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Flaskback: The Zork Trilogy
April 29, 2009, 5:33 PM by ROB
Posted in FLASHBACK, SOFTWARE, GAMING | 448 views

This is the first in the weekly Flashback series, in which we bring you a new old-school favorite with each installment. Got an idea? Catch me on Twitter @RobLaughter!
I'm what some would call a young'n—I'm 22 years old. I didn't get a computer until I was 14, but when I did get one it came tricked out with a 15-inch CRT monitor, 386 processor, 8MB of RAM, a 120MB hard disk drive, and 3-1/2 and 5-1/4 inch floppy drives. The floppy drives, might I add, were clutch; they made upgrading from Windows 3.1 to Windows 95 a snap with the 24-disk installation set. They also, however, let me install the most bad-ass text-based adventure of all time, Zork.
Zork, developed in the late-seventies, was a one of the first interactive fantasy computer games. Totally text-based, players had to remember their positions through the game (or map them out on paper like I tried to do) as they collected objects, battled trolls, and avoided the dreaded grues. The game revolved around finding objects, collecting treasures, and solving puzzles in a vast textual world. Some of the highlights: Flood Control Dam #3, the thief, and—my favorite—the witty easter eggs from the cheeky, taunting narrator. Check out the screenie above for an example I found in a moment of frustration.
I sadly never completed the game (though there are strategy guides and walkthroughs out the wazoo if I were interested in trying.
Get in on the action (and check out a ton of other abandonware games) at sites like XTC Abandonware.
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