Family Computing, v4(6)

~1 minute read

Jun 1985

WHAT'S IN STORE: SOFTWARE REVIEWS

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

James Delson

HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS: Reviewed on Apple II series. Also for Macintosh, Atari, C 64, IBM PC/PCjr, TI-99/4A.
MANUFACTURER: Infocom
PRICE: $39 (Apple, IBM, TI): $34 (Atari, C 64)
CRITIC'S SUGGESTED AGE: 14+

First came Douglas Adams' brilliant, satirical, science-fiction radio program, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Then came a best-selling book, more books, a TV series, and a soon-to-be-released movie. Now, there's a computer game based on the original story.

Who else but Infocom designer Steve Meretzky (author of the comic science adventure Planetfall) could create this difficult but rewarding text adventure? As the only surviving earthling, you wander through the galaxy in search of truth and the meaning of life (or whatever passes for it amidst the stars). By discovering how to teleport from a planet to a starship, or obtain a "Babel fish" from a vending machine (allow at least two hours for that), you'll slowly grow to be a bona fide hitchhiker, worthy of survival in the galaxy.

This is a funny game. But, like all Infocom adventures, it often is frustrating. There are many steps to follow and so many puzzles to solve that you should count on at least 100 hours of game time to finish it. Still, if you're willing to tough it out, this is one of the best examples of interactive fiction around. (See interview with Adams in this issue.)

This article appeared in
Family Computing
Jun 1985

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