Tolkien Visual Collecting Guide: Tolkien Early Computer and Video Games

This guide is about the earliest Tolkien games. Being a Tolkien collector AND a computer games fan, this is an area I am particularly interested in.

See also the other pages for later Tolkien games.

These pages only include games where there was a commercial element and as such something physical to collect, it does not include and freeware or public domain games which had no commercial product.

These main page do not include games with a very tenuous link to Tolkien i.e a name only. Please see the Additional page for details on some of those

https://tolkienvisualcollectingguide.blogspot.com/2021/04/tolkien-computer-and-video-games.html

This is not a strict chronological list and does not include a lot of foreign variations.

Retro computer gaming is very big on the Internet and there are a lot of resources and information. A lot of the sites are for specific systems e.g Atari, Spectrum etc so you have to hunt about for specific games, however the specific sites do then have a lot of details.

The Moby Games site is very good for general computer games.

This site has some good details and reviews.

https://stason.org/TULARC/education-books/tolkien-games/index.html

Lord of the Rings

1981

Kansas

TRS-80

Unlicensed

Arguably the first commercial game based on Tolkien although unlicensed (other games had minor Tolkien references i.e names etc).

http://www.mocagh.org/loadpage.php?getgame=lotrkansas

Advert in Computer & Video Games issue 3

Advert in Computer & Video Games issue 4

Cracks of Doom

Supersoft

1982

C64, Pet

Not to be confused with the Addison-Wesley game of the same name.

https://retrocollector.org/index.php?page=1&system=52&media=123456789AZ&publisher=37&title=&box=-1&region=-1&type=0123&release=20975

https://bluerenga.blog/2024/08/19/cracks-of-doom-1982/

Review in Computer and Video Games volume 3

advert from the 1982 Supersoft catalogue

Rereleased as Cracks of Fire with Tolkien references removed, although the game is still Tolkien based.

1983

https://gamesdb.launchbox-app.com/games/details/94201-cracks-of-fire

Shadowfax

1982

Postern

VIC 20, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, BBC B

http://www.mobygames.com/game/shadowfax

http://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.php?cat=96&id=4431

Big box packaging

Spanish

distributed by Indescamp

Reviews

Computer and Video Games issue 13 November 1982

Advert

Vicsoft Starter Pack Manual

Personal Computer Games - Summer 1983

Hobbit

1982

Melbourne House (UK) \ Addison-Wesley (US)

VIC 20, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, BBC B, MSX, Oric, Apple

https://www.mobygames.com/game/hobbit

The is the biggie. It is iconic in the computer games world, groundbreaking in its use of graphics in an adventure game and it was a huge seller. Along with the follow up, Lord of the Rings, it did a lot to boost people's interest in Tolkien in the 80's.

This site has great detail about the game

http://www.ourdigitalheritage.org/archive/playitagain/games/the-hobbit-2/

This is an interesting article about the history leading to the Melbourne house computer games

http://www.filfre.net/2017/05/the-many-faces-of-middle-earth-1954-1989/

This video is a brilliant retrospective of this game

https://youtu.be/rpxG5-YVPNE

The is a fantastic article.

Other sites:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hobbit_(1982_video_game)

http://advgamer.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/missed-classic-20-hobbit-won-final.html

http://playitagainproject.org/ruminations-on-the-hobbit-fandom/

You can actually play the game here.

UK Cassette Boxed

The boxes for these are plain black, however the instructions books are different:

alternative Spectrum packaging

UK Cassette Case

C64 cassette variations (blue, green with Pavloda)

(white cassette)

BBC cassette variations (red, black v2.0)

Spectrum cassette variations (black cassette - blue with ref, dark blue)

(white cassette - blue with ref, red)

Amstrad cassette variations (book copyright, no book copyright)

Oric

MSX

Disk

The US version was released by Addison-Wesley

US original packaging

Commodore 64, Apple II, IBM

US re-release packaging

Commodore 64, Apple II, IBM, Macintosh

Interface Collection

ZX Spectrum

Player guide

https://tolkienvisualcollectingguide.blogspot.com/2020/09/tolkien-musing-hobbit-game-guide.html

UK Promo Pin

US Promo Pin

2.25”

Magazines

See link for full list:

https://tolkienvisualcollectingguide.blogspot.com/2022/09/tolkien-musing-hobbit-game-magazines.html

Sinclair User issue 12 (March 1983)

ZX Computing April/May 1983 - 3 page review

Sinclair User August 1983 - map

Your Computer October 1983 - Ad

Learning with Adventure Programs Book

featuring The Hobbit game

Moria

1984

Severn Software

ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Oric-1

There is not much detail about regarding this game.

http://www.worldofspectrum.org/infoseekid.cgi?id=0003218

http://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.php?cat=96&id=3218

Hairy Toes Series

Consisting of Bored of the Rings and The Boggit.

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/17391/ZX-Spectrum/Hairy_Toes

https://s3-eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/quill-adventure-guides/main.html

Bored of the Rings

1985

Delta 4 (CRL/SilverSoft)

Amstrad, Commodore, Spectrum, BBC

The first of various parody games. This one parodying Lord of the Rings.

disk

Early release packaging

Instructions

Sinclair User issue 40

Crash issue 18

Computer & Video Games issue 50 December 1985

Adventure Supplement

competition

poster

Adverts (done as a cartoon)

In various magazines

Here is a video of the game.

http://www.mobygames.com/game/bored-of-the-rings

http://www.lysator.liu.se/tolkien-games/entry/bored.html

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bored_of_the_Rings_(video_game)

http://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.php?cat=96&id=0006036

Your Sinclair Bored of the Rings 3 Parts

Bored of the Rings was published in 3 parts on Your Sinclair issues 84, 85 and 86 cover tapes.

Part 1 was on issue 84, December 1992

Part 2 was on issue 85, January 1993

Part 3 was on issue 86, February 1993

The Boggit: Bored Too

1986

Delta 4 (CRL)

Amstrad, Commodore, Spectrum

A follow up to Bored of the Rings, parodying the Hobbit.

Spectrum +3 disk

ZZAP (September 1986)

ZX Computing (October 1986)

Computer & Video Games April 1987

Map and solution

Adverts (done as a cartoon)

In various magazines

http://www.mobygames.com/game/boggit-bored-too

http://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.php?cat=96&id=6023

Your Sinclair Boggit 3 Parts

The Boggit was published in 3 parts on Your Sinclair issues 90 and 91 cover tapes.

Part 1 was on issue 90, June 1993

Parts 2 and 3 were on issue 91, July 1993

Red Hot Hits 30 - Compilation

C64, Amstrad

Includes The Boggit

10 Computer Hits: Volume 5 - Compilation

Amstrad only

Includes The Boggit - only on the Amstrad version

Tolkien Series

Adventures written by John Wilson ‘The Balrog’.

Not released USA a compilation under this name.

An Everyday tale of a Seeker of Gold

1986

ZX Spectrum

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/6271/ZX-Spectrum/An_Everyday_Tale_of_a_Seeker_of_Gold

http://www.mobygames.com/game/an-everyday-tale-of-a-seeker-of-gold

It is by Zenobi Software and is for the ZX Spectrum.

This is an unofficial parody game based on the Hobbit. The names of the characters have all been changed, Bulbo Biggun the Boggit, the wizard Grand Alf, Gullem and Smog the dragon.

It is a text based adventure.

These are some insert scans:

Another site, Everyday Ganing lists it under games written by John Wilson.

World of Spectrum has some more details including a very uninspiring case.

It also has details of the sequels.

Bulbo and the Lizard-King

1987

ZX Spectrum

Came on the Smash Tape 29 free cassette with Your Sinclair magazine no 49, January 1990.

http://www.worldofspectrum.org/infoseek.cgi?regexp=^Bulbo+and+the+Lizard%2dKing$&pub=^Zenobi+Software$&loadpics=1

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/6053/ZX-Spectrum/Bulbo_and_the_Lizard-King

Fuddo and Slam

1988

ZX Spectrum

http://www.worldofspectrum.org/infoseek.cgi?regexp=^Fuddo+%26+Slam$&pub=^Zenobi+Software$&loadpics=1

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/6339/ZX-Spectrum/Fuddo_Slam

Review in Your Sinclair February 1988

Balrogian Trilogy

http://www.worldofspectrum.org/infoseek.cgi?regexp=^Balrogian+Trilogy%2c+The{1}amp;pub=^Zenobi+Software{1}amp;loadpics=1

All three of the above games were available as a trilogy.

Retarded Creatures and Caverns

1989

ZX Spectrum

Is the 4th in the Tolkien series

A Parody of Lord of the Rings

It was not included with the Balrogian Trilogy but was included in the Balrogs Big Four and Numero Dos compilations.

Reviews, Your Sinclair Issue 45, Sept 1989

Game on cover disc, Your Sinclair Issue 83, Nov 1992

The Magnificent 7

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/6883/ZX-Spectrum/Retarded_Creatures_and_Caverns

Balrog Series

Another Adventures written by John Wilson ‘The Balrog’.

Less Tolkien specific, however the Balrog from the Tolkien Series is the main character.

Behind Closed Door

Behind Closed Door 2: The Sequel
Behind Closed Door 3: Revenge of the Ants
Behind Closed Door 4: Balrog's Day Out

The Balrog and the Cat

1988

ZX Spectrum

Is another game in the Balrog/Tolkien series, although this one is not so directly Tolkien based but does feature Bulbo, Fuddo and Slam along with various other Tolkien references and jokes.