# Space Quest III: The Pirates of Pestulon <small style="color: gray">Last updated: February 4, 2026</small> ## Overview Space Quest III: The Pirates of Pestulon is a graphic adventure game developed and published by [[Sierra On-Line]], released on March 24, 1989 for MS-DOS, with the Atari ST port coming out in April, the Amiga version in October, and the Macintosh version in 1991[^ref-2][^ref-5]. Designed by [[Mark Crowe]] and [[Scott Murphy]], the game is the third installment in the Space Quest series and the first to use Sierra's SCI engine[^ref-2][^ref-5]. The game features music composed by Supertramp drummer Bob Siebenberg and was one of the first games to support the Sound Blaster sound card[^ref-2][^ref-4]. Space Quest III won the Software Publishers Association's "Best Adventure Game of the Year" award for 1989[^ref-4]. The game continues the misadventures of Roger Wilco as he becomes involved in rescuing a pair of computer programmers—the game's own creators—from a sinister video game company[^ref-2]. > [!info]- Game Info > **Developer:** [[Sierra On-Line]][^ref-5] > **Designer:** [[Mark Crowe]], [[Scott Murphy]][^ref-5] > **Publisher:** Sierra On-Line[^ref-5] > **Engine:** SCI0 (Sierra Creative Interpreter)[^ref-2][^ref-5] > **Platforms:** MS-DOS, Amiga, Atari ST, Macintosh > **Release Year:** 1989 > **Series:** Space Quest > **Protagonist:** Roger Wilco > **Sierra Lineage:** Core Sierra ## Story Summary Following the events of Space Quest II, lowly janitor Roger Wilco is in cryogenic sleep while his escape pod drifts through space[^ref-2]. An automated garbage freighter brings it aboard, where Roger awakens in a pile of trash—a situation quite familiar for this janitor-turned-hero[^ref-2][^ref-5]. Forced to find a way out, Roger discovers a derelict spaceship called the Aluminum Mallard in the freighter's garbage hold[^ref-2][^ref-5]. After repairing the ship, Roger pilots it out of the freighter[^ref-2]. Visiting the desert planet of Phleebhut, he finds himself confronted by an Arnold Schwarzenegger-like android terminator, sent to deal with him for failing to pay for a whistle in the previous game[^ref-5]. Roger outwits the android and obtains his invisibility belt[^ref-5]. At an orbital Monolith Burger station, Roger comes across a hidden message in an arcade game stating that its programmers—known as "Two Guys"—were abducted by ScumSoft, a sinister video game company on the planet Pestulon owned by Elmo Pug, leader of the "Pirates of Pestulon"[^ref-2][^ref-5]. Roger learns the programmers need rescuing, as ScumSoft intends to use them to design awful games to flood the galaxy[^ref-2]. Deciding to rescue them, Roger visits a lava moon orbiting Pestulon to neutralize a shield generator[^ref-5]. On the planet's surface, Roger uses his invisibility belt to infiltrate the base and secures a disguise in the form of janitor overalls[^ref-5]. Exploring the company, Roger tracks down the Two Guys but is trapped by Elmo, who forces him into an arena battle using giant Mecha robots based on Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots[^ref-2][^ref-5]. Roger overcomes Elmo and escapes with the Two Guys[^ref-2]. After fighting off several ScumSoft space ships, the trio realize that the warp drive is broken[^ref-5]. After tinkering with it, and with no warp course set, they are warped into a parallel dimension via a black hole, ending up before planet Earth[^ref-5]. Roger delivers the two game designers to Sierra On-Line's president, Ken Williams, before departing the planet to return home—after being turned down for a janitorial job[^ref-5]. ## Gameplay Space Quest III was developed using an early version of Sierra's SCI engine, representing a significant technical upgrade from the AGI engine used in the first two games[^ref-2][^ref-5]. The game features improved 16-color graphics that come "close to 256 color VGA in some parts"[^ref-4]. ### Interface and Controls - PC versions support mouse movement and a heavily improved text parser[^ref-2][^ref-4] - Mouse movement was still primitive; Roger cannot automatically find his way around obstacles, stopping if he encounters a barrier[^ref-2] - The parser understands "almost every word you type"[^ref-4] - Unlike previous games, players can no longer choose the protagonist's name—from this game onward, the character is permanently known as Roger Wilco[^ref-2] ### Structure and Progression - The game takes place across multiple locations including the garbage freighter, the desert planet Phleebhut, the orbital Monolith Burger station, the lava moon, and ScumSoft headquarters on Pestulon[^ref-2] - Over 30 minutes of music composed by Bob Siebenberg accompanies the gameplay[^ref-4] - The game includes various science fiction allusions, including wrecks of a TIE fighter, an ACME Rocket, and the Jupiter 2 spacecraft visible in the garbage freighter[^ref-5] - Pestulon, the jungle moon where ScumSoft is headquartered, parallels Star Wars' Yavin IV—a rebel base hidden behind an inhospitable gas giant (Ortega)[^ref-20] - The USS Enterprise warps away from Monolith Burger as Roger arrives, a Star Trek reference[^ref-24] - Ken Williams and Rick Cavin (Head of Production) cameo as whip-wielding overseers in ScumSoft's programmer cubicles; Ken also appears in the ending sequence[^ref-24] ### Puzzles and Mechanics - The game features Astro Chicken, an arcade minigame where players attempt to land a chicken on a trampoline with mechanics similar to Lunar Lander[^ref-2] - Achieving a high score in Astro Chicken reveals a hidden distress message from the Two Guys from Andromeda[^ref-2] - Sierra released the Astro Chicken minigame as a standalone promotional demo[^ref-25] - **Anti-frustration feature:** The hidden message in Astro Chicken also appears after failing 10 times, for players who can't master the arcade gameplay[^ref-26] - **Unwinnable trap:** Buying anything other than the $7 kid's meal at Monolith Burger means missing the decoder ring needed to progress—the only hint is that $7 matches what you find in the Aluminum Mallard[^ref-26] - Some critics described the game as "a little bit too short and/or easy to beat"[^ref-4] ## Reception ### Contemporary Reviews Space Quest III received positive reviews from critics and won the Software Publishers Association's "Best Adventure Game of the Year" award for 1989[^ref-4]. C&VG gave the Atari ST version 83%, calling it "enjoyable and addictive"[^ref-1]. Dragon Magazine (September 1989) praised the game, stating that "the animation and graphics for this game are incredible" and concluding "This game is a lot of fun, and we recommend it to adventure game enthusiasts"[^ref-36]. Compute! praised the game's graphics and sound card audio, calling it "the best-looking game in the series" that "sounds as good as it looks, thanks to a 30-minute musical score"[^ref-32]. STart also praised the ST version's graphics and sound, while warning that Space Quest III was "essentially a text adventure" with syntax guessing and frequent saved game reloading, but described it as "playable and not-too-difficult" and suitable for those new to adventure games[^ref-33]. Computer Gaming World's Chris Lombardi gave the game a positive review, noting the "marked improvement over its predecessors in most aspects" with "EGA graphics on the IBM are some of the best from Sierra to date"[^ref-30]. In 1989, CGW gave it a Special Award for Achievement in Sound—the first time the magazine gave an award specifically for sound in a computer game[^ref-31]. Game Player's PC Strategy Guide awarded Space Quest III their 1989 "Best PC Adventure Role-Playing Game" and "Best PC EGA Graphics" awards, with the latter presented to Mark Crowe[^ref-1]. John Scott of Games International called the game "Brilliant! The graphics are super" and thought the musical soundtrack was "the best I have yet encountered in any computer game"[^ref-37]. He noted the streak of humor running through the game, saying "sometimes it's warped, sometimes cruel, but it's always funny," awarding scores of 9/10 for both Game Play and Graphics[^ref-37]. ### Modern Assessment The game holds a MobyScore of 7.9/10 with 81% positive critic reviews and ratings from 131 players[^ref-5]. On GOG, the Space Quest 1+2+3 collection has a 4.3/5 rating from 577 users[^ref-6]. My Abandonware users rate it 4.42/5 from 67 votes[^ref-7]. HowLongToBeat reports the main story takes approximately 2.8 hours to complete[^ref-8]. - **MobyGames:** 7.9/10 MobyScore, 81% critics (131 player ratings)[^ref-5] - **GOG:** 4.3/5 (577 ratings, collection)[^ref-6] - **Steam:** Very Positive (312 reviews, collection)[^ref-9] - **GameFAQs:** 3.83/5 (71 ratings), rated "Just Right" difficulty[^ref-27] - **HowLongToBeat:** 2.8 hours main story[^ref-8] ## Development ### Origins Space Quest III was the first game in the series developed using Sierra's SCI engine[^ref-2][^ref-5]. Development took approximately 13 months—longer than the 9-11 months for the previous games—due to the team learning the new SCI system[^ref-28]. The SCI engine offered double the resolution of AGI, allowing greater detail and depth perception effects, though this meant graphics took significantly longer to create[^ref-28]. The game features music composed by Supertramp drummer Bob Siebenberg, contributing over 30 minutes of soundtrack[^ref-2][^ref-4]. Siebenberg composed the music based on videotaped game scenes, similar to film scoring[^ref-28]. Mark Siebert created the sound effects using a Roland MT-32 synthesizer (equivalent to 8 synthesizers combined), though loading custom sounds added 45 seconds to game startup[^ref-28]. It was one of the first games to support the Sound Blaster sound card[^ref-4], though audio driver issues left digitized effects unavailable to some IBM PC users with Sound Blaster, requiring patches like SBSIERRA to fix[^ref-21]. Sound effects include digitized audio sampling, such as the voice of Roger saying "Where am I?" during the introduction[^ref-2]. The digitized effects can be heard in the Tandy, Amiga, and Macintosh versions[^ref-2]. The game features a scene at ScumSoft where parody versions of Sierra's president Ken Williams and director of operations Rick Cavin are depicted as overseers cracking whips over software developers in cubicles[^ref-24]. The original game came with: a box, three 3.5" game disks (four for Amiga) or six 5.25" disks, manual, Andromedan snout and glasses complete with Death Ray Shield, SCI reference card, registration card, soundcard promotional brochure, letter from Ken Williams explaining the new soundcards, "please note" leaflet with technical information, Adlib coupon offering $20 rebate, optional hint book for $7.95, and Sierra games catalogue[^ref-4]. The game was originally sold for $59.99[^ref-4]. ### Technical Achievements - First Space Quest game to use Sierra's SCI engine with improved 16-color graphics[^ref-2][^ref-4] - One of the first games with Sound Blaster support[^ref-2][^ref-4] - Over 30 minutes of music composed by Supertramp drummer Bob Siebenberg[^ref-2][^ref-4] - Mouse support and heavily improved text parser[^ref-2][^ref-4] - Digitized audio sampling including voice clips[^ref-2] - Platform releases: March 24, 1989 MS-DOS, April 1989 Atari ST, October 1989 Amiga, 1991 Macintosh[^ref-2][^ref-5] - Fully supported in ScummVM since version 1.2.0; runs on SCI engine at 320x200 resolution with 16 colors[^ref-22] ### Debug Modes and Cut Content - **Debug cheat:** Typing "pump shark" or "backstage pass" enables debug mode; then typing "get life" instantly grants the janitor disguise, zapper, keycard, and photocopied portrait, allowing players to skip the entire ScumSoft wastebasket-zapping sequence[^ref-16][^ref-23] - **SCI debugger:** Holding both Shift keys and pressing numpad minus (-) activates Sierra's internal SCI debugger for memory inspection[^ref-23] - **Unused graphics:** Data mining revealed cut content including Arnoid's invisibility belt activation sprites (replaced with a cutscene), Roger's Astro Chicken hat walking animations (only front view used), alternate button designs for navigation/combat screens, and Roger's disintegration frames (replaced with "ZOT!" text effect)[^ref-23] - **Hidden dialogue:** Mark Crowe has an impossible-to-trigger line ("Just between you and me, I think Ol' Wilco's been in space too long") that only appears after your ship is destroyed during the Skull Fighter attack—viewable only via debug mode teleport[^ref-23] ### Easter Eggs and Trivia - **Astro Chicken origins:** The minigame was inspired by Doug Oldfield's program originally called "Chicken Lander"[^ref-25] - **MT-32 easter egg:** The Roland MT-32 sound module displays "INSERT BUCKAZOID" after quitting the game[^ref-25] - **Hidden signature:** Mark Crowe's signature appears hidden somewhere in every copy of the game[^ref-25] - **Postcard easter egg:** Typing LOOK POSTCARD at World o' Wonders shows a different humorous postcard each time[^ref-29] - **"Hey Trashmouth!":** First Sierra PC game to use "Shit" uncensored; typing swear words 26 times triggers this message[^ref-25] - **Boss button prank:** The "Boss" menu option cuts to black and shows pop-ups revealing the player's total play time, warning that their boss wouldn't be happy[^ref-26] - **Fourth wall break:** In the finale, one of the Two Guys turns to the screen and asks the player if the game was worth $59.99[^ref-26] - **Vomit gag:** Eating the Big Belcher at Monolith Burger causes Roger to step behind the ship and vomit before takeoff[^ref-26] - **Van Halen reference:** Roger's case number with the Gippazoid Novelty Company is "OU812," referencing Van Halen's 1988 album of the same name[^ref-27] - **Promotional video:** The Two Guys from Andromeda filmed a humorous promotional video for SQ3, allegedly recovered around 2000 and now available online[^ref-25] ### Bugs and Continuity - **Houdini bug:** In the Garbage Freighter, typing "climb ladder" instead of "climb neck" causes Roger to disappear and reappear climbing onto the Mallard's roof[^ref-25] - **Continuity error:** Arnoid chases Roger for an unpaid whistle that was clearly stated to be free in SQ2—the 400,000 buckazoid debt is explained as accumulated interest[^ref-26] - **Lighter tone:** Unlike other entries, ScumSoft's evil plan is simply releasing crummy video games rather than galaxy-scale destruction[^ref-26] ## Legacy According to Sierra On-Line's SEC filing, combined sales of the Space Quest series surpassed 1.2 million units by the end of March 1996[^ref-35]. The self-referential humor of Space Quest III—featuring the series' own creators as characters who need rescuing—became emblematic of the series' unique comedic style and would be further developed in Space Quest IV[^ref-2]. In 1996, Computer Gaming World listed the player's body parts being sold at a butcher shop as #2 on its list of "the 15 best ways to die in computer gaming"[^ref-34]. Several fan remake attempts were made over the years; in 2003, a non-playable VGA demo was released, and in 2023, a fan remake titled Space Quest 3D was released[^ref-5]. ### Collections This game has been included in the following collections: - Space Quest: Collector's Edition (a.k.a. Roger Wilco Unclogged)[^ref-3] - Space Quest Saga (The)[^ref-3] - [Space Quest Collection (XP)](https://store.steampowered.com/app/10110)[^ref-3][^ref-9] - Space Quest: Collection Series[^ref-3] - Space Quest Trilogy (The)[^ref-3] - [Space Quest 1+2+3](https://www.gog.com/en/game/space_quest_1_2_3)[^ref-6] ## Downloads **Purchase / Digital Stores** - [GOG – Space Quest 1+2+3](https://www.gog.com/en/game/space_quest_1_2_3)[^ref-6] - [Steam – Space Quest Collection](https://store.steampowered.com/app/10110)[^ref-9] **Download / Preservation** - [Internet Archive – Space Quest III (Atari ST)](https://archive.org/details/space-quest-iii-the-pirates-of-pestulon-1989)[^ref-10] - [Internet Archive – Space Quest III (DOS)](https://archive.org/details/sq-3_20220507)[^ref-19] - [My Abandonware – Space Quest III](https://www.myabandonware.com/game/space-quest-iii-the-pirates-of-pestulon-rn)[^ref-7] - [DOS.Zone – Play in Browser](https://dos.zone/space-quest-iii-the-pirates-of-pestulon/)[^ref-18] **Manuals & Extras** - [Space Quest III Manual](https://wiw.org/~jess/publications/sq3_manual.pdf) (PDF)[^ref-17] - [Space Quest III Hint Book](https://wiw.org/~jess/publications/sq3hintbook.pdf) (PDF)[^ref-17] - [Andromedan Glasses](https://wiw.org/~jess/publications/sq3_glasses.jpg) – pack-in feelies[^ref-17] - [Sierra Chest – Space Quest III](https://www.sierrachest.com/index.php?a=games&id=11&title=space-quest-3&fld=general) – walkthrough, maps, easter eggs, memorabilia[^ref-3] - [MobyGames – Space Quest III](https://www.mobygames.com/game/142/space-quest-iii-the-pirates-of-pestulon/) – covers, screenshots, credits[^ref-5] - [Wikipedia – Space Quest III](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Quest_III) – encyclopedia article[^ref-1] - [PCGamingWiki – Space Quest III](https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Space_Quest_III%3A_The_Pirates_of_Pestulon) – technical fixes[^ref-11] - [HowLongToBeat – Space Quest III](https://howlongtobeat.com/game/8865) – completion times[^ref-8] - [StrategyWiki – Space Quest III](https://strategywiki.org/wiki/Space_Quest_III) – game guide[^ref-12] - [SpaceQuest.net – Space Quest 3](https://spacequest.net/sq3/) – game information, screenshots, soundtrack[^ref-4] - [SpaceQuest.net – SQ3 Point List](https://www.spacequest.net/sq3/pointlist/) – complete scoring breakdown[^ref-4] - [SpaceQuest.net – SQ3 Cameos](https://www.spacequest.net/sq3/cameos/) – Ken Williams, Rick Cavin, Enterprise[^ref-24] - [SpaceQuest.net – SQ3 Fun Facts](https://www.spacequest.net/sq3/funfacts/) – easter eggs, bugs, trivia[^ref-25] - [Sierra Help – Space Quest III](https://sierrahelp.com/Games/SpaceQuest/SQ3Help.html) – patches, DOSBox tips, technical help[^ref-21] - [ScummVM Wiki – Space Quest III](https://wiki.scummvm.org/index.php/Space_Quest_III) – engine compatibility, installation notes[^ref-22] - [The Cutting Room Floor – Space Quest III](https://tcrf.net/Space_Quest_III:_The_Pirates_of_Pestulon) – debug modes, unused graphics, cut content[^ref-23] - [TVTropes – Space Quest III](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/VideoGame/SpaceQuestIIIThePiratesOfPestulon) – tropes, parodies, gameplay analysis[^ref-26] - [GameFAQs – Space Quest III](https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/pc/565076-space-quest-iii-the-pirates-of-pestulon) – guides, FAQs, user ratings[^ref-27] - [Virtual Broomcloset – Two Guys SQ3 Interview](https://wiw.org/~jess/2guys_sq3.html) – Spring 1989 Sierra Newsletter interview[^ref-28] - [StrategyWiki – SQ3 Appendices](https://strategywiki.org/wiki/Space_Quest_III:_The_Pirates_of_Pestulon/Appendices) – easter eggs, minigames[^ref-29] ## See Also - [[Space Quest Series]] - Series overview - [[1987 - Space Quest II - Vohaul's Revenge|← Previous: Space Quest II - Vohaul's Revenge]] - [[1991 - Space Quest I - Roger Wilco in the Sarien Encounter|→ Next: Space Quest I - Roger Wilco in the Sarien Encounter]] ## References [^ref-1]: [Wikipedia – Space Quest III](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Quest_III) – C&VG 83% review, Game Player's awards [^ref-2]: [Sierra Fandom Wiki – Space Quest III](https://sierra.fandom.com/wiki/Space_Quest_III%3A_The_Pirates_of_Pestulon) – plot, technical details [^ref-3]: [Sierra Chest – Space Quest III](https://www.sierrachest.com/index.php?a=games&id=11&title=space-quest-3&fld=general) – Sierra history, collections, platforms [^ref-4]: [SpaceQuest.net – Space Quest 3 Game Information](https://spacequest.net/sq3/gameinfo.php) – release details, original packaging, awards [^ref-5]: [MobyGames – Space Quest III](https://www.mobygames.com/game/142/space-quest-iii-the-pirates-of-pestulon/) – developer, publisher, platforms, credits, ratings [^ref-6]: [GOG – Space Quest 1+2+3](https://www.gog.com/en/game/space_quest_1_2_3) – purchase, user reviews [^ref-7]: [My Abandonware – Space Quest III](https://www.myabandonware.com/game/space-quest-iii-the-pirates-of-pestulon-rn) – platforms, availability [^ref-8]: [HowLongToBeat – Space Quest III](https://howlongtobeat.com/game/8865) – completion times [^ref-9]: [Steam – Space Quest Collection](https://store.steampowered.com/app/10110) – purchase, user reviews [^ref-10]: [Internet Archive – Space Quest III](https://archive.org/details/space-quest-iii-the-pirates-of-pestulon-1989) – preservation, historical versions [^ref-11]: [PCGamingWiki – Space Quest III](https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Space_Quest_III%3A_The_Pirates_of_Pestulon) – technical specs, fixes [^ref-12]: [StrategyWiki – Space Quest III](https://strategywiki.org/wiki/Space_Quest_III) – game guide [^ref-16]: [Space Quest Historian – 11 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Space Quest](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hvux-A0oGiM) – debug cheats, development trivia [^ref-17]: [Virtual Broomcloset – Publications Archive](https://wiw.org/~jess/publications.html) – manuals, hint books, pack-in feelies [^ref-18]: [DOS.Zone – Space Quest III](https://dos.zone/space-quest-iii-the-pirates-of-pestulon/) – play in browser [^ref-19]: [Internet Archive – Space Quest III (DOS)](https://archive.org/details/sq-3_20220507) – DOS version preservation [^ref-20]: [Space Quest Fandom Wiki – Pestulon](https://spacequest.fandom.com/wiki/Pestulon) – location details, Star Wars parallel [^ref-21]: [Sierra Help – Space Quest III](https://sierrahelp.com/Games/SpaceQuest/SQ3Help.html) – system requirements, known issues, DOSBox configuration [^ref-22]: [ScummVM Wiki – Space Quest III](https://wiki.scummvm.org/index.php/Space_Quest_III) – ScummVM 1.2.0 support, SCI engine, resolution specs [^ref-23]: [The Cutting Room Floor – Space Quest III](https://tcrf.net/Space_Quest_III:_The_Pirates_of_Pestulon) – SCI debugger, unused graphics, hidden dialogue, debug commands [^ref-24]: [SpaceQuest.net – SQ3 Cameos](https://www.spacequest.net/sq3/cameos/) – Ken Williams, Rick Cavin, USS Enterprise references [^ref-25]: [SpaceQuest.net – SQ3 Fun Facts](https://www.spacequest.net/sq3/funfacts/) – Astro Chicken origins, MT-32 easter egg, hidden signature, bugs [^ref-26]: [TVTropes – Space Quest III](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/VideoGame/SpaceQuestIIIThePiratesOfPestulon) – tropes, fourth wall breaks, continuity errors, gameplay mechanics [^ref-27]: [GameFAQs – Space Quest III](https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/pc/565076-space-quest-iii-the-pirates-of-pestulon) – user ratings, guides, Van Halen "OU812" easter egg [^ref-28]: [Virtual Broomcloset – Two Guys SQ3 Interview](https://wiw.org/~jess/2guys_sq3.html) – 13-month development, SCI learning curve, Bob Siebenberg film scoring approach, Mark Siebert sound effects [^ref-29]: [StrategyWiki – Space Quest III Appendices](https://strategywiki.org/wiki/Space_Quest_III:_The_Pirates_of_Pestulon/Appendices) – postcard easter egg, minigames [^ref-30]: [Computer Gaming World – August 1989 (Issue 62)](https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_62) – Chris Lombardi review, pp. 36-37: "marked improvement over predecessors", "EGA graphics...some of the best from Sierra to date", parser improvements [^ref-31]: [Computer Gaming World – October 1989 (Issue 64)](https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_64) – 1989 Awards issue: "Special Award for Achievement in Sound" (first time CGW gave this award for sound), Bob Siebenberg score "perfectly captures the silly, tongue-in-cheek nature" [^ref-32]: [Compute! – November 1989 (Issue 114)](https://archive.org/details/1989-11-compute-magazine) – "best-looking game in the series", "sounds as good as it looks, thanks to a 30-minute musical score" [^ref-33]: [STart Magazine – January 1990 (Issue 29)](https://archive.org/details/STart-Magazine-Issue-29) – David Plotkin review: "excellent graphics and animation", "playable and not-too-difficult adventure", "essentially a text adventure" warning, MIDI support praise [^ref-34]: [Computer Gaming World – November 1996 (Issue 148)](https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_148) – "The Best Ways To Die in A PC Game" list: #2 Space Quest III, "body parts moving down a conveyor belt to be sold at the local butcher shop" [^ref-35]: [SEC Filing – Sierra On-Line 10-K (March 1996)](https://web.archive.org/web/20180416004925/https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/724991/0000891020-96-000721.txt) – "Space Quest... sold more than 1.2 million copies in this series" [^ref-36]: [Dragon Magazine – September 1989 (Issue 149)](https://archive.org/download/dragon-magazine/Dragon%20Magazine%20%23149%5Bocr%5D_djvu.txt) – Lesser family review: "animation and graphics for this game are incredible", "This game is a lot of fun, and we recommend it to adventure game enthusiasts" [^ref-37]: [Games International – April 1990 (Issue 14)](https://archive.org/details/games-international-magazine-14) – John Scott review, p. 46: "This program is BRILLIANT! The graphics are super", "musical soundtrack that is the best I have yet encountered in any computer game", "sometimes it's warped, sometimes cruel, but it's always funny", GAME PLAY: 9, GRAPHICS: 9