Another Small Favor
Our favorite green-skinned favor trader is back and he's learning a potent lesson from the last time he performed A Small Favor. There are reasons why favor trading was outlawed. One is that nefarious favors such as, I don't know, assassinating high level government officials could be bad for your health, in the way that having hordes of government goons coming after you with large guns generally is. Still, when you make your living off of favor trading, there's only one way you know of to get out of this mess. You're going to have to perform Another Small Favor.
In this point-and-click adventure from Zeebarf, you find yourself in the "blindzone," a series of locales outside of the city that provided the setting for the first game. While the government may not value your skin (at least your skin still attached to your breathing body anyway), someone out there wishes to see you alive, and tells you to go see the only person that can scrub your ID card and get the government goons off your back, "Mr. Personality."
This is easier said than done. Everything involved with favor trading seems to be easier said than done. Before your name is cleared you'll have to liquidate an evil Pig Hunter, save a Kitty Captain from bug monsters, track down a parasite worm attracted to heavy drinkers, and so much more.
As in the last game, everything here is done with the mouse. Click on hot spots to talk to other characters or pick up items. Navigate from screen to screen using the red arrows that pop up, and negotiate the overworld map by clicking on the named locations as they appear. Access the menu at any time to check out your open missions, or to grab items from your inventory. Don't forget, even though you are a favor trader, you'll have to resort to government sanctioned item-based trading from time to time, so be sure to check out the local vending machines.
And with that, if you have any hopes of one day becoming a retired favor trader, you had best be on your way. Now.
Analysis: Jay Ziebarth has delighted point-and-click fans first with his Reemus series and then with his futuristic dystopia in A Small Favor. The only problem is that when you start off making excellent games, the expectations only get higher. I'm pleased to report that the Zeebarf brand continues to meet and exceed those expectations in this return to the world of favor trading.
Another Small Favor has all those attributes that have become staples in a Zeebarf game. The artistry is wonderful and has a definitive Saturday morning cartoon appeal to it. The item-based puzzles are creative and clever. Just when you think you've explored all that they could hope to offer, you are treated to yet even more bizarre combinations and uses. Finally, the story is excellently told and executed throughout the course of the game. The plot is engrossing enough to keep you wondering what happens next, but not so overbearing that it gets in the way.
Another Small Favor even shows improvements over its predecessor. It's larger for one thing, perhaps not quite as large as the latest installments of the Reemus series, but still with plenty of meat on its bones. The puzzles feel a little more organic this time around as well, integrating a little more smoothly with the playing experience.
Also, you have even more control over your unnamed avatar, if only in small amounts. The over world map allows faster navigation, the ability to run lets you now speed through scenes, and you are even granted a variety of weapons. Okay, by variety I mean two different weapons, but there is a significant difference in their uses.
Play all the Small Favor games:
As always, there is still plenty of room for improvement. Chief among Another Small Favor's flaws is the lack of a save function. Your first time puzzling through everything can take a while, and it's a little more than frustrating having to start from the beginning every time you put it down. Another disappointment is that there is a definite lack of puzzle solutions and alternative narrative paths. In this regard, Another Small Favor woefully under performs its predecessor.
Still, if you're a fan of Zeebarf, or if you're a fan of A Small Favor, or even if you're just a fan of great point-and-click adventure games, Another Small Favor should not be missed. Don't thank me for directing you to this game. Let's just say you owe me one.
Walkthrough Guide
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Another Small Favor Walkthrough
Click on the message after you have read it.
Click on the package by the door. After you have read the message, leave by clicking on the door.
Head to the forest.
Pick up the pebble on the ground just to the left of the tree and then head right. (Note: You'll need a good amount of pebbles in this game, so pick them up when you see them. I'll point out pebbles as I go along).
Pick up the purple rose and head back to the left.
Now click on the wooden wall in the background. When you get closer, click on the door. You'll automatically relinquish your gun before entering the forest village. Don't worry, you will get it back automatically upon leaving.
Head to the pub (purplish colored tent in the upper left).
Here's where you have to find the contact. Go into your inventory and click on the scanner. Your cursor automatically becomes a translucent blue rectangle. Hover the cursor over each patron at the pub until you find a red dot (the contact's host changes for each game). When you find the red dot, it will automatically jump out of the host and give you a new objective: Find the Teddy Guard.
Leave the pub and head to the fashion district (one building to the right of the pub). Talk to the tailor to get a new objective: Find a Fuzzy Green Shawl.
Leave the fashion district and go to the Favor Hub (the next hot spot to the right of the fashion district). Talk to the retired favor trader to get a new objective: Eliminate the Pig Hunter.
Leave the retiree, and head to the Snail Farm (the right most building in the forest city). Click on one of the snails. This will give you a new item (a BAGEL registration form), and a new Objective: Become a BAGEL member.
Leave the Snail Farm and go to the Medical Tent.
Talk to the Doc to get a new Objective: Find Blue Medicinal Flower.
Leave the Medical Tent and go to the trade center in the exact middle of town.
In the lower left hand corner of this scene is a pebble, pick it up.
Use your cigar from your inventory on the Trade-O-Matic and pick out the slingshot in return.
Leave the Trade Center and return to the forest.
There should be another pebble by the tree, go ahead and get it, then head to the right.
Go right once more. You'll come across a bridge and the armed Pig Hunter. He'll shoot you. This is okay, you'll need the head wound for later. After shooting you, you'll get knocked back a scene. This time, go into your inventory and click on your energy shield.
With energy shield in place, head right once more to the bridge. This time the Pig Hunter hits your shield and you take cover behind the bridge railing. You also automatically draw your gun. Hover your mouse over the Pig Hunter and keep clicking until you hit him. His shield will be destroyed, and he'll get blown one screen to the right.
Before chasing the Pig Hunter, don't forget to pick up the pebble on the other side of the bridge.
Now head right to chase the Pig Hunter. On the next screen, you'll automatically take cover again. Just like the last time, hover your crosshairs over the Pig Hunter and keep clicking until he's taken out. (Notice how this time when you accomplish a mission, your inventory pops up and a button appears on the right? Remember this as you can now call in favors people owe you)
Go right twice. You'll see a guy holding a spear and wearing a large teddy bear head. Click on him to talk to him. You'll get a new mission: Retrieve Sky Key.
Head all the way back to the first forest scene.
By now you should have four pebbles in your inventory. If you don't, return to the forest city to get another stone from the trading center, or explore around a bit until you do have four.
HUNTING. This can be done later in the game, but we're going to do it now to get it out of the way. You need to get four dead animals. Any combination of rabbit or bird will work. First go into your inventory and click on the slingshot. This will replace your gun with the slingshot on the regular view (Note: You CAN kill animals with your gun, but they get vaporized and are no longer useful to you). Now you can shoot the rabbit and the bird in the first screen of the forest, and collect both bodies. Head one screen right. There's another bird and another rabbit, but the rabbit can be kind of hard to see. Shoot the bird with the slingshot and if you can shoot the rabbit as well. If you can't get the rabbit, it's not a big deal, just head back to the first forest scene and get another rabbit or bird from there. Once you have four carcasses, go ahead and leave the forest.
First stop is the scavenger village on the left side of the overworld map. Click to go there. (Note: Sometimes there are pebbles in this location. Check here if you find you are in need of some)
Give the dead animals to the scavenger. You have to do this one at a time, and in return for each dead animal, you can pick out one of his items. You'll get a pole, a bungee cord, a bowling ball, and a hat. Once you've gotten everything, return to the overworld map.
Now head for the little house on the Hills. Give the application from your inventory to the old man. Next give the purple rose to the old man. You now have proof that you are a member of BAGEL. Before you leave, grab one of the blue flowers behind the old man. Now return to the overworld map.
Go back to the forest pick up the same pebble by the same tree (last one I promise), and then head into the city.
Go to the medical tent and give the doctor the blue flowers. Your inventory automatically pops up and the doctor has a button over on the right. Go ahead and click it and a message pops up that you have an appointment.
Talk to the doctor again. He'll fix your head wound, and let you take the teddy bear from the "gift shop". Leave the medical tent.
Go back to the snail farm. Give your membership paper to the snail farmer and he'll automatically give you a furry snail (no need to pick one up on your own). Leave the snail farm.
Go to the trade center and if you don't have any pebbles in your inventory, go ahead and get the one here. Now, use the bowling ball and the hat to get from the vending machine the seat and the glue paper. Leave the trade center.
Head to the fashion district. Give the green snail to the tailor to make the mayor come out. You also get a button from the tailor allowing you to call in a favor (which we will be doing quite shortly).
Once the mayor comes out, pull out your slingshot and shoot the key on his wrist. If you don't have any pebbles (and you should), there is a pebble lying on the ground here. Pick up the sky key, and leave the forest city but stay in the forest.
Head all the way to the right where you met the Teddy Guard. Give him the key and he tells you to meet him at the Great Chasm. He'll also give you a new objective: Obtain a Teddy Uniform.
Go ahead and bring up your inventory now and call in the favor from the tailor. You say you have all the materials you just need to get there, so go back to the tailor in the fashion district.
Give the tailor the teddy bear, and he'll give you a teddy mask in return. We can now leave the forest for good.
From the overworld, head to the scratching trees in the lower right hand corner of the screen.
Click on the purple cat post to watch the Kitty Captain get kidnapped by a giant spider monster. Leave the scratching trees and head to the Spider's Lair in the mountains.
Use the glue paper on the spider web. The spider will swing down and get stuck. Pull out your gun and blast him. Now click on the kitty and you'll have earned the fourth favor owed to you. Leave the Spider's Lair and head to the Great Chasm.
Click on the contraption to get a new objective: Fix the Catapult.
From your inventory, use the seat, pole, and bungee cord on the catapult to fix it and cross the chasm.
On the other side of the chasm, click on the bear mask in your inventory. You can now use the blue elevator to go up into sky camp.
Click on the ladder in the background to keep going up.
Click on the crooked stairs to reach Mr. Personality's office. Enter the green tent.
Mr. Personality is impressed with you. He says he'll give you a new ID if you eliminate Commander Poppet. Thus do you come to your final objective.
Head down the stairs and enter the toy soldier barracks to the left at the foot of the stairs.
From your inventory, call in the favor from the Kitty Captain.
Pull your gun and shoot at the toy soldier. You'll take cover behind some crates.
Call in your favor from the favor trader. He'll arrive and start shooting at the Toy Soldier. As he shoots, you also need to shoot at the toy soldier and you'll eventually vaporize him.
Holster your gun and talk to the figure cringing behind the rock. He'll beg you not to kill him.
Draw your gun and shoot him.
CONGRATULATIONS! You've just beat the game!
And Special Thanks to our very own Kyle for writing up this walkthrough \o/
Posted by: Kero
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August 26, 2009 9:05 PM