Lost New York by Neil DeMause -- Solve written by Russ Bryan
First, let me review my personal opinion on printed solutions to games.
Most importantly, you should understand that I don't condone the ruining of
a game by picking up a walkthrough and blindly following the author's
instructions. Doing so usually robs you of at least 60% of the text which
the author intended for you to read, and I can guarantee you that you will
not read the remaining 40% nearly as carefully as you would have if you were
forced to concentrate on the clues buried within it. I'd say that in most
games, some of the most creative and witty text is only uncovered when you
die, screw up, or otherwise fail. The author expects this, and you are only
robbing yourself by avoiding the pitfalls laid before you. If you plan to
use this solution exclusively, I ask you to delete it from your hard drive
immediately.
Second, you should know right off that I am not providing you
with a list of commands which will bring you to the end. I am not giving you
a solution so much as I am giving you the path I took to reach the solution.
Therefore, when you get stuck, read the questions I ask before moving on to
the conclusions I reach. The questions are often enough to get you out of
your rut, and I should hope that this will help you feel some measure of
triumph when you finish the game, having done most of it on your own. I
state with some pride that I solved this game, and any game for which I have
written a solution, without the help of others. However, for expediency the
solution is written to take you through the game in the minimum amount of
time. May your nose fall off if you use this as an excuse not to explore on
your own.
Finally, don't feel as though you have to keep this solution on hand.
If you've made some progress on your own and are just trying to get past
one tough puzzle, do so and then simply delete this file. It is easy to
tempt yourself into leaving the solution in a background window, ready to
be called up at the slightest pause. If you force yourself to go back to
ftp.gmd.de every time you get stuck, maybe you'll put just a little more
effort into getting unstuck before you resort to the walkthrough.
Enjoy the game.
-- Russ Bryan (
[email protected])
Part One -- The Tourist Trap
There is nothing more annoying than depending on an undependable public
transportation system. Someone should have warned you about this before
you got stranded at Liberty's sandalled feet with tourists everywhere you
turn. As you begin, you stare out at New York Harbor wondering why you
didn't visit the MOMA instead. Your first action should be to go north,
where an old man waits to tell you about the tendency of New York's city
planners to knock down the old and the beautiful in favor of the fast and
the monstrous -- all you have to do is ask. Make sure you get every last
sentence before heading west towards the dock.
As to the gumball machine, consider this your one stroke of good fortune
for the century -- there's a gumball already sitting behind the metal flap.
Head into the snack bar and accumulate a few napkins (I recommend 1 if
you're truly brilliant, 5 if you're pretty good, 10 if you've got doubts,
and 50 if you're a moron -- I took 50) and some pepper packets. Look at the
menu and take your own advice, but don't waste time standing here while your
food gets cooked. Head north into the museum (sparse, isn't it?) and touch
the display screen a few times to get some New York nostalgia. Hmmm...
extraneous details, or a glimpse of things to come? As we'll find out, the
phrase "transforming New York" is not nearly as pleasant as it tries to
sound. When you're done, you might want to take a peek behind that painting
against the wall.
Welcome to the golden rule of adventuring -- look at, under, and behind
everything. If that's news to you, put away the walkthrough and give it a
try. Otherwise, just head north and pick up that funny-looking device. If
you take a look at it, you shouldn't have any trouble figuring out what it
is (read the label). That's all you'll find in here, so go back to the
snack bar and retrieve your fries (yes, they take credit). Another golden
rule of adventuring -- don't eat the food unless you have a damn good
reason for doing it.
Armed with condiments and greasy munchies, it's time to get in line to
face the old lady. While you're waiting, you might want to take a look at
some of your possessions, particularly the knapsack. You will, eventually,
get to the stairs, and I'm sure you know what to do with those. Check out
the poem at the top of the pedestal and then, if you're adventurous,
climb up the lady's dress. Here you'll find a park ranger and a rumbling
noise -- maybe more of a grumbling -- maybe a stomach? Check out the crown
if you like (although there's not much to see right now) and then try your
luck with the door. Oh, so that's why he's standing there! Give him the
fries and you'll be able to sneak past.
Now you're in Lady Liberty's torch, and what's with this plaque here?
Look at the device. Look at the plaque. Look at the device again. Hell,
read the plaque if you like. Red light? Worn metal? Hmmm... are you
pondering what I'm pondering?
Part Two -- Goats will Eat Anything
If you figured out that you need to touch the plaque with the device,
then you should be wondering what you might find if you head downstairs
again. Actually, I don't think I've ever been in Kansas, but this is
definitely not it. There isn't a lot going on here (does that torch bit
remind anyone else of Planet of the Apes?), but if you take a look at your
watch I'm sure you'll agree that some explanations are in order. Take a
walk down the path and then turn east. You can check out the elevated
train if you like, but something tells me those subway tokens are just
going to get you funny looks from the gatekeeper. Let's take a look around.
Heading north of here you'll find another stop on the elevated train
and, beyond that, shanty city. If you look around, you're bound to find a
goat, and if you want to immediately start losing your possessions, give
the goat something to eat. Now undo that, because the second golden rule
of gaming is that every minute item probably has a purpose. In fact, you
will periodically want to throw in a "put all in sack" so that you don't
have to juggle things around so much. If you check out the goat, you'll
notice its cute little collar. You won't need that for a while, so you
can head back south to check out more of the city (don't worry if the goat
eats that scrap of blanket, it really is just a rag).
At 3rd and 14th you should go west to investigate that patch of green.
I've always been one to recommend playing in traffic, so go west again and
then, as long as you're face down in the gutter, peek into the grate.
Money is always good (although a nickel won't make you a rich man), and if
you enjoy sarcasm I recommend trying to pick it up. OK, so that's a project
we'll want to work on. Let's continue southeast (or, if you're the type,
head east and then south), where we'll see something not entirely foreign
to New York, a drunk guy. Ignore him for now -- head west into the saloon.
Free lunch with drink? What a deal! Order a drink, and suddenly that
nickel seems a whole lot more important. Before you get too disappointed,
you might want to take a look at the table, the plate and the sandwich that
awaits you there. Maybe you're not that hungry, after all. The matches
might come in handy, though, and just for the hell of it you might want to
take a look under that plate. Ah, a vial of chlorosomething hydrowhatever!
Who knows, maybe it'll come in handy.
Back outside, we continue our tour of 1880 New York by going to the
Lower East Side. The pushcart is laden with treasures, all of which are
worth taking (try to take each of them if you like), but one in particular
should catch your eye. Unfortunately, he doesn't take credit cards, so
we'll have to wait on the stopwatch. Let's see what we can find further
downtown. It wouldn't be New York without pigeons, and if you want to try
to catch this one's attention you'll discover that pigeons aren't all that
bright. Ignore it for the moment and head west into Five Corners, where
a couple of thugs are busy looking tough in front of that apartment
building. Now, a smart person would walk away right now, but remember,
you're an adventurer. Go north.
Look at the bright side -- at least you've found a new location. In
fact, if you'll be so kind as to take a look at that device you're
carrying around, you should notice an interesting development. Too bad it's
so dark in here... maybe you should light a match? Take another look around,
and lots of things are revealed. Hey, maybe this safe is unlocked! OK,
maybe not. There's more to see upstairs, so why don't you go upstairs,
maybe even up to the second floor. Might I go so far as to call you accident
prone? Take a closer look at that broken bit of railing, and with any luck
the wheels should start turning. What might this yardstick help us reach?
Let's go back to the grate and give it a try. Get the nickel with the
yardstick, and... OK, it was a good idea, just poor implementation. What
we need is something sticky. Chew on that gumball while you think about it.
No, I don't really like banana-lime, either, but maybe we can find someone
who won't be so picky. Head uptown and let the goat give it a try. Looks
like he's no more thrilled with it than you were. While it's distracted,
grab that sporty collar of his. As for the gum, I don't really recommend
reaching into the goat's mouth at this point, so maybe a dental instrument
would come in handy. OK, maybe a woodworking instrument would come in
handy. Now, with our unpleasantly coated yardstick in hand, let's give that
nickel another shot.
I'll bet all this running around has got you thirsty. Before going to
the bar with your shiny new nickel, go east twice and check out the
construction site, particularly that unfinished wall. You COULD seal that
niche right now, but what would be the point? Better leave it alone and go
back to the saloon. Pay for your drink, and take a sip. Aaah, it's Miller
time! [No offense to any employees of the Miller brewing company is
intended.] You might as well take the lunch, too. You paid for it.
It's always a good idea to retrace your steps on occasion just to see
if anything's changed, so take a trip back to Lady Liberty, and... hey, it's
our drunk friend again! Hey, I'll bet he'll drink this crap. In fact,
I'd be willing to bet that even if you stood here, right in front of him,
opened that vial, and dropped those crystals of clorowhatever hydrosomething
into the drink, he'd STILL drink it (remind you of your old fraternity
days?) It doesn't look like he'll be needing that coat anymore (Yeah, it's
immoral, but I think you'll eventually agree that the end justifies the
means).
You know, we never really did make it all the way downtown. Go back to
that pigeon and turn southwest. Did you feel guilty about stealing the coat?
Redeem yourself -- give it to the panhandler. See? Charity brings great
rewards. I know you're thinking "stopwatch" now, but you need those coins
for other matters later in the game. In fact, if you want to put the solve
away for a while and go see what there is to see on the train, be my guest.
If you're starting to discover how unmanageable those napkins can get, pick
up an envelope from the Post Office south of here and put the napkins into
it. This won't get you any points, but I found that it made my life a bit
easier.
Well, what haven't we used yet? The sandwich! You can try to eat it
if you like, but food like this is really for the birds. Incidentally,
that's not just a bad joke, it's a clue. Don't try to hand-feed the pigeon,
just drop it. After a few Hitchcockesque moments, you should find a
business card with some very interesting scrawls on it. Now before you go
blazing into battle, keep in mind that those thugs already roughed you
over once. Before you go charging into battle again, maybe you should take
those coins to a safe place. I recommend storing them on the table in the
Goats, but do NOT just leave them on the floor, or the animal will feast on
change tonight. Leave the pan and the yardstick on the table, too, since
they can be a little unweidly.
Now just fill in the blanks -- go back to the thugs, insult them a bit,
ask them about their mothers, or just do what you did last time and try to
stroll on past them. Whatever it takes, you'll end up back in the basement
where you can dial the combination and open the safe, where you'll find
another one of those nifty little plaques. You know the drill.
Part Three -- Not all Herrings are Red
Just in case you're wondering where you are, check your watch. If you
still haven't figured it out, go upstairs, where the adventure continues.
There aren't many directions available to you, so I recommend east. Again,
our choices are limited, so go uptown where you'll find a deli packed
with Yiddish-speaking pickle eaters and a barrel of herrings. Just to
ensure you that you're not being jerked around, look at the herrings to
confirm that they are indeed worth inspection. Search them, and you will
have found a new tool for use in your quest for tiny screws.
There's more going on uptown, so explore a bit, read a newspaper, check
out the picketers, note that demolished building -- don't you know that
building? -- and once you've had your fill of the east side you can
head west along 14th street to Union Square. Any minute now, Emma Goldman
is going to give a stirring speech on the rights of the American worker,
followed by a stirring "Arrest en Masse" by the New York police department.
You are welcome, again, to drop the walkthrough now and see a lot more of
the world than you bargained for -- after all, at this point you should
have a good feeling for how the author's mind works. If you want to see
what there is to see, check out the subway station below (you'll have a lot
of fun trying to track down a ticket for this guy), or just hang around and
get arrested with the rest of the rabble-rousers. However, if you want to
stay on track, don't hang around Union Square at all -- just continue
toward the west side and into a turn-of-the-century Bloomingdale's.
Now, the manager here is a very garullous type as long as you happen to
be entering or leaving his store -- he will not, under any circumstances,
actually help you buy anything. So when you look at the display case and
notice that beautiful hairpin which our vending friend in 1880 would surely
love to present to his beatiful wife, you can be sure that no one is going
to help you buy it. Not that you could buy it if someone was there, but
you'll feel better if you can be huffy about it. I don't recommend waving
the hairpin in the manager's face -- just calmly try it on and then walk
out.
The upper west side has its attractions, as well. If you head north
you'll find a fairly unimpressive monument, but if you take a closer look
another plaque will reveal itself, and although this one isn't "special"
in the sense to which we've become accustomed, you may want to take a peek
behind it. Well, look at that, a secret compartment! You should probably
bring the bottle with you, but if you try to open it you'll find that such
simple tasks are just beyond you. Forget it for now, just continue west
and, rebel that you are, climb the fence. You can go ahead and grab the
shovel, and if you take a look at that plaque you'll see that it's another
one of our favorite objects, with a twist. It doesn't work.
You know, I have to wonder if these things work both ways. Let's head
back to that dark basement under Mulberry Bend Park and do the time warp
again. If we head upstairs, we'll find that we are, indeed, back at the
infamous Five Corners. As long as we're here there's some business we can
take care of. Go to the vendor and see what he thinks of that hairpin you
got for him. Voila, the stopwatch is yours! Play around with it if you
like, but it's really just a trinket at the moment. Now let's go to the
train station at 42nd and 3rd (you should retrieve the coins from your
hiding place of choice first). Give one thin dime to the gatekeeper and
continue into the train station, taking the first train that comes along.
It's always nice to get out of the city every once in a while, don't
you think? Leave the train station and have a look around, particularly
to the east. Peaceful scene, isn't it? And aren't you just dying to find
out what that cute snuggly fox is trying to dig up? Well, you could just
wait around until he finds something, but I think you have a tool better
suited to the task. You may have to dig a little deeper to find what
you're looking for, but I'm sure you'll be happy with what you find.
Part Four -- Robert Moses and the Price of Progress
(Incidentally, if you've been following along, you should have exactly
half of the points -- again, a good time to break off and do your own thing
for a little while) Depending on what version you're playing, Robert Moses
may or may not be supervising the Brave New 1954 that he is creating. If
you're a Hitchhiker's Guide fan, you may want to pull an Arthur Dent and
lie down on the ground -- if you do so, Moses will reveal his presence
and will cheerily show you the folly of your ways. This is, after all,
what the "undo" command was made for. It's a good thing to try, because
it should be made very clear that Robert Moses is not a nice man. Once
you're back in one piece, head east to the "abandoned" building, up, and
east again (you don't have a lot of choice here). I wish I could tell
you how to save the old woman, but it just isn't going to happen except by
some far less conventional means. However, if you search through the bits
of cracked pottery, you will find something we might be able to use.
Leave as soon as you're ready. Or again, stay if you're like me and
prefer to die whenever possible. Once you're back in front of the 'dozer,
fell free to zap back to more innocent times. With a moment or two to
catch your breath, take a look inside the teapot and you'll find a ticket.
If you've been spending any time at all wandering on your own, this is where
you shout "Praise Jesus" and do a little jig. We're all set to run on back
to the future and hop a ride on a 1905 subway, but first let's leave the
stopwatch and coins (and the shovel, just to lighten the load) on the goat
table for safe keeping -- those thugs are still waiting for us on the other
side of the tracks.
Once you're back to 1905, run over to Union Square and head down to the
subway. If you've done some work on your own at this point you may be
arrested in Union Square. If so, don't stress -- you can play around in
the other time zones a bit and find your way back through to this point
afterwards. Give your ticket to the ticket taker and proceed into the
station. Well, this certainly looks like a professional, forward-thinking
young man. Take a closer look. It's our good friend Robert Moses, and a
glance at those papers under his arm will reveal why he holds them so
closely. Remember the old woman who he was about to kill? Grab those
papers and hold on tight. The tug of war is a bit of a stalemate, but
don't give up yet. Wait until you hear the subway coming. Closer. Closer.
Don't shoot until you see the lights ... now! Drop the papers, and you've
done it. That shudder is Robert Moses being written out of the history
books.
My recommendation is to get out of Dodge. Once you've made good your
escape, let's find out what kind of damage we've done. Head back to 1880,
grab your coins and the stopwatch and catch a train out to the suburbs.
Travel on to 1954, and ... everything's different. You've just scored one
for cultural preservation, and saved the old woman in the process (well, I
told you it would be unconventional). Take a look around and be psyched
with yourself before you head west, over the bridge, and then south to
catch a baseball game. Well, you can't see much from here, but if you
hang out long enough, you'll have the opportunity to catch more than just
the game. I wonder what a 1954 baseball would be worth in... oh, say, 2040?
Let's find out. First, going back to the 1880, we're going to find a
way to get your beautiful stopwatch past those thugs (you don't really need
the coins any more, but you can hide them if you like). Again, conventional
means won't do the trick. Where can we hide the stopwatch where it will
undoubtedly remasin until 1905? Remember that niche we chose not to repair
long, long ago? Stick the stopwatch in the niche and then seal it up. Now
we can safely pass the thugs and move on to 1905, where, at the corner of
third avenue and 14th street, we can search the bricks and find the stop-
watch, safe and sound. To move on, all we have to do is get arrested. If
you've already played that game, you can do it again fairly simply by trying
to beat up the officer who's presiding over the riot scene. However you do
it, end up in a comfy cell in The Tombs, and take a peek behind that loose
stone.
Part Five -- Stocks and Gallows
Splash.
My recommendation would be to head north onto that island and its lovely
gallows. We're coming up on the last few puzzles here, so if you haven't
tried it yet, tear up this solution and get to work. If you're in for the
long haul, though, wait a little while until the two guys come to, well,
hang you. I know it looks bleak right now, but if you take advantage of
your surroundings (an idea may appear before your very eyes), you can take
these guys out fairly easily. Just grab some sand and toss it in their
eyes. Now if you've been here before, and these guys don't fall for it
this time, then hopefully you're hearing a sputtering noise. That means
you've already picked up the video game in 2040 and can now press play,
giving these guys quite a scare. If you've been to 2040 and you don't
have the game, then I hope you saved a game while you were there.
Anyway, do what you must to distract or drive off the hangmen and
commandeer their rowboat. After launching the rowboat, wait around until
you pass beyond the marshes into a woody area (it will be the only place
where "row boat" actually does anything). Once you've landed, have a look
at your surroundings, particularly at the stones. That grey pair looks
interesting enough to take with you. When you're done, take a look at
the tree and make like a monkey. Well, what have we here?
Meanwhile, in the year 2040, your sturdy oak tree has become a much
sturdier lamp post. If you head south, you'll find the one true red herring
in the game, so I recommend -- well, not heading south, actually. Instead,
go east to the barter booth and check your inventory to see what might be
valuable. Copper wire, no... empty vial, probably not... hey, how about
that mint condition 1954 world series baseball you caught? Put it in the
compartment, touch the screen, and take what you're offered. I know, you've
seen one personal stasis field you've seen 'em all, but beggers can't be
choosers. Head over to the west side and, naturally, drop down into the
subway.
This subway's really user friendly. Just put your hand on the scanner
and off you go! That abandoned station seems interesting, but unfortunately
the subway isn't going to stop there. If you look around, you'll probably
find something that might force the issue, and if you like you can give it
a try. Unfortunately, the subways of the future can recognize an emergency
when they see one, so we'll get back to that. Ride the subway out to the
suburbs, and then head upstairs to see what the world of tomorrow might look
like. OK, so it's kinda drab, but if you head west to that cul-de-sac I
guarantee you'll find something cool in the garbage can. Naturally, it
wouldn't be in the garbage if it actually worked, but keep that sputtering
noise in mind.
Now we're ready to check out that abandoned subway station. This time,
as you approach the subway station, create an emergency. Mugging yourself
is probably not the answer, and a derailment might cause a little more
bodily injury than you're looking for. A fire, though -- that you can do.
Just pull out your happy little matchbook and... oops! I guess that little
swim back in 1780 wasn't too kind to your box of matches. Do you have
anything else that might be combustible? Well, the napkins should do the
trick, but how to ignite them? Maybe you should give those grey rocks a
try. Once you've got the napkin burning, pull the emergency brake and
state the nature of the medical emergency. As long as you didn't take too
long, you should be broken down right in front of the abandoned station.
This place, incidentally, is pretty dirty -- it obviously hasn't been
used for quite some time. If you take a minute to clean those signs,
though, you should be greeted with yet another nifty little plaque. I'm
sure you know what to do.
Part Six -- Paradoxes are for Wimps
You are SO close to the end, I shouldn't even finish this walkthrough.
OK, so do you recognize that sputtering noise? Push play on the Zork
generator and some companionship will appear -- don't be too concerned,
it's only a hologram of a lurking grue (I recommend playing with this
object wherever possible, particularly at the present-day Liberty). After
all you've done, maybe now would be a good time to try that plaque on the
other side of the fence again.
I think these guys have other plans. Unless you want to go back to jail
and cycle through the centuries again, hop back over the fence and take a
moment to think. You have no weapons, and it's the three of them against
one of you. What you need is a companion, and even a holographic one might
do the trick. Drop back down into the subway, touch the plaque with the
device (sending you back to 2040), and then do it again. Quickly now, while
it's still sputtering, hop back over the fence and push play.
That did the trick! Unfortunately, the plaque is still broken, but if
you put two and two together -- a railroad engineer, a rich investor, an
old man reflecting on the way things used to be -- you should come to the
conclusion that you are standing at the future sight of Penn station. Oh,
reading the sign might do the trick, too. Naturally, since this Penn
station will be destroyed some time in the future, this plaque can't
possibly take you anywhere! Now, if you checked out any of the items in
2040 -- the red Haring or the white house -- you discovered just what a
personal stasis field generator can do. If you're still figuring that out,
push the white button for more info. Maybe, if you put the generator on the
foundation and push the red button, you can save... no, no, wait. If you
set it up NOW, then the station will never be built! What you need is a
timing device.
Fortunately, you've got one. All you have to do now is connect it.
First, tie the copper wire to the protrusion on the stasis field generator.
Now just tie it to the stopwatch -- and, of course, there is nothing on
the outside of the stopwatch to tie the copper wire to. But what about the
inside of the stopwatch? Well, let's open it up. All right, so it's
sealed with a bunch of tiny screws. Wait a second, we've got a screwdriver!
All we have to do is unscrew the screws and... OK, now this is getting a
bit frustrating. How are we going to get this screwdriver cleaned? We've
got a bottle of cleaning solution, but when we try to open it, well...
I beg you, if you haven't solved a puzzle on your own until now, give
it a shot. If this is the only one you solve, you've done a great thing.
If you absolutely give up, then read on:
You gave up. All right, remember that political button we found on
your knapsack, way back at the Statue of Liberty? Unpin it now. I know
that all of your stuff just spilled all over the ground, but that's OK.
You won't need it much longer. Open the bottle with the button, and you're
started. Since the screwdriver won't fit through that tiny hole, you'll
have to pour the cleaning solution into another container -- the teapot
should do nicely. Now, put the screwdriver in the teapot and in no time
at all, the herring brine is history. With the functioning screwdriver
you should have no trouble opening the watch, and the copper wire will
tie quite neatly to the stopwatch's guts.
So, we've got our timing device connected to our stasis field. If you
haven't done it yet, put the field generator on the foundation. Now, we
can't be sure how long the station will take to build, or when it was torn
down (unless you've done as much research as the game's author has, which
I have not), but I found that 50 years was a safe guess. Set the years knob
(on the stopwatch) to 50, and flip the alarm switch to get it going. Now,
just push the red button and make up a password that you feel comfortable
with. Another shudder, a subtle change -- hey, is that plaque working now?
If so, then you've won. Just use the plaque as you always have, and
you should be in the original masterpiece that was Penn station. It
really was a beautiful piece of architecture once. Head upstairs, check out
that headline, and read the bibliography to tie it all up. Congratulations!
If you should find any bugs in this solution, please contact me at
[email protected] to let me know. If you want to contact Neil about how
much you enjoyed his game, his address is
[email protected]. This solution
is not intended to show you everything the game has to offer, so just
because you've completed it doesn't mean you should stop playing. Just as
an example, there's a secret casino that we didn't even go to. I recommend
betting on the high card.
