If you were around in the days of IBM/XTs and DOS, 15 years ago or so, you remember text-adventure games by InfoCom. (If you don't, you can play some of them here, but now they're java applets.)

Here's how Wishbringer begins:

Everything here is a clue. You type e, s, w or n to pick a direction, type simple phrases such as "take," "drop" "enter Post Office," or "read sign."

It was a fine way to have fun on a computer with a two-color screen and a 10-meg hard drive.

It's also a way to play a game on an iPod, built for music not for words. A company called Malinche is offering all-new text adventures for later-model iPods, three games right now, for $9.95. Choose among a horror story, a murder mystery and a fantasy adventures.

If you're going to be stuck somewhere with nothing but an iPod, this could be worth it to you.

If you're in the vicinity of a real computer, you might want to check out the InfoCom clones. They can drive you very crazy, despite having nothing to shoot and no graphics.

Later: There are walkthroughs for Wishbringer and other Infocom games, if you must. (Changed the link after the previous one triggered one person's antivirus software.)