SQ4 comparisons

Rotating IV

Comparisons

• Has an alternate title and subtitle screens than the EGA version and CD-ROM versions.
  • The Sierra logo irises out to the Space Quest IV title screen with all text appearing at once pulsating in unison.
  • The subtitle screen consists of a single layer of text consisting of Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers (which comes in from the left side).
• The box of Slime Chow image appears in a death in the floppy version (replaced with a can of Slime Food in the CD-ROM).
• There are two versions of the floppy version including a EGA version (more rare) and the VGA version.
• The Sierra Logo is green in the floppy version taken from the same one used in King's Quest V (it's golden and more stylized "3D" in the CD-ROM, somewhat resembling a medallion or a buckazoid).
• The cursors are black and white in the original (they are replaced with full color cursors with a golden theme in the CD-Rom version. The walk icon for example, also has hair. The tongue icon has a red tongue and golden mouth, and the eye icon is blue eyes with a golden outline. There is also a full color 'wait' icon)
• Some differences in the sound effects for various things. Varies depending on sound card (MT-32 being different than Sound Blaster, and AdLib having its own), with the CD-ROM changing them to fully digital (assuming the game is set to Sound Blaster).
• The alien who vomits survives his own vomit in this version.
• Xenon is a bit darker, and artwork details are different.
• The CD-ROM changes the script in a number of places replacing the original games text.
• There are a few screens in which Roger can hide from the zombie/droid of death by hiding under the eaves of the buildings (and he will be hidden as long as no part of his body is showing). Two options include the screen where Roger can catch the bunny or the screen where the ruined speeder is. In both instances if Roger is hiding, the player loses control of the character. In the floppy version, the Droid o' Death always follows a few minutes behind the zombie. The droid will pass by the hiding place, and you will score points for having hidden from it.
  • In the CD-ROM version, the Droid o' Death can appear at any moment, heralded only by a change in the background music; the zombie won't necessarily appear to give you a visual warning, but can still appear on its own. This situation isn't as bad as it at first seems: you will still have control of Roger (unlike in the disk version) and can attempt to walk him behind cover or off the screen. You won't have much time to do this, but you'll usually have enough time to succeed, provided you're not far from a screen edge. Still, it's never a sure thing. Either of these actions counts as hiding from the Droid o' Death as far as scoring is concerned.
• The slime puzzle works differently in both versions. It apparently comes out of only one vent in the sewer if you pass by it, heading south from the entrance from maintenance hatch.
  • The death by slime reacts differently, and gives a different message.
  • In the CD-ROM version, especially if you're playing directly off of the compact disk itself, the problem can be a bit trickier. You use the same solution but you have to be much faster in scooping with the bottle, much closer to the slime, faster in stepping away from the slime, and much, much luckier. However, there are five grates from which the slime will ooze: the others are spaced around in the various screens of the sewers, and the slime will flow out if Roger walks past the grates in a downhill direction. lf you save the game when Roger enters the sewers, and keep trying, you will eventually load up on the green stuff. You have to be quick to leave the manhole to reach the SP shuttle (especially in the CD-ROM version) or Roger will get shot.

• Before you can continue with the game you must deal with SQIV's copy protection. Follow the directions on the screen. The copy protection is located on pages 8 and 9 of the Space Piston Magazine that came with the game. The "x" coordinate letters are displayed across the top of the graph on those two pages, while the "y" coordinates are displayed vertically along the side of the graph. Enter the "x" coordinate first and the "y" coordinate second for each of the symbols on the screen. When finished, press the ENTER key or click on the Done button with your mouse. The program will then turn control of the game back over to you.
  • In the CD-ROM version, the copy protection is omitted. Sierra On-Line assumed that few people would want to copy all 175 megabytes (a significant amount at the time) of the game onto their hard drives (or onto floppies, for that matter), and CD-R devices at the time were a new and extremely expensive technology, costing thousands of dollars, and not marketed to the average PC user. When the CD-ROM version of the game is installed to disk, only about six megabytes are copied to disk, with the rest remaining on the CD. This has changed with digital releases of the game.
• ATM machine (is a "Buckmaster 2000" in the CD-ROM version).
• Radio Shock (called "Hz. So Good" in the CD-ROM version. Hz. is pronounced "hertz")

• The escape from the Galaxy Galleria occurs differently, with slightly different puzzles.
  • At the base of the stairs is the Zero-G Skate-o-Rama. Walk Roger inside and immediately begin moving him straight upward. A Sequel Policeman will appear on the stairs behind him and start shooting. If Roger isn't moving, he'll die. If you move Roger off-screen to the east, he'll be on the other side of the Skate-o-Rama and he'll have the other Sequel Policeman shooting at him from the other set of stairs. Moving Roger up takes him into the dome of the Skate-o-Rama, but the Sequel Police won't let him escape that easily. Shortly after Roger arrives in the dome, so do both of Vohaul's minions. When they show up, move Roger back down to the bottom of the skating rink and onto the stairs. Take the stairs back up to the moving walkway and follow it back to the arcade.
  • In the CD-ROM: At the base of the stairs is the Zero-G Skate-o-Rama. Walk Roger inside and immediately begin moving him straight down. A Sequel Policeman will appear on the stairs behind him and start shooting. If Roger isn't moving, he'll die. The Wait icon will appear. Start clicking this (and the Walk icon when it reappears) at the very bottom of the screen, even if the icon partially disappears. Keep clicking. Don't stop; you must be fast here—very fast. The trick is to move Roger to the right edge of the screen, but not into the lower-right corner. If he survives to the right edge, move him straight up. Dodge left just a bit to avoid the top-right corner, then move up and into the dome above. Shortly after Roger arrives in the dome, so do both of Vohaul's minions. When they show up, move Roger back down to the bottom of the skating rink and onto the stairs. Keep moving. If they don't show up in the dome, move Roger a bit higher in the screen, and then down. Don't dawdle. Once down, take the stairs back up to the moving walkway and follow it back to the arcade. NOTE: The Skate-o-Rama problem can also be solved if Roger enters it on its far side. Just move him the same way, relative to the Sequel Policeman, only here you are avoiding the bottom- and top-left corners. Again, the trick to this problem is to move at once, never stop, keep clicking the mouse, and stay out of corners. Also, have a "save game" position for the start of the sequence, be patient, and maintain your cool. This one may take a lot of tries to finish.
• This version has the Dandy Pocketpal.
• The Radio Shock store's catalog has its own unique title related to Radio Shock and being part of the Dandy corporation.