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Paradise Computer Solutions
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Eerie
Settings and
abandoned
treasure are
just part of
the scenery
on the
forbidding
(yet still
goofy) Tooth
Island
An out-there nautical adventure powers the plot. You play as Jack Keane, a Han Solo-like British rogue tasked with taking a secret agent for her majesty's secret service to a rather ominous-sounding destination in the Indian Ocean called Tooth Island. It seems that a madman named Doctor T is threatening to destroy tea plants in the region, which naturally drives the Brits to the point of madness wondering what they'll drink with their crumpets. The setting is the 19th century, when the sun never set on the British Empire, so get ready for lots of fops, pith helmets, and outrageous moustaches. Resemblances to LucasArts' classic Monkey Island games are entirely intentional, with Jack taking part in a screwball escapade that gets progressively zanier as you unravel the mystery of Doctor T's fiendish plot. If you've played any of those great old Lucas point-and-clickers, you'll feel right at home by the time you encounter the crazed scientist's superapes and cannibal plants.
There are some nice touches including a funny Victorian variation on the distinctly modern Nigerian banking scam, a great Star Wars joke or two, a Clouseau-like British secret agent, and Flintstones-styled technology, such as monkey-powered electricity.
Visuals are over the top in a classic Saturday morning cartoon fashion, with lots of deep chins, pop eyes, and exaggerated architecture. Voice acting is equally flamboyant, with many thick accents on display.
What would
an adventure
be without a
femme fatale
to
complicate
everything?
Puzzles are straight-up old school. Jack Keane is loaded with traditional point-and-click challenges that can be a bit obscure at times. But, at least, they stay within the bounds of reason and gradually ramp up in difficulty. By the time they get fairly tough, you should be thinking in adventure-game logic. At any rate, there are real-world solutions to just about every problem. Need to feed a plant some fish? Go angling with a readily available chain of sausages. Path blocked by vines? Whip out Jack's trusty jackknife. Need to fix up the broken taillight on an elephant taxi? Just take grandma's best jam, a broken-hearted wannabe pirate, a red sock, and--OK, so not everything is entirely sane. Still, there is more common sense here than in most old-time adventure games. Even the more outlandish puzzle solutions can be readily figured out with some careful observation and experimentation.