Microsoft Adventure

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Microsoft Adventure
Microsoft adventure.jpg
TRS-80/Apple II cover
Developer(s) Softwin Associates
Publisher(s)
Programmer(s) Gordon Letwin
Platform(s) Apple II, IBM PC, TRS-80
Release1979: TRS-80, Apple II
1981: IBM PC
Genre(s) Interactive fiction
Mode(s) Single-player

Microsoft Adventure is an interactive fiction game published in 1979 by Microsoft for the TRS-80 and Apple II, then released in 1981 by IBM for the IBM PC. It is based on the PDP-10 mainframe game Colossal Cave Adventure . It was programmed for Microsoft by Gordon Letwin of Softwin Associates. [1]

Contents

Gameplay

Microsoft Adventure is a text game in which the player explores caves and acquires treasure, using one- or two-word commands to move or manipulate objects, and the game awards points for successfully exploring areas and gathering treasure. [2] The environment consists of 130 rooms containing 15 treasures, 40 useful objects and 12 problems for the players to solve. [3] The progress of two separate games can be saved on a diskette. [3] The game features most of the content from Colossal Cave Adventure, along with a few locations unique to this version.

Release

Microsoft originally released Microsoft Adventure in 1979 for the TRS-80 and the Apple II under its new division, Microsoft Consumer Products. IBM later included Microsoft Adventure as the only game in the initial software releases for the IBM Personal Computer, [2] making it one of the first two games available for the new computer [4] along with DONKEY.BAS (which was included in the operating system). It was released on a single-sided 51⁄4 inch disk, required 32K RAM, as a self-booting disk; it could not be opened from DOS.

Reception

Carrington Dixon reviewed Microsoft Adventure in The Space Gamer No. 49. [2] Dixon commented that "No game that exists on several different computers can fully demonstrate the potential of any one computer. Even so, your [money] buys many hours of cave exploring and treasure snatching. There is only one 'setup' but that one is rich and complex enough to keep anyone busy for many games. I suspect that many people will come back to this one after some flashier games have been permanently set aside." [2] PC Magazine also reviewed the game positively, writing, "This hoary old classic should be included in any player's collection of games for the IBM PC." [5]

References

  1. ↑ "Microsoft Consumer Products Continuing the Microsoft Tradition". Byte . 4 (12): 179. December 1979. Only Microsoft offers Adventure complete, as originally written for the DEC PDP-10, now implemented on personal computers. The ultimate fantasy/logic game, Adventure allows you to explore the depths of the "Colossal Cave,' [...] Adventure fills an entire disk with everything you need for your exploration. Written by Gordon Letwin, of SOFTWIN, Associates. Adventure for the TRS-80 requires a single-disk, 32K system. For the Apple II" a single-disk, 32K system with either the standard disk or language card system. For just $29.95.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Dixon, Carrington (March 1982). "Capsule Reviews". The Space Gamer (49). Steve Jackson Games: 34.
  3. 1 2 "IBM Archives: Product fact sheet". 03.ibm.com. 1981-08-12. Archived from the original on August 14, 2006. Retrieved 2012-01-29.
  4. ↑ Lemmons, Phil (October 1981). "The IBM Personal Computer / First Impressions". BYTE. p. 36. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
  5. ↑ "Adventure (Microsoft)". PC Magazine . 1 (8): 179–180. December 1982.
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