Jolt Country

If anyone gets tired of rating the insults being thrown back and forth (not that it isn't entertaining... I'm just talking about a getting a breather), I'd recommend that people go to http://www.carouselchain.com/if and log in and rate some games.

As it is, it's a step above and more interesting than the old SPAG website, and it's tied in Baf's review site. Actually, I guess in a way it's like the mini-review page that Robb once set up and unfortunately died an ugly death.

Still, the maintainer is TAKING STEPS and great things are in store for this site (I think), like a 'if you like game X, you'll like games Y & Z' thing. Just wanted y'all to know.

Just kidding, fuck the reviews. It just can't compete with this place.

Wait. What? You raged against something in between the first and second post there, but I am not quite sure what. It was possibly the machine, but... well, time to add that to the FAQ.

Anyway, the concept of that site and having it linked to Baf's is all good. It being anonymous is nice as well because sometimes people don't tell you what they really think after you've done a few games and made a few friends.

Unless your last name happens to be "Short" or "Olsson" in which case the opposite extreme happens.

OK, my reviews are up. Here's a fun min-game!! See if you can spot which are mine!!

Guesses-

Zork: Essentially made this -- ALL of this -- possible. Best treasure hunt ever and the game would honestly enjoy the opportunity to slug each and every one of us. The pinnacle of old school IF.

Spider and Web: Philosophy of the poor man

Annoyotron: As straight IF this is reprehensible garbage that brings down the entire genre and hobby. As an anti-game it's terribly perfect and should be required reading for all the choads currently trolling raif with their own anti-games.

Death To My Enemies: Excellent first effort by the author -- sicker than a barrel of SARS and tends to be on rails, but what's here is good fun, especially the post-comp & bug-fixed version.

Amissville: The game is not akin to deciding, hey, if you're going to go down, you might as well go down swinging. It's more like if you're going to go down you might as well nuke the entire ballpark.

Christian Text Adventure: A guy with a sword, bible, the righteous fury of his God and instructions to chop the head off of every heathen he sees is what I like to call "gaming magic." Unfortunately, this train wreck can't even handle the opening of a door correctly.

I-0: One of the 10 best computer games I have ever played in my life.

Ok, that Spider and Web one probably isn't yours but it's wacky and good.

All of those except for So Far. I haven't rated So Far.

But!!!

I did other ones as well! How high can you go? Do-do-doooo-da-da-da-daaaaah(diddlediddlediddleDAH!)

More guesses-

Anchorhead: The Good: atmosphere, story, writing. The Bad: it made me read Lovecraft.

Space Under the Window: Under no other medium would the experience in TSUTW be possible and almost single-handedly justifies the existence of everything that came after it.
(I should have known you would review this one)

A Change In The Weather: Beautiful prose - perhaps the best-written IF game - but forget about the big puzzle.

First Things First: You can feel the years spent coding this game go by as it progresses from a puzzle-fest into something greater. But it's all competently done, and was a lot of fun to play.

Little Blue Men: A savage, hilarious and ultimately authentic take on office life.

Ah, ok, 'A Space Under the Window' is the only one I'm sure about.

Yeah, that's the only one of those that I did.

I think the rest of them are for terrible games, like Slacker-X and Detective and Amissville.

Ha, nice reviews on those. Man, I had totally blocked 'Slacker-X' from my memory but you have brought it back in painful clarity. It makes 'Ideal High School' seem like Shakespeare.

OK, I just did a double-check. I think every one's been "outed" except for Electabot, Alien, Lost, Drive-In, Fail-Safe and Crypt.

Additionally, whoever spent between 12 and 20 hours on Chicks Dig Jerks -- you have my sincere apologies. Heh.

http://www.carouselchain.com/if/comment ... tegame=362

Good reviews with those. I actually almost listed the Fail-Safe review the first time around but I thought it walked the 'funney' line a little too closely to be sure. And I should have thought to check 'Lost.'

Not that it has anything to do with 'Lost' or 'Fail-Safe,' but yeah, I should get around to adding comments to games I hated. I'm looking forward to that suggestion system being implemented.