Pajama Sam: Friendship's Not Tragic, in Fact it's Like Magic!by Architect IronturtleChapters"Who Wants to Read a Comic Book About a Bunch of Stupid Ponies, Anyway?""Noooo, Anything But a Princess!"Old Faces"Who Wants to Read a Comic Book About a Bunch of Stupid Ponies, Anyway?"I do not own MLP or Pajama Sam. All rights go to Hasbro and Humongous Entertainment. Titlecard "Stop right there, Igneous Isolater!" Pajama Sam (known as Sam to his family) read aloud to himself as he sprawled across his bed, "You days of trapping people under lava floes are over!" "That's what you think, Pajama Man!" Igneous cackled, his partially melted stone shell glinting in the artificial light of his lair, "When my bomb detonates the entire Yellowstone Caldera will go up, trapping people all alone under the ash for years to come!" "Do you mean this bomb?" Pajama Man asked, holding up the explosive while Igneous gaped. "Yes! Go, Pajama Man, Go!" Sam cheered, and turned the page, but before he could continue reading- DING-DONG! "Mark's here!" Sam shouted, springing out of his bed and bouncing off the wall as he went out the door and leapt down the stairs, nearly bowling over his mother as he pushed past her to the front door. He flung it open (causing it to bang against the door jamb) and pounced. "Brother!" "Waugh!" squawked Mark as he stumbled backwards, Sam clinging to his chest, "I missed you too squirt, but jeez!" "I'm glad you're back, it's been so quiet around here," Sam explained as he let go and landed on the porch, then froze, "Mark," he asked slowly, not quite believing what he was seeing, "What on earth are you wearing?" Mark was wearing a shirt. A black shirt. With a blue pony with a Rainbow mane surrounded by the words, "This shirt is now 20% cooler." "Only a tribute to the greatest show ever," Mark said as he stepped around Sam and hugged Mom, "I'll show you later, promise." Sam just gaped. 88888888 "Moooommmm, Mark's hogging the TV!" whined Pajama Sam as he tried to swipe the remote from his big brother, who was holding it as high as he could without standing up and relinquishing his spot in the best recliner. "Come on squirt, you know my favorite show is on," Mark shot back, trying to push Sam off his lap with his free hand, "It's the season finale, too!" "Yeah, your stupid show about the girly horses," Sam griped as he lost his balance and dropped onto the floor with a plop, covering his eyes to block the late day sun. "Now play nice, you two," their Mom chided from the dining room, "Sam, you know Mark's only going to be home for a few days. If you want to spend time with him, now's your chance." "That's the problem," Sam shouted, "All he wants to do is watch his dumb show! I mean, we could be talking about the best super hero ever, but noooooooo, it's all-this!" Sam gagged as he waved a hand at the TV, sticking his finger in his mouth and dramatically falling over. "You're so weird, Mark." Mark sniffed, "I'll have you know that it's a perfectly good show if you just gave it a chance. If you're not interested, that's your problem. Oh, quiet, it's starting." Sam started singing to drown out the TV, but a glare from Mark silenced him. Instead, he ran upstairs and slammed the door to his room before flinging himself onto his bed, one question running around inside his mind. Why? Why did Mark like that stuff? He used to be cool! They'd spent countless weekends reading and discussing Pajama Man while sorting comic books in his room, or watching Pajama Man and Friends in the living room. Then Mark went to college, and Sam had the house to himself. It was weird, and quiet, and a little lonely, and frankly Sam couldn't wait until Mark came home for Thanksgiving. Then Mark walked in the door and drop-kicked all of Sam's plans out the window! Meanie pants. Sam picked up a nearby comic and flipped through it absently. It was an old issue of Pajama Man, one of the first in fact, featuring Darkness, the most iconic of Pajama Man's opponents. Sam had met Darkness once, the night after he read it for the first time, and the guy was nothing like he was portrayed in the story. In reality, he was pretty nice, and a mean Cheese-and-Crackers player. About an hour later, Sam wasn't really keeping track, Mark knocked at his door: two short taps, followed by a harder one. It was the signal they'd made up that meant he had something for Sam. Sam considered ignoring it, but after a few seconds his resolve crumbled and he went to answer. "Hey, Sam," Mark said, shifting from foot to foot like he did whenever he was nervous, "I know you don't think much of my new..." he trailed off, searching for the right word. "Obsession?" Sam asked. He'd just learned that one, and thought it would fit pretty well here. "Ehhh, let's go with that. Anyway, I really think you would like it if you just tried it, and, since I know you love comics so much," he stuck out his hand, which was holding a comic book, "I thought this might be more your speed." Sam looked at the comic, but didn't move to take it, even when Mark used his best winning smile. Eventually, Mark sighed and straightened up, "Well, if you change your mind, just let me know." Sam nodded, not trusting his voice, and slowly closed the door. 88888888 "Sam, Mark, it's time for dinner!" Mom shouted, and Sam raced into the dining room, taking his spot between the light switch and the table. Tonight was Mac and Cheese Night, and Sam loved cheese. He kicked his legs against the bottom of his seat, waiting patiently for Mark to appear so they could start eating. The seconds stretched into half a minute, and longer still: no Mark. Dad called for him again once, then twice, and Mark still didn't come downstairs. "Sam," asked Mom, all sugary sweet, "Would you be a dear and go fetch your brother? It is his favorite, after all." Sam nodded and bounded up the steps, a small knot forming in his gut. Mark never left his family hanging, that just wasn't his style, so what had happened? The upstairs was way too quiet as Sam crept down the hall, passing under the attic that led to the Weather Factory before slipping past his room, then his parent's room, and finally reaching the guest room, formerly Mark's, at the end of the hall. The door was open a crack, and a soft golden light shone through it. Sam grasped the doorknob and started to push, but stopped when he heard strange noises coming from inside. He stopped pushing, and instead put his eye to the crack. Mark was standing in the middle of the floor, his back to his open suitcase on Sam's right and a comic book grasped lightly in one hand. Standing in front of him was... a girl? Sam had never seen her before, and she looked pretty strange with her charcoal black skin and bright green hair. She was smiling at Mark in a way that made Sam's hair stand up even more than usual before she leaned towards him and- EEEEEEEEWWWW! THEY'RE KISSING! Sam made a horrible face and turned away, although a morbid fascination eventually forced him to look back. Yep, they were still being gross. Then the strange girl pushed, and Mark fell back onto his suitcase with a cry of surprise, and passed right through it, disappearing into its depths, the comic book falling from his grasp and onto the floor. The girl laughed, a high pitched, chittering sound that sent shivers down Sam's spine, and flashed green. Her clothes evaporated as her body contorted, hands becoming hole-ridden hooves as a horn grew out of her forehead and translucent fly wings appeared on her back. Her laugh deepened and distorted, then she lunged forward and dove into the suitcase after Mark. She vanished from sight, leaving only an empty bedroom with the door open a crack, a crack at which Sam was standing in open horror. Sam walked into the room and picked up the book Mark had dropped. It's title read "My Little Pony Friendship-" the rest was covered by the two ponies on the front page, one of which was the very same pony who had just taken his brother. Sam may not have known who she was, but he knew her type. His brother had just been captured by a supervillain! Awesome! Wait, no, not awesome. Sam turned and sprinted for his room. "This looks like a job for-" His door banged open and he jumped over a pile of socks on the floor and started combing the room for his cape, bouncing all over the small space before he finally found it just inside his closet and spun like a tornado as he shouted,"Pajama Sam!" he briefly considered grabbing his mask, flashlight, and lunchbox, but ever since he'd lost them in the Land of Darkness he'd been leery of bringing them on another adventure, and quickly decided against it, instead spinning on his heel and racing into the hall. He ran back to his brother's room and stood in front of his suitcase, which was filled with more pony comics. He flipped through one of the comics for the right name to use before proclaiming, "Queen Chrysalis. Your days of kidnapping and grossness are over! Fear not, brother Mark. I shall go forth into," more flipping, "Equestria and vanquish the evil" flip-flip-flip, "Changelings and save you from a horrible fate!" Sam liked the word fate. It had a nice, important sound to it. He jumped back a pace, then took three steps and dove into the suitcase headfirst. WHUMP. "Ow!" And fell right back out again as comic books went flying everywhere, zipping behind the furniture and out of sight. A ripple passed through the room, as Sam stumbled back, holding his head in pain. "What?" he muttered, then frantically began pawing at the bottom of Mark's suitcase. "No, no, no! I have to follow him. I've done this before, why can't I now!?" He beat his fist against the suitcase in frustration, before inspiration struck and he leapt up to fetch the one comic that hadn't been in the pile. At least, that's what he would have done if he hadn't run face first into a wall of hair, the recoil knocking him flat on his back. "Oooow," he groaned, rubbing his head, "What hit me?" "No you silly, you hit me!" said an unfamiliar female voice. Sam looked up and saw... ok, just how hard did he hit his head anyway? Because he was pretty sure ponies were not supposed to come in that shade of pink. "You need to get to Equestria to save your brother, right?" The pink horse continued, seemingly oblivious to Sam's confusion. "Um, yeah, that's right," he said, tripping over his words a little, "but how did you-?" "Spoilers!" The pony said with a grin, tapping a hoof against her lips, "But that's not important right now anyway. You have things to do and places to be, and I have to get back before anypony,"--Sam winced--"notices I'm gone. Follow me!" With that, she spun in place, bounced over to the closet, yanked it open and disappeared inside. A faint "WHEEEEEEEE!" reached his ears almost immediately after. Shaking his head to clear it, Sam wobbled over to the closet and peered inside. He'd used closets before, more than once actually, but he wasn't aware of Mark's leading anywhere. Maybe he'd just missed it the first time? In any case Sam took a breath, let it out, and stepped into the darkness, closing the door behind him. Nothing apparent happened. Sam, starting to feel annoyed, took another step, thinking, If that stupid pink pony managed to trick me-: nothing greeted his foot. As Sam fell into the endless abyss, four thoughts chased each other around his skull. The first was, "Don't worry, Mark, I'm on my way!" the second, "Please don't let the ponies get me!" and the third, "Well, here we go again." The fourth was just a simple, "WWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Author's Note I'm surprised no one had thought of this crossover before. The whole premise of Pajama Sam is traveling to alien worlds that would make Discord weep tears of joy as a way to overcome fears and learn valuable life lessons. Equestria is an alien world dedicated to teaching life lessons. The plot almost writes itself. As a bonus to you, the reader, I will be providing a commentary/review of each Pajama Sam game with every chapter I post until I run out of either A. chapters, or B. games. Don't forget to like and follow! Next time on Pajama Sam: FiT,iFiLM! "Noooo, Anything But a Princess!" "Noooo, Anything But a Princess!"Spike placed the last diamond and sat back to admire his work. Finally, after weeks of preparation, his triple-deluxe-ice-cream-diamond-emerald Supreme Sundae was finished. At four feet high, two feet wide it was the ultimate dragon treat, so large that a young drake such as himself would never be able to finish it in one sitting. Spike licked his lips and pulled out a spoon. That wouldn't stop him from trying, though. However, as he brought the first spoonful to his gaping maw and prepared to bite, a faint sound intruded on the corners of his hearing. "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!" With a CRASH that echoed around the crystal kitchen, a small blue and red form fell out of a hole in the ceiling and smashed into the table a scant two inches away from Spike's pride and joy. A quick glance at the hole confirmed that it had in fact closed itself after the visitor, and Spike rolled his eyes as he bit down. As long as it didn't disturb his food he just didn't care anymore. A low, drawn out groan from the creature that had just interrupted Spike's day off signaled that he was awake, and after swallowing (Twilight would lecture him on manners if he talked with his mouth full, regardless of whether there was any conceivable way she could know it happened) said, "If you're looking for the way home, Twilight's three doors down the hall on the right. She can send you back." He gestured with a claw. "Uuuugh," The creature said as it rolled off the table and stood up, wobbling from side to side before bracing himself (Spike was pretty sure it was a he by now) and straightening up, balancing on the small pads covering his hind legs. He stared at Spike in shock for a moment before whispering, "Are you a dragon?" Spike sat up straighter, "That's right," he said proudly, "I am. The name's Spike, at your service." "My name's Pajama Sam!" Sam proclaimed with a heroic pose, as his bright rep cape billowed in a non-existent breeze, "I'm on a mission to rescue my big brother Mark from Queen Chrysalis!" "Wait, wait, wait," Spike said as a chill went down his spine, "Did you say Queen Chrysalis?" Sam nodded enthusiastically. "Wait right here, I'm going to go get Princess Twilight. And don't. Touch. My. Sundae." Spike breathed a touch of fire for emphasis, "Got it?" "Got it," Sam replied weakly, still rubbing his head from where he'd fallen. Spike raced out the door and down the hall, and Sam faintly heard him yelling, "Twilight, did you activate your summoning circle again?" somewhere deeper in the castle. This left Sam by himself in the kitchen, wondering why the giant pile of ice cream in front of him was covered in gems. After all, the gems would get in the way of eating it, and what's the point of ice cream if you can't eat it? Dump it down someone's shirt? What a waste. Sam wasn't going to take a bite, of course. He wasn't about to mess with a dragon, even a small one, assuming he could actually eat the stuff in the first place. Instead, he looked around, checking to see if anything useful was within reach. Knives? Nah, too pokey. Bowls? He already had a hardhat left over from his escapade in the weather factory, so he didn't need one for a helmet. A diamond the size of his fist? That, Sam slipped into his cape. It might come in handy. While taking a second look to make sure Sam hadn't missed anything, a splash of color caught his eye. He leapt over to the trash can, and, after rummaging behind it for a few seconds, pulled out... one of Mark's comic books? A picture of all the comic's Mark had brought with him scattering across the room filled Sam's mind, and he groaned as he slapped his forehead. Of course they ended up here. It wouldn't be an adventure without some sort of item to collect as he went along. Sam just hoped he'd actually find them all this time. He'd usually missed one or two in the past, and for once these weren't his things. On top of that, given what had happened the last time Sam messed with Mark's stuff, he didn't even want to consider what Mark would do if he came up short. The clop of hooves and click of claws against the crystal floor prompted his host's return, and he slipped the comic into his cape as he glanced towards the door and saw... a unicorn (with wings?) wearing a crown, and jewelry, and looking at Sam with a terrifyingly gleeful expression. "Uh, h-hello," he stammered nervously. If this was Twilight, she was giving him the creeps. Wait, didn't Spike say she was a Princess? "You didn't tell me he was cute," she whispered to Spike, although Sam could hear her perfectly. "I didn't think it was important," Spike whispered back while Sam frantically went through his cape. There had to be something he could use to get out of there, because right now Twilight was looking an awful lot like that single lady down the street with a dozen cats who always wanted to pinched Sam's cheeks. No thank you, he'd find Chrysalis on his own. Twilight was saying something to him now, but he'd stopped paying attention by that point. He still had a bunch of stuff left over from his previous adventures, there had to be something- oh, of course! The test-your-strength mallet from the Mop-Top Islands! "Spike, could you make some tea for our guest please?" Twilight said, instantly grabbing Sam's full attention. BAA-OOGA! BAA-OOGA! RED ALERT! ABANDON SHIP! A-BAND-ON SHIP! Sam was not going to have a tea party with a pony princess under any circumstances what-so-ever! His mind made up, Sam spun around and charged towards the nearest window wielding the wooden mallet in both hands, ignoring Twilight's cry of surprise. "AAAAAAAAHHHH!" CRASH! "AAAAAAAAHHHH!" They really should make windows out of sterner stuff. 88888888 "Noooo, come back!" Twilight said in a panic, still staring at the hole Sam had made in her brand new castle, before turning to Spike, "We can't just have him running around Ponyville by himself! We have to find him!" "Well, if you hadn't scared him off, maybe he'd still be here," Spike retorted, walking over to the hole to look out, "Besides, he just jumped out a third story window, I don't think he's going anywhere." Then Spike spotted Sam's red cape racing into the countryside, "Or maybe he is." "Come on, Spike! if we move fast we'll be able to catch him!" Spike cast one longing look at the sundae, then sighed and followed Twilight out the door. He'd been smart enough to use the frost-charmed bowl so it wouldn't melt while he was working on it, so it should still be there when he got back. Hopefully. 88888888 Sam let go of the tips of his cape-turned-makeshift-parachute and dropped the last foot to the ground, being careful to avoid the bits of glass from the destroyed window, then hightailed it towards the nearby bushes. That pony was crazy! Completely nuts! Even by Sam's standards! As if he'd ever willingly drink tea. As he ducked down into the shrubbery, disturbing a couple of birds that started screeching, "Ni!" at him until he moved to the next bush over, he paused when the rustle of the leaves was interrupted by the crinkling of paper. Looking down, he spotted another of Mark's comics, and picked it up without giving it further thought. Of course, now that he was out here and his panic was fading, he realized he really didn't have any clue where to start. Usually he just naturally ended up where he needed to go, so the idea of being aimless was somewhat disconcerting. He glanced down at the comic he was holding, then grimaced. Girly ponies or not, Mark was counting on him. If it meant saving his brother, well, he'd just have to live with it, and so he sat down, and opened the book. Surprisingly, he actually found himself not despising it by the end. It mostly had to do with this Discord fellow who was messing with the dreamscape and another Princess with a funny way of speaking, which made it more tolerable. Speaking of which, if Discord was the lord of chaos, did that mean- "Ooooh, what have we here?" Sam squeaked and fell over, then scrambled to his feet facing a creature made up of a bunch of other creatures. Discord, meanwhile was perusing the comic, his eyebrows climbing higher and higher as he read until they left his scalp entirely and floated off into the sky. He shut the comic with a snap as a new pair of brows grew into place, then fixed Sam with a skeptical gaze. "And just whoooo, aaaare, yoooou?" he said as he handed the book back to Sam, circling him to take him in from every angle. "I-I'm Pajama Sam," Sam stuttered, "I'm on a mission to rescue-" "Aaaah, that Sam," Discord said with a grin, "Future-Pinkie was quite flattering of you. So," he continued, stroking his bread, "you need to rescue your brother but don't really know where to start?" Sam nodded. "I can help with that, in return for one teensy little favor." Sam started to ask what it was, but Discord snapped his fingers and summoned a small eight pointed star on a string interrupted him, saying, "This little beauty will allow me to see everything you do. If you just keep it on you until you leave I'll tell where you need to go." "Um, ok, I guess," Sam said as he took the pendant and slipped it into his cape, "but why?-" "My dear boy," Discord said with a grin that split his face in half, "Do you have any idea how much mayhem you've caused just in the short time you've been here? Watching you bumble around is going to be an excellent use of my time." "Ok-aaaay. Thanks, I guess," Sam said cautiously. Just remember that it's all for Mark and you'll be sure not to panic. Yeah, good luck with that. "Now, your hint and warning," Discord said as he donned the robes of a mysterious old wizard, "Go to the town whose name is not a pun, and inquire of the whereabouts of an orange vegetable merchant. She will know what to do." Sam just stared at Discord blankly, who sighed, rubbed his temples, and clarified, "There's a town called Ponyville a few minutes walk that way," he pointed with a claw, "go there and find a pony named Carrot Top. She's got a bunch of carrots on her flank, you can't miss her. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised." He raised his hand, fingers poised to snap, but paused and said, "Oh right, the warning. Twilight's reaction was not abnormal. Unless you want a stampede on your claws I suggest you avoid the adults. Not that I would mind if you didn't." His fingers moved, and he disappeared in a burst of lightning without thunder, leaving Sam frantically looking around in case more ponies were sneaking up on him. This was going to be harder than he thought. Author's Note While I played all the installments in the main series and some of the arcade games when I was little, I've only played the first three games as an adult. However, of those three, Pajama Sam: No Need to Hide When it's Dark Outside, the one that started it all, is, I believe, the strongest. Why? It's not because of the game design. There's only three items to collect compared to the usual four, and you can't pick which puzzles you want to solve, instead being forced to do whatever the game has randomly selected. The later games have that choice, which makes it's absence from the first more obvious in hindsight, but it's still annoying when you want to see every outcome. No, it's because of the tone. Remember, this is Sam's first adventure. Until you actually enter the Land of Darkness you have no idea what you're getting into. The moment you fall down the rabbit hole for the first time still sent a chill down my spine all these years later, one that the game's sequels never managed to recreate. The first game has a sort of suspension of disbelief that gives the whole experience a magical quality, one that the second game in particular fell flat on. As a result, none of the follow ups were ever quite able to capture the spirit of the original, even though the game design quality improved. As for the game itself, it's family friendly in best way. The comedy has elements for both toddlers and the parents that are helping use the computer (would you expect a four year old to get a joke about the IRS?), and the puzzles are in fact challenging. The game is old enough that it doesn't hold your hand the entire time, and while talking to the characters will usually tell you what you need to do, you don't have a companion constantly giving you guidance. All in all, this game gets about an 8.5/10. And now, a question and teaser for next time: why would Discord send Sam to go meet Carrot Top? Old FacesSam considered using one of the dirt roads to make his way into town, but quickly decided against when he saw how much traffic it was getting. He really didn't want to draw any more attention than he absolutely had to at this point, and a show called Friendship is Magic (gag) meant that if he dealt with one pony, he was probably dealing with all of them, including Princess Crazy. He stuck to the fields and bushes instead, and ended up pulling a third comic out of a hollowed out tree knot thanks to that choice. This no interaction policy proved harder and harder to enforce as he drew closer to town, though. Ponies were everywhere. In the sky, on the streets, inside the buildings, running through the fields. Sam thanked his lucky stars he hadn't hit a growth spurt recently, since his small stature made what might have been an impossible task merely difficult. It's much easier to hide when you're invisible while standing upright behind a barrel. Soon, he was staring out onto main street, watching the colorful pedestrians walk by. Now, where would a pony named Carrot Top be? His eyes scanned for some sort of clue (and spotted another comic book wedged between a spittoon and a porch roof support). Honestly, for such direct advice it was surprisingly unhelpful. Then he looked straight up, and spotted a big sign with an assortment of vegetables (including a few carrots) and arrow painted on it. Well, it was something, so Sam, sticking to the back alleys, followed the sign, snatching the comic during a brief lull along the way. The sign led to an open market the likes of which Sam had only read about that was absolutely swarming with ponies. Sam didn't dare get close, there was no way he wouldn't get spotted. Instead, he climbed a nearby gutter and started slipping along the rooftops, being careful to avoid catching any of the flying ponies's eyes as his own scanned for a bundle of carrots on an orange flank. It seemed his usual luck was coming back, finally, as he spotted her fairly quickly. The massive sign stating CARROTS in capital letters hanging over her head was a big hint, but still. Sam dropped back to the ground behind the booth and stealthily approached the oblivious mare. Now, how to separate her from the rest of the group? Sam looked around for useful items, but not before scooping up a fifth comic. Hold up, that pile of empty crates to his left looked unstable, he just need to grab a rock and... Sam ducked out of sight as the crates toppled over with a clatter, and heard a faint curse followed by some chatter and the clop of a single set of hooves. A orange mare stepped into view and started setting the boxes back up as she grumbled. Sam took a deep breath to collect himself. If this didn't work he was going to have the entire town on his heels, and he needed to be ready to run a moment's notice. "Psst," he hissed, causing the pony to stiffen and turn around, "Over here." "Sam?" Said the mare, in an unusually low voice as she walked up and stared down at him, "Well isn't this a surprise." "Um," Sam said back, "You're Carrot Top, right? Some guy called Discord told me to look for you." "Ah, him," The mare said, "He's a friend, of sorts. More interested in his chaos than anything productive, but harmless as long as he's distracted. Also, I think I know why he sent you here." The mare twitched, then let out a series of metallic clicks as her face split open, revealing a small metal cockpit manned by a familiar orange vegetable. "Carrot!*" Sam said, his eyes lighting up at the sight of his old friend, "Cool suit! "Thanks, Sam," Carrot said with a smile, "It was a parting gift from the weather factory. I stumbled across a half-dozen different embezzlement schemes all going at the same time and put a stop to them, and they gave the money that built this suit as a reward." He tapped it affectionately. "That's great!" Sam said with enthusiasm, "but what are you doing here?" Carrot turned left and right as he checked for eavesdroppers, then leaned in and whispered, "A couple of things, actually. You remember the resistance movement back in the land of darkness?" When Sam nodded, Carrot continued, "You springing all those rebel leaders from Darkness's fridge was a big help, but we haven't been able to make any headway on our objectives. Some of them want out, and I need to find a place for them to settle down in peace. Which brings me to my second reason." Another glance left and right, "The Islands of Moptop are threatening to blow up again. The peace you helped forge is still holding, but only barely, and general Beetroot is NOT helping to ease the tension. The sweets are too numerous to be economically stable, and some of the other food groups are looking for an escape. This place is nice, so once I'm done scouting I'll start bringing them over. Speaking of economics..." Carrot flipped a few switches, causing his robotic suit to pull out a gold coin, "I only found this out after coming here, but these guys use a gold standard. It's the best currency I've ever seen. If all goes well when I get back we might be looking at a global conversion in the next few years. Assuming I don't blow my cover first." He put the coin away as he sent a third glance left and right before crouching down and scooting a bit closer, "This mare had a lot of friends and they're starting to get suspicious. I've got a few more days, tops, before I have to jet." Sam frowned slightly, "Carrot, um, did you kidnap her?" "What? No, she's perfectly fine," Carrot said, "Just a little tied up at the moment." 88888888 In the storage cellar of a carrot farm sat an Orange Mare with three carrots on her flank, bound to a chair by a ludicrous amount of rope and surrounded by crates of fresh veggies that she couldn't reach to help silence her grumbling stomach. Taken out by my own produce, she groaned to herself, If anypony ever finds out what happened I will never live this down. 88888888 "Not worried about her blabbing after the fact either," Carrot said as Sam's frown deepened, "But that's not important right now. You said something about looking for me?" "Oh, right." Sam explained his problem, detailing Mark's disappearance, followed by his own arrival, Twilight's reaction, and Discord's 'advice,' provoking a oddly fierce glare from Carrot. "Those Changelings almost exposed me when they invaded Canterlot," he growled, "I had to abandon my current disguise ahead of schedule, not to mention that it set the whole operation back months. I'm more than happy to help based on that alone, but I also owe you three times over." "Carrot? Are you ok?" Called a female voice from the direction of the market. "I'm fine Lemon," Carrot called back in a falsetto, "I'll just be another minute." "Listen Sam, I can't stay much longer," Carrot stated, "I'll get you a map to the badlands and a way onto the train, but you're going to have to get your team yourself. Don't give me that look, I know you prefer to work alone and I can guess what kind of impression this world has left on you, but friendship is magic here, and I don't mean in the sappy moral sense. When ponies work together it warps the fabric of reality itself. I once watched a group hug create a shockwave that cleaned a kitchen. Yeah, I know, it's crazy, but you're going to need that power to take Queen Chrysalis out. "Since the cuteness meter I had built into this thing to help me stay 'in character' seems to consider you impossibly adorable, you're going to have to stick to the younger ponies or risk getting glomped. Or stuck here in town while they go out and solve it for you, which is almost worse. I know a group of three fillies in particular who used to do stuff like this all the time," He pulled out a piece of paper and scribbled some names on it, then gave it to Sam, "but they've calmed down a lot recently, something about getting their cutie marks, so you might have to apply some persuasion. "After that, I suggest following their advice. You need six people total, including yourself, since that seems to be a powerful number when magic is involved. Don't know why, so don't bother asking. You and them makes four, so you'll need to find two more. Meet me behind the train station when you're done." Carrot turned and walked away before Sam could protest, clicking the face of his robotic suit back into place, and was soon too close to the other ponies to risk another conversation. Sam looked down at the piece of paper. It seemed to be a rough map leading out of town to an apple orchard just to the southwest, with the names Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo scribbled in one corner. Sam honestly didn't know what to think of this. On the one hand, they were ponies. Not just any ponies, but kid ponies, which were even more girly. Although Sam was a kid himself, so he couldn't really judge. Not that it stopped him. On the other hand, he trusted Carrot. If Carrot said he needed their help, he needed their help. And that map wouldn't be ready anytime soon, so Sam couldn't just head for the badlands right away, no matter how much he wanted to. Sam sighed, slipped an empty crate into his cape, and started trudging west. Just remember that it's all for Mark, he thought to himself, Keep that in mind and you'll be able to put up with a little discomfort. 88888888 "And you're sure you haven't seen him?" Twilight asked, giving the carrot merchant a hard look over the top of her stall. "Positive," Carrot Top replied, before reaching under the table and pulling out another box of orange vegetables, "Sorry I can't help." Twilight groaned as she stepped out of line, prompting a sympathetic pat from Spike, "Where did he go?" she asked herself, "I thought for sure he'd come this way." "Try that treasure hunter spell again," Spike told her, "Maybe you messed it up the first time?" Twilight nodded and crossed her eyes in concentration, "It's pointing towards Sweet Apple Acres now," she told him as her face lit up, "Come on, we might be able to catch him!" She took off galloping with Spike struggling to hold on. Author's Note *Carrot the carrot is basically Pajama Sam's sole recurring character, and the only thing tying down one of the possible puzzle pathways as 'canon.' Other than him it's impossible to tell which one really happened. The second game is the weakest of the bunch, in my opinion, both in mechanics and story. I'll start with the story. This time, Sam's TV watching is interrupted by Thunder and Lightning calling down a storm around his house, so he goes up to the weather factory to give them a piece of his mind. He comes in, has his arguments derailed by the importance of rain, then accidentally causes the massive weather he has to fix. That isn't the real problem though. The problem is the game promptly tries to make you forget that Sam dun-goofed. Sure, he fixes everything, but he doesn't get in trouble for breaking it in the first place. This unfortunately leaves a bad taste in my mouth afterwards, which is too bad this game has the hardest puzzles of the series. Not one, but two of them managed to stump me, a fully grown adult who knows exactly how smart he is. The funny part about this is that a child would have an easier time solving one of them, which I find delightfully ironic. This leads to the game mechanics, or to be precise the new choose-your-puzzle setup. The first game had which puzzlement variant you ended up with set as totally random, so you couldn't choose which one you wanted to do. The third game had the puzzles fully customized, with the ability to pick any combo. The second goes in between, with six predetermined setups (out of 16) of the four possible two puzzle choices. This mostly annoys me because the setup I believe to be the most challenging (defined by how many different steps are needed) isn't available. I will admit the save/load system is a nice addition though. Sure, this game is still good, just not as good as the ones before or after.
"Who Wants to Read a Comic Book About a Bunch of Stupid Ponies, Anyway?"I do not own MLP or Pajama Sam. All rights go to Hasbro and Humongous Entertainment. Titlecard "Stop right there, Igneous Isolater!" Pajama Sam (known as Sam to his family) read aloud to himself as he sprawled across his bed, "You days of trapping people under lava floes are over!" "That's what you think, Pajama Man!" Igneous cackled, his partially melted stone shell glinting in the artificial light of his lair, "When my bomb detonates the entire Yellowstone Caldera will go up, trapping people all alone under the ash for years to come!" "Do you mean this bomb?" Pajama Man asked, holding up the explosive while Igneous gaped. "Yes! Go, Pajama Man, Go!" Sam cheered, and turned the page, but before he could continue reading- DING-DONG! "Mark's here!" Sam shouted, springing out of his bed and bouncing off the wall as he went out the door and leapt down the stairs, nearly bowling over his mother as he pushed past her to the front door. He flung it open (causing it to bang against the door jamb) and pounced. "Brother!" "Waugh!" squawked Mark as he stumbled backwards, Sam clinging to his chest, "I missed you too squirt, but jeez!" "I'm glad you're back, it's been so quiet around here," Sam explained as he let go and landed on the porch, then froze, "Mark," he asked slowly, not quite believing what he was seeing, "What on earth are you wearing?" Mark was wearing a shirt. A black shirt. With a blue pony with a Rainbow mane surrounded by the words, "This shirt is now 20% cooler." "Only a tribute to the greatest show ever," Mark said as he stepped around Sam and hugged Mom, "I'll show you later, promise." Sam just gaped. 88888888 "Moooommmm, Mark's hogging the TV!" whined Pajama Sam as he tried to swipe the remote from his big brother, who was holding it as high as he could without standing up and relinquishing his spot in the best recliner. "Come on squirt, you know my favorite show is on," Mark shot back, trying to push Sam off his lap with his free hand, "It's the season finale, too!" "Yeah, your stupid show about the girly horses," Sam griped as he lost his balance and dropped onto the floor with a plop, covering his eyes to block the late day sun. "Now play nice, you two," their Mom chided from the dining room, "Sam, you know Mark's only going to be home for a few days. If you want to spend time with him, now's your chance." "That's the problem," Sam shouted, "All he wants to do is watch his dumb show! I mean, we could be talking about the best super hero ever, but noooooooo, it's all-this!" Sam gagged as he waved a hand at the TV, sticking his finger in his mouth and dramatically falling over. "You're so weird, Mark." Mark sniffed, "I'll have you know that it's a perfectly good show if you just gave it a chance. If you're not interested, that's your problem. Oh, quiet, it's starting." Sam started singing to drown out the TV, but a glare from Mark silenced him. Instead, he ran upstairs and slammed the door to his room before flinging himself onto his bed, one question running around inside his mind. Why? Why did Mark like that stuff? He used to be cool! They'd spent countless weekends reading and discussing Pajama Man while sorting comic books in his room, or watching Pajama Man and Friends in the living room. Then Mark went to college, and Sam had the house to himself. It was weird, and quiet, and a little lonely, and frankly Sam couldn't wait until Mark came home for Thanksgiving. Then Mark walked in the door and drop-kicked all of Sam's plans out the window! Meanie pants. Sam picked up a nearby comic and flipped through it absently. It was an old issue of Pajama Man, one of the first in fact, featuring Darkness, the most iconic of Pajama Man's opponents. Sam had met Darkness once, the night after he read it for the first time, and the guy was nothing like he was portrayed in the story. In reality, he was pretty nice, and a mean Cheese-and-Crackers player. About an hour later, Sam wasn't really keeping track, Mark knocked at his door: two short taps, followed by a harder one. It was the signal they'd made up that meant he had something for Sam. Sam considered ignoring it, but after a few seconds his resolve crumbled and he went to answer. "Hey, Sam," Mark said, shifting from foot to foot like he did whenever he was nervous, "I know you don't think much of my new..." he trailed off, searching for the right word. "Obsession?" Sam asked. He'd just learned that one, and thought it would fit pretty well here. "Ehhh, let's go with that. Anyway, I really think you would like it if you just tried it, and, since I know you love comics so much," he stuck out his hand, which was holding a comic book, "I thought this might be more your speed." Sam looked at the comic, but didn't move to take it, even when Mark used his best winning smile. Eventually, Mark sighed and straightened up, "Well, if you change your mind, just let me know." Sam nodded, not trusting his voice, and slowly closed the door. 88888888 "Sam, Mark, it's time for dinner!" Mom shouted, and Sam raced into the dining room, taking his spot between the light switch and the table. Tonight was Mac and Cheese Night, and Sam loved cheese. He kicked his legs against the bottom of his seat, waiting patiently for Mark to appear so they could start eating. The seconds stretched into half a minute, and longer still: no Mark. Dad called for him again once, then twice, and Mark still didn't come downstairs. "Sam," asked Mom, all sugary sweet, "Would you be a dear and go fetch your brother? It is his favorite, after all." Sam nodded and bounded up the steps, a small knot forming in his gut. Mark never left his family hanging, that just wasn't his style, so what had happened? The upstairs was way too quiet as Sam crept down the hall, passing under the attic that led to the Weather Factory before slipping past his room, then his parent's room, and finally reaching the guest room, formerly Mark's, at the end of the hall. The door was open a crack, and a soft golden light shone through it. Sam grasped the doorknob and started to push, but stopped when he heard strange noises coming from inside. He stopped pushing, and instead put his eye to the crack. Mark was standing in the middle of the floor, his back to his open suitcase on Sam's right and a comic book grasped lightly in one hand. Standing in front of him was... a girl? Sam had never seen her before, and she looked pretty strange with her charcoal black skin and bright green hair. She was smiling at Mark in a way that made Sam's hair stand up even more than usual before she leaned towards him and- EEEEEEEEWWWW! THEY'RE KISSING! Sam made a horrible face and turned away, although a morbid fascination eventually forced him to look back. Yep, they were still being gross. Then the strange girl pushed, and Mark fell back onto his suitcase with a cry of surprise, and passed right through it, disappearing into its depths, the comic book falling from his grasp and onto the floor. The girl laughed, a high pitched, chittering sound that sent shivers down Sam's spine, and flashed green. Her clothes evaporated as her body contorted, hands becoming hole-ridden hooves as a horn grew out of her forehead and translucent fly wings appeared on her back. Her laugh deepened and distorted, then she lunged forward and dove into the suitcase after Mark. She vanished from sight, leaving only an empty bedroom with the door open a crack, a crack at which Sam was standing in open horror. Sam walked into the room and picked up the book Mark had dropped. It's title read "My Little Pony Friendship-" the rest was covered by the two ponies on the front page, one of which was the very same pony who had just taken his brother. Sam may not have known who she was, but he knew her type. His brother had just been captured by a supervillain! Awesome! Wait, no, not awesome. Sam turned and sprinted for his room. "This looks like a job for-" His door banged open and he jumped over a pile of socks on the floor and started combing the room for his cape, bouncing all over the small space before he finally found it just inside his closet and spun like a tornado as he shouted,"Pajama Sam!" he briefly considered grabbing his mask, flashlight, and lunchbox, but ever since he'd lost them in the Land of Darkness he'd been leery of bringing them on another adventure, and quickly decided against it, instead spinning on his heel and racing into the hall. He ran back to his brother's room and stood in front of his suitcase, which was filled with more pony comics. He flipped through one of the comics for the right name to use before proclaiming, "Queen Chrysalis. Your days of kidnapping and grossness are over! Fear not, brother Mark. I shall go forth into," more flipping, "Equestria and vanquish the evil" flip-flip-flip, "Changelings and save you from a horrible fate!" Sam liked the word fate. It had a nice, important sound to it. He jumped back a pace, then took three steps and dove into the suitcase headfirst. WHUMP. "Ow!" And fell right back out again as comic books went flying everywhere, zipping behind the furniture and out of sight. A ripple passed through the room, as Sam stumbled back, holding his head in pain. "What?" he muttered, then frantically began pawing at the bottom of Mark's suitcase. "No, no, no! I have to follow him. I've done this before, why can't I now!?" He beat his fist against the suitcase in frustration, before inspiration struck and he leapt up to fetch the one comic that hadn't been in the pile. At least, that's what he would have done if he hadn't run face first into a wall of hair, the recoil knocking him flat on his back. "Oooow," he groaned, rubbing his head, "What hit me?" "No you silly, you hit me!" said an unfamiliar female voice. Sam looked up and saw... ok, just how hard did he hit his head anyway? Because he was pretty sure ponies were not supposed to come in that shade of pink. "You need to get to Equestria to save your brother, right?" The pink horse continued, seemingly oblivious to Sam's confusion. "Um, yeah, that's right," he said, tripping over his words a little, "but how did you-?" "Spoilers!" The pony said with a grin, tapping a hoof against her lips, "But that's not important right now anyway. You have things to do and places to be, and I have to get back before anypony,"--Sam winced--"notices I'm gone. Follow me!" With that, she spun in place, bounced over to the closet, yanked it open and disappeared inside. A faint "WHEEEEEEEE!" reached his ears almost immediately after. Shaking his head to clear it, Sam wobbled over to the closet and peered inside. He'd used closets before, more than once actually, but he wasn't aware of Mark's leading anywhere. Maybe he'd just missed it the first time? In any case Sam took a breath, let it out, and stepped into the darkness, closing the door behind him. Nothing apparent happened. Sam, starting to feel annoyed, took another step, thinking, If that stupid pink pony managed to trick me-: nothing greeted his foot. As Sam fell into the endless abyss, four thoughts chased each other around his skull. The first was, "Don't worry, Mark, I'm on my way!" the second, "Please don't let the ponies get me!" and the third, "Well, here we go again." The fourth was just a simple, "WWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Author's Note I'm surprised no one had thought of this crossover before. The whole premise of Pajama Sam is traveling to alien worlds that would make Discord weep tears of joy as a way to overcome fears and learn valuable life lessons. Equestria is an alien world dedicated to teaching life lessons. The plot almost writes itself. As a bonus to you, the reader, I will be providing a commentary/review of each Pajama Sam game with every chapter I post until I run out of either A. chapters, or B. games. Don't forget to like and follow! Next time on Pajama Sam: FiT,iFiLM! "Noooo, Anything But a Princess!"
"Noooo, Anything But a Princess!"Spike placed the last diamond and sat back to admire his work. Finally, after weeks of preparation, his triple-deluxe-ice-cream-diamond-emerald Supreme Sundae was finished. At four feet high, two feet wide it was the ultimate dragon treat, so large that a young drake such as himself would never be able to finish it in one sitting. Spike licked his lips and pulled out a spoon. That wouldn't stop him from trying, though. However, as he brought the first spoonful to his gaping maw and prepared to bite, a faint sound intruded on the corners of his hearing. "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!" With a CRASH that echoed around the crystal kitchen, a small blue and red form fell out of a hole in the ceiling and smashed into the table a scant two inches away from Spike's pride and joy. A quick glance at the hole confirmed that it had in fact closed itself after the visitor, and Spike rolled his eyes as he bit down. As long as it didn't disturb his food he just didn't care anymore. A low, drawn out groan from the creature that had just interrupted Spike's day off signaled that he was awake, and after swallowing (Twilight would lecture him on manners if he talked with his mouth full, regardless of whether there was any conceivable way she could know it happened) said, "If you're looking for the way home, Twilight's three doors down the hall on the right. She can send you back." He gestured with a claw. "Uuuugh," The creature said as it rolled off the table and stood up, wobbling from side to side before bracing himself (Spike was pretty sure it was a he by now) and straightening up, balancing on the small pads covering his hind legs. He stared at Spike in shock for a moment before whispering, "Are you a dragon?" Spike sat up straighter, "That's right," he said proudly, "I am. The name's Spike, at your service." "My name's Pajama Sam!" Sam proclaimed with a heroic pose, as his bright rep cape billowed in a non-existent breeze, "I'm on a mission to rescue my big brother Mark from Queen Chrysalis!" "Wait, wait, wait," Spike said as a chill went down his spine, "Did you say Queen Chrysalis?" Sam nodded enthusiastically. "Wait right here, I'm going to go get Princess Twilight. And don't. Touch. My. Sundae." Spike breathed a touch of fire for emphasis, "Got it?" "Got it," Sam replied weakly, still rubbing his head from where he'd fallen. Spike raced out the door and down the hall, and Sam faintly heard him yelling, "Twilight, did you activate your summoning circle again?" somewhere deeper in the castle. This left Sam by himself in the kitchen, wondering why the giant pile of ice cream in front of him was covered in gems. After all, the gems would get in the way of eating it, and what's the point of ice cream if you can't eat it? Dump it down someone's shirt? What a waste. Sam wasn't going to take a bite, of course. He wasn't about to mess with a dragon, even a small one, assuming he could actually eat the stuff in the first place. Instead, he looked around, checking to see if anything useful was within reach. Knives? Nah, too pokey. Bowls? He already had a hardhat left over from his escapade in the weather factory, so he didn't need one for a helmet. A diamond the size of his fist? That, Sam slipped into his cape. It might come in handy. While taking a second look to make sure Sam hadn't missed anything, a splash of color caught his eye. He leapt over to the trash can, and, after rummaging behind it for a few seconds, pulled out... one of Mark's comic books? A picture of all the comic's Mark had brought with him scattering across the room filled Sam's mind, and he groaned as he slapped his forehead. Of course they ended up here. It wouldn't be an adventure without some sort of item to collect as he went along. Sam just hoped he'd actually find them all this time. He'd usually missed one or two in the past, and for once these weren't his things. On top of that, given what had happened the last time Sam messed with Mark's stuff, he didn't even want to consider what Mark would do if he came up short. The clop of hooves and click of claws against the crystal floor prompted his host's return, and he slipped the comic into his cape as he glanced towards the door and saw... a unicorn (with wings?) wearing a crown, and jewelry, and looking at Sam with a terrifyingly gleeful expression. "Uh, h-hello," he stammered nervously. If this was Twilight, she was giving him the creeps. Wait, didn't Spike say she was a Princess? "You didn't tell me he was cute," she whispered to Spike, although Sam could hear her perfectly. "I didn't think it was important," Spike whispered back while Sam frantically went through his cape. There had to be something he could use to get out of there, because right now Twilight was looking an awful lot like that single lady down the street with a dozen cats who always wanted to pinched Sam's cheeks. No thank you, he'd find Chrysalis on his own. Twilight was saying something to him now, but he'd stopped paying attention by that point. He still had a bunch of stuff left over from his previous adventures, there had to be something- oh, of course! The test-your-strength mallet from the Mop-Top Islands! "Spike, could you make some tea for our guest please?" Twilight said, instantly grabbing Sam's full attention. BAA-OOGA! BAA-OOGA! RED ALERT! ABANDON SHIP! A-BAND-ON SHIP! Sam was not going to have a tea party with a pony princess under any circumstances what-so-ever! His mind made up, Sam spun around and charged towards the nearest window wielding the wooden mallet in both hands, ignoring Twilight's cry of surprise. "AAAAAAAAHHHH!" CRASH! "AAAAAAAAHHHH!" They really should make windows out of sterner stuff. 88888888 "Noooo, come back!" Twilight said in a panic, still staring at the hole Sam had made in her brand new castle, before turning to Spike, "We can't just have him running around Ponyville by himself! We have to find him!" "Well, if you hadn't scared him off, maybe he'd still be here," Spike retorted, walking over to the hole to look out, "Besides, he just jumped out a third story window, I don't think he's going anywhere." Then Spike spotted Sam's red cape racing into the countryside, "Or maybe he is." "Come on, Spike! if we move fast we'll be able to catch him!" Spike cast one longing look at the sundae, then sighed and followed Twilight out the door. He'd been smart enough to use the frost-charmed bowl so it wouldn't melt while he was working on it, so it should still be there when he got back. Hopefully. 88888888 Sam let go of the tips of his cape-turned-makeshift-parachute and dropped the last foot to the ground, being careful to avoid the bits of glass from the destroyed window, then hightailed it towards the nearby bushes. That pony was crazy! Completely nuts! Even by Sam's standards! As if he'd ever willingly drink tea. As he ducked down into the shrubbery, disturbing a couple of birds that started screeching, "Ni!" at him until he moved to the next bush over, he paused when the rustle of the leaves was interrupted by the crinkling of paper. Looking down, he spotted another of Mark's comics, and picked it up without giving it further thought. Of course, now that he was out here and his panic was fading, he realized he really didn't have any clue where to start. Usually he just naturally ended up where he needed to go, so the idea of being aimless was somewhat disconcerting. He glanced down at the comic he was holding, then grimaced. Girly ponies or not, Mark was counting on him. If it meant saving his brother, well, he'd just have to live with it, and so he sat down, and opened the book. Surprisingly, he actually found himself not despising it by the end. It mostly had to do with this Discord fellow who was messing with the dreamscape and another Princess with a funny way of speaking, which made it more tolerable. Speaking of which, if Discord was the lord of chaos, did that mean- "Ooooh, what have we here?" Sam squeaked and fell over, then scrambled to his feet facing a creature made up of a bunch of other creatures. Discord, meanwhile was perusing the comic, his eyebrows climbing higher and higher as he read until they left his scalp entirely and floated off into the sky. He shut the comic with a snap as a new pair of brows grew into place, then fixed Sam with a skeptical gaze. "And just whoooo, aaaare, yoooou?" he said as he handed the book back to Sam, circling him to take him in from every angle. "I-I'm Pajama Sam," Sam stuttered, "I'm on a mission to rescue-" "Aaaah, that Sam," Discord said with a grin, "Future-Pinkie was quite flattering of you. So," he continued, stroking his bread, "you need to rescue your brother but don't really know where to start?" Sam nodded. "I can help with that, in return for one teensy little favor." Sam started to ask what it was, but Discord snapped his fingers and summoned a small eight pointed star on a string interrupted him, saying, "This little beauty will allow me to see everything you do. If you just keep it on you until you leave I'll tell where you need to go." "Um, ok, I guess," Sam said as he took the pendant and slipped it into his cape, "but why?-" "My dear boy," Discord said with a grin that split his face in half, "Do you have any idea how much mayhem you've caused just in the short time you've been here? Watching you bumble around is going to be an excellent use of my time." "Ok-aaaay. Thanks, I guess," Sam said cautiously. Just remember that it's all for Mark and you'll be sure not to panic. Yeah, good luck with that. "Now, your hint and warning," Discord said as he donned the robes of a mysterious old wizard, "Go to the town whose name is not a pun, and inquire of the whereabouts of an orange vegetable merchant. She will know what to do." Sam just stared at Discord blankly, who sighed, rubbed his temples, and clarified, "There's a town called Ponyville a few minutes walk that way," he pointed with a claw, "go there and find a pony named Carrot Top. She's got a bunch of carrots on her flank, you can't miss her. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised." He raised his hand, fingers poised to snap, but paused and said, "Oh right, the warning. Twilight's reaction was not abnormal. Unless you want a stampede on your claws I suggest you avoid the adults. Not that I would mind if you didn't." His fingers moved, and he disappeared in a burst of lightning without thunder, leaving Sam frantically looking around in case more ponies were sneaking up on him. This was going to be harder than he thought. Author's Note While I played all the installments in the main series and some of the arcade games when I was little, I've only played the first three games as an adult. However, of those three, Pajama Sam: No Need to Hide When it's Dark Outside, the one that started it all, is, I believe, the strongest. Why? It's not because of the game design. There's only three items to collect compared to the usual four, and you can't pick which puzzles you want to solve, instead being forced to do whatever the game has randomly selected. The later games have that choice, which makes it's absence from the first more obvious in hindsight, but it's still annoying when you want to see every outcome. No, it's because of the tone. Remember, this is Sam's first adventure. Until you actually enter the Land of Darkness you have no idea what you're getting into. The moment you fall down the rabbit hole for the first time still sent a chill down my spine all these years later, one that the game's sequels never managed to recreate. The first game has a sort of suspension of disbelief that gives the whole experience a magical quality, one that the second game in particular fell flat on. As a result, none of the follow ups were ever quite able to capture the spirit of the original, even though the game design quality improved. As for the game itself, it's family friendly in best way. The comedy has elements for both toddlers and the parents that are helping use the computer (would you expect a four year old to get a joke about the IRS?), and the puzzles are in fact challenging. The game is old enough that it doesn't hold your hand the entire time, and while talking to the characters will usually tell you what you need to do, you don't have a companion constantly giving you guidance. All in all, this game gets about an 8.5/10. And now, a question and teaser for next time: why would Discord send Sam to go meet Carrot Top?
Old FacesSam considered using one of the dirt roads to make his way into town, but quickly decided against when he saw how much traffic it was getting. He really didn't want to draw any more attention than he absolutely had to at this point, and a show called Friendship is Magic (gag) meant that if he dealt with one pony, he was probably dealing with all of them, including Princess Crazy. He stuck to the fields and bushes instead, and ended up pulling a third comic out of a hollowed out tree knot thanks to that choice. This no interaction policy proved harder and harder to enforce as he drew closer to town, though. Ponies were everywhere. In the sky, on the streets, inside the buildings, running through the fields. Sam thanked his lucky stars he hadn't hit a growth spurt recently, since his small stature made what might have been an impossible task merely difficult. It's much easier to hide when you're invisible while standing upright behind a barrel. Soon, he was staring out onto main street, watching the colorful pedestrians walk by. Now, where would a pony named Carrot Top be? His eyes scanned for some sort of clue (and spotted another comic book wedged between a spittoon and a porch roof support). Honestly, for such direct advice it was surprisingly unhelpful. Then he looked straight up, and spotted a big sign with an assortment of vegetables (including a few carrots) and arrow painted on it. Well, it was something, so Sam, sticking to the back alleys, followed the sign, snatching the comic during a brief lull along the way. The sign led to an open market the likes of which Sam had only read about that was absolutely swarming with ponies. Sam didn't dare get close, there was no way he wouldn't get spotted. Instead, he climbed a nearby gutter and started slipping along the rooftops, being careful to avoid catching any of the flying ponies's eyes as his own scanned for a bundle of carrots on an orange flank. It seemed his usual luck was coming back, finally, as he spotted her fairly quickly. The massive sign stating CARROTS in capital letters hanging over her head was a big hint, but still. Sam dropped back to the ground behind the booth and stealthily approached the oblivious mare. Now, how to separate her from the rest of the group? Sam looked around for useful items, but not before scooping up a fifth comic. Hold up, that pile of empty crates to his left looked unstable, he just need to grab a rock and... Sam ducked out of sight as the crates toppled over with a clatter, and heard a faint curse followed by some chatter and the clop of a single set of hooves. A orange mare stepped into view and started setting the boxes back up as she grumbled. Sam took a deep breath to collect himself. If this didn't work he was going to have the entire town on his heels, and he needed to be ready to run a moment's notice. "Psst," he hissed, causing the pony to stiffen and turn around, "Over here." "Sam?" Said the mare, in an unusually low voice as she walked up and stared down at him, "Well isn't this a surprise." "Um," Sam said back, "You're Carrot Top, right? Some guy called Discord told me to look for you." "Ah, him," The mare said, "He's a friend, of sorts. More interested in his chaos than anything productive, but harmless as long as he's distracted. Also, I think I know why he sent you here." The mare twitched, then let out a series of metallic clicks as her face split open, revealing a small metal cockpit manned by a familiar orange vegetable. "Carrot!*" Sam said, his eyes lighting up at the sight of his old friend, "Cool suit! "Thanks, Sam," Carrot said with a smile, "It was a parting gift from the weather factory. I stumbled across a half-dozen different embezzlement schemes all going at the same time and put a stop to them, and they gave the money that built this suit as a reward." He tapped it affectionately. "That's great!" Sam said with enthusiasm, "but what are you doing here?" Carrot turned left and right as he checked for eavesdroppers, then leaned in and whispered, "A couple of things, actually. You remember the resistance movement back in the land of darkness?" When Sam nodded, Carrot continued, "You springing all those rebel leaders from Darkness's fridge was a big help, but we haven't been able to make any headway on our objectives. Some of them want out, and I need to find a place for them to settle down in peace. Which brings me to my second reason." Another glance left and right, "The Islands of Moptop are threatening to blow up again. The peace you helped forge is still holding, but only barely, and general Beetroot is NOT helping to ease the tension. The sweets are too numerous to be economically stable, and some of the other food groups are looking for an escape. This place is nice, so once I'm done scouting I'll start bringing them over. Speaking of economics..." Carrot flipped a few switches, causing his robotic suit to pull out a gold coin, "I only found this out after coming here, but these guys use a gold standard. It's the best currency I've ever seen. If all goes well when I get back we might be looking at a global conversion in the next few years. Assuming I don't blow my cover first." He put the coin away as he sent a third glance left and right before crouching down and scooting a bit closer, "This mare had a lot of friends and they're starting to get suspicious. I've got a few more days, tops, before I have to jet." Sam frowned slightly, "Carrot, um, did you kidnap her?" "What? No, she's perfectly fine," Carrot said, "Just a little tied up at the moment." 88888888 In the storage cellar of a carrot farm sat an Orange Mare with three carrots on her flank, bound to a chair by a ludicrous amount of rope and surrounded by crates of fresh veggies that she couldn't reach to help silence her grumbling stomach. Taken out by my own produce, she groaned to herself, If anypony ever finds out what happened I will never live this down. 88888888 "Not worried about her blabbing after the fact either," Carrot said as Sam's frown deepened, "But that's not important right now. You said something about looking for me?" "Oh, right." Sam explained his problem, detailing Mark's disappearance, followed by his own arrival, Twilight's reaction, and Discord's 'advice,' provoking a oddly fierce glare from Carrot. "Those Changelings almost exposed me when they invaded Canterlot," he growled, "I had to abandon my current disguise ahead of schedule, not to mention that it set the whole operation back months. I'm more than happy to help based on that alone, but I also owe you three times over." "Carrot? Are you ok?" Called a female voice from the direction of the market. "I'm fine Lemon," Carrot called back in a falsetto, "I'll just be another minute." "Listen Sam, I can't stay much longer," Carrot stated, "I'll get you a map to the badlands and a way onto the train, but you're going to have to get your team yourself. Don't give me that look, I know you prefer to work alone and I can guess what kind of impression this world has left on you, but friendship is magic here, and I don't mean in the sappy moral sense. When ponies work together it warps the fabric of reality itself. I once watched a group hug create a shockwave that cleaned a kitchen. Yeah, I know, it's crazy, but you're going to need that power to take Queen Chrysalis out. "Since the cuteness meter I had built into this thing to help me stay 'in character' seems to consider you impossibly adorable, you're going to have to stick to the younger ponies or risk getting glomped. Or stuck here in town while they go out and solve it for you, which is almost worse. I know a group of three fillies in particular who used to do stuff like this all the time," He pulled out a piece of paper and scribbled some names on it, then gave it to Sam, "but they've calmed down a lot recently, something about getting their cutie marks, so you might have to apply some persuasion. "After that, I suggest following their advice. You need six people total, including yourself, since that seems to be a powerful number when magic is involved. Don't know why, so don't bother asking. You and them makes four, so you'll need to find two more. Meet me behind the train station when you're done." Carrot turned and walked away before Sam could protest, clicking the face of his robotic suit back into place, and was soon too close to the other ponies to risk another conversation. Sam looked down at the piece of paper. It seemed to be a rough map leading out of town to an apple orchard just to the southwest, with the names Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo scribbled in one corner. Sam honestly didn't know what to think of this. On the one hand, they were ponies. Not just any ponies, but kid ponies, which were even more girly. Although Sam was a kid himself, so he couldn't really judge. Not that it stopped him. On the other hand, he trusted Carrot. If Carrot said he needed their help, he needed their help. And that map wouldn't be ready anytime soon, so Sam couldn't just head for the badlands right away, no matter how much he wanted to. Sam sighed, slipped an empty crate into his cape, and started trudging west. Just remember that it's all for Mark, he thought to himself, Keep that in mind and you'll be able to put up with a little discomfort. 88888888 "And you're sure you haven't seen him?" Twilight asked, giving the carrot merchant a hard look over the top of her stall. "Positive," Carrot Top replied, before reaching under the table and pulling out another box of orange vegetables, "Sorry I can't help." Twilight groaned as she stepped out of line, prompting a sympathetic pat from Spike, "Where did he go?" she asked herself, "I thought for sure he'd come this way." "Try that treasure hunter spell again," Spike told her, "Maybe you messed it up the first time?" Twilight nodded and crossed her eyes in concentration, "It's pointing towards Sweet Apple Acres now," she told him as her face lit up, "Come on, we might be able to catch him!" She took off galloping with Spike struggling to hold on. Author's Note *Carrot the carrot is basically Pajama Sam's sole recurring character, and the only thing tying down one of the possible puzzle pathways as 'canon.' Other than him it's impossible to tell which one really happened. The second game is the weakest of the bunch, in my opinion, both in mechanics and story. I'll start with the story. This time, Sam's TV watching is interrupted by Thunder and Lightning calling down a storm around his house, so he goes up to the weather factory to give them a piece of his mind. He comes in, has his arguments derailed by the importance of rain, then accidentally causes the massive weather he has to fix. That isn't the real problem though. The problem is the game promptly tries to make you forget that Sam dun-goofed. Sure, he fixes everything, but he doesn't get in trouble for breaking it in the first place. This unfortunately leaves a bad taste in my mouth afterwards, which is too bad this game has the hardest puzzles of the series. Not one, but two of them managed to stump me, a fully grown adult who knows exactly how smart he is. The funny part about this is that a child would have an easier time solving one of them, which I find delightfully ironic. This leads to the game mechanics, or to be precise the new choose-your-puzzle setup. The first game had which puzzlement variant you ended up with set as totally random, so you couldn't choose which one you wanted to do. The third game had the puzzles fully customized, with the ability to pick any combo. The second goes in between, with six predetermined setups (out of 16) of the four possible two puzzle choices. This mostly annoys me because the setup I believe to be the most challenging (defined by how many different steps are needed) isn't available. I will admit the save/load system is a nice addition though. Sure, this game is still good, just not as good as the ones before or after.
