By Alec Meer on October 9th, 2011 at 12:14 pm.
Despite cancelling third Ben and Dan game Revenge of the Balloon-Headed Mexican, Size Five Games (formerly Zombie Cow) have begun design-drafting a new adventure starring their foul-minded/mouthed point’n'click avatars. Or, at least, they’ve gone down the pub and brainstormed and even made a bunch of ideas and puzzles, ending up with something which might just turn into a full game. The Swindle remains project no.1, but happily we might be in for more crudified Lucasartsesque merriment too. It even has a codename: SOBAD.
Dan Marshall reveals the state of play on his forum here, from which I slovenly quote below:
The question of questions: “SO: will we release it? Probably. I’m not sure how long it’ll take, or how much time I’ve got to dedicate to it (The Swindle is my job, this is just for giggles for when that gets boring) and there’s now a LOT to do. But insofar as avoiding what made Revenge of the Balloon-Headed Mexican disappointing and problematic, I’m pretty happy we’ve managed that.”
Want to see a sequel to Time Gentlemen, Please? Better show your enthusiasm below and hope it reduces Mr Marshall to tears of utmost joy.
I want SOBAD so bad!
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The first two games are bloody marvellous. My only regret is not buying them sooner. I understand the reasoning behind canning the Balloon Headed Mexican game, but hopefully this one won’t fall foul of their high standards.
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The first two games were amazing. I played them back to back and Ben There Dan That is one of my favorite games ever, and easily the funniest I have ever played. It reduced me to joyous tears every 10 minutes, and I actually lost it when there was a Chuck Rock reference. Dear Dan, please make SOBAD.
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I think I speak for almost everyone when I say WANT.
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Anyone you don’t speak for is a terrible person.
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Anyone you don’t speak for has no heart.
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Even the most soulless of corporate suits feels an inkling of a long lost emotion as the contemplate the prospect of another Ben and Dan game.
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I can’t stand the first two, because of one simple reason: The font is insanely hard to read (and there is no voice-over), and I don’t want to spend my time squinting at a bad font, when I could instead read a good book.
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I think Ben There, Dan That was recently updated to make the font more readable.
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Lot of news for a Sunday. It is Sunday, right? I haven’t slept through it by accident or anything have I?
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Is Ben actually real, or is he just a figment of Dan Marshall’s fevered imagination? Or is he just prevented from speaking to the games media by Dan/the games media/court orders*?
*Delete as applicable.
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Ben actually made the games, Dan Marshall is a figment of your imagination.
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I really, really, really want another Dan & Ben game. I am otherwise totally done with adventure games, but somehow D&B bring the genre back to life for me. I want SOBAD so bad!
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The things I would do to get SOBAD released are so bad. I’m so bad at explaining the so bad things I would do for SOBAD, so bad luck if you wanted me to tell you what they were. They involve the Power Glove.
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Ha ha, thanks Alec!
It’s not definite definite yet, it’s just a sort of prototype at the moment. But threads like this are hugely encouraging. :)
If you’re interested, follow my Twitter for the latest on #SOBAD and whether or not we go ahead with it, I should think I’ll be talking about it there most. @danthat.
d
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So, what did make the Balloon Headed Mexican disappointing and problematic?
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Dan being a dick basically.
[Hoping for my second auto-moderated post of the day!]
EDIT: Failed!(in a KG style so that’s OK (that means being drunk))
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Also, you should follow his twitter because he’s fucking hilarious.
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@Daniel – it was just it was a bit worn. Same old ground, same old stuff. We’re taking BIG STEPS to make sure this feels fresh and different. But no, that doesn’t mean it’s an FPS.
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Is it a puzzle platformer????
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I have played a vast amount of point and click games over the last few years, in a desperate bid to recapture those halcyon days of the 1990s, but the Ben and Dan series remain one of a handful of such games that I now look back on with pleasant memories. There wasn’t a single moment of frustration, and the humour elevated the games way beyond the average adventure.
In other news: I am so sick of platform games. And so is The World. Honestly.
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“there’s now a LOT to do” Good to see you guys are busy on the job! My memory is a bit hazy this morning, but isnt Size 5 also doing the next Penny Arcade game?
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No, the Cthulhu Saves the World developers are doing that one.
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Oh yeah, thats right, thanks.
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Yes make more, the two point and click games they’ve made so far were brilliant.
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This is excellent news! Will attempting to install RAGE be one of the puzzles?
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I would pay good money for a new Ben & Dan game. Not the mediocre money I give to everyone else, but GOOD money: individual notes per-laundered (with conditioner!) and ironed.
The B&D games are the best adventures since Day of the Tentacle.
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Oh, absolutely want. This will be wonderful if it happens.
On a side note, OBAD is obviously “…Of Ben And Dan”, so I wonder what the S stands for?
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