LEMON SORBET PARTY | Space Quest 6 Interactive Demo

Before we dive into Space Quest 6 -- the real game -- let's stop off for a quick look at the Interactive Demo that was released prior to the full game. It is, in fact, a complete little stand-alone mini game with its own story, puzzles, and dialogue!
Download the SQ6 demo: wiw.org/~jess/...
Closing theme: "Space Quest III Main Theme" by James Mulvale
(Originally composed by Bob Siebenberg)
Available here: / space-quest-3-intro
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Weekly live streams: / spacequesthistorian
Blogs, reviews, etc.: SpaceQuestHisto...

[@dangilbert3936]

I cracked up when you joked about never forgetting your ICQ number. I haven’t memorized a phone number in 15 years but I can still remember that. UH OH!

[@spacequesthistorian]

Yup! I sometimes use it as an eight digit code for things that need eight digit codes, just because it's so ingrained in memory.

[@puffykilled2pac]

I can remember friend's phone numbers from when I was a kid. I don't know a single friend's number today.

[@muziekjes6811]

7:53 In naval architecture, a poop deck is a deck that forms the roof of a cabin built in the rear, or "aft", part of the superstructure of a ship.

[@OneAngryDeacon]

Apologies if this has already been explained but a Dumb Terminal was an access terminal in Unix Mainframe computers that was simply an output device (it did not have special CPU privileges that a Smart Terminal had so could only be used for basic commands) - and then dumb, even in 1995, was a very old fashioned way of talking about someone who didn't talk. So I'm afraid as you were trying to "talk" to the PocketPal™ that is a pun Mr. Owens was making there

[@spacequesthistorian]

Thank you for explaining that - I did not know that! ☺️

[@courtneydoss8572]

I'm glad you played this in addition to the main game. I barely knew of Space Quest before watching your channel and I love learning all the little details and fun extra bits. Can't wait for the next installment!

[@lancebaylis3169]

Aside from the Bjorn, the crewmembers being turned into sorbet balls as a means of taking over the ship is also an oblique reference to Star Trek The Original Series episode "By Any Other Name", where something similar befalls the crew of the Enterprise.

[@richardperspective]

Loved this demo back in the day. The Soylent Clear jingle sold it, but I really dug the table of souvenirs. It ended up directly inspiring The Long Journey Home and how the crew fill the space and talk about all the quest junk they've accumulated over the game so far.

[@richardperspective]

(In retrospect, pity there weren't any SQ5 props...)

[@spacequesthistorian]

I loved the table of souvenirs, too. But then the later Red Dwarf seasons started churning out one call-back after another, and I kinda soured on the idea of self-references. Stupid late-era Red Dwarf.

[@niuguber]

"Don't forget your fish!" :-D

[@michaelcounsell9935]

God damn! I remember getting demo from Interactive magazine. Just 1 year after I purchased the Sq collection. The audio was so much better than the full game

[@bjrnen8505]

Yes! I remember this from a PC Gamer cover cd. Haven't seen it since. I thought it was just a dream.

[@DrunkFrodo]

Is...is that station a giant jock strap?

[@derosiflo6524]

Hayden B hell yeah :D

[@spacequesthistorian]

Yup. I was about to tell a story about why during this commentary and forgot. Remind me when it shows up in the full game if I forget again!

[@richardperspective]

It's more obvious in the full game, what with a transition between it and Roger's actual, literal jock-strap...

[@jasonblalock4429]

Man, I can't believe you clicked past the Soylent Clear jingle. That's one of the best things in the whole game. "New Soylent Clear, the last frontier for folks like you and meeeeeeeeeee!" cracks me up every time. (Maybe one needs to have lived through the clear products fad to appreciate it.)

[@spacequesthistorian]

I believe I listened to the whole thing during the full SQ6 playthrough.

[@imveryangryitsnotbutter]

There ain't no party like a Lemon Party!

[@merlinyesreally]

DO NOT GOOGLE LEMON PARTY.

[@spacequesthistorian]

All right, google lemon party if you have to, but don't say we didn't warn you. Also, you may want to look into browser incognito mode first.

[@MagusMarquillin]

Just search urban dictionary, it's image free - if you trust your imagination.

[@Terezar]

I always thought the Delco air filter was a reference to La Forge and his visor.

[@spacequesthistorian]

Yeah, that actually makes a bit more sense. I thought he meant Worf's forehead ridges. But actually looking at pictures of Delco air filters (I didn't know what they looked like until just now), you're probably right.

[@Mr_Top_Hat_Jones]

Yep, definitely Geordi.

[@chrisadkins8321]

Had to pause the vid when the three wizards showed up. Yeah... those guys are friends of mine! Guessing this pic is from GenCon several years ago.

[@spacequesthistorian]

Ah! Well, my apologies for pilfering their likeness from what was honestly just a quick Google Images search for "wizards cosplay." They do make very fancy wizards, I must say!

[@chrisadkins8321]

No worries. Looking forward to SQ6.

[@spacequesthistorian]

Thanks, man. Hope you enjoy it!

[@yourcommander3412]

Just finished Space quest 5 episodes , great commentary. Now onto this adventure, these games really do capture that quirky scifi itch thats not around anymore.

[@spacequesthistorian]

I do love this series to death, as is hopefully plainly obvious. :) But there are some good scifi comedy adventure games around today. Check out "Her Majesty's SPIFFING," for instance!

[@EspyLacopa2]

On a lark, decided to look up who the Narrator for Space Quest 6 was. Gary Owens. . .That is great. He even did the narration for SQ4.

[@MissPopuri]

SQ6 came out in 1995, I was 9 or 10 years old depending on the release date. This wouldn't have been even on my radar yet. I was marveling at the idea of Crystal Pepsi for the summer. I didn't know Soylent has been around that long either.

[@spacequesthistorian]

The "Soylent Clear" machine is actually a joke at the expense of the era's fascination with clear-colored soda. :)

[@generalohu7782]

I was 7 or 8 myself. My first Space Quest game was Space Quest 4. I regularly play these on a yearly bases. Sad that we didn’t get Space Quest 7.

[@Bklyn93]

The release date was July 11th 1995

[@DosGamerMan]

Excellent, you have covered sq6 demo. Yay.

[@spacequesthistorian]

How could I not? In some ways, it's better than the full game. 😅

[@epicpotatofiend]

The speech delay (not the textbox thing) is a dosbox thing I’ve never figured out how to fix all these years, still fine on my OG hardware, tho.

[@spacequesthistorian]

Some people on my SQH Backer Discord were talking about how the new DosBox version fixes these slowdown issues. I should look into that. I don't remember it being *this* slow, either!

[@Lrr_Of_Omikron]

I love how the animation progress gets better each game.

[@kevinwallace5050]

Also I think the plate is the one he was just eating off of.

[@spacequesthistorian]

Good point. He really licked that plate clean!

[@MagusMarquillin]

And the toast fell on it. What I want to know: will anyone dare to eat that brain toast...off that plate.

[@spacequesthistorian]

Got butter?

[@MagusMarquillin]

My heart is made of butter.

[@merlinyesreally]

Even years later, with the internet the way it is, just saying the word Cyberspace *still* conjures up "magical realms n shit" for me.

[@spacequesthistorian]

Cyberspace in the 90s was this cool realm of neon lights and Amiga-rendered computer visuals. I remember being so enthralled with how Johnny Mnemonic portrayed it. Then I realized, wait a minute, that would be a *terrible* way to interface with a computer! :D

[@AvoozlPlays]

King's Quest 2 and 6 both had a girl in a tower, I don't recall King's Quest 5 having one. I think you may have meant to say 6.

[@spacequesthistorian]

I did. If it wasn't clear, I'm not terribly well versed in the King's Quest series. ;)

[@puffykilled2pac]

Wasn't Cassima in a tower in Kings Quest 5? I know she was at least locked into a castle.

[@AvoozlPlays]

Yeah, she was a slave girl to Mordak and lived in his castle in KQ5, but she was locked in a tower in KQ6. As for KQ2 Graham's future wife Valanice was also locked in a tower.

[@albertadoommaker50]

@@puffykilled2pac yeah, she was in a castle

[@Linkmaster2010]

raspberry sorbet is fucking delicious; how dare you!

[@spacequesthistorian]

My apologies. *Lemon sorbet* is disgusting. Raspberry sorbet, I could probably live with. Or strawberry.

[@racer927]

"We are the Bjorn, lower your shields and surrender your mess, your dietary and culinary distinctiveness will be added to our own. Resistance is futile."

[@spacequesthistorian]

😂😂😂

[@Mr_Top_Hat_Jones]

Is it just me, or is 8-Rear a reused asset from SQ5? Namely, the Space Bar. I don’t think I’ve ever noticed that, somehow.

[@spacequesthistorian]

It's not, but the "bar/diner/cafeteria in space" is such a ubiquitous scifi trope, I don't blame you for thinking it was a reuse.

[@imveryangryitsnotbutter]

22:10 - Wow, that's almost as bad as "I'll use my trusty frying pan... as a drying pan!"

[@MagusMarquillin]

Hey, you've assimilated the SQ6 font. _Good thinking!_ Can you get that at the virtual broom closet or what? I'll let it go for the demo, but you _are_ going to click on _every_ click-event combination, right? Show off Joss Mandel's fun styles? Well, maybe you don't want a 30 part series for this one game alone - but you must at least play the whole Mr. Soylent song. I've still got that creepy beauty memorized.

[@imveryangryitsnotbutter]

25:50 - Actually, that's supposed to be pronounced no-KEW-ti-kleez. See, it's a pun on ancient Greco-Roman names and... eh, forget it.

[@spacequesthistorian]

Ohh, I see. Well, good thing he doesn't show up in the full game so I don't have to bother with that pronunciation again. ;)

[@DarkSoul4242]

Haha, the melting "What a world" line... From "Who framed Roger Rabbit?" :D

[@spacequesthistorian]

Which, in turn, was a reference to "The Wizard of Oz." :)

[@DarkSoul4242]

Actually, this reminded me there was YET another shout out from Space Quest I VGA ! When you get a drip of acid on the top floor in the cave on Kerona, Roger squeaks "I'm meltiiing" :D

[@spacequesthistorian]

Yup! Good catch.

[@bjrnen8505]

Oh, I'm so excited! I remember this from back in the day. It came with a copy of PC Gamer. Thumbs up!

[@spacequesthistorian]

I was over the moon when I played the demo for the first time (it might have been from the same PC Gamer cover disc, actually!). If only the full game had kept up the high standards of this demo.

[@ThePorpoisepower]

I was wondering where that MP3 on my SQ6 CD was from lol

[@merlinyesreally]

I don't always multipost on SQH's videos, but when I do, it's to note I laughed a little too hard at his reaction after 20:25

[@spacequesthistorian]

Tristan made a gif of that: gfycat.com/gifs/detail/InsignificantRealAmphiuma

[@michellemarty7510]

The seeing the woman in the mirror thing was from KQ 6 not 5.

[@spacequesthistorian]

My ignorance of the King's Quest series returns to bite me in the ass once again! Thanks for correcting me.

[@Proatgtag]

Do we know who actually sang the Soylent song in this game? Was it Leslie Balfour? Debbie Seibert? Just curious. I didn't know that SQVI had an interactive demo like FP! So cool. Thanks for sharing!!!

[@ShadeMeadows]

I think this is how you do a Demo! Show how the game works, show the style, don't spoil the story! that's the Trailer's job!

[@spacequesthistorian]

I really wish more games would have demos that are divorced from the actual game, but use the same assets and the same style. It's a great way to show off the game without actually showing off the game.

[@kevinwallace5050]

I do enjoy that demo!

[@spacequesthistorian]

Me, too.

[@DJGaming1337]

Hey when you completely finish the Space Quest series is there no way you would do Kings Quest too? Please and thanks.

[@spacequesthistorian]

I have never finished a King's Quest game in my life, so it would be a very dull series of me getting stuck a lot. I wouldn't hold your breath. Sorry.

[@cybercop0083]

What’s a „King‘s Quest“?

[@Ikifoo]

Spontaneously forgetting your PIN at the ATM or supermarket checkout is definitely embarrassing. Spontaneously forgetting the code for your house alarm when you get home one night is possibly worse. ...I may or may not have done both of these things.

[@spacequesthistorian]

I got locked out of my card at a music festival for trying to get money out while I was very drunk and kept punching in the wrong code. Around the 3rd (and final) try, I had friends looking over my shoulder, going, "Don't, don't, we'll spot you some cash until tomorrow," and I was all like, "No, you guys, I got it this time!" and ... yeah. Embarrassment factor 90.

[@Ikifoo]

Space Quest Historian Don't do drugs, kids.

[@spacequesthistorian]

I wasn't. I was *drunk.* The drugs came later that evening.

[@MagusMarquillin]

It's a great idea for a demo - in fact, I'd like the idea of repeatedly using the same graphic assets, from a good adventure game to make "expansion packs" of a sort, do something like the continuing adventures of the Deepship86 - even though it should have been the Goliath, really - I like the Deepship also, not so much as the Eureka and her crew, but it had promise, and Kielbasa is great. However, Sierra was always reinventing it's engine, looking for new horizons, so I doubt Ken would have gone for it - before the internet they'd have to send discount, mail-order disks, or something, not worth the same distribution/marketing. These days we're more accustomed to the old school AGS look, and can easily release online, so it should be doable. Like Reality-on-the-norm in fact, but with quality control.

[@niuguber]

Freddy Pharkas would be fun to see too :-)

[@spacequesthistorian]

I've only ever finished it once. Could be fun.

[@kevinwallace5050]

"They: The Wizards" is not as compelling a title as what White Wolf ended up going with.

[@spacequesthistorian]

It's a quote I stole from Bill Bailey. :P

[@itsGeorgeAgain]

Wow, had no idea about a SQ6 demo. Btw, Pharkas. Please play it

[@spacequesthistorian]

I've only ever played all the way through Freddy Pharkas once. It might be time for a revisit soon.

[@bjrnen8505]

My name is Bjorn. I'm wholesome offended not one tiny bit. #secondlanguage

[@hotlavatube]

I thought they said the ship ran on DC? Grabbing that prong shouldn't have hurt.

[@spacequesthistorian]

I'm going to offer a layman's theory that it short-circuited. Or something. I'm not an electrician. 😅

[@poolnoodleninja8686]

SORBET IS DEEEELICIOUS, what is wrong with you??!!!!!

[@ThePorpoisepower]

Do you think the lack of souvenir's from SQ5 was a jab? Also Roger's room is desperately missing a closet with a certain little black dress in it and a wig (on the shelf) ;)

[@spacequesthistorian]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure the lack of souvenirs from SQ5 was a jab. Then again, the Eureka did blow up, and maybe they confiscated most of the cool shit Roger did keep to use as evidence in his court martial. As for the dress from the Galleria, he left that at the store. :)

[@ThePorpoisepower]

​@@spacequesthistorian We all know he went out and bought a new one that was also older than the original.

[@LuckyLuigi]

OMG 1995 I feel so old now

[@Mrjacharles]

Lemon sorbet tho

[@Lrr_Of_Omikron]

Was this ran in dos or windows? Good ol windows 95

[@spacequesthistorian]

It ran in both DOS and Windows. It was released in 1995, though, so the Windows version was still technically a Windows 3.1 application (that could, of course, also run in Windows 95), if memory serves correctly.

[@ThePorpoisepower]

You are supposed to use the mouth on the toast. Yum!

[@Lunchpacked180]

It's a good thing It's duct tape, and not conduct tape! ... I'll see myself out..

[@hamishfox]

Wow I haven't played space quest 6 before but I really wasn't expecting such a sharp downgrade in visual quality

[@Sephex]

I didn't even know about this demo! But then again, I sort of fell off the map with Space Quest at this point and Super Nintendo had a strangle hold on me! Also, I laughed loudly like an asshole at that pliers pun. The zoom in to you face palming didn't help me any. I'm sorry I'm a bad person. ;)

[@spacequesthistorian]

It's a good pun, don't get me wrong. ;)

[@Sephex]

Space Quest Historian I hear ya. I actually react the same way sometimes even if I like the pun!

[@spacequesthistorian]

When I was doing some intern writing for SpaceVenture (long ago, back in its early stages), Scott Murphy explicitly told me, "NO PUNS." So I've been scared/on edge about puns ever since. :D

[@Sephex]

Yeah, I wouldn't want to face PUNishment from Scott if I were in your shoes. ...sorry.

[@MagusMarquillin]

Work with the Coles for a bit; it'll never be enough puns with them.

[@mortymer001]

roger just wanted to watch him for a bit hah

[@ceruleanserpent387]

I always forget your first language is Danish!

[@TheInkPitOx]

You didn't look at the pants

[@spacequesthistorian]

I did not. There's so much to look at in that room, the entire episode could be just me looking at stuff. I had to keep stuff moving.

[@TheInkPitOx]

ok

[@michellemarty7510]

How come there was nothing from Space Quest 5 in the room?

[@richardperspective]

Bear in mind that SQ5 was so important to the writers that they get a... fairly important detail wrong in the intro*. An intro which more or less can be summed up as 'yes, well, never mind about all that...' Outright talking about making a sequel without permission and everything. (* The intro talks about Roger returning the Eureka, when of course he blew the crap out of it and actually returned the Goliath.)

[@MagusMarquillin]

"Outright talking about making a sequel without permission..." ...gasp, that line wasn't a dig at Mark Crowe was it? Or else Sierra management? Jeeze if that was the reason that vast amounts of continuity was shunted aside, that's kind of sad. But at least the line would make more sense.

[@richardperspective]

Well, neither Scott nor Josh were happy about SQ5. Josh was meant to be writing it, and Scott was told afterwards that Mark was making it, having already been taken aback by him moving to join Dynamix in the first place. But in general, SQ6 is bad sentiment in the form of an adventure game, as I'm sure SQH will go into in great, great depth in the main thing. (It doesn't really throw out that much continuity though. StarCon, the uniforms, etc are still around as they were in SQ5. Oddly, the biggest part it doesn't care about it Beatrice, shunting her off to one side in favour of a new love interest called Stellar Santiago.)

[@spacequesthistorian]

It is pretty noticeable that there's no souvenirs from SQ5 on the table. I think Richard is right; at this point in time, Scott and Josh would really rather pretend SQ5 didn't exist at all. Both had been kind of hurt by Sierra's management decisions surrounding SQ5.

[@MagusMarquillin]

Yeah, that's why I said shunted rather then outright falsified. Developments like Roger's progress in the friend department get no mention, but still, if he's demoted they would all get reassigned in-universe (except for poor Spike, who was likely against regulations). Bea at least was mentioned in some text as still romantically a thing, (and was seemingly part of the plan for SQ7), so at least they acknowledged such a potentially important character for the series. Star Con however, was a big addition to the lore that he still built the whole next game around. Perhaps this is what Joss had originally in mind for SQ5, and was too stubborn to make big changes - Star Con could have fitted in easily enough to his plan as Rog was always a janitor for some kind of big space Institution in the first 2 games.

[@LORDSofCHAOS333]

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