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Generic New York Apartment Reviews
Author: NewKid
Date: 1999
TADS
What does AIF stand for? Adult Interactive Fiction.
If you likely to
be offended by games with sexual content, you are advised not
to open these
files.
Reviewed by A. Bomire (Inside
Erin: The AIF Community Newsletter Volume 5 Number 11 - December 2009)
Basic Plot
You are the building superintendent in a New York apartment building. And, it
seems that every tenant is having a problem of one type or another. It is your
job to fix all of the problems and get your tenants to
renew their leases at the same time. Of course, the female occupants are are
suitably grateful for your efforts!
Overall Thoughts
This game was written at a time when it seemed that every TV sitcom was based in
New York city, and all of them were in an apartment building. The author, NewKid,
collected the main characters from several TV
shows and lumped them into one "generic" building. Because the referenced TV
shows were all hit shows in the mid- to late-90s, they may not be recognized by
players today - especially some of the minor
characters such as the older lady who lives across the hall from the Buchanans/Buckmans.
Of course, with syndication and re-runs many if not all of the shows are still
playing somewhere today so if players are
interested they can find the original stars.
If you ignore the TV tie-ins and examine the game just as an AIF game, then it
boils down to the standard "handyman" theme. The player spends most of the game
checking his answering machine for tenants
reporting problems, and then finding the tools and supplies necessary to repair
them. While it sounds like a well-used theme (and has been used in many games),
it is really well done by NewKid. The problems are
well thought out and for the most part realistic for an apartment building
(well, an AIF apartment building). The characters would have been familiar to
players from their portrayal on TV, but NewKid doesn't let
them rest on just that. Understanding that not everyone would recognize every
character he builds them with his characteristic fullness.
Puzzles/Game Play
NewKid is well known for his puzzles, and this game doesn't disappoint. The
puzzles aren't mind-bending head scratchers, but neither are they simple. They
blend easily into the game, with only one puzzle that I
found that seemed to be thrown in simply to take advantage of a famous character
in a TV sitcom: the Soup/Sundae Nazi. Other than that exception, the other
puzzles represent problems that are typical of
building maintenance. Not all of the puzzles are just "find it - fix it" either.
There are personal problems of your tenants that need addressing as well. This
is nice, as the player gets a chance to build a relationship
with the tenants (especially with the "prize": Jane Buchanan).
The game play is good as well. The apartment building is laid out well, with
none of those false dead-ends that are sometimes found in large games like this.
(Example: "There are more apartments down that way,
but you don't need to go there.") While the player can enjoy the game without
knowing just who all of the characters are, the game is a little more enjoyable
when you encounter familiar faces who reflect their on-
screen personalities.
Sex
The sex in this game is well done, as is customary with NewKid. The one drawback
is that it uses an arousal system that forces the player into a set path instead
of allowing him some leeway in sexual
exploration. For example: Kiss her, then touch her, then remove her shirt, then
kiss again, then remove her pants, then touch again, then remove bra,
then...etc. The player is given a written verification that he can
proceed in sexual exploration with a message such as "She purrs as you feel her
excitement rise." This may put off some players. Some more familiar sexual acts
aren't implemented, relying instead on variations. For
example, you can't ask a character to "suck cock", but she will be perfectly
happy to respond to "blow me". This is an indication of the early time period in
which this game was written, when the "standard" AIF commands had not yet been
established.
But aside from that, the rest is great. There are many characters in the game,
each with a fully-fleshed personality. As such, the sex is varied from one
character to another. Some of the characters have multiple
encounters, such as two roommates who are willing to share as well as have
individual encounters with you. And if you play the game with the accompanying
pictures, you are also treated to some original
graphics of the characters.
Technical
As mentioned, some of the common AIF commands are not implemented in this game
(although there are alternatives), as well as some AIF body parts (the player is
apparently not anatomically correct, missing a
very important body part). Once you realize NewKid's way of doing things, then
it is better as each girl will respond to the same actions (perhaps not
performing those actions, but at least responding). However,
coming from today's standards and going backwards may throw some players off.
The only other technical glitch that I could find has to do with the pictures,
and this one only shows up if you play with the pictures turned on. Some of the
pictures are displayed at the end of the accompanying
text, causing the picture to display off of the bottom of the screen. So, you'll
sometimes see just the top of a character's head until you scroll down. It isn't
anything game shattering, just a little annoying.
Other than that, the game is very clean, technically.
Intangibles
As mentioned, NewKid includes pictures and sounds in this game. He takes full
advantage of the then-new HTML-TADS interpreter, allowing the player to click on
words and pictures to perform tasks. For
example, the player can click on the picture of his tool belt, and the game will
assume he means "remove tool belt" (or "wear tool belt" if the tool belt has
been removed). Clicking on the red answering machine
button will trigger the "play message" task. Clicking on a character's name will
display that character's description and accompanying picture. And so on. This
is something that is hardly ever used in today's
games, and is used in just the right amount here. NewKid doesn't fill the game
with clickable objects and pictures, but they are there if you need them. And,
you don't need to take advantage of them if you don't
wish.
Along with this, NewKid realizes that many players will recognize the characters
in the game as their on-screen personalities, instead of his re-imagining of
them. So, he provides the capability of referring to
characters by their TV screen-names, and even their real-life names. This is
really nice, as more than once when I was first playing the game I accidentally
referred to characters by their TV names and was pleased
to find that NewKid had accommodated me.
Final Thoughts
Compared against modern games, this game may seem worse than it really is: dated
commands and characters from old and possibly forgotten TV sitcoms. But trust
me, this game is a winner. Forget the TV
shows the characters are based upon and just play the game for what it is: a
fun, puzzling and sexy romp through a well-populated apartment building. This
game is one of the first AIF games I ever played, and
still stands out today as one of my top 10 games of all time.
Oh yes, you're probably wondering which American TV sitcoms are represented in
the game. Well, from my memory they are: "Mad About You", "Caroline in the
City", "Friends", "Seinfeld" and "Becker".
Rating: A
Reviewed by Earl of Kent
Before I begin, I have to admit to a certain bias: I really like this game. It's
an extremely original concept, and for the most part, it's extremely
well-executed. I've introduced the game to several people, each of whom is
struck by I thought I had the first time I played it: "Why didn't someone think
of this before?" NewKid did a great job on this game, and he can be proud of the
fact that it sets the standard for AIF: this is how a good AIF game _looks_,
and, more importantly, _plays_.
Aesthetics
Enjoyabilty
Other than "An Afternoon Visit", this is the AIF game that I come back to play
most often. Part of it is out of seeing if I can think of anything new (I still
haven't found out how to get Jane in the bedroom, or even if it's possible), but
mostly because the game is just plain fun. There are a few frustrating points,
especially Amy's fax machine, but once you get past that, the game is very
enjoyable.
Score: 8
Style
NewKid is obviously someone who either A) is a naturally good writer, or B) is a
tenacious re-writer. The prose can be a little clunky in some parts, but for the
most part the text is excellent. The sex takes place in cut-scenes, which are
long, but well worth the read. More importantly, you can get different responses
depending on theexact situation, and repeating some actions can lead to whole
new scenes to read. There has been some debate on this newsgroup over which
style is better: cut-scenes or "Moist-like" descriptions based on specific
actions. I'll throw my two cents in here and say that variety and quality take
precedence. If you're going to use cut-scenes, they have to be well-written, and
allow for at least a little variety; if you're going to use decriptions tailored
to the player's actions, there has to be a lot of variety, even though the
descriptions would probably be a little easier to write. In many AIF games
(particularly in many X-trek games), the cut-scenes are poorly written, to the
point of being embarassing. GNA _definitely_ does not suffer from this problem.
Score: 8
Game Mechanics
Puzzles
Nothing too difficult, with two exceptions. The Sundae Nazi puzzle might be hard
to figure out if you've never seen the relevant episode of "Seinfeld"; but then,
if you _have_ seen that episode, you'll know what to do right away. The other
exception is Amy's fax machine. The problem is, it's not listed in the room
description. Thus, I got to a point in the game where I had done everything I
could think of, but couldn't proceed because I didn't know about that damned fax
machine! I eventually had to consult a walkthrough (which I am loathe to do),
and found out that it _is_ there, if you type "examine all". This is an
oversight that definitely needs to be corrected, since it can make the game
unwinnable.
Score: 6
Synonyms
Well above average. There are some annoying points (the game recognizes "porkchops",
but not "pork chops", even though the text uses the two interchangably), but for
the most part, items are recognizable by common synonyms (even when they don't
make sense: "PUT BULB IN LIGHT"). More importantly, the characters are
recognizable by names other than the ones used in the text of the game. Thus, if
you forget that you're pursuing Monique and Rochelle, not Monica(TM) and
Rachel(TM), the game will forgive you if you accidentally (or
not-so-accidentally) type the name from the TV show. In fact, it'll even
recognize the name of the _actress_ that plays the part, if you're so inclined.
Score: 8
Story
Characters
If you've seen the television shows this game parodies, the characters are
fantastic; they all act as you would expect them to act, sometimes even quoting
dialogue used by their television counterparts. Even if you've never seen the
show, there's a great deal of characterization in this game. Each "conquest" has
different tastes, desires, and limits. While not exactly believable (if these
women lived in my apartment building, I'd never get any work done), they
certainly are fun!
Score: 8
Plot
Well, to begin with, none of NewKid's games have an absolute ending; in all
three I've played, you get to a point where you've achieved a certain goal or
passed a certain point total, at which point you're giving the ending message
and allowed to continue. From this standpoint, the games (including this one)
are poorly plotted, since there's no resolution. On the other hand, I usually
don't _want_ the game to end, so I don't particularly mind this aspect. For GNA
in particular, there _is_ a stated goal, and events that proceed from the
player's actions; the game _isn't_ static, which is a lot more than can be said
for most AIF.
Score: 7
Structure
Concept
Very open-ended. You've got a specific goal to complete (getting all the
tennants to renew their leases), but you've got multiple paths to take to get to
that goal. One unique aspect is the answering machine, which is kind of a
built-in guide to what the player needs to accomplish; if you ever run out of
things to do, just go check your answering machine. Plus, the game is _big_,
with lots of areas to explore.
Score: 8
Execution
For the most part, the execution is excellent. Some puzzles have more than one
solution, which in and of itself is a unique concept to most AIF games (and many
conventional IF games, for that matter). The only problem comes with the fax
machine in Amy's apartment; it's not there if you don't know to look for it, and
you can get to a certain point in the game where you can't proceed until you can
send Amy faxes. It can be extremely frustrating. Granted, it's only one mistake,
but it's a big enough onethat it has a major impact on the game (and this
review's score).
Score: 5
Technical Proficiency
Programming
For the most part, above average. In the HTML-TADS version, there are a couple
of bugs that can mess up the display: in the basement, while fixing the furnace,
it's possible for the game to print the pictures in such a way that the display
area becomes wider than the screen, and you can't see the cursor; and after
fixing the furnace, during the encounter with Amy, it is possible at one point
for several lines of text to be printed over other lines of text, rendering them
unreadable. These display bugs don't show up if you play the game in standard
TADS, though. There are a few errors that show up regardless of the version
you're using, too. The excess wire in the grille under the stove in Carmen's
apartment is removable even without opening the grille itself; just type "TAKE
ALL". In the laundry room, after Rochelle leaves, the room description lists the
panties as being _on_ the dryer, but when you try to take them, the parser
responds, "I don't see any panties here"; they are, in fact, _in_ the dryer, and
you have to open it first in order to get them. Finally, after fixing the
furnace, if you try performing oral sex on Fee while she's still wearing her
dress, you'll get an error message (TADS-1026 in the HTML version).
Score: 6
Syntax
Very few errors. Almost no grammatical errors, probably none that will interfere
with one's enjoyment of the game. A few forgivable spelling errors ("breath" for
"breathe"), and a few that are debatable ("grille" vs. "grill", although the
author's spelling is understandable given the placement of the item in
question). Now, a caveat has to be proffered here: I've worked as a proofreader
(both paid and on a voluntary basis) off and on for fifteen years, so I've
developed an instinct for both spelling errors and grammatically incorrect
prose. What I call "errors" in the text of this game may not be errors at all,
but they do trip my instincts. The author is to be commended for at least taking
the time to make sure his prose is as readable as possible.
Score: 8
===============================================================================================
TOTAL SCORE: 72/100
Reviewed by Anonymous
Generic New York Apartment Building, which was written
by New Kid, is a prime example of the limitations of the genre, and especially
the limitations of the sub-genre AIF.
In the story, the player assumes the role of a recently hired super in a generic
New York City apartment building where the residents are parodies of television
characters. The twist to this game is of course the fact that the super is not
your average super; he's the type of super that you would find in a cheesy adult
film. The only thing that this game did not have was terrible music and the
line, "I'm here to clean your pipes."
Your goal in the game is to make sure that all of your residents renew their
leases, and in order to do that the player must solve problems that the tenants
have, and also perform sexual acts with the tenants. The luster of the adult
aspect of the game wears off quite fast due largely to the fact that every
situation is solved with the same commands. These commands are (kiss, rub, lick,
fuck, and then the name of the female organ.) Sex may be fundamentally similar
from case to case, but surely there were different situations that New Kid could
have
come up with.
The thing that most drew me to this piece was that it had picture and sound
files included with it as well; it was something that I noticed before I noticed
that it was listed as AIF. The pictures and sounds that were included in this
piece led me to the conclusion that neither images nor sound belong in
interactive fiction. The pictures were faked nudes of television characters such
as Monica and Rachel from Friends (in the game they were referred to as Rochelle
and Monique). By including pictures in interactive fiction, the author steals
away the ability to come up with one's own image of the characters. The sound
bites are few and far between, and they become so annoying that the reader
almost wants to turn off the program. The sound bites included were: a bell for
the elevator, a dog bark, and a large explosion sound. The annoyance factor from
the sounds and images greatly outweighed anything positive they were meant to
bring.
As far as puzzle difficulty goes, the game was fairly hard for me. I am a rookie
to the realm of interactive fiction and I played for about six hours before I
had to resort to a walkthrough for solutions. At one point you're supposed to
plug a fax machine in to the wall of one of the NPC's apartments, and I never in
my wildest dreams would have thought to do that. Other than that the game was
very straightforward. The NPCs would call you and tell you their toilet was
broken, you go and fix it with a tool, and that was what went on in the game for
the most part.
Generic New York Apartment Building was an okay game to play despite its shallow
and juvenile story; I suppose though that if you are seriously playing a piece
of AIF that you would not really care about the story being too deep. New Kid
could have made the game better if he would have left out the faked photos and
annoying sounds. The repetitiveness of the commands, especially the sexual ones,
is one of the reasons that interactive fiction is not advancing as fast as it
could be. It is very tedious to come up with different ways for problems to be
solved and
challenges to be overcome, but it is what the genre needs to achieve greater
depth. I do not think that the problem lies solely with the writer though,
machines for IF itself need to be looked at in greater depth, but anyone
involved with IF knows that.
Reviews should be considered copyrighted by their respective authors.
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