We’re taking a break from the mainline Fighting Fantasy books to work through the Sorcery series by Steve Jackson which are Fighting Fantasy books in all but name honestly. We’re starting at the beginning with The Shamutanti Hills. With a fancy new magic system and art by legendary UK illustrator and artist John Blanche this has all the ingredients to be a classic but will it land? Listen along to find out.
Bonus Episode - Way of the Tiger: Redeemer!
It’s a bittersweet bonus episode as we bid a fond farewell to the Way of the Tiger series of ninja themed gamebooks. The final volume Redeemer is by David Walters, Mark Smith, and Jamie Thomson with art by a variety of different talents. Can this series bow out strong with a book more than twenty five years in the making? Listen along to find out. Also I’ve relaunched my other podcast Popular Antiquarian. That’s exciting. You can also find it over on https://www.hauntedphonograph.com/popular-antiquarian/
Bonus Episode - Blood Sword: The Battlepits of Krarth
The Bloodsword series is a set of gamebooks which take place in the world of Dragon Warriors, the classic roleplaying game written by Dave Morris and Oliver Johnson. It’s great that they are available again but do they bring anything fresh to the table? The first book, Battlepits of Krarth, tips its hat to Deathtrap Dungeon and has art by the great Russ Nicholson (who seems to have been a regular feature on the podcast lately). There’s no less than four different characters to play and a whole host of additional combat rules. Listen along to find out if more is more in this instance.
Episode 57 - Magehunter
We’ve reached book 57 and Magehunter by Paul Mason with art by Russ Nicholson and cover art by Ian Miller. This one has a reputation for being quite the Chinese puzzle box of a gamebook but is that reputation justified? Also will we hunt a mage? Yes. Yes we will. Good job Magehunter on a fully accurate title.
Episode 56 - Knights of Doom
Book 56 of the Fighting Fantasy series is the sophomore effort from Jonathan Green, Knights of Doom, with art by Tony Hough. Green’s first book was the very enjoyable Spellbreaker but can he manage to escape the curse of the difficult second album? Listen along to find out.
Bonus Episode: Robin of Sherwood - The King's Demon
It’s another bonus episode as we take a look at The King’s Demon based on the 1980s TV show Robin of Sherwood, an extremely influential retelling of the myth of Robin Hood. The book by Graham Staplehurst and Richard Carpenter (with some help from Paul Mason). Art is by the legendary Russ Nicholson. If you’re enjoying this podcast please consider supporting me on patreon at www.patreon.com/hjdoom.
Bonus Episode - Castle of Lost Souls
It’s bonus time again and this episode I’m playing The Castle of Lost Souls by Dave Morris with art by Leo Hartas. This is part of the Golden Dragon series of gamebooks released by Grafton Books in the 1980s and is based on a Dungeons and Dragons adventure Dave Morris and Yve Newnham serialised in early White Dwarf. This is re-release as a print on demand book in 2013.
Bonus Episode - Way of the Tiger: Assassin!
Bonus episode time again as we continue to throw shuriken, cobra strike, and garotte our way through the Way of the Tiger series by Mark Smith and Jamie Thomson. The second book in a series is often a difficult one, how to build on the successes of the first book and still break new ground. Listen along to find out how they manage it.
Episode 47 - The Crimson Tide
The Crimson Tide is this month’s Fighting Fantasy book. This curious and convoluted book is a solo outing from Paul Mason who previously gave us Slaves to the Abyss and Black Vein Prophecy with his writing partner Steve Williams. With Terry Oakes providing art and a chance to show us his own vision for what a Fighting Fantasy book looks like can Paul Mason deliver the goods? Listen along to find out.
Bonus Episode - Way of the Tiger: Ninja!
It’s time for a very exciting bonus episode as we begin looking at the classic Way of the Tiger series of adventure gamebooks, starting with the prequel. Way of the Tiger: Ninja! was released in 2014 by Megara Entertainment. It was written by David Walters with art by Mylene Villeneuve, Eric Chaussin, Aude Pfister, Matthias Sallstrom, Lisa Rafalli, Faiz Nabheebucus, and Antoine Di Lorenzo. The original game system was designed by Jamie Thomson and Mark Smith who also wrote Sword of the Samurai and Talisman of Death for the Fighting Fantasy series. Does this modern addition to the canon work? Listen along to find out.
Episode 42 - Black Vein Prophecy
Fighting Fantasy book 42 presents us with some new approaches and throws us right into the action which is always exciting. But can the book sustain the initial excitement? Listen along to find out.
Bonus Episode - Nightshift
Link to the Lindenbaum Prize competition
http://www.lloydofgamebooks.com/2023/11/20232024-lindenbaum-prize-announcement.html
It’s horror time on Fantastic Fights once more as we play and review Nighshift by Victoria Hancox with art by Svenja Wolter and Ventislav Velikov. A deadly race against time in a twisted hospital released in 2019 this is Victoria Hancox’s first published gamebook.
Episode 41 - Master of Chaos
We continue exploring the later stages of the Fighting Fantasy series with Master of Chaos by Keith Martin with art by David Gallagher. Sent on a dangerous mission without our usual gear and beloved packed lunches can HJDoom possibly survive? Listen along to find out.
Episode 40 - Dead of Night
We're into the 40s! Will they start with a bang? Listen along to find out as HJDoom plays through Dead of Night by Jim Bambra and Stephen Hand with art by Martin McKenna.
Bonus Episode - Rulers of the NOW
It’s another bonus episode of Fantastic Fights and I’m delighted to be able to present another gamebook written by a listener, Rulers of the NOW by Stuart Lloyd which is available for purchase here: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/383730/Rulers-of-the-NOW
Episode 39 - Fangs of Fury
We’re saying goodbye to the 30s with Fangs of Fury by Luke Sharp with cover art and internal illustrations by David Gallagher. I’ve had a torrid relationship with Luke Sharp’s work but was cautiously in favour of his previous book Daggers of Darkness. Will his Fighting Fantasy swansong be his crowning glory? Listen along to find out.
Episode 38 - Vault of the Vampire
Joy unbounded at Doom HQ as we come to book 38 in the Fighting Fantasy series, Vault of the Vampire. I’m a big horror fan in general and a gothic horror fan in particular so the prospect of venturing into a spooky castle in search of a vampire is a real treat to me. It’s got a great hook but can the book, written by returning scribe Keith Martin and illustrated by legendary British illustrator Martin McKenna, live up to the sinister premise? Listen along to find out.
Bonus Episode - The Crystal Maze
This bonus episode sees HJDoom tackle the gamebook adaptation of the enormously popular and enormously difficult 90s TV game show The Crystal Maze in which teams of players do fiendishly difficult tasks at the behest of a bald musical theatre legend and get the slender chance to win a cheese platter in the titular maze. It’s a cult classic but will it transfer to the gamebook format? With Dave Morris and Jamie Thomson at the helm there’s a fair chance it will.
This episode is made possible by the generosity of my patrons at www.patreon.com/hjdoom. As well as supporting bonus content all patrons sent a whole bevvy of gaming materials and access to my patreon blog where I’m currently writing a development diary as I write a new gamebook.
Episode 36 - Armies of Death
Ian Livingstone returns to Fighting Fantasy with Armies of Death, book 36 in the Fighting Fantasy series with art by Nik Williams and cover art by Chris Achilleos. Will HJDoom manage to recruit an army strong enough to take on the latest demon king to menace Allansia? Listen along to find out.
If you want to support this podcast you can do so (and score yourself a whole bunch of gaming material) by going to www.patreon.com/hjdoom and pledging as little as a single English pound or local equivalent.
Bonus Episode - Doctor Who: The Search for the Doctor
It’s TARDIS time again on Fantastic Fights as HJDoom plays through the 1986 Make Your Own Adventure gamebook The Search for the Doctor by David Martin with art by Gail Bennett. It’s a strange and incoherent little book with plenty of authentic Doctor Who touches but can a screen writer successfully turn his hand to game design? Listen along to find out.
If you’d like to support the show you can do so by going to www.patreon.com/hjdoom and pledging as little as a single English pound. I’m in the process of writing a new gamebook and documenting it in a series of patreon posts so there’s a little added bonus in addition to the gamebooks and roleplaying games I’ve already created exclusively for my patron.