The Wizard of Oz

In The Wizard of Oz text adventure, you move through a story rather than explore an area, like in most interactive fiction games. I think more games should work like this, since it plays more to the genre's strengths. It's relatively good for kids because you don't have to map anything. Essentially, you move from scene to scene from the book, and solve little puzzles along the say. --That is until you get to the Emerald City, and that's why I want to review this unreviewed game. Once the Wizard sets you the task of killing the Wicked Witch of the West, the game starts bringing in characters and scenes from the book's first sequel, the Marvelous Land of Oz. I think this is a really good idea, and if they ever try to do a new adaptation of the book as a movie or TV show, this would be a good way to make the new version different enough from the original to not invite constant comparison, as well as to handle the problem of Dorothy not being in the second story if their planning to do a series. Also, the sequel tells you so much about the Land of Oz and its history and answers so many questions you might have from reading just the first book, it gives you a much fuller experience.

The graphics (in the C64 version) are quaint, and I enjoy the little tunes the game plays for you from time to time. The writing is appropriate for kids, but perhaps not as witty as the source material. I think this game doesn't receive the attention it deserves.

(As an aside, if you're playing this from a download, because, after all, magnetic disks don't last forever, don't play the DOS version, I'm pretty sure all the DOS versions available online are missing their second disks and your game will end when you get to Emerald City. C64 has better art and sound anyway.)

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