Easter Eggs / Sierra (and other) references in KQ3R

[goatmeal]

OK, I'll start.

I'm not very far in the game (still just mapping out all of the screens), but while in the Tavern, I did like trying the rum from the leaking barrel marked "D.B.".

The resulting death screen reveals that the barrel was marked "Brewed in Spielburg", which means it was Dragon's Breath!

[Crowley9]

A tiny nod I really enjoyed is how the teleportation effect of the magic map is the same as in King's Quest 6.

[goatmeal]

And as mentioned elsewhere in this thread, passing through Seran's stone arch with no tiles or incorrect tiles sends you to the Forbidden City waterfall in QFG2VGA.

They mystery is solved -- it _IS_ Alexander, as many surmised, but from KQ3R !

[Zatos]

Suck Blue Frog.

That was great!

[phillips]

Cedric. Why couldn't I talk to him?

[Chyron_8472]

Because he's one of the most infamously annoying and unhelpful characters in all of King's Quest.

[phillips]

True, but why add him to the game if he doesn't do anything?

[psychosis090]

Let's see what I can recall:

!!!SPOILERS, MY GOOD SIR!!!



- Death by falling plays the end snippet of the Inspector Gadget theme (which is brilliant because if you grew up with this game, you were most probably watching it while it was still new)

- You can see Cedric and consider plucking his feathers, yet you outright refuse to believe he can talk, so he remains silent. Nice.

- The note in Manannan's desk

- Magic map animation from KQ6

- The gnome from KQ1 is older and more powerful than he lets on

- Jackalmen chasing a Saurus through the desert

- Snakes talking about 'distant cousins' in Shapeir

- Alexander shouting 'Take no prisoners!' to the heavens (reference to what?)

- The abominable snowman is revealed as being an ancestor of or the same one from KQ5 (the latter being a neat explanation for re-using the sprite)

- Mermaid by the shores of Llewdor

- Dragon's Breath in tavern

- The bard sitting by the base of the mountain is the same one from KQIV, and you're responsible for him going there.

That's all I can remember for now. Would love to see if there's any more.

[Anonymous Game Creator 2]

- Alexander shouting 'Take no prisoners!' to the heavens (reference to what?)

That's a reference to Mad Max.

[DrJones]

True, but why add him to the game if he doesn't do anything?

You can use the knife on him, I presume.

[Anonymous Game Creator 2]

Cedric's presence is really just a subtle reference, intended to show that he perches around Daventry observing events -- just as he will observe Mordack stealing castle Daventry a few weeks later.

I think making Cedric talk in this game would have been extending fan-service a bit far. If someone plays this game first and then King's Quest V, the 'surprise' of a talking owl will have been already been revealed. It would only really work as an Easter Egg for fans who played King's Quest V first, and King's Quest III Redux later on. But I think the subtle and silent approach works best here because it's not intrusive. People who haven't played KQ5 yet won't think much of an owl sitting in the tree (except maybe for his clothing). While people who have already played KQ5 will still understand the visual reference and it will also seem like Cedric didn't just "pop up out of nowhere" at the start of KQ5. That he actually was sighted around Daventry previously, but kept mostly to himself.

[MusicallyInspired]

- Death by falling plays the end snippet of the Inspector Gadget theme (which is brilliant because if you grew up with this game, you were most probably watching it while it was still new)

Finally someone caught that! Cheers!

[duckwizard]

At one point I pissed off Mananan (I think I was in his office unattended) and he made me do a workout routine while listening to the Village People. Made me LOL.

[Eventide]

I loved the bard and hearing Rosella's theme in snippets when Gwydion talks to him.

Giving the mutton to the eagle, just like in KQV. (I never would have thought of the fish ever.)

The squirrels talking about the golden walnuts in Daventry from KQ1

[goatmeal]

- Death by falling plays the end snippet of the Inspector Gadget theme (which is brilliant because if you grew up with this game, you were most probably watching it while it was still new)

Finally someone caught that! Cheers!

I caught it right away, MI, but hesitated to bring it up...

I didn't want to offend you if it was merely a happy coincidence between what you composed and the Inspector Gadget snippet.

[Chyron_8472]

- Death by falling plays the end snippet of the Inspector Gadget theme (which is brilliant because if you grew up with this game, you were most probably watching it while it was still new)

Finally someone caught that! Cheers!

I caught it right away, MI, but hesitated to bring it up...

I didn't want to offend you if it was merely a happy coincidence between what you composed and the Inspector Gadget snippet.

same, though I thought such a coincidence was unlikely.

[Enchantermon]

I don't know if this counts, but I noticed that the KQIV title theme plays in the hat toss sequence at the very end of the game. Very nice rendition, and it gave me chills when I heard it, as it foreshadowed what was about to happen.

[Erpy]

It's a musical reference, yeah. I very specifically requested Tom to add the KQ4 fanfare to the final musical piece and his rendition sounds way better than the original ever did.

There's several subtle musical references to other Sierra titles in the soundtrack besides the one you mentioned.

[Enchantermon]

It's a musical reference, yeah. I very specifically requested Tom to add the KQ4 fanfare to the final musical piece and his rendition sounds way better than the original ever did.

Indeed it does; it was quite beautiful.

There's several subtle musical references to other Sierra titles in the soundtrack besides the one you mentioned.

I'm not surprised. I'll have to pay even closer attention next time.

[edenwaith]

OK, I'll start.

I'm not very far in the game (still just mapping out all of the screens), but while in the Tavern, I did like trying the rum from the leaking barrel marked "D.B.".

The resulting death screen reveals that the barrel was marked "Brewed in Spielburg", which means it was Dragon's Breath!

I had to go back and check that out. Would have been funnier if Gwydion would have burned up like the Hero does in QFG.

I loved seeing the Jackalmen chasing the Saurus in the desert. That was a good laugh. Same with the new exercise music.

[TriniMage]

In the screen with the waterfall, I saw a rare, blue skinned Shapeirian frog relaxing in the pool... Of course trying to talk to him says you have no desire to ‘suck blue frog’. Obviously the QFG 2 code for the debug mode...

[Ayrus]

If you look enough (using the eye-icon) about the cliffs where the medusa door is, you get a comment about Sly and a cliffhanger. I don't remember the exact quote, but that is obviously a reference to the movie Cliffhanger, starring Sylvester Stallone (aka Sly), directed by Renny Harlin, which takes place in a mountain area (the Alps).

Also, the yeti says, after you have evaded him, that he is sick of tresspassers, and that he is going back to Serenia.

And almost forgot, when you see the goat in the mountains, you get the message "You must be KIDding". But I don't remember which action you had to attempit to get that.

[El Ravager]

There's several subtle musical references to other Sierra titles in the soundtrack besides the one you mentioned.

Like the KQ5 theme during the orb-healing sequence.

Also: Would anyone like to explain the note in Manannan's desk to me? I'm sure the reference is very obvious, but for some reason it's just not clicking for me.

[MusicallyInspired]

It's a letter from Lolotte, the antagonist in KQ4.

[El Ravager]

Oh, duh. Yeah, that makes sense. Initially, I thought it must be Lolotte, but then the reference to her female "enemy" threw me off, since Rosella is at this time about to become dragon food in Daventry rather than traipsing around Tamir. But now I realize it must be a reference to Genesta rather than Rosella, so it all makes sense. Thanks!