Return to Space (Part 7)

Outside of the opening cutscene, Space Quest IV isn't actually the fourth entry in the series.  That might sound like a strange thing to say, but it's technically true.  Looking at the full title of the game (Space Quest IV: Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers), it's perhaps easier to see why this is the case.  The story, in this installment, is centered around time travel.  Unlike most time travel adventures though Roger doesn't journey to some arbitrary date in the future or past.  Instead he visits earlier or later entries in the Space Quest franchise (specifically, Space Quest I, III, X and XII).  Aside from a very unconventional storyline, Space Quest IV introduces VGA graphics, live-action rotoscoping, and a tool bar in lieu of a text parser.  Rather than the player typing in simple keyboard commands, they use a mouse to select from a list of eight functions.  Aside from game options and inventory, there are cursor icons for walk, talk, use/obtain, look, taste and smell.  It should be mentioned that the last two are really only included for humorous reasons.  The CD-ROM version of Space Quest IV also features a full voice cast and narration by Gary Owens.

As the story begins, Roger is sharing a drink with some aliens in a dive bar on the planet Magmetheus.  In come two jackbooted robotic looking soldiers who demand that Roger speak with them outside.  Once Roger has been escorted out of the drinking establishment, one of the armed soldiers presents a handheld holographic device from which projects an image of Wilco's old nemesis - Sludge Vohaul.  After doing his trademark gloating he orders the "sequel police" to dispose of Roger once and for all.  Apparently, that's what the robotic soldiers are called.  Before they can carry out their orders though, a pair of human soldiers get the literal drop on the three of them.  The sequel police are knocked to the ground and Roger is hastily brought to some cover behind what looks like a sand crawler from Star Wars.  Energy beams start flying so without time to explain one of Roger's rescuers uses a device he's carrying to open up a rift in space/time.  As instructed, Wilco jumps in and finds himself falling through a rainbow colored tunnel.  Moments later he drops into a desolate urban landscape that is none other than Space Quest XII: Vohaul's Revenge II.  

Here, our hero quickly realizes he's on his home planet, Xenon, but not as he remembered it.  The place looks utterly desolate and war-torn.  A massive red tower dominates the skyline, distant thunder can be heard, and a zombified cybernetic person roaming the streets will let loose a bloodcurdling scream if Roger gets near him.  This in turn calls a patrolling hunter/killer robot that quickly dispatches Wilco.  The sewers offer a means of getting off the streets, but are also home to a green ooze that must be avoided.  With a little effort though it's possible to discover the location of a hidden underground lab.  In here Roger finds a holographic recording that explains what happened.  This isn't the Xenon of now, but rather one in the future.  It has been subjugated by what was initially thought to be an invasive computer virus that infested the planet-wide administrative AI, but is in fact a digital backup of Sludge Vohaul's mind.  The sequel police must have some inkling of our hero's whereabouts because a dropship sets down on the street intersection just above where Roger is sheltering.  After Vohaul's thugs have disembarked, Wilco can pop out of a nearby covered manhole and stowaway in the landing gear.  This allows him to hitch a ride to the red tower.  The place is crawling with sequel police though so from here the only option is to jump into a time pod parked in an adjacent landing bay.  Despite looking like a hovercraft, or possibly a flying car, the only way to operate the time pod is by punching six digit codes into a control panel.  Aside from the "ENT" button, all the symbols on the keypad are weird so there really isn't any option other than to try stuff at random.  After several unsuccessful attempts the game will (regardless of what nonsensical sequence the player enters) activate the pod and take Roger to Space Quest X: Latex Babes of Estros.