Infocom's Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy reborn!

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

To celebrate the launch of the new radio series of Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, those nutters at BBCi have also launched this new online version of the classic Infocom adventure game (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/hitchhikers/game.shtml)! All the text is still there, only with a few pictures now (and they're still looking for artwork from inventive fans for the few gaps they have left to fill image-wise, and there are prizes to be won).

Now, let's see who remembers how to get a Babel Fish. LOL Doesn't cost a thing to play, by the way.

[om3ga]

Awesome game if you havn't played it before.

Been working my way though it slowly for about a month now on the C 64.

[SS]

All the text is still there

No hints though. :(

I did find it funny, however, that when you type "hint" you are still given the following message :

If you're really stuck, a complete map and InvisiClues Hint Booklet are available from your dealer, or via mail order with the form that came in your package.

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

I'm kinda glad they didn't change it myself. I can handle them adding pictures to the mixtures, but I'm a bit of the purist when it comes to the text itself - after all, that was the heart and soul of the original game!

[Ed Oscuro]

Doh! I've forgotten how do do anything but get up!

The nice thing about Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is it's the most compelling simulation of beating your head on a wall known to man, and it doesn't leave any scars! Physical ones...

[Avenger]

how long of a game is it??

[Ed Oscuro]

how long of a game is it??
I'm about 30-40 lines in, and can only get up and out of bed. For the life of me, I don't remember how to get that stinking robe.

Oh yeah...now I remember! Doh.

Edit: Damnit, they fouled up the game with pictures. I don't want a visual, darnit! :(

[Avenger]

> eat pocket fluff
Stuffing pocket fluff in your mouth would do little to help at this point.

hehe LOL

fun game but i only got as far as lying in front of the bulldozer...i have read the books and can safely say i am probably not anywhere close to finishing :P

[AB Positive]

that is sweet right there. Super wicked sweet like a ninja

-AG

[YoshiM]

Now, let's see who remembers how to get a Babel Fish. LOL Doesn't cost a thing to play, by the way.

Oh I remember...pretty much. For those who never played it: remember the usefulness of your towel.

[kevincure]

That towel is critical. And feed the dogs at the start or you're up a river at the end of the game.

And yeah, I do remember how to get the Babelfish, though I don't know how you could simply figure that out. The poetry is so bad!

I've also proudly beaten Zork and many of the SCUMM games. Great stuff, those.

[Sanriostar]

Smell dark everybody, smell dark....

[Daniel Thomas]

I remember the InvisiClues Hint Book. What a crazy novelty those dumb marker pens were. The hint book was as twisted as the game.

My favorite jokes came from all those footnotes. You were supposed to type them in whenever they were referenced ("footnote 7"), and get some snarky answer. If you type the word 'house,' you get a footnote that quotes Dylan's line, "it's not a house, it's a home."

And, of course, one of the footnote numbers was skipped, which prompted you to type in the missing number and get the amusing, "isn't it nice going through all these footnotes?"

I understand Douglas Adams himself wrote this game, or at least supplied the text to the programmers. I enjoyed this game much more than Zork.

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

Adams wrote much of the text; the remainder of the text and the actual programming were done by Steve Meretzky (Planetfall, Stationfall).

[Sniderman]

You have: tea; no tea


8-)

[SS]

And feed the dogs at the start or you're up a river at the end of the game.

Damn! I've been kicking the thing all these years! :roll:

[Ed Oscuro]

Finally figured out how to get past the bulldozer the other day. Funny how simple the solution is - it's so simple it's perverse! More of the same in the pub, too LOL

[kainemaxwell]

Argh, the bedroom's killing me!

[punkoffgirl]

Finally figured out how to get past the bulldozer the other day. Funny how simple the solution is - it's so simple it's perverse! More of the same in the pub, too LOL.

That's where I've been stuck!

[Daniel Thomas]

Well, basically, all you have to do is repeat what happens in the book.

The part that really gets convoluted is when you need to get the Babel Fish. That's just twisted.

Oh, and don't forget to look under your bed at the very beginning and grab all those little extra utelsils (toothbrush, screwdriver). At the end, Marvin will always ask you for the one thing you forgot to take. Ugh.

I kinda miss these text adventures. They were a great novelty; you'd think they'd still be popular today if they were designed properly.

[kainemaxwell]

What dogs?

[Lady Jaye]

I've played the Java version found on Douglas Adams' official website (http://douglasadams.com/creations/infocomjava.html). In fact, I also have an infoccom compiler on my Mac and an offline copy of the game and can play it, WITHOUT any illustrations.

So far, the farthest I've gotten is aboard the Vogon ship, right after Ford and Arthur get on board.

[kevincure]

Kaine, before you board the spaceship, there are some dogs barking outside the pub. Feed them the cheese sandwich. (It's been years since I've played through the game, though, so if it happens to be a BLT that you feed the dog...)

[Sanriostar]

I love the text the game spouts out when you feed the dog. Funny as hell

[SpasticFuctard]

I got as far as removing my common sense and carving my name into the list of Bugblatter beast of Trall's list of victims with a towel over my head before the farking thing crashed.

SF