The Bizarre Adventures of Woodruff and the Schnibble

Infobox VG |title = The Bizarre Adventures of Woodruff and the Schnibble


developer = Coktel Vision
publisher = Sierra Entertainment
designer = Muriel Tramis
released = 1994
genre = Adventure game
modes = Single player
ratings = ESRB: Everyone (6+)
platforms = Windows
media = CD (1)
requirements = Windows 3.1, CD-ROM, 486 or better, 4 MB RAM, 5 MB HD Space, 640x480x256 colors, sound card
input = Mouse

"The Bizarre Adventures of Woodruff and the Schnibble" (known in Europe as "Woodruff and the Schnibble of Azimuth") is a French adventure game released in 1994. It was designed by Coktel Vision and artist Pierre Gilhodes, both of whom created the popular Gobliiins series, to which "Woodruff" is very similar, both in its unique visual look and offbeat humor. "Woodruff" isn’t considered an official part of the "Gobliiins" series, however, due to its title.

It was distributed in America by Sierra Entertainment in 1995.

Despite good reviews, the game failed to find an audience and has become relatively forgotten. Regardless, it’s considered by those who remember it as a definite cult classic because of its unique atmosphere, and an underrated entry in the genre of adventure games on account of its complex and original puzzles.

"Tagline:" "Hey, it’s a CARTOON. It can happen."

Plot

The Back Story

"The Bizarre Adventures of Woodruff and the Schnibble" begins with the near-annihilation of the planet in an nuclear holocaust. Driven out by the radiation, the surviving human population retreat to the center of the Earth, where it's still warm. Millennia pass by before the humans finally decide to venture outside their underground hideouts, only to discover that the Earth had sprouted an overgrown jungle in their absence.

The Earth had also managed to sprout a race of peaceful mutants known as the Boozooks, who, were it not for their tails, pointed ears, and extraordinarily long noses would be virtually indistinguishable from humans. The actual humans, however, having failed to learn their lesson from last time, wage war on the tranquil Boozook race in what was known as ‘The Great Battle’.

After destroying their civilization, the surviving Boozooks were enslaved by the humans, forced to build the great vertical city of Vlurxtrznbnaxl. The citizens, human and Boozook alike, lived in different parts of their city depending on their socio-economic status: the poor folk lived on the lower levels, while the rich and powerful lived on the higher levels. The remaining Boozooks were instantly exploited and oppressed; their once great society in shambles, they're left to work menial jobs and manual labor.

The Present

The game begins about a century or so later, when the relations between humans and Boozooks are at their most tense. The lower-class parts of the city are stricken by poverty and crime while high society revels in corruption and greed. Running things are The President and his maniacal advisor, BigWig, who keep the city under a constant shroud of fear with brutal laws, a myriad of pointless taxes, and rumors of a ferocious nocturnal beast that likes to snack on folk who oppose their government’s laws and regulations.

Professor Azimuth, an eminent political and scientific human personality known for his work on the aging process of cells, is troubled by the plight of the Boozook race and determines to end their oppression. His goal is to find a way to unleash the Schnibble, a mystical entity that’s believed to have the ability to cause peace and prosperity to flourish. Word gets out about his work, and he’s hailed as a hero amongst the Boozook community. Unfortunately, word of the movement also reaches the ears of the BigWig. To head off any hope of a revolution, the BigWig and his thugs invade the home of Professor Azimuth and his young adopted son Woodruff, kidnapping the professor and inexplicably gunning down Woodruff’s teddy bear in the process.

Professor Azimuth barely has time to hide his son, but not before fitting him with a Viblefrotzer, a device that can speed up the aging process (which looks eerily similar to a Sony Walkman). Within seconds, Woodruff ages about fifteen years, ready to take on his new quest: rescue his adopted father, extract revenge on the evil BigWig and restore peace to the once beautiful city.

Gameplay

"Woodruff"‘s relatively simple point-and-click interface is nearly identical to the same one featured in Sierra’s : by moving your cursor over certain objects, they’ll become highlighted, indicating that it’s an item or person Woodruff can interact with. Woodruff’s inventory is accessed by clicking the right mouse button; clicking and dragging an inventory item onto a highlighted object will combine the two. However, if the items do not connect, Woodruff will openly mock you, a feature which some reviewers described as ‘annoying’.

Reception

Despite a less-than-heralded release in America, "Woodruff" was immediately acclaimed by critics everywhere. Strategy Plus gave it its most notable review, claiming it was “so addictive, you may lose your job”, which ended up being printed on the box’s front cover and used in advertisements. The review further elaborated with “…features splendid high-resolution graphics that provide further evidence that Sierra is on a roll”.

Further reviews were equally as positive: PC Gamer praised the game for its “exceptional graphics and sound”, comparing it to other offbeat adventure games such as Day of the Tentacle and Sam & Max Hit the Road [ [http://www.mobygames.com/game/win3x/bizarre-adventures-of-woodruff-and-the-schnibble/mobyrank Collection of reviews] from MobyGames] . French magazine "Joystick" called it “truly wonderful” and “a real cartoon”. MobyGames currently gives it a ranking of 85 out of 100.

On the other hand, there were several negative aspects of the game. "Gamer’s Zone", although having given it a positive review, complained about the often ludicrously hard puzzles, the lack of original music, and the repetitive background sound effects [ [http://www.worldvillage.com/wv/gamezone/html/reviews/woodrf.htm Something Very Strange Is Going On Here] from Gamer‘s Zone] .

Upon its release, "Woodruff" became nothing short of a cult classic due to its bizarre sense of humor, complex puzzles, and visual style. However, the game failed to find a mass audience and turned out to be a financial disappointment for Sierra. Today, "Woodruff" has become more or less forgotten in the adventure game world and copies of the game are getting harder to find online. Regardless, there still remains a very small but devoted fan base.

Trivia

*Due to the lack of information in the game‘s credits, manual, and the general internet, "Woodruff"‘s voice actors have never been identified.
*The trailer for "Woodruff" was included on the CD-ROMs for Sierra’s King’s Quest VII and the Space Quest collection.

ee also

*Gobliiins

References

External links

* [http://www.mobygames.com/game/win3x/bizarre-adventures-of-woodruff-and-the-Schnibble The Bizarre Adventures of Woodruff and the Schnibble] at MobyGames
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LdtvjoN1UE The trailer for the game] on YouTube.
* [http://www.mrbillsadventureland.com/reviews/u-v-w/woodruffR/woodruffR.htm Entry at Mr. Bill’s Adventure Land]
* [http://www.quandaryland.com/jsp/dispArticle.jsp?index=70 Quandaryland Review]
* [http://www.the-spoiler.com/ADVENTURE/Coktel/woodruff.1.html Walkthrough by Luca Smeriglio]