I remember reading about a game like this in Nintendo Power when I was a kid. It had a title like “Monster Mansion” or something, it was the only game on its system to ever earn some kind of Adults Only-type rating, and you couldn’t buy it anymore. As I recall, I was really intrigued and couldn’t imagine what could possibly be in that game to earn it that rating. But I’ve tried looking it up online, even searching for things as general as “controversial video games”, and no dice. I’m starting to think I misread, or even imagined it. Oh well.
Huh. Apparently Cleo is into the hentai games…..
I imagine she’s just more into bizarre outliers.
I imagine Cleo has weird video-game-related sex issues.
Don’t we all?
I can clearly remember a game from when I was in grade 6 on the school library’s Mac. It was a 2D adventure game with either Aztec or Inca ruins and it started out with you having crashed your plane in the jungle. Despite my best efforts, the only thing I’ve found that actually comes close to matching came out years later and the graphics are too good.
I think there was some kind of reality shift in the mid to late nineties, seriously.
Also, that was a perfect punchline. 😀
Sounds a bit like Flight of the Amazon Queen, though it wasn’t released for the mac according to wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_of_the_Amazon_Queen
Sounds a smidge like Hugo 3 too – 2D adventure game, mediocre graphics, etc.
No, definitely no weird looking mascot character. And actually the graphics were good for their time, it’s just that it came out sometime during or before 1992.
Maybe it only came out in Australia? That might explain it.
Oh wow. When you mentioned that maybe it only came out in Australia, I re-read. Also from Australia. I think I played that game! Unfortunately I have no idea what it was called either. I vaguely recall it had graphics, but the directions were typed? Had to type ‘go north’ and whatnot.
Course, my school days are a half-forgotten blur, so who knows what’s true and what’s fiction these days.
I know it wasn’t Flight of the Amazon Queen, but I do love SCUMM games, so I may have to check that one out.
That’s exactly the one that I realised it couldn’t have been! That was so frustrating and eerie, seeing that conceptually identical game that can’t possibly be it.
The timetable and description sounds a little like Night Trap, maybe? If nothing else, it’s worth looking into because it bounces between “so bad it’s good” and “so bad it’s unbearable” like a pinball.
I mean to watch, of course. The gameplay is execrable.
Also, it was a Sega thing. Maybe “Monster Mansion” was a weaksauce attempt to soak up money on the controversy over that?
The only other thing I can think about is “Maniac Mansion”, the granddaddy of all Lucasarts adventure games, which was generally a slightly racy PG-13 but PG was considered racy by Nintendo execs at the time, so a LOT got stripped out of it. (Except, I seem to remember, for the ability to microwave a hamster.)
It’s just as difficult to get into as Night Trap gameplay-wise, only it’s pretty interesting, so look it up anyway. If you want to play a game, the loose sequel Day of the Tentacle is pretty good, along with pretty much all of the Lucasarts games besides. This is what ScummVM is for.
The punchline, if that was “Monster Fuck”, would be that it turns out it’s just cut-rate-Groucho-Marx-style ribald, primitive, and has a command left in where you can compel a prototype Pikachu to j/o.
Game Freak won’t answer my letters. 🙁
The only game I can think of that sort of fits the bill is Sweet Home for the NES, which didn’t get a US release.
I’ve never played it, but it’s supposedly like this super bloody/creepy survival horror/RPG. Perhaps it is related to your mystery memory……
I was thinking Sweet Home too, I’ve neither seen the movie or played the game (I’m sure there’s a translation patch for it, I think I’ve seen screenshots?) but it was (one of?) the first “horror/survival” game. Probably only creepy compared to other NES games, but it did take place in a mansion! Maybe that was just the American title, since I doubt the movie crossed the Pacific either. HMMM
Do you think it could have been Maniac Mansion? That game was plagued with censorship issues because in the original Commodore 64 version there were things like naked statues (for serious) and a lady character that threatened to tie you to the bed (if you were playing as a boy) or told you that you were lucky you weren’t a dude (if you were playing as a lady).
Also? Somehow the programmers forgot to take out your ability to put a pet hamster in the microwave. When you were done it came out as…well you can juse your imagination.
Adelaide’s hair under her hat is just so cute.
She looks like a living Mii, and that is adorable.
A possibility, only a slight one at that, could be the game “Monster Party”. It was released on the NES in 1989 in the US and 1990 over here in the UK.
It was a simple platformer but garnered attention for its dark imagery such as the title dripping blood. This intertwined with the use of the word “hell” later on makes it an odd game for the NES. What with Nintendo always being big on censorship.
Well that’s my stab in the dark o3o; Good comic as always.
I would bet folding money that you are right, and the game in question is Monster Party.