SPACE QUEST VI: THE SPINAL FRONTIER
REVIEW (INTERACTIVE DEMO)
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YEAR: 1995
SIZE: 86 MB
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PLATFORMS: DOSBox
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+ Crisp SVGA Graphics
+ Wacky humour
+ Hilarious narration and dialect
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- None
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STORY
After having been assigned to the SCS DeepShip 86, Roger is hard at
work, doing what he does best - cleaning up after other people!
But wait… wasn’t Roger a Captain in the last game? Why would a
Captain be cleaning up after other people? Well, due to some
(unexplained) humiliating events, poor Roger once again finds himself
in the role we know him best for - janitor.
So Roger is currently busy cleaning the windows outside DeepShip 86,
determined to get beautifully-shined, streak-free windows. But
suddenly, out of nowhere, a Bjorn Cube approaches. Roger sees first
hand, how the Bjorn beam themselves onboard DeepShip 86, and
transform the entire crew (well, all 3 members in this demo) into…
scoops of lemon sorbet!
Thankfully, they don’t seem to have noticed Roger since he was outside
the ship. But he’s the only one that has any hope of defeating the evil
Bjorn, and returning DeepShip 86’s crew back to normal.
Roger - it’s time to be a hero once again.
　
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GAMEPLAY
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Space Quest VI was taking a long time to come. Fans were chomping
at the bit, wanting more adventures with their favourite janitor, Roger.
So Sierra gave us…
SPACE QUES VI: THE SPINAL FRONTIER INTERACTIVE DEMO
This is a short demo, designed to give us a taste of what Space Quest
VI would be like. Except this demo is not just your average demo. This
demo features an entirely new scenario, not present in the full game.
While most demo’s just give you one small section\puzzle of the full
game, Sierra have gone one step better, and given us an entirely new
adventure. Short, but a LOT of fun!
The humour in this demo is just wonderful, and I love all the little
touches Sierra have added. Making fun of the Borg, Commander
Keilbasa’s natural instinct of playing with the mouse, and even turning
the crew into sorbet, of all things. Hilarious! I just hope Roger doesn’t
get hungry and decide to eat the sorbet!
A ‘verb bar’ at bottom of the screen is used to interact with Roger’s
world. The verbs are: FEET (Walk), EYES (Look), HANDS (Pick Up),
MOUTH (Talk), POCKETS (Inventory), HELP (Self explanatory), CONTROL
(Game Menu).
When your POCKETS \ Inventory window is open, you can look at an
item using the ‘EYES’ verb to get more information, or manipulate that
item (open, close, combine with another item etc) using the ‘HANDS’
verb. You can also ‘CHOOSE’ any item to use it in the game. The
‘CONTROL’ verb takes you to the Game Menu, and from here, you can
adjust Speed, Level Of Detail, and Sound to your preference.
Since the demo is short, the Save feature has been disabled. There are
2 instances where Roger can die. But don’t worry, Sierra have added a
useful ‘Try Again’ feature, which allows us to go back to before Roger’s
death, so we can… try again.
　
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GRAPHICS
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Crisp, sharp SVGA graphics are used in this demo, and it looks stunning!
As the demo begins, we see Roger through the window, using his
window cleaner spray bottle and his squeegee. And I just LOVE how
Commander Keilbasa is playing with a mouse in the foreground, while
the bridge crew are busy at their stations. The Bjorn Cube approaching
from behind is quite intimidating, as I’m sure Roger will agree.
Animation is incredibly smooth, although the demo seems to use a
more cartoony style than previous Space Quest games. After the intro,
walk Roger round the Shuttle Bay for a while, and see his new, goofy
walk.
Conversations and narration is shown in a box at bottom of the screen.
Inventory items are shown as pictures, so you can easily see what
you’re carrying. The ‘EYES’ verb gives you more details about an
Inventory item, while the ’HANDS’ very allows you manipulate it.
　
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SOUND AND MUSIC
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Sound effects are just brilliant! Right from the start, I love how we hear
Roger spraying the cleaning bottle onto the window, followed by the
squeak of the squeegee as it scrapes against the glass. The Bjorn
beaming aboard sounds quite scary. And the static electricity heard as
the Head Bjorn sucks up data from the ship’s computer is electrifying!
Music changes for each location, and all the music is lovely to listen to,
but I really love the 60’s disco theme in 8-Rear. And the Mr Soylent
Disney-song made me chuckle!
The Narrator is impressive - he has a comment for everything, and I love
his sarcastic tone. Roger’s voice is equally impressive, and sounds just
like I always imagined.
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