Information about Interactive Fiction Games - Part Six ------------------------------------------------------ Original author Hans Persson unicorn@lysator.liu.se Supplied by The Grue @~Continued from Issue 41 Penguin Software Inc: ******************** See PolarWare. Phoenix Software: **************** Adventure in Time Probably only for Apple II. Birth of the Phoenix Probably only for Apple II. Queen of Phobos Probably only for Apple II. Sherwood Forest Probably only for Apple II. Pixel Games: *********** Trader For Spectrum. PolarWare: ********* The company was called Penguin Software Inc until 1986. Oo-Topos, Transylvania, The Crimson Crown and The Coveted Mirror were originally published in 1981-83 and later reissued as Comprehend Interactive Novels. Oo-Topos [TO, 1981/G, 1986] By Michael Berlyn, Muffy Berlyn. Two-word parser. For Apple II, Commodore 64, PC/VGA. Transylvania [1982/1986] By Antonio Antiochia. For Apple II. Transylvania 2: The Crimson Crown The Coveted Mirror [1983/1986] Transylvania 3 For Apple IIGS. Talisman The Quest [G, 1983] By Toler, Dallas and Rea. Xyphus [1984] By Skip Walker and Dave Albert. Quicksilva: ********** The Ring of Power [1983] By F. J. Preston. The Thompson Twins Adventure [1984] By F. J. Preston. Smugglers Cove [G] For Spectrum. Velnors Lair [TO] For Spectrum. Radar Games: *********** British company. Confidential For Spectrum (and probably Amstrad and Commodore 64). Rainbird Entertainment: ********************** They distributed Magnetic Scrolls (until 1989) and Level 9. Legend of the Sword A very nice adventure game with a pretty good parser and an optional non-exhaustive graphical interface. You could do most things by selecting icons, menu items and lists, but not everything. Fantasy setting, get a magical sword and shield in order to allow killing the big bad guy. The Ram Jam Corporation: *********************** Valkyrie 17 [GR] For Commodore 64. Three Days in Carpathia [GR] For Commodore 64. Sequel to Valkyrie 17. Written with The Biro. The Sock Written with The Biro. Tooth Affair; Chicago Written with The Biro. Shadow Warrior Written with The Biro. The Amulet Written with The Biro. Twice Shy Development by The Ram Jam Corporation. See under Mosaic Publishing. Richard Shepherd Software: ************************* Invincible Island [G] For Spectrum 48K. Devils in the Deep [G (3D)] For Spectrum 48K. Written in Basic. Transylvanian Tower [G (3D)] For Spectrum 48K. Robico Software: *************** Assassin [TO] For BBC B. Over 220 locations. Includes adventurer's notebook. Runesoft: ******** Robyn Hode For Spectrum 48K. Written with The Quill. Divided into two parts (finishing the first part gives you the password to the second). Scandinavian PC Systems: *********************** Stugan For PC. Written in Swedish. Scott Adams: *********** See Adventure International. SCR Adventures: ************** British company. Distributed by CDS. Castle Blackstar [TO] By Mark Shepherd and Mike Redman. For Commodore 64. Screenplay: ********** They were distributed by All American Adventures. Asylum [G] For Commodore 64, Atari 400/800, PC. This game had both text input and scrolling 3D graphics. The Institute [1983] By Jymm Pearson, Robyn Pearson, Norm Sailer and Rick Incrocci. Scumbag Software: **************** Busted (Release 1) [TO] By Jon Drukman. For Advsys 1.2 interpreters. Freeware. Available from ftp.gmd.de. Sentient: ******** Cyborg [ca 1982] By Michael Berlyn. Severn Software: *************** Moria [G] For Commodore 64, Spectrum 16K/48K. Based on "The Lord of the Rings". Sierra On-Line, Inc: ******************* American company (P. O. Box 485, Coarsegold (Oakhurst), CA 93614) founded by Ken and Roberta Williams. The company was originally called On-Line Systems. They were distributed by All American Adventures. Early games ----------- Some of the games under this heading might belong in one of the other series. Mystery House [DG, 1980] By Roberta Williams. For Apple II. This was released into the public domain at Sierra's 10th anniversary (around 1987-88 (?)). This might have been the first graphical adventure written. The graphics were actually monochrome line drawings with stick figures for people but that didn't stop the game from being an instant success. Threshold Marauder Softporn [TO, 1981] For Apple II. Later re-released with graphics as Leisure Suit Larry. Mickey's Space Adventure By Roberta Williams. HiRes Adventures/Sierra Ventures -------------------------------- This series was published 1979-1982, and contained around ten games. 1: Mission Asteroid [G] By Roberta Williams. For Apple II. 2: The Wizard and the Princess [G, 1981] By Roberta Williams. For Commodore 64, PC (as Adventures in Serenia). ?: Cranston Manor [G] For Apple II. 6: Dark Crystal [BG, 1982] By Roberta Williams. For Apple II, Atari, PC. ?: Time Zone [G, 1982] By Roberta Williams. For Apple II. This game took up 6 disks, both sides for the Apple II which was very big for the time. ?: The Golden Fleece [G] For Commodore 64. Later graphical games ===================== These games are more or less three-dimensional and have moving graphics with an image of yourself that you have to move around the screen to do things. Most (all?) of these are available for the Amiga. King's Quest Series ------------------- Kings Quest: Quest for the Crown [IG, 1984] By Roberta Williams. For Amiga, Apple IIGS, Atari ST, PC. This is supposed to have been a demonstration product for the PCjr, commissioned by IBM. Kings Quest II: Romancing the Throne [IG] By Roberta Williams. For Amiga, Apple IIGS (?), Atari ST, PC. Kings Quest III: To Heir is Human [IG] By Roberta Williams and Al Lowe. For Amiga, Apple IIGS (?), Atari ST, PC. Kings Quest IV: The Perils of Rosella [IG, 1988] By Roberta Williams. For Amiga, Apple IIGS (?), Atari ST, PC. Kings Quest V: Absence Makes the Heart go Yonder! [IG, 1990] By Roberta Williams. For PC, Macintosh. Kings Quest VI [IG] For PC. Space Quest Series ------------------ Space Quest I: The Sarien Encounter [IG, 1986, 87] By Mark Crowe and Scott Murphy. For Amiga, Apple IIGS, Atari ST, PC. Space Quest II: Vohaul's Revenge [IG, 1987] By Mark Crowe and Scott Murphy. For Amiga, Atari ST, PC. Space Quest III: The Pirates of Pestulon [IG, 1989] By Mark Crowe and Scott Murphy. For Amiga, Atari ST, PC. Space Quest IV: Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers [IG, 1991] By Mark Crowe and Scott Murphy. For PC. Space Quest V: Roger Wilco in the Next Mutation [IG] For PC. Leisure Suit Larry Series ------------------------- Leisure Suit Larry I: The Land of the Lounge Lizards [IG, 1987] By Al Lowe and Mark Crowe. For Amiga, Apple IIGS, Atari ST, PC. This is a graphical re-release of the game Softporn. Leisure Suit Larry II: Looking for Love (in several wrong places) [IG, 1988] By Al Lowe. For Amiga, Apple IIGS, Atari ST, PC. Leisure Suit Larry III: Passionate Patti in Pursuit of the Pulsating Pectorals [IG] By Al Lowe. For PC. Leisure Suit Larry V [IG, 1992] (The author swore after completing part III that he would never write part IV.) For PC, Macintosh. Police Quest Series ------------------- Police Quest: In Pursuit of the Death Angel [IG, 1987] By Jim Walls. For Amiga, Apple IIGS, Atari ST, PC. Police Quest II: The Vengeance [IG, 1988] By Jim Walls. For Amiga, Atari ST, PC. Police Quest III [IG] For PC. Quest for Glory Series ---------------------- Hero's Quest (Quest for Glory) I: So You Want to be a Hero [1989] By Lori Cole. For PC. The Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire [1990] By Lori Cole and Corey Cole. For PC. The Quest for Glory III For PC. The Quest for Glory IV For PC. Scheduled fall 1993. Where do these go? ------------------ The Black Cauldron By Roberta Williams, Mark Crowe and Scott Murphy. For PC. Mixed-up Mother Goose [1987, 90] By Roberta Williams. Gold Rush! [1988] By Doug MacNeill and Ken MacNeill. Manhunter: New York [1988] By Dave Murry, Barry Murry and DeeDee Murry. Manhunter 2: San Francisco [1989] By Dave Murry, Barry Murry, DeeDee Murry and Barbara Ward. Codename: Iceman By Jim Wall. The Colonel's Bequest [1989] By Roberta Williams. Conquests of Camelot By Christy Marx. Jones in the Fast Lane [1990] Conquests of Long Bow: The Adventures of Robin Hood [1992] For PC. The Betrayal at Krondor Laura Bow II: Dagger of Aman Ra For PC. Freddy Pharkas For PC. @~More next issue - o -