Softporn Adventure for Atari 8-bit computers | Review
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In 1981, Chuck Benton was interested in doing database programming on the Apple II. As a test, he developed a small, text-based adventure game. This is how Softporn Adventure was born, originally titled Super Stud Adventure.
"The year is 2020, the skies are green with plutonium, interest rates double annually, and the world has become a strange and bizarre place... the demands of one life are too much to handle. At the suggestion of a friend, you've decided to take a vacation to the notoriously "gambling" town of Lost Vagueness where women and games provide the ultimate diversion for the hard-working average citizen. You've set yourself the erotic fantasy of wooing three women before you return home."In Softporn Adventure (Sierra On-Line, 1981), you play the role of a down-and-out womanizer who must obtain certain items and perform certain actions to achieve his goal: find and seduce three different women. Each one has her own personality, so the same strategy won't work from one girl to the next. Plus, there will be puzzles to solve along the way.
This is a 100% text-based fantasy, where the descriptions of places, characters and actions are full of details, with a pinch of humor and another of mischief.
You won't even find the almost forgotten ASCII Art. Don't expect any sounds, much less melodies, either.
SOFTPORN ADVENTURE
Posted by:Sierra On-Line, 1988.Gender:Text adventure.
Extra:1 player, keyboard.
GAME SCREEN
1. Current location
2. Objects available for viewing
3. Possible directions to take
4. Description of the site/object/character
5. Prompt (for orders/questions)
A MAN WITHOUT A NAME
One of the things that most draws attention to the game - although it easily goes unnoticed - is that you never know the name of theprotagonist. In the manual it is even called a "puppet" (puppet) who will be your eyes and ears in this little virtual world. He will constantly ask you what to do ("What shall I do?Well, you drive your "puppet" ordering him toperform actions and movein certain directions. For this, Softporn Adventure accepts commands -IN ENGLISH- two words like "BUY WINE", "GO NORTH". A phrase like "LOOK AT THE TABLE" is equivalent to "LOOK TABLE". Similarly, there are some commands that can be abbreviated, such as "OR" instead of "GO UP". Others:Lby LOOK,Yoby INVENTORY,Qby QUIT.
The program assumes that thefirst wordit's averb; thesecond, anouno -when applicable, of course. After typing them, pressRETURN
By the way, Softporn Adventure only considers thefirst four (4) lettersof each word. So we can abbreviate something like "EXAMINE FLOWERS" to "EXAM FLOW", with the same results.
Sometimes closed questions (YES or NO) will be asked. In this case, just type the first letter of each one (Y/N); it is not necessary to press RETURN. Likewise, there will be times when you doopen questions-such as access keys to certain areas of the game. In this circumstance, answer a complete word (such as "ABRACADABRA" instead of "SAY ABRACADABRA").
If you ever get stuck in a passage of the game, try to EXAM all the objects around you. In some cases, things will give you clues as to what to do or where to go.
To know how your progress is going, enterSCOREThe unique thing is that it doesn't even measure how much money you have, but how many women you are seducing! The command "INTRO" will give you a summary similar to what you just read.
SMALL TOWN, BIG HELL
The game takes place in three areas - theBar, theDiskand theCasino. Things seem simple, if it weren't for the fact that each stage is divided intodifferent stays, each one must be examined carefully, looking for clues and objects - even with some hidden areas. To navigate them, you will have to indicate the cardinal points to your "puppet" (N=North,S=South,W=West andAND=This) as well as upload (OR) and lower (D). To avoid dizziness, you are always shown theAvailable departuresat the top of the screen.From there, you must explore, collect things, meet and interact with certain characters to find your victims of the moment.descriptionsThey are entertaining and have their surprises, like when you discover thegraffition the wall of the bar's bathroom.
"The stench is unbelievable! Grafitti is all over the walls. Cockroaches don't seem to survive in this place, their dead bodies are strewn everywhere. The sink's faucets are broken- in fact the sink hangs from the wall by its rusty plumbing. A toilet sits in the corner. This baby looks dangerous!"
And when it comes to encounters with thegirls, the tone rises to be "sexually suggestive" so to speak.
"Cute and innocent! Just the way I like my women. Oh, this girl is great! She has a beautiful California tan...and pert little breasts...a trim waist...and well-rounded hips! I dream about getting this nice a girl. I hope you play this game well enough so I can have my jollys with her! You could make your puppet a very happy man!"
THE KINGDOM OF VILE METAL
Another interesting point of the game is that, just like in real life, to achieve your goal you mustmaking and spending money. You start withUS$ 1000; but on this adventure, most things are quite expensive - you have to pay US$100 for a shot of whiskey, for example. Fortunately, we have acasinowhere we canbet and winsome fortunes - or lose everything, in which casegame overThere are two games available:slot machineseitherBlackjack. In the first case, you have to look for what comes outtwo symbolsequals to winUS$300. And if luck is on your side, you can getthree equals and take youUS$ 1500. You can only betUS$100 per time. Holding "Y" will cause you to continuously play one of the slots once activated.
HeBlackjacko 21 is a classic and by far one of the most addictive points of the game. The goal is to get atotal cardsfor avalue equal to or less than 21, andelderlyto the one who at that time has thedealerof cards (your opponent). If the total of a hand exceeds 21, that player loses the game. The rules:
- The dealer must take an additional card if his total is less than 17
- Aces count as 1 or 11; face cards count as 10.
- Ties do not pay any of the players.
- Blackjack (a joker or jack, plus an ace) pays double to the winning player.
- The minimum bet is US$100, there is no maximum
- Plays such as splitting, securing and others are not allowed
Once the cards have been dealt, the dealer will ask you if you want one more ("HIT"). Press "Y" or "N" in response. For those who wish, you can doUS$0 betsby way ofpractice
And as without this data the guide would be incomplete, the total ofminimum moneyto invest in the game isUS$ 5200(that is, you must get US$4200), distributed as follows:
Wine - US$100
Whiskey - US$100
Preacher - US$1000
Hooker - US$2000
Second girl - US$2000
An important difference with the PC and Amiga II versions is that you willsave with the taxi. And while in those places they charged you US$100 per service, here it is free. Likewise, the condom they sell you at the pharmacy is free.
AglitchProven: It is possible to "win over" your first victim without the pimp charging you $2000.
GAME OVER
Given the unique realism of the game, it is also possiblelose one's life...although the circumstances are often quite absurd. Among the ways to die in Softporn Adventure, the following stand out:- Trying to seduce the wrong person
- Infected by having unprotected sex
- Drowned in feces if you flush the toilet in the bar
- The taxi driver gets drunk and you die in a crash
- If you lose all your money at the casino, the game is over too.
Be that as it may, when for some reason you "die" in the game, the program sends you to a "purgatory"where you have the chance toresurrect, just before losing the game;re-elect; eitherfinishthe game. The options are numbered, butchangefitrandom... If you lose, we suggest you pressShift + F5to start all over again.
WALKTHROUGH
I share with you thewalkthrough Complete and testedof the game, for those who are stuck or simply do not have the patience to solve the puzzles.N, HAIL TAXI, CASINO, E, N, PLAY 21 (enter the amount to bet) S, W, HAIL TAXI, DISCO
E, BUY RUBBER (press return to enter color, flavor, etc.), W, HAIL TAXI, BAR
S, PUSH BUTTON, BELLY BUTTON, E, U, WEAR RUBBER, FUCK HOOKER, TAKE CANDY, DROP RUBBER, N, D, LOOK GARBAGE, LOOK CORE, GET SEEDS, W, S, W, GET FLOWERS, N, LOOK BASIN, GET RING, S, E, N, HAIL TAXI, CASINO
E, E, U, W, LOOK ASHTRAY, GET PASSCARD, E, D, W, W, HAIL TAXI, DISCO
N, SHOW PASSCARD, W, BUY WINE, TAKE WINE, GIVE FLOWERS, GIVE CANDY, GIVE RING, E, S, GIVE WINE, GET KNIFE, N, DROP WINE, S, HAIL TAXI, CASINO
N, MARRY GIRL, S, HAIL TAXI, DISCO
N, SHOW PASSCARD, W, S, DIAL 555-0987, N, E, S, HAIL TAXI, CASINO
E, E, U, W, S,FUCK GIRL, USE KNIFE, TAKE ROPE, DROP PASSCARD, DROP KNIFE, N, E, D, LOOK PLANT, ENTER BUSHES, GET STOOL, GET HAMMER, DROP SEEDS, TAKE MUSHROOM, EAT MUSHROOM
(You are now somewhere inside the Bar. If you are not near the bartender, move until you locate him)
BUY WHISKEY, TAKE WHISKEY, W, GIVE WHISKEY, GET UNIT, E, PUSH BUTTON, BELLYBUTTON, E, TV ON, 6, DROP UNIT, U, N, USE ROPE, W, BREAK WINDOW, S, GET PILLS, N, E, DROP ROPE, D, W, HAIL TAXI, CASINO
E, E, U, GIVE PILLS, DROP HAMMER, PUSH BUTTON, E, DROP STOOL, CLIMB STOOL, LOOK CABINET, GET PITCHER, WATER ON, FILL PITCHER, W, PUSH BUTTON, D, ENTER BUSHES, WATER SEEDS, LOOK TREE, GET APPLE, EAT MUSHROOM
(You will again be teleported to some point in the bar; go back to the part where you started the game)
N, HAIL TAXI, CASINO
E, E, U, PUSH BUTTON, U, N, D, GIVE APPLE, SCREW GIRL
P.S.-Yes, I know I ruined it for you.emotionto several, but the objective of this guide is to help them. That is, everything has a clear purposedidactic(yes, of course...).
INTERESTING FACTS
- The Atari version was written by Chris Iden of Yosemite Software Products.- AccordingKen Williams, owner of Sierra, Softporn Adventure sold20 thousand copiesat a time when Apple had barely a million of its devices in the United States. An interesting figure, considering that each disk cost almostUS$ 30
- One of the advantages of the program was that it was one of those few games where you couldrecord your progressand have multiple recorded games - something the emulator left behind, by the way.
- According to the 8-bit manual, Softporn Adventure used "more than 48kmemory, apart from another 48K for recorded trailers."
- In1987, Softporn Adventure became the basis for the seriesLeisure Suit Larry. It is even said that the first installment -Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards- was little more than agraphic versionfrom the original. Even the number of girls is the same as in Softporn Adventure.
THE COVER PHOTO
The game box is one of the few from Atari that shows areal photo. There isthree naked beautiesstuck in a kind oftub(I doubt it's a jacuzzi, very modern for the time) accompanied by awaiter. The bathtub actually belonged to theOwners of Sierra, Ken and Roberta Williams. The circles in the background are a duplicate of the view from the top of the tub.
From left to right, the first woman was aSierra dispatcher-and it's the one that shows the most skin! The second is theBob Davis's wife, the creator of another Sierra title "Ulysses and the Golden Fleece". The waiter... was a real waiter from a local restaurant. And the beauty on the right, wasRoberta Williams, the greatpioneer of graphic adventuresand his best-known work was the King Quest series.
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Can you download it or do you have to play it online?