Adventure for the Atari 2600
Sections: Descriptive Information | Helpful Information and Guidelines | Index of Places | Game 1 Details and Layout | Game 1 Solution | Game 2 Details and Layout | Game 2 Solution | Finding the Secret MessageDescriptive Information
Adventure is an addictive video game that is one of the few Atari 2600 games to remain popular to the present day. It is unusual for video games of its era in that the game board does not consist of a single screen, or even a few similar screens. Instead, the player must pass through many different screens to cover the total territory over which the game is played.
The total territory, the Kingdom, contains three castles, various rooms and passageways, complicated labyrinths, tricky catacombs, and more. To find the Enchanted Chalice and successfully bring it into the Golden Castle you have to know your way around. In addition to its tricky terrain, Adventure features keys to the various castles, three most unfriendly dragons, a sword, a portable bridge, a magnet, a pesky bat, and more. You, the single player, are represented by a small square, whose movements you control.
The catacomb area is especially fascinating. In it, the adventurer (you) carries a computer-simulated torch in an otherwise dark area. The visibility is only a little bit along the pathway in each direction, although you will be able to see objects placed in the Catacombs even before you can reach them.
Most objects can be used to your advantage during the crusade: The sword can kill dragons if used properly, the keys open the castle gates, the bridge essentially gets you over or through walls, and the magnet can attract any of these objects if they are near enough. The catch is that you can hold (and carry) only one at a time.
Helpful Information and Guidelines
Dragons
There are three dragons who are your deadly enemies. They are listed below, along with their colour. As a memory aid, notice that the first letter of the dragons' names is the same as the first letter of their colour.
- Yorgle (yellow)
- Yorgle is the least dangerous of the three dragons. He is afraid of the gold key. He mostly just wanders around. He will guard the chalice if he stumbles across it. Other than that, he's not a major concern.
- Grundle (green)
- Grundle is of average intelligence and is roughly as fast as Yorgle. However, Grundle's jaws react and chomp much more quickly (Yorgle really delays before closing his jaws on you). Grundle is the greediest dragon in that he'll guard the most items if given the chance, namely the black key, the magnet, the chalice, and the bridge.
- Rhindle (red)
- Rhindle is the fastest and most dangerous dragon. His speed is about the same as yours, so watch out. He is the most intelligent, and chomps the fastest. He will guard the Chalice and the white key.
Each dragon can go through walls (or anything else, for that matter), and so can take short cuts which you cannot. A dragon's jaws will happily gobble you up, but you may pass through the back of a live dragon's head with impunity.
The term guard means that the dragon never leaves a room containing that object. Thus one hint for the fugitive crusader is to run through a room having an object that a dragon guards.
Keep the Sword Below You
Generally the sword will prove most effective if it is carried below you. You will find several points where the dragons approach from the bottom of the screen, and this ensures that the dragon contacts your sword before it gets to chomp you!
Keep the Key Above You
Since the entrances to the three castles are at the top of each screen, carry a key above you if its castle has not yet been opened.
Leave a Castle With Its Key Beneath You
Once you open a castle, it stays open unless you leave it carrying the key on top of you. In this case you will unintentionally close it. Thus it is best to leave castles with the key beneath you. At other times, carry the key above you to permit easy entrance into the castle, as indicated in the hint above.
Get Rid of Grundle
Even if you have no easy access to the sword, Grundle can still be rendered helpless rather easily. To take him out of action, lure him to a room by carrying any item that he guards. Release it there. He'll stay there and guard it, not to bother you any more (unless of course you reenter the room). Of course, if you have a good opportunity to kill him, that would be preferable.
Get Rid of Rhindle
The same trick mentioned above works for Rhindle if you use one of the objects which he guards (the white key or the chalice).
The Bat Can Help
Make use of the bat's habit of switching objects with you. If you want something that he has, simply bring any other object near him; he'll switch, leaving you with the object you desire.
Dragon Dealing
There are three ways of successfully dealing with a dragon:
- Give him something to guard, as indicated above.
- Kill him by causing either end of the sword to come in contact with him. He cannot be killed, however, when his jaws are open.
- If the bat holds a live dragon, grab the bat (not too near the dragon's mouth), carry him to the gold castle room, and release him there by the technique called trapping the bat.
Hide the Sword in "A" Difficulty
In a game at difficulty-level A (hard), the dragons will not go to you if they see that you are carrying the sword. Thus you must conceal the sword from their sight until it is too late for them. This can be done as follows: Assume that you know which room a particular dragon is in. If you approach the room from the right, then pick up the sword and keep it on the right side of your "body". As you just enter the room, all the dragon sees is you (the sword is not in the room at first). He will approach you. At that point you finish entering the room and circle around him quickly, poking him with the end of the sword away from your body.
Castles and Keys:
- Game 1
- Gold, Black
- Game 2
- Gold, Black, White
The Sword
A dragon is killed if he comes in contact with either end of the sword; it does not have to be the pointed end of the sword. But the top and bottom edge of the sword does nothing upon contact. It is safest to try to stab a dragon at his tail end, the farthest point from his jaws (he can only kill you via the jaws). The pesky bat cannot be killed by the sword - in fact, he cannot be killed at all.
The Bridge
The bridge allows you to cross walls and boundaries that you ordinarily cannot go through. It permits you to cross anywhere vertically (but not horizontally). Place it such that two prongs touch one allowable area and the other two prongs touch the other allowable area you wish to reach. If you touch the bridge accidentally during the crossing, try to release it immediately so that it will not stray too much from the original position.
It is safest to bridge between two points that are both within the same screen. If you attempt to bridge from one screen to another, you may be in for a bit of a surprise. There are some situations where bridging from one screen to another can result in your becoming trapped in a wall, for example: Forget that game!
Assume that you have placed the bridge in the exact position where you are to use it to cross something. As you cross, go exactly along the middle of the bridge; if you accidentally brush against one of the edges, you "pick up" the bridge and move it out of position. Then you must repeat the entire strategic positioning of the bridge. (You may also get trapped within a wall if you use the bridge incorrectly.)
The Magnet
The magnet attracts these objects: keys, chalice, sword, and bridge (toward the two prongs of the magnet). The magnet attracts only one object at a time. It can be useful for recovering items which become trapped in a wall.
The Game Variations
Game 1 is the simplest and has only two dragons. In games 2 and 3, the dragons are more fleet of foot and they also chomp more rapidly. At the beginning of game 2, the items are always in the same places. In game 3, all items are placed randomly at the start.
The Bat
The bat, whose name is Knubberrub, only appears in games 2 and 3. He is generally a pest, but you can use him to your advantage. In a way he seems smarter than the dragons. He is continually flitting about, flapping his wings, wanting to grab the first object he sees at the start of the game (in game 2, the sword). After that, he wanders about and exchanges with any object he sees about 90% of the time. His speed is about the same as yours. He, like the dragons, can go through walls or any other obstacle. Fortunately you can grab him, thereby acquiring any object he holds. Unless you seize him he never sits still, traveling constantly up, down, to a side, or at a 45-degree angle.
Trapping the Bat
Under the right conditions, it is possible to trap the bat, causing him to become imprisoned in the gold castle room. This can be done when he is currently travelling in any direction without downward movement. (Although it seems to be possible even when there is downward movement.) It works best when he is travelling straight east or west. Grab him (press the fire button) when he is going in one of those directions and is carrying some useless item, such as a key to a castle which is already open or a sword when all dragons are dead. Carry him to the gold castle room, which should be empty. (If possible, never allow him to see other objects lest he escape and go for them.) Release him there and he will continue to fly through that room forever, crossing the room in the same direction over and over again. (As long as you release him such that he isn't moving downwards...) (There is a slight chance he will escape your grasp during the trip to the gold castle; however, this technique works almost all of the time.) One word of warning: If you reenter the room where the bat is trapped, you may enable him to escape -- a frustrating experience, especially if you do so out of carelesssness!
Objects Trapped in Walls
If an object that you need becomes trapped within a wall, try using the magnet, the bridge, or the bat to retrieve it.
Blinking
When enough objects (usually three or four) are on a single screen, the whole room will blink. When this happens,
- It is easier to avoid a dragon's jaws
- 90% of the time, a sword will not kill a dragon; and
- You may safely pass right through a live or dead dragon.
Index of Places
- "Golden Castle"
- the player's home; it is also where he starts the game and ends (hopefully).
- "Hallway" or "Central Passage"
- the horizontal three-section passage running beneath the golden castle.
- "Blue Labyrinth"
- the blue-outlined series of five different screens that are hard to move through without maps. It is the largest and most active area.
- "Black Castle"
- where the hypothetical Evil Magician lives. The Chalice is usually within.
- "Catacombs"
- this orange-pathed network is similar to the labyrinth except you can only see a part of the screen in the limited radius around you. It is a very dangerous place, and most difficult to successfully move around in.
- "White Castle"
- a neutral castle and the surrounding area beneath the catacombs. It may contain items of benefit or woe to the player.
- "Red Dungeon"
- the area inside the White Castle similar to the Blue Labyrinth.
- "Grey Dungeon"
- the area inside the Black Castle similar to the Catacombs. It is the most dangerous area.
Game 1 Details and Layout
This is the easiest game and is recommended for beginners. There are only two dragons: Yorgle and Grundle. They chomp rather slowly, and they can be slain rather easily. In this game, the dragons even assist you once in a while by actually moving accidentally into the sword (but don't count on this happening). Their behaviour in general is not very intelligent. The overall terrain is not as complicated as in games 2 and 3, and there's no bat to taunt you in this game.
To grab or pick up an object you simply contact it. To release an item, you press the red button and move away from the item. To exchange objects, you just touch the new object and keep moving; you will automatically drop the other object.
If you hit the reset switch, the game starts over, but all items begin where you left them (any dragons you may have slain are brought back to life). And remember, if you use A difficulty then the dragons will chomp faster and will run from the sword, making it more difficult for you to kill them.
Diagrams of the exact layout are difficult to explain because the environment is not two-dimensional, particularly the Blue Labyrinth. There are only five different screens in the Blue Labyrinth, but since the different map parts actually exist on top of one another, you may get to one part or another depending on how you approach it. Here are the five screens, along with the numbering I use to refer to them (The numbers are from an old book I once read but have long ago forgotten what it was; if you can refresh my memory I'd appreciate it). At any rate, you enter via screen "19" and exit via screen "21".
Screen 19: Left - Screen 20. Right - Screen 20. Up - Screen 22.
Screen 20: Left - Screen 19. Right - Screen 19. Up - Screen 21. Down - Screen 23.
Screen 21: Left - Screen 22. Right - Screen 22. Down - Screen 20.
Screen 22: Left - Screen 21. Right - Screen 23. Down - Screen 19.
Screen 23: Left - Screen 22. Right - Screen 22. Up - Screen 20.
A partial map might look something like this, if you're using Netscape:
At any rate, one way through the Labyrinth is, starting at 19, to go
left to 20, up to 21 (after a quick detour back through 19), right to 22,
right to 23, up to 20, and back up to 21. Another way is to use the bridge.
To bring the Chalice into the Golden Castle, winning game 1, follow
these steps:
Your first objective should be to trap the bat in the Golden Castle
while it is carrying the Gold Key.
Immediately trap the bat, positioning yourself under him at the point
where he is holding the sword - you don't want to be strung out in a
row three across, if possible. Then you might want to descend with
him into the hallway and go left into the next section, the chartreuse
part, to see if Grundle appears and you can skewer him there. After
you do so, or if he does not appear quickly, go two blocks to the right
and then descend with the bat into the Catacombs, where the Gold Key
is (and Grundle may await you, be careful!)
Note: The key is in the northwest part of block 7,
though you will have to descend into block 8 to get it.
Get the bat to exchange the sword for the key, and quickly return with
him to the Golden Castle. If you are holding him right (and have some
luck), you will be able to open the castle gate while still holding
the bat; enter and release the bat in the upper right corner of the
room; if his flight path is correct he will continue flying through the
room for the rest of the game (or until you reenter the room, thus
allowing him to escape). Quickly leave the room before the bat can
attach himself to you again. Note: If the bat escapes your grasp
before you achieve your goal, it is worth finding him immediately and
taking whatever steps are necessary to trap him again. If he escaped
before you got the Gold Key, either start the game over again (the
easiest solution) or get the key and open the castle for when you
find him. Keep the key with you, because you'll want it to exchange
with him for whatever he has.
Once the bat is trapped, return to the Catacombs and spear Grundle (if
he is still alive). After you have done this, leave the sword at the
entrance of the Golden Castle. (If a dragon subsequently gets you,
your sword will be ready to spear reincarnated dragons as soon as you
come back to life).
Next, get the key to the White Castle from the Blue Labyrinth. Go to
the White Castle with it (by descending through the Catacombs) and
cautiously tap open its gate, quickly leaving as soon as you get it
open: Yorgle is inside waiting to get you! If he does, your sword
awaits you as you come back to life; if you escape the castle alive,
you can now retrieve your sword (you may find it easier to carry it
above you) and come back and kill Yorgle.
At this point, get the Bridge and pass into the Labyrinth's Secret
Room. Pick up the Black Key and take it with you.
Travel to the Black Castle and open it (you can drop the key inside
the first room).
Go back to the White Castle and grab the sword. Hold it below you
and as far to the left as you can.
Reenter the Black Castle. In the third room up from the entrance
Rhindle guards the chalice. Go upward smoothly and confidently,
brushing against the right side of the pathway as you go.
This ensures that you will automatically grill him when you meet.
Take the Chalice and win - or first find the Black Dot and go after
the Secret Message.
Authors and artists usually take great pride in their work and enjoy
having their name closely associated with a finished product,
particularly a successful one! The creator of the Atari Adventure
cartridge appears to be no exception to this. He has programmed into
the game a secret message that can be found only after the knowledgeable
player performs an unusual series of maneuvers. This message has become
famous as the first "Easter Egg" in any video game.
View secret message.
To find the message for yourself, begin playing game 2 or game 3,
and continue until you have slain all three dragons. Then, go through
the following steps:
Game 1 Solution
Game 2 Details and Layout
In Game 2 the maze is more complex and the game is considerably more
difficult. Details of the entire "world" would require an enormous
amount of detail. Here are the main regions with
their corresponding block numbers (these numbers are from the same
book I've mentioned above).
Game 2 Solution
First Objective
Suggested Steps
Finding the Secret Message