Web site: (not active)
Category: Games
Sub-Category: Action, Adventure
Platform: Atari 2600
License: Proprietary
Interface: GUI
Wikipedia: Adventure_(1980_video_game)
First release: 1980
Adventure – a computer game for the Atari 2600, created in 1979, which is one of the first games in the action-adventure genre. The game’s creator, Warren Robinett, became the first known developer in the world to place an Easter egg in a game.
The game was inspired by the text-based game “Colossal Cave Adventure,” created by Will Crowther and modified by Don Woods. Although the game’s prototype was text-based, it is graphical. “Adventure” sold over a million copies, making it the seventh-best-selling Atari 2600 game of all time.
In 1979, developers were not allowed to put their names on their released works. Robinett took a clever approach by inserting a hidden mention of himself into the game itself, creating what is now known as an Easter egg. According to Warren, the first person to discover the secret was a young gamer from Salt Lake City, who reported it to Atari.
The Easter egg could only be discovered on difficulty levels 2 or 3, by finding an “invisible” (blending into the background) 1×1 pixel object and delivering it to a secret room through a false wall (the passage is otherwise invisible) in the golden castle. Upon reaching the secret room, the player received the message “Created by Warren Robinett.”
The player’s main objective is to find the cup and return it to the golden castle. The player character, represented by a simple square, travels through castles, labyrinths, and various rooms. Some of these rooms contain a sword, keys, each of which can unlock a specific lock (gold, black, and white), a magic bridge that allows movement through walls, and a magnet that attracts other objects.
The labyrinths contain three dragons that guard important items and can only be killed with a sword. There’s also a bat, which can arbitrarily take or leave items in rooms, as well as steal items from the player character. The player character can also grab the bat and ride it through the labyrinths.
A sequel to “Adventure” was announced in early 1982, but it was later converted into the “Swordquest” series. The sequel itself was released in 2005 for the Atari Flashback 2 retro console.
