The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai: Across the Eighth Dimension

A tie-in to the 1984 film The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, you play the ineffably cool Dr. Banzai: radical neurosurgeon, cutting-edge physicist, nemesis of nefarious criminal mastermind Hanoi Xan and lead guitarist of new-wave sensation the Hong Kong Cavaliers. (Unfortunately, you'll have to take our word for it, as the game doesn't make much use of these qualities).

As in the wacky movie, your goal here is ultimately to overcome a potentially planet-destroying bomb set by the Black Lectroids, inhabitants of Planet 10. Unlike the movie, you don't accomplish this by overcoming the Red Lectroids from the 8th Dimension with the assistance of Team Banzai and the Blue Blaze Irregulars -- instead you wander an eerily depopulated town to procure the necessary components (gasoline, sand, bauxite and "a special catalyst") to power up your oscillation overthruster-sporting jet-car and transmit cancellation codes to the bomb. The game uses a simple VERB NOUN text parser and, on some platforms, illustrates the scene with static images.

Added February 23, 2021
Published By Adventure International
Developed By Adventure International
IGDB Cover from igdb.com
Old Cover Image
Credits (Z-code port) (DOS) from mobygames.com
Start menu (Z-code port) (DOS) from mobygames.com
Starting location (Z-code port) (DOS) from mobygames.com
The plot thickens... (Z-code port) (DOS) from mobygames.com
Starting location (ScottFree port) (DOS) from mobygames.com
This is more like it... (ScottFree port) (DOS) from mobygames.com
title screen (DOS) from mobygames.com
Starting location/credits (DOS) from mobygames.com
By the lake (DOS) from mobygames.com
pickin up loot at the hardware store (DOS) from mobygames.com
outside yoyodyne (DOS) from mobygames.com
Office space (DOS) from mobygames.com
Title screen (CGA w/Composite Monitor) (DOS) from mobygames.com
Loading screen (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Title screen (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Starting location, credits (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Yoyodyne sweet Yoyodyne (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
At the legendary jet car with an open input screen. (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Title screen (Apple II) from mobygames.com
The game begins in this room (Apple II) from mobygames.com
Heading out, I'm on the corner of Main and Hickory... (Apple II) from mobygames.com
Hmm, I found a toolbox...useful? (Apple II) from mobygames.com
At a gas station (Apple II) from mobygames.com
Ah, what am I doing in a cold lake? (Apple II) from mobygames.com
Loading screen. I need to flip the disk. from mobygames.com
I am being welcomed. from mobygames.com
I'm in a sparse Yoyodyne office. from mobygames.com
I went west, outside. from mobygames.com
I went down stairs. It is so dark I can't see. from mobygames.com
Start of game (ZX Spectrum) from mobygames.com
Nothing in the office - so I go for a wander (ZX Spectrum) from mobygames.com
I've gone North, after working out how to enter a command, and I'm in a hardware store (ZX Spectrum) from mobygames.com
Items must be picked up one at a time 'coz there's no 'GET ALL' command (ZX Spectrum) from mobygames.com

Year of Release:
1984

Genre(s):
Interactive Fiction Traditional

Graphic Style:
2D

Camera View:
First-Person

Control Type:
Text Parser

Setting/Theme:
Sci-Fi

Available From: