Item - BMO's Day Out

Like Adventure Time itself, I wanted to enjoy this more than I actually did, but it just didn't do a whole lot for me. I like the retro design of the books, with the artificially pre-weathered look (the corners and spine aren't really damaged in the photographs on the site -- they're printed like that). I also like the fact that these follow essentially the same format as the Nintendo Adventure Books, a series which developed a formula of puzzle-solving and score-keeping that hasn't been used much elsewhere. The problem, of course, is that I'm not really the target audience here, and I didn't find much to enjoy beyond the surface details. I don't really find the odd slangy tone of the series particularly entertaining, and the writing here made it worse by showing some signs of being rushed (or, at very least, poorly edited). While the puzzles are visually appealing and well-designed for the most part (though quite simple, of course), their integration with the story and decision making feels more artificial than in the video-game-themed Nintendo books. Bottom line: I'm glad this book exists to bring the gamebook experience to a new generation of readers, as I think there's a reasonably good chance this will create some new fans... but there's not much reason for a veteran gamebook reader to seek it out, except to share it with an Adventure Time enthusiast.

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