<!--
	Title: (REVIEWS: GAME SOFTWARE) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
	Author: John Gresham
	Source: MicroTimes, v2(2)
	Date: February 1985
	Transcription by Steve Derby
-->

**Published by:** Infocom Inc., 1984<br>
**For:** IBM PC, Apple II, TRS-80, Commodore 64, ATARI and most MS-DOS systems
Based upon Douglas Adams' book by the same name.

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Infocom Inc. has been making quite a name for itself lately with a rather unique line of
interactive fiction software. Previous titles, *Planetfall* and *Sorcerer*, have sold well and
been well received. The latest entry into the marketplace, *The Hitchhiker's Guide to the
Galaxy*, is almost sure to become a bestseller. The reasons are quite simple. By merging its
proven interactive fiction system with the stories created by Douglas Adams, Infocom has
created a product that allows the user to romp through one of the most popular science
fiction/fantasy storylines of the last decade.

<img class="float-right-half" src="/public/img/articles/microtimes-hhgttg-review/hhgttg-cover.jpg" alt="Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy cover">

For those of you not familiar with the story told in the *Hitchhiker's Guide* trilogy, the story
concerns the adventures of a confused earthling by the name of Arthur Dent. Arthur is the
sole survivor of the demolition of the planet Earth. It may be of some worth to know that
in this story, Earth is accidentally demolished to make way for a hyperspace freeway bypass.
With such total disregard for reality and the Laws of Physics, it is easy to see why poor
Arthur is so confused. With the help of his alien friend, Ford Prefect, he merrily hitchhikes
his way from one odd adventure to another.

The game format for *Hitchhiker's Guide* is really quite simple. The program provides the
user with guidance in the form of situational text. The user then inputs the required action
to the program and a resolution is generated. The unique nature of this program is that all
communication between the program and user is done in basic, friendly English. The supporting
documentation claims the Hitchhiker's Guide has a usable vocabulary of over 800
words. Within the limits of the available words, a great many things can be done by the
player.

An example of a "chapter" of play in the *Hitchhiker's Guide* might include the characters)
regaining consciousness, examining the environment, discovering any problems and
opportunities (if any), and attempting to move on to the next action (or maybe just survive).
The user controls Arthur and all that he carries, does, and says. While this makes for a lot
of action and excitement, it does tend to limit the user options if Arthur is injured or passes
out. In several examples, I had to go through 15-25 play cycles to finally arrive at the proper
response to get Arthur back on his feet.

A truly unique feature of *Hitchhiker's Guide* is the Guide itself. By "consulting the guide"
the user is able to access any number of useful pieces of information. In fact, Arthur's survival
will depend upon proper use of guide information.

The one major problem with the game is that the supporting documentation, while slick
and attractive, is not very helpful as a player aid. The most extreme weakness is the lack of
a list of the entire 800 + word vocabulary that the program utilizes. This would have provided
a great deal more satisfaction than the assortment of Hitchhiker's Guide paraphernalia
supplied in the package. In addition, most of the examples of play are not from
this, but a previous Infocom interactive fiction game. While Infocom claims that learning the
game should be viewed as a puzzle, the only puzzle to me is why a company with the reputation
of Infocom would skimp on a product as good as Hitchhiker's Guide.

In spite of this, *Hitchhiker's Guide* is an excellent game with a great deal going for it.
In addition to an outstanding subject, the execution from the original book trilogy to an
interactive software package is nothing short of super. This package should not only appeal
to the many die-hard fans of the original *Hitchhiker's Guide* book series, but even to
those who have no concept of who or what Zaphod Beeblebrox is. Four and a half stars
for this one.
