Space Quest IV: Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers

Space Quest IV: Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers
Developer: Sierra On-Line Publisher: Sierra On-Line Platforms: Mac OS Classic, DOS, Windows, Amiga, PC-98 Released in JP: February 21, 1992 (PC-98) Released in US: March 4, 1991 (floppy), 1992 (CD-ROM) This game has unused areas. This game has unused code. This game has a hidden developer message. This game has hidden development-related text. This game has unused graphics. This game has unused text. This game has revisional differences. This game has a prototype article

This page is rather stubbly and could use some expansion. Are you a bad enough dude to rescue this article?

Space Quest IV has Roger Wilco traveling back and forth through time, while also being hunted down by Sludge Vohaul and his many henchmen.

The CD release is also the first entry to have voiced narration by Gary Owens, providing snark about just about everything. He would be brought back for both the demo and retail releases of Space Quest 6.

To do: Holy crap, this page needs help bad. There's probably a lot more unused content than what's currently on here. There's also more differences between the floppy and CD versions.

Sub-Page

Prototype Info

Debugging Material

While the floppy version was cleaned of all debugging scripts, many of them were added back into the CD version. Extract script files 800.scr, 943.scr, and 952.scr and text files 800.tex, 943.tex, and 952.tex to see it in action.

Leftover Parser Vocabulary

Vocab.900 contains a list of ×ords that would have been used along with the parser. However, midway through development, Sierra forced the developers to use the point-and-click interface.

(Source: Space Quest Omnipedia)

Room Removed For Legal Reasons

This needs some investigation. Discuss ideas and findings on the talk page. Specifically: Identify whatever the note refers to. Per the video (at 15:40), this room was meant to be accessed through entering a set of three time codes present in the resource files.

Present in the CD-ROM version is an inaccessible extra room created as something of an in-joke, as it contains many of the legally dubious things that had landed Sierra in hot water. If loaded in-game (as can be seen at 17:15 in the video), examining each object yields text seen nowhere else, though none of it is voiced. The BGM is the Treasure Room music from King's Quest VI.

From left to right:

• The emblem and logo of Hero's Quest, the original name of Quest for Glory I.
• Containers of Slime Chow and Slug Chow from the floppy disk version of this game.
• ZZ Top, who had an unauthorized cameo in the original Space Quest I and the first release of its VGA remake.
• Earl Sinclair from the Dinosaurs TV series, who had a similarly-unauthorized cameo in the VGA remake of Quest for Glory I.
• A paper that brings up the text "It says: "Please help me fertilize my mother's cat". They took THAT out and left the "Pant load" bit in???" Unlike everything else in the room, this one doesn't indicate which game it was excised from, though the reference to "the "Pant load" bit" suggests this game since quitting will sometimes result in the player being called "a real pant load".
• The Radioshock logo from the floppy disk version of this game.
• The sign for Droids R Us, the original name of Droids B Us from the original Space Quest I.

Attempting to get back in the time machine results in Roger being told that he's been removed from the game for legal reasons.

Unused Graphics

Two more products intended for the player to click on in the Radioshock/Hz. So Good bargain bin, complete with box art. These were removed due to memory issues involving said bargain bin, as the player is able to move the boxes around and that action takes up a significant portion of memory. Both of these were present in a leaked prototype.

While "Dacron Danny does Dirty Deeds in the Dark wearing Drip-Dry Duds" is a parody of the Leisure Suit Larry series and its lengthy subtitles, Stunt Flyer is a real Sierra game that had been published in 1985.

This cursor of a keycard is all that remains of the deleted item.

The CD version does have a portrait for Professor Lloyd, but it never shows up. The only time Lloyd shows up is in the holographic data entry he left behind.

(Source: Akril15, Space Quest Historian)

Unused Text

It looks like a cross between a praying mantis and Richard Nixon.
Must be a duck billed planetpuss.
Hey, it's a gilled Thwarkian lambotraus! I havn't seen one of those in years!

These lines are coded in the intro sequence, specifically during the bar scene where Roger is. However, at no point during the intro sequence can the player interact with it. If these were used, they would be used while clicking on the aliens in the background.

Development Text

Where To?
Debug - can't cheat for Estros - You need to enter two complete entries - second entry will be Estros' code from now on.
Debug - can't go to the mall before you go to Estros

A couple of debug messages left behind in 531.tex.

Easter Eggs

A pair of textual easter eggs can be found outside the Software store.

Go Beavers!

Taste the blue box in the right-side window 18 times to display this message.

QA people were here.

Smell the letter O in the "Software" sign to display this message.

(Source: Ben Shoof)

Revisional Differences

This page or section needs more images. There's a whole lotta words here, but not enough pictures. Please fix this.

EGA Floppy Version

A standalone floppy release was released at the same time the VGA floppy version was. While the two are largely similar, there are a few differences.

• The logo is reminiscent of previous Space Quest entries.
• Static picture behind Roger Wilco as he is transported to "Space Quest XII", as opposed to a background with a rotating palette.
• Zondra is missing her boots in the picture where Roger is captured, like in the prototype.
• Appropriately, the bikers in Ulence Flats snark how Roger has 16 colors instead of 256.

CD-ROM Version

In 1992, Sierra released an enhanced version on CD-ROM, containing a full voiceover track, and close-up portraits for anything that can be talked to.

Between the floppy and the CD versions, quite a few things were changed around:

• The Sierra logo is green in the floppy version, but bronze in the CD version.
• The IV in the game's logo Space Quest IV" now rotates into place.
• The cursors are redrawn to be more colorful.
• Several pieces of art were altered to accommodate for the Windows version, as Windows reserved 20 of the 256 color entries for itself.
• Pictures of Neil's European vacation are included inside the game.
• The ooze will only come out of one vent in the original floppy disk version. However, there are several more places in the CD version.
• The copy protection screen has been removed, though its graphics are still in the game.
• A point bell glitch occurs in the game, if the player has Roger Wilco change back into his clothes, it won't trigger the bell point sound preventing the player from getting 3 points which prevents them from reaching 315 points. Though the player can beat the game, they'll only get 312 out of 315 points. Unless the player quickly gets the unstable ordinance before boarding the police ships which allows them 332 out of 315 points at the end of the game.

Floppy	CD

The titles now have drop shadows on them.

Floppy	CD

The references to Purina Chow are purged from the CD version and replaced with a "Cream of X" soup pastiche.

Floppy	CD

The sea slug got its fins recolored red in the CD version.

Floppy	CD

Floppy	CD

The Radioshock store has been changed to a Hz. So Good one, most definitely to avoid a lawsuit from Radioshack.

Floppy	CD

Likewise, the Dandy branding is removed from the PocketPal.

Cedric makes a cameo in "Ms. Astro Chicken".

Also, there is now a MediaVision plane. MediaVision actually worked out a deal to include their logo in this game.

Floppy	CD

The monochrome guys' motorcycles were changed from color to monochrome. To make it easier to distinguish the bikes, slight alterations are done with the bike handles and body types.

(Source: Sierra Chest)