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

[Thaluikhain]

Parry and wait.

[JourneymanN00b]

Vote recognized; parrying and waiting for an opening.

53
Sonic expertly ducks away from the kick. The other guy looks as if he’s winding up for a big attack, and Sonic watches for the moment when he drops his guard. The big guy grunts, raises his arms – and Sonic leaps for him, spinning like a cannonball. He hits the guy hard in the stomach, and watches him fall backwards, hit the floor and fade away. The words ‘You Win!’ appear in the air above Sonic. Then there’s another burst of static, which clears just as suddenly as before.

Sonic is behind the wheel of some kind of car – not a racing car, more a sports car – hurtling down a mountainous road. In his rear-view mirror he can see a sinister dark-blue car with smoked glass windows coming up fast behind him. Quickly he scans the dashboard; there aren’t any weapons controls or anything like that. Sonic can accelerate away from the other car (turn to 42), or he can try to ram it off the edge of the road (turn to 25).

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

[deaddmwalking]

Not sure what kind of game we're playing, but I think going faster leaves us safe from being driven off the road and if it's an ally (probably not) we're not killing someone that can help us. 3/4 vote for full ahead flank speed!

[Thaluikhain]

I'm going to agree with that above, in that I also don't know what kind of game we are playing and will mindlessly follow someone else's approach.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes acknowledged; accelerating away from the other car.

42
Sonic presses his foot down on the accelerator and the car leaps forward. So does the one behind. Sonic desperately tries to stay ahead, but the other card draws level and then swerves into Sonic’s car, making it skid across the road. As sonic tries to get his car under control, the other rams it again. It hits the edge of the road and falls into the valley below. Sonic has lost a life; turn back to section 131. If it was his last life, the words ‘GAME OVER’ appear above the blazing wreck of his car – not much of an epitaph, but nobody mourns the dead in a video game.

Sonic has three lives remaining after being sent back to section 131. Please make your votes on what to do from there 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: 3
RINGS: 25
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
Eggs-ecute cartridge
Eggs-ercise cartridge
Gold Cable
Pter-egg-dactyl cartridge

[deaddmwalking]

Half vote for looking at the screen again. I think we obviously made the wrong choice (sorry!) in the Destruction Derby but if we repeat our choices and then choose the run him off the road, I think that will work.

[Thaluikhain]

That seems reasonable.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered; looking at the large screen again, repeating every choice until Sonic reaches the car, and attempting to ram the dark-blue car off the edge of the road.

On section 139, Sonic prepares to enter the password on the big screen, but gets sucked into a biplane game in section 179. He shoots down the alien ships and goes to section 40.

Rolling the die and adding Sonic’s Agility yielded a total of 5, so he does not make the roll this time and heads to section 129.

129
The biplane is caught head-on by a bolt of energy and explodes into a noisy but badly-animated explosion that swallows it and Sonic as well. Lose a life and turn back to section 131. If that was Sonic’s last life, the words ‘GAME OVER’ spiral up and settle against the bright blue sky for a moment, then everything fades to static.

Returning to section 131, Sonic once again looks at the large screen, returns to the biplane game, and shoots down the alien ships.

This time, rolling the die and adding Sonic’s Agility yielded a total of 7, so he makes the roll and proceeds to section 188, where he blows up the mothership and faces the karate man. He parries the kick and waits for an opening. On section 52, he defeats his opponent and moves on to the next game. Once he is behind the wheel of the car, he tries to ram the dark-blue car off the edge of the road.

25
Sonic brakes, letting the other car catch up, and then swings viciously across the road, slamming against his opponent. The other car veers, skids, flips and cartwheels, bouncing end over end, before bursting into flames. Sonic turns back to the road. A moment later the finish line appears in the distance and he accelerates, zooming past it at incredible speed – and on, smashing through the computer screen, back into the room.

Sonic picks himself up, brushes the broken glass off his spikes and looks up at the wreckage of the computer display screen. He notices a small piece of plastic wedged amongst the broken glass, with the word ‘KEYCARD’ stamped on it. Under it are five gold rings. Sonic grabs them (add them to his Vital Statistics), and slips the card into the door slot. It swallows the card and opens obediently. The hedgehog jogs off down the corridor. It ends in another door that automatically opens as he gets close, and slams shut as he steps into the next room.

This room is about the same size as the last one, but there’s only one computer, in the middle of the room. There’s something on the ceiling directly above it that might be a death-ray and might be a very ornate lightshade. It’s hard to tell. Around the outside of the room are five identical metal compartments, big enough to hold Sonic or a robot. On the far wall is a closed door, with a slot for a keycard. Sonic can inspect the compartments (turn to 209), fiddle with the computer in the middle of the room (turn to 45), or wait a while and watch to see what happens (turn to 3).

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: 2
RINGS: 30
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
Eggs-ecute cartridge
Eggs-ercise cartridge
Gold Cable
Pter-egg-dactyl cartridge

[deaddmwalking]

Half-vote for wait.

[JourneymanN00b]

Waiting a while and watching to see what happens.

3
Sonic hides behind the computer desk, and waits. After a few minutes the door opens and a bronze robot comes in. Sonic tries to dash out through the door but it closes before he can reach it. The robot ignores him and goes to the computer. It types something into the keyboard, and an odd purple ray emerges from the strange device on the ceiling, covering the robot. The room fills with a strange humming sound which then dies away again, and a second later new robots step out of each of the compartments. Two of them are bronze, three are silver, and one of the silver ones is holding a keycard. Sonic is tempted to try to grab it but he doesn’t fancy fighting six robots at once! The robot pushes the card into the slot and the six robots walk out. The door slides shut behind them. Sonic has a bad feeling about this. He can examine the compartments and the computer (turn to 209) or try to operate the controls (turn to 45).

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

[Thaluikhain]

Examine computer

[deaddmwalking]

Like Compartments and Controls are together. Examining is good.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes recognized; examining the compartments and the computer.

209
Sonic examines the compartments. Each has a miniature version of the death ray lightshade at the top, and they’re all empty. The computer is running, but it’s really hard to tell what to do – the screen is full of confusing numbers and letters. Sonic can wait and watch for a while (turn to 3) or try to operate the controls (turn to 45).

Sonic already waited and watched for a while, so he will now try to operate the controls.



45
Sonic looks at the controls. He can’t figure them out, but he presses a few buttons anyway. Suddenly all the spikes down his back stand on end and he is bathed in a weird purple light from the device on the ceiling. A second later it switches off – and five new Sonics step out from the compartments around the room, eyeing each other warily.

Sonic looks at them. Three of them look just like him, and it’s a really strange feeling, seeing someone who looks and moves just like you, but one of the others is made of silver and another is made of bronze. The other Sonics spot this at the same moment the real Sonic does, and they all leap into super-sonic spin attacks. Within seconds the two robot impostors are junk on the floor, and there are four Sonics left. Sonic can attack one of the other impostors (turn to 169), he can tell the others he’s the real Sonic the Hedgehog (turn to 242), or he can ask if any of them has a keycard for the door (turn to 208).

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

[Thaluikhain]

Asking about keycard seems safest.

[deaddmwalking]

Hard to argue with that. Maybe we're all the real Sonic?

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered; asking if any of them has a keycard for the door.

208
‘Keycard – yes, I’ve got one,’ says one of the Sonics. He’s taller than the others, and he steps forward.

‘Pleased to meet you – I’m Sonic the Hedgehog,’ he says, taking Sonic’s hand and shaking it in a grip like iron. It is iron – Sonic can see tiny rivets along his arm and little cracks along the joints in his fingers. Before the impostor squeezes his hand to mush, will Sonic attack him (turn to 169), or call to the other two hedgehogs for help (turn to 248)?

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

[deaddmwalking]

I feel like we weren't aggressive enough the last time (when we were driven off the road), so half vote for attacking.

[Thaluikhain]

The others might not help, so attack.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes recognized; attacking him.

169
Without warning Sonic leaps towards the nearest hedgehog, whirling like a windmill. He hits the impostor on the forehead and it explodes into cogs, wires and springs – it was a robot! Before he can do anything else, the other two Sonics grab his arms, holding them behind his back.

‘Would I ever attack an unarmed me?’ asks one of the hedgehogs.

‘No way!’ exclaims the other one. ‘I’m a hero and heroes don’t do uncool things like that. This must be one of the new Sonics. Let’s destroy him.’

Before Sonic can blink, both of the other Sonics have leapt into the air, whirling with super-sonic spin attacks. Two heavy blows land on his head, and everything goes black…

If Sonic has no rings, he loses a life and must turn back to 25. If he had any rings he loses them all. As he comes round, he sees the other two Sonics arguing about which one is the real one. Does Sonic challenge them both to a race (turn to 186), look at them to try and spot any differences (270), or ask them about Botman (58)?

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: 2
RINGS: 0
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
Eggs-ecute cartridge
Eggs-ercise cartridge
Gold Cable
Pter-egg-dactyl cartridge

[deaddmwalking]

Half vote for looking for differences.

[JourneymanN00b]

Looking at them to try and spot any differences.

270
Sonic looks the others up and down, but has to admit that they’re just like him – the same stylish spikes, the same ace red trainers, the same devil-may-care attitude. They’re so cool he almost feels over-awed by them, until he remembers that he’s just as cool – no, he’s cooler because he’s the original, and they’re just copies. Aren’t they? Sonic can challenge them to a race (turn to 186) or ask them about Botman (turn to 58).

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

[deaddmwalking]

I think we can win the race, but looks like we may end up having that as an option after asking about Botman. Half vote for the Botman interrogation.

[Thaluikhain]

Ask about Botman, suspecting it'll be relevant eventually.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes acknowledged; asking them about Botman.

58
‘Hey!’ says Sonic. ‘Any of you guys got an inside track on how to slip past that giant robot guy?’

‘Giant robot?’ asks one of the other Sonics. ‘I don’t understand. The giant robot is our friend – isn’t it?’

The third Sonic nods in agreement. ‘See?’ continues the other one, ‘I knew he was a fake. Let’s get him!’

Sonic must think of something fast if he’s to stop the two false Sonics from beating the stuffing out of him. Does he check their appearances to see if he can spot any differences or mistakes (turn to 270), or does he challenge the others to a race (turn to 186)?

Sonic has already checked their appearances, so he challenges the others to a race.

186
Sonic suggests the race and the other two hedgehogs’ eyes light up. They start running immediately – round and round the room, faster and faster until they’re running round the walls, kept there by centrifugal force and jumping over the compartments as if they were hurdles. Their incredible speed creates a tornado in the middle of the room, sucking all the debris and loose items in the room into it, and Sonic can see the keycard fluttering there, spinning in the fierce wind. The three Sonic race on until the whole room shakes with the beat of their feet. They’re neck and neck, evenly matched, each of them waiting for the others to make a mistake. Sonic has never met foes as good as these guys; his heart is pounding, his lungs are burning and he knows that he can’t keep this up forever. The question is, can the others? Roll against Sonic’s Speed, to beat an 8. If Sonic succeeds, turn to 31. If he fails, turn to 73.

Rolling the die and adding Sonic’s Speed yields a total of 6, so he fails.

73
Sonic’s concentrating so hard on running that he doesn’t notice as one of the other hedgehogs gets a little ahead of him – and sticks out its foot, tripping him up. Sonic stumbles and rolls down the wall, into the centre of the room.

‘Look!’ he hears one of the Sonics shout. ‘That one couldn’t stand the pace! He’s a fake! Get him!’ There are two whizzing noises from opposite sides of the room, and two spinning hedgehogs crash into him from different directions, squashing him flat. One of them explodes from the impact, showering the room with tiny cogs, chips and wires. Sonic loses any rings he has. If he has no rings, he loses a life and must turn back to section 25. Otherwise turn to 145.

Sonic had no rings, so he loses a life and returns to section 25. Once there, he escapes the computer, gets the keycard and five rings, and enters the next room. He decides to fiddle with the computer in the middle of the room and proceeds to section 45. That results in generating five Sonics, with two of them immediately being destroyed. Sonic now has the choice between attacking one of the other impostors, telling the others that he’s the real Sonic the Hedgehog, or asking if any of them have a keycard for the door. 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: 1
RINGS: 5
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
Eggs-ecute cartridge
Eggs-ercise cartridge
Gold Cable
Pter-egg-dactyl cartridge

[deaddmwalking]

Well, attacking one of the imposters doesn't seem 'appropriately heroic' and asking about the keycard could lead us to asking for help instead of attacking, but I'm inclined to try the 'I'm the real Sonic' and see what happens. Probably results in a race again, and hopefully this time we win?

1/2 Vote for declaring ourselves the Real Sonic.