Classic Computer Magazine Archive ANTIC VOL. 2, NO. 4 / JULY 1983

ANTIC PIX ADVENTURE

by DEBORAH BURNS

GALAHAD AND THE HOLY GRAIL
Atari Program Exchange

Here is a graphic adventure game for children ages 12 and up. While no text is used in this game (a feature good for computer jockeys with limited literacy), a joystick controls intricate movement through 100 action galleries. You are Galahad, a knight from the Arthurian Legends, and face many dangers during the dangerous quest for the Holy Grail. Fire breathing dragons and giant spiders challenge your skills and block your path. Entering the White Chapel, you begin your quest, choosing alternative routes through various portals with a quick move of the wrist and joystick. As you go deeper into the galleries, you may pick up tools and weapons which might prove of service in the quest: swords, magic rings, and keys to protect and aid you.

TEMPLE OF APSHAI
Epyx

In the mighty Temple of Apshai, the first adventure game in the DUNJON-QUEST series of Epyx, you encounter a labyrinth full of treasures, traps and monsters. A best seller that is still high on the software charts, this is a fantasy role-playing game in which you choose the personal characteristics of your player-hero. You must generate your own player by answering questions from the Innkeeper, and enter and exit the dungeon with the guidance of the Dunjonmaster. The legend says that the temple was dedicated to a wise insect god and has been buried for generations beneath a village. You are the explorer of the secret caverns and must use quick wits to find the pharoah's treasure and to avoid the mandibles of a giant mantis.

ULTIMA II
Sierra On-Line

Subtitled "Revenge of the Enchantress," this adventure game is probably the most challenging of its kind from Sierra On-Line. The sequel to the extremely popular original game Ultima, it is expanded beyond one world to an entire solar system over a longer period of time. The graphics are much improved, colorfully depicting dungeons, towers, enemies and advanced weaponry. The object, of course, is for the female sorceress to defend herself against her foes and counterattack their aggressions. Twisted mazes, various tricks and puzzles and subtle deceptions plague has survival and advancement. As one of the best and most difficult adventure games available, it will please the player who enjoys real thought and experimentation.

SUSPENDED
Infocom

This is a highly-complex and sophisticated game from a leading adventure game designer. The player is a cryo-genically suspended and much-tortured soul who, while confined in this nightmarish frozen state, must yet maintain operating balance in the survival systems which control life on the home planet. Otherwise all is lost. Player perceptions and actions are achieved by commanding one or more of six robots which make careful adjustments to the life control systems of the planet. Also at the player's command is a Filtering Computer. Survival in this game depends upon proper relay of commands and proper management of the Library Core, the Weather System, Food Production, and Transportation on the planet's surface.

CREEPERS
Silicon Valley Systems

In this "seek-and-find" adventure game, eight fictitious characters search the ancient Temple of Kavinu to recover the Golden Chalice, an ancient symbol of the Kingdom of Corpas. Your task is to roam the temple, a maze-like structure located in the Forest of Doom on the Island of Gant, to find the chalice. Like other adventures, you choose the abilities and characteristics of the players that enable them to survive and conquer their obstacles. The Creepers are the deadly creatures that attempt to hinder your progress within the temple. Various options that change the maze's form allow you to move within different rooms, along different paths, to reach the goal.

ALI BABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES
Quality Software

Alas! The lovely Princess Buddir al-Buddour has been kidnapped by a band of cunning cutthroats and merciless thieves, known as the Cogia Houssain, who have for years been stealing the wealth of the land. Now they have boldly stolen the sweet Princess, hiding her away in a secret cave deep in the mountains. You are Ali Baba, the heroic rescuer. In a strange dream, you pursue an obstacle-ridden and dangerous path to the cave, and after many exhausting trials, rescue the gentle maiden. This adventure game uses both keyboard commands and the joy stick to vary the action. Dreaded creatures may block your path, and weapons may be used in combat.

EMPIRE OF THE OVER MIND
Avalon Hill Game Co.

In this object-oriented adventure game, you must find your way in ar strange world ruled by the mysterious Over-Mind. A powerful and crafty being, the Over-Mind controls an army of evil creatures lurking in dark corners to prevent adventurers from discovering its hiding place and destroying it. The odious mind-whip and other ingenious traps may halt your progress temporarily, but friends will turn up in the most unexpected places. The key to the action in this game is to match a verb (action) to a noun (object) that appears on the screen. A lyrical poem called "The Rhyme of Over-Mind" (that the manufacturer suggests you read before beginning play) tells the legend of this mighty and terrible creature and its empire.