| Zork Zero | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Developer(s) | Infocom |
| Publisher(s) | Infocom |
| Designer(s) | Steve Meretzky |
| Engine | Z-code version 6 |
| Platform(s) | Amiga, Apple II, DOS, Macintosh |
| Release date | Macintosh: October 19, 1988
Apple II: June 2, 1989 |
| Genre(s) | Interactive fiction |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Media | 1 3½" floppy disk |
Zork games
Enchanter trilogy
Other games
Wishbringer • Return to Zork
Zork: Nemesis • Zork Grand Inquisitor
Zork: The Undiscovered Underground
Companies
Miscellaneous
Zork Zero: The Revenge of Megaboz is an interactive fiction computer game, written by Steve Meretzky and published by Infocom in 1988. A video game developer is a software developer (a business or an individual that creates Video games A developer may specialize in a certain video Infocom was a Software company, based in Cambridge Massachusetts, that produced numerous works of Interactive fiction. Infocom was a Software company, based in Cambridge Massachusetts, that produced numerous works of Interactive fiction. A "game designer" is a person who designs Video games or one who designs traditional games such as Board games Video Games Designer A video game designer Steven Eric Meretzky (born May 1, 1957) is an American computer game designer with dozens of titles to his credit A game engine is a software system designed for the creation and development of computer and video games The Z-machine is a Virtual machine that was developed by Joel Berez and Marc Blank in 1979 and used by Infocom for its text adventure games In Computing, a platform describes some sort of Hardware architecture or Software framework (including Application frameworks, that allows The Amiga is a family of Personal computers originally developed by Amiga Corporation. DOS, short for "Disk Operating System" is a shorthand term for several closely related Operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market Macintosh, commonly nicknamed Mac is a Brand name which covers several lines of Personal computers designed developed and marketed by Apple Inc Macintosh, commonly nicknamed Mac is a Brand name which covers several lines of Personal computers designed developed and marketed by Apple Inc Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal. Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) The Amiga is a family of Personal computers originally developed by Amiga Corporation. Events 1174 - Jocelin, Abbot of Melrose, is elected Bishop of Glasgow. Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) Events 455 - The Vandals enter Rome, and plunder the city for two weeks DOS, short for "Disk Operating System" is a shorthand term for several closely related Operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market Events 1223 - Louis VIII becomes King of France upon the death of his father Philip II of France. See also [[Game classification]] Video games are categorized into Genres based on their Gameplay interaction In video gaming, single-player refers to the variant of a particular game where input from only one player is expected throughout the course of the gaming session Digital media (as opposed to analog media) usually refers to Electronic media that work on digital Codes. A floppy disk is an increasingly Obsolete data storage medium that is composed of a disk of thin flexible ("floppy" Magnetic storage medium encased Zork was one of the first Interactive fiction Computer games and an early descendant of Colossal Cave Adventure. Zork I The Great Underground Empire is an Interactive fiction Computer game written by Marc Blank, Dave Lebling, Bruce Daniels Zork II The Wizard of Frobozz is an Interactive fiction Computer game published by Infocom in 1981. Zork III The Dungeon Master is an Interactive fiction Computer game written by Marc Blank, Dave Lebling, Bruce Daniels Beyond Zork (full title Beyond Zork The Coconut of Quendor) was an Interactive fiction Computer game written by Brian Moriarty and Spellbreaker is an Interactive fiction Computer game written by Dave Lebling and released by Infocom in 1985, the third Wishbringer The Magick Stone of Dreams is an Interactive fiction Computer game written by Brian Moriarty and published by Infocom Return to Zork is a 1993 Adventure game in the Zork series for the PC and Apple Macintosh. Zork The Undiscovered Underground (or ZUU for short is an Interactive fiction Computer game written by former Infocom Implementors Infocom was a Software company, based in Cambridge Massachusetts, that produced numerous works of Interactive fiction. Activision Inc is an American Video game developer and publisher. FrobozzCo International is a fictional monopolous conglomerate from the Infocom text adventure Zork universe The Z-machine is a Virtual machine that was developed by Joel Berez and Marc Blank in 1979 and used by Infocom for its text adventure games AFGNCAAP (pronounced Afghan-cap or Afghan-cop is a satirically politically correct Initialism for " Ageless Faceless Gender-Neutral Culturally-Ambiguous The Zork books were a series of four books written by S Eric Meretzky, which took place in the Fictional universe of Zork. A personal computer Game (also known as a computer game or simply PC game) is a Video game played on a Personal computer, rather Steven Eric Meretzky (born May 1, 1957) is an American computer game designer with dozens of titles to his credit Infocom was a Software company, based in Cambridge Massachusetts, that produced numerous works of Interactive fiction. Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) Although it is the ninth and last Zork game released by Infocom before the company's closing, Zork Zero takes place before the previous eight games (Zork I, Zork II, Zork III, Enchanter, Sorcerer, Wishbringer, Spellbreaker and Beyond Zork). Zork was one of the first Interactive fiction Computer games and an early descendant of Colossal Cave Adventure. Zork I The Great Underground Empire is an Interactive fiction Computer game written by Marc Blank, Dave Lebling, Bruce Daniels Zork II The Wizard of Frobozz is an Interactive fiction Computer game published by Infocom in 1981. Zork III The Dungeon Master is an Interactive fiction Computer game written by Marc Blank, Dave Lebling, Bruce Daniels Wishbringer The Magick Stone of Dreams is an Interactive fiction Computer game written by Brian Moriarty and published by Infocom Spellbreaker is an Interactive fiction Computer game written by Dave Lebling and released by Infocom in 1985, the third Beyond Zork (full title Beyond Zork The Coconut of Quendor) was an Interactive fiction Computer game written by Brian Moriarty and Unlike its predecessors, Zork Zero is a vast game, featuring a graphical interface with scene-based colours and borders, an interactive map, menus, an in-game hints system, an interactive Encyclopedia Frobozzica, and playable mini-games including Peggleboz and Double Fanucci. A minigame (also spelled mini-game or mini game) sometimes called a subgame, is a short Video game often contained within another Peg solitaire is a Board game for one player involving movement of pegs on a board with holes It is Infocom's thirty-second game.
Like most other Infocom games, Zork Zero comes with feelies, including a printed calendar with biographies of the twelve Flatheads. Infocom used the term feelie to refer to the extra content included with the boxed versions of their Interactive fiction Computer games Feelies differed The feelies serve as a form of copy protection in that the game cannot be completed without information contained in these materials. Copy protection, also known as content protection, copy prevention, or copy restriction, is a technology for preventing the unauthorised reproduction
Contents |
Storyline
- Further information: The Twelve Flatheads
Lord Dimwit Flathead the Excessive certainly earned his nickname. The Twelve Flatheads are fictional characters from the Zork universe The Twelve Flatheads are fictional characters from the Zork universe Never one to do things on a small scale, when Dimwit decided in 789 GUE to have a statue erected in his honor, it had to be the largest statue ever. This angered a local resident of Fublio Valley (where the statue was built), Megaboz the Magnificent, who cast a deadly curse over Dimwit, the royal family, and the entire Empire before disappearing. The king's conjurers employed their most powerful magic in an effort to counteract the curse, but they were unable to save Dimwit and his eleven siblings; they only managed to delay the kingdom's destruction temporarily.
The game begins with a brief prelude in which the player is a humble servant in Lord Dimwit's scullery. Present when Megaboz appears and casts his fateful curse, the player manages to grab a small piece of parchment left behind in the chaos.
94 years later, the strength of the counter-curse is rapidly fading. If the curse can't be lifted by Curse Day, the anniversary of Dimwit's death, the Empire will surely fall. The reigning monarch, Wurb Flathead, has sent out a call in desperation: anyone who can save the Empire will be given half its riches! Predictably, this results in an avalanche of crackpot treasure seekers, none of whom have any more luck than did the royal sorcerers.
As the game begins in earnest, it is Mumberbur 14: Curse Day. The erstwhile curse-breakers have fled, along with everyone else in Flathead Castle. The player, a descendant of the servant from the prelude, awakes on the floor of the castle armed only with the scrap of parchment. The only other person around is the court's jester, who alternately helps and opposes the player in the quest to lift the curse.
Two items belonging to each of the "accursed twelve" (that is, Dimwit Flathead and his eleven brothers and sister) must be placed into the cauldron and the magic word must be spoken. The game revolves around gathering these twenty-four objects and discovering the magic word. To accomplish this, the player will play the legendary game of Double Fanucci, travel to every corner of the Empire, solve a collection of riddles and logic puzzles, and visit the enormous statue that started all this trouble. There are even visits to locations such as the top of the world, and under the world (from which the player can fall). Flamingos, magic, bottomless pits and a unique sense of humor all feature along the way. Flamingos or flamingoes ( are gregarious Wading birds in the Genus Phoenicopterus and family
What happens when the curse is finally lifted is the game's final surprise. The stage is neatly set for Zork I and its successors.
Notes
Zork Zero was also included in the 1991 collection The Lost Treasures of Infocom, released by Activision under the Infocom brand. The Lost Treasures of Infocom is a collection of 20 Computer games from Interactive fiction pioneer Infocom, released in 1991 Activision Inc is an American Video game developer and publisher.
The jester in Zork Zero will sometimes say So long, and thanks for all the fish, a reference to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which was the basis for another Infocom game. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a science fiction comedy series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is an Interactive fiction Computer game based on the seminal comic Science fiction series of the
Infocom stopped assigning "difficulty" levels for their games before Zork Zero was released. Infocom-if. org gives it a difficulty of "Standard", but most fans call it either "Advanced" or "Expert".
See also
External links
- Zork Zero information and overview
- Zork Zero - Adventure Classic Gaming Game Overview & Gallery
- Zork Zero at MobyGames
- The Infocom Bugs List entry for Zork Zero
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