SCOTT ADAMS' ADVENTURES 1- 12
Adventure International
A Division of Scott Adams, Inc.
Box 3435
Longwood, FL 32750
24K Tape $19.95
by Brad Griffin
The twelve original Scott Adams' Adventures are a collection of superb and entertaining text adventures. The style of writing is the same throughout, filled with clever puns and exceptional puzzles. With the change in scenarios, each adventure maintains its uniqueness, much like a collection of Jack London stories. Though the difficulty varies, the quality is always high. If one enjoys any of the adventures, the others will not be a disappointment. Each of the twelve adventures will be briefly reviewed.
A journey through a strange land filled with dangers, ranging from a fire-breathing dragon to deadly chiggers. Deadly chiggers? There is a way to avoid the peril of infection from their bites, but can you find it in time? Clues abound in this adventure that challenges you to find thirteen *TREASURES* and store them in the correct location. Considered a moderate level adventure in difficulty, fitting the pieces of this puzzle together will not be accomplished overnight. The game-save feature (as with the other eleven) comes in handy when you are just about to try a potentially dangerous move. After several hours of trial and error, you begin to think like Scott Adams, - perversely. You find your way into an elaborate maze and, without too much difficulty, discover the treasures that it hides. You seem to be catching on to this game fairly easily. Then, (uh-oh), you cannot get out of the maze! You should have saved the game before you entered it. No wonder it seemed so easy; it was a trap. You will be much more careful the next time. Come on ADVENTURELAND, this time the challenge will be met.
The easiest of the twelve adventures, this is an ideal introduction to the text adventure. The liberal use of hints enables the first time adventurer to proceed without too much frustration. By the end, you are ready for greater challenges. If you are stoic, or masochistic, the hints need not be requested. Starting in a London flat, a magic excursion takes you to far away places in search of Long John Silver's treasures. There are no mazes, but danger exists just ahead. Alligators, deadly mamba snakes, a mongoose, and a parrot are but a few of the obstacles that block your way. "Aye matey. Ye must use your lead if me treasures Ye'opes to find. Yo-Ho-Ho and a bot'le of... "
"Good morning Mr. Phelps. Your mission (should you decide to accept it) is to prevent this automated nuclear reactor from being destroyed by a saboteur's TIME BOMB!" Attention all honorary IMF members. This adventure is for you. There are no tricks involved here; no magic either. Just a clear head and a keen eye are required to solve this one. Everything you need is in a manila envelope. Or is it? A strong heart is mandatory as the tension mounts. With each move, the reactor comes one step closer to oblivion. Unlike many of the other adventures, the solution here is arrived at using logic and common sense. Sounds simple, huh? Click... Did you just push the wrong button?
Written by Alexis Adams, this adventure is eerily authentic. Count Cristo has been cursed. You must remove the curse and foil the worshippers of the dead. West African artifacts and modern-day laboratory chemicals paradoxically weave their magic in your attempt to reverse the spell. No mazes here, but magic is everywhere to help and to hinder your undertaking. A medium named Maegen may be helpful. Maegen? Maegen Adams? Written by Alexis Adams? For Scott Adams? Is this the Adams Family? No, it couldn't be. That was Addams. Walking through this castle with its dusty corners, mysteriously slamming windows, and animal heads makes you wonder if it is not more than a coincidence. Be careful, doors may close behind you and you will have a devilish time getting free. "Double, bubble... Toil and Trouble..."
You awaken in a strange bed. There is a heaviness in the air. Exploring the adjacent rooms, you find a watch (keep close track of the time), a clove of garlic (Huh?), Nodoz pills, ...what is all this? A coat of arms... a closer look... it is the family crest of Dracula! A surly mob outside makes you soon realize that you must destroy the evil Count Dracula. Where is he? Further searching reveals a bathroom... go ahead (tsk,tsk). Talk about your realism (excuse me for a minute). Yawn. Tired? Take a nap; you will feel much better. Hmmmm. Didn't sleep that well? You sure look pale, and what are those marks on your neck, as if I didn't know. Time is of the essence (so is the garlic). Find the vampire and destroy him, but you do not have all day... or night. Better play this adventure during the daylight hours, if you are the nervous type. You cannot afford to bat an eye, or is that supposed to be "eye a bat?"
This outer space adventure places you at the outer edge of the galaxy. Your goal is to gather a fantastic collection of treasures and return to Earth. SF nuts will thoroughly enjoy the challenge. Just getting out of the space ship is quite an undertaking, and that is only the beginning of an exciting expedition; an expedition that takes you through a Jovian mining colony to an intergalactic zoo with bizarre inhabitants. The hazards of a methane snow storm may not deter you, but do not get too close to the centurion slime trees. Persistence is rewarded in this adventure. Clever solutions again, but with the proper mindset, you will solve this puzzle in just a few hours. However, hours at the edge of the galaxy may really be days here on Earth. Blast offl!
The idea of being trapped in a fun house is usually not terrifying, but it is here. First, you have to get in, and you have no money. Do not give up; you will find some. This adventure does not match the others in excitement or challenge. Mazes, the time factor, and buttons to be pushed are much the same. If this were one's first encounter with these adventures, it might be interesting. It offers the typical dilemmas expected, and the solutions are predictable. The best reason to play MYSTERY FUN HOUSE is to complete the set. Even Jack London slipped once in a while.
Lost in the desert, you see a pyramid. Entry is forbidden, and a curse will fall upon you if you defile the ancient resting place of the pharoahs. A collection of *TREASURES* await you within the stone edifice. Discovering the location of all of them is quite difficult. The obstacles preventing you from reaching your final goal are formidable. Several hours (to days) will be necessary to find them all. While you are away from the adventure physically, your mind will constantly return, trying to figure out how to get past the Giant Oyster, or how to dispose of the dreaded Purple Worm. PYRAMID OF DOOM is one of the best text adventures written. The combination of easily-found treasures and seemingly impossible clues to others gives it a mixture that keeps the adventurer coming back until it is finished. Some magic is involved, but no mazes here. It must be magic if one dies of dengue fever without being bitten by the mosquito, Aedes aegypti, which transmits this viral disease. Well, other than that, it is very realistic and entertaining.
The search for thirteen treasures in a deserted ghost town is going to be a long one. The most clever of all the Scott Adams' Adventures, GHOST TOWN requires all of your brain power to solve. One may go for days without progress (it often helps to put it away for a time, in order to let new thoughts ferment). How long has it been since you used Morse Code? Do you have an old Boy Scout Handbook close by? Finally, you can get that (expletive deleted) Purple Worm. Remember the way to make gunpowder (a noble gesture)? A special bonus scoring system is offered as a part of this adventure, but it is really of little consequence to the true adventurer. Completion of this adventure is satisfying enough. "Smile when ya' say that, pardn'r. "
A challenge for the expert adventurer, this two-part adventure offers everything you could hope to find in this or any other world. This surrealistic journey begins on a small island and takes you to undreamed-of places in search of a secret. You must survive Hurricane Alexis, volcanoes, a Tyrannosaurus, and many, many more dangers, just to discover the password enabling you to play PART II. You must be ready for anything as your journey continues. If you are not ready, your soul will never rest easy. Mazes, dangers, and puns are all here in a mammoth adventure that will not be finished without investing a great deal of time. It is well worthwhile. Where else can you be a part of psychotransfiguration?
The final adventure in the series has you searching for the secret to make an aging king young. You only have three days to accomplish your mission, and you must learn how to sail a ship to the correct location. Though a bit of a letdown after SAVAGE ISLAND, all the elements of a good adventure are present. If you have completed the other eleven adventures, this one is not too difficult. A word of warning: keep your eye on the Cyclops. He has his on you!