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Mixed-Up Fairy Tales was a graphic adventure game made for younger players
than those of Sierra's King's Quest or Space Quest series. In it, the player controls
a child - selected from one of six and named at will by the player - transported to
the land of make believe by the magical dragon Bookwyrm, who needs their help
unknotting the mess that's become of five famous fairy tales; Cinderella, Beauty and
the Beast, Bremen Town Musicians, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Snow White thanks to
the machinations of a spiteful troll named Bookend. For instance, the prince can't
find Cinderella because her glass slipper was stolen, Jack's axe is missing so he
can't chop down the beanstalk, Snow White is lost and needs help finding the seven
dwarves' house, etc. Bookwyrm, who had the book all the stories were recorded in,
could always be consulted for directions to the player's next objective when he or
she got stuck. The game has a simplified interface different from other Sierra games
of the period; instead of several different icons to move the character, look at
objects, places and people, operate scenery fixtures, or talk to other characters,
Mixed-Up Fairy Tales has only a general icon to interact with the environment, move
the player's character and initiate conversation with other characters, and another
to look at the player's surroundings. The player cannot "die", and it is impossible
to reach a point where onward play is not possible because of lacking an important
item or piece of information. The game saving feature was simplified as well, with
each game saved automatically when the player quit and merely labeled by their
character's name. Although it allowed children to interact with the characters of
their favorite fairy tales, most of the stories' major events would happen off-screen,
with the player's movement limited to a four-by-four screen area. |
