Infocom's Zork II

The next step downward to danger, and the second installment to the classic Zork trilogy, the still excellent (despite a certain puzzle involving baseball) Zork II has once again appeared on eBay. By bidding on this Zork II auction you'll be attempting to grab a complete boxed MS-DOS/IBM-compatible version of the game with all it feelies, manuals and things. 

Seller ships only within the US.

14 wonderful Infocom games

Interactive storytelling masters and creators of the feelies Infocom were not only famous for crafting some of the best and most important text adventures ever. They also knew how to box these up in beautiful, immersive game boxes packed with goodies, maps, and excellent prose. As for this Infocom collection eBay auction, well, it is a fine chance to grab 14 of said classics in one move.

The games on offer are all complete in their respective boxes, and they all seem to be in good condition. Among them you will find A Mind Forever Voyaging, Wishbringer, The Lurking Horror, Trinity, Sorcerer, Stationfall, and Deadline.

Seller ships to many places worldwide.

The Lurking Horror (MS-DOS)

Despite its flaws, I 've always loved Infocom's horror text adventure The Lurking Horror, and considered it one of my favourite spooky games of all time. Also, the most lavishly boxed genre offering I've ever enjoyed, as the game has indeed gotten the full Infocom treatment. The winner of this The Lurking Horror (MS-DOS) eBay auction is bound to find out this to be true too. The game on offer, you see, does come complete with all the awesome feelies it originally shipped, disk, manuals, and even the Infocom Passport.

Seller ships worldwide.

Starcross (Infocom)

This Starcross (Atari 400/800) eBay auction is bound to end up reaching very high prices, as, admittedly, it is the rare and highly sought-after saucer edition of Infocom's classic text adventure for the Atari 8-bits. What's more, and feelies and manuals aside, you'll also be bidding on a disk-less version of the rare Suspended.

Seller ships only within the US.

The Lost Treasures of Infocom (DOS)

The box might not be as lavish as the ones from Infocom's glory days, but it's still a lovely and hefty thing packed with two huge books, many maps, and lots of 5.25" and 3.5" disks containing 20 classic pieces of interactive fiction. Yes, bidding on this finely preserved, boxed, MS-DOS version of The Lost Treasures of Infocom on eBay is a wise thing to do. From Planetfall and The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, to Zork and Deadline, this is a box that will provide you with hundreds of hours of quality, texty entertainment.

Seller ships only within the United States.

The Hitchhicker's Guide to the Galaxy (C64)

Co-authored by Steve Meretzky and Douglas Adams, Infocom's The Hitchhickers Guide to the Galaxy is one of the funniest games ever and a unique, highly intriguing and downright brutal text adventure. It might not be the pinnacle of interactive fiction design, mind you, but THHGTTG is filled with outrageous ideas, imaginative puzzles and tons of laugh-out-loud moments.

What's more, a boxed and rather rare Commodore 64 5.25" disk version of the game has been put up for sale via this The Hitchhickers Guide to the Galaxy (C64) eBay auction. The game comes complete in its box with everything it was originally packed with, including of course the bit of fluff, the peril sensitive glasses and the microscopic space fleet.

Seller ships only within Europe.

Infocom's Wishbringer for the Atari ST

One of the best pieces of interactive fiction Infocom ever produced, Wishbringer is an amazing text adventure with top quality writing, impressive design and themes that actually matter. Is also is a brilliant game you can grab via this Wishbringer (Atari ST) eBay auction. It's a complete, boxed copy.

Seller ships worldwide.

Fooblitzky (Atari 800XL)

Infocom's interesting and only slightly desperate video/board-game hybrid, Fooblitzky, despite being described as a "computer graphics strategy game" failed to save the company and became a rather rare and very intriguing oddity instead. Here's what the Digital Antiquarian has to say about it and here's a Fooblitzky (Atari 800) eBay auction. It's the boxed Atari 8-bit version of the game you'll be bidding on and it's only missing a single marker.

Seller ships worldwide.

The Zork Chronicles by George Alec Effinger

When I started reading George Alec Effinger's The Zork Chronicles I was expecting a decent, possibly humorous fantasy novel that would mainly interest me due to its Zorkian theme. I never expected the brilliant, incredibly clever, well written and decidedly weird piece of fiction I encountered and can't help but heartily recommend.

So, here's a Zork Chronicles eBay auction you might want to check out. Seller ships worldwide.

A Mind Forever Voyaging (Infocom)

A Mind Forever Voyaging by Steve Meretzky and Infocom was one of the first successfully political science fiction adventures ever. An innovative, excellently written and cleverly designed interactive story that posed intriguing questions regarding our collective future and managed to be one of the most engrossing games I have played to this very day.

As with most Infocom releases, it also came in a lavish box you can actually own by bidding on this A Mind Forever Voyaging (PC) eBay auction. The game is complete in its box and the seller is willing to ship worldwide.

Beyond Zork (MS-DOS)

A complete, boxed version of Infocom's Beyond Zork for MS-DOS has appeared on eBay and is looking as enticing as ever. The game comes complete with the original disk, manual, reference card, 1987 Infocom Catalogue, Southland of Quendor map, The Lore and Legends of Quendor booklet and an unused warranty card. As an added bonus the seller has thrown in a copy of the game on CD and a photocopied article about Beyond Zork from the New York Times dated December 22, 1987.

Seller ships to most places worldwide.

Enchanter Trilogy (MS-DOS)

Three Infocom boxes, filled with lovely Infocom interactive fiction goodies, in one big Infocom box is what the highest bidder on the Enchanter Trilogy eBay auction will be getting. The trilogy features complete copies of Enchanter, Sorcerer and Spellbreaker for MS-DOS and is rather rare(-ish) and a beautiful thing to play through if you ever loved Zork.

Seller ships worldwide.

A short break and a bit of Infocom

Hello dearest Retro Treasurers!

I'm just letting you know that this blog will go on a two weeks vacation and hence not do much to support your collecting hobby for that period. Also, let me wish you all a brilliant summer! It's something I really need  too as, well, exhaustion does have to be combated :)

In the meantime, of course, here's a lovely auction for the Mac version  of The Lost Treasures of Infocom. It comes packed in a big boxed, sports 20 of the best text adventures ever created and a ton of printed stuff to read. Seller ships to more than a few places worldwide.

Infocom Invisiclues: Cutthroats & Seastalker

Two classic Invisiclues hint books by Infocom that have remained unopened for 30 years and come with their magic markers are quite the adventure collector's dream. Happily, they are not exorbitantly priced either (not at the time of writing, at least) and you can grab them both via this Cutthroats & Seastalker Invisiclues auction. Seller ships worldwide.

Zork Quest 1: Assault on Egreth Castle (C64/128)

Infocom's 1988 interactive, digital comic book, the lovable Zork Quest 1: Assault on Egreth Castle, can happily be bought over at eBay. It's the boxed, sealed and thus complete version of the game on disk for the Commodore 64 and 128. Seller ships worldwide.

Infocom's rare and expensive Starcross

With a price that has already surpassed $300 and more than 4 days left to it, we can be more than certain that this particular copy of Infocom's Starcross being auctioned off over at eBay is going to end up being very expensive indeed. Not that this is particularly shocking when you consider it's the rare and highly collectible flying saucer (1st) edition of the game for the Apple IIe/c/c+, but I thought I'd warn everyone. 

The game is apparently in excellent condition and the seller is shipping worldwide.

Infocom's Deadline (Apple II)

Infocom's brilliant and verbose mystery-'em-up piece of interactive fiction, Deadline, hasn't aged a day and has never really been surpassed. It's also a fine example of how to fully integrate feelies into gameplay, but, well, I digress. Deadline for the Apple II has once again appeared on eBay in its complete, boxed version and apparently fine condition. Seller ships only within the US. Grab it, will you?

Infocom's Fooblitzky (Atari 8-bit)

Ah, yes, the venerable Fooblitzky: Infocom's attempt at a computer/board-game hybrid with graphics, that sadly flopped yet remains a highly collectible and interesting curio... Well, know that you can always bid on a complete, boxed version of Fooblitzky for your Atari 8-bit micro on eBay. Everything seems to be in excellent condition and the box comes complete with The Infocom markers, floppy disk, reference card, player boards, manual and the "bare essential" mini-manual. Seller ships worldwide.

Leather Goddesses of Phobos (Amiga)

Leather Goddesses of Phobos by Infocom is a brilliant, sexy, funny and excellently written text-adventure, that has aged beautifully and still manages to provide with a ton of choices ranging from the gender of the main character to the game's naughtiness. Taking into account that the Amiga hasn't aged at all either, well, you should really take a look at this Leather Goddesses of Phobos auction.

The games comes complete in its box, meaning all the amazing feelies, including the unscratched scratch-'n'sniff thiny, are there and everything is in near mint condition. Seller ships worldwide.

The Lurking Horror (Amiga)

Sporting excellent writing, spooky sound-effects, an incredibly evocative (and goodies filled) box, tough yet great puzzles and a brilliant modern-day Lovecraftian plot, The Lurking Horror by Infocom was (still is actually) a great piece of interactive fiction. And, yes, I did actually say so back when I retro reviewed it... I really do love the thing.

Happily you too, oh Amiga gamers, can love it or, well, love it again by owning this lovely The Lurking Horror copy. It's the complete, boxed Amiga version of the game and it does seem to be in great condition. Seller ships worldwide.