Gobliiins pack

I played these games a lot in the 90ties and they are still great fun. They might not be as well-know as the Lucas Arts adventures, but if you enjoyed these or other classic adventures, you will also like the Goblins series. If you like absurd humor in a world that is a mix of fantasy, medieval and modern times, then they are highly recommended. The first one is the hardest, it has a somehow frustrating lives system. Still, it has charme and if you figured out how it works you can easily beat it without much life loss(but I think it is impossible to avoid this completely). I also love the soundtrack which is also used in the second game. The second is way more easier, you cannot fail it and now enjoy it when your goblin is punched, thrown away and so on without having to reload, and the other one laughs about it! Well, however the meat ball riddle is very annoying and you might need a lot of time and patience for it... The third is also good, you only play with Blunt as consistent character, your companions change from time to time. Ok, but now I have to criticize the versions offered here. I don´t know it it is due to the games modification or due to ScummVM, but IMHO DosBox would be the better option. Why? Because the walking sound of the goblins aren´t played right, they are sometimes not hearable and then they make annoying static noises. This is certainly not the case in the game when playing in DOS or on DOSBox. I put my original CDs for comparison in my PC, mounted it and run DosBox - the walking sounds are now how they should be. So I have to say, if you have the old CDs around, better use these or get them used. The version here needs urgent improvement and I can´t recommend it for now.

The puzzles oftetimes don't make any sense, which is OK due to the nature of the game. The problem is, since you don't know what you're doing, you're forced to try every option. This will lead you to die a lot, which kind of hinder your willingness to try every option... Also, many puzzles rely on timing and/or positioning. If you don't do things exaclty how they're supposed to be done, the trick wouldn't work and sometimes you will even punished for that. This will lead you to think you're on the wrong path even though you were actually correct. Moreover, the controls are quite dumb and this will only increment the chances to mess up with puzzles. I know at its time it was a novelty and people loved it, but for me (who's grown up with Lucasfilm adventure games) it's been quite a frustrating experience.

I first played Goblins 3 around 96 - was over 15 floppy discs!!! - that time I couldn't finish the game. The english was still hard for me and I was only 8. I bought the pack a month ago and I finally finish it without the hint books. I still have to play the two firt games. I have only one thing to say to those who never played or found it too hard or "illogical", the game is just REALLY hard, you may spend hours even days at the same screen, but I can assure you, ALL puzzles have a logical solution, but again IT IS REALLY HARD. So, if you're looking for some really challenging puzzles and funny scenes this is the game for you. If you're not don't bother downloading.

The Goblins series of games are perhaps some of the most unique and surprising settings found in the classic adventure gaming genre. The best way they can be described are as if a Dali painting has come to life and found itself populated with a cast of goofy and outlandish characters. Oftentimes, the very setting in which you find yourself exploring is the star itself, with every little facet of the scenery being a part of the puzzle or just a bit of fun that you can interact with. I can't think of another series of games that has created such a genuinely unique setting that is as exciting as the characters populating it. Though, given the surreal nature of the games' settings, sometimes the solutions to puzzles can be a bit obscure or far-fetched (and in the case of the first game, leading to repeated deaths and restarts), but the setting and crazy locales create an exciting and unseen level of creativity in this or any other genre of it's time. When I first saw that they were releasing Gobliiins for $5.99, I was excited about such a classic and unique adventure game being re-released for a whole new demographic to explore and enjoy, but then finding out that you get the two prequels along with it, it's becomes difficult to not recommend these titles to anyone who loves a series of games that attempts to do something different and fun and manages to accomplish it in a really unique way. Certainly, there are some short-comings, but even playing these games with a strategy guide and simply following along with the weird and wonderful world presented, it's well worth the small investment asked for such an original series of games.

These games are really imaginative, funny and beautiful with wonderful soundtracks. But like many classic adventure/puzzle games they are kind of dated. The gameplay is slow and clunky, mostly trial and error with some irritating timed events. Probably best played with a walk-through.