While Xbox 360 and PS3 users have worked themselves into a veritable tizzy over downloadable content, PC users have been accustomed to having the lifeline of their favorite games extended far past their in-the-box values since the days of Doom - and even before that. What's more, we're used to downloading new levels, weapons, characters, and new episodes absolutely free of charge.
Big Download understands that a five-hour game can be extended by hundreds of hours via total conversions, brand new monsters, and weapons you've always wanted to see in your favorite title. In the spirit of extending a title's longevity beyond mere out-of-the-box expectations, MODmonday celebrates the best modifications for games new and old. Half-Life, Half-Life 2, StarCraft, Diablo II, Doom and more will all be represented here, ensuring a wide spread of mods available across every possible genre of PC gaming.
This week's MODmonday modification is King's Quest VGA, a standalone remake of the original King's Quest developed by AGD Interactive that features improved graphics and sound card support. While not exactly a mod, this remake is an excellent way to experience (or re-experience) the debut of one of the adventure genre's most cherished series.
King's Quest VGA
Developer: AGD Interactive
Type: Single-player
Download Link
Required Game: N/A
Installation Instructions:
- Download King's Quest VGA.
- Run the installation.
Running the Mod:
- Run the executable.
Browse the MODmonday Archive
--
Original King's Quest.
Retired game designer Roberta Williams didn't merely witness the birth of modern adventure gaming -- she defined it. Back in the dark ages of 1984 when computer games were distributed on 5.25 floppy disks in plastic bags, Williams released King's Quest: Quest for the Crown, a landmark adventure title that added 16-color graphics to a text-based user interface. Still considered one of the best adventure series ever created, developer AGD Interactive released a freely available remake in 2001 that updated KQ's primitive palette to 256 colors, added sound card support, and integrated a graphical user interface identical to that seen in King's Quest V and VI.
While not a mod, AGD's unofficial re-release of King's Quest is an excellent way to re-experience a classic title. Everything that made the original KQ a landmark entry in computer gaming has been faithfully recreated, sans a text parser. Though many puzzle solutions are linear in that they can only be solved in a specific manner, the world itself is largely nonlinear and is a joy to traverse 14 years after the game's original release.
Navigation and interaction are simple. Dragging your cursor to the top of the screen opens the interface, where walk, touch, talk, and look commands become available. Right-clicking shuffles between these icons so that your cursor can remain firmly rooted to the game screen. Select the walk icon, click and area, and protagonist King Graham will travel there. Fancy a carrot from the garden near the castle? Select the touch icon, click the carrot, and it appears in your inventory, accessible via the sack in your interface.
As you travel, items that you've found will be required to pass certain obstacles such as a troll who guards a bridge. If you haven't the proper item, simply continue hunting for the item that will allow you to continue. KQ's exploratory freedom is much appreciated, as each screen in the 8x6 cyclic array contains detailed environments that are fun to examine.
Just like the original, make sure to save judiciously -- King's Quest is renowned (and often fairly criticized) for putting the player in dangerous situations even if he hasn't yet acquired the item needed to pass safely. Some such scenarios result in an instant death, while others make for tedious extra work. One screens shows a goat grazing safely in a pen. Graham can open the pen to coax the goat out, but if the goat moves off-screen and you forgot to shut the pen gate after stepping through, the animal will wander off, leaving you to conduct a time-consuming search for the beast.
These frustrating trial-and-error moments aside, King's Quest is still a joy, and AGD's graphically updated re-release is the perfect way for new players to experience the first entry in a beloved adventure series.
Developer: AGD Interactive
Type: Single-player
Download Link
Required Game: N/A
Installation Instructions:
- Download King's Quest VGA.
- Run the installation.
Running the Mod:
- Run the executable.
Browse the MODmonday Archive
--
Original King's Quest.
Retired game designer Roberta Williams didn't merely witness the birth of modern adventure gaming -- she defined it. Back in the dark ages of 1984 when computer games were distributed on 5.25 floppy disks in plastic bags, Williams released King's Quest: Quest for the Crown, a landmark adventure title that added 16-color graphics to a text-based user interface. Still considered one of the best adventure series ever created, developer AGD Interactive released a freely available remake in 2001 that updated KQ's primitive palette to 256 colors, added sound card support, and integrated a graphical user interface identical to that seen in King's Quest V and VI.
While not a mod, AGD's unofficial re-release of King's Quest is an excellent way to re-experience a classic title. Everything that made the original KQ a landmark entry in computer gaming has been faithfully recreated, sans a text parser. Though many puzzle solutions are linear in that they can only be solved in a specific manner, the world itself is largely nonlinear and is a joy to traverse 14 years after the game's original release.
Navigation and interaction are simple. Dragging your cursor to the top of the screen opens the interface, where walk, touch, talk, and look commands become available. Right-clicking shuffles between these icons so that your cursor can remain firmly rooted to the game screen. Select the walk icon, click and area, and protagonist King Graham will travel there. Fancy a carrot from the garden near the castle? Select the touch icon, click the carrot, and it appears in your inventory, accessible via the sack in your interface.
As you travel, items that you've found will be required to pass certain obstacles such as a troll who guards a bridge. If you haven't the proper item, simply continue hunting for the item that will allow you to continue. KQ's exploratory freedom is much appreciated, as each screen in the 8x6 cyclic array contains detailed environments that are fun to examine.
Just like the original, make sure to save judiciously -- King's Quest is renowned (and often fairly criticized) for putting the player in dangerous situations even if he hasn't yet acquired the item needed to pass safely. Some such scenarios result in an instant death, while others make for tedious extra work. One screens shows a goat grazing safely in a pen. Graham can open the pen to coax the goat out, but if the goat moves off-screen and you forgot to shut the pen gate after stepping through, the animal will wander off, leaving you to conduct a time-consuming search for the beast.
These frustrating trial-and-error moments aside, King's Quest is still a joy, and AGD's graphically updated re-release is the perfect way for new players to experience the first entry in a beloved adventure series.
The Baconing (6/23/11)
X Rebirth Screenshots
Rise Of Immortals Nysuss Screenshots
The Witcher 2 Screenshots
Trackmania 2 Screenshots
Prey 2 Screenshots
Mass Effect 2 - Arrival Screenshots
Magicka Vietnam Screenshots
Choplifter HD Screenshots
