Being a lover of gamebooks, it is my goal to beat (without cheating) and review every full system gamebook ever made! Ambitious maybe....but what the heck else do I have to do?
SPOILER ALERT! These reviews are intended as a journal for myself and for those who have already played the books, so there will be SPOILERS involved. I would also love to hear the thoughts of others on these series as well!
I have entered the various series I have played so far below, which will link to that series page with corresponding reviews and scores as I play them. Links to all the series review pages are also located on the right hand side of the Home page. I am avoiding reading other reviews for the books until after I write my own to prevent any spoilers or for having the opinions of others influencing my own thoughts.
In addition to giving a score out of 10, I will also include placement within a tier (Great, Good, Ok, Bad), how many attempts it took me to beat the book fairly (this could vary greatly from the experience of others I've found out just due to pure luck, or lack thereof), and an ongoing ranking of the book within the series. The ranking determinations are pretty simple, how much fun did I have playing it? Most enjoyment wins!
For an explanation of the tiers, my definitions are as follows:
Great - The Classics. The Hall of Famers. A must play for gamebook aficionados! In my opinion, do not miss these!
Good - A very enjoyable gamebook, however missing one or two things that could have made it great
Ok - Overall, a solid gamebook where the positives outweigh the negatives and a worthwhile play
Bad- A gamebook that either needs a massive overhaul or one that shouldn't have been released in the first place.
I've also added a HALL OF FAME section where I will be putting the books I feel are the absolute classics and have them grouped by year of publication.
Always nice to discover a new game book blog.
ReplyDeleteI'll be reading your reviews and posting comments in due course.
Thanks Ed! Most appreciated!
DeleteHowdy John thanks for the blog it was a great trip down nostalgia lane for me, Saturday mornings curled up in bed reading the gamebook freshly borrowed from the library on Friday night. Two of my absolute favourites that you haven't already covered are Duelmaster and the bloodsword series... Just in case you hadn't heard of them. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading it Ghost! Bloodsword is on my list for sure, looking forward to it. I also have very fond memories of playing the early FFs. A big part of our childhoods!
DeleteHi John, thanks for the amazing reviews (completely on the Citadel O/C... one of his best). I was just wondering how one might get in touch with you. I'd love to let you know about a project that myself and a colleague are working on...
ReplyDeleteMany thanks
James Gill (& James Isaacs)
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hammerforge/legion-of-the-necromancer
Updated nineties list:
ReplyDelete1. Fighting Fantasy - books 46-59
2. Adventures of Goldhawk
3. Lone Wolf - books 13-28
4. Virtual Reality
5. Fabled Lands
6. Eternal Champions
7. Star Wars: The Lost Jedi
8. Sonic the Hedgehog (two different series based on this character)
9. Adventure Gamebooks by Herbie Brennan
10. Lemmings Adventure Gamebooks
11. Stephen Thraves Compact Gamebooks
12. Stephen Thraves Adventure Gamebooks
13. Heroquest
14. Knightmare
15. Legendmaker
16. Gladiators
17. The Adventure Squad
18. Knuckleduster Interactive Western Adventures
19. Carmen Sandiego
20. Lost World: Jurassic Park Role-Playing Game Book
21. Australian Adventure Gamebooks
22. Asterix - Alea Jacta Est
Still to go (updated seventies-eighties list):
ReplyDeleteAdvanced Dungeons and Dragons Coloring Album
The Magnamund Companion (includes a one-off solo adventure)
You Are Maggie Thatcher
The Dark Usurper
High Fantasy
Tunnels and Trolls
You Are Slaine in Tomb of Terror
Rally
He-Man and the Memory Stone
You Party Needs You
Starlight Adventures