who are supposed to park there and, hell, I can outrun them anytime.
That main character Joe King isn’t as utterly awesome as Indiana Jones, is precisely because it’s hard to compete with Indiana Jones.
Indiana Jones has the advantage of being known through the movies, so we think of THAT Jones when playing the games. But if you can set that aside, the Indiana Jones in the games, taken on his own, was actually pretty bland…and not especially superior to Joe King.
(ducking for cover due to adventure game blasphemy)
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