Someone who goes by the handle of “bluechemist” posted this collection that takes me back to my youth: a composite scan of 66 covers from the old Choose Your Own Adventure series of books. I loved these books. They inspired the first computer game I ever wrote, New York Subway, my first serious foray into programming using the BASIC programming language as well as into telling tasteless jokes*. Really, really, really tasteless jokes (hey, I was 13). As my wife will tell you, I’m still programming and still telling tasteless jokes.
* No, the source code no longer exists in readable form: it’s on a TRS-80 cassette tape that has been lost to the ages.
Pictured below is a quick preview of the book covers. Click the image to see it at full size:
Bonus: Someone had the same idea I did and ran with it much farther. Brad: The Game is a very tasteless web game with all the Choose Your Own Adventure interactivity and all the New York Subway tastelessness (perhaps even more!). I’ve played it many times, and have ended up dead, joining the Greek Navy, found my pants and scored 72 times in a single night.
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I read like half of those books. Oh, the memories!
Dude. I LOVED those books. As I recall, in "Inside UFO 54-40" there was a certain scenario I just couldn't get to, so I read all the pages consecutively, searching for the way to get to one of the outcomes, and sure enough, there wasn't a way to get there.
I seem to recall crying about that.
Thanks for the nostalgia hit Joey, that's a great image. I found a pretty thorough index with all of the summaries and individual images at http://www.gamebooks.org/show_series.php?name=Choose+Your+Own+Adventure, enjoy.
The dude on the cover of Deadwood City actually looks a bit like Ian McShane
I also loved those books ! I also had about half of them and would have bought more if I could find them. Oh man the memories...
Love them!
I can confirm the UFO54-40 story. I did he same thing. I used read a few scenarios, then I'd search for the best route that had the most successful ending. The best ending in 54-40 was unattainable. Damn you 'Choose Your Own Adventure'!
Here's the thing about that ending in Inside UFO 54-40. I did get there. Once I figured it out, I realized how simple it was. But it's like the Kobayashi Maru in Star Trek.
I agree that the cover art for the first 60 or so titles was the best. The replacement cover art in the updated versions doesn't compare.
So the very first choose your own adventure book I read was about your teacher being a vampire and his name was Mr. Draco. Does anyone remember the title of this book? I haven't been able to find it anywhere.