 ![[U. S. A.]](images/flags/usa.gif) Adventure International
General
Founded by Scott Adams (msadams@msadams.com) in 1979. The Adventure
International games are mainly verb-noun, but had exciting plots
and were well-designed. They supplied a hint book for Scott Adams
Classic Adventures 1-14 and separate hint sheets for Questprobe
1-3. All these hints are available from ftp.gmd.de.
All the adventures in the Scott Adams Classic Adventures, Others
and Questprobe series use the same datafile and interpreter format
and can be run using the ScottFree interpreter found on
ftp.gmd.de.
At least some of the games were originally written in BASIC. Some
of the games were released for the Exidy Sorcerer computer, but I
don't know which ones.
The Basic versions of Adventureland (date?) and Pirate Adventure
(December 1980) were printed in Byte Magazine in an article by
Scott Adams.
When Adventure International went bankrupt in 1985, the copyrights
for the games were part of the bankruptcy proceedings and were
taken over by the bank. Meanwhile those licenses expired and all
rights went back to Scott Adams. On 1997-11-24, Scott Adams put the
games up for download as shareware from his own homepage.
Adventure International once ran big adverts featuring Scott
Adams' picture begging people to send in game ideas. "We want to
publish your software!" Doesn't sound like a company about to go
bankrupt...
Scott Adams is currently (January 1996) rewriting Adventureland in a
new interpreter for Windows 95. A beta version of this was
distributed in late 1999. Then finally in August 2000 he published a
new game: "Return To Pirate's Island 2". The classic games are
available on his website as a free download.
Platform-specific information
The TRS-80 driver was written by Scott Adams, while the Apple II
and Commodore 64 drivers were written by Mak Jukic. Brian Howarth
later wrote another Commodore 64 driver, as well as a Spectrum one
that was used with a lot (all?) of these games. The interpreter
used depended a lot upon who released the game.
Packaging information
The original packaging from around 1978-1980 of the SAGA games
features a cover art sheet with some assorted brochures and
loading sheets sealed in a polybag with a cardboard strip across
the top. The bags all hung on hooks on the store shelves. The
original cheapish looking watercolour artwork were done by
"Peppy".
In 1981, the cover sheet polybag packaging was replaced (all games
in this packaging have a 1981 copyright on the front, even though
the game might be released some other year). All the games up to
1983-1984 (with the exceptions of the VIC-20 and TI-99/4A
releases, which were repackaged by those respective companies)
came in 8.5" x 5.5" folders designed to look like paperback books.
The middle is a piece of styrofoam either with a cutout slot for
the cassette or a glued-on sleeve for the disk. The front and back
cover with the artwork is a piece of thin cardboard glued around
the spine of the styrofoam. The original text games featured the
"manual" simply typed on the inner front and sometimes back flap
of the cardboard. The SAGA releases came with their own separate
instruction booklet titled Scott Adams' Graphic Adventure
Instructions. It was generic and applied to all the SAGAs for that
particular platform. Nothing more than a registration card was
included on either of these releases. The cover art is the same as
for the polybag packaging.
Sometime later, the packaging changed again and the games were
marketed in plastic clamshell cases with picture inserts (like for
video releases, but smaller - 6.5" x 9"). The front artwork is the
same (even though these are SAGA games), although the logos have
been moved around a bit. For instance, the screenshots are
pictured on the front at the bottom, rather than at the back on
the top, the SAGA logo has been moved to the bottom centre rather
than in the upper right, etc. The back cover of the insert is
completely different. These packages don't have library stamps
like the styrofoam games, but they were probably the last versions
released. The inserts are all copyright 1982, when the SAGAs were
first introduced.
Some of the clamshell releases include a generic "Scott Adams'
Graphic Adventure Instructions" book, same as from the styrofoam
games. Also includes the bonus hint sheet, warranty card, "Need a
Backup Disk?" mail in card where you can purchase an additional
disk of the game for $4.99, and a small "Do You Write
Microcomputer Software?" advertisement designed to look like a
floppy disk. Some of the styrofoam versions came with diddly ads
like this stuff too.
There are inofficial sites about Adventure International: They distribute Howarth, Brian and Chameleon Software.
For more information, see Alternate Source, The.
Return to Pirate Island 2
Type: Text only/Graphics
Written 1999 by Scott Adams.
Package blurb: Finally after a 15 years break, Scott Adams has released a new game.
There is no package blurb, so find some notes from his website instead: Imagine a world
where your imagination replaces your senses. A world full of sea, sand, pirates and
treasure ! You wake up in a boat, not knowing your purpose, but as you find your sea
legs and begin to explore, many tasks are unraveled. Solve the various puzzles and use
your wits to conquer the mysteries of the island. The original adventure master is back with
his best creation yet, "Return to Pirates Island 2". A fun game that will appeal to the whole family.
Your goal:To collect a set of *treasures*, some hidden well and some hidden, well ... right in front of
your nose! Visit exotic locales, find sunken treasure, work with the crusty old pirate, put
up with obstinate sea creatures and even learn to really hate alarm clocks! Yes, that
Scott Adams sense of humor is back too!
 These games were rereleased in 1982 with
graphics [BG] as Scott Adams Graphic Adventures (SAGA).
From the box of the later graphical releases:
When You Sit Down To a Scott Adams' Graphic Adventure...
Anything Can Happen
As the name implies, the Scott Adams Graphic Adventures are
the classic Adventures which have been enhanced with
exciting graphics -- graphics which colorfully depict your
voyage into wonderment each and every step of the way. Each
Adventure challenges the player to accumulate points, crack
a mystery or accomplish a goal using the unique tools of
Adventuring: two-word commands, some common sense and a
little ingenuity. If you've never played an Adventure, you
couldn't have found a better place to begin. And if you're
an experienced Adventurer prepare for a magical encounter
unlike any other. Remember: Anything can happen when you
play a Scott Adams Graphic Adventure ... and it usually
does!
All the original twelve adventures were released in four
Value Packs. Kim Schuette's "Book of Adventure Games"
(1984) acknowledges that all twelve in four packages were
released. Strangely, it also says that only the first three
up to that point had been released as SAGAs with graphics
and the others were slated for up-and-coming release with
graphics. That's a two-year span between releasing the
first three and the last nine?
The TI-99/4A games were distributed by Texas Instruments.
The user first had to purchase a ROM cartridge called
"Adventure" which came with the disk or cassette of
adventure #2, "Pirate Adventure". The other titles required
this ROM cartridge to run, but were sold separately.
The adventures in this series features characters from Marvel
Comics. The original plan was to create a series of twelve
games, each accompanied by a comic.Marvel Comics published
three issues in its Questprobe series. The fourth comic
starring the X-Men was already finished and was published
years later in another series called Marvel Fanfare.
Adventure International went out of business while game
number four was being written.
These games use a different data file format than the Scott
Adams games.
For more information, see Med Systems Software.
Zossed in Space
Written by Jyym Pearson.
Runs on:
Notes: This was Jyym Pearson's first game.
Labyrinth of Crete
Type: G (some)
Written 1983 by Cliff Johnson and Allen Pinero.
Runs on:
Notes: Has the interesting feature of allowing the player to move two
characters.
Doug Carlston - Galactic Saga
Bob Lafore - Interactive Fiction
Package blurb: You become a main character & your income directs the
outcome.
James Talley - Kid-Venture
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