The New Treasure of the Sierra On-Line (Police Quest)

In 2012, I wrote a series of blog entries on the subject of Sierra On-Line memories. It was entitled The Treasure of the Sierra On-Line. It covered Space Quest, Leisure Suit Larry and King's Quest. The three Sierra On-Line franchises which I had the most experiences with at the time.

With the sudden passing of friend and fellow Sierra On-Line fan, Roberta Vaughan, I decided that now might be the best time to revisit The Treasure of the Sierra On-Line. I am in the process of further exploring various memories of Sierra On-Line. Everything from Space Quest to You Don't Know Jack. From Police Quest to 3-D Ultra Pinball. From King's Quest to Quest for Glory. Today, we will be exploring Police Quest. A series of gritty law enforcement games designed by former police officers Jim Walls and Daryl F. Gates. Police Quest followed police procedure so closely that it was even used for real life police training at one point.



The New Treasure of the Sierra On-Line (Police Quest)
I shot the sheriff, but I did not shoot the deputy.
I fought the law and the law won.
Sir, yes sir! I promise to uphold the rule of law.

Ladies and gentlemen: the story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. This is the city. Los Angeles, California. I walked its streets. I perused its computer stores. I grew up here. The city holds a lot of memories for me. Both good and bad. It's the bad that puts a thorn in your boots. Thieves of all kinds can be found here. They are a sinister jack of all trades. If only there were a police officer brave enough to stand up to them. What the force needs is a good pup.


This is the city. Lytton, California. The name has been changed to protect Los Angeles.

It was a warm evening. Spring was in the air. And I was once again in the market for a new Sierra On-Line adventure. It was a Friday. The selection of Sierra On-Line adventure games had thinned out considerably. It looked as though it were a dying breed. I did however find one title on the computer game shelf that drew my attention. It was Police Quest: SWAT. I was only vaguely aware of its existence. The Torin's Passage CD-ROM included a non-interactive demo for Police Quest: SWAT that demonstrated a small selection of scenes from the game. The FMV animations were certainly astonishing. They were unlike anything I had seen at the time.

What I failed to realize was that Police Quest: SWAT was not an adventure game. It was more of a tactical simulator. Regardless, my curiosity was piqued by the non-interactive demo, and further piqued by the game's box. The scenes depicted on the back of the Police Quest: SWAT box were eye-catching to say the least. There was heavy use of combat rifles and even what appeared to be hostage negotiation.

The New Treasure of the Sierra On-Line (Torin's Quest 1)

In 2012, I wrote a series of blog entries on the subject of Sierra On-Line memories. It was entitled The Treasure of the Sierra On-Line. It covered Space Quest, Leisure Suit Larry and King's Quest. The three Sierra On-Line franchises which I had the most experiences with at the time.

With the sudden passing of friend and fellow Sierra On-Line fan, Roberta Vaughan, I decided that now might be the best time to revisit The Treasure of the Sierra On-Line. I am in the process of further exploring various memories of Sierra On-Line. Everything from Space Quest to You Don't Know Jack. From Police Quest to 3-D Ultra Pinball. From King's Quest to Quest for Glory. Today, we will be exploring Torin's Passage. Al Lowe's first family friendly game since The Black Cauldron.



The New Treasure of the Sierra On-Line (Torin's Quest 1)
Worlds within await in this charming children's adventure from the dirty mind of Al Lowe.

"I had not as yet ventured to take a glimpse down the horrible abyss into which in a few minutes more I was about to plunge. The fatal moment had, however, at last arrived. I had still the option of refusing or accepting a share in this foolish and audacious enterprise. But I was ashamed to show more fear than the eider-duck hunter. Hans seemed to accept the difficulties of the journey so tranquilly, with such calm indifference, with such perfect recklessness of all danger, that I actually blushed to appear less of a man than he!"
-A Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne


A Journey to the Centre of the Earth

My thirst for Sierra On-Line adventure games knew no end. Quest for Glory IV: Shadows of Darkness certainly kept me busy for awhile. But after exploring seemingly every nook and cranny of Mordavia, I was ready for a new adventure. The selection of Sierra On-Line adventures at my local retailers was becoming fewer and far between. The 1990s were nearing their end, and a whole new generation of games were suddenly taking their place. The fancy new 3D Donkey Kongs, the Half-Lifes, the Tomb Raiders.

As I browsed through the growing selection of games, I happened to glance past a big box computer game with the signature Sierra label at the bottom. I quickly turned around and looked at the box more closely. I initially mistook it for another King's Quest game. The art on the cover was somewhat similar. The title of this game was Torin's Passage. A brand new adventure series from Sierra On-Line. The box cover promised a challenging quest through nested worlds.


Torin's Passage (Front of Box)
Courtesy of The Sierra Chest

Space Ruckus: The Great Invasion (2009 Storyboard Adaptation)

In 2009, I began writing storyboard outlines for Space Ruckus: The Great Invasion. I had come to realize that the original story treatment from a few years prior would no longer suffice. I decided that now would be a good time to dig it out again with Space Ruckus: The Great Invasion playing a rather significant role in the ninth chapter of Nintendo Rhapsody. The storyboard outlines themselves were originally intended for the storyboard artist, and thus, have quite a few stage directions and POV information. It was fine for the storyboard, but not so fine for the casual reader. I have simplified a few things here and there for ease of reading. The chapter titles, by the way, were only temporary. They each borrowed from a different movie. It was my way of having a little fun while writing.

Chapter 1: Stand by Me

In a distant star system, an orbital base has been constructed for the purpose of mining the resources of Ralin V. A Class V gas giant with enough natural materials to power an entire fleet. A formal request was recently made for additional personnel. The base had found itself short-staffed for several lunar rotations. A transport ship is due to arrive shortly. Captain Trilobite monitors incoming communication signals from the bridge of the orbital base. His crew is eager to see some fresh faces. A signal is soon detected from the transport ship. It has requested docking bay permission. Captain Trilobite stands in attention and simply bobs his head to indicate approval.

The transport ship lands in the docking bay on deck one. An "All Clear" message is given over the loudspeaker. Captain Trilobite departs from the bridge and enters the lift. A stream of multicolored lights pass over him as he descends through the lower decks. The new fleet personnel begin to emerge from the transport ship. A man in a blue suit steps out onto the deck of the docking bay. He approaches a security officer with a clippad in their hands. The officer asks the man for his name and rank. The man replies with a grin on his face, "Bill Grig. I am only a rookie, but I promise you won't be disappointed!" A man in a grey suit emerges from the transport ship. His name is Joe Commer. These two men were previously stationed together on the Ethorian orbital base. They are very good friends.

Captain Trilobite welcomes the new personnel to the Ralin V base. He only wishes that Commander Gunner could have been there to welcome them himself, but he is currently away on a deep space assignment. Members of the existing Ralin V crew greet Grig, Commer and all the other new arrivals. They are then escorted down the corridor and assigned crew quarters on deck two where they take a few moments to settle in. Grig enters his quarters and has a seat on the bed. In an effort to give his new living space a touch of home, he removes a photo from his bag and places it on the overhead boarding. In the photo, Grig's mother can be seen holding a delicious looking cake. Back on his home world of Orth, she is a renowned chef specializing in desserts. Grig is proud of everything she has accomplished. A message is soon transmitted over the intercom. All new personnel are ordered to report for flight simulator training on deck three.