THE MAKING OF: FREDDY PHARKAS: FRONTIER PHARMACIST
IN THE KNOW
» PUBLISHER: SIERRA ON-LINE
» DEVELOPER: SIERRA ON-LINE
» RELEASED: 1993 (FLOPPY), 1994 (CD-ROM)
» PLATFORM: PC, MAC
» GENRE: POINT-AND-CLICK ADVENTURE
DEVELOPER HIGHLIGHTS
LEISURE SUIT LARRY 6: SHAPE UP OR SLIP OUT!
SYSTEM: PC
YEAR: 1993
GABRIEL KNIGHT: SINS OF THE FATHERS
SYSTEM: PC
YEAR: 1993
CONQUESTS OF THE LONGBOW: THE LEGEND OF ROBIN HOOD (PICTURED)
SYSTEM: PC
YEAR: 1991
When you’re facing a stampede of snails, deadly levels of horse flatulence and a no-good schoolmarm, only one man can save the day. Pharkas, Freddy Pharkas: peerless, earless and free.
If this sounds like your kind of game, then congratulations, pardner – ya got a treat in store. Al Lowe and Josh Mandel brought us a western adventure that’s a hidden gem in Sierra On-Line’s extensive back catalogue. The exploits of the gunslinger-turned-chemist feature devious puzzling, a rich cast of characters and more background jokes than any other point-and-click title you can name.
Writer and former stand-up comic Josh had impressed Sierra’s CEO Ken Williams with his comedy performance at the 1990 company Christmas party, and he was thrilled when his boss approached him to work on a humour-driven titles and their spin-off, , a set of -themed ‘non-productivity’ programs that took a gentle swipe at Norton. As Josh explains, Sierra used a ‘star system’ at the time: established designers’ names would be attached to a project, while an up-and-comer would be given a dry run at the tough slog of putting the game together.
