The Time Machine

The Time Machine
General
Author	papafuji
Type	Adventure
Version	1.0 Beta
License	Mixed
Last Updated	2007/01/12
Links
Download
Website

The Time Machine is a text and graphic classic adventure game/interactive fiction from the Brian Howarth's Mysterious Adventure #2, ported to the Nintendo DS, as part of the Nintendo DS Classic Adventures series.

The Nintendo DS Classic Adventures series contains a range of text and graphic classic adventure games and interactive fictions ported to NDS created in the 80's for old computer like the TRS-80, ZX Spectrum, Acorn Electron, Commodore 64, Atari 8 bits or 16 bits machines like the Atari ST or the Amiga.

The collection was ported to the NDS by papafuji, divided into 3 categories (see complete list):

• Classic Graphic Adventures.
• Magnetic Scrolls Adventures.
• Classic Text Adventures.

This homebrew is under the category of Classic Graphic Adventures, which you can find Level 9's adventures as well as Scott Adams and Brian Howarth adventures, with Atari 8 bits graphics or brand new NDS illustrations.

User guide

All games from the Classic Adventure series have the same interface (stories on the top screen and text inputs on the bottom screen), and can be played exactly the same way.

Gameplay

Trapped in a thick fog on the moors whilst searching for the house of Dr Potter, you begin to wonder just what sort of a story will unfold for your newspaper about the strange goings on that have been witnessed at this home...that's if you ever find it.

Walkthrough can be found here.

Input text

• There are two ways to type words with the stylus of your Nintendo DS.
  • By default, you can directly draw the letters on the screen, according to the PA-Grafiti alphabet.
  • Second way is to use the mini keyboard or the numerical keyboard.

Icons

• To avoid typing always the same things, the most used orders can be called via the icons.
• Each icon has two or three states, for example:
  • The hand means GET, DROP and GIVE.
  • The N button means GO NORTH and GO UP.
• Just pick an icon twice or more to select the good order.

Vocabulary

• A sentence in these games is defined by a verb + a noun, such as OPEN DOOR, GO NORTH, etc.
• Some sentences can have only one word, e.g. INVENTORY (to see what you're carrying) or SCORE (to see your score).
• Each game has its own vocabulary, but a lot a verbs are common to all the games.
• In many cases, you don't have to write the entire word, only the first letters are necessary. For example:
  • G HELM is equivalent to GET HELMET.
  • CLIM DRAWB is equivalent to CLIMB DRAWBRIDGE.

List of the most common words
GO	ENTER	CLIMB	SWIM
HELP	LOOK	EXAMINE	GET
DROP	THROW	​CAST	WEAR
REMOVE	OPEN	CLOSE	LOCK
UNLOCK	BREAK	CUT	CHOP
SAY	KILL
Shortcuts	Actions
N S E W	GO NORTH, GO SOUTH, GO EAST and GO WEST.
NE NW SE SW	NORTH-EAST, NORTH-WEST, etc (Level9 and Frotz games).
H	HELP.
I	INVENTORY.
X	EXAMINE (in classic games), EXITS (in Level 9 games).
G	GET (or AGAIN for Inform/Frotz games).
L	LOOK.
SV	SAVE.
LD	LOAD.
R	RESTORE.

Controls

X - Swap keyboard and grafiti input modes

Y/A - YES

B - NO

L/R - Change image size (Level 9 and Magnetic games only)

Start/Select - Save, Restore, Pause, Exit the game

Screenshots

Online emulator

Can use gamepad or customise in the control settings.

Nintendo DS	Keyboard

Credits

Author - Brian Howarth

Editor - Digital Fantasia

1st release - 1983

Game engine - Scottfree

External links

• Author's website - http://gugusse.central.free.fr/papafuji/adventures.html