2004 AG Underground Awards

Best Graphics

No-Action Jackson by Britton O’Toole

It’s extremely rare that an amateur adventure comes along that really compares in any way to the Golden Age commercial adventure releases of the early to mid ’90s. In this category, we reward the Underground games that have shown a level of graphical excellence that compares to that hallowed era. This year, that winner is No-Action Jackson.

NAJ‘s graphics are of a warped, Day of the Tentacle-influenced style, with a main character who’s very reminiscent of DOTT‘s Bernard, without looking overly derivative. The backgrounds and characters are of an equally high quality, with a tremendous amount of detail and lively color. The twisted artistic style makes the game, which is humorous in theme, all the more charming. No-Action Jackson is a highly deserving winner of this award, with graphics comparable to the LucasArts classics that we’ve all grown to love.

First Runner-Up: Apprentice II by Herculean Effort Productions

Second Runner-Up: Patrimonium by Chuck Productions

Best Sound/Music

Apprentice II by Herculean Effort Productions

In 2004, the first Apprentice game ran away with this award. With a sequel boasting 25 minutes of in-game music, Herculean composer Greg Schlaepfer outdid himself with this effort. We spoke last year of Apprentice‘s knack for catchy, medieval tunes; the sequel continues this trend with even stronger and more complex compositions, and the occasional flair for the dramatic. The result is yet another runaway win in the most underrated category.

It is a testament to the excellence of Apprentice II that this was the only category where all five of the voters unanimously agreed on the winner. There is clearly no other choice, no other developer who values this aspect of their games as much. Our hope is that Herculean’s peers in the Underground community will begin to put stronger focus on the audio aspects of their games. For now, though, the Apprentice series continues to set the standard.

First Runner-Up: Ben Jordan: Case 3 by Francisco “Grundislav” Gonzalez

Second Runner-Up: Brain Hotel by Pinhead Games