(11-12-2025, 10:57 PM)Piero Wrote: I did a bit of thinking:
first actual adventure game was a text adventure on my Amstrad CPC464 called Heroes of Karn, c. 1987.
Thanks, Piero, I like that people keep posting in this thread, as it's easily my favourite topic, since we get to share in the memories together.
(11-12-2025, 10:57 PM)Piero Wrote: It also had some really nice still graphics which bumped the atmosphere up.
The flowers escaping the framing is a fantastic artistry technique to enhance the look and feeling of it being an overgrown ruined cottage. The technology limitations of the time period were a blessing in disguise, as it meant developers had to get more creative with imagery to find workarounds for those constraints.
Hi Legerdemancy, it's a nice thread to read through with so many shared gaming memories. Your experience with Kings Quest 2 in 1997 is a good example because in 1997 computer tech moved more slowly and people were more likely to still be using machines from 10+ years earlier, I think. For example, I didn't buy a copy of Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards (which I still have) until around 1998. They were still available for sensible prices back then!
Oh, the guy who did the nice graphics for Heroes of Karn is Terry Greer. He did a lot of 8-bit art back then. What made those images even nicer was that they didn't just appear on the screen; the computer processors had to build them up piece by piece so they were literally drawn in front of your eyes. It could be seen as a system limitation, like you say, but it was also kind of magical.
Oh, the guy who did the nice graphics for Heroes of Karn is Terry Greer. He did a lot of 8-bit art back then. What made those images even nicer was that they didn't just appear on the screen; the computer processors had to build them up piece by piece so they were literally drawn in front of your eyes. It could be seen as a system limitation, like you say, but it was also kind of magical.
So I will add also some memories to the history as well. My very first encounter with any video game happened at my cousin's ZX Spectrum where I had an opportunity to play Manic Miner. Later I got my first computer - it was Didaktik Gama, communist-era clone of ZX Spectrum. My very first own game which I have played was obviously first game wich was on audio casette - PSSST!
Next step was change hardware to my first PC - XT with monochrome monitor. First game I wanted to play on it was Stunts. Opening menu loaded fine and when you choose to run the game, the text "Fasten your seatblets!" appeared. Then graphic froze while sound kept playing normally. Clearly, my computer cimply couldnt handle it. So next game was in fact my first adventure game - Mixed-Up Mother Goose. At that time my english knowledge was on zero level, so the pictograms showing which item should be brought to each character were incredibly helpful.
Then a new machine arrived, at that time it was "a cannon that could shoot to the other side of the street", as my uncle said. It was 486 with color monitor. The first game on it was Prince of Persia. And it was a complete shock - from simple games on a monochrome monitor, suddenly there was a beautiful colorful platformer with stunning animation. Around that time I spent a lot of hours with Formula 1 from Accolade, I still remember the little ritual of inserting the floppy disk to start the game. Then came the turn of motorbikes from the same company, which even featured an elevation...
Another milestone was getting a sound card, which added a whole new dimension to the experiences. I don't know which game was the first one where the queaks of PC speaker were replaced by the pleasant sound of the Sound Blaster. I have two songs that particularly stuck with me with the beginning of proper sound - one of the first MP3s I ever owned was "Always Coca Cola" jingle, and the other was a video preview of the upcoming adventure game Ripper, accompanied by the song The Reaper recorded by the band Blue Öyster Cult. I loved it so much that I’ve had it as my phone ringtone ever since.
Back then, my english was still not great, so I preferred czech adventure games or adventures translated into czech language, most of them are unknown out of Czech (Tajemství Oslího ostrova, 7 dní a 7 nocí, Teenagent etc). First "top-tier" adventures translated to czech langauge were Bad Tucker in Double Trouble and Broken Sword, but by that time I was playing games also in english. I even remember trying to translate first Simon the Sorcerer (since the text was easy to edit). But more and more I liked adventure games with interesting stories and challenging puzzles. I must admit I always preferred more serious or puzzle oriented games over pure comedies comedies. I was really hooked into adventures by Phantasmagoria and Gabriel Knight 2, first Atlantis (which even had czech dubbing), masterpiece Riven... And since that time, adventure games are by far the most favorite gaming genre for me...
Next step was change hardware to my first PC - XT with monochrome monitor. First game I wanted to play on it was Stunts. Opening menu loaded fine and when you choose to run the game, the text "Fasten your seatblets!" appeared. Then graphic froze while sound kept playing normally. Clearly, my computer cimply couldnt handle it. So next game was in fact my first adventure game - Mixed-Up Mother Goose. At that time my english knowledge was on zero level, so the pictograms showing which item should be brought to each character were incredibly helpful.
Then a new machine arrived, at that time it was "a cannon that could shoot to the other side of the street", as my uncle said. It was 486 with color monitor. The first game on it was Prince of Persia. And it was a complete shock - from simple games on a monochrome monitor, suddenly there was a beautiful colorful platformer with stunning animation. Around that time I spent a lot of hours with Formula 1 from Accolade, I still remember the little ritual of inserting the floppy disk to start the game. Then came the turn of motorbikes from the same company, which even featured an elevation...
Another milestone was getting a sound card, which added a whole new dimension to the experiences. I don't know which game was the first one where the queaks of PC speaker were replaced by the pleasant sound of the Sound Blaster. I have two songs that particularly stuck with me with the beginning of proper sound - one of the first MP3s I ever owned was "Always Coca Cola" jingle, and the other was a video preview of the upcoming adventure game Ripper, accompanied by the song The Reaper recorded by the band Blue Öyster Cult. I loved it so much that I’ve had it as my phone ringtone ever since.
Back then, my english was still not great, so I preferred czech adventure games or adventures translated into czech language, most of them are unknown out of Czech (Tajemství Oslího ostrova, 7 dní a 7 nocí, Teenagent etc). First "top-tier" adventures translated to czech langauge were Bad Tucker in Double Trouble and Broken Sword, but by that time I was playing games also in english. I even remember trying to translate first Simon the Sorcerer (since the text was easy to edit). But more and more I liked adventure games with interesting stories and challenging puzzles. I must admit I always preferred more serious or puzzle oriented games over pure comedies comedies. I was really hooked into adventures by Phantasmagoria and Gabriel Knight 2, first Atlantis (which even had czech dubbing), masterpiece Riven... And since that time, adventure games are by far the most favorite gaming genre for me...