Ballyhoo (video game)

Infocom
Industry	Video games
Founded	1979
Headquarters	United States
Products	Ballyhoo (interactive fiction game)

Ballyhoo is an interactive fiction title created by Jeff O'Neill and released by Infocom in 1985. This circus-themed adventure was made available on ten different systems, such as MS-DOS, Atari ST, and Commodore 64. It carried a "Standard" difficulty rating and represented Infocom's nineteenth game launch.

Plot

Players delve into the setting of Tomas Munrab's "The Travelling Circus That Time Forgot," tasked with uncovering the disappearance of the circus owner's daughter, Chelsea. Although a drunken, ineffective detective has been employed, the player assumes responsibility for the investigation amid circus performers who may be either unfriendly or indifferent. The gameplay incorporates traditional circus elements like clown costume dressing, high wire walking, and lion taming as tools to unravel the mystery.

Release

The Ballyhoo box included various physical components intended to enrich the player's immersion:

An "Official Souvenir Program" featuring descriptions of acts and circus jargon
A ticket granting admission to the circus
A branded toy balloon (primarily blue, with some versions in orange or black)
A trade card advertising "Dr. Nostrum's Extract," a fictional patent medicine containing 19% alcohol

Reception

In 1986, Compute!'s Gazette commended Ballyhoo for being "richly evocative, often exasperating, and very clever," emphasizing its high-quality feelies and a parser noted for its surprising flexibility.

Legacy

Included in The Lost Treasures of Infocom, a collection of twenty Infocom games, Ballyhoo was part of this compilation. However, this edition omitted an essential page from the souvenir program — an advertisement for a European classical music radio station. The radio frequency (AM 1170) found on this missing page was necessary for players to progress within the game.

External links