Grim Fandango Tips

Things start getting strange when dealing with older games. Especially if you want to play them in a different OS than the one they were intended for. After a few hours of head-banging (not the good kind), I think I have a workable solution.

I've tested this with CrossOver Games 9.1.0 for Linux on a 64-bit Ubuntu box. ***Now also tested on CXG 9.2 and 10.1***

Installing Grim Fandango

Click on "Install via C4P" in the "Details" tab, or you can follow these instructions:

1. Download Grim Fandango Setup from quick.mixnmojo.com.
   
2. Load Disc A in your CD drive.
   
3. Run the Setup file as an installer with CXG, creating a new XP bottle in the process (I called it Grim). I simply selected the Setup file, right-clicked, and chose Open with "CrossOver Games (install)". This Setup file will copy all the CD data into the hard drive.
   
4. Swap discs when the installer asks you to.
5. When the installer finishes, close it and also the CXG window that tells you the installation is done.
6. IMPORTANT: Remove Disc B from the drive. Seriously. It causes the game to think a strange CD is in the drive and refuses to run.
   
7. Installation Complete!

Updating to Version 1.01

The 1.01 update fixes a few nasty freezing bugs. You definitely need it. Follow the instructions in the GF Update forum.

Launching the Game

The game itself creates a shortcut in the Start Menu to a "Grim Fandango Launcher.exe," which is the new launcher program. But strangely enough, calling it directly from CXG somehow opens up the original launcher, and chances are that it won't work.

Calling GRIM.EXE directly causes the game to start in the last "room" that you've visited, but without actually loading your game. It's weird. Then you have to navigate the game's menu by pressing F1; read the next Tip for more details. The point is that GRIM.EXE should always work, and if you're okay with its quirks, go for it.

However, if you'd like to use the launcher you have to use the following command, either directly in the terminal or creating your own shortcut:

~/cxgames/bin/wine --bottle Grim "c:/program files/lucasarts/grim/Grim Fandango Launcher.exe"

Audio Problems

If in the middle of the game the audio starts going a bit crazy, or disappears completely, don't panic. It's just a compatibility glitch, and it's easy to recover from it:

1. Hit F1, (S)ave the game, type a name, then ENTER.
   
2. Hit F1, (Q)uit the game, Are you sure?, (Y)es.
   
3. Run Grim Fandango again. Make sure to load your last save. You can load it in-game by hitting F1, (L)oad, select your save, then ENTER.
   
4. Audio fixed!

This even works in the middle of a conversation. When you load the game, you'll just pick up the conversation where you left off.