''Microsoft Adventure'' is a 1979

interactive fiction '' Interactive fiction, often abbreviated IF, is software simulating environments in which players use text commands to control characters and influence the environment. Works in this form can be understood as literary narratives, either in the ...

game from

Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washing ...

, based on the

PDP-10 Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC)'s PDP-10, later marketed as the DECsystem-10, is a mainframe computer family manufactured beginning in 1966 and discontinued in 1983. 1970s models and beyond were marketed under the DECsystem-10 name, especi ...

mainframe game '' Colossal Cave Adventure'', and released for the

TRS-80 The TRS-80 Micro Computer System (TRS-80, later renamed the Model I to distinguish it from successors) is a desktop microcomputer launched in 1977 and sold by Tandy Corporation through their Radio Shack stores. The name is an abbreviation of '' ...

Apple II The Apple II (stylized as ) is an 8-bit home computer and one of the world's first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products. It was designed primarily by Steve Wozniak; Jerry Manock developed the design of Apple II's foam-m ...

, and later for the

IBM PC The IBM Personal Computer (model 5150, commonly known as the IBM PC) is the first microcomputer released in the IBM PC model line and the basis for the IBM PC compatible de facto standard. Released on August 12, 1981, it was created by a team ...

. It was programmed for the company by

Gordon Letwin James Gordon Letwin (born July 2, 1952) is an American software developer and one of the eleven early Microsoft employees who posed for an iconic staff portrait taken in Albuquerque in 1978. Prior to joining Microsoft, he worked for Heathkit, por ...

of Softwin Associates.

Gameplay

''Microsoft Adventure'' is a text game of

cave exploration Caving – also known as spelunking in the United States and Canada and potholing in the United Kingdom and Ireland – is the recreational pastime of exploring wild cave systems (as distinguished from show caves). In contrast, speleology is ...

and

treasure Treasure (from la, thesaurus from Greek language ''thēsauros'', "treasure store") is a concentration of wealth — often originating from ancient history — that is considered lost and/or forgotten until rediscovered. Some jurisdictions leg ...

gathering where the player enters one- or two-word commands to direct the computer to move and manipulate objects, and

points Point or points may refer to: Places * Point, Lewis, a peninsula in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland * Point, Texas, a city in Rains County, Texas, United States * Point, the NE tip and a ferry terminal of Lismore, Inner Hebrides, Scotland * Point ...

are awarded for areas explored and for treasure acquired. It contains 130 rooms, 15 treasures, 40 useful objects and 12 problems to be solved. The progress of two games can be saved on a diskette. 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 The IBM Personal Computer (model 5150, commonly known as the IBM PC) is the first microcomputer released in the IBM PC model line and the basis for the IBM PC compatible de facto standard. Released on August 12, 1981, it was created by a team ...

, making it one of the first two games available for the new computer along with ''

DONKEY.BAS ''Donkey'', often known by its filename ''DONKEY.BAS'', is a video game written in 1981, and included with early versions of the IBM PC DOS operating system distributed with the original IBM PC. It is a top-down driving game in which the player mu ...

'' (which was included in the operating system). It was released on a single-sided 5 inch disk, required 32K RAM, as a

self-booting disk A self-booting disk is a floppy disk for home or personal computers that loads directly into a standalone application when the system is turned on, bypassing the operating system. This was common, even standard, on some computers in the late 1970 ...

; it could not be opened from DOS.

Reception

Carrington Dixon reviewed ''Microsoft Adventure'' in '' The Space Gamer'' No. 49. Dixon commented that "No game that exists on several different computers can fully demonstrate the potential of any one computer. Even so, your

oney Oney may refer to: * Oney, France, a subsidiary of French Auchan Holding and Banque Accord * Oney, Oklahoma, an List of unincorporated communities in Oklahoma, unincorporated community in Oklahoma * Oney (song), "Oney" (song), a song written by Je ...

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 the one after some flashier games have been permanently set aside." ''

PC Magazine ''PC Magazine'' (shortened as ''PCMag'') is an American computer magazine published by Ziff Davis. A print edition was published from 1982 to January 2009. Publication of online editions started in late 1994 and have continued to the present d ...

'' also reviewed the game positively, writing, "This hoary old classic should be included in any player's collection of games for the IBM PC."

References

{{reflist

External links

Review
in Compute!'s Guide to Adventure Games 1979 video games 1970s interactive fiction Adventure games Apple II games IBM software Microsoft games Single-player video games TRS-80 games Video game remakes Video games developed in the United States