There are a few references to King's Quest in both Laura Bow. The games were once included in both the Roberta Williams Anthology and the King's Quest Collection Series.
Background[]
This was another series that began as Roberta William's series. Though she was only a consultant on second (though game was marketed under her name, and its thus considered part of Roberta William's collection).
If KQ was based on fairy tale, myths, and occasional classic horror literature. Laura Bow was a homage to classic mystery literature, film noir, Hollywood and theatrical mystery genre such as Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock. Many of the characters in the first game were named after 19-20th century personalities like (Clarence Darrow (lawyer) or Gloria Swanson). The first game's title "Colonel's Bequest" was a nod to the Sierra's Quest genres. Though the series mostly avoided the Quest title. The epilogue in Laura Bow II: "The Coroner's Inquest" was a pun on the first games title, and the Quest series titles.
The series also had its touch of fairy tale references (Bluebeard), and supernatural inspired content as well (ghosts and mummy's curses)... Even if the latter turned out to have less than supernatural causes, and the former was more of a side story. Mummies and ghosts also appeared in KQ4 and KQ7 as well.
The series has plenty of Easter Eggs as well to the King's Quest series scattered throughout.
Both games would later be included as bonus material in two of the King's Quest Collections (Collections Series box and Roberta William's Anthology box).
King's Quest[]
For inexplicable reasons Laura Bow series are included as a bonus in King's Quest Collections Series. It is also included as part of the Roberta William's Anthology as well, see King's Quest Collections.
Laura Bow 1: The Colonel's Bequest[]
- Trying to kiss the frogs or turtle in the bayou gets the reference; What do you think this is...King's Quest?! This is a reference to KQ4 and the Frog Prince.
- If you try to 'converse' with the frog or turtle you get the reference: "This isn't King's Quest!" This is probably a reference to KQ3 (and its talking animals, though its still probably tied to KQ4 with the Frog Prince).
- If you try to 'bridle' Blaze the horse, the game states "This isn't King's Quest IV." This is a reference to the Unicorn and bridle.
- The fairy tale Bluebeard, perhaps too dark to be sanitized or repurposed even for King's Quest style (though KQ does sometimes use dark fairy tale elements outside of their original context) is referenced in the game. Bluebeard is the name of a rather dark fairy tale about a evil nobleman who murders his wives, and then remarries. Everyone believes his wives have mysteriously vanished. The story begins with his latest wife figuring out his plans, and with help stopping him before he murders her. He is ultimately killed and she inherits his riches and estate. The reference is interesting when one considers Roberta William's interest in fairy tales and nursery stories, and referencing them in many of her games including King's Quest and Mixed-Up Mother Goose. The plot itself is not dissimilar to the plot in King's Quest III in which Manannan kills slaves only to replace them with a new one, after he grows tired of them. Or also similar to the plot of the magician Zoltan Carnovasch in Roberta William's Phantasmagoria.[1]
Laura Bow 2: The Dagger of Amon Ra[]
- There is a unicorn in a vat of alcohol in the basement of the museum (a reference to KQ4).[2]
- King Edward can also be found in a vat of alcohol in the basement (a reference to KQ1).[3]
- The clipboard index discussing the various alcohol vats has further King's Quest references related to the vats.[4]
- There is a painting of King Graham being tortured by skeletons in Hell in the great masters gallery.[5]
- if you examine the skeleton key, Laura Bow surmises it might be to open Pandora's Box (a reference to KQ4).
- When the king cobras are discovered in the tunnels it’s possible to interact with them and get another King's Quest reference. "This ain't King's Quest, Laura." This is a reference to KQ5.
Hoyle Games[]
- In Hoyle 1, Graham and Rosella can play against Colonel Dijon (LB1).
- In Hoyle 3, Graham, Rosella, Mordack, and Lolotte can play against Laura Bow (LB2), and Lillian Prune (LB1).
- Graham and Laura Bow (LB2) again appear in Hoyle 4.
Other[]
- Rosella encounters Laura Bow in Rosella's First Quest, and she also appears in The Bookwyrm Investigates: Sierra Characters' Favorite Books.
Unconfirmed[]
- In Laura Bow 2 Laura can also discover a "Creature from the Black Lagoon". The creature or mutant can also be found in King's Quest 4. However this could just be a coincidence in that both series happen to reference the same cult movie monster.
References[]
- ↑ InterAction: "You are now Adrienne and want to live through the game. So you explore the house, except for one room which your husband told you never to go in, though he did give you the key...Oooops sorry that's Bluebeard. You have free reign of the entire house so you explore. You poke into various things, one of which you probably shouldn't have.. .but I don't want to give too much away. I'll just leave you hanging in suspense."
- ↑ Probing around in the vat with the net, you find nothing more than an ordinary dead unicorn (possibly left over from a "King's Quest" game).
- ↑ Wielding your skimming net with authority, you probe around in the vat, completely ignoring the corpse of a king who keeps getting in the way of your search.
- ↑ CURRENT VAT CONTENTS---ALCOHOLIC PRESERVATION LAB 1 Koala Bears 2 Turtles
3 Snakes 4 Hippo
5 Ground Sloth 6 Skunks
7 Loch Ness Monster 8 Ostrich
9 Lemmings 10 Unicorn
11 Creature from the Black Lagoon
12 Rats
13 Warthogs
14 King Edward of Daventry - ↑ "An authentic re-creation, at least in Bosch's mind, of happy-go-lucky skeletons tormenting a dead king named Graham. They appear to have stolen a key from the king, which one of them is placing in their treasure barrel.", "Inspecting the painting carefully, you note the bloody quality of the red pigment and recall that Bosch was known for the use of human blood in his paintings.", "A typical lighthearted painting by Anonymous Bosch, called "A Heartwarming Story," depicting dead humans being tormented by skeletons and demons in Hell.", "This skeleton key is inscribed with eerily articulated markings; the weird orthography of a long, dead tongue. It offers no clue as to what it unlocks. Pandora's Box, perhaps?"