Here, next to the previous book series is another billing itself as "Adventure Gamebook 1" They can't be from the same series, but the photos are together to let you know SonicGear did not make any mistakes. This is likely around the time of Sonic 2, due to Tails' plane making a nicely drawn appearance...its too bad Tails himself looks like a bogus stock-art head...Supposedly, this first one is the best.
Photo & Info by Ota
Adventure Gamebook 2-
Publisher: Ladybird
ISBN: 0-7214-3433-9
Date: 1994
Blurb: Sonic the Hedgehog and Ladybird join forced to bring you some fast, furious, frantic and fun-filled radical action!
Summary: Game Book. Contains "Find the" puzzles and various other quizzes. The game is played by solving problems to advance to pages in the book which it tells you to go to. The art is pretty much all drawn, not stock and every page is a full picture in bright colours. The storyline follows Sonic 2.
Photo & Info by Ota
Adventure Gamebook 3-
Publisher: Ladybird
ISBN: 0-7214-3494-0
Date: 1994
Blurb: Warning! Sharp thinkers & cool kickers only need apply! Leap on-board for another furious chase with Sonic the Hedgehog as he comes head to head with Dr Robotnik. The devious Doc wants to rob Angel Island of all it's colour & Knuckles is trying to get in on the act as well! Pages of power-packed games lead you on a path full of pitfalls. Only quick thinking can speed Sonic to a true blue breakthrough! The decisions you take are make or break ones! Attempting an Adventure Gamebook could seriously improve your cool!
Summary: Game Book. Same kind of puzzles as number 2, except the storyline is that of Sonic 3 instead. Half the pages are coloured, half are not. The pages are still full pictures.
Photo & Info by Ota
Adventure Gamebook 4-
Publisher: Ladybird
ISBN: 0-7214-3495-9
Date: 1994
Blurb: Warning! Sharp thinkers and cool kickers only need apply! Can you keep up with Sonic the Hedgehog as he chases after Dr Robotnik and tries to keep out of Knuckles' way? The dodgy Doc has stolen the colour from Angel Island, and Sonic's not about to start living in a monochrome no-hope zone! You'll need to get smart though - page after page of mega-games will lead you on a hair-raising trail. The decisions you take are make or break ones! Attempting an Adventure Gamebook could seriously improve your cool!
Summary: Game Book. Same kind of puzzles as number 3, with same colour-no colour page layout. The story once again follows that of Sonic 3. Same full picture pages.
These 'adventure gamebooks' are more complex than you might imagine. The 'puzzles' are more like a table-top RPG type thing where you roll dice, do math, and write down various statistics! You determine Sonic's stats at the start and they help determine your path, possibly even like Dungeons and Dragons type of game. The book tells you what pages to go to, by asking how the problem worked out or what you decided. There are multiple endings and you can even die on them, like you can the games! It is all very complex. Apparently, the first one was the best. If you want to learn more, you should go to www.gamebooks.org , as this site is made by a pro gamebook reviewer (yes it is some type of genre of book! Though it may be little known) he reviews all of them, and explains things with pictures and stats! Very useful. Credit to Sofox for finding the gamebooks review site, and explaining the books, as above!
Here is something rather confusing, and it's not the puzzles you see here! The book to the left is clearly titled "Adventure Gamebook 1" but the cover is totally different (and so too seems to be the content) from the "Adventure Gamebook" on UK Sonic Books Page 2! So what's up with that? Why give 2 different books the same exact title? It seems kind of strange. The cover has Sonic jumping for rings as Tails flies the biplane. The 2 page spreads next to it show the type of puzzles on the interior pages. The first sees Sonic trapped in a 'house of funhouse mirrors' of some kind. For this, you have to spot the correct image of Sonic. The next is some kind of maze challenge that looks like it's based on a level of Sonic 2.
