There's a couple of names that crop up regularly within Softside magazine, a publication dedicated to the brand-new home computer industry in the United States. Initially focused on the Tandy TRS-80 (sold through Radioshack), it would later expand into producing issues for other devices like the Apple ][ and the IBM PC. In the very earliest issues, SoftSide feels like being part of a small club. We see a small group of enthusiastic programmers produce games and more, and we see the magazine help sell them through its software publishing arm, The Software Exchange.
One such name, Lance Micklus, is all over the listings. Much of his work was produced free for the reader—they just had to type the BASIC into their TRS-80 by hand, but his programs (particularly the games) were also prolific within the for-sale section.
One of Micklus' many listings for the TRS-80. The late 70s were truly a time unburdened by copyright concerns!
Dog Star Adventure first appears for sale within the April 1979 issue but just one month later appears with its full source code available for hand transcription. It's notable for appearing so soon after Scott Adams' Adventure and, given Micklus' varied other listings, shows some real skill at working with the limitations of the system. There are, however, several typos within the published code, so I am wary of investing any time attempting to get it transcribed and working. Instead, I'll be playing a Commodore PET version from a little later using a Commodore 64 emulator. The game was also re-released (I think in 1981) as DEATH PLANET The Dog Star Adventure, Other Venture #5 through Scott Adams' Adventure International.
"HAMBURGER" vs "HAMBERGER".
Starting and Mapping
Right. I've done several text adventures now, so I know that I shouldn't start the game by trying to win but instead by creating as complete and accurate a game map as possible. Dog Star Adventure does not have a huge world, but it manages to squeeze in two small maze-like areas: the research labs and the pipes. The latter stymies me a little until I realise there are two rooms with the same description! Other than that, there's not too much to note here. The game is similar in size to Adventureland but has a more thematically consistent world most likely helped by the fact that the setting was cribbed from elsewhere. There's treasures to collect and a few simple puzzles. I've had the two outliers spoilt. The "BIG MAC" (in the version I'm playing) use and the BLASTER hidden in the supply depot.
I actually quite like the supply depot puzzle. It doesn't seem completely unreasonable to have a location within a text adventure that has so many different things that they cannot be listed and so the player needs to identify them in advance. If there was some sort of partial inventory list found nearby, this would have felt fair. Unfortunately, a player going in blind would have needed a very lucky guess (or to have a cheeky look at the code) to pass this check.
I do find one unusual issue with the Commodore version I am playing. When I die, the game does not correctly clear my inventory. I only notice this when I go to pick up (and load) the blaster in the supply depot and am told I am carrying too much. I have to fully reset the emulator each time I lose. I do wonder if this would let me score higher than the maximum points by duplicating treasures, but I would rather move on to greener pastures.
Finishing Up
The random element to guards (stormtroopers) walking into rooms seriously hinders my attempts at collecting all the treasures in one legitimate run. I am pretty sure that the BLASTER is meant to be loaded when it is picked up rather than requiring the additional ammunition in the supply depot immediately. This would increase the number of guards I could handle from four to eight, giving me a bit more freedom to wander the ship. Given that there's two mandatory kills (one in the testing lab and the other in the strategic planning room), failing the game if three random encounters happen feels more than a little cruel. Luckily, the version I am playing (incorrectly?) retains my progress upon death; items remain in my inventory or where they have been dropped rather than returning to their original locations.
Only a single treasure remains and eventually I give up, resorting to looking up the answer online. The supply depot had a third item all along! I can use the cassette tape I find their to make a copy of the invasion plans.
And there we go:
This Commodore 64 version is clearly not happy, but at least I have the full 215 points.
Closing Thoughts
Dog Star Adventure is a solid example of a very early BASIC adventure game. It is not, however, that interesting to play. While it's a product of its time, a time in which hobbyists were breaking through and managing to sell their personal products to the public, I'm not happy with the setting. This is exacerbated by the Commodore version making every previously loose reference to Star Wars completely explicit. It even launches with an ASCII-art picture of Darth Vader! I didn't find a playable copy with a cursory search, but I might have reacted more positively to this game by playing the Adventure International version as I imagine that would be a little more sanitised.
The puzzles aren't too bad. Locking yourself out of victory by using the COMMUNICATOR to open the bay doors and leaving the flight deck a vacuum at the wrong point is neat. The world layout is perfectly reasonable. It's roughly the same size as a Scott Adams adventure, there's little that feels unfair, and no locations that I think are completely illogical. The only difficult-to-map section is a maze of pipes and even that fits within the design of the setting in a believable way.
Is it Worth Playing?
Not in the modern day, but the source code found within SoftSide is interesting. Certainly avoid the Commodore 64 port.
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Loot for the Hoard:
Secret attack plans, recorded on a cassette tape.
My Map:
(Click to view in full size)
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