Gadget: Invention, Travel, & Adventure

Synergy Interactive

Industry	Video game publishing
Founded	1993
Headquarters	Tokyo , Japan
Products	Gadget: Invention, Travel, & Adventure

Gadget: Invention, Travel, & Adventure, also referred to as Gadget: Past as Future, is an adventure game created by Haruhiko Shono and published by Synergy Interactive in 1993. This title followed Shono's earlier releases, Alice: An Interactive Museum (1991) and L-Zone (1992). Similar to his previous projects, Gadget employs pre-rendered 3D computer graphics and utilizes a point-and-click interface reminiscent of Myst (1993). However, it distinguishes itself with a strictly linear plotline culminating in a single predetermined conclusion. The game is frequently categorized as an interactive film rather than a conventional video game. Its storyline unfolds in a future world influenced by the retro-futuristic technology of the 1920s and 1930s, featuring streamlined trains and airborne vehicles.

Plot

The narrative is set within an unnamed country resembling Eastern Europe under the authoritarian rule of dictator Orlovsky. Players assume the role of a government operative assigned to find the missing scientist Horselover Frost. The adventure begins at a luxury hotel that doubles as the intelligence agency’s headquarters. After receiving a briefcase containing espionage tools, the agent is debriefed by the intelligence chief before proceeding to the central railway station. The plot primarily develops aboard trains and at significant stations along the nation’s main railway, where scripted dialogues with various characters provide essential clues that drive the investigation forward.

Release

Initially distributed on a single CD in 1993 by Synergy Interactive based in Tokyo, the game was later reissued as a special edition titled Gadget: Past as Future in 1997 by Cryo Interactive. This expanded version spanned four CDs and was made available for Windows, Macintosh, and PlayStation systems. A remastered edition was subsequently launched for iOS devices by NTT Resonant Inc. in March 2011.

Reception

Ken Rolston of Dragon magazine offered a favorable review of the game in 1994. By 1996, Billboard acknowledged Gadget as an unexpected success that developed a cult following within the United States, leading to renewed releases of Shono’s earlier works like Alice: An Interactive Museum and L-Zone. Shono received accolades as an innovator from both America's Newsweek magazine and Japan's Ministry of International Trade and Industry.

Renowned Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro has mentioned Gadget as an inspiration for movies such as Dark City and The Matrix, ranking it among his preferred games alongside titles like Cosmology of Kyoto, Asteroids, and Galaga.

Related media

In 1996, a novelization titled The Third Force: A Novel of Gadget authored by Marc Laidlaw was published. Additionally, an art book called Inside Out with Gadget was released, accompanied by a DVD named Gadget Trips/Mindscapes. A supplementary CD-ROM featuring videos, images, previews, and interactive 3D models titled 'Preview and Reprise' was also made available.

External links

• Review of Gadget: Invention, Travel & Adventure at Adventure Classic Gaming
• iOS re-release of Gadget: Past as Future
• Profile & Interview with Haruhiko Shono: Prophet of the Digital Age at CoreGamers