The first time I played Zork it wasn’t even called Zork. It was called Dungeon and it was 1979. It was a text adventure that was wildly immersive even though all the details were products of my imagination. Back in The Academy Days we played it on a Digital PDP 11/34. No DEC system should be without one. It was usually played in marathon sessions because our version didn’t have the ability to save a game in progress so that it might be resumed later. Like in Stephen King’s book, each trip to the rabbit hole was a total reset. That was a pain but it really raised the stakes when taking risks that might cause you to have to start over.
Over the years as Infocom came into being and Dungeon evolved into Zork I, Zork II, and Zork III, I was happy to have them for my Commodore 64. When Zork Nemesis hit the shelves, it was the original adventures that were included in the set that really got my attention. I had made the move from the Commodore to Windows 95 and felt fortunate to be able to bring Zork with me.
I installed Zork Nemesis because I was curious. The pictures on the box made it look like Maniac Mansion or Zak MacKracken set in the Great Undergound Empire. As a Zork adventure, it was a disappointment. It really didn’t have anything to with Zork as I knew it except in a random name dropping way. The places didn’t really resemble the Zork I knew and the style was completely different. Even so, it was the most fantastic game I had ever played. Visually it was haunting and the soundtrack equally so. To see a video sample click here. I remember discovering a sinister set of stairs leading down into the dark and almost being afraid to go down them.
The game and play techniques might be primitive compared to today’s standards but I still think it holds up well. Wandering around the temple and trying to solve the puzzles was incredibly immersive and the art was very well down. It took me nearly a year to finish the game. By then I had assembled a notebook full of things that I had seen and information that might come up later. It really was a great challenge. I wish they made a version for Windows 8 because I’d like to play it again.
Years later, I was reminiscing about it online and found a website that had samples of the music and sounds. I would buy the soundtrack if it came on CD.
The Temple Of Agrippa
Gray Mountains Asylum
Frigid River Branch Conservatory
Crystal Laboratory