Monty Python's Complete Waste of Time (includes the desktop Pythonizer), 7th Level, Inc.; Richardson, Texas; Windows only; CD-ROM; $59.99.
This is a waste of time - unless you're a Python fan.And then - frankly - it's still a waste of time.
But it's just one of those gotta-have thingies. Yes, in true M.P. fashion, the demented wit preys upon the mind of even the straightest shooter. Suddenly you find yourself frantically working the cursor, helping Birdman find his way across a screen littered with pitfalls.
Zap! He flies too high and is electrocuted. Transformed into a roasted turkey, he falls to the ground and is impaled on razor-sharp skewers. Too bad.
A word or caution: This isn't for the entire family.
One main menu works from a brain. Each of six lobes - Exploding TV Room, Portrait Galary, Corridor, Loonatorium, Test Your Skill and Pythonizer - opens to wacky scenarios familiar to fans of the popular BBC-TV series.
Portrait Galary opens, appropriately, to a wall highlighted by pastoral and scenic paintings. Clicking on the skyline painting yields scenes from a M.P. favorite: "Eggs, sausage and Spam. Spam, spam . . . baked beans, Spam." Python fans will get it. To others, it's just another weird turn in the maze of CWOT (Complete Waste of Time).
The Gopher Game (whack, whack, whack), The Other Thingy and "All you have to do is spot the Loony" make the software package a great way to spend . . . those long work days.
Standards include Living and Dead Wallpaper, 30 skits from Monty Python's Flying Circus and raucous screen savers - again, maybe not for the entire family as it includes off-color humor and some animated nudity. The instruction manual even cautions some of the material is unsuitable for minds under 17 years of age.
The anti-social pre-recorded telephone messages and Noisy Bits sound effects are sure to make you the scourge of the office. Tell 'em to get a life. It's funny. And worth the $59 for die-hard Python fans.
Tips. Use the manual only when needed. It's easier and more fun to find your way around on-screen. It's interactive. So experiment.
No CD-ROM? Try the Pythonizer on diskette - a similar product by 7th Level, Inc. that includes much of what is on the CD-ROM.