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	Title: (Reviews) Ballyhoo
	Author: Joan Rouleau
	Source: COMPUTE!'s Gazette, v4(6)
	Date: June 1986
	Transcription by Steve Derby
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From up in the bleachers, the circus is all glitter and daring, a magical
kaleidoscope of improbable images. But watching the circus I always want to sneak
backstage, to see the performers between acts and explore the shadowy
world lurking beneath all the glitz. At last I've found the opportunity with
*Ballyhoo*, Infocom's richly evocative, often exasperating, and very clever new
text adventure.

The game begins as the circus performance ends. You are prowling
around behind the big top, trying on stray masks and peering into the prop
tent, when you overhear a conversation between the circus boss and a detective
about the mysterious disappearance oi the circus boss's daughter. Neither the
boss nor the detective sounds terribly concerned or competent, so you valiantly
resolve to find her on your own. Thus begins your foray into the seamy
underworld of the circus.

Once you become immersed in the game, though, you may discover that
your mission to find the abducted girl becomes secondary to exploring the
bizarre and chimerical world around you. Sympathetic as you are to the girl's
plight, you can hardly pass up the opportunity to walk a tightrope, watch an
impromptu clown act, play with the exotic animals, or be hypnotized by Rimshaw
the Incomparable. And often in pursuing these seemingly pointless diversions
you can pick up some clues to the mystery.

But *Ballyhoo*, true to the Infocom tradition, is not for the impatient. Clues
are hidden under layers of red herrings; some maneuvers have to be repeated
two or three times before they'll work, while others are stubbornly refused;
and each of the circus folk, from the tiny midget to the 827-pound Tina, is
evasive when not downright cantankerous. Even the seasoned Infocom
player is well-advised to draw a map, take copious notes, and leave no gorilla
suit unturned.

While the game can frustrate —- don't expect to complete it in a day -— it can
also charm. Great care was taken to evoke the atmosphere of the circus: You
hear a calliope in the distance, you smell the musty elephant tent nearby, you feel
the rough canvas of the tent as you sneak behind the big top. Many of the
scenarios and props are added solely for their humor. And often the responses to
your commands are whimsical or ironic.

The parsing in *Ballyhoo* is surprisingly flexible. You can, for instance,
make commands such as "Take the apple. Polish it. Put it in the box." or
'Drop all except the mask and the cheese morsel." You can also ask questions
of specific characters, or use invaluable Infocom commands such as
VERBOSE (for a thorough description of each location) and OOPS (which alows
you to retype only the word you typed incorrectly in the last sentence).

As can be expected from Infocom, the packaging of *Ballyhoo* is splendid.
The game comes with a circus ticket (or *Annie Oakley*, in circus lingo), a balloon,
and a superbly illustrated circus program (or bible). Included in the booklet
are a brief history of circuses, a colorful description of each of the key *Ballyhoo*
characters, and a glossary of circus jargon (so that you too can toss around
terms like *Annie Oakley*, *bible*, *lotlice*, etc.). There are also several pages of
clearly written instructions, explanations, and tips. But don't be misled: The
mysteries of *Ballyhoo* are not easily unraveled. Or, as the program has wryly
told me more than once, "You'll have to do that yourself."

*Infocom, Inc.<br>
55 Wheeler St.<br>
Cambridge, MA 02138<br>
$39.95*
