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Monty Python's Complete Waste of Time

aka: Monty Python's Reine Zeitverschwendung
Moby ID: 1975
Windows 3.x Specs

Description

Monty Python's Complete Waste of Time is an interactive CD-ROM with minigames, screen savers, desktop wallpaper and icons mainly based on Monty Python's Flying Circus TV series.

based on the world of Monty Python. Including a game to discover the secret to Intergalactic Success, the Desktop Pythonizer, and an Interactive Monty Python Show.

The game's main menu takes the form of a brain with six sections:

  • The Exploding TV Room has, like most areas of the game, multiple hotspots which trigger animations, audio clips or minigames. The main focus in this area is the TV which shows clips from the TV series.
  • The Portrait Gallery shows three pictures on the wall. Clicking on these triggers a video clip but just leave them alone and the clips will be shown anyway along with other animated effects. In addition to the pictures there are other hotspots on the frames and the wall.
  • Corridor starts with the "Big Head" spouting all kinds of objects after which a click anywhere on the background will trigger a video clip. In the upper left of the screen is an On/Off button which toggles between the video mode and a pinball game set inside medieval archways/
  • The Loonatorium has multiple hotspots and the Spot the Loony minigame which is a Whac-A-Mole variant.
  • Try Your Skill section has three mini games:

    • The Chicken/Bird Game is a mouse/keyboard controlled game. On the left of the screen is a mouth which opens and closes, on the right a man/chicken hybrid is launched across the screen and the object is to land the bird in the mouth.
    • The Gopher Game is another Whac-A-Mole variant.
    • The Pig Game is a keyboard shooter game. A big pink pig flies across the top of the screen above a cowboy. The cowboy shoots the pig, which splits into three, and scores points for also shooting the little pigs. If any of the three little pigs falls to earth and the cowboy walks on them he loses points. In addition the flying pig poops and each plop that hits the ground turns into some kind of rabid attack piglet that attacks the cowboy, whose only defence is to jump on them because if he doesn't they will kill him.
  • The Pythoniser which is a set of windows customisation options

    • The Noisy Bits is a selection of sound files that can be used to tweak Windows bleeps and whistles. It is divided into four sections: Windows Events, Apppropriate Commentary, Telephone Answering Machine Messages and Keyboard Events.
    • O.L.E Animations contains over thirty video clips that feature in the main title. These all play in a small window in the centre of the screen.
    • Wallpapers.
      • Over twenty-five Living Wallpapers, most of which are interactive and are practically minigames, mostly shooters.
      • Around fifty static images.+ Screensavers: non-interactive versions of the Living Wallpapers.
    • Forty-eight Icons that the user can install and assign to their Windows programs

Among the shown clips are many classic ones, such as the "The Dirty Vicar", "Nudge, Nudge", "The Dead Parrot" and "The Lumberjack Song".

Groups +

Screenshots

Promos

Credits (Windows 3.x version)

89 People (65 developers, 24 thanks) · View all

Executive Producer
Supervising Producer
Creative Director
Producer
Pythonizer Producer
Director of Production
Line Producer
Technical Director
Associate Producer
Production Assistant
Consulting Producer
Production Manager (Digital Animation Studio)
Digital Effects Artists
Production Coordinator
Assistant Coordinator
Color Key Design
Ink and Paint
[ full credits ]

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 82% (based on 9 ratings)

Players

Average score: 2.9 out of 5 (based on 13 ratings with 2 reviews)

Indeed, a complete waste of time.

The Good
What a shame! A Monty Python license, and this is all they came up with. This game stinks! I guess the only genuinely good thing about it is the video portions from Monty Python's Flying Circus and various performances. These rock. Hell yeah.

Oh yeah, and the voice acting is terrific. THE PIG GAME!

The Bad
Argh! As a game this is a total flop. The graphics are horrendous. The sound is terrible. And the interface, my my, the interface is a complete disaster. The so-called storyline (assuming you are actually courageous, not to mention pretentous, enough to call it that) is totally linear, boring, ridiculous and STUPID. Why the hell did I ever bother playing this s?

*The Bottom Line

Terrible. Totally terrible. Play it just to grab a few Monty Python videos (The Body of the Ant being my personal favorite), then dump it where it belongs... recycled Deletium. You know what to do with it.

Windows 3.x · by Tomer Gabel (4538) · 2000

I like it. Of course, I'm a huge Monty Python fan.

The Good
MONTY PYTHON SKITS! Also, the games, despite being repetitive, are fun. Just a well-put together package. And now that you can get it for 19.99 with Holy Grail(a much better game), which is an excellent deal.

The Bad
The games are repetitive. Also, I didn't like the maze portions. Also, Holy Grail is better.

The Bottom Line
Well, buy it for the Python skits. If you're not a Python fan, STAY AWAY.

Windows 3.x · by emerging_lurker (160) · 2000

Trivia

Errors

For the Monty Python purists out there, you might notice that the designers made one, possibly game-stopping, error in the game. During one of the many challenges found throughout the game, there is a trivia section that requires a fill-in-the-blank response. One of the questions regarding the "How Not to be Seen" sketch asks you to complete the following line: "Nobody likes a _______"

Apparently, the game designers were not able to make out John Cleese's words, as the narrator, during the sketch. The answer you must input is "Benedict" but in fact if you listen carefully the -real- answer is "Nobody likes a Clever Dick"

(This can be corroborated from the line of Monty Python books, "All the Words: Volume Two")

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Identifiers +

  • MobyGames ID: 1975
  • [ Please login / register to view all identifiers ]

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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Rodney Lai.

Macintosh added by Scaryfun.

Additional contributors: Jeanne, Anonymous Gamer, Alaka, Andreas Kuerzinger.

Game added July 16, 2000. Last modified September 29, 2023.