4Shame: Plumbers Don't Wear Ties

Second in the line of the 4Shame column is one I should have posted 1st. Or last depending on who reads this. Just trying to say how important this title is. Top of the list or save the best for last. Regardless, Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties is an Interactive Romantic Comedy says Kirin Entertainment. The game, in whole, is comedy.

Released only in the United States in 1994 for the 3DO, Plumbers fell in the Adventure, Adult game. However, the only game play, if that, is when the player chooses the route the story goes. Usually it being only 2 choices, there really is only one right answer. Choosing the wrong answer leaves you starting all over again. Which meant disaster if you had gone far through the horror of the game and had to start all over again.

“He’s a plumber, she’s a daddy’s girl. Only you can get them together, or tear them apart.” And that’s pretty much the story to this game. Lack of story, hardly any game play, horrible picture quality, which reminds, there is no video, only pictures.

Stated to be interactive, the only FMV is in the beginning when you’re introduced to the object of the game. And after that, that’s when the game goes in a downward spiral. The Game is full of still pictures and horrible voiceovers. The voices for each character do not match. The pictures are full of comedy, in a bad way. The stills documents the bad acting and terrible directing that went into it. And the music does not help the game at all. It sounds comedic and you feel that they didn’t know what angle they were going with. At times they try to go romantic and then for no reason, go real sappy.

To sum it up, here’s another example of a rare title that has no potential to be a decent game. But that’s the beauty of these classic games. Well, not classic but old. But you have to try it to see the sheer beauty of a game that can really be considered an Epic Fail.