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If you start moving Franko on the old man - sort of pushing on him - Franko will tell him to get out of the way. But you're right he sometimes gets in the way anyway.

EDIT:

Spoiler

Most of the time the man does follow you. If you start the darths contest and then tell the man you need a break, he'll be following you for sure and you can easily get him out of the way to the hotspot

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By the way, the saving-loading option doesn't work.

It works on my system. Anyone else is having this problem? And what happens exactly when you try using it?

Spoiler

"We'll make a Psychonaut out of you" - is it a reference to Tim Schafer's game?

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Doesn't have to be (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychonaut), but I have played Psychonauts so in a way it must be.

[Getting Started]

I'm posting a complete walkthrough for the game. You can also ask me for hints. I would certainly like players to figure the game on their own, or as much as possible, so don't give up easily.

Getting Started

Spoiler

- try a random action with the verbcoin on a random hotspot except on Franko and his axe
- click on Franko
- click on Franko again, you'll get the tying & untying skill
- in the inventory open the bag with  the tying & untying skill
- smell the Smell-Me-First Manual for instructions how to use the bag's items
- use the flag on the flying man to get a conversation started

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The Puddle Quest && The Cactus

Spoiler

- choose moustache as the method of talking to the old man
- talk with him about everything until he flies away
- (bonus)combine flag and polish and use this in the fire to create a torch
- go right to a new location
- inspect the puddle, try using items on it, for example the torch if you have it
- start a conversation with the old man using one of the items from the bag
- the wind has blown something into Franko's nose - you'll have to get it out, or he'll be complaining
- click on Franko, he'll produce a bone
- click on the bone to take it
- (bonus) use the stamp on the bone to create a new way to talk with characters - The Bone Death Paean
- carve the bone with the axe
- choose the nose icon over the sharpened bone, you'll get a seed covered in snot
- go back to the location with the fire
- put the seed in the mutilated ground
- go up and high up you'll find a hotspot for the foliage
- throw axe at the foliage
- a peyote cactus will grow from the seed, cut it with the axe
- go to the puddle location
- try to bite the cactus
- in the new location smell the only hotspot available
- talk to the moon-thing by.... choosing the mouth icon over it
- to get back to the real world, tell the moon something about his face

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Getting the Baloons Method 1

Spoiler

- use the jar on the old man
- talk until he puts up a darth shooting contest
- you can take a break from the contest any time by again using the jar on the man
- try throwing a darth at the head
- try talking to the head using the bag of junk items
- put a darth in the mouth
- spit a darth at the head
- use stamp on the head
- spit a darth at the head
- try using the axe on the line
- use the pig on the man (or choose it during conversation)
- spit the last darth at the head - you won't win, but you'll get the baloons anyway

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Getting the Baloons Method 2

Spoiler

- in the campsite location click on Franko until he starts jumping
- if the darth contest is on, use the jar on  the man and tell him you need a break
- when the baloon man is close to the fire, throw some polish in the fire
- quickly click on Franko to jump and retrieve the baloons

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Flying up to the Moon

Spoiler

- go to the puddle location and use baloons on Franko
- use the flying skill on the moon - but Franko is afraid to without some kind of safety device
- click on baloons and go to the other location
- stoke the rubber chicken with the sharpened bone
- put the chicken in the fire, you'll get some goo in effect
- the goo needs molding and there are two methods to do that
- (method1) use the jar on the goo
- (method 2) cut the sharpened bone with the axe and then use the goo on it
- go to the puddle location
- use the gooey cord on the tree, then on Franko, then attach the baloons to Franko again
- fly up to the moon
- too bad that Franko can't reach the moon, or can he?
- take a bite of the peyote cactus
- enjoy the end cutscene and a teaser of things to come

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Hey, it would be great to receive some Frantic Franko DEMO critique. I would use it to make the game even better. Just tell me what you like and what you don't like. I'm interested the most in opinions about the gameplay - are the puzzles fun?; are the presented situations interesting?; how do you find 'the bag of junk' in use? etc.

Download it here or here.

And here is the official game demo page.

Hmm...

I forgot to disable debug mode for the public version. I will upload a new version shortly.

thanks for the info, Arj0n

EDIT: OK. Fixed and exchanged the old link with one to a new version. So no huge warning files are created anymore while you play. Not even small ones.

Finally I've finished the demo. It seems to me I've put in plenty of content, even though there are 3 locations in it. Hope you find it interesting and will have fun with the bag of junk.

All puzzles have proper hints and there are also alternative solutions to some. It's all quite non-linear, but don't be overwhelmed by the amount of stuff that one can try and enjoy the freedom to do some really crazy things (some cool ones are completely optional).

Download it here or here.

And here is the official game demo page.

Fresh interview with Da Creators! http://hardydev.com/2009/06/22/time-gentlemen-is-up-ben-ward-dan-marshall-interview/

Those screen shots look very professional and cool but I would change the main character.
It looks like he has breasts, and I only saw something like that to work on Fight Club and it was a secondary character!

What do you have against breasts, Miguel? This is a hero of an adventure game not a skinny fashion model.

The screens look very professional in the style of the old days. Like a rediscovered gem from 15 years ago.

The whole thing is great. But currently I wouldn't have the money for the traveling involved. Well, maybe something changes in a couple of months.

Voice talent.

Thanks for the support, everyone!

Just out of curiosity - has anyone made much progress on it yet?  Anybody stuck?

I've completed the first quest and took a break. Definitely will go back to it though.

New development diary entry: http://hardydev.com/2009/06/18/frantic-franko-a-bergzwerg-gone-berserk-crazy/

I write these things quickly to not waste time I could use on perfecting the game, but I hope they're still interesting.

There's also a new screenshot in there - same location, new verbcoin (the old one wasn't popular).

If someone DID make a Grim Fandango game, it'd have to be a completely new story making use of the same world. If they messed up the ending I'd be saddened.

They could set the new Grim Fandango already in the Ninth Underworld (The Land of Eternal Rest) with a completely new visual style and problems for the new setting.

Congratulations on getting this finished!  I remember first seeing sprites for these characters years ago in the CL so it's a real accomplishment to finish the game after so long.

How long did you work on it exactly, MoodyBlues?

Where exactly are the games placed in the "MI timeline", and how do they deal with the ending of MI2- handwaving it or sticking to it? I must admit I actually liked the ending of MI2 and was more than a bit disappointed when they essentially pushed the reset button in CMI.

Grossman said at E3 that the series is set after Monkey Island 5.

I don't see how CMI pushed the reset button, it just played around with the idea that Elaine gave in the very last scene of MI2 that the Big Whoop fairground was some sort of evil curse that Guybrush has fallen under.

Will year five be a separate game?

Thanks, downloading it now.

Hey, where I can download this game. The links presented here are all dead.

Finally, I reached the testing stage. Not of the whole game though, but of the segment used for the demo (approximately 33% of the entire game). I hope to release it some time before everyone goes crazy over Tales of Monkey Island and won't remember my game.

Make copies of the current screenshots, everyone, because they are about to change a bit upon the release. Changes will include: Franko's palette getting darker, fire getting animated (I mean, sprite'ay looking). and there will appear a mysterious spot on the ground. But you'll have to just take my word for it... or... Become a tester for the game and see it live right now!