Zeusthecat

The Big LucasArts Playthrough

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Probably much more.  It's hard to say really since almost the entire geography of the game is more or less available to you from the off - this is one of those games that lends itself to speedruns because if you know what to do there's nothing impossible about clearing it in 20 minutes. 

 

Additionally since you happened to choose the most useful kid combination in my opinion (and I'll elaborate when you're done) there are at least two completely distinct solutions for the last major riddle you will face.  Puzzle-wise you don't have a whole lot of distance left to cover, but some of what remains might prove to be doozies.

 

Relevant spoiler if desired:

 

Have you revisited the grate since you discovered your newfound ability to open the garage?  There are actually two ways to open it, and you're equipped for both.

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Yeah, I'm pretty sure you are more than halfway through the game, you have Bernard and the novelist, right? Yep, that's a good combination of characters to have, 

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Cool, good to know I've actually made some real progress. Speaking of which, I made a little more last night.

 

Per recommendation, I spent some more time calling Edna and found that I could send one of the other kids into her room while she was on the phone and she didn't notice. There didn't seem to be any new interactions when I did this and I couldn't give anything to Edna so I'm not sure what I gain by calling her to distract her versus having her leave the room to take one of the kids to the dungeon. Doing this did lead to a pretty cool moment though. As I was investigating the room I went back up into the attic and stared at that picture on the wall for a little bit. It looked suspicious that there was a lone picture in the attic. After a few minutes I thought "I bet there is something behind that fucking picture" and tried to 'open' it with no success. Then I tried to 'pull' it and sure enough, there was a goddamn safe behind the picture. I tried Edna's phone number as the combination with no success and was about to leave when I noticed there was some small text scribbled on the wall below the safe. The text was too small to read and I didn't have anything in my inventory to magnify it so I think I need to do one of two things. I either need to find a magnifying glass or something of that nature (I was bummed to find out that I couldn't magnify it using the jar full of water) or I need to find a camera to take a picture of the text and use the enlarger in the dark room after developing the picture. So far I am still stuck at this point.

 

I also realized a couple other things last night. First, I can heat up the jar of water in the microwave but it is too hot to take out. I tried using several items with the hot water as it stood in the microwave but I'm thinking I probably need to find an oven mitt or something that would enable me to pick it up. The other thing I realized is that since Wendy is a writer, I was able to get her to write in the manuscript to make it 'better'. She also made a comment about showing it to the whole world so I'm still pretty sure that I need to mail it out but I don't have a stamp (which the game seemed to indicate I would need at one point). Maybe I'll try mailing it anyways to see what happens.

 

I'm starting to feel like I'm hitting a wall at this point even with the discoveries I made last night. I have scoured every room and I feel like I've grabbed everything but there is either something I am still missing or some item in my inventory that I haven't used in the right place yet.

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Per recommendation, I spent some more time calling Edna and found that I could send one of the other kids into her room while she was on the phone and she didn't notice. There didn't seem to be any new interactions when I did this and I couldn't give anything to Edna so I'm not sure what I gain by calling her to distract her versus having her leave the room to take one of the kids to the dungeon.

 

Correct, the phone is simply an alternate and more convenient way to enable a kid to explore Edna's room.  Only Bernard and Jeff are capable of repairing the phone.

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I'll give some "spoiler-hints":

 

-Why do you need the hot water? Maybe you could put something in the microwave WITH the hot water?

-There is something that would work as a magnifying glass, but it's a bit... overkill?

-You need a stamp, you should have one that's been used. Maybe you could unstick it somehow?

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I'll give some "spoiler-hints":

 

-Why do you need the hot water? Maybe you could put something in the microwave WITH the hot water?

-There is something that would work as a magnifying glass, but it's a bit... overkill?

-You need a stamp, you should have one that's been used. Maybe you could unstick it somehow?

 

Your first spoiler can't help him until he has the envelope, and to get access to that he needs to use that bottle for something else first.

 

A question for you, Zeus - I'm assuming that at this point Ed's package would have arrived.  Did you intercept it before he got to it?  If you failed to you're not screwed, but it does remove a certain avenue toward your final solution that would allow us to know what hints to give.

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I definitely missed the package. I saw it delivered but just assumed it was a random story moment and continued on with whatever I was doing. Oops.

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Hahaha, this game confuses the shit out of me. Maniac Mansion always seemed hard only because of the multiple endings and different character abilities.

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Oh yeah, I don't think I mentioned in any of my other posts that I am still looking for a vacuum tube (I think?) so Bernard can fix the radio.

 

Hahaha, this game confuses the shit out of me. Maniac Mansion always seemed hard only because of the multiple endings and different character abilities.

 

I am experiencing similar confusion. I've come to the conclusion that several of the areas (the pool and the room with the easel to name a couple) don't come into play with the combination of characters I have.

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Last night I finally decided to start clicking on those spoiler tags. I feel pretty good about the progress I made on my own but at this point I'd rather not stay stuck for too long. 

 

The spoiler that ended up helping me move forward was the one about the grate out front. I'm glad I clicked on that one because after it had failed to 'open' previously I dismissed it. Turned out I needed to 'pull' it. Once I got down there I used the sponge on the developer fluid and drained the pool so I could get the glowing key and the radio. From the radio, I got that second set of batteries and put those in the flashlight; I'm still not sure what I need the flashlight for at this point since all of the lights are on in all the rooms. I found that the glowing key unlocked the two padlocks on the dungeon door and now it looks like I need to locate the password for the inner door. Finally, I put the developer fluid in the developer tray where I assume I will develop a picture.

 

From here, I don't see a clear way to move forward. 

 

I'll give some "spoiler-hints":

 

-Why do you need the hot water? Maybe you could put something in the microwave WITH the hot water?

-There is something that would work as a magnifying glass, but it's a bit... overkill?

-You need a stamp, you should have one that's been used. Maybe you could unstick it somehow?

 

1. It doesn't look like I have anything in my inventory that will work in the microwave besides the jar of water.

2. Still stuck. I haven't found anything that would work as a magnifying glass and don't have anything in my inventory for it.

3. I may have missed something here. I don't have anything in my inventory that has a stamp but I have sure as hell been looking for one.

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The spoiler that ended up helping me move forward was the one about the grate out front. I'm glad I clicked on that one because after it had failed to 'open' previously I dismissed it. Turned out I needed to 'pull' it.

 

Opening it was equally correct.  The solution to the puzzle was using the Hunk-O-Matic twice, as it was for the garage door.  For the grate, an alternate solution would have been to use the tools on it.

 

 I'm still not sure what I need the flashlight for at this point since all of the lights are on in all the rooms.

 

Perhaps temporarily shutting off the power will be necessary for you to accomplish something, though...

 

1. It doesn't look like I have anything in my inventory that will work in the microwave besides the jar of water.

 

You don't.  Start thinking about other uses that jar could have.  (You should be able to remove it from the microwave after a bit of time passes.)

 

There is one "character" you haven't interacted with yet.  He lives in the den (the room with the typewriter and the fireplace).  Consider what's above him.

 

And forget the stamp.  That ship has sailed.

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O.K. here are some less suble spoiler clues:

 

-

The boiling water creates steam, that's what you want to "combine" with another item. Although maybe you don't have it? If you're playing with the novelist, you'll need it!

-

Have you discovered the observatory?

-Those were on the package you missed... forget about the first clue then on concentrate on Bernard, Wendy can no longer help "get an ending", so you need Bernard's path

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Sweet, thanks for the clarifications.

 

As for the plant, I have tried several things on him and had him drink the Pepsi. I did notice the hatch above him earlier too. I'm guessing there is an item I don't have yet.

 

Regarding the jar (and sponge), I have previously tried using it on the slime in the reactor room, the dried purple slime, and the slime in the pool. Every time I try to use it Dave becomes a little bitch and says it's too gross. It seems like the water faucets are the only other thing that I can use the jar on. But maybe that whole 'shutting off the power' thing will open up another possibility.

 

 

I'm also going to say there is one more item in the living room for you to find.  Get it.

 

If you are referring to the loose panel, I already got the item behind that early on (don't remember which item though). If there is something else though I will go back and look again. I swear I've scanned every pixel in that room though. 

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Regarding the jar (and sponge), I have previously tried using it on the slime in the reactor room, the dried purple slime, and the slime in the pool. Every time I try to use it Dave becomes a little bitch and says it's too gross. It seems like the water faucets are the only other thing that I can use the jar on.

 

The pool water is distinct from tap water for reasons you learned when you climbed down the ladder.  Just keep it away from the microwave!

 

If you are referring to the loose panel, I already got the item behind that early on (don't remember which item though). If there is something else though I will go back and look again. I swear I've scanned every pixel in that room though.

 

Wrong room - you're referring to the library.  The living room is the one just before it, with the couch and the chandelier.

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The pool water is distinct from tap water for reasons you learned when you climbed down the ladder.  Just keep it away from the microwave!

 

 

Wrong room - you're referring to the library.  The living room is the one just before it, with the couch and the chandelier.

 

Awesome, this should get me further. I'm guessing, pool water in the jar, then use that on the plant, somehow that will get me to the hatch or give me another item...

 

I haven't been quite as thorough with the living room. I got the key from the chandelier after using that tape and figured I was done with that room after I couldn't pick up the broken chandelier or interact with the couch or windows. Oh, wait... maybe I can get a vacuum tube from that radio to fix that other thing with Bernard. I haven't really bothered with that radio yet. Hmmmmm....

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Are you guys giving these hints based purely off of memory?  If so, I'm impressed.  I'm not sure I'll be able to do the same once Zeus gets to games I've played before.  During the Thumbs Lucasarts stream, I was surprised how much I remembered of DOTT and Full Throttle, but seeing it in action helped a lot.  And even then there was a bunch of stuff I forgot.

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Haha, yeah there's so many keys and little trinkets in Maniac Mansion, I find it really hard to give clues based on memory. Going to have the same issue with Zak McCracken and (to a lesser extent) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

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Yeah, I've played the game to death... I might not remember what each key is for, but more or less where there are keys? Kinda?

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Maniac Mansion completed! Total play time was about 9.5 hours. Probably would have been several hours longer or more had I not used some of the hints you guys provided.

 

I was happy to see that the assumptions I made about the last batch of hints was correct. Pool water made the plant grow which enabled me to reach the observatory. I used the dimes to move the telescope to a position where I could see the small text on the wall. That password got me into the safe where I found an envelope with a quarter. Since I missed out on the stamp (I only knew this thanks to the hints that were provided) I ignored the envelope and knew I needed to focus on the quarter.

 

After that I went back to the living room and immediately found that I could 'open' the radio (again, thanks for the hint on the missing item in that room) and get the vacuum tube. I used that to fix the radio device thingy and saw that I could use that to call the meteor police using the number on the wanted poster. I reloaded my save from there after seeing that they expected the lab door to be open.

 

Thanks to the hint about turning the power off, I came to the conclusion that that was the obvious way to fix the live wires up in the attic. Sure enough I was able to use the tools to fix them once the power was off. From there, my first thought was to try the arcades. I quickly discovered that the meteor arcade showed a list of high scores. I wrote them all down but none of those numbers ended up working on the lab door. After a couple minutes the game showed me a scene where the mad scientist dude was playing the arcade. So I promptly went back and saw there was a new high score on that machine. I wrote that number down and it ended up being the correct password for the lab door.

 

The rest was easy. I called the meteor police to take the meteor, picked up the badge, and used the badge to get past the purple tentacle. Then in the next room that dickface scientist dude started the self destruct sequence. After quickly trying a few things I saw I could use that key card on the door and turned off the machine. Then the scientist dude stopped the self destruct sequence and apologized for everything. I guess the moral of the story is that I was a tuna head.

 

Overall I thought this was a good game and I am very glad that I didn't skip it. The puzzles seemed pretty smart and logical for the most part and I do feel that I might have been able to eventually figure it all out had I spent as much time trying different things as I did in Monkey Island 2. Again, thanks for all the help and for recommending this game.

 

Now I just need to obtain Zak Mckracken and I'll move on to that.

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Congratulations!  I'm glad you enjoyed the game as much as you did.  It's way easier to appreciate when you can avoid the cruel gotchas.  You also seem to just like adventure games, which is great, and it's kind of delightful to sort of participate in your exposure!

 

One day you ought to try different character combos and see the various endings of the game.  I will say though, I think the nuance of the "multiple paths" is a bit overstated.  Maniac Mansion is every bit as complex and sophisticated as it's often regarded, but I've come to realize that it's due to its general non-linearity rather than the character combos.  At the end of the day, that just comes down to the method of bypassing Purple Tentacle, which each character has a particular means to do.  The exceptions are Jeff, who can merely repair the phone (which Bernard can also do), and Dave, who's useless and mandatory.  And Razor and Syd are duplicates.

 

Here's the exhaustive rundown of the different possibilities for getting into the inner lab based on the character and the different endings, if you're interested.  Brace yourself for this wall of text:

 

Bernard can obtain the radio tube from the old-fashioned radio, repair the radio in Dr. Fred's bedroom and phone the Meteor Police.  They snatch the meteor and leave the badge behind for you to show Purple Tentacle and intimidate your way past him.  This is the solution you used.

 

Michael can develop Weird Ed's "battle plans."  These will appear if you intercept Ed's package and then give it to him, making you his ally.  At this point a roll of film will appear on the front lawn.  Using the sponge of developer fluid, Michael will be able to develop the prints in the red room.  After giving the developed plans to Ed, he will show up on your behalf when you confront Purple Tentacle.

 

Razor and Syd can play the piano.  Record their song on the blank cassette tape in the music room and play it for Green Tentacle in his bedroom.  This will inspire Green Tentacle to drop his demo tape.  Mail it to Mark Eeter and the eventual result will be a recording contract.  Show it to Green Tentacle, and he will function the same way Ed does in the Michael scenario.  Syd and Razor can also microwave the hamster, just as a bonus.

 

Wendy can retype the meteor's manuscript.  Mail the improved text to Mark Eeter and the eventual result will be a publishing contract.  Show it to Purple Tentacle and he will stand aside so that you can show it to the meteor.

 

Except for the scenarios where the Meteor Police take the meteor or you've got the publishing contract, the player will be left to deal with the meteor.  You can pick up to the meteor and throw him in the trunk of the Edsel (taking the right exit in the meteor room will cause the character to emerge in the garage via the secret slab).  Use the yellow key in the ignition and the meteor will be launched into space.  The NES version offers a fun, additional version of this scenario: send the Edsel into space without putting the meteor in the trunk.  After the cutscene, the game will return to the player with the garage area half destroyed.  This opens a hole in the gate to the pool area (which the game had sealed at this point for whatever reason), thus allowing the character access to the mansion again.  Racing against the clock, you can carry the meteor all the way up to the den and feed him to the man-eating plant!

 

In either case the game ends happily on the porch just as you saw in your version.  If you complete the game having gotten Dave killed in the process, the same scene plays out the same way except Fred apologizes that his mad, insane plan "cost your friend his life."

 

The Wendy ending is unique and fun because after you present the meteor with his contract the game throws to a talk show where the meteor, now a successful novelist, is an interviewed guest.  The reason why I called the Bernard/Wendy combo the best one is because it allows for a double ending: if in addition to giving the meteor the contract you call the police ahead of time, the talk show scene plays out as described and then the police shows up to snatch the meteor away anyway!

 

The consequence of only Jeff being without a way to get past Purple Tentacle is that it's possible to complete the game with any combination of kids - you got lucky by picking the combo you did because by failing the grab the package you lost out on the Wendy scenario, but still had the Bernard one to fall back on.  Had you been able to do the mailing business, you would have had use for the envelope.  The original versions of the game offer a particularly awful dead-end here: by simply opening the envelope, it becomes ripped and useless.  Bam.  The puzzle to steam open the envelope in the microwave is difficult enough to figure out; the idea of being able to screw yourself simply by doing something as intuitive as opening the envelope is ridiculous and probably the worst bit of design in the game.  Which is probably why the NES version addressed it: instead of allowing the player to rip the envelope, the character will just say, "A quarter slipped out of the envelope" when you try to open it.

 

Phew!

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The second time I finished the game, I tried for all endings, since I didn't realize there were multiple endings when I was a kid. The meteor in the Edsel is definitely my favorite.

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Thanks for the exhaustive rundown, I'll eventually go back through and try the various paths especially considering how quickly it can be done with that upfront knowledge. I'm also glad others are getting some vicarious enjoyment out of this, I am having a blast and this is the next best thing to playing this game with someone else watching over my shoulder.

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