It Came from the Desert

[nat]

I remember when ICFtD came out back in 1992. I thought it looked like the most awesome game, ever. I'm sure this had something to do with NEC's shameless promotion of all things CD back in those days. Since I didn't own a CD-ROM^2 at that point, and couldn't convince my parents to buy me one for my birthday or Christmas, I had to live with the fact I would not be able to own this thing.

Fast forward 15 years to 2007 and I still hadn't played the game. I'd heard the intro song, but not played the game. Until today.

With the awesome sale currently running over at TZD, coupled with the fact that they happened to "find" a long-lost case full of copies of this game, it was like the universe quietly set aside my copy until the time was right. So I ordered it up along with a couple other titles I hadn't previously owned as US versions and a shitload of replacement game manuals.

I tore open the packaging as soon as I got home from work and gazed down at the bad-60's-horror-movie cover. I didn't really know what to expect from this game upon booting up, except cheese. And lots of it. Luckily, ICFtD didn't disappoint. I'm sure we've all heard the opening theme, and just seeing the campy title screen with that Sea of Love (or whatever) song playing in the background was enough to have me on the floor laughing. These fits of laughter would recur frequently as I soldiered on through the afternoon.

ICFtD reminds me quite a bit of early DOS/Windows 3.1 visual adventures where you point-and-click your way through a low-res VGA-encoded world. I found myself actually putting the controller down quite a bit, since there are points where you just watch and listen to people talk to you as the adventure progresses upon a semi-linear path. The FMV, if you can call it that, has aged quite badly compared to the likes of the PC-FX and later generation consoles. In some scenes the borders of the FMV portions of the picture are clearly visible. For some reason, this was OK with me because it just added to the "vintage" feeling of the game.

Listening to the characters talk to you and interacting with people is just a hoot. It's not that the acting is bad per se, it's just a lot of the language is sooooo early 90's. I'd be extremely surprised if this is not Keranu's favorite game ever made.

The digitized imagery was interspersed with short minigames the manual calls "Arcade Game Sequences." While the digitized stuff isn't horrible for the era, the minigame visuals are a mixed bag ranging from pretty good to pretty poor. But again, even this didn't really bother me.

I played and played as the evening set in and I made some good progress in the game. You reach many junctions where different paths are possible, and I'm not sure yet what effect these have on the outcome of the game. I apparently didn't make any wrong choices, though, since I kept progressing further and further without getting a Game Over. For better or for worse, I just couldn't shut the game off. Something just kept pushing me on. Well into Day 5 or 6 and I was pretty sure I was going to finish the game in one sitting.

I've always heard this game was buggy (pun intended), but I had no idea to what extent. I was at a junction where I could choose which way to go and I chose to return to the doctor's lab. Apparently in ICFtD this is synonymous with returning to the System Card screen because that's exactly where I ended up. No save game file, just a flashing "PRESS RUN BUTTON." After progressing so far I was perturbed to say the least. According to the manual, it is possible to save your progress in this game. I never came across any such option and apparently the game doesn't do it automatically for you since there was no save file after I was rudely ejected from the fun.

Anyway, all in all it was an enjoyable experience in some strange fashion. I just couldn't stop playing until forced to by the game itself.

Questions for people who own this: How do I save my game, for next time? And what do I need to do (or NOT do) to avoid being randomly booted back to the System Card screen?

[Keranu]

I can't say it's my favorite game, but it's up there somewhere .

[runinruder]

Questions for people who own this: How do I save my game, for next time? And what do I need to do (or NOT do) to avoid being randomly booted back to the System Card screen?

I don't remember for sure, but I think you can save your game practically whenever you want.  Try pressing Select when you're at one of those menus where you have to choose where to go next.  Maybe it'll bring up a "Save" option. 

As for being booted back to the System Card screen, I don't remember that ever happening to me. 

I apparently didn't make any wrong choices, though, since I kept progressing further and further without getting a Game Over.

That doesn't necessarily mean you were making good progress.     See, you can die a million times, but the game won't actually end until either you beat it or the ants decide to take over completely, which usually doesn't happen until very late in the game.  Did you find the barrier that prevents you from going any further in the red tunnels (during the side-view action part)?  That's the first step towards making good progress.   

[nat]

Yeah I think I had just found that right before I was forced to stop.

What do you think of the game, overall?

EDIT: Nevermind, found your mini-review.

[Keranu]

I got randomly booted back to the System Card screen before too! Not sure why, it seemed like I was at the end of the game or something too. If I recall, the credits even played after I booted the game again from that screen...

[nat]

I wasn't to the end, but I felt like I was getting close, although maybe not. I was only on Day 5 or 6 and I think there are 8 days total. Although there was absolutely no reason that I should have ended up at the title screen from where I was at.

After reading runinruder's review, I have a better understanding now of how the game works. Time keeps ticking by, and things keep happening, but unless you are making the right moves the ants will take over and kill you towards the end. I was thinking more along the lines of the game only moved ahead if you were making the right choices. I don't feel so confident I was performing well, although, I probably wasn't doing too badly.

Maybe tomorrow I'll sit down and finish it.

[runinruder]

Time keeps ticking by, and things keep happening, but unless you are making the right moves the ants will take over and kill you towards the end.

Yep, that's how it works. 

I don't feel so confident I was performing well, although, I probably wasn't doing too badly.

If you found the barrier, you were probably doing pretty darn well considering it's your first day with it.  Try to find that barrier as soon as possible.  Also, when you have a choice between visiting the sax player, the girl, and that strength training guy in that one place, choose the strength guy until he teaches you a new "technique"; it'll make those side-view action scenes easier.   

[nat]

Thanks, I'll do that. I kept visiting the girl for "advice."

[nodtveidt]

Also, when you have a choice between visiting the sax player, the girl, and that strength training guy in that one place, choose the strength guy until he teaches you a new "technique"; it'll make those side-view action scenes easier.   

You get that on the second day (the "Leaping Devastator"), in the evening. You don't have to visit him until then, and actually that's the only time where he's any use to you.

[MurderDate]

killer review nat.  I've been wanting to check this one out.  Definitely took a few bumps up on my priority-list now.

[Necromancer]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - It Came From the Desert is frickin awesome!

[nat]

Indeed.

So today I sat down with the game with the intent to finish it off. Unfortunately, I performed much worse than with my first run through. I couldn't remember verbatim the steps I took to get as far as I did the first time. Mostly, I was sucking ass at the sidescrolling tunnel sections. The other day when I played I only died like one time during these "Arcade" game sequences. Today I kept dying over and over again. I was finally A-bombed during Day 8.

Next time, it's in the bag. I saved a bunch of times during today's play but I never used my saves. I think I'll start fresh next time and it should be no problem.

Questions for people who own this: How do I save my game, for next time? And what do I need to do (or NOT do) to avoid being randomly booted back to the System Card screen?

I don't remember for sure, but I think you can save your game practically whenever you want.  Try pressing Select when you're at one of those menus where you have to choose where to go next.  Maybe it'll bring up a "Save" option. 

Thanks, SELECT is the key.

[nodtveidt]

The sooner you make it to the barrier, the sooner you can get the three transponders that open it. Of course, making it there is the hard part, and then you have to make it back again afterwards.