The Adventurer's NewsletterJune, 1986

Vol. I l l , #6

OO-TOPOSOo-topos was the first

adventure of science fictionnovelist Michael Berlyn, whowent on to Infocom where hecreated games such asSuspended, Cutthroats andInfidel. He and Muffy Berlynwrote the story line, heprogrammed it, and Oo-toposwas released in 1981 by SentientSoftware in Colorado. NowPenguin has illustrated it,making this the only all-textadventure to be adapted into agraphics game (unless you countthe early Scott Adams' stuff). Inaddition to outstanding double-resolution graphics, thereincarnated Oo-topos profitsfrom Penguin's fluentComprehend parser. It also runsmuch faster than the original,which was in BASIC.

In the first scene, you findyourself in a familiar situation:locked in a cell. You can'tproceed without solving thispuzzle, but it's a pushover.Outside, you'll prowl the hallsof an alien complex on theplanet Oo-topos, where yourspace ship was forced to land.(Documentation includes acomputer printout describing theevents that led up to your beingtaken prisoner.) Your first goalis to escape and collect the partsof your ship, which are scatteredfrom one end of Oo-topos to theother. There are also assortedtreasures to acquire -- especiallythe cargo of medicine you weretaking to earth to save the planetfrom certain doom - before youload the ship and get it in shapeto blast off again

The game unfolds in fourgeographic settings: the aliencomplex, a cleverly designedmaze and a set of rooms that arereached from inside the maze, thejungle surrounding the complex,and the interior of your ship. Atlast count I was up to 70 rooms,many of which yield severalillustrations. (You can choose

regular or hi-res graphics, andthe program uses any extraRAM to load in most of themso there's less disk access.)There's no music or soundeffects.

Until you escape the complexand find your ship, the gamedoesn't seem to add up. But ifyou say "status" to the ship'scomputer, it tells you whichparts have to be found andinstalled before you can take off,and everything falls into place.Actually, this is like playingOriginal Adventure - find theobjects and store them in aspecific location. At least hereyou know what to look for: anavchip, an energy converter,and the usual equipmentnecessary to run an "Astro MegaClass" space ship. A booklet(the Operator's Manual) describeseach item and shows the ship'sfloor plan.

It's not linear at all, allowingyou to roam the complex freely(after you find the mandatorylight source, of course), wanderoff in numerous directions, andtrack down the initial problemsand objects. Mapping isimportant but never taxing. Themost important item you'll needwill be the space suit, which isfound in a place you can onlyreach by using the grav-tube.(See last month's issue for theprecise answer.) Thankfully, theoriginal game's maze in thehydroponics garden was omittedfrom this version.

I always enjoy a Berlynadventure because the puzzles aretruly logical - based on thephysical laws of cause and effect,not the logic of the individualwho writes the game (as is toooften the case). Many of theoriginal puzzles remain in place,but elements have been jumbledso even people who played theall-text version will find this onechallenging. Inventorymanagement isn't as much of a

problem with this version.Most of the problems revolvearound the "greed factor" as youattempt to obtain objects (a goodadventurer can never have toomany objects, you know). Onemight be guarded by a robot,another by deadly radiation, athird by a bizarre alien. There'sno character interaction in termsof talking to creatures or robots,but you do interact with them by

using the correct objects.You've got alien machinery to

figure out, but nothingoverwhelming or morecomplicated than a microwaveoven. The maze is not as hardas it looks and can be mapped inunder an hour; just take at leastthree objects and drop them indifferent rooms. Last issue we

Continued on page 2

liniimmiHiiuiiiimmiimiiniitmiiimitiiiimiiiiii i i i i i i iOo-topoitopos

Best Quests of 1985After months of vote-counting,

we're proud to announce theofficial "Best Quests of 1985."The results are based on severalhundred responses fromsubscribers, members of theApple Pi gamesig, and ourcontributing editors. When thechoice for a particular categorywas hard to call, we consultedour mystic orb. (FerdinandMarcos volunteered to helpcount the votes, but couldn't gethere in time for the final tally.)

The winner of the Best All-text Adventure Award wasSpellbreaker. In the graphicadventure category, CrimsonCrown was number one. BestFantasy Role-playing game wasno surprise-Mn'ma TV. OriginSystems was also first acrossthe finish line in the Best Non-fantasy RPG category, withAutoDuel.

The next category was MostInnovative. Mindwheel took itfor All-text game, while

Nine Princes in Amber capturedthe graphic adventure slot.Adventure Construction Setwalked away with Fantasy Role-playing; the Non-fantasy winnerwas Universe I I . Best Music inan Adventure Game went toTreasure Island (Commodoreversion). Ultima IV won againas having best music in a Role-playing game.

At the last minute, we addedthree more categories, whosewinners were selected solely byShay Addams: Best Adaptationfrom Another Medium - PerryMason: Case of the MandarinMurder. Best Shoot-'em-up-in-a-Maze Game ~ GemstoneWarrior. Hardest Quest of theYear — Bard's Tale.

And the winner of the mostcoveted award of them all, BestQuest of the Year for 1985, wasRichard Garriott's Ultima IV:Quest of the Avatar.

T f f

ADVENTURE HOTLINE

Rollin1 on the RiverActivision's Murder on the Mississippi isout for the Commodore; an Apple version isnext. As a famous British sleuth steamingup the river on the Delta Princess, youdiscover a body and must nail the killer.It's a graphic game that is played with ajoystick-directed parser, no typing at all.Activision's running a related contest, givingaway a trip on a real Mississippi riverboat.Cross Bones, a graphic adventure aboutpirates, is set for the fall.

Thanks, InfocomWe're finally getting around to saying thanksto Infocom for the 20 games we gave awayin the recent contest. Most winners askedfor Spellbreaker, but some requested oldergames like Cutthroats, or the latest one,Ballyhoo. The winner of this month'scontest is Timothy Walsh of Ontario,Canada, who won a copy of Wizard's Crownfrom SSI.

Lord British's GameplanOrigin has big plans for the next year,including a game tentatively tided SpaceRogue in which your character pilots acombat ship through space to meetmerchants, fight pirates and explore the farreaches of the universe. A potential sequelwill put you in charge of a multi-charactercrew. Fred Saberhagen's Book of Swordsnovels will become a role-playing game orthree sometime in '87. Chuckles is doingRobots, set in a futuristic city ruled byrobots whose misguided actions threatenhumanity. Origin is also planning a hybridgraphic adventure/role-playing game with ascience fiction theme. Other Origin releaseson the agenda include Undead, based on aSteve Jackson board game, Ultima I and //,and their first graphic adventure, Ring Quest.Formerly published by Penguin, Ring Questwill have some reworked graphics andnew puzzles. Oh, and Lord British isworking on something called Ultima V.

Neverending NamesDatasoft, which recently changed its namefrom HP, Inc. to Intellicreations, has releasedan "adventure/fantasy" based on the book andfilm The Neverending Story. For theCommodore, Atari and Apple, it's only$29.95. For the same machines and prices,their 227 B Baker Street will offer 30illustrated cases for Sherlock Holmes tosolve; look for it in July. Follow-up diskswill have 30 cases each and go for $14.95.Alternate Reality is being converted forMac, IBM PC and jr and ST. They willfeature new activities, such as joining

guilds, casting spells, and getting a job.Part two of the series, The Dungeon, isbeing readied for a fall release.

Clues UpdateIf you bought a copy of Book of AdventuresII and noticed the map and answers toCrimson Crown only covered the first halfof the game, you can write the company fora complete map and solution. Futureeditions will include it. Simon & Schusterwill send a "Kobayashi AlternativeProcedures Manual" to warranty holders.Those who haven't already sailed the disk outthe window may find the manual's tipshelpful. Sierra now sells clue books toKing's Quest I and II for $7.95.

The Berlyn WallMike and Muffy Berlyn, when not busybrainstorming new games and other productsat their company, Brainwave, Inc., will beteaching a course on writing science fictionat Harvard University this summer.

New Releases andRecent ConversionsST: Essex and Brimstone (Broderbund),Phontasie (SSI), Sword of Kadash(Penguin), Apshai Trilogy (Epyx)IBM: Crimson Crown and Comprehendversion of Transylvania (Penguin)Mac: Phantasie (SSI)Atari: Wizard's Crown (SSI)Commodore: The Ultimate Wizard(Electronic Arts)Amiga: Apshai Trilogy (Epyx)

More From EnglandFirebird's The Pawn, an ST graphicadventure, is being converted for the Mac,Amiga and IBM. Mindscape has importedSpell of Destruction, an action-style gamewith some magic spells, from England. Athree-game disk, also from England, deliversBrian Bloodaxe, Revelation and Quo Vadis,which are similar games.

Free QuestBustersNow you don't even have to pay for thisnewsletter. Beginning this month, everytime you order a game from our "Passport toAdventure" Department your subscriptionwill automatically be extended for three moreissues [one issue for book orders]. If youdon't see the game you want listed on pageeight, just write for a price and we can orderit for you. We won't be sending renewalnotices with this issue, so check theexpiration date on the mailing label. Forthose who don't want to order a game rightnow, we'll still take $15 ~ cash, moneyorder, check or gold ~ for renewals.

00-TOPOSContinued from page 1

said it was six rooms, but it turns out themaze is actually one room: a cube in whichyou can walk on the walls and ceiling. It'sstill easier to map if you think of each wallas the floor of a new room. No hidden exitsto worry about either.

Artwork is more consistent than inPenguin's most recent game, CrimsonCrown. The style is completely different,each scene depicted with realistic perspectiveand solid colors that reminded me of a coveroff a copy of Analog or some other sciencefiction magazine. No spot animation. Youmay toggle to an all-text display, handy formapping purposes because there's no pausewhile graphics are displayed. TheComprehend parser remains top of the linefor graphic adventures, understandingmultiple sentences, pronouns, prepositionsand complex commands. It's also speedy, amajor problem with some graphic games.The Comprehend parser is even superior toparsers found in most text adventures. Theone thing missing is the Berlyn sense ofhumor. I seem to recall laughing a lot morewhen playing the original game.

Recommended for all space-faringadventurers, Oo-topos doesn't promiseanything revolutionary in characterinteraction, plot, or game mechanics ~ it issimply that rarest of things, a good old-fashioned adventure in the classical style of"find the stuff and grab it," a collection ofclever and legitimately logical puzzles thatopen the gateway into a stimulating rompthrough the corridors of your own mind.Science fiction adventures haven't been ascommon as those with fantasy themes, andit's interesting that this one appeared just asHalley's Comet made its closest approach toearth. Hopefully we won't have to waitanother 76 years for Oo-topos II.

Computer: AP (64), C-64/128Planned Conversions: IBM, Mac,Amiga, AT XL, XE & STSkill Level: IntermediatePrice: $34.95Manufacturer: Polarware/Penguin

QuestBustersEditor Shay AddamsFeng Shui Consultant: Sabona LondonContributing Editors: Ron Wartow, KenSL Andr6, DWP, Tim Snider

QuestBusters™ is published monthly by'QuestBusters, 202 Elgin Ct., Wayne, PA19087. Annual subscriptions, $15.International, $22 US funds. ($22 inCanadian funds.) Contents Copyright ShayAddams 1986, All Rights Reserved.Copying without permission is prohibitedby law and punishable by punishment we areprohibited by law from describing. (SendSASE for details.) Names of the games aretrademarks of their respective manufacturers.

PHANTASIEIIby dwp

If you loved Phantasie I then you willprobably like Phantasie II, particularly ifvariety disturbs you. You won't even haveto read a new manual, since only the old oneis included — along with the same referencecard and another two-sided card explaining thenew plot. Here is an exhaustive list of thechanges in the game:

1. Phantasie II has "approximately 15"informational scrolls scattered about thelandscape instead of the 20 found in itspredecessor.2. Instead of collecting 9 rings and anamulet, the player must collect 8 amuletsand an orb.3. A new combat feature allows anyone totoss rocks at monsters, thus giving yourentire party the capacity to strike at the 2ndand 3rd ranks of monsters in a relativelyinsignificant (1-12 pts of damage) manner.4. There are 3 new graphics tiles, one ofwhich resembles the emperor's new clothes,another of which is lava and damages playerstraveling across it.5. There are a couple more undocumentedspells and "features."

For those who have played Phantasie I,you will be allowed to keep your oldcharacters - in a manner of speaking. Whatyou get to keep in actuality is their names, acouple of hundred gold pieces andapproximately 2,000 experience points.This was small consolation whentransferring my wizards who had over 50,000gold pieces, aU of the possible wizard spells,and well over a million experience points...

If you have not played Phantasie I, youare probably better off playing it than thisgame -- the documentation seems to beslightly more relevant Other than that, theproverbial blind taste test would reveal nodifference whatsoever between the twogames. Those who played the first one willgrit their teeth upon learning that the time-wasting, tedious routine for distribution ofweapons and other objects was not upgradedfor the sequel.

One final note. Despite the claim on thenew information card that Phantasie II isnot copy-protected, neither this reviewerusing Apple's COPYA utility nor one of myfellow reviewers using half a dozen differentnibble copiers was able to make a backupcopy of the program...oh well, I couldn'treally transfer my characters either. [Ed.:SSI says Copy II will work, but it didn't]

For those who missed Ron Wartow'sreview of the original Phantasie, here aresome highlights: Besides the usual racesand classes, you can generate a randomcreature such as an ore or minotaur. Yourparty of up to six can also bring along anearth, fire or water elemental for fightingpurposes. The arsenal of weapons and spells

includes 54 spells, some progressiveMindblast 1 through 4), and 60 weapons.Each character can cast magic. Allspellcasters and attackers are slightlyanimated and there's a running textcommentary.

In combat, your party is shown side-to-side on the bottom of the left half of thescreen, with the creatures above them. Theright half depicts dungeon or terrain, whichis seen from an aerial view. These 50 x 30single level dungeons come alive becausethey are all separate locales (e.g. town, castleor cathedral), which your party unmasks witheach step. Each square entered is accompaniedby a short text description. The dungeonscontain little dots that, when stepped on,could be a person who talks to you and givesyou valuable information, a teleport or otherthings with which you must interact. The11 text-screen towns contain guilds, banksand so on. There is no temple. Only aresurrection spell can help.

The real strength of Phantasie is thestory, which unfolds as the game progresses.You must meticulously travel the landbecause the "people" with whom you areconstantly interacting and the informationand items you find are needed to makeprogress further down the line. You mustsolve puzzles by carefully acquiring valuableitems, information and the scrolls to reachthe end game. Multiple choice questions aregiven throughout the game duringencounters.

One huge flaw detracts from the game: amandatory, cumbersome and lengthydistribution and selling routine you must gothrough upon entering a town. The programtakes what could be well over 100 itemsbeing carried and dumps them into a pool foryou to redistribute to individual partymembers or sell. This turns the usualsimple matter of trading items betweencharacters into torture.

The game is entirely menu-driven,employing single key presses (Commodoreversions also offer joystick control). A 16-page manual is excellent, includingnumerous useful charts and a handy referencecard of all the spells. Highly recommended.

Computer: I: Apple, nC, in, C-64/128,Atari, Macintosh. H: Apple, C-64/128Planned Conversions: I: Amiga, ST.II: all the aboveSkill Level: IntermediatePrice: $39.95Manufacturer: Strategic Simulations

Next Issue:Murder on the Mississippi

Spell of DestructionQuo Vadis

Adventure Construction TipsHaunted House

and more!

BRATACCASAction adventures crossed a new threshold

with Brataccas, which is more like playingan animated cartoon than a computer game.Psygnosis' team of British programmers anddesigners has finally given Sierra somecompetition in the field of animatedadventures, though the latter can get King'sQuest into a 128K machine whileBrataccas requires 512K.

The story begins when Kyne is teleportedto Brataccas, an asteroid, in search ofevidence that will clear him of "The CrimeAgainst Humanity." (Say, this soundsserious.) The asteroid is honeycombed withcorridors leading to a variety of rooms thatcontain bars, control rooms and outlawhideouts. Most are guarded by the ABP(Asteroid Belt Police) or droids that hover inthe air. Graffiti on the brick walls shouts"Kyne is guilty!" (and some of it trumpetsthe programmers' initials), but fortunatelyyou've assumed an alias and won't be arrestedunless you slip up. As you move throughthe halls and ride the elevators, you will passother characters whose intricately detailedcartoon faces soon become recognizable onsight. By dealing with them you will learnwho you can trust and who's out to get you.

The cast includes the sinister Kol Worpt, apot-bellied Mr. Big of Outer Space; hishenchmen, with heads like snapping turtles;and a half-dozen snitches who may provideuseful information if paid for their trouble.There's also Lash, Kol's hitman, fivedispatchers who sit behind control panelsdirecting the droids, communications, andother aspects of life on an asteroid, and theABP's chief, Commander Stopp, who floatsaround in a funny little hoverdish.

It's science fiction, but most combat isdone with swords. (The manual says energy-based weapons are banned to protect theatmospheric integrity of Brataccas.) Kyne'sbattery of defensive and offensive movesdon't take long to learn, and there are justenough fight scenes to keep the storyexciting. This usually happens when youenter a room guarded by droids, or a guardsees you walking around with your sworddrawn, a capital crime on Brataccas. Energybombs are also strewn about, but I haven'tfigured out how to use them yet

After killing a dispatcher, you might getto use his control panel. Your thoughtballoons will offer several messages: sendcops to Calypso Bar, put cops on Red Alert.I like to run amok right away and see howmuch havoc and chaos I can create in aminimum of time. There are also wallswitches to turn on and off, and it's funexperimenting with them.

TV surveillance cameras swivel, the p.a.system blares out news of what's happeningin other parts of the asteroid, video screennews reports give tips - these are just some

Continued on page 6

Described on the box as a game of"Strategic Space Trading and CombatAdventure with Flight Simulation," Eliteplays like AutoDuel in space: acombination of shoot-'em-up action, makingmoney in a variety of ways so you can buymore weaponry for your Cobra Mk III trade-ship, and a trace element of role-playing.[The latter simply means that your characterhas no attributes, just a name.] Theemphasis is on waging dogfights in space,but strategy and a few logical puzzles awaitthose who survive long enough.

At the outset you're docked in a spacestation orbiting the planet Lave, wheremenus enable you to spend your initial 100credits on products such as food, textiles,machinery, slaves and other things that canhopefully be sold for a profit on anotherplanet. Other menus are provided for buyingweapons, selling goods, checking yourstatus, examining star charts and setting acourse. The star map is dotted with over2,000 planets sprinkled among eightgalaxies, enough to keep even the mostfootloose space adventurer busy for eons.

Most of the action takes place in space asyou shoot back and forth on trade runs.Across the top of the screen unfurls a first-person view of the stars, and you can hit akey (some actions are also joystick-controlled) to look left, right and behind yourship as well. A bizarre 3-D radar display onthe bottom is meant to help you determinethe position and distance of other ships, butthe manual doesn't explain how. It doesn'toffer much on how to fly this ship, either,which is unfortunate ~ it doesn't handle likeany space vessel I've ever flown. It's easyto dive or climb, but turning left or rightrequires a weird combination of rolls andbanks while moving up or down - you can'tjust move the stick to move left or right Ittakes hours to figure it out, and the manual'sno help: "Pitch and yaw manoeuvre requiresbi-digital play on keyboard" is not my ideaof explicit instructions.

When pirate or police ships show up inthe viewscreen, they are depicted with whatlooks like the vector graphics used in theStar Wars arcade game. Good 3-D effectstypify the visuals, especially when youwatch through the rear-view as a ship orasteroid recedes in the distance. Unless theyhappen to be pirate ships, which will wheelabout and blast you out of space repeatedlyuntil you've adequately mastered combattactics. (If you get wiped out or decide tostart over, the game automatically reverts toyour last saved position without disk access,so this isn't as devastating as it sounds.)

Strategy comes into play when you decidewhere to take your cargo. The amount aplanet will pay for products depends on itseconomic status; the inherent danger(the likelihood of meeting up with pirates)

hinges on a planet's political status. Thereare agricultural and industrial planets, somerich and others poor, some advanced andothers primitive. Each is also rated by techlevel, and the most powerful weaponry andother gear is sold at planets at the upper endof this scale. The eight kinds of governmentrange from relatively safe Corporate Worldsto Anarchies, the riskiest but most lucrativeplanets to visit

Around each planet a similar space stationorbits, and you must negotiate a trickydocking maneuver unless you've madeenough to buy an auto-docking computer.You can view data screens describing eachplanet, but can't land on them. The chiefdrawback to trading is that the inventoryscreen doesn't tell how much you paid foreach item, so you've got to do extrapaperwork in order to be sure you don't sellsomething at a loss instead of a profit.

Elite is also like an action-orientedUniverse II , since you can do many of thesame things to earn a living: mining, spacepiracy, trading goods. There is no apparentplot, however. As you become moreproficient in combat, your status is upgraded;you begin as "harmless," advance throughseveral more levels to become "dangerous"and ultimately attain the "elite" status thatrepresents the game's goal. As you progress,special missions are offered via incomingmessages. If accepted, these high-payingcargo runs trigger unexpected events in theform of logical puzzles that must be solved.I'm not wild about action games, buthave to admit I played Elite far more than Ineeded to before (and after) writing thereview.

The 64-page manual packs plenty ofbackground material as well as thoroughinformation on everything except the mostcrucial and frustrating part of the game - howto fly the ship. (It does give a few usefultips on combat tactics.) A reference sheetshows all keyboard commands, a color postershows the silhouettes of the 22 kinds ofspace ships, asteroids and other things youmight see in the viewscreen, and a mini-novel is included to set the stage. Theprogram resides in RAM, so there's neverany disk access. Technically, it's the bestBritish computer game I've seen: excellentanimation and a smooth effective interface.

If you detest action games, there's notmuch for you here. But if you're the kind ofspace trader who likes to blast your waythrough the universe, Elite is the mostdynamic game of its kind, probably the mostexpansive. And since the space ship handlesso differently from any other I've seen,joystick jockeys looking for a new frontierwill find this a stimulating challenge.

Computer: Apple, C-64/128Skill Level: Intermediate/AdvancedSaves: Limited only by disk spacePrice: $34.95Manufacturer: Firebird

Elidon & Golden Fluteby Ken St. Andr6

It's a lucky thing for the software sellers ofthe world that I'm such a sucker for a certainkind of packaging. If they include some kindof fantasy theme in the cover art or salespitch, I'm more than half-sold already. If theprice falls below an arbitrary cut-off point inmy mind, I'm a goner. I'd like to warn youabout a couple of products that seem to beaimed directly at adventurer gamers, butwhich proved a bit of a disappointment afterI booted them up.

ElidonThe ad makes it sound like a hi-res

adventure with a twist - just the kind Iwould like. It says, "This intriguing gamewill capture your imagination in many ways.Unlike the repetitive nature of mostcomputer games, Elidon is foreverchallenging, forever changing. Set in asecret forest, you must seek seven potions tomake magical flowers bloom. You willmeet dark places, evil spirits and otherunknown perils in your hazardous quest,where secrets are not revealed easily."

"A breakaway hit in Europe! Thousandsof Commodore 64 users in England alonebegan the Elidon quest in its first month ofdistribution! The incredible graphics and itsintriguing, changing nature have challengedthe best minds. To date, no one except itsdesigner has solved the mystery! Asubstantial cash reward is offered to the firstperson completing this game! Other prizeswill be allotted as well. Full details areenclosed with this remarkable game!"

Sounds like an adventure game, doesn't it?Despite the ad, depicting a Tinkerbelle-typefairy in a field of flowers, I envisionedsomething like Spenser's Faery Queen--perhaps my character would be an Elfinknight exploring the wilds of Faery. Ishould have looked at the pictures moreclosely. You guessed it-my character isTinkerbelle!

As for the contest details being enclosed,they weren't. Obviously some kind ofcontest is in progress, because aftercompleting the game you are given a secret12-digit number. What you're supposed todo with it I'll never know, because thegame's one card of documentation barely tellsyou that, in order to return summer to theforest, you have to find the seven potionsthat are hidden in it. I've seen moredocumentation on postage stamps! (Justkidding, but not much.)

It's an arcade game, folks. YourTinkerbelle persona has four wands full offairy dust to keep her flying. When you runout of fairy dust, the game is over. After

each game you are told what percentage ofthe forest you have seen and your score. Mybest so far is about 19% and 1900 points.Judging from percentages and number ofrooms, I'd say there are about 200 rooms inthis forest.

As in any arcade game, there are menacesto keep you from winning: twinklies,bubblies, sparklies and moths, all of whichwill knock your flutterfly out of the air andwaste precious fairy dust. In the lightlesscavern lurk yellow-eyed beasts that you neversee but for their eyes. Don't get trapped by avampire butterfly, or it will drain all yourpower, and if you should meet a floating will-o-the-wisp, your very wings might burn off.Bumping into flowers, trees, walls,mushrooms, vines, or hanging, skyborneislands will cause your sprite to comefluttering down to earth in a spin. Talkabout menaces! I'm the worst thing thehunting fairy has to face, as I slam her headinto walls time and time again.

Let me give the program its due. It hasthe finest hi-res animation I've ever seen.The fairy and butterfly foes are exquisite, andthey move-the fairy only moves her feetwhen walking and wings when flying,otherwise she maintains a stiff but gracefulpose. The flowers are so well-drawn thatyou can recognize them even though they'reless than 1/4" wide on the screen. I'm notmuch of a botanist or gardener, but I canpick out roses and sunflowers and morningglories and bluebells. And the music issuperbly chosen for the program ~ ahaunting fairy-like theme on flute and cello.

But frobotz it all, I'd rather be bashing oresand outwitting dragons than twinkle-toeingthrough the tulips, running away frombutterflies and searching for bottles of foggy,foggy dew! [by Orpheus, for C-64]

Golden Flutes & Great EscapesThis is a combined software and book

package from Dilithium Press. I bought itfor $29.95 at a Walden's bookstore. Itcomes in versions for virtually every homecomputer ~ I saw it for Apple, IBM andCommodore. What sold me was the luridcover showing a semi-Barsoomian scenewith hero and princess riding green mini-dinosaurs across a red desert toward afuturistic fortress, a lumpy space shipwaiting off to one side. The premise is thatnot only do you get two or three adventures,but you will also learn how to writeadventures for others (in BASIC, of course).

Well, maybe you will, but don't thinkthis one book is going to take you into thebig time! Delton Horn, our author, is goingover tried and true techniques from 1977.The games you will learn to write in this

Continued on next page

Psi 5 Trading CompanyThis game's title led me to expect a

SunDog-like scenario: buying cargo on oneplanet and selling it on another whilepursuing a long-range goal. But I didn't getto do any trading at all, so don't be fooled bythe name. Gameplay revolves aroundrunning a Space Freighter as it rockets acrossthe galaxies to deliver a load of perishablecargo. You are the captain of a five-membercrew that may be composed of a mix ofaliens, humans and robots.

First you choose one of three cargo runs,which determines the difficulty level. Thenicons display the faces of six potentialcrewmembers who are available for duty onthe first job, navigator. You can usekeyboard or joystick control to view aresume" describing each one's training,experience and personal quirks such as howwell they handle stress and communicatewith others. This process is repeated for theother four positions — weapons, engineering,repair, and scan, so you've got a total of 30characters from which to form your crew.There are no hit points or attributes as in astandard role-playing game, though a lotdepends on having a well-balanced crew.

As captain, you can gaze out on the stars,space ships, and various interstellarphenomena through a viewscreen on the topleft of the screen. On the right, a similarwindow shows the crewmember you'recurrently dealing with. Lights and gaugesindicate when someone wants to tell or askyou something. A single-line commandmenu runs across the middle of the screen.To talk to navigation, you press "n" and hispicture fills the right viewscreen. Then youcan use other one-key commands to get dataor messages from him (or her or it) or togive orders. If you don't act quickly enough,some crewmembers will often actindependently. "Heh heh, I just attacked aship," the trigger-happy robot might informyou. This might be good in some instances,while in others it could lead to catastrophe.

Unknown ships soon show up as youzoom through space, and you've got to getthe scan officer to determine whether they'refriendly or must be engaged in combat Theweapons officer has blasters, missiles andother weapons to fire at the foe, and successoften hinges on figuring out which one touse against a specific ship. Damage to shipsystems such as port shield, life support andengines must repaired by assigning droids tothem on a case-by-case basis. You candetermine the priority of each repair job, andthis is another a vital factor in victory.

As the number of attacks increases, so dothe damages and the number of reports you

must check on from each crewmember.Things escalate rapidly from busy to freneticto nervous breakdown - this is a highpressure game that rarely gives you time tothink. Sure, you can pause the action at anytime, but doing so blanks out the data screenso you can't use the time to study a scan orrepair report in order to make a moreinformed decision. A more significantdrawback is that you can't save a game inprogress. This makes it impossible to saveduring a battle, then try different strategieswith the same situation to find an effectivestrategy.

If your ship suffers too much damage, thecargo may be destroyed or looted by pirates.In either case, the ship automatically returnshome. The score is displayed with aninvoice telling how much money you madeor lost in terms of number of enemy shipsdestroyed, damage to your ship, and otherfactors. You can also see the status of eachdepartment in the last moments of the game,but there's insufficient feedback that can beused to formulate strategy.

And the emphasis is definitely on strategy,not hand/eye coordination or logical puzzle-solving. The role-playing aspect lies inculling the prospects to organize a capableteam and offers extensive replay value. Howwill an all-robot crew work out? What abouta woman weapons officer? An alien? Somepeople may find this intriguing, but I foundmyself wishing for more to do with thecharacters after the trip was underway.

The sound effects and animation are top-notch. When the pressure is on, somecrewmembers literally sweat, others movetheir eyes, and they're all fun to watch. Themusic changes to fit the action, providing asense of drama. One advantage is the lack ofdisk access during play, for the programloads entirely into RAM. You won't evenhave to reload it to start a new game (if youchoose to keep the same crew and mission).

If not for the lack of a save game feature,Psi 5 would get a higher recommendation.As it stands, this is an decidedly differentkind of space game recommended only forstarcaptains who like to experiment and whowork best under pressure ~ lots of it. If youreally want to engage in extensive spacetrading as well as flying the ship, get Elite,Sundog or the Universe series.

Computer: Apple, C-64/128Skill Level: AdvancedSaves: NonePrice: $34.95Manufacturer: Accolade

BrataccasContinued from page 3examples of the use of animation used toenliven the background. Kyne is aremarkably animated figure, as are the othercharacters. He can run, jump, duck, turnsideways, and each of his dozen or so actionsis executed with fluid, smooth and detailedanimation ~ and color except on the Mac.Sometimes you don't have to do a thing, forthe game kicks into automatic if a pair ofKol's henchmen decide to take you to seehim - you can lean back and watch thescenery for a spell. The only time theanimation slows down noticeably (on theMac, anyway) is when the screen getscrowded with people.

The interface for interacting with peopleand things is ingenious and original. Whensomeone says, "Hey creep, come here," hiswords appear in a balloon over his head, justlike in the comic strips. Then Kyne'sballoon says, "Mmm, shall I" as he thinksover possible replys, which appear one byone in the balloon: "ask for info" is replacedwith "ask about evidence," which is followedby "ask where skweel was last seen?" Youhit the space bar, fire button or mousebutton to select the current reply.

Inventory is even simpler: you just grabone of the items in sight, such as a securitypass, money bag, or a scroll, with mouse orkeyboard controls. (But the controlsthemselves are not so simple.) Kyne cancarry several at once, and can identify hispossessions by seeing them named in histhought balloons.

To direct Kyne's movements, you can usekeyboard or mouse control; the Atari alsouses a joystick. The manual does a poor jobof explaining the controls, which encompassthree "modes" and the odd concept of"implied actions." This means you "imply amovement to the computer . . . whichallows you to control Kyne in an intuitiveway." Essentially, this means "fool aroundwith the controls and you'll learn how theywork." It was frustrating for a few hours.Kyne kept running headfirst into walls (theword "OUCH!" appears in big letters),falling down and dropping everything.

I had more luck using the keyboard thanthe mouse [which is virtually impossible touse], and soon graduated from fleeing interror from the Asteroid Belt Police or Kol'shenchmen when they threatened, to seekingthem out and killing them - out of sight ofTV cameras, of course. The offbeatinterface differs for each of the threecomputers, so Mindscape made things evenmore confusing by trying to explain them allin the same few pages. Individual referencecards for each system would have made moresense.

There is no disk access at all, and autilities menu lets you save games or evenreconfigure the keyboard controls. Thesound effects, mainly doors opening and

shutting, can't be turned down or off. Whenyou get killed you start over automatically,or you may can reload one of five savedgames. It will help to map the asteroid'srooms, and you can call up the utility menuto pause the game while scribbling away.

A certain amount of dexterity is requiredfor success, but ultimate victory will hingeon determining what you can do with thethings you find - and figuring out the besttime to do them. The manual has lots ofhints. I found the evidence the first night ofthe game, but haven't figured out what to dowith it yet, so there's more depth to thegame than suggested by the simple plot.(There is no score.) A brilliant gamesystem, Brataccas is the future of computergaming - well, one of them, anyway.

Computer: ST, Amiga, Mac - 512KSkill Level: IntermediateSaves: 5Price: $59.95Manufacturer; Mindscape, Inc.

Elidon/Golden FluteContinued from page 5

book, whose final versions are on the disk,are about the least sophisticated adventuresI've ever seen. And forget about graphics!What you learn about graphics is how tomove a few letters around on a 10 x 10 gridof points. I think we can all do a lot betterwith Adventure Construction Set.

I may be able to force myself to finishreading the book someday. It would be a loteasier if I were a twelve-year-old and this thetext for a computer course in BASIC, sincethat seems to be the age level the author hasaimed for. I'll admit I could learn a little bitto improve my programming skills-I'm notthe greatest master of BASIC, but to tell thetruth, I don't have that much time to spendprogramming anymore. When I'm notwriting something, there are plenty of superbadventures to play. Who wants to program?

The disk contains four programs. TheGolden Flute is a magical quest to kill thegoblin and recover the what/is. The GreatEscape is a treasure hunt in a hostile castle.Although this is supposed to becontemporary, it shows typical irrationalityby mixing gold coins, robots and goodfairies in the same adventure. Treasure Huntis a very simple program. You the skipperhave six simple-minded but loyal crewmenwho must go ashore on various islands andhunt for a buried treasure. There theystumble around until either finding it orkilling themselves. They kill themselves bystepping into quicksand, or by bumping intotoo many rocks or trees. Probably thecleverest of the programs on the disks isMars. I'm sure I've seen this one, or anearlier version of it, sold commerciallythrough the computer mags three or fouryears ago. It's the classic type of puzzle

where you must juggle an enormous numberof items in the right sequence to find thetreasure, repair your ship and return to earth.I walked outside without my space suit anddied immediately. Intentionally. I don't carefor this type of mind puzzle, but some ofyou might like to try it

After you've read the book, done all theprograms, improved on them about 1000%,you might think you're an adventure gamewriter. Chapter 11 give 2 1/2 pages ofelementary advice on marketing yourdesigns, with nine addresses of softwarepublishers. The book is copyrighted in 1984,so some of them have probably moved since.

The package does come with an excellentplastic container suitable for mailing up tosix disks. I try to see the redeeming virtuesin even the most disappointing of products.But next time I see a low-cost piece ofsoftware with a fantasy cover, will someoneplease restrain me-with a net if necessary.

THE HOBBITI can't imagine a better basis for a

children's adventure than J.R.R. Tolkien'snovel of hobbits and elves on a quest for theOne Ring of Power. But I can't recommendthis adaptation, which suffers from severaldesign and implementation flaws.

For one, it's a graphic game that oftenrefuses to let you look at the pictures. Anillustration slowly fills the screen, theninstantly disappears and is replaced with textinforming you that "Elrond" or anothercharacter has entered the scene. Even thegraphics that stay on-screen till you press akey are below-average in quality. Andoftenthey don't even depict things described in thetext, such as the trolls. So it's better to playthis without the pictures right from the start.(You can't toggle between all-text andgraphic modes during a game.)

The problems are hardly logical, so youwon't get far unless you use the coded cluesin the manual or have read the book (apaperback copy is included). Those alreadyfamiliar with Tolkien's story will miss manyof the charming characters, for only the mainones such as Ekond, Thorin, and Gandalf arein this version; you play the part of Bilbothe hobbiL

For the top score of 100, you must returnthe Ring, accompanied by Thorin, to yourhobbit home. You can obtain hard copy ofthe text as you play; the manual lists thevocabulary; the parser is adequate. But mostyoung adventurers will get far moreentertainment from the novel than this game,and it's certainly a lot cheaper to buy apaperback book.

Computer: Apple 64, C-64/128, IBMSkill Level: NoviceSaves: 8Price: $34.95 (A, I), $29.95 (QManufacturer Addison-Wesley

KEYS TO THE KINGDOMSBARD'S TALE[1] If you've just found a lot of magic items or earned muchoexperience & a character dies, go to Inn & remove all the othercharacters. Exit, then reboot: the other characters keep all the itemsand experience & the dead one is still alive. [2] After finding MadGod's name in the sewers, tell it to temple priest & he'll let youenter catacombs. [3] Mangar's Tower can be entered from sewers ifyou have the onyx key from Kylearan's Amber Tower, which isentered from Harkyn's Castle. [4] When advancing a character, savehim first. Reboot, go to review board - if you don't like number ofspell/hit points he gets, reboot & try again: the amount of points israndom.

"His nib, the Mad God, you'll find in the castle; it seems he'smissing an eye.

It behooves you to find him and soundly defeat him, if ever you hopeto fly.

He resides near the barracks; persevere and pay attention, and notleast of all take heed.

For he'll resist your intrusion where corners are dangerous and spellsthey do recede." Michael Loftus

SPELLBREAKEROubliette: Tinsot the outflow pipe twice and wait for the water to

rise. Don't bring the spell book in here or it will be ruined. Whenroom is full, use same spell on water and stand on the ice to reachtrap door. Guard Tower: drop blue carpet and sit on it. Fly up toscare the Roc away. Now you can get cube in nest, but watch outfor baby Roc. Grouper's Nest: to get the cube,Snavig yourself into a fish and swim down. When you turn back,grab all and you will have just enough time to get back up. WaterRoom: you make four separate trips here, two for each exit from it.Rodent-idol: it isn't necessary to blind rodent, since the opal is analternative to the gold coin for folks who don't want to bargain withthe merchant.

WIZARD'S CROWNDon't enter dungeons without a foxfire spell on and a thief with highsearch ability, or you'll miss important items.

ULTIMA IVSpells: for Gate Travel, you need Ash, Black Pearl and Mandrake.For Undead, Ash and Garlic. Three parts of the key: Bell of Courage,found at Lat. N'A", Long. L'A"; Book of Truth, at A'G", A'G"[Lycaeum]; and Candle of Love, at A'B", B'G" [Cove temple].Balloon is found at P'C", O'J" [Klimb, then use wind spell tocontrol it]. Mystic Armor ATE", B'G" in oak grove. Mystic WeaponsA'P", AT' in academy. Silver Horn: KTSf", CTSf". Skull of Mondain,P'F1, MT" [during new moon]. Mandrake root, D'G", L'G" searchduring new moon. Nightshade: J"F", CO" search during new moon.The Word: ask kings in Empath Abbey, Lycaeum and Serpent'sReach about Word. White stone: FA", E'A" [fly over Serpent Spinein balloon]. For a sextant so you can read these coordinates, go toThieves Guild in Vesper or Buccaneer's Den and ask for item D.

This month's help came from Stephen King, Michael Loftus, theApple Pi gamesig group, Ron Wartow, Aaron Chou and TimotyWalsh. If you have any clues, answers and strategies to new games,send them in. We are especially interested in publishing completewalkthroughs and clear maps to NEW games not yet covered in hintbooks and will give you your choice of any adventure or role-playinggame if we use your walkthrough.

Waiting for DuffyDuffy's stuck in a gorilla suit,so send in a brief ad if youneed help.

Will give free hints for King'sQuest 1 & 2. Send SASE toJennifer Shulman, 12 ArdmoreRd., Scarsdale, NY 10583.

Essex: Regenerated engine &got to computer shaft but can'tget safely to ledge there. Cangive graduated hints for manygames, including Spellbreaker.Fraktured Faebles. Below theRoot & Alice. T. Walsh, 116Homestead Cr., London, Ont.,Canada N6G 2E8.

Bard's Tale: Would like generalhints on last 6 mazes :Kylerean's Tower & Mangar'sTower. M. Amorin, 2955 N.400 W., Aptl 2208, Layton,UT 84041.

Novice needs help! All Zorks.Spellbreaker. even Wishbringer!Also Fahrenheit 451 &Amazon. Need both mazedirections in OriginalAdventure. G. Casey, 319Longbranch, CA 92621.

Bard's Tale: Need lots of help.How do I get past the lockedgates? Can help with anyUltima. Deja Vu. Ouestron.others. Trade Hines, 10440Queens Blvd., Forest Hills, NY11375.

Need help with Sundog andSuspect Can help withInfocom and others. ChrisMuller, 514 SW 34th St., Apt6., Gainesville, FL 32607.

If you have more than 330points in Spellbreaker. pleasewrite. Free help on all Infocomgames. Ultima 3. some Ultima4 & Mindwheel. Send SASE toM. Friedman, 108 Lewis Lane,Oak Ridge TN 37830.

Can help with Ultima 2. 3.4& Masquerade. MichaelGathers, 1419 Heathwood Dr.,Houston, TX 77077.

Ultima 4: What is pure axiomand the word? Nine Princes in

Spellbreaker: Have 330 points& key, no idea what to do next.I'm just wandering around.Someone please help! Can helpanyone with Ultima 2. 3_ and 4,Enchanter. Sorcerer. Zork 1.2.3.Hitchhiker's. Mask of Sun.Serpent's Star. Deadline.Suspect. Planetfall and some ofSpellbreaker - free! Send SASEto M. Kim, 10425 NE 124thSt., Kirkland, WA 98034.

Amber: How can I win bothBleys & Gerard to my side, ormeet Llewlla, Fiona, Caine orBrand? Spellbreaker: have 330points & can't find anythingelse to do. Send SASE. AaronChou, 7032 Stratford Rd.,Woodbury, MN 55125.

Need help on Bard & Ultima 4.Can help with Ultima 3.Hacker, Zork 1 & Phantasie. J.Trice, 6417 Oakbrook, CorpusChristi, TX 78413.

Zork 2 & The Quest - can youhelp me? I can help withEnchanter. Ultima 3 & 4,Ouestron. Hitchhiker. Infidel.Sorcerer. J. Reihl, 1005Normandy Dr., Moose Jaw,Sask., Canada S6H 3G8.

Fraktured Faebles: Said whatthe note said to say to bees butstill can't remove them. Or kissfrog, get to tea party, or stickletter on sign. Can help withmany game, includingSpellbreaker. T.Walsh, 116Homestead Cr., London, ^Ontario, Canada N6G 2E8. ,

Can help with Asylum. SendSASE: Brian Smith, 3035Montego, Piano, TX 75023

Need maps for Bard's Taledungeons. Can help with Zork1 & 2, Phantasie. Enchanter.Sorcerer. Hitchhiker, and manyothers. Ba Ha, 4111 Sunset Dr.#4, Los Angeles, CA 90027.

Ultima 3: How do I get exoticarms and a +2 plate? How do Iget past the earth snake? Canhelp in Zork 1 and Hitchhiker'sGuide. Send SASE to JohnPaul Pontaoe, 826-D S. May,Chicago, IL 60607.

Got a houseful of oldadventures? Trade 'em offwith a free ad.

APPLEWanted: 550-point version ofAdventure. Write first. T. Walsh,116 Homestead Cr., London,Ontario, Canada N6G 2E8

To trade: all four Ultimas.Hitchhiker's Guide. Zorks.Transylvania. Deadline.Starcross & more. Looking forACS. Ouestron. Crimson Crown.Sorcerer & others.Write 1st:Paul Berland, 4430 N. Francisco,Chicago, IL 60625.

Discs for sale. Write for freelist. Frank Lee Linne, FOB 45,La Vemia, TX 78121.

Will trade games and utilities.Send list of your programs.Also will sell solution to Zork Ifor $2.50. Jon Champlin,Moffat Rd., Nelsonville, NY10516.

Cutthroats. Hitchhiker's Guide.Rendezvous with Rama. Zork Iand n. $18 each: Blade ofBlackpoole. Gruds in Space.Murder by the Dozen. $15:Wizard and the Princess. Alloriginal with docs, packaging.Call or write Karen M. Lee, 444Bridgton Rd., Westbrook, ME04092. (207)797-7985.

Ultima TI original with box,maps, manuals for $25. MichaelGathers, 1419 Heathwood Dr.,Houston, TX 77077.

Interested in trading all types ofadventures and FRPs. Send listof what you have to trade andgames you want. Ba Ha, 4111Sunset Dr. # 24, Los Angeles,CA 90027.

Trade or sell: Original copy ofDragonworld. $15. PerryMason. $25. Want original ofBallyhoo or Crimson CrownMust be originals with docs andboxes. Aaron Chou, 7032Stratford Rd., Woodbury, MN55125.

To trade (all originals):Enchanter. Nine Princes inAmber. Perry Mason. Fahernheit

451. Rendezvous with Rama.Below the Root. Swiss FamilyAlice in Wonderland. Write forlist of these & some strategygames like Rails West. ScottHuang, 14 Equestrian Ct,Huntington, NY 11743.

Will trade for Ultima HI.Fahrenheit 451. Ring Quest.Mindshadow. Witness.Transylvania. Wishbringer.Sherwood Forest Write first.William Hall, 1110 44th St,Sacramento, CA 95819.

Planetfall. Deadline. Serpent'sStar. Cutthroats and Seastalker.Will sell or trade, have hintbooks for all but last. Wantany Infocom or Telarium, Maskof the Sun. Time Zone orAdventure. Write first. JohnLema, 431 Alphabet St.,Holbrook, NY 11741.

Will trade complete copies ofSorcerer or Gruds in Space forsame of Fahrenheit 451.Shadowkeen. Dragonworld. ACS.Robots of Dawn or Timeship.Mark Fujimoto, 1646 Komo MaiDr., Pearl City, ffl 96782.

Will trade first 12 Infocomgames, all three Wizardrys.Ultima n and more. Send list ofwhat you want and I'll try to fillorder. Thomas Blake, 3002Pendell Lane, Ft. Smith,Arkansas 72901.

Will trade or sell originals ofZork 1. Enchanter & Starcrossw/docs, maps and hint booksbut no boxes. Interested inoriginal adventures. PhilChristensen, BANFES Project,Dept. of State,USAID/Lesotho,Washington, DC 20520.

COMMODORE 64/128Want Ultima 1. 2 & 3_. HaveSpellbreaker. Amazon,Fahrenehit 451. Dragonworld.Zork 1-3. Suspect. Sorcerer.Hitchhiker. Planetfall.Suspended. Infidel. Will givehints to any of above (exceptSpellbreaker). D. Bromby,14723 Bluebell Dr., ChinoHills, CA 91710.

Games for sale or trade: Writefor free list, new adventures, oldadventures, anything! KevinKraus, 33 Fox Hill Rd.,Shrewsbury, MA 01545.

Sell or trade: 64 boot (forC128), utilities disk. Want anyUltima (with docs), any Infocombut Hitch or Zorks. MikeBasnall, RD #1, Box 95, NewFreedom, PA 17349.

New adventures available fromAdventure Construction SetClub. Magic & The CaistonQuest, by Michael Shapiro $5each. 1st club newsletter, $1.New "Wild West" constructionset by Ted Mayes, $4. ACS Clubwill support new Atari version.For these & more details, writeKen St Andre, ACS Club, 3421E. Yale, Phoenix, AZ 85008.

For sale or trade: Deadline. ZorkI. Hulk. Mask of the Sun.Amazon. Indiana Jones.Transylvania. Dragonworld. J.Wright, 2341 Charbonneau,Waco, TX 76710.

Want Serpent's Star. Infidel.Sorcerer. Blade of Blackpoole.Gruds in Space. Planetfall andCutthroats. To sell or trade:Amazon. Dragonworld. TracerSanction. Starcross. Suspended.Deadline. Mask of Sun & allZorks. T. Fox, 734 StrobelN.W., Grand Rapids, MI 49504.

Will trade or sell Planetfall.Enchanter. Sorcerer & Blade ofBlackpoole. $15 each, withhint books & maps except

Blade. Looking for GemstoneWarrior. Sword of Kadash.Shadowkeep or The Quest. DaleAngelotti, 600 Primrose St.,Haverhill, MA 01830.

Want to buy Suspect Suspended.Planetfall. Hitchhiker. Infidel.AMF Voyaging. Cutthroats.Fooblitzkv. & hint books. H.Whitley, 4701 Anderson Rd. L,Houston, TX 77053.

Numerous games to trade or sell.Send $2 & SASE for list. CM.Shearer, 1500 Iceplant Rd., Suite7F, North Versailles, PA 15137.

Want to trade my adventuregames, hints, etc., for yours.C. Raudonis, 45 Pelham Rd.,

Hudson, NH 03051.

IBM & Quest-AlikesTrade or sell ($25 each): ApshaiTrilogy. Sherlock Holmes.King's Quest 1 & 2. BlackCauldron. Hitchhiker. Planetfall.Suspect Enchanter all Zorks.Nine Princes in Amber.Rendezous with Rama. The Mist.Will trade for The QuestBallyhoo. Sorcerer. Amazon.Star Trek. Infidel & many more.Write to Byron Byrd, 5160Verdun Ave., Los Angeles, CA90043.

Will trade Ultima 2 & 3, withdocs. Also Zork 1 & King'sQuest. Want any goodadventures. Write or call (not

collect) before sending game.Thane K. Sherrington, RR #2,Port Hood, N.S., Canada BOB2WO. (902) 787-3387

To trade: 7 Cities of Gold.King's Quest 1 & 2.Transylvania. Ultima 2 & 3.Wizardry. By Fire & Sword.Gato. Zork 1. Archon.Mindshadow. Zinderneuf. R.Reid, 404 Shelley PL,Goldsboro, NC 27530.

ATARITo sell (for AT 800) Cosmic

Balance 1 & 2 (these also run onApple), Universe 1. all Infocomtitles, many others. ChrisMuller, 514 SW 34th St Apt 6,Gainesville, FL 32607.

Want adventures for either 800or 130XE. Write if you havegames for sale. B. Smith, 3035Montego, Piano, TX 75023.

Will trade Gruds in Space for anyInfocom but Starcross. Zork 1 orHitchhiker. Write 1st: JohnKalstrom, 6237 Cumberland Dr.,Goleta, CA 93117.

Will trade Ultima 1. Zork 3.Adventure Creator, or Ouestronfor any Infocom title exceptZork trilogy. Have 64K Atari.Brent Dollins, Rte. 2, Box 157,Powderly, TX 75473.

PASSPORT TOADVENTURE

For a 10-20% discount on newgames, order from QuestBusters:Oo-topos: AP64, C $29.95Phantasie 1/2: AP, C, AT.35.95Brataccas: M, ST, Amiga...35.95Ballyhoo: all systems 29.95Rings of Zilfin: AP, C 34.95Wizard's Crown — see ZilfinRambo: AP64, PC 33.95Spellbreaker: AP, M, PC...43.95

others 39.95Ultima 4: AT, AP64, C....49.95Moebius: AP48 49.95AutoDuel: AP64 49.95Bard's Tale: AP64, C 39.95Crimson Crown: AP64, C.29.95Adventure Construction Set. Cand AT64, $35.95; AP64, 42.95Book of Adventure I or n.. 19.00< Others available on request >

AP = 48K Apple. AP64 = 64K Apple.C = Commodore 64/128. AT = 48K.Atari. AT+ = 64K Atari. PC = IBMPC, jr. quest-alikes. M = 128K Mac.M+ = 512K Mac.

Enclose $1.95 for shipping,handling and make check payable toQuestBusters, Canadian orders add $5.PA residents add 6% sales tax.