The original King's Quest holds a very special place in my heart, which is why I've chosen to dedicate my first post in this series to it. You see, when I was a snot-nosed little kid, not much older than 3 or 4, this game was my obsession (anyone else hear Animotion?). I would play it on my aunt & uncle's PCjr but there was one small problem: I couldn't read.





Playing games where you have to type your actions isn't exactly easy when gibberish is all that comes out. My time was spent wandering around, dying, restarting, trying to type "open door," and dying some more; it was because of these obstacles that I learned to read. Yes, gaming is what got me reading (take that, asshats). From that point on I was a rabid fan of adventure gaming and still am to this day.





I'm sure everyone is familiar with the story -- from Wikipedia: The Kingdom of Daventry is in serious trouble because its precious magical items — the magic mirror, shield and chest — have been stolen. King Edward the Benevolent sends his bravest knight, Sir Graham, to retrieve them. If he succeeds, he will become the next king. Cereal business. Though it may not be the granddaddy of the graphical adventure genre, it most certainly was for me. I can't explain why, but there was something so cool about it; that sense of adventure really grabbed me by the ghoulies. It was like nothing I had ever played on my Commodore 64 and the ending is still epic.





Even though it looks older than Wilford Brimley, typing actions can cause you grief and it can be beaten in under an hour when you know how to do it, it's still one of the best games ever made and paved the way for gems like Maniac Mansion, Monkey Island and Sam & Max.





Thanks to Butmac for allowing me to be part of this. Here's a hint for my next installment: Mountains of Madness.

Also: DO WANT!





Part 1: Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis

Part 2: Loom