I had what I thought was a reference in "How to Lose Friends and Alienate People". At one point I thought Simon Pegg's character mentioned Laura Bow, but in fact he said "Clara Bow". Then it dawned on me... have there been any references to adventure games in movies or television?
With the obvious exception of Pirates of the Caribbean.... no?
I would bank on there being references in independent films that will never see the light of day. Surely *some* character in film history has been compared to Leisure Suit Larry.
I think the genre, even in its heyday, is too obscure to make for a successful pop-culture reference. The only thing that comes to mind is the adventure game the kid in 'Big' plays before turning into Tom Hanks, but I'm pretty sure that was mocked up for the film - they totally got the nonsensical puzzles right, though ("Use thermal pod with wizard", wtf?)
Edit: Of course there's also the 'Maniac Mansion' TV sitcom (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOk4khUh5KU) that had absolutely nothing to do with the game beyond the character names.
I totally forgot about the game in "Big". I always wondered whether that was a real game or not. Most likely made up for the movie. Just like how "Fake-intosh" OS's appear in movie computers. ;)
YEAH! THE WIZARD COMES AND FREEZES THE DUDE. I always wanted to play that! Good call!
(was it a text parser?)
Gentlemen and gentlemanly ladies - I bring to you "The Cavern of the Evil Wizard"!!!!
http://www.bomtoons.com/biggame.html
It WAS a fake game but someone made this homage.
Woohoo. That's totally awesome, evenwolf. Thank you! (am feeling slightly weirded out that I knew the solution though, my ability to remember details of 1980s films is uncanny - and I'm *so* getting bunk beds, a soda machine and a trampoline when I grow up!)
Never liked that movie (or Tom Hanks for that matter). But after hearing this it's rehabilitated in my eyes.
Quote from: Ascovel on Wed 14/07/2010 06:44:19
Never liked that movie (or Tom Hanks for that matter). But after hearing this it's rehabilitated in my eyes.
What? Who the f*** doesn't love Tom Hanks? Why? He's like the most unannoying actor ever. ??? (and just to be clear, I don't like all of his movies, but generally he seems like a decent guy)
EDIT: well after googling a bit it seems among "the haters" are some people who take DaVinci Code a bit too seriously and Mormons in Califorina (the prop 8 thing)...and some Facebook members, but they kind of have trouble with spell checking.
onT: nah, can't really remeber an adventure game being mentioned anywhere.
To be fair, I did feel a bit of Tom Hanks overexposure during the 90's, especially with all the romantic comedy stuff. After Forrest Gump I'd had enough of him for a long while. Not that I dislike the film, but shut the fuck up about that box of chocolates already. So I never even got around to seeing Cast Away or Apollo 13.
Felt the same way about Johnny Depp during the 2000's, there just was no way of avoiding those moody eyes and wacky accents. He's a great actor, and I adore him in Ed Wood, but please stop plastering his pretty boy face in every single movie just to sell tickets. From Hell, really? A gruff, middle-aged police inspector in Victorian England? Hey, what about we cast Johnny Depp and make the character an opium addicted psychic with a romantic gypsy look? WTF!
I think I'll better stop now before I get started on Russel Crowe...
If anyone get's stuck on that Big game, the song at the end is basically the walkthrough.
Quote from: GarageGothic on Wed 14/07/2010 08:50:06
To be fair, I did feel a bit of Tom Hanks overexposure during the 90's, especially with all the romantic comedy stuff. After Forrest Gump I'd had enough of him for a long while. Not that I dislike the film, but shut the fuck up about that box of chocolates already. So I never even got around to seeing Cast Away or Apollo 13.
That's what happened to me I guess, but the turn off effect is permanent. Now that I think about it, I actually used to like watching him during the early 90s. Enjoyed Forrest Gump back then too. Always disliked Big though. And interestingly enough I still respect Hanks as a good actor (if that sort of evaluation makes any sense in case of a Hollywood star). However, at this point his roles from Gump, Big, Sleepless in Seatle and a couple more roles combine in my mind into something that makes me sick and I avoid watching films that he stars in.
And that's about all I can say in this Hanks off-top. Also, a great majority of Western pop culture, especially the recent one isn't particularly meaningful in my life, so when I casually say I don't like this popular actor or that popular movie, or consider all Harry Potter books to be pretty much on the same level, I find it rather weird people find such opinions provocative and start discussing them.
Well I wasn't starting a discussion I was just surpirsed, that's all. Maybe it came off sounding like was provoked, but it was purley surprise.
- Larry Bird is seen playing Police Quest II when he's introduced in "Space Jam", however the movie depicts him completing a puzzle which was not actually in the game, leading to speculation that there was a leaked alternate or beta verson (the 'Space Jam Variant').
- An episode of the "Dinosaurs" sitcom shows Baby playing a prehistoric adventure game made of bones.
- In "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air", Will Smith derides the sexual performance of an old white man by comparing him to Guybrush Threepwood.
- Direct-to-video horror film "Arcade" involves a haunted computer arcade where actions in the games occur in the real world (e.g. causing Pac-Man to eat a ghost makes a real life Pac-Man eat a small child). One sequence involves the fictitious adventure game DoomQuest; the command "Use Card With Man" leads to a bystander being fatally stabbed with flying cards.
- In "Robocop III", Robocop's visor interface is actually a modified SCUMM engine.
I know this is well off topic, but just wanted to chip in... sorry Terran.
Quote from: GarageGothic on Wed 14/07/2010 08:50:06
To be fair, I did feel a bit of Tom Hanks overexposure during the 90's, especially with all the romantic comedy stuff.
His post-Gump career has been much better than all that 90s rubbish... basically everything from Saving Priavte Ryan to The Terminal was his prime era methinks... that includes The Green Mile, Cast Away and Catch Me If You Can... all really good films in my book.
I think the reason people got irritated by him was because he wasn't giving anyone else a chance at the Oscars.
@thecatamite - nice one, did you look those up somewhere or do you just have awesome memory?
Screw you, thecatamites, now I have to watch Space Jam and Robocop III after a decade of avoiding them like the plague :)
Very impressive finds, I must say! Surprised that the Fresh Prince would even know about Monkey Island, though. Just seems so... uncool - maybe he walked in on Carlton playing it. That Arcade movie sounds awesome, have to track that down somehow.
@Stupot, yeah I did watch most of his more recent stuff. The Terminal and Road to Perdition were probably the highlights (in terms of him as an actor, most of his performances are quite bland even if the movies themselves are good).
It was a joke! You don't have to sit through Space Jam
There is always that scene in Red Dwarf with Kryten's hand crawling up Lister's leg, although adventure games were just mentioned in general and not a specific game reference.
Well, Zork is a significant plot device throughout Chuck, particularly the pilot and flashbacks - the series McGuffin is encoded in a fan-version that the main character worked on in his college years.
the catamites: hahaha, you had me fooled as well. those were awesome
Regarding Chuck: I tried to watch that awful show once. Don't make me sad by telling me it relates to adventure games.
There was an episode of the Garfield and Friends cartoon that involved people trying to figure out a good tv show to make around Garfield and they had a big computer that when they pushed a button it gave them a random situation for a show. One of them was 3 friends and a cat explore a spooky mansion where a meteor landed or something like that. The drawing that they showed was 3 people standing by a fence and in the distance up a hill was a mansion.. A Maniac Mansion.
Quote from: evenwolf on Wed 14/07/2010 00:42:40
With the obvious exception of Pirates of the Caribbean.... no?
In fact iirc Pirates of the Caribbean was based on the Disney Land ride by the same name. Monkey Island stole a fair few ideas from that ride i believe.
Don't forget The Wizard.
LUCAS!
Quote from: NsMn on Wed 14/07/2010 18:29:34Don't forget The Wizard.
Caaalifooornia!
Quote from: MrColossal on Wed 14/07/2010 18:26:25a good tv show to make around Garfield and they had a big computer that when they pushed a button it gave them a random situation for a show. One of them was 3 friends and a cat explore a spooky mansion where a meteor landed or something like that. The drawing that they showed was 3 people standing by a fence and in the distance up a hill was a mansion.. A Maniac Mansion.
You don't think they were just referencing Scooby Doo?
Quote from: thecatamites on Wed 14/07/2010 14:24:01It was a joke! You don't have to sit through Space Jam
Not sure if I should be relieved or disappointed. But that Arcade movie is still real, right - only the adventure stuff made up? I *so* want to see that thing.
Quote from: Chicky on Wed 14/07/2010 18:29:14
Quote from: evenwolf on Wed 14/07/2010 00:42:40
With the obvious exception of Pirates of the Caribbean.... no?
In fact iirc Pirates of the Caribbean was based on the Disney Land ride by the same name. Monkey Island stole a fair few ideas from that ride i believe.
You recall correctly. I was referring to Jack Sparrow escaping in a rowboat coffin ala Monkey Island 2. There was no ghost pirate in the ride either. And there are many other *odd* coincidences, but there are entire internet discussions about that elsewhere. (http://grumpygamer.com/8123463)
Quote from: evenwolf on Wed 14/07/2010 18:47:58
Quote from: Chicky on Wed 14/07/2010 18:29:14
Quote from: evenwolf on Wed 14/07/2010 00:42:40
With the obvious exception of Pirates of the Caribbean.... no?
In fact iirc Pirates of the Caribbean was based on the Disney Land ride by the same name. Monkey Island stole a fair few ideas from that ride i believe.
You recall correctly. I was referring to Jack Sparrow escaping in a rowboat coffin ala Monkey Island 2. There was no ghost pirate in the ride either. And there are many other *odd* coincidences, but there are entire internet discussions about that elsewhere. (http://grumpygamer.com/8123463)
Maybe all those scenes were taken from On Stranger Tides which inspired both Monkey Island and POTC? Anyone here read it and can confirm/deny this?
Quote from: NsMn on Wed 14/07/2010 18:29:34
Don't forget The Wizard.
LUCAS!
I love the power glove. IT'S BAD.
(INDEED)
The ultra-obscure Australian sitcom Double the Fist referenced Zork and other text adventures in a roundabout way in series 2 - one of the cast gets eaten by a computer virus (it's one of those shows), and at some stage later his friend hears his voice and talks to him. The dialogue I remember going something a little like this:
WOMP: Mephisto, where are you?
MEPHISTO: I am in a small room, it's very dark and I cannot see.
WOMP: Okay. Is there a light?
MEPHISTO: I can't see anything.
WOMP: Erm... go East!
MEPHISTO: I am in a hallway. It's very dark and I cannot see.
WOMP: Okay... turn on lamp!
MEPHISTO: There is no lamp!
..real one's probably funnier.
Probably not an intentional reference but there was a bit in the movie Hard Candy that was like a perfect adventure game puzzle cliche brought to life. The protagonist breaks into a number combination lock using a date she found written on the back of a photo. :)
Maybe if they make a sequel, someone will befriend an animal for life by feeding it one piece of food.
I remember that, Denzil! I remember thinking that it would make a great, if cliched, adventure game puzzle. I actually used that as inspiration for a game I planned to make some time ago but never did.
OT, but that movie creeped me the fuck out. No idea why.
Freakazoid did a really funny adventure game piss-take, once.
No references to specific games but it did have a hooded figure making him solve a complex riddle before saying saying nothing more than "Take this chalk" and the line "Yeah! Yeah! I got a bowl! Yay me!!" which is... about right.
I'm also positive The Venture Brothers has mentioned Zork once... I mean... they must have right?
Okay, as an actor/writer with eventual (possibly unrealistic) aspirations of one day making my own movies, having read this thread I have now decided that at some point if I do end up making my own movies I have to stick some kind of adventure game reference somewhere. (But not to Zork, which it seems is quite adequately referenced already.) Not sure exactly what, but hey, it's not like it's going to happen anytime soon...
[EDIT: Better yet, I will make a major character in some movie a big graphic adventure fan, thereby giving him the opportunity to drop many such references, much to the bemusement of other characters. But anyway, this is, of course, all contingent on my someday realizing my ambition of making my own movies, which, as I said, may be a bit unrealistic...]
In the latest The Big Bang Theory episode, "The Toast Derivation", Sheldon wanted to play Zork I. :)
This weeks Big Bang theory references Zork. I'm sure there are more references in that show.
Haha, yeah, last BBT was awesome :D
*Sheldon picks up a copy of Zork I*
in a high pitched voice: "Pick me, pick me! I'm fun!"
It was also one of the most laugh-out-loud episodes in a while, and not just because of that (but it helped!).
Sheldon plays an old adventure game, I don't know if it is real. :=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4fnvLNDiKY
Quote from: Mati256 on Sun 27/02/2011 16:54:46
Sheldon plays an old adventure game, I don't know if it is real. :=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4fnvLNDiKY
I think it's Colossal Cave (Adventure).
I don't think so... there's no bucket or mud in Colossal Cave.
I don't think it's a real game.
Aaaaaahhhh, Ican'tbelievbeImissedthisamazingflashtubfromafewweeksback (http://www.somethingawful.com/d/flash-tub/adventure-game-cartoon.php)
Haha. Awesome! You could make a whole game based on that kind of twisted logic.
Not a movie or TV reference, but got the impression X:11 puzzle in Back to the Future episode 3 was a nod to Xii Games...Resonance? Space time continuum etc? 8)
Tim Allen's Galaxy Quest is sooooo Space Quest V-ish....
also I think I heard a mayday by Bugs Bunny calling Earth with a radio from the moon screeming: help... over... earth.... roger... wilco...
from a (Bugs Bunny vs Marvin Martian) episode... or maybe not :-\
and oh! what was THAT movie about male aliens trying to have sex as much as possible with Earth females... starring THAT actor looking like Larry Laffer....
You got the Roger Wilco reference backwards ;D. Space Quest got the name from the radio procedure:
Roger (like how people say "Roger!" when you give them a command...like "I got that!")
and Wilco is for "Will Comply"
So if someone told you something to do over radio, you could say "Roger. Wilco".
...thus ends the lesson...
LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL thanks hahaha
Doh!!