Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks

[TinCow]

A few months ago while in a bookstore, I started telling my wife about a series of 'Choose Your Own Adventure' books I used to love when I was a kid. They were different from the normal CYOA books because you would have stats, and inventory, and would resolve combat with die rolls. They were essentially simplified single-player PNP D&D games. All you needed was the book, a pencil, and a die.

For some reason I remembered this conversation a while ago and set to work trying to figure out what series it was that I had played. It turns out that it was the Fighting Fantasy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fighting_Fantasy) series, which was made by the co-founders of Games Workshop. One of them later helped found Lionhead Studios with Peter Molyneux as well. Some of the books were also written by Steve Jackson of Steve Jackson Games as well. No wonder I thought so highly of them when I was a kid.

Here's the list (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Fighting_Fantasy_gamebooks) of the gamebooks they published. The ones I remember reading/playing were:

Demons of the Deep (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demons_of_the_Deep) - One of my favorites
The Rings of Kether (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rings_of_Kether) - Another one of my favorites, but I never managed to beat it.
Appointment with F.E.A.R. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appointment_with_F.E.A.R.)
The Forest of Doom (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Forest_of_Doom) - Like the recap says, I remember going round and round in circles in this one.
Temple of Terror (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Terror)

I had a lot more than that, but it's been so long I've forgotten most of them. Did anyone else read/play these things?

[_Tristan_]

I did... Played a few of them (about ten...)

I still got a mint-condition issue of Sorcery 1 : The Shahmutanti Hills also with the Magic Compendium (or something like that) that listed all the spells you could cast...

All illustrated by John Blanche of Warhammer fame... Yummy..

Thinking back on it and seeing some of the covers brings back a lot of memories : I remember having played Warlock of Firetop Mountain, Citadel of Chaos, Forest of Doom and Caverns of the Snow Witch particularly...

They were my first taste of RPG and got me started on playing D&D with friends and later Warhammer, Stormbringer and so many other games...

I remember also playing some Lone Wolf adventures which were quite well written and with drawings by Gary Chalk

[OverKnight]

I remember reading, or is it playing, the "Lone Wolf (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lone_Wolf_(gamebooks))" series of books. Similar format.

In a related note, many of the Choose Your Own Adventure books have just been released for the Kindle e-book reader. Though I'm not nostalgic enough to pay 6 bucks for a book where I inevitably fall into a bottomless pit.

Edit: It turns out that there are online editions of the Lone Wolf Series! Cool (http://www.projectaon.org/en/Main/Books).

[Ser Clegane]

God - I loved these books.

My English teacher in 8th grade brought them to class once for fun shortly before summer break.

I immediately became hooked and became a regular visitor of the English book department of our local bookstore to ask if the latest installment had been already published - so apparently the teacher did a very good job in making me practice my English language outside of school :laugh4:

I still have the first 30 (Puffin) books (and the four volume of Steve Jackson's "Sorcery!") sitting on my bookshelf and find myself from time to time flipping through them to look at the often very nice drawings (particularly those by Ian Mccaig and by Alan Langford)

Some of my favourites:
- City of Thieves
- Deathtrap Dungeon
- Island of the Lizard King
- Talisman of Death
- Sword of the Samurai

Ahh ... the memories :2thumbsup:

EDIT: Thanks a lot for the "Lone Wolf" link, Overknight - I played the first four books back in the days and will certainly have a look at the online version :bow:

[TinCow]

Wow, I might actually have to get an iPhone now....

http://www.fightingfantasy.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=128&Itemid=2


Developer: Big Blue Bubble
Platform: Apple iPhone & iTouch
Release Date: To be announced (expected in Oct/Nov)

Big Blue Bubble, developers of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain DS game, are also planning iApp versions of five classic FF titles: Warlock of Firetop Mountain, Citadel of Chaos, Deathtrap Dungeon, Creature of Havoc and City of Thieves.

These Fighting Fantasy adventures will be playable on the iPhone/iPod/ iTouch. Warlock should be ready in time for Christmas, with new titles appearing every couple of months. These are eBook versions of the games, with special features built in like:

* Automatic page progression
* Shake combat dice using the accelerometer
* Inventory items selectable via touch-screen
* Game-save feature (so you don’t have to start again when you die!)

For readers owning Apple’s devices this is an exciting new development! Watch out for the appearance of FF1: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain in Oct/Nov 2009, available at the iStore.

More news, and screenshots on the FightingFantasy.com site as and when they come through.

[Papewaio]

Loved Fighting Fantasy as a kid, went onto D&D then Warhammer from that start.

Lone Wolf is awesome (even played a version of it for Neverwinter Nights).

FF helped confuse me (and others) as Steve Jackson (UK) started it and went on to create Games Workshop, while Steve Jackson (US) of GURPS fame also wrote three books for FF.

So two top game designers with an identical name writing books in the same series, but no acknowledgment inside the books that they were different people.

[TinCow]

FF helped confuse me (and others) as Steve Jackson (UK) started it and went on to create Games Workshop, while Steve Jackson (US) of GURPS fame also wrote three books for FF.

So two top game designers with an identical name writing books in the same series, but no acknowledgment inside the books that they were different people.

The most amusing aspect for me was that I know exactly who both of those people are, but I had no idea they worked on the FF series until I looked them up the same day I posted this thread. It was fascinating to find out that I had actually been a fan of one of their earlier projects without even realizing it!

[Pannonian]

I remember reading, or is it playing, the "Lone Wolf (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lone_Wolf_(gamebooks))" series of books. Similar format.

In a related note, many of the Choose Your Own Adventure books have just been released for the Kindle e-book reader. Though I'm not nostalgic enough to pay 6 bucks for a book where I inevitably fall into a bottomless pit.

Edit: It turns out that there are online editions of the Lone Wolf Series! Cool (http://www.projectaon.org/en/Main/Books).
Found this (http://forums.nexuswar.com/viewtopic.php?t=18310&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0). The Jungle Gym is their version of the Gameroom, a forum games forum dedicated mainly to Mafia games. However, the most popular thread is this one where they play through the Lone Wolf games book by book. Maybe someone can have a go at that here.