Item - Double Trouble

I found this to be an enjoyable bit of fluff. There's not much in the way of story, but the writing is pleasantly light-hearted and surreal (though not nearly as much fun as what is found in the early Sonic the Hedgehog adventures). The puzzles are all chance-based or remarkably easy, yet they enjoyably complement the text. The scoring system and some slightly non-linear design elements (most interestingly the use of amnesia as an excuse to loop back to an earlier section) increase replay value. I have no great praise for the book, but it took an entertaining couple of tries to complete it successfully, and I left feeling satisfied if not especially challenged.

My High Score - 2380

More reviews by Demian

Typically, this series of books is aimed at those who play Nintendo video games. This is all well and good, but it's also its downfall. Adventures like these are very underappreciated because they have the name "Nintendo" on them; therefore, only the video game players will be interested in them. Overall, the series is good, and with its flaws. But that is perfectly human.

Double Trouble pits you as Mario, and Bowser has concocted a double-dealing plot. Hence, double trouble! I thought this book was a great start for the series, because it has all the Super Mario Bros. elements, such as the characters and items. The puzzles range from semi-tough to ridiculously ignorable, but I did found myself having fun with them anyway, no matter how stupid they may seem. I also laughed out loud more than a few times to Clyde Bosco's writing, which was very witty. Since I do play video games, I recognized all the names and faces, so this was an enjoyable book.

End Results:

High Score: 2110
Tries: 3
Items Collected: Anchor

More reviews by RyanThunder

[Rating: 2/10]
[Recommended? NO]

The debut entry of the series, "Double Trouble" is one which, initially showing a substantial amount of promise, falls short of its vast potential - a feature which would become far more blatantly commonplace and present at the forefront in each subsequent title. As elementary as the other Nintendo Adventure Books were, this gamebook bears very little resemblance to the source material and, quite rightfully, equally leaves Mario fans dumbfounded at the mockery that is this "adventure". With a decent-enough set-up and an insightfully straightforward yet distinctive character proliferation, the immersiveness of the book is at its strongest when Mario is interacting with the other characters, oddly sequenced though they may be. The work almost manages to pull through a few times, and it only occasionally falls into the usual tropes when compared to other entries. Nevertheless, where initial promise seems to shine, the elementary feel - coupled with the tedious puzzle design and overall arbitrary feel - reaches the edge as it contains a couple of loops with re-encountered, repeated sections that render much of the story logistically incoherent and inescapable without a negative ending. Fortunately, the story is one of the stronger ones, even if the actual course of the narrative is a bit all over the place.

As an "old-fashioned" Nintendo fan with standards to uphold I cannot recommend this book, save as perhaps a historical timepiece to know once existed, part of the yet woefully inconsistent period in which it was written and published, catalogued not only in Nintendo's legacy but in that of child-oriented gamebooks as a whole. Really, though, with an underwhelming adventure like this... the not-so-creative series is begging for a GAME OVER. ^^

(Mysteriously disappears into the shadows.)

More reviews by Shadeheart

For a young Mario fan, this book is a treasure. Clyde Bosco doesn't go the typical gamebook route, where authors often cut corners on storytelling and bank on the novelty of the gamebook format. He takes his time introducing us to Mario, building up to the main conflict, immersing us a little bit in the weirdness of the Mushroom Kingdom before finally introducing the main plot contrivance and getting the story underway. In that time there's still plenty to do, like investigate why Luigi is acting weird, or collecting supplies you might need. Sometimes when you reach a chapter lacking an important item (one you neglected to take with you in the first chapters), you sidequest to get it, so you're not totally locked out of the main plot. The puzzles and games are a little weak, mostly serving to give hints about what's coming next rather than giving important choice-making info (a couple of them do give helpful info, though). The puzzles and games in the second book, Leaping Lizards, are definitely better, but Double Trouble has a strong opening and keeps a young reader engaged throughout. Definitely a favorite as a kid and an adult.

More reviews by UncleMac