Caught a preview of the new Ridley Scott film, The Martian, yesterday. It's quite good on many levels, but I have to admit that my inner geek was particularly thrilled when our leading man opened up a laptop and started talking about Zork II and Leather Goddesses of Phobos (admittedly it's only the sequel, but all the same...)
Do you know of any other examples where text adventures feature prominently in pop culture?
Adventure games in popular culture
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Re: Adventure games in popular culture
The Big Bang Theory has Sheldon play an unnamed game once. Probably Adventureland, since he talks about picking up mud. In another episode, he has a whole evening planned for playing Zork.
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Re: Adventure games in popular culture
Ah, cool! BBT is a show that, by all accounts, I should have enjoyed - it just never clicked with me. But I'll be happy to give it another go with the Zork episode
Re: Adventure games in popular culture
I know this is an old topic, but I remember at least three adventure references in Big Bang Theory. Firstly, two short transcripts with Zork references, then a longish transcript with an unnamed text adventure. Can you identify the last one or is it a mashup?
From series 2, episode 20, 'The Hofstadter Isotope'
Penny: It's Friday night, that means Chinese food and vintage video games, right?
Sheldon: Vintage doesn't even begin to describe what we have planned. Tonight, we are playing the classic 1980 interactive text adventure, Zork. It's the buggy beta version.
Penny: Wow, Zork. Well, you guys have fun.
From series 4, episode 17, 'The Toast Derivation'
Sheldon: All right, that concludes the getting to know you portion of the evening. Who's ready to play some vintage video games? And tonight's selections include ColecoVision's Smurf Rescue in Gargamel's Castle, Atari's Cookie Monster Munch and, for you text adventure aficionados, Zork. (pointing to Zork) Pick me, pick me. I'm fun.
From series 4, episode 6, 'The Irish Pub Formulation'
Sheldon: You are in a forest. There is quicksand to the west, a path leads to the east. Go east. An iron gate blocks your way. Open gate. It's locked. Hmm, well, so much for that.
Leonard: It's getting pretty late, how come you're still up?
Sheldon: I've found an emulator online that lets you play classic text based computer games from the 1980s.
Leonard: That's pretty cool.
Sheldon: Oh yes. It runs on the world's most powerful graphics chip, imagination.
Leonard: You've really got to get out more.
Sheldon: Go north. You can't go that way. Go west. A troll blocks your passage. Okay, fasten your seatbelts, kill troll. With what? With sword. You don't have the sword. Good golly, it's as if it's actually happening to me.
.
.
.
Sheldon: Hit troll with axe. Hit troll with axe. Hit troll with axe. Oh my, this is one tough troll.
.
.
.
Sheldon: Leonard, I'm trapped in quicksand, the axe is dragging me down.
Leonard: Drop axe.
Sheldon: Drop axe. Brilliant.
Leonard: Give me a minute. Sheldon.
Sheldon: Hold on. I have to figure out how to get the bucket, so I can carry the mud past the dragon.
.
.
.
Sheldon: I know how to get the bucket! I can turn the axe around and use the handle to reach it. Let's see. Go north. You are in a forest. Go north. You are in a forest. Go north. You are in a forest. Oh dear, I believe I'm lost. Well, I'll just have to get a fresh start tomorrow.
Leonard: No, no, no, no, no. You just need, you just need, you just need to map it out. Come on, I'll help you. So, uh, you stopped at the stream and you turned north three times?
Sheldon: Yes.
Leonard: You're right, you're lost, good luck.
From series 2, episode 20, 'The Hofstadter Isotope'
Penny: It's Friday night, that means Chinese food and vintage video games, right?
Sheldon: Vintage doesn't even begin to describe what we have planned. Tonight, we are playing the classic 1980 interactive text adventure, Zork. It's the buggy beta version.
Penny: Wow, Zork. Well, you guys have fun.
From series 4, episode 17, 'The Toast Derivation'
Sheldon: All right, that concludes the getting to know you portion of the evening. Who's ready to play some vintage video games? And tonight's selections include ColecoVision's Smurf Rescue in Gargamel's Castle, Atari's Cookie Monster Munch and, for you text adventure aficionados, Zork. (pointing to Zork) Pick me, pick me. I'm fun.
From series 4, episode 6, 'The Irish Pub Formulation'
Sheldon: You are in a forest. There is quicksand to the west, a path leads to the east. Go east. An iron gate blocks your way. Open gate. It's locked. Hmm, well, so much for that.
Leonard: It's getting pretty late, how come you're still up?
Sheldon: I've found an emulator online that lets you play classic text based computer games from the 1980s.
Leonard: That's pretty cool.
Sheldon: Oh yes. It runs on the world's most powerful graphics chip, imagination.
Leonard: You've really got to get out more.
Sheldon: Go north. You can't go that way. Go west. A troll blocks your passage. Okay, fasten your seatbelts, kill troll. With what? With sword. You don't have the sword. Good golly, it's as if it's actually happening to me.
.
.
.
Sheldon: Hit troll with axe. Hit troll with axe. Hit troll with axe. Oh my, this is one tough troll.
.
.
.
Sheldon: Leonard, I'm trapped in quicksand, the axe is dragging me down.
Leonard: Drop axe.
Sheldon: Drop axe. Brilliant.
Leonard: Give me a minute. Sheldon.
Sheldon: Hold on. I have to figure out how to get the bucket, so I can carry the mud past the dragon.
.
.
.
Sheldon: I know how to get the bucket! I can turn the axe around and use the handle to reach it. Let's see. Go north. You are in a forest. Go north. You are in a forest. Go north. You are in a forest. Oh dear, I believe I'm lost. Well, I'll just have to get a fresh start tomorrow.
Leonard: No, no, no, no, no. You just need, you just need, you just need to map it out. Come on, I'll help you. So, uh, you stopped at the stream and you turned north three times?
Sheldon: Yes.
Leonard: You're right, you're lost, good luck.