Sam & Max Episode 1: Culture Shock

Gameplay

Culture Shock is a point and click adventure game that controls like a classic style adventure game from the 3rd perspective. You click on objects to interact with them and click on the screen where you would like your character to go. Unlike the older adventure games there are no options to Push and Pull or Close anything before you interact with it. Instead you are given a bit of text around your cursor that tells you the action you will take when interacting  The general goal in Sam and Max is to solve puzzles using the clues you are given by other characters, interacting with objects and more general clues from trial and error. Some objects you interact with you place into your inventory which lets you carry it with you to other locations to

solve a problem. You can also combine some objects in your inventory. Talking with the characters in Sam and Max is a great way to get clues and just get a lot of the good humor from the game. Talking to people will let you know what they want, what they have to offer and how you might be able to get it from them.
 

Plot

In Sam and Max: Culture Shock you receive a phone call from the commissioner giving you your first big case in a long time. It turns out someone is shopdropping video tapes at

Bosco's Inconvenience that promote ocular fitness with former child star Brady Culture. The perpetrators turn out to be the Soda Poppers who consist of Whizzer, Peepers and Specs. The Soda Poppers were also former child stars who swear their lives were changed with Brady Culture's Ocular Fitness Program. While Peepers and captured and attempted to steal the identify of local psychiatrist Sybil Pandemik. All the Soda Poppers are clearly hypnotized, forcing Sam and Max (with glee) to knock them out. 
 
The third Soda Popper they rescue from hypnosis runs away, forcing the duo to give chase. The chase ends with a confrontation with Brady Culture, who hypnotizes Sam and kidnaps Max. Sam  picks up where the Soda Poppers left off, depositing videos off at Bosco's. However, Bocso's security system kicks in and knocks Sam out, allowing Sam to break free from his hypnosis. 
 
Sam eventually makes his way back to Brady Culture after assembling a hat that renders him immune to hypnosis. The episode ends with Sam tricking Brady into commanding the Soda Poppers to attack himself, breaking Brady Culture's method of hypnosis. The game then hints that someone on TV might be hypnotized as well, setting up the events of Episode 2: Situation: Comedy. 
 

PC Requirements 

• Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® XP/Vista
• Processor: 2.0 Ghz or better (3 GHz Pentium® 4 or equivalent recommended)
• Memory: 512 MB RAM (1GB recommended)
• Hard Disk Space: 310 MB
• Video Card: 64 MB DirectX® 8.1 compliant video card (128 MB recommended)
• Sound Card: DirectX® 8.1 sound device
• DirectX® Version: DirectX® Version 9.0c or better (DirectX updater included)
• Controller Support: Yes    
• No internet connection required to play