Agent USA

Overview

Agent USA is an adventure/educational game developed by Tom Snyder Productions, Inc. The game was released for the Atari 8-bit, Apple II, PC, and Commodore 64. The player's goal is to save the world from the Fuzzbomb, and travel between the Capitol cities of the United States.

Story

A scientist named Elma Sniddle was working on a television set, when she decides to use some crystals she discovered in her backyard as a power source. These mysterious crystals unexpectedly turned her television into the Fuzzbomb, which can transform people into FuzzBodies; beings of TV static. These FuzzBodies can spread by coming into contact with others, multiplying as they infect. The only way to reverse the FuzzBody effects is for a person to touch one of the crystals, transforming them back into humans. The main character of the game, Agent USA, is up to the task of eliminating the Fuzzbomb and stopping the fuzz madness.

Gameplay

The game takes place in train stations located within various cities in the United States. Gameplay begins at a random train station with 10 crystals in inventory, however 100 crystals are needed to eliminate the Fuzzbomb. Placing a crystal causes it to multiply, assuring an infinite supply, but people will take them when unattended. Each train station includes an information booth, which provides information on the location of the Fuzzbomb and a ticket booth, to purchase train tickets for that specific destination. The game includes a clock, and the player must make sure to wait for the train as specified on the ticket's arrival time. Taking a train at a different time will deposit the player at a random city.

Once the player nears the city where the Fuzzbomb is located, the player will start to encounter FuzzBodies, which will be exploring the train stations. If a FuzzBody touches the player, half of the crystals are lost; once there are no remaining crystals, the player becomes a FuzzBody and the game is over. By dropping a crystal, if a FuzzBody walks into it, then they will turn back into a regular human. Once the player accumulates 100 crystals, the FuzzBomb can be eliminated once and for all by simply approaching it, and facilitating the return of Elma's TV.