I was interested to read that in the post concerning "Black Sails : The Ghost Ship", ShinjiGR mentions having an English translation available for Pendulos's "Hollywood Monsters".

So I've been scouting round to see if the game can still be purchased anywhere ??

But I've not had any luck finding it so far

Both Pendulo and Dinamic Multimedia went bankrupt so it may not be available for legal distribution anywhere.

Ana

I found one in Spanish on eBay years ago.

Thank you both

I guess I'm not going to find it then

[I knew about Pendulo but was hoping I might still find a used copy of the game somewhere ]

How good is your Spanish? If I'm not mistaken, FX Interactive is selling the game until 12/15 for .95 euro. It may be difficult to understand the website without a translator- I picked it up in 2012 when they offered it for free.

http://juegos.fxinteractive.com/game.php?id=22&Hollywood-Monsters-espanol-aventuras

Thanks for that link, Ewil02

My Spanish is non-existent but I have sent an email (composed using a Google translator) and asked if they will deliver to the UK - and said I can pay using PayPal.

If they say "yes" then I'll have to think about how I can actually order it as no doubt I would have to register at the site and supply all sorts of information

I don't believe it was ever available for sale but I understand that copies do exist

There is a video playlist of the complete game with English subtitles uploaded by 123Pazu
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6E54FD917C692E4C

Thanks, Jenny100, I'll take a look

flotsam ....
If the game was never offered for sale I don't quite understand how copies can exist

I think flotsam is referring to the English language version.

Oh. So flotsam just means copies other than in English exist ??

Sorry Mad that was confusing
I remember reading somewhere ages ago that it was done in English but never got released but that unofficial copies were out there.
May have been wishful thinking
Play Next Big Thing instead - looks very similar

Flotsam said "I don't believe it was ever available for sale but I understand that copies do exist."

Games aren't always released, even after they are finished. The publisher decides that the cost of publishing the game will exceed the revenue from selling it and that's the end of it. That doesn't mean that there aren't copies of what would have been the official release if it had been released.

There certainly was a Spanish release though.

There's a little about the game at the ***Web Archive of the JustAdventure Review of Hollywood Monsters***

Mad, I'm not sure if there is a disc version of the game around. The one being sold by FX Interactive on the link above appears to be the digital download. The one I got from them a couple years ago was also a download version. Hopefully the email response you get from them will be good news.

Thanks very much, flotsam and Jenny100

I hadn't realised it was a download on offer from FX Interactive, Ewil02, but that would be fine.
However, I haven't heard anything from them at all.

Maybe my "translated" Spanish email to them was simply not good enough

Adventure Game Shop is out of stock of Howllywood Monster 2 - Italian version.
You might ask them when or if they know where to get one - #1 & 2.

Just in case anyone is confused,
"Hollywood Monsters 2" is the same game as "The Next Big Thing" which was released in English 3 years ago
http://www.mobygames.com/game/next-big-thing
http://www.mobygames.com/game/next-big-thing/cover-art/gameCoverId,218967/

Thanks, Jenny! Good to know.

I think they can speak English. If I remember correctly, I wrote them in English. I downloaded the game from that site and with the patch one can play the game perfectly. And I might add, I loved the game. lots of exploration, great puzzles, good dialogue, just a really great game. If you can get this game as a download and install the patch, I really recommend it. Loads of fun! Hollywood monsters 2 is the Next Big Thing, as far as I know.

Thanks Jenny.

[removed link]

Is this a safe site to download it from?

Oldbroad, I edited out your link. I wouldn't recommend downloading from that site and I'm not sure if it would even be legal. Either way, I wouldn't take the risk.

Is the The Next Big Thing a xp or 7 game. Just wondering. I have it on the adventure shop.
Richard

It looks like it supports both XP and Windows 7.

Thanks Marian. I really wasn't sure I should put it because I didn't want somebody following it and getting into trouble. That particular page did have a green WOT rating though so I took a chance. (Not on downloading anything; just showing it here to ask the question.)

I understand. It didn't have a bad WOT rating, but some of the comments from folks that I read there made me uneasy. Better to be safe than sorry, as the expression goes.

The big box version of Hollywood Monsters never had an English release. There is indeed an English version floating around (pre translation patch). The seller who sold me the boxed Hollywood Monsters long ago also sent me a DVD or CD of the English version. I played around with it, but it seemed glitchy to me and not all of the text was translated. Later on, I downloaded the digital copy of the game from juegos.fxinteractive and applied the english translation patch, and that version was quite stable and played well from beginning to end. So as an oddity, the english version does exist, but for actually playing the game, the translation patch that came out is the way to go.

Hi - And thank you ALL for your responses !!

I have at last got it !!

Continuing to persevere with the trusty Google Translator, I was finally able to register at the site Ewil02 posted (thank you for that Ewil02) and buy and download Hollywood Monsters

And when I have more time, hopefully later today, I'll get the "English" patch.

[I already have "The Next Big Thing" but didn't realise it was Hollywood Monsters 2.]

I can't TELL you how many times you folk here at Gameboomers have helped me out.
What a splendid bunch you are .. Thank you .. Thank you ..

EDIT 2 :
A quick last question. [I hope !!]
The patch description warns that "the game CD must be in the drive".
Will it still work with the download version ??

EDIT 2
Well. Sadly ALL IS NOT WELL
When I came to look at what had downloaded - all I actually had was a file called FXWebPlayer.
[742KB Application (exe.)]
Which doesn't appear to do anything !!
I do have a receipt and keycode from the FXInteractive - and of course my PayPal receipt - but that's it !!
I did wonder if the keycode is what I must use to download the actual game - but I can't see any place to use it.
So I've emailed FX (in English this time) to ask for a direct download link.

Mad

Hi Mad-
Sorry it's not working out like you planned. Did you try running the FXWebPlayer file? When I downloaded the game I had to use their download manager similar to Big Fish (complete with ads). I'm wondering if that's what the FXwebplayer is?
Also, you mentioned that you got an email with the key code, but did you get a second email confirming your registration? I got a separate email with a link "confirmar mi cuenta FX" and when you access that link I think you can input key codes for games. Good luck.

Hi Ewil02

Thank you for continuing to offer advice. Much appreciated !!
[I have Win98SE, Winxp and Win7. So when I actually have the game, do you know where it would be best to install it ??]

Also, I've been replied to by FXInteractive now (in English, thankfully) and they told me that FXWebPlayer is a "plug-in" which needs to be activated - and recommended I use Firefox.
So I have done that.
But I still can't find the place at their site where I can download the game files and so I've had to ask for further assisstance

Hopefully, in a few more days I will have this game successfully installed

Cheers.

Mad

Wow Mad - I thought I went to lengths at time to play something, but this must warrant some sort of award

Hi Mad-

I've got my game on a Win 7 machine. It's located in C:/Program Files(x86) in a folder named Hollywood Monsters. The executable is 'Monsters.exe'. I don't recall changing the location of the installation.

I did check on the FX site again and found this-"To download and install your games from your browser on to your computer, you need to download the FX Web Player. Once the download is complete, you need to run the file FXWebPlayer.exe to complete the installation."
It sounds like you've already done this. I would think that you can run the player, input your password and then be able to download your game. Another thing you can do is to go to the FX Interactive site at the link above, access your account (accreder a mi cuenta fx-email and password), then click on Mi Perfil- it should have your game listed below- click on it and then it should download or play.

I meant to tell you that once you have the game and English patch installed, when you first run the game, hit 'escape' which will pull up the settings page. Make sure the 'text' bullet is activated at the bottom, then you should be able to see the English text when you go back to the game.

Please let us know if you get this going. I really really really enjoyed the game. One of the better ones for an old game. I sure am hoping that it works for you.

flotsam ....
Although I'm not always successful I do always try to finish what I've started ;)

Ewil02 ....
Thanks to your help I have at last managed to download and install Hollywood Monsters BUT I am not out of the woods yet !!

After I apply the English patch and launch the game, I get an error message to say there's no CD in the drive and can't go any further

So, as both you and mbday630 apparently used a patch that did work with the download may I please ask where you acquired it so I can get a copy ??

Thanks.

Mad

Hi Mad-

I'm not sure where you got the English patch you used, but the link below is where I got it, and it specifically mentions that it's for the digital version, so you shouldn't get the no cd error.

http://shinji-nerd-life.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2012-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2013-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=9

Look for the Hollywood Monsters in English- Part II section.

Ewil02 and all who have contributed !! Thank you SO much. You are absolute STARS !!

Using the info and advice you have so kindly and patiently provided I now have Hollywood Monsters up and running perfectly

Yahoo !!!!

Mad

Congratulations, Mad!!

A big thank you to all the helpers.

Hi,
I have been trying to register with the website. I filled out the "form" sent it and I get a message that "We have sent an e-mail to "my" e-mail in order to complete the registration process." I did NOT get an e-mail from them. I even tried registering under another one of my AOL names, and still nothing in THAT mailbox. (also NOT in either Spam folder.
Any suggestions, Please?
Sandy

Hi sanford

I can only suggest that you contact their Customer Services ??
[mail@fxinteractive.com]

I initially contacted them in Spanish (using a Google translater) but later they replied to me in English - so I would email their Customer Services in English and explain your problem.
[But allow a few days for a reply. It was four days before I received one.]

Also, my hassle was in trying to navigate their site and download the game once I had purchased it. Not quite the same difficulty as you are experiencing.



Mad

Thanks, Mad,
Somehow I'm getting the feeling that this whole hassle just isn't worth the bother, so I probably will skip it altogether. There's always another game to be played. Thanks for your valued input, though.
Sandy

I think you might be missing out on a "goodie" sanford - but I fully appreciate you might not want to go through the hassle I did !!

I downloaded the Spanish version for free from the publisher a couple of years back and it worked fine with the english patch. Didn't get many hours into it though. Terrible game. One of the hardest and most unfair ones I've played. A million stupid things in the inventory and as many hotspots in the game environment and no clue as to what to do to to move things forward. Gameplay more or less consisted of random clicking and combining stuff in the inventory. Reminded me a little of another early Pendulo game, Igor, but I got through that one at least.

I really liked The Next BIG Thing though, which based on my few hours with Hollywood Monsters seems to be a remake of the older game.

I downloaded the game and the english patch. Plays perfectly on Windows 7. I think it is worth the small hassle to get this game. I am having lots of fun playing it.....

That's great, CountZero; thanks for letting us know.

I had lots of fun playing it too. There were a few times that you had to have quick reflexes to grab an inventory item, but, after knowing what I had to do and make sure my mouse was directly on the item and able to click on it when the time came, made it okay. In fact, I think I will have to play this one again this week.

edit: no, won't get to play it this week. The 4th chapter of BOuT just came out and I want to get into that game!

Im surprised this game did not have a wider distribution. It was quite fun to play.