Top Ten Adventures @~To register your votes, just send in your choices, number them @~1st to 10th and preferably give brief comments on why you voted @~for each game. 10 points are awarded for 1st place down to 1 @~point for 10th place. ------------------------------------------------------------------ @~Two Top Tens this issue from Sox aka Susan Hilditch and Richard @~Hewison. As no-one has guessed Richard's pseudonym (see this @~issue's Editorial) and he has already voted using it, the points @~won't be adjusted until someone guesses his other name. Now @~that's another hint ... check out the Top Ten voting list ... @~though I'm not going to say whether his alter ego voted this @~year or before ... @~So first ... MY TOP TEN ADVENTURES: from Sox 1. MYST. This is by far the most evocative game that I have ever played. I love the music, sound effects and the way that everything moved around the various Ages, all detailed in the Library. Waterworld is my favourite, trees creak eerily, taps squeak when they are turned, motors hum and the drips and splashes of the streams and hydraulic systems are wonderful. However, I admit to being virtually tone deaf so the organ in the spaceship defeated me totally. The ending wasn't dramatic, a pat on the back in effect and I did feel that having reached the end I deserved a spectacular reward. 2. Humbug. One of the first games I ever played. I got this when we had our first "pre-clockwork" computer way back in 1988. I was tired of Tetris and railway simulations and after trying a demo disk sent my money off to Graham Cluley. I ended up writing to Graham about once a fortnight after that for hints though, because I was only a learner and got stuck so many times. It was through this and Jacaranda Jim that I heard about Sue and SynTax and eventually finished the game with help from her. What does Graham do now? Where is Humbug II : Return of the Cough Drop? @~Graham works for S&S - Dr Solomon's Anti-Virus Toolkit. He told @~me ages ago that he had plans for another adventure but I think @~he's just too busy work-wise ... Sue 3. Monkey Island 2: Le Chuck's Revenge. My brother and I bought this before he got his computer and we fell out regularly over the right way to go about doing things. Again I needed help from Sue, I don't seem to be getting any better do I? One of the best bits was the spitting competition because it brought back such memories of our childhood... 4. Simon the Sorcerer. I loved this game from the moment I read the review. Magical detective work is the stuff of which my dreams are made - well, that and space-age ironing. I thoroughly enjoyed helping Simon to reach Wizard status and defeat goblins, and though I was disappointed that the witch didn't have a greater part to play, the chocolate eating pig was wonderful. I am trying to decide between Simon II and Discworld at the moment so shall be looking out for some reviews on those. Any comments from fellow adventurers who have tried them out will be gratefully received. 5. The Journeyman Project. I found this hard to get into at first but eventually was able to cope with the small screen. The controls are not as straight forward as they might be but there is a plot to be followed, bizarre as it is in places. I'm not keen on shooting people, aliens or monsters but I got quite good at kicking down doors. The Journeyman is about time travel and the leaps and bounds around the centuries can be exhausting. It is best to thoroughly explore each time slot before leaping off again so that you get all of the clues. I bought this last year and there is a sequel out now which looks as interesting. Perhaps I am a born again Time Traveller at heart? 6. Settlers. This game has occupied hours of my life. What life? I have played God with the Settlers for over a year now and still reload it regularly. I sometimes use it in place of a screen saver if I have to break off work to make a meal or pick up a child from school and it's very interesting to start a world going and come back to it in an hour. The nice part about it is that they work ever so hard and you never have to pay them, tell them to brush their teeth, or pick up Lego... 7. Jacaranda Jim. This took me a long time to finish as I got side-tracked with more colourful adventures. My most memorable evening with Jim was spent with my mother and a large jug of Pimms as we got more and more incoherent and totally unable to work out what to do next. 8. Lemmings. The Lot. I haven't yet found a Lemming that I haven't liked, this says a lot for my social life really. I enjoy watching little people walking in straight lines for no apparent reason. This is occasionally very worrying and I wonder if I should be in therapy. Even the Holiday Lemmings demo which infuriated me when it switched off at level 3 was forgiven. I have a friend whose husband locks himself away at weekends with a supply of sandwiches and a hot computer screen just to help the little things onto a higher level. Personally, my greatest pleasure is to blow them all up and start again. 9. My First Incredible Amazing Dictionary. I include this because I spend a lot of time with it and my two children. The graphics are wonderful and may be printed out to adorn bedroom walls and the content is enough to keep my eldest son entertained even though he can't see the pictures, as he's blind. The games are not adventures, but the children have got to start somewhere! 10. Companions of Xanth. I bought this because of the books by Piers Anthony. I started reading those years ago and looked forward to the game. However I found it rather disappointing as the characters on screen bear little resemblance to those in my imagination. This is one reason why I am not sure whether to invest in Discworld. What if the people aren't the same as the ones in my head? I suppose I ought to find a review copy... ------------------------------------------------------------------ @~And next: Richard's Top Ten 1. Dungeon Master (FTL) Not exactly an original numero uno, but this game still brings back happy memories. I prefer the 'single-step' first person view over the more fluid 3D engine as used in "Ultima Underworld". I believe this engine is suited perfectly for arcade games (e.g. "Doom") but isn't what I like to use when playing an RPG. Whilst at Mirrorsoft I was the 'expert' who answered all the phone calls on this game and the mini-sequel "Chaos Strikes Back" (which I think was too hard!). Whilst many have come along since and improved on the engine, this one still means more to me than any of the others. 2. Legend / Son of the Empire (Mindscape) Another biased choice here because I was originally producer, then games tester, manual and hint-book author. I liked the isometric view, and I felt the combat and spell casting interface was very easy to use and still quite innovative today. I wasn't too keen on the graphics or the 'mechanical' puzzle rooms, but the main game system could (and should) be used again. 3. Lands of Lore (VIE) Another game I've been involved with. I wrote a manual they didn't use, and I play tested the game on floppy. It doesn't have any real innovative features but it looks good (Westwood's graphic artists are very talented), is large and has some challenging puzzles. The talking CD-ROM version adds even more polish. 4. The Guild of Thieves (Rainbird) I didn't work for Rainbird at the time "Guild..." came out. I bought and played this one for pleasure. I loved the graphics on the ST version and the adventure was large and played at a leisurely pace. The puzzle with the bird, the cage and the bomb in the bank had me pulling my hair out! 5. Indiana Jones & The Fate of Atlantis (Lucasarts) I've never been that keen on the 'graphical adventure' genre started by Sierra in the 80s, but Lucasfilm Games (as they were known back then) based this adventure on a Dark Horse comic book which I had bought the year before. I was also a big fan of the Indiana Jones films and I found the game quite large and reasonably tough in places to complete. The graphics were quite good and the intro was a laugh. 6. Dune (VIE) A mixture of point and click adventure and simple strategy, Dune was a nice and playable game that became more involved as the strategy began to play a more important role near the end. At the time the graphics and music were top notch. Virgin improved the game when they released a special CD-ROM version and included film clips from the David Lynch movie (which I liked along with the excellent book that I've read five times now). 7. Dune 2 (VIE) A strategy game which gets harder and harder the longer you play. The graphics are up to the usual Westwood standards, and the interface is very easy to use. The game might become a little repetitive in the long-run, but in short bursts it can't be beaten. I was also involved in testing this one. 8. Price of Magik (Level 9) Compared to the awful rubbish Level 9 produced after moving from the 8 bit machines to the 16 bit arena, this adventure is a good large challenge. I originally played it on the Spectrum but it's available on 16 bit so I can include it here. 9. Red Moon (Level 9) Another Spectrum adventure from Level 9. Again I enjoyed this one a lot, except that iron objects inhibited spells and the save game feature was included as a spell! 10. Doom (ID) This isn't an adventure, but it's such good fun when linked in multi-player mode (via null modem for 2 player, or network for 3 or 4 player). Lots of games have appeared in a similar style, but as with Dungeon Master this one will stick in the mind for a long time to come. @~A new list will start in January 1996. The current running total @~is: 62 pts Dungeon Master 30 pts Monkey Island I 22 pts Civilization 21 pts Chaos Strikes Back, Monkey Island 2 19 pts Time Quest, Day of the Tentacle 17 pts Eye of the Beholder II 16 pts Simon the Sorcerer 1 15 pts Monkey Island 2, Bloodwych, Humbug 14 pts Ultima V, Unnkulian series 13 pts Betrayal at Krondor, Lands of Lore 12 pts Journey, Uninvited, Ultima VII, Red Moon 11 pts Shadowgate, Captive, Emerald Isle 10 pts World of Xeen (Clouds and Darkside), Lords of Time, Level 9 adventures, Eye of the Beholder, Sam and Max, Lancelot, Ultima VII - Part 2, Myst, Price of Magik 9 pts Amberstar, Ishar, Silicon Dreams, Legend / Son of the Empire, Zork 2, Might and Magic III 8 pts Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Cadaver, Descent, Ishar 2, Syndicate, Beneath a Steel Sky, Time and Magik, Under a Killing Moon, Jacaranda Jim 7.5 pts Excuse Me ... 7 pts Bard's Tale 1, Dungeon Adventure, Eye o/t Beholder II, Knightmare, Jewels of Darkness, Ultima Underworld 2, Multi-dimensional Thief, Frontier:Elite 2, Zork Zero, Guild of Thieves 6 pts Drakkhen, Space Quest 3, Xenomorph, Hitchhiker's Guide, Faery Tale Adventure, Heimdall, Mountains of Ket, Ingrid's Back, Dunjin, X Wing, Chaos (PD), Unnkulian Underworld, The Journeyman Project, Indy / Fate of Atlantis 5 pts Hammer of Grimmold, Operation Stealth, BAT II, Pool of Darkness, Black Crypt, Gabriel Knight, Gnome Ranger, Crusaders of the Dark Savant, Dune, Settlers, Doom 4 pts Wizard's Crown, Deja Vu, Abandoned Places, Dune 2, Shadowlands, Scapeghost, Zork 1, Railroad Tycoon 3 pts Trinity, Dungeons and Dragons (ASCII version), The Immortal, QFG4:Shadows of Darkness, Oklib's Revenge, Lemmings 2, Zork 1, Lost Eden, Lemmings 2 pts Return to Zork, Future Wars, Eye of the Beholder III, Deja Vu II, Space Quest, Golden Fleece, Four Symbols, The Test, Liberation:Captive 2, Space Quest series, Dracula, Ultima VI, Shadow of Yserbius, My First Incredible Dictionary 1.5 pts WYSIWYG 1 pt Larry 2, Another World, Larry 1, Pirates, Space Quest 2, Fool's Errand, Helvera, Planetfall, Ultima VI, Companions of Xanth 1/2 pt Enchanted Castle, Castle Elsinore (Votes so far by Alex van Kaam, Greg Lord, Brian Burke, BMK, David Stocks, James Judge, Paul Vincent, Grimwold, James Jillians, Steve McGuire, John Moore, Phil Richmond, Bev Truter, Julian Gregory, Sue, Sox and Richard Hewison (some revised)) @~The all-time SynTax Polls, which are updated each issue as new @~votes come in, or readers amend their votes, are as follows: 138 pts Dungeon Master 48 pts Chaos Strikes Back 46 pts Secret of Monkey Island I 37 pts Lurking Horror 33 pts Wishbringer 32 pts Trinity 31 pts Enchanter 29 pts Guild of Thieves 28 pts Leather Goddesses 26 pts Secret of Monkey Island II 25 pts Loom 24 pts Eye of the Beholder II 23 pts Lemmings 2 22 pts Humbug, Civilization 21 pts Planetfall, Red Moon 20 pts Eye of the Beholder I, HHGTTG, Sorcerer, Bard's Tale 1, Lords of Time 19 pts Time Quest, Day of the Tentacle 18 pts Journey 17 pts Price of Magik, Jinxter, Captive 16 pts Ultima IV, Zork 2, Simon the Sorcerer 1 15 pts Bloodwych, Crusaders of the Dark Savant, Stationfall 14 pts Ultima VII, Ultima V, Unnkulian Series 13 pts Xenomorph, Infidel, Journey, Betrayal at Krondor, Jacaranda Jim, Lands of Lore 12 pts Larry 3, Uninvited, Ultima Underworld 2, Might and Magic III 11 pts Phantasie III, Spellbreaker, Eye of the Beholder III, Zork Zero, Emerald Isle, Beyond Zork 10 pts World of Xeen (Clouds and Darkside), Level 9 Adventures, Sam and Max, Lancelot, Myst 9 pts Drakkhen, Ishar 1, Amberstar, Legend / Son of the Empire, Pirates, Fish, Silicon Dreams, Zork I, Demon's Winter 8 pts Zak McKracken, Bard's Tale III, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Cadaver, Dungeon Adventure, Four Symbols, Ishar 2, Syndicate, Beneath a Steel Sky, Time and Magik, Descent, Under a Killing Moon 7.5 pts Excuse Me ... 7 pts Corruption, Sorcerer, Deja Vu 1, Operation Stealth, Knightmare, Jewels of Darkness, Multi-dimensional Thief 6 pts Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes, Space Quest 3, Faery Tale Adventure, Larry 2, Heimdall, Mountains of Ket, Zork I, Dunjin, Chaos (PD), X Wing, Ingrid's Back, Unnkulian Underworld, The Journeyman Project, Indy / Fate of Atlantis 5 pts Frontier:Elite 2, Darkseed, Ultima Underworld 1, Manhunter New York, Dragonflight, Hammer of Grimmold, Bard's Tale 2, Suspect, Shadowgate, BAT 2, Pool of Darkness, Black Crypt, Space Quest 1, Gabriel Knight, Gnome Ranger, Legend, Manhunter San Francisco, Dune, Settlers, Doom 4 pts Wonderland, Rigel's Revenge, Abandoned Places, Wizard's Crown, Shadowlands, Scapeghost, Fool's Errand, Railroad Tycoon, Dune 2 3 pts Mortville Manor, Ballyhoo, Witness, Future Wars, Dungeons and Dragons (ASCII), The Immortal, QFG4:Shadows of Darkness, Oklib's Revenge, Lost Eden, Lemmings 2 pts Keys of the Wizard, Spellcasting 101, Infestation, Legend of the Sword, Camelot, Bureaucracy, Deja Vu 2, Return to Zork, Golden Fleece, The Test, Space Quest series, Shadow of Yserbius, Dracula, My First Incredible Dictionary 1.5 pts WYSIWYG 1 pt Colossal (Level 9), Plundered Hearts, Jade Stone, Football Director II, Larry 1, Helvera, Another World, Space Quest 2, Liberation:Captive 2, Cortizone, Companions of Xanth (Votes by Alex van Kaam, Neil Shipman, Alan Beer, Mark Bradshaw, Sue, Colin Campbell, Graham Wheeler, Kathy Taylor, Ian Taylor, David Stocks, Roy Sims, Theo Clarke, Matthew Pegg, Steve Cook, Grue, Steve McLaren, James Judge, James Jillians, Mongoose, Greg Lord, Brian Burke, BMK, Paul Vincent, Grimwold, Steve McGuire, John Moore, Phil Richmond, Bev Truter, Julian Gregory, Sox and Richard Hewison) - o -