adventuregamesavenames

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Do you like reviews of bad video games? Do you like reviews of good video games? Do you love a bunch of games? Me, too!

Check out I Love a Bunch of Games, where I am playing through my distressingly massive collection of games from Itch.io and posting a short review every danged day, along with broader reflections on my week in games every Sunday.

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The Fool’s Errand

Developed by Cliff Johnson Published by Miles Computing 1987 (1989 DOS version pictured) The Fool’s Errand isn’t the kind of dead-end-laden adventure game that necessitates multiple save files. Its clever, Tarot-inspired writing, however, inspires creative save names. Too bad file names are limited to only a few characters. I draw the upright Star for this beautiful game and the reversed Hanged Man for its paralytic save system.

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Wayne’s World

Developed by Robert Fiorini & Associates Published by Capstone Software 1993

Wayne’s World is less an adventure game and more a Wayne’s World quote delivery system. As this screen shows, the save system allows players to give their save files clever names. NOT! Maybe the people who play a game like this don’t want to think up save game file names that reference gelatinous cubes. Yeah, and monkeys might fly out of my butt! Get the net! Schwing!

(If you think this is good writing, you’re not worthy of what the game has for you. Denied!)

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Bad Mojo

Developed by Pulse Entertainment Published by Acclaim 1996 (Redux edition released in 2004, published by Nightdive Studios)

Bad Mojo (”The Roach Game,” as it is accurately summed up by the front of the box) is grimy and disgusting. It’s littered with used razors, crowded roach motels, and leaking rat corpses, all rendered with a disgusting blend of mid-’90s CG and actual photographs of dirty household objects and matted fur. The lack of a bespoke save menu is initially disappointing, and yet this standard Windows file folder view is exactly the right kind of ugly. My own mess of .bmj files have found their home in this dank world. My Bad Mojo  save file names are more terse and utilitarian than my usual assortment of wordplay and pop-cultural references, but it seems I couldn’t resist a very timely shout out to the inimitable Papa Roach.

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The Island of Dr. Brain

Developed and published by Sierra 1992

Big congratulations to me for leaving out the L in “positively,” and additional congratulations to me for misremembering the lyrics to the song I was referencing with that save name. Posh chemistry!

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Developed by Wadjet Eye Games Published by Wadjet Eye Games 2016

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I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream

Developed by The Dreamers Guild Published by Cyberdreams 1995