About Micro Adventurer Magazine
Step back in time to the early 1980s and immerse yourself in the captivating world of Micro Adventurer, a British magazine that left an enduring impact on adventure and strategy gaming enthusiasts across the United Kingdom, the United States and the globe. First introduced by Sunshine Books in November 1983, this cherished captivated readers for seventeen issues until March 1985.
Helmed initially by Graham Cunningham (issues 1-9) and later by Brendor Gor (issues 10-17), with support from Carmel Anderson, Martin Croft, and Graham Taylor, Micro Adventurer became a hub of gaming insights. Notable contributors such as Tony Bridge, Mike Grace, Ken Matthews, and Richard Bartle enriched the magazine’s content, ensuring a diverse and comprehensive exploration of the gaming landscape.
Micro Adventurer showcased a broad spectrum of gaming genres, ranging from text adventures and wargames to RPGs, MUDs, Play-By-Mail, game books, simulations, and strategy titles. The magazine aimed to cater to the diverse tastes of its readership, leaving no aspect of the adventure gaming world unexplored.
Each issue of Micro Adventurer offered readers a wealth of information and entertainment. From the latest industry news and software releases to in-depth game reviews, adventure tips, book reviews, program type-ins, adventure writing tutorials, and engaging competitions, the magazine was a comprehensive resource for gaming enthusiasts.
The archived copies of Micro Adventurer not only serve as a time capsule for gaming history but also provide a fascinating look into the gaming culture of the era through adventure-related advertisements. These pages offer a glimpse into the cutting-edge software releases and gaming peripherals that defined the gaming landscape during that time.
As we delve into the pages of Micro Adventurer, we invite you to join us on a nostalgic journey, rediscovering the magic of a cultural phenomenon that brought adventure and strategy gamers together. Each page of Micro Adventurer is a portal to a bygone era of gaming nostalgia, preserving the spirit of community that continues to resonate with enthusiasts today. Explore, reminisce, and celebrate the legacy of Micro Adventurer with us.
An Introduction by Graham Cunningham
MICRO ADVENTURER (MAD for short) is designed for novice and experienced adventurers alike. It will also cover the world of computer strategy, simulations and wargames.
For those of you who have never ventured into the realm of computer adventures before, they consist of a series of intricate puzzles. The puzzles themselves are set in worlds of myth and imagination, ranging from J R R Tolkein’s The Hobbit through any number of elves, dwarves and trolls, to deserted castles and vast alien space ships.
Most adventures have some central aim, either a princess to be rescued or some treasure to be collected, but much of the fun lies in exploring the world created by the programmer. Suddenly, you are confronted by wizards, vampires, dragons and perhaps even the fabled Medusa, whose mere glance will turn you to stone. Alternatively, you may find yourself in a world populated by Norse gods — Odin, Thor, Loki and the rest — or maybe a world where the confederacy won the civil war in the United States. But, whatever form the particular adventure takes, sooner or later you will be faced with problems to which there are no obvious answers. You may find your progress blocked by a locked door. Perhaps there is a key hidden elsewhere, or an axe, or maybe the door really is impassable and you need to find a hidden passage in another room. The only solution is to experiment, looking for clues all the time.
There is usually a purpose behind most of the objects to be found in adventures, though there are some deliberate red herrings. A tree, for example, may enable you to see the surrounding countryside, if you climb it. Then again, chopping the tree down may expose a hollow hidden in its roots. A cave which, at first sight, appears to be empty, may contain a cellar. But, if the entrance to the cellar is barred by a leashed watch dog, you will have to decide whether to kill the dog, or make friends by giving it some food. The obvious choice of killing the dog may allow you to progress further in the adventure, until you reach a toll bridge guarded by an armed sentry. The sentry refuses to allow you to pass, making it impossible for you to complete the adventure. But, if you had fed the dog and taken it with you, the dog would have frightened the sentry away, leaving the bridge clear for you to cross.
It is almost impossible to describe the feeling of elation that results from solving a puzzle that has had you stumped for hours. The solution is often obvious, after the event, prompting cries of “But why didn’t I see it before?”. Adventure players are continually questioning their environment and the characters they find living in it. Things are often not quite what they seem — happy adventuring.
Publishing Information
Editor – Graham Cunningham
Assistant Editor – Carmel Anderson
Software Editor – Graham Taylor
Master Adventurers – Tony Bridge, Mike Grace
News Editor – David Kelly
Advertisement Manager – David Lake
Advertisement Executive – Simon Langston
Administration – Theresa Lacy
Managing Editor – Brendon Gore
Publishing Director – Jenny Ireland
Magazine Issues
Note that the issues of this magazine are quite large and may take some time to download depending on your internet connection speed.
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| November 1983 | December 1983 | January 1984 | February 1984 | March 1984 | April 1984 |
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| May 1984 | June 1984 | July 1984 | August 1984 | September 1984 | October 1984 |
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| November 1984 | December 1984 | January 1985 | February 1985 | March 1985 (Final Issue) |
