[Let’s Play] Sonic the Hedgehog Adventure Gamebook 1: Metal City Mayhem

[deaddmwalking]

It seems like busting out is the better choice.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes acknowledged; bursting out of the machine with a super-sonic spin attack.



177
Sonic revs up, up and up. At last he lets go and rips through the machine like a loose cannonball, speeding through it as if it was candyfloss. Finally he smashes through the side, landing on the platform in the middle of the room. Behind him the machine explodes in a cloud of bad-smelling smoke. Five rings fly out and Sonic catches them (write them down). Sonic looks round. The conveyor belt has stopped and Boombox’s friend Dancer is still on it, but Johnny Lightfoot has been swallowed by the machine. Sonic feels a lump in his throat at the thought of his friend’s horrible fate.

Suddenly there is another crash from the defunct machine and a bronze robot smashes its way out. It looks like Johnny Lightfoot might if he’d been encased entirely in robot armour with spikes on it. The rab-bot dashes towards Sonic at high speed, fists raised. It’s a fight! Sonic must fight the rab-bot using his Strength. The rab-bot’s rating is 6, and remember that Sonic get no bonus from Tails because the fox is watching from the hole in the wall. If Sonic wins, turn to 112. If he loses a life, go back to 123.



Combat Rolls:
Attack Total 1: 6, rab-bot beaten

112
Sonic delivers a final knockout punch, the robot casing falls apart and the animal inside is released, none the worse for its experience. Boombox is reunited with Dancer, and Johnny is very relieved to see Sonic and Tails.

‘I got a chance to see some of the city before they carried me to the machine,’ he says. ‘Is there anything I can tell you?”

Sonic and Tails can ask him about their other friends (turn to 32), who’s running the city (turn to 132), or whether he knows how to get past the big robot in Botman (turn to 70).

Please make your votes by 7:00 PM PDT or a choice reaches 3 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

SONIC’S VITAL STATISTICS
SPEED: 5
STRENGTH: 2
AGILITY: 2
COOLNESS: 5
QUICK WITS: 3
COOL LOOKS: 3
LIVES LEFT: 4
RINGS: 8
EGG-O-MATIC HITS: 0
SONIC’S STUFF
(Equipment, gadgets and stuff that Sonic will collect in his adventures)
Red trainers
Sega Game Gear
Eggs-terminate cartridge
Armor (enemies must roll above 12 to hit Sonic)
Comb (+1 Coolness and Cool Looks)

[deaddmwalking]

I'd like to ask about our other friends first.

[JourneymanN00b]

Asking him about Sonic and Tails’ other friends.

32
‘I don’t think I know –’ starts Johnny, but Dancer interrupts him.

‘I know where two of your friends are,’ she says. ‘A walrus and a penguin? You know them?’

‘Cool, yeah, Sushi and Tux!’ says Sonic.

‘Right, I saw them before I was caught by the robots. They’re in the room with the pool,’ replies Dancer.

‘A pool?’ says Tails. ‘That sounds luxurious.’

‘It isn’t, believe me,’ says Dancer.

If Sonic and Tails run to the room with their friends, turn to 155. If they ask about who’s running the city, turn to 132; if Sonic asks Johnny Lightfoot about the big robot in Botman, turn to 70.

Please make your votes by 9:00 AM PDT or a choice reaches 3 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

[Thaluikhain]

We already know who is running, so the big robot in Botman, I guess?

[JourneymanN00b]

Asking Johnny Lightfoot about the big robot in Botman.

70
‘What a weird question,’ says Johnny. ‘You came to rescue me just to ask me that? Anyway, you’re the one who’s good at defeating robots. Have you tried finding some way to make it short-circuit? Water might work – it’s worth a try. Sorry I can’t help more.’ Do Sonic and Tails ask him about their other friends (turn to 32) or about who’s running the city (turn to 132)?

Sonic and Tails have already asked him about their other friends. Please make your votes whether to ask Johnny about who's running the city or to go after their other friends by 7:00 PM PDT or a choice reaches 3 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

[deaddmwalking]

If going after our friends is still an option, I'm for it.

[Thaluikhain]

Seconded.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered; running to the room with Sonic and Tails’ friends.



155
‘I’ll show you the way,’ says Boombox, and sets off down the tunnel. It’s a long walk and Sonic and Tails feel almost as if they’re lost in a maze, until finally they can see an exit ahead. Boombox points to it. ‘That’s the pool room,’ he says. ‘I’m not going in there – they almost caught me last time. I’ll show your rabbit friend a way out of the city, but I can’t help you here. Sorry.’ He, Dancer and Johnny Lightfoot walk back down the tunnel. Sonic and Tails watch them go, then look out into the pool room.

The room is huge. At its centre is an enormous pool of steaming water. Above that, fixed to the ceiling, is a strange contraption with loops and tubes pointing down into the pool. It hisses and belches menacingly, and from time to time something black drops from one of the tubes, and sizzles as it hits the water. In the pool are Joe Sushi the walrus and Tux the penguin. They aren’t enjoying themselves. The water looks very hot indeed and there are bronze guard robots around the edge, armed with long poles, and they prod the two animals with them every time they get close to the side. The robots’ cartridges, notices Sonic, says Eggs-ercise.

Tails turns to Sonic. ‘You tacked the last room,’ he says. ‘Let me try this one.’ Sonic nods, not afraid to let his friend show off because he knows he can always rush to his assistance if something goes wrong. Tails can watch to see what’s going on (turn to 207), attack the guardbots around the edge of the pool (turn to 197), dive into the pool (turn to 187) or leap up to the ceiling and grab one of the loops hanging there (turn to 273).

Please make your votes by 9:00 AM PDT or a choice reaches 3 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

[deaddmwalking]

I'm thinking we're okay to watch...

[JourneymanN00b]

Watching to see what’s going on.

207
Tails notices that as each of the black objects drop from the ceiling, it sinks into the pool. Joe Sushi or Tux dives down to retrieve it – the robots prod them with poles if they don’t – and carry them to an opening on the side of the pool, where a conveyor belt takes the objects away. Tails can’t see what the black objects are from inside the tunnel, so he steps out onto the edge of the pool. Alas, the view from the tunnel was worse than he thought: there is a guardbot standing right outside it, and it jabs at him with its pole. Other guardbots start to move towards him. Tails can fight the guardbots (turn to 197), or push his attacker into the pool (turn to 166).

Please make your votes by 7:00 PM PDT or a choice reaches 3 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

[deaddmwalking]

I like pushing them into the pool...

[Thaluikhain]

Push into pools. Oh, and I like how we swap characters like that.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes acknowledged; pushing his attacker into the pool.

166
The guardbot isn’t ready for the impact of a small orange ball in its stomach, and topples backwards into the pool. Tails watches with satisfaction as it pops, fizzles and sinks to the bottom. Then he sees that the electricity sparking from the sunken bot is hurting Joe Sushi and Tux; they’re yelping with pain. Tails can push as many guardbots as possible into the pool (turn to 226), he can attack the guardbots (turn to 197), he can dive into the water (turn to 187) or he can jump towards the loops on the ceiling (turn to 273).

Please make your votes by 9:00 AM PDT or a choice reaches 3 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

[deaddmwalking]

Well, causing more harm to our friends doesn't seem like a good idea, and I get the impression that there are too many to fight. The stuff falling from the cables is obviously important, so maybe we should jump onto the loops.

In the game I think Tails can fly or something, so that being the right move for him feels right in my gut. If someone else feels strongly otherwise, I'm fine with doing something else. 9/10 of a vote for coils.

[JourneymanN00b]

Jumping towards the loops on the ceiling.

273
Tails rushes across the floor, dodging guardbots, and throws himself into the air towards the loops on the ceiling. It’s a beautiful leap, with half-twist and double-gainer, but as Tails grabs for the loops, they come off in his paws. He falls into the pool with a splash, a very surprised expression and two gold rings (write them down). Turn to 187.

187
Yow! The water is hot – so hot that Tails is almost scalded by it. No wonder Tux and Joe Sushi are trying to get out. Tails looks around. The robots on the edge of the pool haven’t noticed the third animal in the pool. Joe and Tux have, and he can hear their shouts: ‘Tails! Get out! Save yourself!’

Tails can try to get out of the pool (turn to 266), dive to the bottom of the pool to retrieve one of the objects falling from the ceiling (turn to 4), or try to help Joe and Tux out of the water (turn to 62).

Please make your votes by 7:00 PM PDT or a choice reaches 3 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

SONIC’S VITAL STATISTICS
SPEED: 5
STRENGTH: 2
AGILITY: 2
COOLNESS: 5
QUICK WITS: 3
COOL LOOKS: 3
LIVES LEFT: 4
RINGS: 10
EGG-O-MATIC HITS: 0
SONIC’S STUFF
(Equipment, gadgets and stuff that Sonic will collect in his adventures)
Red trainers
Sega Game Gear
Eggs-terminate cartridge
Armor (enemies must roll above 12 to hit Sonic)
Comb (+1 Coolness and Cool Looks)

[deaddmwalking]

I'm torn between all of these. I think trying to help our friends get out is the least likely to work - they'll see us and they're well positioned to keep everyone in the pool. If we got out of the pool before they see us, we might have an easier time defeating them. On the third hand, the item at the bottom might be helpful, so getting that seems like it's worth doing. Half a vote for diving down and getting something that fell down.

[Thaluikhain]

Yeah, try diving down.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes recognized; diving to the bottom of the pool to retrieve one of the objects falling from the ceiling.

4
Tails takes a deep breath and turns turtle, diving through the hot water towards the bottom of the pool. There are a number of small black objects lying there, and a larger, round one. Tails looks at one of the small objects, and recognizes it as a cartridge, like the ones plugged into the robots’ chest-sockets. He picks up one that has just been dropped into the pool and is drifting towards the bottom, and nearly drops it – it’s very hot! Aha! That must be why they’re dropping the cartridges here – to cool them down – and also why the water is so hot. Tails looks at the cartridge, which has the word Ren-egg-ade printed on it, and grabs two (write them on Sonic’s Vital Statistics). Nearby is the large round object. This one seems fixed to the bottom of the pool. Tails stares at it until his lungs are bursting for air, and then he shoots back up to the top. As he surfaces and draws in a fresh lungful of oxygen he realizes what the thing must be – the plug for the pool! Pull it and the water will drain out.

He treads water for a moment, just long enough to throw one of the Ren-egg-ade cartridges to Sonic who is still waiting in the tunnel. He’s thinking quickly what he should do next. Does Tails dive back down to pull out the plug (turn to 277), does he put this new cartridge into one of the guard robots (turn to 174) or does he make one last attempt to climb out of the pool (turn to 89)?



Please make your votes by 9:00 AM PDT or a choice reaches 3 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

SONIC’S VITAL STATISTICS
SPEED: 5
STRENGTH: 2
AGILITY: 2
COOLNESS: 5
QUICK WITS: 3
COOL LOOKS: 3
LIVES LEFT: 4
RINGS: 10
EGG-O-MATIC HITS: 0
SONIC’S STUFF
(Equipment, gadgets and stuff that Sonic will collect in his adventures)
Red trainers
Sega Game Gear
Eggs-terminate cartridge
Armor (enemies must roll above 12 to hit Sonic)
Comb (+1 Coolness and Cool Looks)
2 Ren-egg-ade cartridges

[deaddmwalking]

Making a robot go ren-egg-ade seems like it could do what we need. Half vote vote that.

[JourneymanN00b]

Putting the new cartridge into one of the guard robots.

174
Tails swims towards the edge and, as he expected, a guardbot pushes him away with its pole. This time, Tails grabs the pole and starts climbing along it toward the robot. It hasn’t been programmed for this, and keeps jabbing with its pole. This makes it easy for Tails to climb to the end, pull out its cartridge and insert the Ren-egg-ade one.

What happens next is most unexpected. The robot drops its pole and, arms waving wildly, rushes towards the other robots. It careens into them, knocking off heads and legs, and generally going berserk. After a couple of robots have been dismembered the runaway robot gets hold of a new pole and, using it like a bo-stick, smashes the remaining guardbots into little chunks of guardbot scrap, before crashing through the door and disappearing down the passage with an electronic whoop of triumph.

Tails helps Tux and Joe Sushi out of the pool, and points to Boombox’s tunnel. ‘Quick – go,’ he urges. ‘Anything could happen, so hurry.’ The walrus and penguin head towards the tunnel. Turn to 201.



201
There is a huge crash from the far side of the room and an army of silver robots charges in across the rubble of the far wall. Flying above them is the villainous Dr Ivo Robotnik in is Egg-o-matic, bright red to match his ridiculous moustache. Underneath the device is what looks like a huge metal fist.

‘Sonic and Tails!’ booms his voice, amplified to be heard over the noise of hundreds of charging robots. ‘How eggs-quisite it is to see you – now it’s time for your eggs-it. Ha ha ha ha!’

‘Something smells bad – like a rotten egg!’ Sonic shouts to his friends. ‘You head for the exit – it’s me he really wants.’ The three animals run to Boombox’s tunnel and disappear down before the robots can react.

‘Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha,’ continues Robotnik, swooping the Egg-o-matic towards Sonic, leading his silver robot army. Does Sonic attack Robotnik’s Egg-o-matic (turn to 92), or his robot army (turn to 12), or does he flee down Boombox’s tunnel (turn to 214)?

Please make your votes by 7:00 PM PDT or a choice reaches 3 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

SONIC’S VITAL STATISTICS
SPEED: 5
STRENGTH: 2
AGILITY: 2
COOLNESS: 5
QUICK WITS: 3
COOL LOOKS: 3
LIVES LEFT: 4
RINGS: 10
EGG-O-MATIC HITS: 0
SONIC’S STUFF
(Equipment, gadgets and stuff that Sonic will collect in his adventures)
Red trainers
Sega Game Gear
Eggs-terminate cartridge
Armor (enemies must roll above 12 to hit Sonic)
Comb (+1 Coolness and Cool Looks)
Ren-egg-ade cartridge

[Thaluikhain]

Hmmm, fleeing would be counter productive given we are letting our friends escape. Try attacking the egg-o-matic?

[deaddmwalking]

I think there are some things we need to do before engaging. We took the armor, so I think the robots should ignore us, but there's nothing to indicate that having the armor matters at this point. On the other hand, Egg-O-Matic hits is a tracked statistic, so maybe we should see if we can get a hit in now and then run away. Maybe something special happens after 10 hits.

Qualified vote for attacking... Hopefully worst case is we lose a life and not an automatic game over.

[JourneymanN00b]

I think there are some things we need to do before engaging. We took the armor, so I think the robots should ignore us, but there's nothing to indicate that having the armor matters at this point. On the other hand, Egg-O-Matic hits is a tracked statistic, so maybe we should see if we can get a hit in now and then run away. Maybe something special happens after 10 hits.

Qualified vote for attacking... Hopefully worst case is we lose a life and not an automatic game over.

Attacking the Egg-o-Matic or the Robot army? Your second paragraph wasn't clear.

[deaddmwalking]

Attacking the egg-o-matic. Hoping to score a hit on it and then get some other good options.