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Gaming Pathology

Piles Of Games, Copious Free Time, No Standards

Saturn Myst

Posted on January 11, 2007 by Multimedia Mike

Okay, the mission is simple: MobyGames is missing screenshots for the Sega Saturn port of the in/famous seminal CD-ROM game Myst (and every other of the 9 ports besides Windows 3.1 and Atari Jaguar). So get in, get the Saturn screenshots, and get out. Nothing fancy; don’t try to understand anything about the island– I want this done by the books.


Myst screenshot

Myst seems to get a pretty bad rap these days. Hardcore adventure gamers blame it, at least partially, for the downfall of the adventure genre (I would refer those people to Old Man Murray’s article, “Death of Adventure Games”). Really, I don’t see how this game deserves any worse of a reputation than E.T. for the Atari 2600 does– both were quite reasonable games in their own times.

To be clear, I was never all that excited about this game, but I can see how others might enjoy it. I have heard it described as a pretty, clickable slide show and I think that about sums it up. The last time I played it was in the summer of 1995 when I borrowed the Windows 3.1 version from a friend. I didn’t have much idea what was going on then and it doesn’t make much more sense now. Though I do know someone who claimed he could finish the game in a minute and a half flat from start to finish. Somehow, I still don’t think I would find the speed run very compelling.

Playing this game reminds me of assorted physics and electronics labs that I had to use in the course of the undergraduate studies– it’s hard to find functional equipment. Every other screen in this game has a switch but almost all of them do nothing. And there’s never anyone around to help you out. And certain books in the library don’t offer assistance, like this one that’s on the fritz when you try to read it… or watch it or something:


Myst screenshot

I suppose it could be that no one truly enjoyed this game. Everyone was just so captivated by the well-rendered graphics and the occasional, primitive FMV — courtesy of the fresh, shiny CD-ROM technology — that they never realized that this was not a particularly fun game.

Still, I have to give it credit for being pretty and all. That has to count for something.

Posted in Adventure Games Interactive Movies Sega Saturn Games | 7 Comments

7 thoughts on “<span>Saturn Myst</span>”

  1. astrange

    1/12/07
    6:16 am
    January 12, 2007
    6:16 am

    astrange says:

    > And certain books in the library don’t offer assistance, like this one that’s on the fritz when you try to read it… or watch it or something:

    Did you not finish Myst? I don’t want to reveal the little plot there is, but that’s not a book you want help from.

  2. Multimedia Mike

    1/12/07
    7:56 am
    January 12, 2007
    7:56 am

    Multimedia Mike says:

    Nope, never finished it. I don’t think I ever even got anything interesting to happen. One day, when I care enough, I will look up the spoiler on Wikipedia.

  3. AD

    1/12/07
    11:03 pm
    January 12, 2007
    11:03 pm

    AD says:

    The appeal, aside from the pretty graphics for the time, was that is was more akin to a novel with pictures than a game. You work through the puzzels (like which switches to pull in what order) and more is slowly revealed. Personally I think Riven did this better with prettier graphics as well, but without a desire to figure out the tedious puzzles or without getting involved in the story, it really is kind of boring. Plus, Ever since the days of Manhole on the Mac Ive hated the slide show game mechanics. It’s like saying your powerpoint presentation is a game…

  4. Multimedia Mike

    1/12/07
    11:16 pm
    January 12, 2007
    11:16 pm

    Multimedia Mike says:

    @AD: I suddenly find myself wondering if Powerpoint is actually flexible enough to create a full game with.

    The slide show aspect of this game was really a glaring nuisance when I played it this time. Especially when I would click on the side of the screen to turn 180 degrees, and the rear screen would just slide to the front like it was perfectly natural.

  5. Anonymous

    6/7/08
    10:46 am
    June 7, 2008
    10:46 am

    Anonymous says:

    Try realmyst

  6. Anonymous

    6/8/08
    12:59 pm
    June 8, 2008
    12:59 pm

    Anonymous says:

    It’s the same as myst, eccept with a realtime 3D interface.

  7. 4/13/19
    6:33 am
    April 13, 2019
    6:33 am

    TileStack : HyperCard revu et corrigé — Parenthèse vidéoludique says:

    […] tirées de http://escience.anu.edu.au/lecture/comp1710/introduction/history6.en.html (HyperCard) et http://games.multimedia.cx/saturn-myst/ […]

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