Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1991 video game)

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Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
Atari Lynx Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure cover art.jpg
Developer(s) Al Baker & Associates
Publisher(s) Atari Corporation
Director(s) Steve Ryno
Designer(s) Thomas L. Fessler
Programmer(s) Al Baker
Artist(s) Rick Incrocci
Composer(s) Matt Scott
Series Bill & Ted
Platform(s) Atari Lynx
Release
Genre(s) Action
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer
(up to two players via ComLynx)

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure is a video game for the Atari Lynx handheld that is part of the Bill & Ted franchise and is based on the Bill & Ted films and the Saturday morning cartoon. It was released by Atari in 1991.

Contents

Gameplay

Gameplay screenshot. LYNX Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure.png
Gameplay screenshot.

The game is set with an overhead view of all the action. Unlike other Bill & Ted games, players get the choice to play as either Bill or Ted.

The main aim of the game is to collect all the musical notes that are scattered around each particular time. The game starts with the player having access to only one timeframe - old Egypt. Bill and Ted can travel to the next timeframe by collecting 16 musical notes, or a phone book page. [1]

There are different structures in the game that can be entered to collect notes, keys, or other important items that are needed. If the player is touched by an enemy, the character is respawned at the entry point of the last building or back at the phone booth.

One gameplay feature the ability to use different items and instruments to ward off enemies. The player starts with the guitar, and if they collect and switch to a different instrument, the game's music changes to reflect the instrument that is being played.

Another feature of the game is the interplay between eras - for instance, when in old Egypt, the player is warned that one of the items they see (the staff) has a false version and a real version. After the player travels to ancient Egypt and finds the staff, then gives it to its owner in old Egypt, they cannot travel to the next destination until they plant the warning. This avoids a time paradox.

Players can save their progress by a unique 16-character password, which represents every part of the game's state. This system worked very well and saved on the costs of putting non-volatile memory into the Lynx game card. It was also possible to play a cooperative multiplayer game, with one player as Bill and the other as Ted, by use of a ComLynx cable. [1]

Plot

The Princesses, Joanna and Elizabeth, have been kidnapped by Death and the San Dimas duo must travel through time to find and rescue them. [1]

Development and release

Reception

Robert A. Jung reviewed the game which was published to IGN, in his final verdict he wrote; "It has a fair amount of action with lots of rock-solid puzzle solving, and the addition of time travel offers even more gaming potential. Though the sound and graphics are not extraordinary, in the end Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure earns its name." Giving a score of 8 out of 10. [4]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure instructions (Atari Lynx, US)
  2. ↑ Knight, Kyle (1998). "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (Atari Lynx) - Review". AllGame . All Media Network. Archived from the original on 2014-11-14. Retrieved 2020-01-13.
  3. ↑ Somniac, N. (December 1991). "Lynx ProReview: Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure". GamePro . No. 29. IDG. p. 126.
  4. 1 2 A. Jung, Robert (July 6, 1999). "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure earns its name". IGN . Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 2020-01-14. Retrieved 2018-08-17.
  5. ↑ Suck, Michael (December 1991). "Zeitenstrudel". Aktueller Software Markt (in German). No. 58. Tronic Verlag. p. 142.
  6. ↑ Iida, Keita. "AGH Lynx Review: BILL & TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE". atarihq.com. Archived from the original on 2019-10-02. Retrieved 2020-01-13.
  7. ↑ Besser, Paolo (June 1992). "Atari Attack: Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (Lynx)". Consolemania (in Italian). No. 9. Xenia Edizioni. p. 24.
  8. ↑ García, Juan Carlos (April 1992). "Lo Más Nuevo - Lynx: Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure - Esto sí que es viajar". Hobby Consolas (in Spanish). No. 7. Axel Springer SE. p. 52.
  9. ↑ "Test - Lynx - Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure". Joypad (in French). No. 3. Yellow Media. December 1991.
  10. ↑ Demoly, Jean-Marc (November 1991). "Consoles News - Lynx - Bill And Ted's Excellent Adventure". Joystick (in French). No. 21. Anuman Interactive. p. 147.
  11. ↑ S., C. (March 1992). "Konsolen - Lynx - Bill & Ted". Play Time (in German). No. 10. CT Computec Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. p. 90.
  12. ↑ Hutchinson, Andy (December 1992). "Screenplay - Lynx Games - Lynx Roundup - Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure". ST Format . No. 41. Future plc. p. 103.
  13. ↑ Gaksch, Martin (April 1991). "Test - Play Like An Egyptian - Bill & Ted". Video Games (in German). No. 4. Future-Verlag. p. 101.
  14. ↑ Bieniek, Chris (January 1992). "Gaming on the Go - Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (Atari) For the Atari Lynx". VideoGames & Computer Entertainment . No. 32. Larry Flynt Publications. pp. 90–92.
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