Nelson Tethers: Puzzle Agent

Developer: Telltale Games

Publisher: Telltale Games

Release Date: July 1, 2010

System: PC

ESRB Rating: RP

Official Web site

In a nutshell: Man, this guy really runs into a lot of puzzles and humorous situations in the course of his work...

0:00 I've been looking forward to this one since I first heard about it months ago. I like the look, the puzzle-based gameplay concept and the company behind the game, so my expectations are quite high.

0:01 After turning my screen pure white for a bit, the game fixes itself. Tinkling xylophone music accompanies a snow-covered field with a factory in the background.

0:02 Even when I turn off "full screen" mode and go to the lowest available resolution, the mouse is still a bit jerky. I don't know if it's my janky laptop or if the game is to blame.

0:03 I stopped the clock so I could shut a bunch of memory-hogging programs and tabs in the background, to see if that'd help the performance issues. The answer: not especially.

0:04 Cut to the basement of the FBI's Hoover building, where the Puzzle Investigation office resides. A guy at a desk sharpens a pencil and stares at his crossword dreamily. He unwraps and eats a piece of gum and blows a bubble. His eyes droop. He yawns. And... he's out. The comic timing is perfect.

0:05 A loud noise and heavy mechanical breathing wake the desk guy up. A man in a spacesuit takes his pencil and slowly opens his helmet to some foreboding music. Desk guy screams and tears up his paper in terror. But now there's no one there. Not a single word spoken and it's still some of the best introductory storytelling I've seen in a game.

***-->CONTINUE READING AT<--***

***-->JOYSTICK DIVISION<--***

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Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures: Fright of the Bumblebees

Developer: Telltale Games
Publisher: Telltale Games
Release Date: March 24, 2009
System: PC
ESRB Rating: E
Official Web site

In a nutshell: I'm still waiting on that breakfast, Gromit!

0:00 I was a minor fan of Wallace and Gromit's claymation shorts growing up, and I've been enamored of Telltale's recent Sam & Max and Strong Bad Adventures. Here's hoping the same madcap humor comes through here.

0:01 Grey gears turn in the background as a title card slides in, suspended by a few bits of rope. On it, shadow of a huge bumblebee threatens our inventive duo. Gentle, mysterious oompah music in the Aardman style fills the background.

0:02 The options screen can give hints Never, Rarely, Sometimes or Often. A nice touch. I turn it to Never for now, because I don't want to be tempted to cheat.

0:03 I decide to skip the tutorial. I think the short demo I got at the Game Developers Conference and my experience with other Telltale adventures will get me by.

0:04 Pan up from a picture of Wallace and Gromit fishing to the interior of a house. Gromit puts down a jar of "From Bee to You" honey under a spigot. "Robot Rodent Ravage Shop," says the newspaper headline. The game's title appears amidst shadows of a bumblebee swarm at the door.

0:06 "Breakfast time, Gromit," calls Wallace from upstairs. Just like that, I'm in control of the clay pooch. By the door is a wooden sign with four red lights: Slippers, Breakfast, Newspaper, Walkies. The Breakfast light is flashing. Wallace calls from upstairs: "Drop me down!" "Let's get going ... big day today!" "Up and at 'em!"

***-->CONTINUE READING AT CRISPY GAMER<--***

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Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People, Episode 1: Homestar Ruiner

Developer: Telltale Games
Publisher: Telltale Games
Release Date: Aug. 11, 2008
Systems: Wii (reviewed), PC
ESRB Rating: T
Official Web site

In a nutshell: Cooler than a bag full of fluffy-puff mashmallows.

0:00 I'm a cool, attractive person, and a somewhat lapsed fan of Strong Bad and Homestar Runner, so this game seems right up my alley! I warn you now that a lot of this review won't make sense if you aren't a fan of the site. I just don't have the inclination to explain every character and in-joke.

0:01 "No time for the e-mails right now. I've got OTHER plans for the lappy today." So says Strong Bad on the preview screen as he types in the command to launch the game.

0:02 Old-school synth-y chiptune music over the logos and title. A 3-D Strong Bad walks out in front of the title screen: "Check me out! ... I'm ready for my close-up!" The 3-D model looks generally authentic, but a little off, somehow.

0:04 The options include an interesting "Give hints" option. Let's keep that at "Medium" for now. Also, the main menu is set up like the HR home page, complete with audio commentary when I hover over options. My favorites: Strong Bad saying "Sah-vay low-ad" when I hover over "save/load." and Homestar declaring "Quitters never win" when I consider quitting.

0:05 I think I figured out the problem with the character models: The animation is too stiff and the mouth movement doesn't quite match the audio. Also, the faces look too pixilated. It's not awful, just noticeable.

Read the full review at Crispy Gamer

Sam and Max Episode 1: Culture Shock

Developer: Telltale Games
Publisher: Telltale Games
Release Date: Nov. 2, 2006
System: PC
Official Web site

In a nutshell: Point-and-click crime solving with a twister sense of humor.

0:01 I love the stylized, red and black intro. Looks like a classy movie opening.
0:02 I love the voice acting too. It's nice that the mouths largely match the words. After ages of Japanese games with totally awful English lip-synching, it's a breath of fresh air.
0:04 "2002 was a great year for calendars." Gets a chuckle.
0:05 Sam just threw Max across the room for no good reason. I love this game.
0:06 I find a pile o' cheese, but it isn't the Swiss that we're looking for. Time for some wacky adventure-game style solution, I'm sure
0:10 Ah ha... after four minutes of fruitless searching, I find I have a big gun in my box. That oughta make swiss cheese out of that, uh, non-swiss cheese.
0:12 Negotiating for a stolen phone with a rat. Surreal. I like being able to flip between the two main characters for some good cop bad cop action.
0:13 The conversation flows naturally and leads to a pleasantly phone-filled resolution.
0:15 I like how everything you can actively click on is labeled when you hover. No random guess-and-click here.
0:17 "I don't sign butts anymore." Only in Sam and Max.
0:19 "Vandalism is illegal... and worse, unoriginal." Preach it!
0:23 So we've got former child stars seemingly entranced by an eye exercise video. Makes perfect sense...
0:27 Sam mentions White Collar Crime Drive. What a conveniently named street
0:30 I pull out a gun and a giant boxing love hits me from the sky. Also 'This rampant weenie cannibalism turns my stomach"
0:31 The wet floor sign says "caution land mines" Hooray for sight gags.
0:33 I literally laugh out loud when Max comments on the Not'chos. "They're mine, Not'chos"
0:40 Max asks "Ugly please" after "Pretty please." Another literal LOL moment.
0:42 I totally forget about the cheese in my pocket and get another head bop as I try to accidentally shoplift.
0:44 After all this build up, I'm dying to watch the Eye-bo video I just picked up.
0:47 Eh, after all that, the hypnosis seems kind of basic ... and worse, unoriginal.
0:55 I need to knock a guy out. Lucky I have this convenient bowling ball. But he sees it coming. How to blind him... hmmm. It'll have to wait for next time.

Would I play this game for more than an hour? Yes
Why? The puzzles are just starting to get intriguing, and the twisted outlook, great voice-acting and laugh-out-loud writing will keep me coming back.

This review is based on a full version of the game available through GameTap.