<!--
	Title: (Critically Speaking...Multi-Systems) Fooblitzky
	Source: Computer Entertainer, v5(3)
	Date: June 1986
	Transcription by Steve Derby
-->

**FOOBLITZKY (⭐⭐⭐ / ⭐⭐⭐½)** is the unexpected: a game
from ***<u>Infocom</u>*** with graphics! (The graphics are of the
simple and cute variety.) Quite a departure from their usual
interactive fiction, this is a multi-player game of deduction
and strategy for ages 14 to adult. The setting is the city of
Fooblitzky, a dog-eat-dog world where your goal is to figure
out and then obtain the four objects needed to win the game.
Fooblitzky is a pleasant little city laid out in quadrants, one
visible at a time on your screen. Its inhabitants, of which you
will become one, are all dogs. (No, that doesn't make it a dog
of a game!) Each player begins by secretly selecting one of
the 18 items (toothpaste, screwdriver, banana, basketball, pig,
teddy bear, etc.) in the game, which is then placed in one of
his or her lockers in the city. (If there are only two or three
players, the computer will select items until a total of four is
reached.) The computer then displays the cost of each of the
four correct items, an important clue to be noted. Each player
is issued money (foobles), exactly twice as much as needed to
buy each one of the correct items.

## Similar to a Boardgame

Gameplay is similar to that of a boardgame, except that the
computer keeps track of things and avoids problems like
losing small game markers and dice. The idea in FOOBLITZKY
is to move among the quadrants of the city, visiting the stores
to purchase items and learn what's out of stock (another
possible clue to what the correct items are). There are six
different kinds of stores, each carrying three different items.
Each quadrant has the same six kinds of stores, but their stock
may not be the same. Instead of visiting a store in person,
though, you can use a turn to phone and find out what's in
stock. The game has a variety of "activity squares" such as
restaurants (earn foobles by washing dishes), UGH
(Underground Gliding Highway for moving between quadrants),
pawn shops (buy or sell items), lockers, hospitals (where
you're sent when hit by a car at a crosswalk), check point
(tells how many correct items you're carrying), and Charity
Central (donate all items you're carrying). There are additional
activities, such as bumping another player or running into the
Chance Man (who may do nice or not-so-nice things to you,
depending on his mood). And if the standard game doesn't
please you, it's possible to enter an option screen to change
the rules.

## Traditional Family Fun

FOOBLITZKY offers the traditional kind of family fun that
has always appealed to fans of boardgames. The difference is
that the computer can add a dimension not found in any
boardgame because it can hide things and keep track of the
"secrets" of the game without the need for a non-participating
referee. Although the game is very different from the usual
Infocom fare, it still shows the Infocom touch -- a wry sense of
humor. (Who else would populate a city with dogs and call it
Footblitzky?) If you're looking for a good game for the family
or friends, one that will make everyone think and yet not be
too serious, you'll enjoy FOOBLITZKY. (2 to 4 players;
Joystick and/or keyboard; 128K disk.) Reviewed on 128K
Apple IIe; also available for IBM PC/PCjr, Atari XL/XE;
Coming soon for Macintosh.

Recommended. (MSR $39.95)
