Gobliiins
The Gobliiins series of adventure video games consists of 4 titles developed by Coktel Vision, some of which were published by Sierra On-Line, although the latest game, The Bizarre Adventures of Woodruff and the Schnibble, isn't always considered to be part of the franchise due to its name.
The unique visual look of the series and its characters was contributed by Pierre Gilhodes, a French artist who also gave his famous signature style to many of Coktel Vision's other games.
The games can be considered a mix between adventure games and puzzle games. The player needs to find the solution to an area (read level) consisting of 1 or more screens in order to progress to the next. An original aspect of the series is that the player usually controls multiple goblins as player characters, each of whom has a unique set of abilities. The player may only control one character at a time, but, depending on the specific scene, decide to switch characters at will. Dropped for the later games, the original features a shared health system for all three characters, which meant leaving characters in the wrong place could be detrimental. Because not all puzzles are completely logical, the game can be highly (sometimes frustratingly) difficult.
The names of the first three games feature a gimmick where the amount of i letters shows the amount of goblins the player can control. Later games added extra non-goblin characters not featured in the title in this way.
Gobliiins
In the original 1991 game, the player controls a team of 3 different goblins, all with a unique skill. The first goblin, BoBo, is a warrior who is more brawn than brain, and whose skill is punching, causing various things to break or fall over. The second goblin, Hooter, is a magician who can 'zap' things with magic with a wide variety of usually unexpected effects, which include objects moving, growing, or becoming alive. The third goblin, Dwayne, is a technician (sometimes considered a "thief" by role-playing game fans), and is the only one that can pick up and use items, his only skill.
Several wrong actions harm the gobliiin involved, including leaving them in an unsafe place, using incorrect items, or interacting with items with the wrong characters, thus reducing their shared life meter. When the meter runs out, the game ends in defeat. However, all screens can be completed without loss of life. The game includes a saving system using codes, which depended on the screen finished and the amount of health left.
Gobliins 2: The Prince Buffoon
In 1992's Gobliins 2, the player controls 2 characters: Fingus (who is well-mannered, intelligent and shy) and Winkle (who is dumb enough to not know how to push a button in the first screen, but who is almost terminally brave). Both gobliins can pick up and use items, and both generally use an item in different ways. Unlike its predecessor, Gobliins 2 allows (and requires) the player to travel back and forth between rooms. Also, both gobliins can be given an order simultaneously, allowing for devious timing puzzles. An easter egg in the game is that Fingus, if left idle, will eventually whistle a short tune, and the tune is different in each room.
Goblins Quest 3
1993's Goblins Quest 3 was originally known as just Goblins 3, but after Sierra got involved they decided to add their well-known Quest suffix as an attempt to fit the game with their other Quest series. In this game the player controls originally only 1 Goblin called Blount, but gets assistance from a number of sidekicks throughout the game including Chump the parrot, Ooya the magician, and Fulbert the snake. Blount is also eaten by a wolf early in the game and after escaping from the afterlife must contend with semi-frequent changes into a super-strong but uncouth werewolf alter ego. Most areas in Goblins 3 are larger than the screen and thus scroll.
The Bizarre Adventures of Woodruff and the Schnibble
In 1994's The Bizarre Adventures of Woodruff and the Schnibble, known as Woodruff and the Schnibble of Azimuth in Europe, the player controls the titular Woodruff. Although the game was praised by many critics, it never became particularly popular or financially successful. One notable aspect of this game is that it was a full CD 'talkie', meaning that it used real voices for speech, but did not include any kind of subtitles.
Gobliiins 4
Gobliiins 4 is currently in production, planned for release during 2008.
External links
- Classic DOS Games has the DOS shareware demos available for download.
- Vintage Sierra's entry on the Gobliiins series
- The Gobliiins series at MobyGames
- The Bizarre Adventures of Woodruff and the Schnibble at MobyGames
- The official website of Gobliiins 3D – Goblinoid
- The official Gobliiins 3D – Goblinoid Trailer / Gameplay Video