The Queen of Phobos is a graphical text adventure for the Apple II published by American studio Phoenix Software in 1982.
| The Queen of Phobos | |
|---|---|
 Manual cover | |
| Publisher(s) | Phoenix Software[1] |
| Programmer(s) | Paul Berker |
| Artist(s) | William R. Crawford |
| Writer(s) | William R. Crawford |
| Platform(s) | Apple II[2] |
| Release | 1982 |
| Genre(s) | Interactive fiction |
Gameplay
edit
The game is represented by still black and white line images accompanied by short text descriptions, and controlled by means of two word text commands.[3] The player searches the derelict Martian spacecraft Queen of Phobos for the "Mask of Kuh-Thu-Lu" while avoiding or killing the four looters also searching for the mask.[4][5]
Reception
editThe game was well-received, with Kim Schuette describing it as "A well implemented, nicely paced, fast acting adventure of average difficulty" in his 1984 Book of Adventure Games.[4] Margo Comstock Tommervik of Softalk commented that "It's a hi-res adventure, but the graphics—unusual well-done line drawings, not color—are used for a scenario that would do fine as a text adventure, and not for their own sake", concluding "Queen of Phobos offers several evenings of pleasurable, if frustrating, diversion for the adventurer."[6] In Creative Computing, Graham Unwin rated Queen of Phobos a 4/5 for quality of graphics and a 2/5 for complexity.[7]
References
edit- ^ Comstock Tommervik, Margo, ed. (November 1982). "Fastalk". Softalk. Vol. 3, no. 3. North Hollywood, California: Softalk Publishing Inc. p. 14. ISSN 0274-9629 – via archive.org.
- ^ Green, Wayne, ed. (January 1983). "Queen of Phobos". Microcomputing. Vol. 7, no. 1. Peterborough, NH: Wayne Green, Inc. ISSN 0744-4567 – via archive.org.
- ^ Comstock Tommervik, Margo, ed. (April 1982). "Queen of Phobos: Hi-Res Adventure". Softalk. Vol. 2, no. 8. North Hollywood, California: Softalk Publishing Inc. p. 37. ISSN 0274-9629 – via archive.org.
- ^ a b Schuette, Kim (1984). The Book of Adventure Games. Arrays, Inc. pp. 145–147. ISBN 0-912003-08-1 – via archive.org.
- ^ Katz, Arnie, ed. (March 1983). "Adventures Through Time and Space". Electronic Games. Vol. 1, no. 13. New York, NY: Reese Publishing Company. p. 52 – via archive.org.
- ^ Comastock Tommervik, Margo (September 1982). "Queen of Phobos". Softalk. Vol. 3, no. 1. North Hollywood, California: Softalk Publishing Inc. p. 135. ISSN 0274-9629 – via archive.org.
- ^ Unwin, Graham (October 1983). "Adventures in Education". Creative Computing. Vol. 9, no. 10. Morristown, NJ: Ahi Computing, Inc. pp. 150, 156–157. ISSN 0097-8140 – via archive.org.