|
Most Infocom games offered at least touches of dry humor. But none were devised as out-and-out comedies until Nord and Bert came along.
The town of Punster is in terrible trouble. Spoonerisms, homonyms, and other literary devices have been unleashed in dangerous quantities, disrupting the course of everyday life. You, the lone hero, must turn this wordplay against itself in an attempt to bring some normalcy back to the good people of Punster.
The game is structured as a series of multiple scenarios, each geared around a different type of humor. Most are rooted in wordplay, although slapstick and other gags show up as well. Each scenario is completely independent of the others, and you can leave a scenario at any time, freezing your progress, in favor of playing a different sequence. When all of the main scenarios have been conquered, you move on to an endgame sequence which tests the talents you have cultivated and, in the end, restores order to town.
Nord and Bert's unique puzzle structure means that although you still use the text input to walk around and manipulate objects, you will also need to think outside the box to solve certain problems. Your input can transmute a stake to a steak, for instance, or make stationery stationary.
Because the game focuses heavily on wordplay, a strong command of English is a must--you can't muddle through it knowing just the basics of TAKE, DROP, USE, and so forth. At least one of the segments is a pastiche of early American television shows, and as such Americans of a certain age will be at an advantage recognizing the scenarios and reaching the right conclusions.
Nord and Bert was one of the first Infocom games to include a full, built-in hint system. The clues start out vague and get more specific as you go along, so you can police your consumption. Still, it is a very handy temptation to dive in for clues at the first sign of trouble--so try to resist.
Most of the scenarios are well-done, and just the right length--not too short, but not so long that the central gag outstays its welcome. The game was clearly designed with the understanding that humor is a matter of taste. If nothing else, you can hold your nose and abuse the hints to get past a segment you don't appreciate.
Nord and Bert is--consciously--a lightweight and light-hearted offering from the waning days of the pure text adventure game, and is miles away from SWING SWORD AT TROLL. Words truly are the most potent weapon at your disposal.
|
|
|
|
| GRAPHICS - 5/10 |
Not applicable.
| | SOUND - 5/10 |
Not applicable.
| | PLAYABILITY - 8/10 |
The underlying parser is as good as ever, but because of the nature of many puzzles, you won't benefit quite as much from it as in other titles. The built-in hints are, as always, both blessing and cheater-encouraging curse.
| | OVERALL - 8/10 |
A fun game for those who enjoy wordplay and have more than a passing knowledge of the English language and American pop culture.
|
|
| COVER |
|
|
|
; "Click to zoom!")
