Collecting Tolkien - Computer Games

Being a computer and computer games fan (see other blog entries), this area is of particular interest to me.

The world of Tolkien computer games is a smaller area than some but it is also quite complex. For instance, although there are a limited number of games, each game can be in lots of different formats and also repackaged many times. There can also be compilations of games. Some games are also only produced in some countries, with different packaging and often different production/distribution companies.

Also some games are only available to download, they were never sold in a physical format, in particular there is an awful lot of freeware/non commercial games (I don't include these as part of my collection).

A lot of the games are also unofficial with no licence from the Tolkien estate.

The definitive website for a Tolkien computer games is http://www.lysator.liu.se/tolkien-games/ (although it is a little bit out of date and does not have any games based on the movies or any produced afterwards). Although there are a few more good sites:

http://www.mobygames.com/game-group/inspiration-author-j-r-r-tolkien/offset,0/so,1d/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle-earth_in_video_games

Total Items: 103

In the details of my collection below I will mention the formats I have against each game.

My first game was from the 80's, the very famous The Hobbit (tape: C64, BBC, Spec, Ams, Oric, MSX; disk: PC, BBC) by Melbourne House. This was quite a ground breaking game in the adventure genre, with actual graphics.


The follow up Lord of the Rings (tape with promo book: BBC, C64, Spec; disk: PC, Ams) game was also very successful. This was branded as Fellowship of the Ring (disk: PC) in America.

Completing the trilogy was Shadows of Morder (tape: C64, Spec; disk: C64), although this was not as successful as the first 2.

I also have all three of these games packaged as the Tolkien Trilogy (tape: C64, BBC, Spec, Ams).

After this Melbourne House also produced a few games in the series, which I have, but which were not as successful as the first two, War in Middle Earth (tape: Ams) and Riders of Rohan (disk: PC). I don't have Crack of Doom Software Adventure (which was only released in America).

I also have a few of the more obscure Tolkien related games from the early 80's, all of which are unofficial. Shadowfax (tape: BBC, Vic20) by Postern is one of the earliest Tolkien related games, as is Moria (tape: Oric) by Severn Sotfware and Gandalf the Sorcerer (tape: Spec) by Game Gems, but it is only Tolkien related by name with none of the gameplay being Tolkien related. Two parody games by Delta 4, Bored of the Rings (tape: Spec) and The Boggit (tape: Spec), which are both based on parody books.

The next game I got was from the 90's, Lord of the Rings (disk: PC - US and UK versions; cart: SNES) by Interplay, which was a lot more graphically interactive. Although primarily released as a PC game, I also have a fairly rare SNES version. I don't have the follow up game The Two Towers, which was only released in America.

There were no more computer games until the time of the movies. The first of these, which I have, however was based on the books and was not movie related, was The Fellowship of the Ring (PC, XBox, PS2, GB Adv, GB Col) by Vivendi (I also have a promotional copy of this given away by the Sun newspaper), which was followed by The Hobbit (PC, XBox, PS2, GB) and War of the Ring (PC). I also have all three of these games packaged as the Tolkien Collection (PC).

The movie related games The Two Towers (XBox, PS2, GB Adc) and The Return of the King (PC, PS2, XBox, GB Adv) were by Electronic Arts (there was no Fellowship movie game). There were also some follow up games The Third Age (PS2, XBox), Tactics (PSP) (only available on the psp) and later Lord of the Rings Conquest (XBox). I have the Return of the King and The Third Age in an XBox limited edition boxed set. Electronic Arts also produced a PC Tolkien World online game series based on the movies which consists of Battle for Middle Earth (PC), Battle for Middle Earth II (PC - collectors addition) and then a quite rare Rise Of The Witch King (PC), all follow up modules were download only.

I also have a stand alone console game from the movies Lord of the Rings Warrior of Middle-Earth.

A massive online world based on Tolkien's world Lord of the Rings Online was produced by Turbine. The first module of this was Shadow of Angmar (PC - mithril addition) which was followed by Mines of Moria (PC). All other modules were only available via online download.

There have also been some games produced by Warner Bros which I have; Aragorns Quest (PS2) , War In The North (PC - collectors edition with statue), Guardians Of Middle Earth (PS3) and Shadow Of Mordor (XBox One). These are not a series but are separate games.



I also have the Lego Lord Of The Rings (PC, XBox, DS - with Elrond Lego figure) game, and Lego Hobbit (PC, XBox One - with Bilbo Lego figure). And the Lego Dimensions Gollum.

A lot of computer games also have corresponding book guides, these are the ones I have:

Hobbit (Melbourne House) multiple versions

Lord of the Rings (interplay)

The Fellowship of the Ring (Vivendi)

The Hobbit (Vivendi)

War of the Ring (Vivendi)

The Two Towers (Electronic Arts)

Return of the Key (Electronic Arts)

The Third Age (Electronic Arts)

Battle of Middle Earth II (Electronic Arts)

Lord of the Rings online (Turbine)

Lord of the Rings online (Turbine) vol II

I also have some computer/games promotional items:

Third Age poster

EA Lord of the Rings game series soundtrack

Return of the King movie game standup

Battle of Middle Earth tin (x2)

Vivendi Fellowship of the Ring game newspaper give away

Postcards (Hobbit game) (x5)

There are some other Tolkien computing items I have, which are not games related. Most of these are movie promotional items. There are not very many of these so I will include them here:

PlayStation 2 controller Two Towers movie

Computer mouse mats (x6)

Interactive cd's

Activity Studio's from the 3 movies (x3)

Gaming Magazines (x6)