Dallas Quest

• Release Date: 1984
• Genre: Adventure
• Style: Text-Based Adventure

Game Description

Who shot oil baron J.R.? You won't find out in the jaw-dropping Dallas Quest, but you will find him disguised as a cannibal, in this example of why TV adventure game adaptations weren't quick to catch on. True Dallas fans who boot up this game might wonder where the soap opera is. They might also wonder why they're expected to solve puzzles that involve actions such as giving a pair of sunglasses to an owl.

Instead of translating the oil family drama to computer game form, the game employs an early plot twist which lands you in the jungle, searching for a lost map. Most puzzles involve giving items to a procession of weirdly Disney-like animals who live in the rain forest. After giving a monkey some tobacco and figuring out that you're supposed to "TICKLE ANACONDA," you must pass a jungle tribe's test of courage and awaken a sleeping stone god.

After a magical spell whisks you back to J.R.'s mansion the complete cast of Dallas finally shows up, right as the game ends. Miss Ellie then declares "I'm tired of all this fussin' and feudin'!" and throws your treasure map into the fire. This attempt to turn a prime time soap opera into a Scott Adams adventure seems beyond belief, even for a TV show that once declared an entire season to be "only a dream."

Production Credits

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