Mr. Bill's   Adventureland   Review

This unusual and very hard-to-find game is a carefully constructed contemporary work of art that was obviously designed to be experienced rather than simply played. It is best enjoyed with the lights turned down and the sound turned up.

The game begins mysteriously. You find yourself alone on a trail in a beautiful mountainous canyon area reminiscent of the great American desert southwest. Your only clue about your purpose comes from the enigmatic 12 line poem (or song) included with the game on a glossy 8x10 piece of paper.

Indeed the only other hard copy documentation that comes with the game is a small thin manual containing the minimum system requirements and 4 additional short poems. And although it looks like a very slick high quality production in every way, there is no indication as to who even made it on the box except for a copyright by someone called Blue Sky Entertainment (without an address).

The quest for the game is found in the main poem:

The other poems encourage you to prepare now for the travelers imminent return: to cross that line which will set you free and take you on the mind-expanding journey from which there is no turning back. They say "What the hell are you waiting for? Get yourself right through that door!" You hear a cryptic voice say "Seek the Signs". And so you begin this "incredible quest of discovery, music and art" .....

The quest seems simple enough. We are told that aliens visited our planet eons ago. They left signs and symbols for those open enough to see them which, when found, would act as keys to open hidden doors and enable the finder to join them in time and space ..... and enlightenment.

But trust us, it isn't easy. We started the game soon after it was first published, but got hopelessly lost and could not complete it. Then we finally found the walkthrough which was originally created by the developers and we were able to finish the game and see what we'd been missing.

It is a 1st person, point and click game with stunning 24 bit ray traced, full screen 3D graphics, and amazing 16 bit stereo surround sound music and sound effects. The music alone was worth the cost of the game: an impressive original mix of new age and modern rock (turn on your speakers and refresh to hear the theme now). You can play it in either the default 'Challenge' mode, in which you have to find all of the keys, or in the 'Explore' mode, where the keys are given to you but you still have to find the doors ..... not an easy task in itself.

You begin in the atmospheric Canyon area surrounded by the sounds of nature, but you eventually discover a small cave that leads to the hidden underground alien complex: a complicated futuristic mirrored labyrinth of passages, pods, force fields, water bridges and warping devices. Along the way (both above ground and below) you will trigger hidden collections of poetry, music and modern art. And then when you finally do succeed in collecting all of the necessary artifacts for the hidden 'Pharaoh' (the 6 golden symbols and lenses of light), you are treated to a fantastic 5 1/2 minute voyage of the imagination.

It is a unique and memorable game ..... a real psychedelic trip!

Full View Screenshot

Developed (1995) by Blue Sky Entertainment (out of business now).

Minimum System Requirements: PC Only!

PC:  Intel 486 33 MHz; Windows 3.1 or Higher; 8 MB RAM; 2X CD-ROM Drive; 8 Bit Graphics Card and Color Monitor (Thousands of Colors Graphics Card Recommended); 8 Bit Sound Card (16 Bit Stereo and Surround Sound Supporting Sound Card Recommended); 40 MB of free Hard Drive Space; Keyboard and Mouse

Where To Buy This Game:

The best chance for finding this game 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 game.

Walkthroughs or Hints: