This review is only for the first two games, as I have yet to play the 3rd. Maybe things improved... Most of this review centers around the 2nd game. First, the games are very random and illogical. That might be kid of fun, except these are not very intuitive. And worse, in the first game you are penalized for guessing what you can't know. That is not difficulty; that is simply unfair. Fortunately, the dying element was removed in the second game. Leaving the player to focus on the humor of the game (which there is from from time to time). However, only time to time. I know the game was made in the early 90's. I don't have high expectation, but this is from a successful game company. What's with the recycled music, voices, sound effects? I know games often recycle where it won't be noticed. But in a short game (an hour and a half to two hours if you know what you're doing) it is very noticeable. The same guy was used in the second game for most of the voices! And they even used a guy for female voices. Cheap much, Sierra? But that might have been forgiveable, if the game was easier to navigate. It is not. At all. A character stands in front of something or even half in front of it and there is no way to click behind it. Click to send a character somewhere and he might walk halfway across the screen. trying to take a long way that doesn't even lead there. Don't get me started on swapping items. It seems to take about 5 steps for a simple exchange! And when you pick up an item you have to right click until the character changes back to the walk mode. In short: clunky interface. And in the second the illogical puzzles don't work well since much of the puzzling rely on perfect timing and using both characters simultaneously. In first game, if they took out the energy bar, I would have enjoyed it more. It was a bit more charming in its way. But too frustrating with dying and a bit simplistic--even for the time. The second was just a disappointing sequel.
