The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾

Sue Townsend created a phenomenon in the mid-1980s, essentially incorporating lots of sharp satire and observational humour into the diary of a confused teenager. It might sound like an odd idea for a computer game, but Level 9 felt that there was an adventure in there.

Most of the major characters from the book appear, including Adrian's warring parents and their respective flings, his sweetheart Pandora, his best mate Nigel, school bully Barry Kent, and curmudgeonly pensioner Bert Baxter.

The game does't use many typed commands. Instead the player reads passages of text (many of them from the book) and is given 3 choices as to what to do, which lead to other events unfolding. You can also use a help option which displays information about characters featured in the diary. Your aim throughout all of this is to make Adrian as popular as possible. The player's score and ranking is displayed at particular times during the game. The percentage achieved relates to the rank, with 26% being 'a spotty creep' and 38% 'a middling thicko' for example.

Added February 15, 2021
Published By Alternative Software Ltd.
Mosaic Publishing
Developed By Level 9 Computing, Ltd.
Front Cover (United Kingdom) (ZX Spectrum) from mobygames.com
Back Cover (United Kingdom) (ZX Spectrum) from mobygames.com
Media (United Kingdom) (ZX Spectrum) from mobygames.com
Front Cover (United Kingdom) (ZX Spectrum) from mobygames.com
Back Cover (United Kingdom) (ZX Spectrum) from mobygames.com
Media (United Kingdom) (ZX Spectrum) from mobygames.com
Front Cover (United Kingdom) from mobygames.com
Back Cover (United Kingdom) from mobygames.com
Media (United Kingdom) from mobygames.com
Front Cover (United Kingdom) (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Back Cover (United Kingdom) (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Media (United Kingdom) (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
The company's logo (ZX Spectrum) from mobygames.com
If he doesn't start smoking, who will fund Government anti-smoking initiatives? (ZX Spectrum) from mobygames.com
The heart obviously refers to Pandora, not the oranges (ZX Spectrum) from mobygames.com
Never thought of 'War & Peace' that way (ZX Spectrum) from mobygames.com
I was expecting his dad to accuse him of turning into a Communist (ZX Spectrum) from mobygames.com
Brother Ludovic, preacher or con-artist? (ZX Spectrum) from mobygames.com
Adrian soon finds out why Mr. Lucas was really there (ZX Spectrum) from mobygames.com
Information about each character can be obtained on the menu (ZX Spectrum) from mobygames.com
To perfect man David Bowie, and all the other stars, there's evidence here to show you that there is Life on Mars (ZX Spectrum) from mobygames.com
The game's scroll, this time with a reference to commentator Malcolm Muggeridge (ZX Spectrum) from mobygames.com
The cassette multi-load system (ZX Spectrum) from mobygames.com
The day you first despise Noddy wallpaper - something of a rite of passage (ZX Spectrum) from mobygames.com
The game rates your performance as you go (ZX Spectrum) from mobygames.com
Private Eye magazine calls the Telegraph newspaper the Torygraph as well (as a dig at their Conservative views) (ZX Spectrum) from mobygames.com
Title screen from mobygames.com
Loading screen from mobygames.com
Great! Mum was singing 'My Way' at the top of the stairs at the top of her voice at two in the morning. from mobygames.com
What should I choose? I need to find a flu medicine for Mum. from mobygames.com
I'm in trouble for wearing red socks rather than black socks. What should I do? from mobygames.com
Pandora has started a sock protest. from mobygames.com
Title screen (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Beginning the game (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Suspended for wearing red socks... (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Make a selection from the available choices (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Looks like I got some chores to do... (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Hmm, father has the flu... (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com

Year of Release:
1985

Genre(s):
Interactive Fiction Narrative Adventure

Graphic Style:
2D

Camera View:
First-Person

Control Type:
Menu-Driven

Other Tags:
Satire

More Info:

Available From: