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Microsoft Adventure
Microsoft Adventure
	TRS-80/Apple II cover
Developer(s)	Softwin Associates
Publisher(s)	Microsoft Consumer Products (TRS, Apple); IBM (IBM PC);
Programmer(s)	Gordon Letwin
Platform(s)	Apple II, IBM PC, TRS-80
Release	1979: TRS-80, Apple II; 1981: IBM PC
Genre(s)	Interactive fiction
Mode(s)	Single-player

Microsoft Adventure is a 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]

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 as 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 'set-up' 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

^ "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.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Dixon, Carrington (March 1982). "Capsule Reviews". The Space Gamer (49). Steve Jackson Games: 34.
^ ^a ^b "IBM Archives: Product fact sheet". 03.ibm.com. 1981-08-12. Archived from the original on August 14, 2006. Retrieved 2012-01-29.
^ Lemmons, Phil (October 1981). "The IBM Personal Computer / First Impressions". BYTE. p. 36. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
^ "Adventure (Microsoft)". PC Magazine. 1 (8): 179–180. December 1982.