Maniac Mansion's sequel on live stream!
10/29/2015
10/27/2015
Spoony Plays Ultima IX: Ascension, Part 14 (Finale)
Ultima IX - and the series as a whole - enters its final hour.
If you prefer to ignore Raven's bad advice, you can skip past Terfin's front gate with the Teleport spell (or clever item stacking) and complete the final dungeon in less than ten minutes. Here's a video of this method:
The Teleport scroll can be found in Serpent's Hold in the Arch-Mage's room. Search behind the ramp to the exit door - there is a sizeable gap between it and the wall.
If you prefer to ignore Raven's bad advice, you can skip past Terfin's front gate with the Teleport spell (or clever item stacking) and complete the final dungeon in less than ten minutes. Here's a video of this method:
The Teleport scroll can be found in Serpent's Hold in the Arch-Mage's room. Search behind the ramp to the exit door - there is a sizeable gap between it and the wall.
Spoony Plays Ultima IX: Ascension, Part 13
We enter the Stygian Abyss through a plot hole and then prepare to embark on the last leg of our journey as the Avatar.
A small remnant of the original plot remains in the Pyros FMV:
You can spot LB's castle in the background during one shot.
That's because in the original script this FMV was supposed to be a nightmare shown to him by the Guardian, and he'd watch the scene unfold from his castle balcony. The final version of the FMV covers most of the castle with clouds and trees, but for this shot they missed a bit. It goes by pretty quickly though, so you probably wouldn't notice it anyway unless you were specifically looking for it.
The Ultima Codex also holds some more info and screenshots of the recut and unused FMVs originally intended for the game.
A small remnant of the original plot remains in the Pyros FMV:
You can spot LB's castle in the background during one shot.
That's because in the original script this FMV was supposed to be a nightmare shown to him by the Guardian, and he'd watch the scene unfold from his castle balcony. The final version of the FMV covers most of the castle with clouds and trees, but for this shot they missed a bit. It goes by pretty quickly though, so you probably wouldn't notice it anyway unless you were specifically looking for it.
The Ultima Codex also holds some more info and screenshots of the recut and unused FMVs originally intended for the game.
Spoony Plays Ultima IX: Ascension, Part 12
The mother of all bullshit plot twists awaits us!
I had intended to show this off on-camera, but accidentally saved over my old file. Ah well.
If you go south of the docks on Skara Brae, you'll find a locked chest behind a wrecked wooden boat. Normally you would need to begin the game as a Ranger to get the key that unlocks this, but you can still reach its contents thanks to the janky engine. Poke around with the cursor and the X button to find the Blackrock Helmet (this is the only place you can get it, unless I'm very much mistaken) and some Blackrock Gauntlets (if you chose not to buy them in Buccaneer's Den), then just pull them out and equip them.
I had intended to show this off on-camera, but accidentally saved over my old file. Ah well.
If you go south of the docks on Skara Brae, you'll find a locked chest behind a wrecked wooden boat. Normally you would need to begin the game as a Ranger to get the key that unlocks this, but you can still reach its contents thanks to the janky engine. Poke around with the cursor and the X button to find the Blackrock Helmet (this is the only place you can get it, unless I'm very much mistaken) and some Blackrock Gauntlets (if you chose not to buy them in Buccaneer's Den), then just pull them out and equip them.
10/26/2015
Spoony Plays Ultima Bonus: The Many Deaths of Lord British
Among Ultima fans, killing Lord British has become something of a game in itself. Simply attacking him is usually fruitless as he is extremely powerful and usually flagged as invincible to boot. However, whether by design or mishap, he can be slain in several games, usually through unconventional means. So in the true tradition of Ultima, here are all the ways to kill Lord British throughout the series that I could find or create proof of.
If you have proof of any others, let me know!
Ultima III: Exodus
Lord British is immune to all weapons; however in some versions of the game, it is possible to kill him via ship cannon.
(Thanks to grazzt519 for the video!)
Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar
In most versions, Lord British is invincible. However, he can be killed in the NES port through combat.
The Skull of Mondain will also kill him in the NES port.
(Thanks to grazzt519 for the video!)
Ultima VI: The False Prophet
Easy enough. Just enter his room while he's asleep and use a Glass Sword to kill him instantly.
Ultima VII: The Black Gate
The first option is to simply ask the Black Sword to kill him. This results in a bit of humorous dialog and everyone present becoming quite upset at your actions.
The second method is even sillier. At roughly noon every day Lord British stands in the doorway to the courtyard, beneath a plaque. Double-click the plaque and it will fall and embed itself in his head, killing him on the spot.
This is actually a reference to a real-life event where Richard Garriott was injured by a metal bar that fell from the Origin building. The line "Yancey-Hausman will pay!" refers to the company that owned the building at the time and was responsible for its maintenance, making the incident partially their fault! Talking to Owings and Malloy in the Minoc mines will reveal that they sent a helmet to Lord British, another reference to the story.
Ultima VII Part 2: The Serpent Isle
Again, this one is played as a bit of a joke, as the player can simply attack Lord British while in the Dream Realm. This causes him to lament the Avatar's fall from grace and vanish.
Ultima IX: Ascension
The player can kill Lord British by creating a poisoned loaf of bread in the Avatar's kitchen at the beginning of the game. Then you just set the poisoned bread on the plate in the kitchen and this happens:
Lord British was once killed in Ultima Online when the server administrators forgot to turn his invincibility flag back on after a reboot and a player named "Rainz" cast a firewall spell on him just for a laugh. Needless to say, everyone present was quite surprised:
Lord British died again in Shroud of the Avatar, albeit intentionally this time. A large mob of players attacked and eventually brought him down during a PVP event.
If you have proof of any others, let me know!
Ultima III: Exodus
Lord British is immune to all weapons; however in some versions of the game, it is possible to kill him via ship cannon.
(Thanks to grazzt519 for the video!)
Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar
In most versions, Lord British is invincible. However, he can be killed in the NES port through combat.
The Skull of Mondain will also kill him in the NES port.
(Thanks to grazzt519 for the video!)
Ultima VI: The False Prophet
Easy enough. Just enter his room while he's asleep and use a Glass Sword to kill him instantly.
Ultima VII: The Black Gate
The first option is to simply ask the Black Sword to kill him. This results in a bit of humorous dialog and everyone present becoming quite upset at your actions.
The second method is even sillier. At roughly noon every day Lord British stands in the doorway to the courtyard, beneath a plaque. Double-click the plaque and it will fall and embed itself in his head, killing him on the spot.
This is actually a reference to a real-life event where Richard Garriott was injured by a metal bar that fell from the Origin building. The line "Yancey-Hausman will pay!" refers to the company that owned the building at the time and was responsible for its maintenance, making the incident partially their fault! Talking to Owings and Malloy in the Minoc mines will reveal that they sent a helmet to Lord British, another reference to the story.
Ultima VII Part 2: The Serpent Isle
Again, this one is played as a bit of a joke, as the player can simply attack Lord British while in the Dream Realm. This causes him to lament the Avatar's fall from grace and vanish.
Ultima IX: Ascension
The player can kill Lord British by creating a poisoned loaf of bread in the Avatar's kitchen at the beginning of the game. Then you just set the poisoned bread on the plate in the kitchen and this happens:
Other Notable Events
Lord British was once killed in Ultima Online when the server administrators forgot to turn his invincibility flag back on after a reboot and a player named "Rainz" cast a firewall spell on him just for a laugh. Needless to say, everyone present was quite surprised:
Lord British died again in Shroud of the Avatar, albeit intentionally this time. A large mob of players attacked and eventually brought him down during a PVP event.
10/25/2015
Spoony Plays One-Shot Halloween Special 2015: Maniac Mansion (NES Beta)
I had intended to do this for last year's Halloween special, but Shadowgate came out and it was just too good of timing, so I put it off until this year.
This is the beta version of the game, created and shown to the gaming press before Nintendo imposed many of the infamous dialog changes on it.
This is the beta version of the game, created and shown to the gaming press before Nintendo imposed many of the infamous dialog changes on it.
Spoony Plays Ultima IX: Ascension, Part 11
Destard is cleared and we seek out the Candle of Love, Book of Truth and Bell of Courage.
10/21/2015
Spoony Plays Grandia Bonus #2: Soldier's Graveyard
A dungeon full of fake walls, awesome goodies and fairly underwhelming enemies.
A map if you don't care to go secret wall hunting.
A map if you don't care to go secret wall hunting.
10/20/2015
Spoony Plays Grandia, Part 16
Garlyle seems to be incubating something that looks like a cross between Jenova and Lavos. That can't mean anything good!
Spoony Plays Grandia Bonus #1: Castle of Dreams
Damsel in distress? Cursed swords? Awesome loot? You'd better believe we're there.
10/18/2015
Spoony Plays Ultima IX: Ascension, Part 10
We complete Shame, restore honor to Trinsic in extremely heavy-handed fashion, then decide to check out Jhelom Valoria. But they won't let us in...
Ah yes, here's one thing I'd forgotten about last time we were in the Yew area:
If you click on the pentagram in Vasagralem's treehouse, the Gem of Death will appear. Like the Britannian Star, this will boost your attack damage so long as you keep it in your inventory.
(I also forgot to get a proper screenshot, so that one was taken from Nakar's excellent Let's Play.)
Ah yes, here's one thing I'd forgotten about last time we were in the Yew area:
If you click on the pentagram in Vasagralem's treehouse, the Gem of Death will appear. Like the Britannian Star, this will boost your attack damage so long as you keep it in your inventory.
(I also forgot to get a proper screenshot, so that one was taken from Nakar's excellent Let's Play.)
Spoony Plays Ultima IX: Ascension, Part 9
We have a gentleman caller, suffer second degree burns at Raven's hands and then it's off to Trinsic, the city of dishonor.
Oh, and in case you're curious, here's what happens when you hand over the blackrock and 7000 Gold to the local smith.
At first he agrees to do it, and he seems a nice enough guy, so naturally you agree to return the next day.
He's just as dishonorable as anyone else in town, though. Once you return, he complains about the poor quality of the Blackrock you gave him, stiffs you on the sword and keeps your money to boot! He'll also refuse to sell to you anymore, so you miss out on any plate gear you didn't buy.
Well, we'll see if he changes his tune once the shrine is restored, I suppose.
10/16/2015
Killer7 Target 03: Encounter (Part 2)
You'd think such a heinous villain would get a more grisly death. Especially in this game!
10/14/2015
10/11/2015
Spoony Plays Ultima IX: Ascension, Part 8
The residents of Minoc relearn the meaning of "Sacrifice" in Ultima IX's usual subtle fashion.
Now that we can fast-travel with our new Orb of the Moons, here's some of the stuff I did off-camera!
First up, we sell the oodles of gems we found in the Minoc mines and make more money than we can carry. (Anything you earn over the maximum of 9,999 just gets dropped on the floor).
That won't do, so we should spend a bit of our fortune.
Returning to Duncan after learning his first two-handed skill and having at least 3 Dexterity will allow you to learn a second one from him for the sum of 2500 gold, so that should allow us to carry the 1,149 or so we couldn't carry before.
Heading back to Britannia, we pay Iolo a visit. Since we have 4 Dexterity and the other two Bow skills (and spared him in Despise), we can learn his ultimate skill.
He also gives us his personal bow, which is the best non-magical bow in the game.
Now that we also have a source of Mandrake Roots, I decided to bind a few more spells from my scroll stash. Namely Full Heal (since we can cast Fifth Circle stuff now), Cure, Telekinesis, Ethereal Sight, Fireball, Wizard Eye and Infernal Armor.
You can find a scroll of Telekinesis in Nico's shop. Just click the plaque on the wall to move his bookshelf aside and a small niche in the floor will open, revealing the scroll and an orange potion.
Now that we can fast-travel with our new Orb of the Moons, here's some of the stuff I did off-camera!
First up, we sell the oodles of gems we found in the Minoc mines and make more money than we can carry. (Anything you earn over the maximum of 9,999 just gets dropped on the floor).
That won't do, so we should spend a bit of our fortune.
Returning to Duncan after learning his first two-handed skill and having at least 3 Dexterity will allow you to learn a second one from him for the sum of 2500 gold, so that should allow us to carry the 1,149 or so we couldn't carry before.
Heading back to Britannia, we pay Iolo a visit. Since we have 4 Dexterity and the other two Bow skills (and spared him in Despise), we can learn his ultimate skill.
He also gives us his personal bow, which is the best non-magical bow in the game.
Now that we also have a source of Mandrake Roots, I decided to bind a few more spells from my scroll stash. Namely Full Heal (since we can cast Fifth Circle stuff now), Cure, Telekinesis, Ethereal Sight, Fireball, Wizard Eye and Infernal Armor.
You can find a scroll of Telekinesis in Nico's shop. Just click the plaque on the wall to move his bookshelf aside and a small niche in the floor will open, revealing the scroll and an orange potion.
10/10/2015
Spoony Plays Ultra Despair Girls: Danganronpa Another Episode, Part 8 (Final)
We binge-play our way to a triumphant ending.
10/07/2015
Spoony Plays Grandia, Part 14
Our journey across the sea is complete as we set foot on new ground and meet our next ally.
I'm going to give Rapp some off-camera training, since he's quite a bit behind the curve...
I'm going to give Rapp some off-camera training, since he's quite a bit behind the curve...
10/04/2015
Spoony Plays Ultra Despair Girls: Danganronpa Another Episode, Part 7
Stealth sections in non-stealth games are a no-no.
Spoony Plays Ultra Despair Girls: Danganronpa Another Episode, Part 6
In which I am reminded of why I love this series so much.
10/02/2015
Spoony Plays Ultima IX: Ascension, Part 7
Wrong is a dungeon very worthy of its namesake. Half-assed stealth missions and glitchiness ahoy...
See the bonus article if you want to know how to enable cheats. (For time saving/glitch escaping/off-camera tomfoolery purposes only, of course).
Something I forgot about until now.
Near Britain's well, three gold pieces sit on a bench. If you drop one in, it'll give you a Glass Sword. This is one of only about four in the entire game, so make sure to grab it!
And finally, a cool exploit that gives you an unlimited number of bags:
The concept is simple enough: Fill your inventory up completely so that you have zero empty slots (don't forget to equip a weapon too). Then get caught by a guard in Wrong. Go through the tunnel and get your backpack back; this will place everything back in your inventory, but the game will not not have the space to fit everything on your backpack and belt. To compensate for this, it creates an extra bag in the first slot of your backpack and dumps the overage in there. Simple.
If you want more bags, just drop the current bag you've got, equip a weapon, fill up your two empty backpack slots, and get caught again. Repeat the process as much as you want until you've got all the bags you need. I like to have five for my backpack for key items and rare swag, and four on my belt for quick access to potions and spell scrolls.
See the bonus article if you want to know how to enable cheats. (For time saving/glitch escaping/off-camera tomfoolery purposes only, of course).
Something I forgot about until now.
Near Britain's well, three gold pieces sit on a bench. If you drop one in, it'll give you a Glass Sword. This is one of only about four in the entire game, so make sure to grab it!
And finally, a cool exploit that gives you an unlimited number of bags:
The concept is simple enough: Fill your inventory up completely so that you have zero empty slots (don't forget to equip a weapon too). Then get caught by a guard in Wrong. Go through the tunnel and get your backpack back; this will place everything back in your inventory, but the game will not not have the space to fit everything on your backpack and belt. To compensate for this, it creates an extra bag in the first slot of your backpack and dumps the overage in there. Simple.
If you want more bags, just drop the current bag you've got, equip a weapon, fill up your two empty backpack slots, and get caught again. Repeat the process as much as you want until you've got all the bags you need. I like to have five for my backpack for key items and rare swag, and four on my belt for quick access to potions and spell scrolls.
Spoony Plays Ultima IX: Ascension, Part 6
Yew, the land of confusing area layouts, obnoxiously overpowered enemies and little to no fun.
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