Page 21 - OSG Presents Classic Gamer Magazine #3

By Kyle Snyder
W sword, key, or bridge when you just
hat is it exactly that keeps
can't seem to reach it yourself.
Adventure so close to the
hearts of most
Adventure has three skill levels,
classic gamers? This year
marks the game’s 20th anniversary, which feature additional catacombs,
fiercer dragons, and randomly placed
and certainly in that time frame we've objects. This beloved classic is also
had hundreds of games surpass Ad- notable in another way . . . Adventure
venture's primitive charms. There was is the first video game to feature an
Advanced Dungeons and Dragons for "Easter egg," a secret, a hidden goal if
the Intellivision, the Zork series for you will, that places you in an elite club
early home computers, the Legend of The Hidden Room if you manage to complete it. It involves
Zelda for the NES and Final Fantasy der to gain entrance to the Castles. the bridge, a secret room in the Black
and its sequels for everything from the Then there are the dragons! Giant Castle’s labyringth, and a "magic dot",
NES up to the PlayStation. Yet, to this beasts with huge mouths, round bel- which I personally prefer calling the
day, Adventure for the Atari 2600 still lies, and snake-like tails. Their main "enchanted stone", thus keeping in the
manages to captivate players. goal seems to be to swallow you spirit of the game.
Why this game in particular? It's (whole, no less) for lunch! The story behind this secret says
because it is both charmingly simple, Sometimes these dragons wander that Adventure designer, Warren
and dauntingly difficult. It speaks to the aimlessly until they catch you in their Robinett, was miffed that Atari de-
inner child in all of us. Those of us who sights and hunt you down. Other times manded anonymity from their design-
saw it brand new they hover around ers. Nowhere on any Atari cartridge,
when we were six certain objects, and nor in any instruction book is
were blown away challenge you when a designer
at all the things an attempt to grab credited. Warren decided to
you could do. the object in ques- remedy the situation by pro-
Whether you were tion is made. But gramming a hidden room
busy searching luckily, you've found within the game. If the room was dis-
catacombs, col- the sword! One covered, the player was greeted with a
lecting objects, or quick stab with this flashing credit, “Created by Warren
slaying dragons, saber will fell even Robinett.”
there was so the most fierce The secret was well guarded by
much to interact dragon. Just make Warren until a young adventurer dis-
with. I'm sure I The Best Dragon’s a Dead Dragon sure the mischie- covered it about 6 months after Adven-
speak for most of vous bat doesn't fly by and swipe the ture's release. Imagine what it
us when I say that when I play it and sword from your grip, making you vul- would've been like to be the first per-
battle a dragon or rescue the golden nerable to the dragon's gaping jaws! son, aside from Warren, to see that
chalice, I feel like that six year old You can also have a little fun and grab sparkling message on the screen!
again . the bat when he flies by. He’ll never In some very early ads for what was
Adventure's premise is that of fairy harm you, but he can be tricked into to become the Atari 5200, back when
tale. An evil magician has grabbing a dragon (dead or alive) and it was referred to as the Atari Video
stolen a golden chalice and stashed it whisking the vicious beast off to an- System X, a stack of carts is displayed,
elsewhere in the Kingdom. The other part of the kingdom. Forget the and a brown box is shown with the
player's task is to retrieve the chalice fact that a tiny bat would ever have word "ADVENTURE" on the side.
and restore it to its place of glory within the strength to lift and carry a It is not known whether any program-
the Gold Castle. However, the King- dragon . . . IT'S MAGIC! You can ming was done on a 5200 version of
dom does not comprise of simple also get the bat out of your hair by lock- Adventure, but I have a feeling that
straight roads lined with perfectly ing him up in the Gold Castle. If you even though the graphics would have
trimmed fruit trees. No, the Kingdom can accomplish this successfully, you been better, and the levels larger, the
consists of catacombs that must be won’t have to worry about him for the original 2600 Adventure would still be
navigated with care to avoid losing your remainder of the game. as coveted as it is today. Congratula-
way. Other objects abound as well. The tions to Warren Robinett for creating
There are three bridge is a helpful item such a wonderful game!
castles: White, Black, which allows you to ac- Adventure is a fantastic game that
and the aforemen- cess secret areas or really stands the test of time. If you
tioned Gold Castle, of scale a wall when you don't already own a copy, by all means
which all have corre- find yourself stuck at a make it your first priority. If you already
sponding keys scat- dead end. The magnet own it, then you know the sheer bliss
tered throughout the pulls anything metallic when the whole screen sparkles as the
Kingdom. The keys towards you such as the chalice is returned to the Gold
must be located in or- Castle.
Classic Gamer Magazine Spring 2000 21