Jul 302010
http://www.annablack.com/colossal-adventure Came across this beautiful 1983 copy of the Level 9 text adventure game for the BBC yesterday. It appears to be complete including the “hint envelope” 
“Colossal Adventure is a full scale version of the original, classic, mainframe game “Adventure”: with added 70 locations. All crammed into your micro. This massive, pure text adventure has over 200 locations and a wealth of puzzles which may take months to solve.”
Wow Anna, that masterpiece seems to be in great condition. I’m still playing many of those goodies on my Mac, including the legendary Level 9 adventures and of course those of InfoCom.
Thanks
It was a cracking find! Have you tried Scott Adams Classic Adventures? http://www.msadams.com/downloads.htm I used to have some of these on cartridge and they are just the best!
Very nice. I am actually more interested in the art for the box. I think the drawings of the cave entrance and interior are first rate and convey a great sense of mystery and atmosphere. The repeated pattern of the L9 logo on the box is also pretty sharp. Beautifully presented.
If you could ever provide larger scans or pics of the box art that would be great.
On the other hand, I do have a couple of working C64s. Maybe I should just try and buy a good complete copy!
Rgds
David M
Hi David,
Thanks for your jolly comment. The art is very beautiful. I’ll do some more scans for you. Let me know how you get on with the C64 version,
All the best,
~A
Hi
Yes, well I am looking for a C64 copy although any version would do (so long as it had the art). I don’t actually play text adventure games(!) as I have so much trouble with the parsers. I’d probably buy the green card with the cave pics on its own if it was in good condition.
I have half-finished the adventure my original copy of Origin’s Times of Lore and I intend to get the map of that (which is very like one of Tolkein’s maps of Middle Earth) framed one day … The SID music at the start of that that is exceptionally good I think.
If you like Sci Fi, Accolade’s PSI-5 Trading Co has great in-game art with a highly imaginative and effective mix of hi-res colour, sprites and even the standard Commodore character set to depict the crew and ship interiors, plus some very good music and sound effects as well. I’ve always wanted to have a black T-shirt done with the PSI-5 Trading Co logo but never quite gotten around to it. I’m not very organised …
The large 3-d perspective fold-out plan of the ship in EA’s Project Firestart (a sort of Aliens themed game) is visually very impressive but I have only ever seen a pic of it on eBay. (I should have bid more!) I wouldn’t mind an original complete copy of that game but I haven’t seen one for years.
Anyway, if you can find time to scan the card with the cave pics that would be great. I have an eBay 12 month search going for the game but so far nothing has turned up. It could be a while …
I used to watch the early Dr Who shows by the way; – back when William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton were in the role. It’s a shame so many episodes have been lost. I’m hoping that some more of them will turn up one day, like the missing bits of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis did a year or so back. (Can’t wait to see the complete version of that!)
All the best.
Rgds
David M