Those Space Quest EGA remake disks are double density (DD) disks, having only a capacity of 720 kilobytes. The VGA version disks are high density (HD), containing 1.44 megabytes. Not all disk drives could read HD disks, and Sierra probably guessed that people with EGA cards might have those older drives as well. Maximum compatibility.
Probably not many DD disks were manufactured at that time any more, which might explain the colour variation of the disks. They were scraping the bottoms of the barrels from suppliers.
@@synchronos1 Yep, I'm thinking that was not uncommon for them. My Kings Quest V disks are an assortment of black and beige, and my Conquests of Camelot 3.5" ones are blue and beige (though its 10x 5.25" disks are all black). And the machine I had that was limited to EGA also was indeed also limited to double-density disks (albeit 5.25" only).
Just have to say that I have a huge amount of respect for Scott Murphy for the fact that he gave you these. They're no doubt things that meant a lot to him, mementos of his own achievements in the past, but he knew that they would mean even more to you. More importantly he clearly knows that they're slices of history, that he won't be around forever, and that they need to be passed on to someone he trusts to "carry the torch", which is you. I'm sure that for you these are some of the most valuable items you own - not in terms of money but in terms of what they mean to you, and you should think about how they are gifts in kind: your own creative work (the videos you have made and the community you have helped to keep alive) are a tribute to his own creative work and I can only imagine that means the absolute world to him.
I dare say there is no one more deserving to keep the very first copy of Space Quest than the man who makes it his life mission to keep the spirit of Space Quest alive. Fantastic video! Thank you for sharing.
Yes, please still do these, I love how you are like the main guy for this series and was fortunate enoguh to get a one of a kind item that isn’t sellable.
It was fun to hear about the different versions of the black box here. I only discovered one in the late 90s at a computer show(Mac) , then traded for a PC version because that was what I first played SQ on. I had no idea they were going for so much now, I open mine up every 5-10 years or so and look at the contents. Mine has the 5.25" blue label disks. I have about 15 different variant boxes of the SQ games, none of which I was trying to "collect" intentionally.
Yes, indeed. I will be showing those versions sometime in the future. It sort of became the standard "Space Quest image" and got reused a whole bunch, including on one of the Collections as well.
I must admit, I still have my big box copy of SQ4 (floppy, non talky) and SQ5 with all the paperwork. One of my proudest saves, purchased new by myself. I still got various CD ROMS of other sierra games, mostly compilations.
When I was a lad I had the hint books for Space Quest V and Kings Quest V. Incidentally BOTH did NOT have the card with the clear red window. Luckily though, as it turned out my old spice deodorant cap was RED and see through, so that’s what I ended up using. I always wondered if anyone else ran into that too.
Reminds me of when I found dark crystal serria adventure.....sealed just sitting in the gift shop of the center for puppetry arts in Atlanta last summer where the Jim Henson exhibit is located. I have been collecting all of the jim henson related video games and that one is so hard to find and let alone sealed wow the kicker is that it was for sale and only $100 I legit flipped out it's almost like Jim was watching over me in that moment he was like you traveled so far just for me and you have been hunting down every one of my games well...here kid even tho I'm a grown 36 year old adult. There is still 1 game I'm missing and it is Gelfling Adventure but that game is so hard to find like almost impossible. Good thing the game is practically the same thing as dark crystal.
I sold a black box SQ1 sealed recently. As much as I loved it, it was too precious for the humid environment my sealed Sierra collection lives in. Sold for $3000 USD but probably could have gotten substantially more. Most importantly, it went to a good home.
30:46 You have more success in keeping the flap closed if you fixed that dog-eared corner on the flap. That’s definitely what’s preventing that side from staying down while the plastic tray is out.
Great video man!! You're truly worth of having this gem in your collection, and, just for your information, you couldn't possibly make any true fan of old school sierra games jealous by having it. Just partaking in your sheer joy and happiness, makes me feel that this piece of history now belongs to all of us and could easily be on our shelves right now! Cheers!
21:33 Those 6 disks in the EGA SCI version of SQ1 are low density 720K (no hole on the upper left). So there's just 60% as much room for data on them compared to the 5 high-density disks (like in the SQ1 SCI VGA boxed version I bought at Egghead software in 1991, same place I bought SQ4). The SQ1 AGI EGA version was kindly gifted to me, in-box, by my neighbor in 1990 (along with The Black Cauldron and KQ3). This was my introduction to graphical adventures. The SQ1 AGI box is the non-gridded original fold-out version, but it has the last version of the game (v2.2 1987-05-07) on the 2x 360K and 1x 720K disks, and a "DROIDS B US" coupon. It has a circular "Cat. No. 25-1150" Tandy sticker, and "IBM/TANDY/MS-DOS 256K EGA, CGA and Hercules 3.5 and 5.25 disks inside" triangular sticker, and UPC sticker on the lower-left corner of the back. I've not seen any picture on the Internet matching this (the 25-1150 sticker, yes, but not the system requirements sticker).
I think almost every one of my Space Quest boxes in my collection are from different versions😂 I really appreciate the rundown on the specific versions, makes me run to my collection! I like knowing what my games are worth but I never sell any of them It's more of like a mental happiness😅
you want to know what we want to see? Easy answer is all of IT, in your own time of course. I want to call attention to how much i enjoy the editing you do , adding little bits of humor etc. it never feels heavy handed or forced or over done, Kudos! Thank you for the show and tell, and all the laughs along the way.
Lovely topic 🧩 I've really been looking forward to watching this one. It's heart warming to see another one care about the same things in life. This video made me smile. So: I did not know about the EGA remake version of SQ1. I've always wanted to try out KQ4 "AGI backup version" though (made because: should the VGA version not materialise in time for its release date). Now I really want to play SQ1 EGA too. Can't remember learning about the black boxes before you presented them here. Interesting! And wow! That gift of the first box. I mean, just incredible! It's not about moneys worth. To me it's pure kindness as he knew how much the box would mean to you. Very kind of Scott to pass it along. Oh, and I spent HOURS on their BBS long distance from Sweden. Sorry mom and dad 😇
The EGA version of SQ1VGA is the same game; the graphics have just been downgraded to 16 colors. The AGI version of KQ4, however, is almost an entirely different game. Granted, it's the same game as the SCI version in theory, but EVERYTHING was redone - graphics, sound, gameplay - because it runs on a totally different engine. It is worth a playthrough just to see what corners they had to cut to make it work.
@@spacequesthistorian Thanks for the info about both games. Although “just” a downgraded version, I love EGA graphics to the point it probably ridiculous. Yeah, I’d so much wanted to play KQ4 AGI just to learn how the music was adapted from MT32 to Peanut/Tandy style. (I remember just loving the soundtrack of KQ3.)
I feel the same way about 4 color cyan/magenta CGA, for some reason. It's objectively hideous but it just gives me a warm tinge of nostalgia every time I see it. The shot of SQ1VGA running in CGA that briefly shows up in this video isn't a fake-out, btw - one of the mad geniuses on my Discord actually got a CGA driver to work with the game.
I am actually careful with them, but, I mean... these boxes have been around for decades now. They are clearly not as delicate as everyone thinks. 🤣 (Also, having owned big boxes my whole life AND having a younger brother who never looked before planting his dumb ass on my bed, I think I have a pretty good authority on what it takes to actually break a big box.)
@@spacequesthistorian I mean yeah lol. Those boxes were designed to survive transit to store shelves and THEN be brought for children, they can handle a bit of rough and tumble. Floppy disks literally come in a protective shell, you're meant to be able to chuck 'em around. Throw floppies as hard as u want just watch out for magnets. Delicacy is an aesthetic choice, and an overrated one.
@@WannabeMarysue Yeah... I mean, obviously I'd never hurt the little fellas, but they're not the delicate little flowers that people seem to think they are. 😅
Thank you! I almost cut out the whole story of how I got it because I REEEEEALLY don't want to seem too full-of-myself... but the story kind of goes hand-in-hand with the box.
@@spacequesthistorian thanks for responding, I asked because my SQ3 copy is for the atari st even though i never owned an ST, but I cannot find any ST versions for sale online. Do you know if the ST port had a significantly lower print run than DOS and even Amiga etc.
@@sierrakobold6896 I don't know how many copies of individual system versions were made or sold; sorry. The Atari ST ones do seem to crop up a lot less than Amiga and DOS versions, though.
Those disks at 29:45 are not original. Neither the media nor the sleeves. The original media is not notched, and the sleeves should have the Sierra logo on them. And I believe the stickers are reprints too. They look off in color and clarity compared to the original. I remember there was an eBay seller selling made-up replicas of SQ1 disks as originals, so probably this is one of those.
I always thought my VGA copy of SQ1 in original box was rare. Oh well, it's still special to me, I ordered it directly from Sierra and still have the receipt :D Btw, the 256 color sticker on the front isn't the only indicator, it says VGA on the spine :P
21:15 An EGA Version of a VGA Remake of an EGA game, that's... actually perfectly appropriate for a Space Quest game and fits right with the wacky humour :)
They did the same thing with King's Quest 1 where they sold the remake in the same box as the original with the screenshots from the original. For years before being able to look this stuff up online, I thought they must have made a mistake with my copy.
Hey man, great video! I'd love to see some more videos about the sequel boxes. PS: Please put that #1 sealed box in a safety deposit box or at least a bolted down fireproof safe. It's an irreplaceable piece of history (as you know!). =)
It's on a shelf in a glass cabinet in my bedroom next to all my other Space Quest boxes. I probably should find a safer place for it but I haven't really got any. At least it's safe from my cat.
@spacequesthistorian I'm still voting for safe deposit box. All it takes is one burglary, house fire, flood... you know. This is worst case scenario of course but these things do happen! At least buy a safe, man. 😅
I'm confused now. The shrink-wrapped first-ever SQ1 box Scott gave you is non-gridded. Did Sierra start without a grid, add the grid later, then take it away again for a while, before switching to the entirely different box design that you showed in the first half of this video? Mine is non-gridded too, but has v2.2 1987-05-07 on its floppy disks and "Droids B Us".
My shitty camera probably did the first-ever box a disservice. It IS, in fact, gridded. Here's a flash photo where you can see the grid reflected in the light: i.imgur.com/RW1iIti.jpeg
@@spacequesthistorian Thanks, that makes much more sense now :-) Is the grid of the same intensity as your other gridded box? It looks fainter, maybe. Oh, and as for how incredible it is that he gave you that... WOW. That's an amazing honor. If I had that, I would feel so conflicted, I'd want to look inside. Not sure if I'd be able to restrain myself. (I would use gloves, and take scans and KryoFlux images of the floppies. Would still be a naughty thing to do to that pristine box though, I won't deny that.)
The short clip of the Apple IIc version in this video is from a full playthrough that my mate EpicPotatoFiend did. Under normal circumstances he can finish SQ1 in about 15-20 minutes. His Apple IIc video, however, is over 4 hours long.
Maybe, or they just decided to go with a different design. Same thing happened to King's Quests I-III. They came out in black boxes first, too, but were later released in slipcover boxes that have the same back design as the SQ1 rocket/screenshot boxes.
Ah, right. Well, good on you! I actually think I have it, too - the box I have did come with a 3½" disk, but it was labeled "Disk One," so... either some fuckery is afoot, or it is in fact the low-density version and whoever sold it to me just misplaced disk 2.
@spacequesthistorian yeah , the disks seem all over the place on how they are labeled and what color they are. You definitely have an awesome collection.
