Bad Mojo
Encyclopedia
Bad Mojo is a computer game
by Pulse Entertainment, released in 1996. The player is cast as Roger Samms, an entomologist
planning to embezzle
money from a research grant to escape his sordid life above an abandoned bar. An accident with his mother's enchanted locket unleashes the bad mojo, turning him into a cockroach
.
The gameplay consists of guiding the cockroach through a series of puzzle
s.
Got Game Entertainment
re-released the game in December 2004 as Bad Mojo Redux, packaging it with a DVD containing a variety of extra material.
The storyline in Bad Mojo is loosely based on Franz Kafka
's The Metamorphosis
. In the game, the cat's name is Franz and the main character Roger Samms is a play on the lead character in Metamorphosis (Gregor Samsa).
to start a new life. But after a small argument with his landlord, Eddie, he remembers a little trinket that he gotten in his early childhood: a bug-like locket
that belonged to his dead mother, Angelina. Upon its discovery, the locket transforms Roger's soul into a cockroach
, and transports him to a mysterious sewer system connected to every section of the bar. His adventure takes him to the basement (which is also Eddie's bedroom), the bathroom, the kitchen, the bar room, Roger's room and finally his research room. As the roach (Roger) explores a world filled with danger at every turn, including rats, garbage disposal
s, and his own pet cat, Franz, he is constantly being guided by an oracle
(who happens to be his mother).
The game explores the sad past of both Roger and Eddie, revealing that Roger had been abandoned to an abusive nun
, was the center of bullying as a young man, and his failure to be taken seriously by his superiors. Eddie has had just as bad a life, having his beloved wife (also named Angelina) die during childbirth, and giving up his son. During Roger's exploration, he is forced to extinguish the pilot light
to a gas stove in the kitchen to save a baby cockroach that, in turn, assisted him in jamming the garbage disposal
with a spoon. This act eventually causes the whole bar to be filled with gas. Roger must then set off a smoke detector
to wake a previously unconscious Eddie (which was Roger's fault) and then finally reach the locket in his own unconscious body's hand. With both men safely out of the bar when it explodes, Roger and Eddie discover that they are, in fact, father and son, which was exactly as the Oracle planned.
There are four possible endings to the storyline. If Eddie makes it out and Roger doesn't (if Eddie is warned of the fire but Roger is left on the floor), Eddie ends up as a homeless drunk. If Roger makes it out and Eddie doesn't, Roger tries to flee the country but is caught and charged with Eddie's murder, remanded an asylum for the criminally insane. If neither make it out, the ghost of Angelina narrates, telling of the death of both men, the destruction of the bar for urban renewal and that the ghosts of all three souls haunt the area where their dreams died. If both of them of make it out Eddie recognizes the bug-like locket (that contains a photo of Angelina) and they both reveal the truth about their past. The family is reunited and they travel together to Belize
with the questionably obtained Roger's money, which is used to buy Eddie a new bar.
, which has also written soundtracks for other CD-ROM games, notably Iron Helix
.
, writing for Computer Gaming World
, gave the game 4 stars. Little had been changed to the environment in the 2004 remade version of the game.
re-released the game in December 2004 as Bad Mojo Redux. All in-game video
s were remastered from original footage. Redux runs in truecolor only, opposed to the 1996 release which required only 256-color mode. This change makes the videos clearer and more colorful. The re-release also came with a bonus DVD
, which contained a making-of
, art galleries and other bonuses. This DVD was omitted from the UK
release.
Personal computer game
A PC game, also known as a computer game, is a video game played on a personal computer, rather than on a video game console or arcade machine...
by Pulse Entertainment, released in 1996. The player is cast as Roger Samms, an entomologist
Entomology
Entomology is the scientific study of insects, a branch of arthropodology...
planning to embezzle
Embezzlement
Embezzlement is the act of dishonestly appropriating or secreting assets by one or more individuals to whom such assets have been entrusted....
money from a research grant to escape his sordid life above an abandoned bar. An accident with his mother's enchanted locket unleashes the bad mojo, turning him into a cockroach
Cockroach
Cockroaches are insects of the order Blattaria or Blattodea, of which about 30 species out of 4,500 total are associated with human habitations...
.
The gameplay consists of guiding the cockroach through a series of puzzle
Puzzle
A puzzle is a problem or enigma that tests the ingenuity of the solver. In a basic puzzle, one is intended to put together pieces in a logical way in order to come up with the desired solution...
s.
Got Game Entertainment
Got Game Entertainment
Got Game Entertainment, LLC is an American publisher of videogames, based in Weston, Connecticut.- Games published :*Alida*The Lost Crown: A Ghost-Hunting Adventure*A Quiet Weekend in Capri*Anacapri: The Dream*ARMA 2...
re-released the game in December 2004 as Bad Mojo Redux, packaging it with a DVD containing a variety of extra material.
The storyline in Bad Mojo is loosely based on Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka was a culturally influential German-language author of short stories and novels. Contemporary critics and academics, including Vladimir Nabokov, regard Kafka as one of the best writers of the 20th century...
's The Metamorphosis
The Metamorphosis
The Metamorphosis is a novella by Franz Kafka, first published in 1915. It is often cited as one of the seminal works of short fiction of the 20th century and is widely studied in colleges and universities across the western world...
. In the game, the cat's name is Franz and the main character Roger Samms is a play on the lead character in Metamorphosis (Gregor Samsa).
Storyline
The story takes place in a filthy bar owned by Eddie Battito. Roger has stolen a million dollars worth of loan money from a science corporation he had previously worked for and is planning to leave for Mexico CityMexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
to start a new life. But after a small argument with his landlord, Eddie, he remembers a little trinket that he gotten in his early childhood: a bug-like locket
Locket
A locket is a pendant that opens to reveal a space used for storing a photograph or other small item such as a curl of hair. Lockets are usually given to loved ones on holidays such as Valentine's Day and occasions such as Christenings, weddings and, most noticeably during the Victorian Age,...
that belonged to his dead mother, Angelina. Upon its discovery, the locket transforms Roger's soul into a cockroach
Cockroach
Cockroaches are insects of the order Blattaria or Blattodea, of which about 30 species out of 4,500 total are associated with human habitations...
, and transports him to a mysterious sewer system connected to every section of the bar. His adventure takes him to the basement (which is also Eddie's bedroom), the bathroom, the kitchen, the bar room, Roger's room and finally his research room. As the roach (Roger) explores a world filled with danger at every turn, including rats, garbage disposal
Garbage disposal
A garbage disposal unit or waste disposal unit is a device, usually electrically powered, installed under a kitchen sink between the sink's drain and the trap which shreds food waste into pieces small enough—generally less than —to pass through plumbing.Garbage disposal units are widely used in...
s, and his own pet cat, Franz, he is constantly being guided by an oracle
Oracle
In Classical Antiquity, an oracle was a person or agency considered to be a source of wise counsel or prophetic predictions or precognition of the future, inspired by the gods. As such it is a form of divination....
(who happens to be his mother).
The game explores the sad past of both Roger and Eddie, revealing that Roger had been abandoned to an abusive nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
, was the center of bullying as a young man, and his failure to be taken seriously by his superiors. Eddie has had just as bad a life, having his beloved wife (also named Angelina) die during childbirth, and giving up his son. During Roger's exploration, he is forced to extinguish the pilot light
Pilot light
thumb|right|Merker gas fired water heater from the 1930's, with pilot light clearly visible through the aperture in the front cover. The large opening allowed for the manual lighting of the pilot light by a lit match or taper...
to a gas stove in the kitchen to save a baby cockroach that, in turn, assisted him in jamming the garbage disposal
Garbage disposal
A garbage disposal unit or waste disposal unit is a device, usually electrically powered, installed under a kitchen sink between the sink's drain and the trap which shreds food waste into pieces small enough—generally less than —to pass through plumbing.Garbage disposal units are widely used in...
with a spoon. This act eventually causes the whole bar to be filled with gas. Roger must then set off a smoke detector
Smoke detector
A smoke detector is a device that detects smoke, typically as an indicator of fire. Commercial, industrial, and mass residential devices issue a signal to a fire alarm system, while household detectors, known as smoke alarms, generally issue a local audible and/or visual alarm from the detector...
to wake a previously unconscious Eddie (which was Roger's fault) and then finally reach the locket in his own unconscious body's hand. With both men safely out of the bar when it explodes, Roger and Eddie discover that they are, in fact, father and son, which was exactly as the Oracle planned.
There are four possible endings to the storyline. If Eddie makes it out and Roger doesn't (if Eddie is warned of the fire but Roger is left on the floor), Eddie ends up as a homeless drunk. If Roger makes it out and Eddie doesn't, Roger tries to flee the country but is caught and charged with Eddie's murder, remanded an asylum for the criminally insane. If neither make it out, the ghost of Angelina narrates, telling of the death of both men, the destruction of the bar for urban renewal and that the ghosts of all three souls haunt the area where their dreams died. If both of them of make it out Eddie recognizes the bug-like locket (that contains a photo of Angelina) and they both reveal the truth about their past. The family is reunited and they travel together to Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
with the questionably obtained Roger's money, which is used to buy Eddie a new bar.
Soundtrack
The game features a substantial electronic music soundtrack composed and performed by the American electro-industrial artist XorcistXorcist
Xorcist is the name of an American musical group whose output has ranged from electro-industrial and ambient.-Background:Bat formed Xorcist in 1990 as a one-man act. By 1997, Xorcist grew to include Evoltwin.8...
, which has also written soundtracks for other CD-ROM games, notably Iron Helix
Iron Helix
Iron Helix is the name of an adventure video game made for the Windows, Mac, and the Sega CD. It was an early example of a CD-based game, including video elements integrated with conventional 2D maps and controls...
.
Success
Although it was a short game in terms of length, Bad Mojo sold very well, and its originally creepy atmosphere, challenging puzzles, and excellent storyline made it reach cult status among both Mac and PC gamers alike. Arinn DemboArinn Dembo
Arinn Dembo, born , is an American author currently living and writing in British Columbia, Canada. Dembo is best known for her work with Vancouver-based Kerberos Productions, where she is Lead Writer and has worked on the background fiction for the Sword of the Stars series and Fort Zombie...
, writing for Computer Gaming World
Computer Gaming World
Computer Gaming World was a computer game magazine founded in 1981 by Russell Sipe as a bimonthly publication. Early issues were typically 40-50 pages in length, written in a newsletter style, including submissions by game designers such as Joel Billings , Dan Bunten , and Chris Crawford...
, gave the game 4 stars. Little had been changed to the environment in the 2004 remade version of the game.
Re-release
Got Game EntertainmentGot Game Entertainment
Got Game Entertainment, LLC is an American publisher of videogames, based in Weston, Connecticut.- Games published :*Alida*The Lost Crown: A Ghost-Hunting Adventure*A Quiet Weekend in Capri*Anacapri: The Dream*ARMA 2...
re-released the game in December 2004 as Bad Mojo Redux. All in-game video
Full motion video
Full motion video based games are video games that rely upon pre-recorded TV-quality movie or animation rather than sprites, vectors, or 3D models to display action in the game. In the early 1990s a diverse set of games utilized this format...
s were remastered from original footage. Redux runs in truecolor only, opposed to the 1996 release which required only 256-color mode. This change makes the videos clearer and more colorful. The re-release also came with a bonus DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, which contained a making-of
Making-of
In cinema, a making-of, also known as behind-the-scenes, is a documentary film that features the production of a film or television program...
, art galleries and other bonuses. This DVD was omitted from the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
release.