Lord_Santa has 6 chronicles

1. Oh LucasArts where art thou?
   

   Player Chronicle -- Posted on Mar 24 2008

   LucasArts
   
   Those of you who've been slightly interested in movies/games sometime or another, during the past 30 years, probably have heard of or seen... Star Wars
   
   Yes, I loved Star Wars as a kid... Early 80's.. come on, who didn't pretend they were Luke, wielding a stick, imagining that it was a light-sabre, while gazing at the stars, trying to figure out the fastest way to Endor
   
   Sure it was pretty amazing (at the time being), flying a Tie-fighter with vector graphics on your old *insert console here*
   
   Sure, I was hooked on Dark Forces and spent many a day in front of the computer; "only 10 more minutes", I'd say...
   
   Sure I was blown away, when the PC version of X-Wing (and Tie-Fighter and X-Wing vs, TieFighter) was released
   
   Of course I supported poor George when he released the "new version" of the original trilogy "in theatres only"
   
   So can we settle the fact; I loved Star Wars.
   
   But this isn't about Star Wars... This is about LucasArts.
   
   LucasArts, being a sub-division of LucasFilm, have of course throughout the years released so many Star Wars games that it would take too long to list
   
   But "before" there was Star Wars (at least before the whole franchise went out of control), there was; Adventure Games!!
   
   and not your (by the time) "typical" adventure game (ie. textbased); No... with the release of Maniac Mansion, LucasArts created an engine which until this day has been refined and has stood the test if time; The SCUMM engine (Script Creation Utility for Maniac Mansion);
   
   This engine was used in all LucasArts adventure games (except for Labyrinth), until "The Curse of Monkey Island" (using the 8th "generation" of the SCUMM engine)
   and sure there were a few games after (most noticable Grim Fandango), where they took another twist with the interface
   
   But all in all, LucasArts produced Adventure games, which most people will never forget;
   They had humor, they had puzzles, they had loveable characters, they had top-notch graphics (at least the 2D games ^^)
   
   So what happened?
   
   Well... it looks like good old George (Lucas), decided; Hey let's make the "original, original trilogy of Star Wars (episode 1-3): and so he did
   
   That is where I jumped of the train... I watched episode 1 and hated it. I watched episode 2 and hated it. I have tried (3 times) to watch episode 3, but the digital graphics used is so unrealistic that I just can't watch more than 10 minutes of it, before leaving the theatre
   
   Why, oh why did they stop making Adventure games? They were the leading force on the market (Sierra coming up nicely as second); and they had a fan-base community who would buy their games, eventhough they went 3D
   
   But I guess that "kids these days", don't appreciate a good old-fashioned point&click adventure, with limited action and a whole lot of thinking
   
   I loved LucasArts... but come on... am I the only one whose had more than enough with Star Wars?
   
   Where is Grim Fandango 2? Where is Full Throttle 2??
   Why did you make Guybrush 3D at a time when 3D graphics sucked?
   Why is the gas can for use with the chainsaw in Maniac Mansion, stationed on Mars in Zak McKracken?
   Why does Star Wars have to suck so badly?
   
   In short; LucasArts... you sold your souls... and I ain't buying.

   
   

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Lord_Santa has 2 comment s on this chronicle.

1. Silent Bob
   Posted On Apr 04 2008

   Episode I was intolerable. And to think I waited in line all day to see that one at midnight! At least there was good company, including my brother and my oldest son. I didn't hurt having the MaidRite manager in line right behind us because he had his crew bring us several bags of delicious loose meat sandwich goodness. Mmmmm.
   
   Episode II wasn't entirely bad. I think you should give III a second chance. The best of the modern trilogy for sure, but I'd still put it behind Return of the Jedi despite the sickeningly cuddly Ewoks.
   
   Excellent writeup of the LucasArts arm of his empire (pun intentional). I agree they made some killer games back in the day. Some of the newer Star Wars titles are still loads of fun to play.
   
   Getting back to the kid in you who would wield any old piece of broom or long cardboard tube as a lightsaber, I'm looking forward to The Force Unleashed. I'm getting it for 360 and Wii - the Wii version only so I can use the remote as a lightsaber, of course!

2. BEN
   Posted On Mar 25 2008

   It's unfortunate when an innocent masterpiece is corrupted by corporate pocket books, but would you do the same? haha