Swiss Family Robinson

The Good
I have to say that I received a Commodore 128 for my birthday one year, and the Swiss Family Robinson was one of the first games that I had ever played. It opened the door to gaming for me back in the day, and I have been hooked since. Just seeing the screenshots now brings back so many memories. The gameplay is easy enough for the beginner, yet still offers challenges to the experienced gamer. Simple typed commands are all that is required, yet if I remember correctly there were some challenging puzzles.

"What is a Tiger steak anyway?" Who knows but evidently you can eat it!

The Bad
By today's standards it is slow, with the obviously slow loading times. It has forced me to use the cliche "back in the day" :) It reminds me how old I am now.

The Bottom Line
I would definitely recommend this game to anyone. If I had the chance to play it again, and show the kids how mom chopped up a tiger old school like....I would! For my fellow poster.........In order to get up on deck from below deck, I think you have to type in "go topside". Don't ask me how I remember that!

The Good
The thing I admire most about Swiss Family Robinson (SFR) is that it stands the test of time. Sure, the graphics and technology are obviously outdated, but the game is still a fun, interactive, survival adventure that actually requires the player to use the old noggin to problem solve.

As far as text-based games go, this one, along with Treasure Island, is one of the best. The text interface at the bottom of the screen is great. The best aspect of the interface is that, unlike in many other text-based games at the time, it's user-friendly. For example, if you type in a command like GO, the program automatically highlights the command to let you know it's a legitimate command. There's no guesswork involved as there is in so many other text adventures.
Additionally, a quick press of F5 will reveal all major usable commands. The interface is also relatively small and gives the gamer a nice view of the artwork above.

And it's nice that the space for the artwork is big, because given the technology at the time, the artwork was pretty amazing. Although very simple by today's standards it can still be appreciated, especially by anyone who had to work with the very restrictive tools of the graphics trade in the 80s.

More than anything though, it's the fun gameplay that's the highlight of this game. If you like puzzle solving and modern day adventure games, or even choose your own adventure books you'll love SFR.

The Bad
One of the frustrating aspects of any text-based game is not knowing exactly what to do at a given point in time. Sometimes when the answers to a puzzle just aren't popping into your head these types of games don't always provide viable alternatives to sometimes silly solutions. Fortunately, SFR is pretty good about helping gamers along. Part of the help comes from the type-sensitive tool. For example if you type the first few letters of a command or object you wish to interact with, the rest of the text will appear. This is not only a time saver but can also be used to provide you with clues.

One of the most frustrating examples I can think of occurs early in the game. In order to pick up some necessary supplies, you must go below the deck of the ship. For the life of me I cannot remember how to get back up on the main deck! Go Up doesn't work, Directions don't work, Go Stairs doesn't work. This type of situation is the most annoying part of this game. If you can handle that though, you're in for a treat if you play it.

The Bottom Line
The first time I played Swiss Family Robinson (SFR), I was completely blown away. I'd always liked text-based adventure games, but this was one of the first I'd played that combined amazing graphics (at the time), music (!!) and absolutely outstanding text-based gameplay.

In SFR you fill the shipwrecked shoes of Fritz Robinson, the more resourceful son of the Robinson family. Your primary concern throughout the game is survival. You start the game by figuring out how to get your family off of a wrecked schooner and out of shark infested waters. Once on the nearby tropical island you must find ways to meet their basic needs of shelter, food, and water. Once you've satisfied these basics needs you'll eventually need to find a way to be rescued - without drawing too much attention from the local pirates!

As with many text-based adventures, you navigate the gameworld by typing in simple commands such as East, West, Go Up, etc. Much of the gameplay is focused on problem solving skills. For example, when escaping from the initial shipwreck you are presented with a picture of your family on the deck of the ship and several barrels and potential tools such as rope, canvas, etc. By Taking and Using items in the gameworld you solve problems such as the "how do I escape from the ship" problem in order to progress through the game. Although this may sound a bit dull, it really isn't. Some of the highlights of the game include fighting off pirates, hunting big game, and raising your own crops to feed your family. As odd as "raising crops" sounds when thrown in with pirates and hunting, these simple aspects of the game are very enjoyable.

If you like text adventures or the old choose your own adventure books then you owe it to yourself to check out this classic adventure game.
You don't even need a Commodore 64! Go find yourself a good Commodore 64 emulator (email me for a link or just search for Vice), visit Arnold's Archive online to pick up a game ROM and try this game.

Old Games Rock! This is one of the good ones that stands the test of time.

Be sure to check out other excellent Windham Classics games like Below the Root, Alice in Wonderland, and Treasure Island. The story and gameplay in these titles are outstanding, even today.

• Marc Nottke