1996 video game
9: The Last Resort is a 1996 adventure computer game developed by Tribeca Interactive.
Gameplay
Most of the puzzles in 9 relate to the musical theme, provided mainly by Aerosmith. Many of the puzzles are based in a specific musical instrument, such as the drums, guitar, and organ; however, no musical knowledge of these instruments is required. The gameplay centers on an organ upon which the player can play musical codes. On each "floor" of the resort, the player finds a code sheet containing instructions for playing a short musical piece on the organ. However, each sheet extends the code making it more difficult to interpret. This culminates in the final puzzle in which the player must be thoroughly familiar with the code.
Plot
The player character has just inherited a hotel, The Last Resort, belonging to their deceased uncle, Thurston Last. The hotel is inhabited by nine muses. As the player character enters the hotel, it becomes clear that it is no longer a hospitable place. Its wacky inhabitants live in fear of a pair of squatters known as the Toxic Twins. Only the aeroplane-man Salty is brave enough to wander around and talk to the player character. The player's goal is to reconstruct "The Muse Machine" and banish the Toxic Twins.
Development
The game was produced by Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal, and sported a cast of voice-artists including Cher, James Belushi, Christopher Reeve, Tress MacNeille and Steven Tyler & Joe Perry of Aerosmith. It also includes the visual style and artwork of Mark Ryden.[2] It was developed for the Windows and the Mac OS platforms.[3] The title was in development as early as February 1996[4] and was Tribeca Interactive's debut game.[5][6]
Reception
GameSpot gave the game a 7.3 out of 10' stating: "If you're still boasting that you solved Myst in under 14 hours, give this one a shot. It may not take you as long to finish, but it's a far more beautiful and less disorienting ride".[8]
MacAddict said "It's the grooviest Made-With-Macromedia-Director game yet, and although it’s not an action-packed twitch-fest, the combination of artsy tomfoolery, good-natured pseudomysticism, and K-A rated brainteasers give 9: The Last Resort all the markings of a prestigious cult hit"[11]
