Space Quest IV: Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers is a graphic adventure game developed and published by Sierra On-Line. It is the fourth entry in the Space Quest series. The game was released on floppy disks in March 1991 for MS-DOS and Classic Mac OS, and on CD-ROM in December 1992 with speech support. Amiga and PC-98 versions were also published in 1992.
Developer: Sierra On-Line
Publisher: Sierra On-Line
Designers: Scott Murphy, Mark Crowe
Series: Space Quest
Engine: SCI (Sierra's Creative Interpreter)
Platforms: MS-DOS, Windows, Classic Mac OS, Amiga, PC-98
Release: March 1991 (MS-DOS, Mac); 1992 (Amiga, PC-98)
Genre: Adventure
Mode: Single-player
Gameplay
Space Quest IV was the first game in the series to use a point-and-click interface (similar to King's Quest V), replacing the text parser used in the first three games. The interface includes icons for walking, looking, using, taking, talking, smelling, and tasting objects—the latter two primarily for comedic effect. The game features 256-color hand-painted graphics and motion-capture animation. Players control Roger Wilco, a janitor, through various environments, solving puzzles and avoiding deadly situations that result in game-over sequences.
Plot
Following the events of Space Quest III, Roger Wilco is heading home to the planet Xenon aboard his ship, the Aluminum Mallard. He is confronted by androids working for Sludge Vohaul, the villain from Space Quest II, who has been reborn in the future and seeks revenge. Rescued by two soldiers, Roger escapes through a time rift and travels to a devastated future version of Xenon (presented as Space Quest XII: Vohaul's Revenge II). He learns that an AI supercomputer, infected with Vohaul's digitized mind, has enslaved the population. Roger steals a time-travel ship and journeys through various time periods—including a parody future game called Space Quest X: Latex Babes of Estros and a visit back to the era of the original Space Quest I—to gather items and thwart Vohaul. He eventually discovers that the soldier who rescued him is his own son from the future.
Development and Release
The designers, Scott Murphy and Mark Crowe (known as "Two Guys from Andromeda"), initially preferred retaining the text parser interface but were overruled by Sierra management, who wanted a consistent point-and-click interface across the company's product line. The game was the first in the series to be released on CD-ROM, which added full voice acting featuring Gary Owens (of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In fame) as the narrator.
Reception
Space Quest IV was a commercial success. According to Sierra On-Line, combined sales of the Space Quest series surpassed 1.2 million units by March 1996. Dragon magazine gave the game 5 out of 5 stars in 1991. Computer Gaming World praised the CD-ROM version for its voice acting and presentation, and in 1996 named Space Quest IV the funniest game ever made. The Amiga port was less well received due to the quality of the conversion. In 2011, Adventure Gamers ranked it the 48th-best adventure game ever released.
Legacy
A sequel, Space Quest V: The Next Mutation, was released in 1993. The game is also notable for containing an embedded arcade-style minigame, Ms. Astro Chicken: Flight of the Pullet, a parody of Ms. Pac-Man and a sequel to the Astro Chicken minigame from Space Quest III.
