Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events | ||
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Main character(s): | Violet, Klaus, Sunny | |
Main enemy: | Count Olaf, Olaf's associates | |
Key crew | ||
Publisher: | Activision | |
Release details | ||
Release date: | November 2004 | |
Format: | Video game |
- You may be looking for A Series of Unfortunate Events (Big Fish video game).
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events is a video game based on the Lemony Snicket book series and film, released by Activision in 2004 for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox, PC and Game Boy Advance platforms. A scaled-down version was developed and released by JAMDAT for Java Mobile Edition-compliant mobile phones.
The game is based primarily on the movie, which in turn is based on the plots of the first three books of the series: The Bad Beginning, The Reptile Room and The Wide Window. The game was released a few weeks before the movie's release, giving players a preview of what the movie would be like, albeit in video game format.
Players take the roles of Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire, solving puzzles, fighting villains and finding objects. Players encounter characters such as Arthur Poe, Uncle Monty and Aunt Josephine, along with villains such as Count Olaf, The Hook-Handed Man, the White-Faced Women and The Bald Man with the Long Nose.
Warning[]
If you are interested in playing a fun-filled game with cute furry heroes and helpless princesses, you have chosen the wrong game entirely. This game includes a sinister villain, a loud noise, an umbrella, a parked car, three clever orphans and many dangerous situations.
This is the story of the Baudelaire siblings, Violet, Klaus and Sunny. After a mysterious fire destroys their parents, their mansion and their previously happy lives, the children are sent to live with Count Olaf, one of the world's six worst villains and four worst actors. Joined by his troupe of greedy henchmen, Count Olaf will do anything to get his greedy hands on the vast Baudelaire fortune.
Violet, Klaus and Sunny must rely on their unique talents and each other if they are to outwit Count Olaf and his villainous associates. They'll need Violet's clever inventions, Klaus' bookish intellect and Sunny's four very sharp teeth. While they are doomed to battle treachery on every level, you are free to do something more pleasant with your time. Wouldn't you rather play something else?
Gameplay[]
The core gameplay consists of elements of a platformer, a puzzle game, and a third-person shooter. The player assumes the role of any of the three Baudelaire orphans, and can cycle through them depending on the version.
The Baudelaires can eventually gain access to a multitude of inventions as well as ammunition throughout the game, which are mostly those that tend to run along the lines of things a child might actually attain, such as rotten eggs, bubble gum, bees, eau de toilette, and garlic, among other things.
Console versions[]
The three console versions have the same basic layout - players can switch between playing as Violet, Klaus and, at certain moments, Sunny.
The game begins at Count Olaf's house, then progresses to Justice Strauss' home, back to Olaf's, then to Uncle Monty's house, Damocles Dock, Aunt Josephine's house, Curdled Cave and, finally, Olaf's again.
Along the way, Violet invents things - Klaus's weapon — the Brilliant Bopper; her own weapons — the Fruit Flinger, the Reptile Retriever, and the Peppermint Popper; the Baby Booster, which helps Sunny jump; the Steady Stilts, which help Violet reach high places; the Uplifting Umbrella, which helps Violet glide; and the Levitating Loafers, which can make Klaus hover temporarily.
In the game, the Baudelaires solve puzzles, fight Olaf's acting troupe, and collect puzzles pieces with the familiar eye in the series and movie. If you collect 25 of each color puzzle piece, you reveal a place in your secret folder, which in turn reveals a picture where you can find a V.F.D. package. This package reveals a special extra in the game, such as a “making of” featurette.
PC version[]
The PC version has several differences from the console games.
For one, players cannot switch between characters. The game keeps the player as one character, switching to another when necessary, and even separates the older Baudelaire siblings at times.
Secondly, there are two new environments, Briny Beach and a horseradish factory (presumably the one that is discussed in The Reptile Room, The Grim Grotto, Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography and The End).
Finally, players have different inventions to make: the Smasher, the Lobber (which uses rotten eggs, bubblegum, horseradish, water balloons, and bananas as ammo), the Sprayer (which uses Eau du Toilette, onions, pillow feathers, bees, and limes as ammo), the Lever Yanker, and a Grappling Hook.
As a bonus, players can collect eyes; every ten eyes collected gives the player a poster for an Olaf theater production, and letters from the alphabet which start a word that gets defined. Some of the words, such as Quagmire, referring to the Quagmire family and Xenophobe, referring to a word Jerome Squalor mentioned to the Baudelaires in The Ersatz Elevator are from the books.
It is interesting to note that the PC version can be modified with a tool suite called UnrealEd (which is the same application used for modifying Unreal Engine games), thereby allowing user-edited skins and textures in game.[1]
Game Boy Advance version[]
The Game Boy Advance version is different in that players can switch between all three Baudelaires at all times. The game also features more places, such as Briny Beach. It is said to be harder than console versions.
In The Reptile Room level, some reptiles are mentioned that never appear in the books.
There are less inventions but have the same effects as the other games, such as the Parasol Glider, which helps Sunny glide from platform to platform; the Water Pump, which helps Klaus spray and absorb water; the Grappling Hook, which helps Klaus swing from platform to platform; and the Apple Cobbler, which helps Violet shoot apples. Players must collect objects that Violet or Klaus mentions to make the inventions.
Players must also talk to other characters to complete some quests or grab items that other characters are holding.
The player must collect pictures and butterflies for invention upgrades, movie scenes, and concept art. They must also collect book pages to use on specific places to either give you extras, keep going on the story, or makes it easier to get around.
Voices[]
- Jim Carrey - Count Olaf
- Tim Curry - Lemony Snicket
- Emily Browning - Violet Baudelaire
- Liam Aiken - Klaus Baudelaire
- Karis Campbell - Sunny Baudelaire
- Dan Hagen - Mr. Poe
- Bob Joles - Uncle Monty
- Donna Bullock - Aunt Josephine
- April Stewart - Justice Strauss
- S. Scott Bullock - Bald-headed Man
- Jay Gordon - Hook-handed Man
- Kari Wahlgren - White-faced Jane
- Jocelyn Blue - White-faced Jen
Additional Voices by Robin Atkin Downes and Brian Stepanek
Reception[]
The console version of the game received mixed reviews. Players noted that it's a very linear game that may be somewhere around 5 hours long, but it can still have its fun moments, and could be enjoyable for those who like platformers and enjoy the series, especially its movie adaptation. However, some players found some sections of the game frustrating, such as the part where Violet needs to glide across Josephine's house using an umbrella, plus the peppermint shooting section.
The console version of the game has a strong focus on gameplay. Story cutscenes are told through a storybook, with sketched images of key scenes. The biggest strength of the console version is its controls - the versatility of a joystick leads to smoother camera and movement controls.
The PC version of the game has a stronger focus on story, with fully-animated in-game cutscenes. Its collectibles are more diagetic, a word which here means "similar in style and appearance to the surrounding environment, with strong thematic relevance." However, the gameplay is more linear and has less variety than the console version.
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The GBA version is the least well-received, with criticism of repetitive gameplay and inferior graphics and audio.
Sources[]
See also[]
External links[]
- Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (video game) at the Internet Movie Database