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Grim Fandango

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Re: Grim Fandango

#51

Post by makmanalp »

rubslopes wrote: post #44
makmanalp wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here's the thing - I remember playing it as a kid and so many things, arguably most of it, went way over my head: the whole travel agent thing and getting ahead in the office, dia de los muertos, the references to noir, the weird but gorgeous mexican art deco combo, I knew nothing about any of it. But I still loved every second of it. It made the world feel very rich and real even if I didn't fully get it, in a way t…

I also played it as a kid and vividly remember that plot about a secret political revolution feeling so cool and new to me. I had never encountered anything like it before.I remember 'Viva la revolución!' becoming a catchphrase for me and a friend at that time. The sense of sneaking into an adult world, even a fantasy one, might be what made the game feel so special to me.

> The sense of sneaking into an adult world, even a fantasy one, might be what made the game feel so special to me

Brilliant observation that never occurred to me. Around that age being allowed to sit with and listen in on adults having normal adult conversations - being one of them - felt special.

Re: Grim Fandango

#52

Post by [deleted] »

dale_glass wrote: post #3

I think one understated problem Grim Fandango had is that it's too adult. Today "adult" often means "there's sex and/or gore", but the content is still simple and juvenile. But Grim Fandango isn't like that, it's just full of themes that probably confused the heck out of almost every kid that tried to play it. Like the very first chapter throws you right into office politics. You deal with stealing a job from another…

[deleted]

Re: Grim Fandango

#53

Post by wenc »

hibikir wrote: post #39
viraptor wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My parents couldn't understand enough English to really get why I shouldn't be playing Larry (almost all the screens are just fine) and I was too young to understand the actual theme. Perfect combination... Kind of like Police Quest 1 too. Although it did teach me to type "use handcuffs" fast enough. Also the spelling of "briefcase" and other longer words.

Police quest was just way too tough for the foreigner unused to American procedures. "Administer sobriety test" is not the easiest of commands without a very broad vocabulary.

I don't know. My friends and I growing up in Asia played Police Quest I as 8 year olds.

We learned about the Miranda rights, and the PR-24 nightstick. I remember the sobriety test part. We didn't know what a "field sobriety test" was exactly, but we knew it was something to do with drunk drivers. Somehow we managed to finish the game.

I think most people can pick up a lot of clues from context alone.

Re: Grim Fandango

#54

Post by kylebenzle »

makmanalp wrote: post #27
dale_glass wrote: post #3

I think one understated problem Grim Fandango had is that it's too adult. Today "adult" often means "there's sex and/or gore", but the content is still simple and juvenile. But Grim Fandango isn't like that, it's just full of themes that probably confused the heck out of almost every kid that tried to play it. Like the very first chapter throws you right into office politics. You deal with stealing a job from another…

Here's the thing - I remember playing it as a kid and so many things, arguably most of it, went way over my head: the whole travel agent thing and getting ahead in the office, dia de los muertos, the references to noir, the weird but gorgeous mexican art deco combo, I knew nothing about any of it. But I still loved every second of it. It made the world feel very rich and real even if I didn't fully get it, in a way t…

You are correct! The user above you has a strange opinion about what media kids should consume.

Re: Grim Fandango

#55

Post by kylebenzle »

kevml wrote: post #10
dale_glass wrote: post #3

I think one understated problem Grim Fandango had is that it's too adult. Today "adult" often means "there's sex and/or gore", but the content is still simple and juvenile. But Grim Fandango isn't like that, it's just full of themes that probably confused the heck out of almost every kid that tried to play it. Like the very first chapter throws you right into office politics. You deal with stealing a job from another…

This is a great assessment that I never realized until you said it. There are so many games from that era that I played that fit that mold. I was playing Leisure Suit Larry as a 10 year old! I can’t imagine parents these days letting their kids play that at all!

In many cases lazy "single mothers" let kids use TicTok and SnapChat in lieu of a baby sitter or actually spending time with their own children these days.

The things my kids have seen and knew before 6 years old was 1,000 times worse than anything in Leisure Suit Larry. Our daughter was repeating racial and sexual slurs she learned in the cheap "after-school" shes forced to attend.

American parents or society doesn't care about their kids at all in general (did we ever?) and growing up in this broken society is far more mentally damaging for kids than 20-30 years ago.

Re: Grim Fandango

#56

Post by SamBam »

nanna wrote: post #25
wenc wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's a really interesting perspective. I grew up around when adventure games were popular, and I learned a lot about the grown-up world (and in fact, American world) through adventure games. Sam and Max had so much Americana that, playing as a non-American, got me into the deep cuts of American culture. I think a lot of it was contextual. I didn't get all the references at first (e.g. who's John Muir for instance),…

I got completely stuck in the Beavis and Butthead adventure game when one of the voice acted characters told me to get a "vee-hickul". As a teenager sitting at my family PC in London, I had no idea what the hell the Texan (?) was saying. Only several years later would I figure it out. The only other thing I remember from that game is the hock-a-loogie minigame, which I mastered. I wonder if my parents had any idea wh…

Reading your comment I had no memory of ever playing that game, until I remembered mastering the hock-a-loogie minigame. Thanks (I guess?) for the memory!

Re: Grim Fandango

#57

Post by vvpan »

Well I certainly cannot relate to the criticism. I played the game early on as a teen (and every few years since) and while, at times difficult, I never thought the puzzles were "confusing", it seemed like a pretty organic combination of styles of puzzles built into the game. The head turning dynamics I have also found to be quiet pleasant as it made me relate to the character more.

Not that criticism is bad but Grim Fandango seems to one of the most if not most loved adventure games (just visit and adventure game forum or subreddit). So one can take it apart and think about the individual parts but the whole is certainly a masterpiece of a game.

Re: Grim Fandango

#58

Post by kaashif »

dgfitz wrote: post #33
nanna wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I got completely stuck in the Beavis and Butthead adventure game when one of the voice acted characters told me to get a "vee-hickul". As a teenager sitting at my family PC in London, I had no idea what the hell the Texan (?) was saying. Only several years later would I figure it out. The only other thing I remember from that game is the hock-a-loogie minigame, which I mastered. I wonder if my parents had any idea wh…

Anecdote: the word ‘vehicle’ is referenced aty day job a lot. I had a PM who always, always said ‘vee-hickle’ and I honestly always thought he was full of shit. On day when he was really mad about $(thing I predicted) he just comes out and says ‘vehicle’ like it’s spelled. I don’t remember feeling smug or annoyed, mostly just kind of bummed at the farce.

> he just comes out and says ‘vehicle’ like it’s spelled

What do you mean by this?

In what what is "ve hicle" not pronouncing it as it's spelled but "ve icle" is? Isn't the one including an h more faithful?

Re: Grim Fandango

#59

Post by GuB-42 »

dale_glass wrote: post #3

I think one understated problem Grim Fandango had is that it's too adult. Today "adult" often means "there's sex and/or gore", but the content is still simple and juvenile. But Grim Fandango isn't like that, it's just full of themes that probably confused the heck out of almost every kid that tried to play it. Like the very first chapter throws you right into office politics. You deal with stealing a job from another…

> Today "adult" often means "there's sex and/or gore", but the content is still simple and juvenile.

That's indeed an unfortunate fact. In fact, most "adult" stuff is actually for teens or young adults. Teens love sex and gore, they want to be edgy, they want to prove they are not children anymore. Actual adults, the kind with jobs and families, are usually passed that. They may still enjoy their sex and gore, but it is just one theme like another.

I think a good way to make a difference between "teen adult" and "actual adult" is to look at the age and environment of the protagonists. Is the main character a teenager or young adult? Does it involve a school of some kind? Then it is probably for teens. Is the main character middle aged? Does it involve work, especially office work? Are there parents among the protagonists? Then it is probably for adults. Sex and violence are secondary.

Re: Grim Fandango

#60

Post by LaundroMat »

kylebenzle wrote: post #55
kevml wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a great assessment that I never realized until you said it. There are so many games from that era that I played that fit that mold. I was playing Leisure Suit Larry as a 10 year old! I can’t imagine parents these days letting their kids play that at all!

In many cases lazy "single mothers" let kids use TicTok and SnapChat in lieu of a baby sitter or actually spending time with their own children these days. The things my kids have seen and knew before 6 years old was 1,000 times worse than anything in Leisure Suit Larry. Our daughter was repeating racial and sexual slurs she learned in the cheap "after-school" shes forced to attend. American parents or society doesn'…

"Lazy single moms". Nice.
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