Mr. Bill's   Adventureland   Review

Anyone who loves adventure games should own this wonderful collection! Perfect for travel use with a laptop (especially on planes) instead of taking books, it contains, ON ONLY ONE CD, 33 of Infocom's revolutionary text only games, plus a bonus of 6 additional 'contest winning' text adventures, and will provide hundreds of hours of unforgettable entertainment for a nominal price.

Infocom was that great little upstart company which, way back in 1980, started the whole computer gaming phenomenon with their publication of ZORK, the first computer game ever made available to the general public. Created by a couple of guys at M.I.T. for their own amusement, it became wildly popular worldwide almost overnight and created an insatiable public demand for more of the same. So, working with a dream team of fantastically talented writers and developers, Infocom went on to produce some of the very best adventures ever made (and still unsurpassed today), reigning supreme until computers had evolved enough to be able to handle graphics and sound.

Whatever your preference or mood, this collection has it all (detailed below): great comedy, mystery, science fiction/fantasy and adventure, plus more, from the world's best writers. But unlike just reading, you take an interactive part in the story.

If you've never played a text adventure (interactive fiction), see our HOW TO PLAY TEXT ADVENTURES: you're in for a real treat! And if you already know them and love them, then this collection will give you a wonderful nostalgic trip down memory lane. Do yourself a favor and grab this if you can find it: it is sure to become a collector's item itself. But if you're unable to find this particular collection, you may be able to find shorter, smaller collections of Infocom games, detailed on our GAME LIST.

CONTAINS:

A Mind Forever Voyaging  "It is 2031 and you are PRISM, the world's first sentient machine. A government group has a plan to improve the world and you have been chosen to test it in a simulation of the future."

Arthur: The Quest For Excalibur  "In the days before Camelot, when magic and evil ruled England, you are Arthur, the son and true heir of the High King. But the sword in the stone, Excalibur, has been stolen by the evil King Lot and you have only 3 days to get it back. Merlin the Enchanter will give you the power, but it's how you use it that will determine your success."

Ballyhoo  "You are a spectator who went to the circus, an outsider, and now you're trying to find a kidnapped girl you've never met, in a place you know nothing about, among bizarre people who want nothing to do with you."

Beyond Zork  "Use your strong character to solve puzzles, avoid traps, and fight Zorkian monsters in your quest to claim the fabled treasure: the Coconut of Quendor."

Border Zone  "Three chapters, each a story in itself. In each you play a different character who is involved in the assassination attempt of an American ambassador. Action and intrigue."

Bureaucracy  "You moved, but the bank kept your old name and address. Now they say you have no money and your credit card won't work."

Cutthroats  "You are a skilled diver trying to salvage a sunken treasure from one of four shipwrecks. But don't trust your fellow divers."

Deadline  "A wealthy industrialist committed suicide. Or did he? You are Chief of Detectives and you have 12 hours to crack the case."

Enchanter  "An evil Warlock has subjugated the land. You are a fledgling Enchanter who knows the basics, but you will have to learn more and use your wits to free the land."

Hollywood Hijinx  "You will inherit a multimillion dollar estate if you can just spend one night in the house and find a treasure or two."

Infidel  "Branded an Infidel, you are a small-time explorer, marooned by your crew, trying to find a great lost pyramid and its treasure in the desert."

Journey  "You must take a journey to find the Wizard Astrix, to save your blighted land. But the last party that tried to hasn't been heard from since they left. Will you survive?"

Leather Goddesses of Phobos  "You are kidnapped by an alien Amazon civilization and must figure out how to get back to earth and save the world from the alien women."

Lurking Horror  "You are a student at GUE Tech, trapped there late one night by a blizzard. But, fortunately, you are not alone. Or is that unfortunately?"

Moonmist  "You are a famous young American detective in England at Tresyllian Castle, at the request of a friend. Is that a real ghost? Or just someone who's trying to scare the others away from the treasure there?"

Nord And Bert Couldn't Make Head Or Tail Of It  "Various types of wordplay puzzles. See if you can 'cut the mustard' with idioms or 'hit the nail on the head' with the right cliche."

Planetfall  "You are a native of the planet Gallium and your family has always served in the Stellar Patrol. Now it's your turn."

Plundered Hearts  "You are a genteel young Englishwoman in the late 1600s, traveling to the West Indies to care for your ailing father, when you are abducted by a pirate captain."

Seastalker  "You are a famous young scientist and inventor of a 2-person submarine. A hugh sea monster is attacking outside and you have a traitor inside."

Sherlock  "In 'The Riddle of the Crown Jewels', you are Dr. Watson and you have just received an urgent summons from Sherlock Holmes' landlady to come to his residence."

Sorcerer  "You are a famous Enchanter now and your friend and mentor, the powerful Belboz has vanished. Is he being used by the forces of darkness?"

Spellbreaker  "You are now a Mage, a leader in the Circle of Enchanters. But why won't the spells work anymore? Is magic itself failing?"

Starcross  "You are a black hole miner searching for energy when you unexpectedly rendezvous with a gargantuan alien spaceship from the outer fringes of the galaxy."

Stationfall  "You are now a Lieutenant First Class in the Stellar Patrol, but is it only going to be tedious paperwork forever?"

Suspect  "You are a newspaper reporter at a fancy costume ball on Halloween when you are framed for a murder. Who really did it?"

Suspended  "You are the Central Mentality on an advanced semi-automated planet with 6 robots at your disposal. But now the planet is in chaos."

Trinity  "You are an American tourist on vacation in London when a bomb is dropped on it, but you escape to another dimension."

Wishbringer  "Everyone is looking for the magic stone of dreams, the Wishbringer. But only you can find it and use its powers to make your town safe again."

Witness  "It is 1938 and you are a police detective working near Los Angeles. A frightened man asks for your protection, but too late. Can you find the killer?"

Zork 1  "You are a treasure hunter venturing into the ruins of an ancient underground empire in search of wealth and adventure."

Zork II  "Reckon with a capricious sorcerer-on-the-verge-of-senility as you explore a hidden region of the Great Underground Empire on a quest to master the powers of the once-great Wizard of Frobozz."

Zork III  "Take the plunge into the heart of the Great Underground Empire to uncover the secret purpose of the enigmatic Dungeon Master for your ultimate triumph or destruction."

Zork Zero  "Megaboz's curse 90 years ago now threatens the Great Underground Empire itself! Only you know what must be done to stop it."

Released (1995) by Activision.

Minimum System Requirements: Hybrid Win / Mac CD ROM (Hybrid means PC and MAC versions are on the same CD.)

PC: IBM PC or 100% Compatible; MS-DOS / Windows 3.1 / Windows 95; RAM - DOS (640K), Win 3.1 (4 MB), Win 95 (8 MB); VGA Graphics Card; CD ROM Drive; 25 MB Free Hard Drive Space

MAC: Macintosh or 100% Compatible; System 6.0.7 or higher; 1 MB RAM; CD ROM Drive; Black & White or Color Systems Supported; 3 MB Free Hard Drive Space

Where To Buy This Collection Of Games:

The best chance for finding this collection would be at used software places or auctions or trading sites. Our Places To Buy Games page may be able to assist you in finding a copy of this collection.

Walkthroughs or Hints: