Vinnie's Tomb Chapter Two

Vinnie's Tomb Chapter Two - Shine and Glow Vinnie is the second installment in the Vinnie's Tomb trilogy of adventure games by Reldni Productions.

Development
In a May 20, 1997 interview with Reldni correspondent John Morgan, the head of software development at Reldni, Freddie Finkle, revealed that the second chapter of Vinnie's Tomb was scheduled for release that summer after the great success of Vinnie's Tomb Chapter One (which at that point had been downloaded between 600 and 700 times). He also explained that since his team of programmers were engaged in a major chess competition, he would probably have to write the entire game himself. Shortly after the interview, Finkle was fired by Reldni Productions President Troy Scott, who subsequently developed the game himself. It was successfully published in 1997.

In December 1997, not long after work on Chapter Two had ended and work on Vinnie's Tomb Chapter Three had begun, Troy Scott was kidnapped by Mike Alfano. During his absence, John Morgan tracked down Freddie Finkle, who was in the midst of forming his own nudist colony after having left a teaching position in Mozambique. In an exclusive interview Finkle claimed that he was currently in negotiations with another party from parts unknown, who was interested in his ultimately cut ideas for Vinnie's Tomb Chapter Two.

On December 28, 1997, Vinnie's Tomb Chapter Two was awarded the Simply The Best Software Award by PlanMagic.

Soundtrack
The game's soundtrack was written and performed by Troy Scott. A mix of sound effects and excerpts from the game was released on the CD The Long Point Trip. Included in this mix is the previously unheard of "Danny Roy Boy" clip. Danny Roy Boy was a character in a part that ultimately did not appear in the game.

Pass codes and cheat codes
In addition to the regular pass codes used to jump directly to one of the later mazes, there are some cheat codes that can be entered in the pass code terminal:
 * BEXTXEVEX: Skip to Maze Two
 * XASTXEVEX: Skip to Maze Three
 * CHEATWINS: Gain one key in Maze One, and unlimited keys and explosives in Maze Three
 * DANNYKAYE: Receive Vinnie's Journal from Jasper the Ghost in Maze Three
 * MAXENERGY: Gain max energy in Maze Three
 * WEBBOYBOY (a reference to Scott "Web Boy" Soroko): Unlock the hidden passage in the green room in Maze Three

In addition, there's another cheat for the fifteen numbers moving puzzle in Maze One: If you double click (if nothing happens, try quadruple clicking) Vinnie, a small button will appear in the upper right corner which, when pressed, will solve the puzzle for you.

Transcript and walkthrough
This is a combined transcript and walkthrough of the entire game. Text that is transcribed verbatim from the game is indented as a block quote.

Introduction
"After a perilous and ridiculous journey, Vinnie has discovered his ancestral Tomb. Shortly after entering the Tomb, Vinnie is attacked by a vicious monster known as the Dragollater.""Vinnie loses consciousness as the monster tears his flesh. Later, Vinnie wakes up. The Dragollater has disappeared. Vinnie examines his arms and legs. He cannot believe that he appears unscathed. He is no longer in any pain.""The puzzled Vinnie enters the next room in the Tomb. Now you can continue Vinnie's adventure in the exciting second chapter of Vinnie's Tomb."

Maze One
Vinnie starts at a crossroad in a maze. If he walks to the East for a while, he meets Namreh the tomb robot.

Namreh the tomb robot
"Vinnie: Hello. Who are you?""Namreh: I am Namreh the tomb robot. Who are you?""Vinnie: My name is Vinnie.""Namreh: What are you doing in the tomb?""Vinnie: I'm not really sure. I have heard rumours that the tomb is full of treasure.""Namreh: You better leave. There is no treasure here.""Vinnie: I don't understand.""Namreh: That's okay, the writer of this game is making the plot up as he goes along.""Vinnie: Do you know anything about the SZC?""Namreh: Yes. Listen closely as I reveal the stark horrible truth.""Namreh the robot blows up just before it can reveal the stark horrible truth!"

Walking East past the starting position, Vinnie finds a Pass Code terminal which can be used to enter pass codes to skip to other mazes, or cheat codes.

If he then walks South, East and then North, he finds an explosive which can destroy the grate North of the starting position.

Go West. To the West there is a faulty explosive which will kill you, so ignore that. Instead, go North to find Jasper the ghost.

Puzzle One: Jasper the ghost
"Jasper the amiable ghost is trapped. Solving the puzzle will free him."

Solution: Free Jasper the ghost!

With Jasper freed, exit and then go East twice. Jasper will hand you an explosive. Go West and use it on the grate to the North.

Puzzle Two: Fifteen numbers
The following message was listed on the "Tips and Tricks" section of Reldni's website:

We do not yet have a guaranteed solution to the second puzzle in the first maze (the one with the fifteen numbers). The squares must be placed in numerical order row by row. The squares are scrambled differently each time you play the game. Sometimes you can get an easier puzzle. This is not a highly original puzzle. It works like any other sliding tile puzzle. If you know how to solve these puzzles, you'll have no problems. If you're really stumped, go to the pass code terminal and enter the code BEXTXEVEX to skip to the next level.

If anyone knows how to properly methodically solve the sliding tile puzzle please e-mail us at reldni@skylinc.net.

However, "yet" is the keyword here; there is a secret in this room that Reldni never revealed. If you double click Vinnie (actually quadruple clicking seems to be required most of the time), a small button will appear in the upper right corner. When clicked, it will solve the puzzle.

You will receive a key. Exit and go South until you reach the starting position again. Then East, South past the Pass Code terminal, East twice, and then unlock the door to the South.

To remove the blockage, press the following blocks, from left to right: Middle, bottom, top, top, bottom, bottom, bottom, middle.

You walk into the next part of the tomb. You see a nine letter code on the wall...

BEXTXEVEX

Maze Two



 * Pass Code: BEXTXEVEX

You begin next to a Pass Code terminal, which you can use to enter pass codes to skip to other mazes, or cheat codes.

Go North twice, and then East, East, South, South, West.

Here is an explosive which will come in handy. If you follow the hallway West, South, South, East, you will see a pit that you can't cross. How do you cross the pit?

Go back (West, North, North, East, East, North, North, West, West) and then go West again, blowing up the grate. Then go West once more.

At this point, if Vinnie goes West one more time, he will die:

"Not paying attention, you fall into a large bottle of pulpy lemonade and drown."

Also, if he goes South, he will also die:

"You have entered an area of intense radiation. Your energy has drained. You collapse."

Here you can go North to do a little dance.

Instead, pick up the key. Go East, East, East and then South to find a door to unlock.

"You open the box to find some kind of protective suit."

Now go back (North, North). Here you can go North once more to do a little dance.

When you're finished dancing, go West, West, West (here you are back at the point where you will die if you go West once more) and South to reach Puzzle Three.

The Alfano
"You get bored wandering around aimlessly in the tomb. You decide to perform the latest dance craze, The Alfano."

"Come on everybody. Just follow Vinnie and Do The Alfano!"If you listen to the entire song (which is a MIDI arrangement of "The Alfano" from Reldni's album Year of The Alfano):"You must have really enjoyed that! Perhaps, a little too much. Write this nine letter code down: DANNYKAYE"

Puzzle Three: What is the question?
"Sensing this to be a hazardous area of the tomb, you put on the protective suit."

"What is the question?"

Solution: How do I cross the pit?

"When you touch ladder it vanishes."

Now go North to exit the radiated area.

"You take off the protective suit. You find it too hot and uncomfortable to wear."

Now you must return to the pit. East, East, East, East, South, South, West, West, South, South, East. The ladder now allows you to cross the pit. Turn on the lift in the next room.

"Message from Reldni Productions: We hope you enjoyed that."

"You walk through the cave like enterance into another maze. You see some writing on the left wall. It reads XASTXEVEX"

Maze Three

 * Pass Code: XASTXEVEX

As Vinnie delves deeper into the maze, the level of radioactivity increases and will now diminish his energy over time. This maze is also much larger, so you could easily get lost and lose all your energy in a dead end. At the start of the maze, you find an energy ball which replenishes Vinnie's energy.

Go North and pick up the key. To the East is a Pass Code terminal, which you can use to enter cheat codes in order to make this final maze easier.

To the East you will find a door to the South which you must unlock. Go East, South and East and pick up the explosive, and then South until you reach a wall with a message:"Find the hidden passage somewhere in the maze."Make sure you don't go East at this point, which leads to sudden death:

"Not paying attention you step on a trap door. You fall down five flights of stairs and land on a dozen dinosaurs made of sponge cake. A large gorilla-like hamster chases you around a pit of hot tamales asa Mexican kangaroo plays a tuba. You will not live much longer."Go back North until you hit the wall, then head East twice, where you will find a mysterious green room.

Make your way back to the start of the maze: West, West, West, North, West, North, West, West, South.

HIDDEN PASSAGE"You have unlocked a hidden passage in the green room."

You find a notebook with a hand written letter. You begin to read the contents.


 * To whom it may concern,
 * My name is Roberta Fibbs. I'm writing this letter in the hope that someone may discover it.
 * For years the Sinister Zebra Committee has been using this tomb for it's evil dark agenda. As a result of a dangerous experiment the tomb has become radioactive. I was among the elite scientists employed by the SZC. I helped develop the Energy Balls that allow us to survive in this harmful environment.
 * It was five months after I began working in the tomb that I discovered the horrible truth.
 * The evil Mr. York caught me taking elastic bands from the supply room without permission. I was imprisoned in a room and forced to listen to Michael Bolton CDs. Little Eddie the gingerbread man helped me escape the madness. I tried to run, but I got lost in the maze.
 * I have now collapsed in this room of the tomb's maze. I cannot find anymore energy balls to substain me. My body grows weaker as it glows with the strange radioactive dust. I shall hide this letter now. I hope that someone will find it and have the courage to stop the terror.

You exit the maze.

The End
It can now be revealed that the evil Ernie York has been monitoring Vinnie's progress from a secret control room in the tomb. Although he is suffering from a radioactive shine and glow effect, Ernie is still very much alive.


 * Ernie York: Vinnie the clown is cleverer than I thought. He must be stopped before he finds this room. With the nightmare machine still broken, I will have to terminate him some other way. Wait a minute! Hah Hah! The fool has stepped on the trap door! I guess you could say he fell for it!
 * Vinnie: HEEEEEEEEELP!!!

Is this the end for Vinnie?

Thank you for playing Vinnie's Tomb Chapter Two. Be sure to look for Chapter Three available June 1998.

And now for the credits...

Credits
Vinnie's Tomb Chapter Two's original story line was written by Freddie Finkle before Reldni president Troy Scott fired him. In Finkle's original outline Vinnie discovers that the tomb is really part of a fast food chain. Vinnie meets a young woman named Veronda Sanchos. The two fall in love and leave the tomb. Two months later Vinnie and Veronda encounter a group of carrot stick eating rock musicians. The band has misplaced their bass player Sal Evans. Vinnie and Veronda agree to help the band find Sal. They retrace the journey of the band's last tour in a multicoloured school bus. Along the way Vinnie, Veronda and the band learn exciting and useful things about Canada's Provinces and Territories despite the fact they are travelling through the State of Wyoming.

Freddie Finkle now teaches English and Physical Education at a Mozambique boarding school for unemployed standup comedians.

Like all other Reldni games, pretty much all of Vinnie's Tomb Chapter Two was written and programmed by Troy Scott himself.

The End