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LucasArts Secret History X 07 Feb, 2009, 14:58 / 23 comments

By Gabez


After a brief hiatus, Mixnmojo's thrilling article series, "LucasArts Secret History," is back! *Cue explosions, rock music and scantily clad dancing women*

What better game is there to mark our glorious return than Full Throttle?

If you haven't played this gem yet, it's time to find out what you've been missing out on -- and for the rest of us, join us for a drive down memory road. Let the throttle out and fly.

Thanks to everyone who contributed -- especially Peter Mc. and Colin Panetta.

Edit: Colin has updated his blog with an entry on how he made the header art. You can also see a making of entry for his Day of the Tentacle header.

Edit 2: Larry Ahern kindly got back to us with a brand new interview about his time working on the game.
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23 Comments

  • Ben_Whatsisname on 12 Mar, 2009, 20:48…
    Small correction, guys... "The Kickstand" is neither defunct nor dead. It has been merely lying unconcious in a dumpster after LEC whacked it across the back of the head and said "No sequel for you!"

    It will return soon - I have been in need of a hobby and reviving the old girl is as good a job as any.

    Sorry I've been gone so long.

    Chris
  • Capn_Nacho on 07 Feb, 2009, 19:32…
    Nice interview with Larry Ahern. I agree and was surprised to find someone refer to Throttle's tone as if it was completely serious. The game has its serious moments, of course, but Malcolm Corley even cracks a joke while he's lying in a pool of his own blood.

    Man, what a good freaking game.
  • The Tingler on 07 Feb, 2009, 19:46…
    I didn't mean the tone as more serious, it's still a humorous game, I meant it's got a "harder edge" than previous LucasArts adventures. Oh well, he got what I meant!
  • Kroms on 07 Feb, 2009, 18:14…
    Heh, Larry Ahern is pretty funny. I wish we had more games from him.

    (PS Although Insecticide Part 2 would be ace, dear whoever-is-handling-it.)
  • MrSneeze on 29 Jan, 2009, 16:17…
    Loved the article and the game (the only LucasArts adventure I simply can't get myself to enjoy is MI4. Zak & Maniac M are also in my least favourite list), but I've replayed FT so many times, I don't mind giving it a skip.

    I kinda miss The Dig, though. I think it's time I replayed it before the next article.
  • Sven_Q45 on 28 Jan, 2009, 21:30…
    Full Throttle is not so good...







    It´s tight! With the action and so on!
  • Lagomorph on 28 Jan, 2009, 18:29…
    I was playing Full Throttle last night. I was in the Cavefish hideout, got the ramp, and when they came to get it back I heard that the cavefish talking there has the exact same voice as Murray from CMI.
    I'm sure it's Denny Delk, but he uses his voice exactly the same! Pretty funny! :D

    This may get you guys thinking...
    Maybe the cavefish were undead pirates who formed this strange religion, or the cavefish that were killed on the road were picked up by LeChuck for his undead army...
    Everything's possible here! ;)
  • ED on 27 Jan, 2009, 22:07…
    Really enjoyed this secret history.

    Just thought I'd add one more random fact: the band 65daysofstatic have a b-side called Asphalt & Trouble which samples the opening speech from the game.

    Listen here: [url=http://www.last.fm/music/65daysofstatic/_/Asphalt%2B%2526%2BTrouble]Click[/url]. Its not till about 3 mins in.
  • Gabez on 27 Jan, 2009, 22:17…
    Wow, that song is great. Nice find!
  • QueZTone on 28 Jan, 2009, 11:06…
    it doesn't let me listen to it fully... only the first 30 secs or so.. a preview :o
  • ED on 28 Jan, 2009, 12:22…
    You might have to be a member of last fm to listen to the full song
  • Simon on 26 Jan, 2009, 21:43…
    One of the best secret histories so far I thought, with some ace reader contributions and two excellent interviews...thanks again for this series! I must play Full Throttle for an umpteenth time soon...
  • Sven_Q45 on 28 Jan, 2009, 21:32…
    Playing again?
    I do it very often. :D
  • Lagomorph on 26 Jan, 2009, 19:12…
    Wow, great secret history article!
    I think I'm gonna play it again real soon. :p

    Does anyone know how that song goes that Malcolm Corley sings? I've got it down to everything but one line.

    Put my head in a basket, cause I've had a tank full.
    When she blew my gasket I surely was thankful.
    Something something something... the sky's are above.
    It's a woman with wheels that I love.
  • Icebox on 26 Jan, 2009, 21:20…
    Til I Head For The Skies Up Above,
    It's A Woman With Wheels That I Love.

    Yehaw!
  • Lagomorph on 27 Jan, 2009, 19:37…
    Thanks, I had actually forgotten about the song until I saw it in the Trivia section. :$
  • Metallus on 26 Jan, 2009, 18:41…
    It's very, very interesting to me that a lot of the people who wrote their own impressions (including myself!) cite Full Throttle as the first LucasArts adventure game they ever played/completed. It seemed to act as a pretty nice introduction/bridge to adventure gaming in general and LucasArts adventure gaming in particular.
  • The Tingler on 26 Jan, 2009, 11:29…
    Utterly love that picture, probably my favourite yet.
  • Ascovel on 26 Jan, 2009, 16:50…
    Yeah, it oozes so much Full Throttle atmosphere without being overly derivative of the original art.
  • mrcolinp on 26 Jan, 2009, 16:34…
    Thanks! Much appreciated. I wanted to make it a little trippy in honor of Schafer's lost peyote sequence in FT.
  • Jaap on 26 Jan, 2009, 04:27…
    never knew about the easter egg knife game. You can check it out on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3xX76mi9pg
    Reminds me of Aliens
  • manny_c44 on 26 Jan, 2009, 03:44…
    This is one of the games I actually replayed when the 'history' came up. It really had a pared-down style, even Schafer's writing is uncharacteristically spare (especially just clicking around the environment, hoping for witty little observations from Ben....they never come).

    But man oh man. Peter McConnell and Peter Chan really did good work on this game. They both took a giant leap forward with Grim Fandango, but you could already feel the home-cooked goodness in Full Throttle. They really built the atmosphere.
  • Kroms on 26 Jan, 2009, 00:52…
    You know, now that I think about it, "Full Throttle" does remind me of "Yojimbo" in a lot of ways...I never finished that movie. Maybe I should.

    Great article as always. Amazing how perfectly you captured my old-man biker essence in the picture, by the way (hehe).