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The
Asterix "Choose your own Adventure" Game Books
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One of the more interesting spin-offs of
the Asterix Comic Book series have been the "choose your
own adventure" Asterix game books. There have essentially
been two different series - The black and white Asterix
Adventure Games and the Alea Jacta Est! Asterix Game
Books.
On this page you'll find further information
and reviews on these books.
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The
Asterix Adventure Games
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These novel sized black and white "choose
your own adventure" books contain plots loosely based
on the Asterix books. The illustrations are taken from the
Asterix comic book series, which are often edited with new
speech bubble dialogue to fit the storylines.
Unusually for Asterix spin-off books, these
books were written and published soley for the English market,
and as far as I know were never translated into other languages.
They were created as part of a wider "Super Adventure
Game books" by Stephen Thraves which included not only
these Asterix game books, but among others, a series based
on "Biggles" and Enid Blyton's "The Famous
Five".
The books in this series are as follows:
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Title:
Asterix to the Rescue
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Published: 1986
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Compiled by: Stephen Thraves
(presumably)
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Plot: Asterix is about
to embark on his most perilous mission yet - a
journey across Europe to rescue Getafix from a
dungeon in Rome! That is why he has called upon
YOU to take charge. It is YOU who have to make
the vital decisions and deal with the various
problems the Gauls will encounter.
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Contains: Travel-book,
decision dice, translator, password scroll, map
and coin bag card, Asterix and Obelix cards, Magic
Potion Cards.
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- Title: Operation
Britain
- Published: 1987
- Compiled by: Anthea Bell and Derek Hockridge
- Based on: Asterix
in Britain (loosely)
- Plot: Disaster! The Mistletoe crop has failed
in Gaul. This, of course, is the secret ingredient
in the special magic potion which gives Asterix and
Obelix their superhuman strength. So our heroes must
now travel to Roman-occupied Britain to gather reserves
of this crop. If they are to survive this mission,
they need YOU to help them.
Contains: Decision dice, translator, password
scroll, map of Roman Britain, coin bag card, Asterix
and Obelix cards, Magic Potion Cards
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- Title: Asterix
Against all Odds
- Published: 1992
- Compiled by: Stephen Thraves
- Based on: Asterix
and the Banquet
- Plot: Can YOU help Asterix and Obelix on
their latest mission? They have been challenged to
make their way round the whole of Roman occupied Gaul
and they need your help. It's up to YOU to make the
decisions and take the risks.
- Contains: Decision Dice, Password Scroll,
Magic Potion Card, Coinbag Card
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How to Play
(From Asterix to the Rescue)
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To assist Asterix on his mission,
you must guide him through a series of adventures in
the book. You do this by starting at PARAGRAPH ONE and
then following the instructions to other paragraphs.
Many of the paragraphs will present
you with some sort of problem. It might be which password
Asterix and Obelix are to use or how they are to find
their way to the next town. You do not have to work
out the answer for every one of the problems to guide
them to the endof their mission ... but the more you
have success with, the more chance they'll have.
To help you deal with the problem,
there are several useful items Asterix and Obelix can
take on their mission - a map, a bag of coins (for bribes
and to obtain information), a password scroll and a
translator (for conversing with people of a different
tongue). They can start with only one of these ITEMS
but they will often gain others during the course of
their mission.
The ITEM chosen for the two Gauls
to start with (and any ITEMS they gain later) are to
be kept, during the game, in the 'waist slit' of the
OBELIX CARD. This will tell you exactly which ITEMS
you and they have for assistance at any one time (so,
as soon as one of these ITEMS has helped in the answering
of a problem, always remember to return it to the OBELIX
CARD). Any ITEMS not contained in OBELIX's `waist-slit'
not to be used or consulted and therefore should be
kept out of play.
A mission such as this one is bound
to involve Asterix m many a skirmish with the Roman
army. For this reason, he will be taking some gourds
of magic potion with which to fortify himself. These
MAGIC POTION CARDS are to be kept in the slit of the
ASTERIX CARD.
Every time Asterix drinks a gourd
of magic potion during the mission, you must remove
one of the MAGIC POTION CARDS from the ASTERIX CARD.
When there are no MAGIC POTION CARDS left in his 'waist-slit',
it means he has run out of magic potion and he will
not be strong enough to continue with the mission. He
must therefore return to his village and you will have
to start the game again from the beginning.
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 These
books are very fun to try, and the originality of the storylines,
the twists and turns and the ability to play again in different
ways all add to their appeal. However, the novel format is
not the best suited to this kind of book with its constant
flicking back and forth. Further, the black and white format
means it is not very visually appealing. For these reasons,
this Asterix Adventure games series is the poorer compared
to the later series.
These books are out of print, but you can
still find Asterix
Against the Odds, Asterix
Operation Britain
and Asterix
to the Rescue on Amazon.co.uk
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Alea
Jacta Est Asterix Game Books
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These are the Asterix Adventure Gamebooks
2.0. A comic book sized, full colour, choose your own adventure
format. Like its predescesors it is illustrated with adapted
panels from the Asterix comic book series but with original
covers drawn by Uderzo.
Justforkix, Vitalstatistix's nephew from Asterix
and the Normans is given the starring role in this series,
and it is as Justforkix that the reader plays with original
plots.
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Here is a new kind of Asterix book…
You are Justforkix, the hero of this
story. Yes, you yourself are Justforkix, a young man
from Lutetia. We know something about you already from
"Asterix and the Normans". In that book, your
father sent you to the little Gaulish village to toughen
you up a bit. Maybe you don't have quite the strength
of Obelix, or the wisdom of Getafix, or even the experience
of Asterix, but nobody's perfect…
And you are about to face dreadful
dangers. From paragraph to paragraph, from peril to
peril, you will have to make difficult decisions, take
risky action, throw the dice and see what luck chance
brings you, get yourself out of complicated situations,
solve knotty problems. You won't always be successful…
And if you aren't, you will have to begin the adventure
again.
But never despair! Remember you are
an indomitable Gaul!
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The books in this series are as follows:
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Title:
The Meeting of the Chieftans
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Original French Title: Le
Rendez-vous du chef
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French Edition Published: 1988
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English Edition Published:
1989
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Translated by: Anthea Bell
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Plot: Justforkix arrives
at the village for a holiday. Vitalstatistix needs
to attend "The Meeting of the Cheiftans"
with chief Whosemoralistix. If Vitalstatistix
doesn't show, then Whosemoralistix will go over
to the Romans and disrupt the Amorican peace.
Since Vitalstatistix (escorted by Asterix and
Obelix) has not returned from the health spar
at Aquae Calidae, it is up to Justforkix to find
him and make sure he attends the meeting!
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- Title: The Roman
Conspiracy
- Original French Title: L'affaire des faux
menhirs
- French Edition Published:1988
- English Edition Published:1991
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Translated by:Anthea
Bell and Derek Hockridge
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Plot:Obelix's menhir
making has clutted the village! The Gauls decide
to export the menhirs to the rest of Gaul and
engaged the help of Justforkix's father Doublehelix.
But Doublehelix has been arrested on the charge
of dealing in counterfeit menhirs. It is up
to Justforkix to clear his name and discover
the truth surrounding the Roman Conspiracy!
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There was a fourth Alea Jacta Est created,
but unfortunately for us it was never translated into english!
It was "Le grand jeu" (literally translated as "The
Great Game") and came out in France with the rest of
these Game books in 1988.
These
books are bright and very engaging with their storyline and
images. The difficulty level is moderate and should appeal
to fans both young and old!
These books (published by Hodder & Stoughton)
are out of print, but you may still be able to find The
Meeting of the Chieftans, Asterix
- Idol of the Gauls and The
Roman Conspiracy on Amazon.co.uk
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