In this charming game, Alfred P. Owl, the mayor of Fairview, greets you and begs you to help all the anthropomorphic animals in town with all their very serious problems. Of course, you'll help them. You're the best gopher ever.
Note that this game uses a very limited set of commands and you won't ever need to EXAMINE anything.
This solution is by David Welbourn, and is based on Release 1 of the game.
You start in the southeast quarter of the map, blocked by the bridge until Ant fixes it.
The bridge leads to the northeast quarter, where you're blocked by Hen until you can give her a ticket.
The northwest quarter is reached via the theater, and now you're blocked by an oil spill. Cow can help with that.
The southwest quarter is reached via another bridge. Talk to Fox to learn about a secret path between the empty lots, which lets you return to the southeast quarter quickly.
Waltkhrough
IMPORTANT: You have a very limited command set in this game; they are listed in the response to HELP:
- You can always SAVE, RESTORE, RESTART, or QUIT.
- You can move around with N, W, E, S.
- You can LOOK (L) or WAIT (Z).
- You can TALK (T).
- You can GIVE an item you're holding.
- Type INVENTORY (I) to see what you're carrying.
- Type MAP (M) to check your map. (Type MAP HELP for more info.)
- Type STATUS (ST) for a status report, including a list of unsolved problems.
Note this means you won't be examining anything. Also you will automatically take anything you ought to take.
Also, you'll need to enter commands one at a time.
Town Entrance
Owl asks you to help at least five of the town's residents.
> help.
> i.(carrying nothing)
> map. n. e.
End of Primrose Street
You take a white umbrella.
> w. w. n. e.
Corncob Lane (by pig)
Emily Pig wants the key to her suitcase.
> t. e. n.
Small House
You take a tiny key.
> s. w.
Corncob Lane (by pig)
> give key.(+1. She gives you a quarter)
> t. w. n.
Bridge
The bridge isn't safe. Werner Ant is trying to fix it but needs a hammer.
> z.(He gives you a five-dollar bill.)
> t. s. s. w. n.
Empty Lot
You take an old hubcap.
> s. s.
Tool Emporium
Janice Doe has hammers for sale and wants some red hoof polish.
> t. t.
> give bill.(You buy a really good hammer.)
> n. e. n. n.
Bridge
> give hammer.(+1)
> z. z. z. z. z. z.(The bridge is now safe to use.)
> t. n. n. e.
Maple Street (middle)
You take an unsharpened pencil.
> e. n.
Comfortable House
Herman Yak gives you his business card and wants something for his cup of hot water.
> t.(He can't or won't speak.)
> s. w. w. n.
Outside Theater
Cornelia Hen has forgotten what she wants.
> t. t. give card.
> w.(No, you need a ticket.)
> e.
Zoltan's Restaurant
You take a dinner plate.
> w. n. e.
Drugstore
You take a bottle of purple hoof polish.
> w. s. s. w.
Maple Street Rubble
Barbara Cow needs a hard hat.
> t. give card. e. s. w.
Museum
Tobias Rat wants Five Round Things.
> t. give hubcap.(He gives you some earplugs.)
> give quarter.(He gives you a hand mirror.)
> give plate.(Rat gives you a teabag.)
> give card.
> e. n. e. e. n.
Comfortable House
> give teabag.(+1. Yak gives you a ticket.)
> s. w. w. n.
Outside Theater
> give ticket.(Hen gives you a ticket stub and lets you enter.)
> w. w. w. s.
Maple Street Intersection
> s.(You can't get past the stream of oil.)
> e. s.
Little Oak Park
Violet Bat is complaining of noise, but you don't hear any noise.
> t. give earplugs.(She's too far away.)
> n. w. w.
Neat Yard
Henrietta Dog wants something back from her neighbor.
> t. n.(It's locked.)
> w.
Cluttered Yard
Jack Cat wants some shade.
> give umbrella.(Now he needs something to attach it to his chair.)
> t. give card.
> n.
Cluttered House
You take an orange frisbee. Take it to Rat:
> s. e. e. n. e. e. e. s. s. w.
Museum
> give frisbee.(Rat gives you a pair of garden shears.)
Return to Dog:
> e. n. n. w. w. w. s. w.
Neat Yard
> give shears.(+1. She unlocks her front door.)
> t. give card. n.
Floral House
You take a large speckled egg.
> s. e. n. n.
North End of Walnut
> w.(The gate to the Ostracod Estate never opens.)
> e.
Timmit Pool
Simon Asp wants some food.
> t. give card. give egg.(+1)
That's five animals you've helped so far. Go to Owl:
> w. s. e. e. e. s. s. s. s. s. e. s.
Town Entrance
> t.(Owl gives you a motorcycle helmet, and asks you to keep helping the animals.)
> t. give card.
> n. w. n. e.
Corncob Lane
> give card. w. n.
Bridge
> give card. n. n. w.
Maple Street Rubble
> give helmet.(+1. Cow shuts off an oil valve.)
> e. n. w. w. w. s. s. s. e.
Laboratory
Professor Hubert Ram needs a 33-ounce oscillating prosistor.
> t. t. give card.
> w. s. e.
Empty Lot
This appears to be a dead end with nothing in it.
> w. s. e.
Post Office
Meg Bee needs a mail bag.
> t. t. give card. w. w. s.
Fox's Automotive
Willard Fox needs a Jenkins-head screwdriver. He gives you a ten-dollar bill to buy one for him. He also tells you about a path between the empty lots.
> t. give card.(Learn that Yak used to sell luggage.)
> n. e. n. w. w.
Classroom 4A
Mrs. Rosina Emu can't find her glasses. They're on top of her head.
> t.(She won't let you talk in her classroom.)
> give card.(She can't read it without her classes.)
> give mirror.(+1. She finds her glasses.)
> give card. s.
Playground
You take a plastic hula hoop.
> n. e. n.
Courtyard
You take a luggage coupon.
> s. e. e. e. s. s.
Tool Emporium
> give bill.(Doe sells you a screwdriver.)
> i.(She sold you a Jarvis-head screwdriver. You need a Jenkins.)
> give screwdriver.(No returns.)
> give card.
> n. e. n. n. n. w.
Museum
> give hoop.(+1. Rat gives you a furrowed metal cube.)
> e. n. e. e. n.
Comfortable House
> give coupon.(Yak gives you a suitcase.)
> s. w. w. n. w. w. w. s. s. s. e.
Laboratory
> give cube.(+1)
> z.
You can now give Ram objects to transform. Some of the new objects are more useful than the old ones, and some you shouldn't change at all. Every object has one alternate version which you can change back by simply giving it to Ram—while his machine is working.
After every third object you give to Ram to transform, the machine will run out of juice and you'll need to wait several turns for it to charge up again.
> give screwdriver.(It's now a Jenkins-head screwdriver.)
> give suitcase.(It's now a duffle bag.)
> give polish.(It's now red.)
While the machine is recharging, run to Bat quick! This machine was making the high-pitched noise that's bothering her!
> w. n. n. e. s.
Little Oak Park
Bat should now be within reach.
> give plugs.(+1)give card.
> n. w. s. s. e.
Laboratory
> give pencil.(It's now sharpened.)
> w. s. s. e.
Post Office
> give bag.(+1. Bee gives you a roll of packing tape.)
> t. w. w. s.
Fox's Automotive
> give screwdriver.(+1)
> t.(He tells you that if he keeps talking to Hen, she eventually remembers what she's forgotten.)
> n. e. n. n. n. n. w. w.
Cluttered Yard
> give tape.(+1)
> t. e. e. n. e. e. e.
Outside Theater
> t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t.(She wants a pencil!)
> give pencil.(+1)
> t. s. s. s. s. s. w. s.
Tool Emporium
> give polish.(+1)
Now that you've helped 15 animals, return to Owl:
> n. e. e. s.(+1)
Town Entrance
Owl gives you a randomly-chosen reward. And now it's time for you to leave Fairview. You can't return to the lab and transform your prize.
> t. s.
*** You have gotten a lot of exercise! ***
Extras
Amusing
These are my suggestions:
Try giving Yak's card to everyone.
Try giving everything you can to Ram to transform in his machine.
Try giving the restored ticket to Hen several times.
Try giving the tool coupon to Doe.
Characters
Main characters:
You, the player-character, are the best gopher ever.
Alfred P. Owl is the mayor of Fairview. He's at the Town Entrance. He wants you to help all the town's residents.
Janice Doe operates the Tool Emporium. She has hammers (and other tools) for sale and wants some red hoof polish.
Emily Pig is on Corncob Lane, looking for her suitcase key.
Werner Ant is at the Bridge trying to fix it, but he needs a hammer.
Tobias Rat is in the Museum. He wants Five Round Things.
Herman Yak is in his Comfortable House. He can't or won't speak and wants something for his cup of hot water.
Barbara Cow is at Maple Street Rubble. She needs a hard hat.
Cornelia Hen is at Outside Theater. She's forgotten what she wants.
Simon Asp is at Timmit Pool. He wants some food.
Violet Bat is in Little Oak Park. She's complaining about noise that you can't hear.
Henrietta Dog is in her Neat Yard. She's upset. She says that Cat borrowed something and didn't return them; he denies it.
Jack Cat is in his Cluttered Yard. He wants some shade.
Professor Hubert Ram is in his Laboratory. He needs a 33-ounce oscillating prosistor for his Alteratomatic which has the ability to change objects.
Mrs. Rosina Emu is a teacher in Classroom 4A. She can't find her glasses.
Willard Fox is an auto mechanic in Fox's Automotive. He needs a Jenkins-head screwdriver.
Background characters:
Several small snakes and frogs are playing at Timmit Pool.
About fifteen young animals are students in Classroom 4A.
Mentioned:
The Ostracod's estate is west from North End of Walnut, but you never enter there.
Horatio J. Turkey, the founder of Fairview, has a statue at Maple Street Intersection.
Zoltan Reindeer owns Zoltan's Restaurant. You can acquire his business card.
Inventory
a white umbrella. It's at the End of Primrose Street. Give it to Cat in his Cluttered Yard.
an old hubcap. It's in the eastern Empty Lot. The hubcap is a Round Thing; give it to Rat in the Museum.
a tiny key. It's in the Small House. Give it to Pig on Corncob Lane; she'll give you a quarter.
a quarter. On Corncob Lane, Pig gives it to you when you give the tiny key to her. The quarter is a Round Thing; give it to Rat in the Museum.
a five-dollar bill. At the Bridge, Ant gives it to you; wait a turn to give him time to find it. Go to the Tool Emporium and give the bill to Doe to buy a hammer.
a really good hammer. In the Tool Emporium, give the five-dollar bill to Doe to buy the hammer. Go back to the Bridge and give the hammer to Ant.
a pair of earplugs. In the Museum, Rat gives it to you in exchange for the first Round Thing you give him. Give the earplugs to Bat in Little Oak Park when the Alteratomic is recharging.
a pair of corks. Create them by giving the earplugs to Ram when the Alteratomic is working. But you have no use for corks; give the corks back to Ram to change them back to earplugs.
a tarnished hand mirror. In the Museum, Rat gives it to you in exchange for the second Round Thing you give him. If you give the tarnished mirror to Ram when the Alteratomic is working, you get a shiny hand mirror. Give either mirror to Emu in Classroom 4A so she can find her glasses.
an unsharped pencil. It's on Maple Street, east of the intersection with Willow Avenue. Give it to Ram when the Alteratomic is working to transform it into a sharpened pencil. Give the sharpened pencil to Hen after she finally remembers that she needs a pencil.
Herman Yak's business card. Yak gives this to you when you first enter his Comfortable House. You should try giving the card to everyone else you see to learn more about Herman Yak. If you give Yak's card to Ram when the Alteratomic is working, it will become Zoltan Reindeer's business card.
a dinner plate. It's in Zoltan's Restaurant. The plate is a Round Thing; give it to Rat in the Museum.
a bottle of purple hoof polish. It's in the Drugstore. Give it to Ram when the Alteratomic is working to transform it into a bottle of red hoof polish. Give it to Doe in the Tool Emporium.
a teabag. In the Museum, Rat gives it to you in exchange for the third Round Thing. Give the teabag to Yak in his Comfortable House.
a ticket. In Comfortable House, Yak gives the ticket to you in exchange for the teabag. Give the ticket to Hen at Outside Theater. She gives you a ticket stub, and you can now enter the theater.
For fun: If you give the stub to Ram when the Alteratomic is working, he'll turn the stub back into the ticket. You can re-give the ticket to Hen and get the stub again. If you give the ticket to Hen three times, she'll get so frustrated she'll take the ticket without giving you a ticket stub in return.
an orange frisbee. It's in the Cluttered House. The frisbee is a Round Thing; give it to Rat in the Museum.
a pair of garden shears. In the Museum, Rat gives them to you in exchange for the fourth Round Thing you give him. Take them to Neat Yard and give the shears to Dog; she'll unlock her front door.
a large speckled egg. It's in the Floral House; Dog will unlock the front door when you give the shears to her. Give the egg to Asp in Timmit Pool.
a shiny silver motorcycle helmet. After you've helped five animals, return to Town Entrance and talk to Owl. Owl will give the helmet to you. Take it to Maple Street Rubble and give the helmet to Cow.
a plastic hula hoop. It's in the Playground. The hoop is a Round Thing; give it to Rat in the Museum.
a luggage coupon. It's in the Courthouse. Give it to Yak in his Comfortable House, and he'll give you a suitcase.
a tool coupon. Create this by giving the luggage coupon to Ram when the Alteratomic is working. Unfortunately, if you give the tool coupon to Doe, she tells you it's expired. Give the tool coupon to Ram to change it back.
a ten-dollar bill. Fox gives it to you when you first enter Fox's Automotive. Give the bill to Doe in Tool Emporium, and she'll give you a Jarvis-head screwdriver.
an eleven-dollar bill. Create this by giving the ten-dollar bill to Ram when the Alteratomic is working. Unfortunately, Doe tells you it's not real money. Give the eleven-dollar bill to Ram to change it back.
a Jarvis-head screwdriver. Doe sells it to you when you give her the ten-dollar bill. Give it to Ram when the Alteratomic is working to transform it into a Jenkins-head screwdriver. Give the Jenkins-head screwdriver to Fox in Fox's Automotive.
a furrowed metal cube. In the Museum, Rat gives it to you in exchange for the fifth Round Thing. Give the cube to Ram in his Laboratory.
a roll of packing tape. Bee gives it to you when you give her the duffel bag. If you give the packing tape to Ram when the Alteratomic is working, it becomes a roll of masking tape. Give either tape to Cat after giving the umbrella to him; it doesn't matter which tape he gets.
a suitcase. Get it by giving the luggage coupon to Yak in his Comfortable Home. Go to the Laboratory and give the suitcase to Ram when the Alteratomic is working to transform it into a duffle bag. Give the duffle bag to Bee in the Post Office.
a box of chocolates or a gold-plated lapel pin or a hundred-dollar bill or a signed autobiography. Owl gives it to you when you return to Town Entrance after helping everyone in Fairview. Your reward is randomly chosen.
List of Altered Object Pairs
a ten-dollar bill ⇔ an eleven-dollar bill.
a luggage coupon ⇔ a tool coupon.
a ticket stub ⇔ a ticket.
a bottle of purple hoof polish ⇔ a bottle of red hoof polish.
Herman Yak's business card ⇔ Zoltan Reindeer's business card.
an unsharpened pencil ⇔ a sharpened pencil.
a tarnished hand mirror ⇔ a shiny hand mirror.
a pair of earplugs ⇔ a pair of corks.
a Jarvis-head screwdriver ⇔ a Jenkins-head screwdriver.
a suitcase ⇔ a duffle bag.
a roll of packing tape ⇔ a roll of masking tape.
Status
The STATUS command combines the functions of a SCORE command and a TASKS command:
(You have been playing for several turns. So far you have helped list-of-helped-animals.)
This is followed by a list of tasks yet to be completed.