Zork

PC

The Delightful Home-Made Maps Of The Zork Series

2:30PM September 26, 2011 | Luke Plunkett

Zork is one of the oldest adventure game franchises there is. The series is so old, in fact, that aside from a few rare instances you can only play the games using, and seeing, text. No graphics, no icons, no heads-up display, nothing. More »


In Real Life

When Activision Met The Wonder Years

4:00PM February 2, 2011 | Luke Plunkett

Normally, the sequel to a popular video game remains largely the same as the preceding title (or titles). If the first one was a shooter, the second one is a shooter. In 1993, however, one series did things a little differently. More »


News

This May Be The Coolest Way To Play Zork

10:40AM November 3, 2010 | Michael McWhertor

newVideoPlayer( {"type":"video","player":"http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=16311288&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1","customParams":[] ,"width":570,"height":375,"ratio":0.75,"flashData":"","embedName":null,"objectId":null,"noEmbed":false,"source":"vimeo","wrap":true,"agegate":false} );

Or is it the dorkiest? However you want to label it, the ability to play Infocom text adventures like Zork and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy with a typewriter is without a doubt neat. More »


In Real Life

Taking Issue With Ten Most Import Video Game List

2:00PM May 17, 2010 | Brian Ashcraft

In 1998, Stanford University’s Henry Lowood began preserving video games and video game artifacts, reports the New York Times. Lowood, along with a four member committee, has announced a game canon, for the Library of Congress. Japan begs to differ. More »


In Real Life

Zork: The Rock Opera

7:30PM September 30, 2009 | Luke Plunkett

Errol and Pifie have written a walkthrough to help you beat the grand-daddy of text adventure games, Zork. You won’t find it on Gamefaqs, however, because it’s written as a rockin’ three-minute song. More »


Uncategorized

You Are Standing In Front Of Guitar Hero West Of A White House…

5:30PM January 16, 2009 | Luke Plunkett

Guitar Hero’s been played out. Colours pass in front of you, you mash a button, music plays, life goes on. If only there was a way to take the core mechanics and make them fresh.

More »


Uncategorized

Zork Returns In MMO Form, Somewhat

12:20AM January 15, 2009 | Mike Fahey

The classic adventure game Zork is back, this time in the form of a browser-based casual MMO Legends of Zork, published by Ireland-based Jolt Online Gaming.

More »


News

Lifetime Sales Figures For…Infocom!

9:30PM September 22, 2008 | Luke Plunkett

Jason Scott, connoisseur of all things old-timey, knows (and loves) his gaming history. His Flickr gallery shows this. It also shows, remarkably, that he’s got a copy of the lifetime sales figures of a bunch of Infocom games. Infocom being the developers of games like Zork and Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy. It’s fascinating stuff, especially when you consider that shifting 380,000 units of Zork between 1981 and 1986 is, relatively, shifting a lotta units.

Great Scott: Infocom’s All-Time Sales Numbers Revealed [GameSetWatch]

More »


Uncategorized

The iPhone Just Became A Text Adventure Goldmine

6:40AM August 14, 2008 | Michael McWhertor

iPhone gaming just got a shot in the arm with the release of Frotz, an interactive fiction (aka text adventure) app that’s free to download. With it, iPhone owners can while away the hours with dozens of text-only games, getting lamps, facing north, being frozen by wizards… all that fun stuff! That means you have another opportunity to play Zork, Trinity or The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy should the only high-def visuals you require be ultra smooth fonts.

Frotz, available via the App Store right now, comes with “several” built-in, public domain games. It also provides easy access to the Interactive Fiction Database, giving you nearly endless options for replayability. Get on it!

‘Frotz’: Interactive Fiction Comes to the iPhone [TouchArcade]

More »