Yellow Brick Road Walkthrough

This is a rare (nearly
legendary) adventure game released by Synergy, the Japanese company that released
Gadget, L-Zone, Zeddas: Servants of Sheol, and Alice: Interactive Museum,
and, in my opinion, the best of all of the three I have played (I’ve also
played Gadget and Zeddas). In hearing of this game, I could not
find a single reference to its existence other than a listing on Mr. Bill’s adventure
page. After several weeks of searching, I was able to find a mention of it on
a Japanese Playstation page, which merely had a picture of the cover. Knowing
a little Japanese, I was able to determine it was an adventure game so I took
a chance and bought it. The game most resembles another Quicktime-based game called
Grackon’s Curse with a more interesting premise. It is a traditional first-person
adventure (with some action utilizing tactical strategy), although it involves
an almost RPG-like set up when it comes to combat. As the game progresses, others
join you on your quest: Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, and the Scarecrow. This is
a simplified form of combat where each combatant selects another to battle. The
game was designed with family gaming in mind, so you won’t find any controversial
topics here, although you can be killed. None of the people you attack are ever
killed, though. They merely run away. The puzzles are all inventory-based and
quite easy, but the game was a nice departure from the serious adventures I usually
play.

Start

Yellow Brick Road
You
begin on the shore of a body of water just off the Yellow Brick Road. Turn around
and "follow the Yellow Brick Road." At a junction, turn left. Follow
the road to a hut.

Tin Man’s Hut
One of the Radish Brothers sits
at the entrance to the hut. Click on him to wake him up. He was sitting on a pedal.
Click on the pedal to open the door. After almost being killed by Tin Man, he
apologizes and asks where you are from. An interactive flashback involving a house
(in Kansas?) and shoes (not ruby slippers?) follows. Approach the fireplace and
collect the shoes. You return to the present. Tin Man agrees to join your party
first to free Lion and then to defeat the Gnome Empire. Collect the saw (blade)
and the sprayer from Tin Man’s hut before departing on the Yellow Brick Road again.

Yellow
Brick Road
Turn left at the junction. You will come across Lion chained
to a boulder. Two gnomes leap out, and a battle ensues. A brief statistics sheet
is displayed showing strengths and weaknesses of the combatants. The game turns
to a third-person perspective as you are required to line them up in the battle.
Use the weapons in inventory by dragging them to the desired character (at this
stage, only Tin Man). There are multiple ways to win the battle, but I found the
sprayer and saw blade most successful. Pick up the crown. Open the stocks to free
Lion. Lion informs you (through the C3P0-like interpreter, Tin Man) that Scarecrow
is on his way to the Emerald City. Return to the shore where you started at the
other end of the Yellow Brick Road.

End of the (Yellow Brick) Road
Lion
and Tin Man get the gondola. Click on the gondola for a trip to the Emerald City.

Emerald
City

Outside
Speak with the guards. They leave you
no other alternative but to fight. My strategy here was to keep knocking out one
guard with the sprayer and then gradually defeat the other guard. Then, when the
first guard was defeated, to turn the attacks to the second guard. The most successful
weapons were: the crown for Lion and ax for Tin Man. Enter the foyer.

Foyer
A
huge fountain sits in the center of the foyer disallowing access to the upper
level. There are two verandahs (left and right) with doors off them. Take the
first door on the left.

Dining Room
There are three guards in
this room eating at the table. After speaking with them, you have another battle.
My strategy here was to knock two of the guards out using the sprayer and then
have Lion attack with his claws and Tin Man with his ax. Exit the room.

Foyer
The
second door on the left is locked and padlocked but has a peephole in the top,
which allows you to see that Scarecrow is inside. Take the first door on the right
side.

Dressing Room
Approach the large wardrobe. Open all the
doors and drawers and speak with several of the Radish Brothers. The most important
are the third drawer on the left (you are told Oz is on the second floor) and
the lower door on left (you receive the key to the storage room). Exit the room.

Foyer
The
second door to the right is locked and cannot be opened. Return to the second
door on the left. Use the key in the padlock. Enter the storage room.

Storage
Room
Enter the room to find Scarecrow tied up on a bench. Talk with Scarecrow.
Lion will chew the ropes to free him. Scarecrow tells you to turn the valve to
clear the foyer of water and allow access to upstairs. He also asks that you search
for his flute (on the stairs). Move the bench. Click on the valve to turn it,
and a sound of water rushing out begins. Return to the foyer.

Foyer
A
video sequence plays of the water draining away. Approach the stairs. Click on
the flute to pick it up. Go up the stairs. The large double doors in front of
you are locked. Head over to the left verandah upstairs. Neither of these doors
opens. Try the right verandah. The second door on the right opens into a bedroom.

Bedroom
(Second Door on Right)
Click on the Radish Brother. It flees revealing
a switch. Pull the switch. The four-poster bed descends, and you can approach
a crystal ball. You are teleported to another room.

Teleportation Room
1 (First Door on Left)
Click on the crystal ball opposite the first. Three
guards appear. Prepare to fight. This is how I defeated them: Tin Man and Scarecrow
attacked Guard 3 while Lion kept the others in check. Then Tin Man and Lion attacked
Guard 1 while Scarecrow kept Guard 2 in check. Then Tin Man and Scarecrow fought
Guard 2. This allowed access to the crystal ball. Again, you are teleported to
another room.

Teleportation Room 2 (First Door on Right)
In this
room are three crystal balls. The first will return you to Teleportation Room
1. The second returns you to the Bedroom. The third sends you to a new room.

Teleportation
Room 3 (Second Door on Left)
Talk to the guards (one of which has a pumpkin
for a head). Once again, you are required to fight. This is how I defeated them
(easily the hardest fight in the game): Tin Man and Lion attacked the pumpkin-headed
guard (Tin Man used the sprayer, Lion his claws). Next, Tin Man and Scarecrow
both used the flute to attack the guard on the right. They then did the same with
the left guard. When defeated, you find a table in the corner with a bottle of
magic water and a key to the Royal Chamber. Return to the large double doors.

Double
Doors
Use the key on the door to enter the Royal Chamber.

Royal
Chamber
When you approach the throne, suddenly a giant head and two giant
hands appear. They belong to Oz. They were easily defeated by Tin Man and Scarecrow
using the magic water. I attacked the left hand first, then the right, and then
the head. You have a conversation with Oz when his figures are defeated. He informs
you Princess Glinda is missing. He asks that Tin Man, Lion, and Scarecrow stay
until her return. However, for some strange reason you wish to leave (just when
it’s getting interesting …). Lucky for you, Oz has your golden slippers.
You return to your home.

Kansas

Home
You
are shown the end video, replete with a teaser of Yellow Brick Road 2, wherein
Princess Glinda makes a plea that you return to Oz to "help me." Game
over.

I searched everywhere on the disk for a possible part two. There was
an icon for part two but no game. I felt cheated by this incomplete game. Anyway,
I enjoyed what I played!