LucasArts adventure gaming classic Full Throttle just hit the big 3-0 milestone. But, like, when exactly did that happen? Tim Schafer’s studio Double Fine Productions was all set to throw a killer party for their beloved motorcycle epic when they suddenly realized they had no clue about the original release date. Cue Peter Silk, Double Fine’s Customer Support Specialist and self-proclaimed detective extraordinaire, to crack the case.
The internet was a mess of conflicting information. IMDb, LucasArts Fandom.com, and Wikipedia couldn’t agree on a date. And don’t even get me started on Google – that fickle search engine couldn’t make up its mind. Double Fine was leaning towards April 30, 1995, but Silk wasn’t buying it. I mean, come on, April 30 was a Sunday back in ’95. Who releases a game on a Sunday when all the shops are closed?
After snooping around the original release disc files, Silk found evidence that the game was still being tweaked as late as May 2, 1995. So, yeah, April 30 was a no-go. Silk’s next move? A trip to Scotland, well, not really. He found an ad in The Daily Record from Dixons advertising Full Throttle for May 19, 1995. Seems legit, right? Well, not really. Back in the ’90s, European release dates were all over the place, and stores were about as reliable as a broken down motorcycle.
Silk didn’t stop there. He scoured every newspaper, every country, looking for clues. But no dice. Even the flashy magazine ads for Full Throttle were no help. Instead of a release date, they were all like, “Call 1800-STARWARS for availability.” Seriously, what a letdown. But Silk wasn’t about to give up. He discovered that CompUSA was supposed to get the game on May 5, but didn’t actually have copies until May 18. So, like, was there even a set release date for Full Throttle?
In a stroke of genius, Silk decided to check when players started begging for hints and tips online. Turns out, before May 19, 1995, it was crickets. But after that date, the floodgates opened. People were desperate for help navigating the wild world of Full Throttle. So, there you have it, folks. May 19, 1995, the day Full Throttle officially hit the streets. And hey, can we really say a game exists until players start asking for help? Deep thoughts, man.
