A Case of the Crabs
You ready for a golden oldie? Well, Nick Bounty's A Case of the Crabs is so golden you can't even see the gold because it's all in black and white (er, that means it's really old, circa 2004). So get those brains fired up and those clicking fingers oiled for this whodunit point-and-clicker.
It's the big city, and Nick Bounty is a down-on-his-luck noir-ey noir-ish black and white, fedora wearing gumshoe looking for his next client…
Okay, stop for a second. I mean, come on, we all know what happens next. Somewhere between the gritty descriptions of the big city and the ruminations on how it's a good thing he's taken to sleeping in his office because his rent is three months late, some knockout femme fatale will walk in with a slinky evening dress (it would be red, except this is black and white, so it's really gray), and she'll start going on and on about her rich husband's murder or some such. And really, there will be no need to investigate, because she obviously did it herself, because the femme fatale always did it, or else the "fatale" part wouldn't be necessary. We only conduct investigations because if there were no investigations, there wouldn't be a movie/book/video game etc…
Wait, what's that? It's not a femme fatale, but a guy carrying a crate of crabs? Pfft! He's still probably the one that did it…
What do you mean he couldn't have done it? Oh, yes, I suppose a knife sticking out of his back might put a damper on my theory. Still, was it the lower back? Because you know if you reach around just so…
Okay, okay, I get it. Let's gird up our loins with trench coats and well worn shoes, and hit the pavement in this cold, ruthless burg. We've got a killer to catch, and also, a counterfeiter of crabs.
Analysis: As was the case with Goat in the Gray Fedora, a Case of the Crabs isn't so much a whodunit as it is a pretty standard point and clicker, granted a very funny point and clicker.
The visuals are fine (better, in my opinion, than the updated 3D graphics used for GitGF), and unless you hate slow jazz it's hard not to dig the background music. And the voice acting is pretty solid, even if the production quality is a little rough around the edges.
But what really matters is that A Case of the Crabs is truly hilarious parody. From the opening sequence to the final confrontation, there is no shortage of jokes and playful jabs at the old private dick tales of yore, all told by someone who obviously loves the genre he's roasting.
As for the item-based puzzles, many are fairly simple, but they are sandwiched between the ones which defy logic. This may put off some players, but true PnC fans will tear up with affection — no point-and-click adventure enthusiast is a stranger to item usage that makes zero sense whatsoever.
It's been around for a while, so we expect many of you are already familiar with A Case of the Crabs, but if Nick Bounty's first adventure missed you, now's a great time to give it a go.
Walkthrough Guide
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A Case of the Crabs Narrative Walkthrough
When a crab salesman throws your door open and immediately gets stabbed, you know something's up. So I got to work. First of all I picked up a crab that had wandered out of his crate, as well as the knife in his back, a book on fingerprinting in my bookshelf, and my expired library card from my desk. Not much else of interest.
500 Easy Steps to Fingerprinting was so thick I couldn't even begin to read it, so I cut it down to size- literally- with my knife. Now it was much more readable. I read the first step: make sure the victim has hands. I checked out Arthur's left hand; yep, it most definitely looked like a hand. I also took a good look at the crate, which had come from a company called Shiny Barnacle. I decided to go there next.
The docks were a bit peculiar. The man sitting on the pier was too busy to notice me until I rigged his bucket with my crab, at which point I enjoyed a short conversation from him. Now I swiped a sea sponge from a nearby crate, and used the same crab to frighten a squid. The second step to fingerprinting was to get an ink pad, and by dipping the sponge in the fresh puddle of squid ink, I got one. I wasn't done at the docks just yet, though. Using my knife to open a crate of crabs, I looked at the crab inside; it was a fake! After that I picked it up and returned to my office.
Step three: swab the victim's finger with ink. Ink pad to hand. Step four: press it against the fingerprint card. My library card worked just fine. Now I had a fingerprint and not the slightest idea what to do with it, so I headed out on the town once again. This time I went to the Blue Crab Café.
The Lonely Guy poster near the Café made me weep, so I used my knife to cut out a picture of his face. Then, for a reason I wasn't sure of at the moment, I stuck the picture onto my library card next to the fingerprint. But on to business: an ID card needed to be scanned to enter the Café, and thankfully my new fake ID card worked just fine. Inside, I spoke to the waitress, then headed back to the kitchen.
Ugh, that chef was depressing. I talked with him; apparently he knew a lot. I then swiped a piece of cheese from the kitchen and left through the back door, only to be confronted by a thug who pointed a gun at me. I hadn't had a gun pointed at me in almost two weeks! I went along with him and became acquainted with the Boss. He was fat, ugly, and untouchable. I needed evidence.
Evidence. First I grabbed some sliced tin cans from the trash can, then left and headed back to the Café. The back gate was open this time, so I went in, shoved an empty crate aside, and picked up the business card that rested on the floor. I then used my crab to disable the fusebox, pickpocketed two wires that had fallen out, and ducked inside for just enough time to steal the chef's Victrola.
Now it was finally time to visit Jim's Shack O' Crabs. He wouldn't speak to me because he was busy with a rat, but by combining some cheese and a toy crab to create a rat trap, I was able to take care of that problem. I spoke to him, and he needed someone who was a good exterminator. A thug is as good an exterminator as any, so I handed him the business card I found in the alley.
Back in front of the Boss's, the thug was busy with the phone. I hooked up my can halves with some wires, then used it to listen in on the conversation on the other side of the window. Then, I added the victrola to the mix, and used all that on the window. It was time to confront the Boss now, but he just had to ruin everything and shoot my evidence to kingdom come! I hate types who put up a fight.
So what was I to do? Shoot him? No, I don't have a gun. Stab him? No, too messy. Throw a crab into his pants? Hey, that actually worked!
...Damn, for a large man, he sure fell slowly.
Posted by: SonicLover
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April 9, 2009 12:23 PM
Another Case of the Crabs walkthrough...
A Case of the Crabs Walkthrough
Nick's Office:
After the intro, pick up knife from Arthur's corpse.
Examine box - gives name of shipping company on south side.
Examine and pick up fingerprinting book on fourth shelf of bookshelf.
Use knife on Unabridged Fingerprinting book to create 5-step leaflet.
Examine and pick up library card on top of desk.
Examine and pick up crab.
Leave office and head to Shiny Barnacle Shipping Docks.
Shiny Barnacle Shipping Docks
Examine crate of sea sponges - pick one up.
Attempt to talk to Bill, but he won't respond.
Use the crab with the bucket. It will distract him, allowing you to question him.
If you examine the crates near the entrance, you will notice they are similar to the ones Arthur brought to your office.
Use the knife on the crates, and Nick will make a horrifying discovery. Pick up the toy crab.
Two restaurants open up on your map now.
Blue Crab Cafe:
First Attempt at Entry
Walk up to the gate. Examine the ID Scanner. Time to make a fake ID! Perhaps Arthur would be a good identity theft victim?
Getting Inside the Blue Crab
Examine the fingerprinting pamphlet.
First step: make sure the victim has hands. Return to Nick's office and look at Arthur's hands.
Check pamphlet for second step: get an ink pad. Return to the Docks.
Use the crab on the squid - the squid will squirt ink.
Use the sea sponge on the puddle of squid ink on the ground.
Third step: return to Nick's office to swab Arthur's fingers with ink. Use the inkpad with Arthur's hand.
Check the pamphlet again. The fourth step is to press the fingers on the fingerprint card. Use the library card you picked up from the desk on Arthur's inky hands. Return to the Blue Crab Cafe.
Try the fake ID in the scanner. Turns out we still need a photo to complete the ID. Have we seen one somewhere?
Examine the flyer to the right of the Cafe. Use the knife on the flyer to obtain the face photo.
Use the small photo on the ID. You are the proud new owner of a fake ID!
Return to the scanner and swipe the card. You can now enter the Cafe.
Inside the Blue Crab Cafe
Talk to the waitress. After accusing her of selling counterfeit crabs, she will suggest you talk to Gutman.
Walk into the back room. Pick up the cheese on the counter.
Try talking to Arthur, but he is consumed with depression.
Walk out the back door. A hired goon will escort you to a meeting with "The Boss".
After Meeting the Boss
After being ejected from the Boss's office, you'll be in an alley with the goon blocking re-entrance.
Pick up the can halves in the trash on the right.
Examine the window to the right of the goon. You can almost hear the boss talking, but not quite...
Collecting Evidence
Blue Crab Cafe Revisited
Return to the Blue Crab Cafe. The gate to the right is now open. Enter the gangway.
Examine the fuse box - it gives power to the kitchen.
Use your real crab on the fusebox. Grab the dangling wires once the fuse is blown.
Before you leave, move the lone empty box to the left of the pile of boxes.
Pick up the business card that is revealed. Read it to discover an ad and phone number for a hired goon.
Go back into the Cafe. Now that the blues aren't playing, you can grab the Victrola.
Jim's Shack O'Crabs
Head to Jim's Shack O'Crabs.
Try talking to Jim. He's too worried about "rats" to talk.
Use the cheese with the toy crab to create a trap. Use the trap on the rat.
With the rat gone, talk to Jim. His manner of speaking may remind you of something you've seen before...
Give Jim the business card.
Jim will call the number, and you'll see the goon answer the payphone behind the boss's office.
Final Confrontation
Head back to the Boss.
Use the wires with the can halves to create a listening device.
Use the listening device on the window. The Boss is having an incriminating conversation! But how to record it?
Use the recording Victrola with the listening device to create highly advanced spy equipment.
Use your new advanced equipment on the window. You now have a 78 recording as evidence!
Go inside the door to confront the Boss.
After destroying your evidence, the Boss fumbles with his gun to shoot you. Try shooting him first.
Turns out you don't have a gun, but one item in your inventory has helped you in many tough situations...
Use the crab on the Boss. The Boss is disabled, and the case is solved. Case closed!
Posted by: eileen
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April 9, 2009 3:29 PM