Sometimes I like to go pure analog. And when I first learned that there were "choose your own adventure" books featuring the original Zork universe, I had to go all-in. Actually maybe "choose your own adventure" was trademarked or something; these say across the top "A WHAT-DO-I-DO-NOW BOOK" which is pretty much how I feel when I play most Infocom games. That's kind of the point. The advantage here, of course, is they literally tell you which paths you can take rather than leaving you to guess a million wrong words first.
- Note: I've got my lamp ready to go if and when I should need it.
I finally got the last edition in the set today; I can begin!
The covers are gorgeous in my opinion and reek of the same artistic style found on D&D modules from the same timeframe. This was a time in my life when I used to play D&D with my
brother on a semi-regular basis. He was always the Dungeon Master - it was his "thing" as he obsessed over it on a daily basis. I was the (C64) computer guy and he was the D&D dude. But he roped me in often and I'm so glad he did.
What I don't know, and what I hope to find out soon, is if these four books actually map to the original text adventure. The author is S. Eric Meretzky, who is actually Steve Meretzky - one of legendary elders of Infocom.
Wikipedia:
His keen wit, prose and coding skill made him one of only two interactive fiction writers (along with Dave Lebling) admitted to the Science Fiction Writers of America,[2] and in September 1999, PC Gamer magazine named Meretzky as one of their twenty-five "Game Gods"; those who have made an indelible mark on the history of computer gaming.
I'm looking forward to digging into these guilty pleasures.