Ever since the unearthing of The Great Gatsby NES game, 8-bit-lovers worldwide having been searching for the next lost retro work. Watergate: The Video Game, could very well be that. Now some may claim that this point-and-click adventure game, an apparent sequel to the seminal Shadowgate, was actually created only recently by famed Funny Or Die comedian Samuel Kim, which explains why the game's investigation into the conspiracies of President Richard M. Nixon quickly take more than a few hilariously surreal turns.
Watergate plays a lot like the classic MacVentures the game is a clear riff on. A map of available exits and a list of commands is available at the bottom of the screen, and your current inventory appears to the side of the main display window. Players make progress by clicking the desired command then the desired object, collecting evidence, visiting different locations, and being confounded at every time. Sometimes the constant command clicking is a little annoying, but it was annoying when you tried to play Uninvited on the NES, and, if anything, Watergate commits to the joke with all its pixelated heart.
A wry combination of video game parody, pop culture riffing, political satire, feverish adventure-game logic, raunchy one-liners, and bits of stunning historical accuracy made all the more comedic by how rarity, Watergate tries to be a lot of things, and it generally succeeds. It leans much closer to Dick than All The President's Men, as you might expect. As source material combinations go, 1970s investigative journalism and the Nintendo back-catalogue isn't exactly chocolate and peanut butter, but kicking around Nixon is almost as much a comedic trope as a pie-to-the-face, and more jokes work than don't. For a concept that might have proven its point with a photoshopped game cartridge, Watergate is an impressive piece of comedic, and players with an interest in, and a minimal amount of respect for, American history should definitely check it out.
Walkthrough Guide
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Watergate: The Video Game Walkthrough
The Washington Post
Entrance
TAKE the Key on the sidewalk at the bottom right corner.
USE the Key to unlock the red doors at the entrance to the building.
MOVE forward by clicking the single square in the Move Field at the bottom left corner of the screen or by clicking the unlocked doors to go inside.
Once inside, MOVE into Ben Bradlee's office by either clicking the glass doors on the right end of the back wall or clicking the 2nd square on the right in the Move Field
Ben Bradlee's Office
Ben will start talking to you as soon as you enter the room.
After Ben explains the situation, he will ask you if you're willing to accept the Watergate assignment.
Select YES to continue.
If you choose NO, you will receive one of the bad endings. Fortunately, you can choose to continue after viewing the ending, which will put you back at a recent checkpoint.
At the end of the conversation, Ben will give you an Elvin Broadsword.
You can USE the Elvin Broadsword to kill him and receive one of the bad endings.
The Elvin Broadsword can also be used on yourself (by selecting the item and clicking the small circle next to "SELF" at the bottom right corner) to view another ending.
Additionally, you can choose to PUNCH Ben Bradlee to find a third bad ending.
These same endings can be found by attacks almost every character with the items. You can also use them on yourself.
EXAMINE the newspaper at the left side of the desk to add the Note: Dardis to your notebook (the item will appear in your inventory).
MOVE back to the main room of the building by clicking the single square at the bottom of the Move Field
Main Room
When you enter the room, Bernstein will approach you and join your party.
MOVE to your desk by selecting the far left square in the Move Field
Your Desk
TAKE the ID Badge and the Wallet on the desk.
USE the telephone to pick up the receiver.
Select the Note: Dardis in your inventory with the SPEAK option to call Martin Dardis.
After your conversation, the Miami Itinerary will be added to your inventory.
MOVE to the square at the far right of the Move Field to return to the main room.
From there, MOVE to the 2nd square from the left, at the middle of the Move Field to go back outside.
Entrance
After you've collected all the necessary information inside the Washington Post building, a taxi cab should be waiting for you outside the entrance.
Enter the taxi cab by selecting MOVE and click either the right square in the Move Field or taxi cab itself.
USE the Miami Itinerary on the cab driver to show him the address. He'll automatically take you to the Miami-Dade county attorney's office entrance.
MOVE to the right square in the Move Field or click the front door to enter the building.
Miami-Dade County Attorney's Office
Reception Desk
When you enter the room, the intern will deny you access to Mr. Dardis.
Don't try to sneak past him, or you'll get another bad ending.
Instead, MOVE to the left square in the Move Field to go to the hallway.
Hallway
TAKE the Hoover vacuum in the middle of the hall.
EXAMINE the padlock over the left door.
It's rusted, and just a little bit of force should be able to get it open.
PUNCH the lock to break it, then MOVE to the left square in the Move Field or click the door to enter the basement.
Basement
SPEAK to the Mario bros to "borrow" their spare clothes.
You will be automatically returned to the Reception Desk where you not-so-cleanly dispose of the intern.
MOVE to the upper right square in the Move Field or click the open doorway to enter Martin Dardis' office.
Martin Dardis' Office
Martin will speak to you briefly as soon as you enter the room, instructing you to look at the papers on his desk.
EXAMINE any of the four left papers as well as the one partially concealed paper on the far right.
After viewing the paper on the right, the Note: Dahlberg will be added to your inventory.
TAKE the Gun on top of the desk.
You can use the Gun on yourself or others to find more fatal endings.
Exit the building and go back inside the taxi cab to return to The Washington Post building entrance.
Once you reach Washington, head inside and go to your desk.
The Washington Post
Your Desk
USE the telephone to pickup the receiver.
Select the Note: Dahlberg with the SPEAK option to call Kenneth Dahlberg.
Go back to the main room. Next, MOVE to the far right square in the Move Field to enter the men's room.
Men's Room
EXAMINE the magazine that's appeared on the floor.
The Note: Mark Felt will be added to your inventory.
Now that you've got a new lead, return to your desk.
Your Desk
USE the telephone again to SPEAK to Note: Mark Felt.
Mark doesn't give you any information, but Ben Bradlee can offer you some helpful advice on what to do next.
If you go to his office (which is optional), he'll say you look tired and should probably go home and get some rest.
Go outside and get into the taxi. USE your Wallet to show him the address to your apartment.
When you arrive outside the apartment building MOVE to the square in the middle of the Move Field to enter your room.
Apartment Building
Your Apartment
TAKE the Shovel leaning against the wall near the window.
You can use the Shovel on yourself or another character to discover more fatal endings.
Next, TAKE the Newspaper on the floor to uncover a letter on the floor.
TAKE the envelope to read the letter from Mark Felt.
The letter instructs you to move the flower pot to the window if you agree to meet with him.
The Deep Throat Msg. will also be added to your inventory.
MOVE the flowerpot on top of the table, then click the window to place it on the windowsill.
Exit the apartment and MOVE to the left square in the Move Field to enter the Sewers.
Sewers
SPEAK to Timothy Leary and he'll offer you a pill.
TAKE the pill to start the minigame.
Use the [arrow] keys to move and the Z key to shoot.
Shoot the targets to earn points. You can't take any damage, so don't worry if they pass through you.
At the end of the countdown timer at the top right corner of the screen, you'll automatically be returned to the entrance of The Washington Post building.
Enter the taxi cab. USE the Deep Throat Msg. on the cab driver to get a ride to the parking garage.
Parking Garage
MOVE to the left square in the Move Field to find Mark Felt. Remember, he'll only be here if you placed the flowerpot in the window as he asked.
SPEAK with Mark to hear his riddle.
Use the Hoover vacuum on him to give the correct answer.
After your conversation, you will receive the Note: 1600 Penn.
Go back to the taxi cab and USE the Note: 1600 Penn on the cabbie to get a ride to the White House.
The White House
White House Entrance
EXAMINE the ID scanner on the left side of the gate.
Only a member of the Nixon family is able to pass this lock, so you'll have to find another way to get it open.
MOVE to the left square in the Move Field to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue.
Pennsylvania Avenue
If you choose, you can SPEAK to the "lady of the evening".
USE your Wallet to pay her. In exchange, you receive Syphilis.
MOVE to the left square in the Move Field to reach the Cemetary.
Cemetery
Examine the tombstones to view the printed names. Note the middle tombstone is the grave of Checkers Nixon.
USE the Shovel on the ground in front of Checkers' grave to dig it up.
TAKE the Checkers skeleton in the grave.
Another Bad End of note:
At the Cemetery, the last grave is covered in ivy. Digging up the ground in front of the grave earns you another bad end courtesy of G. Gordon Libby.
Thanks, Xelkelvos, for finding this one!
Go back to the entrance gate of the White House.
White House Entrance
USE Checkers on the ID scanner to bypass it.
MOVE to the middle square in the Move Field or click the White House to enter the West Wing.
West Wing
MOVE to the Oval Office by clicking the doorway or the right square in the Move Field.
Before you can go, you'll be interrupted by H.R. Haldeman.
Vanquish Haldeman with the Elvin Broadsword. If you use any other weapon, he will kill you.
Now you can savely MOVE to the Oval Office.
Oval Office
In this scene, you'll play a Punch Out copycat minigame.
Use the left & right [arrow] keys to dodge and the Z key to punch.
When you see Nixon pull back his hand for a punch, quickly move in the opposite direction to launch. If he punches from the right, then dodge to the left and vice versa.
Immediately after you dodge, quickly throw a punch to hit Nixon while he's off his guard. This does not reset his punch timer, however, so be prepared to quickly dodge again.
When Nixon's health bar reaches near empty, you'll be instructed to do a finishing move. Quickly type Up-Up-Down-Down-Left-Right-Left-Right-B-A to use your finishing move.
If you die instead, simply press [enter] to try again.
Posted by: Trinn
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May 15, 2013 5:01 PM