The Great Underground Empire confronts you with perils and predicaments ranging from the mystical to the macabre, as you strive to discover the Twenty Treasures of ZORK and escape with them and your life.
Notes
Part of the original mainframe game. The first part of Zork 1 was, unusually for the time, released as a demo. Also released in Japanese for the NEC PC-98. Further Japanese versions for the Sega Saturn and Playstation 1 (featuring graphics and music) were released in 1996. However, as these aren't parser-based, they fall outside the scope of CASA.
The stuff of legends, despite some design shortcomings (Infocom would get more sophisticated later on). An awesome parser, not bettered until much, much later, and descriptions that are an awesome mix of evocative, lost grandiosity and self-referential geek wit, made this an instant AAA title. Maybe there is too much contrast between puzzles, but it is a riot to play in any case. Needs a good deal of planning (many an hour has been lost just dealing with the thief in the maze). Some of the older releases in certain platforms (like the original Apple II release 5 version) are so buggy as to be actually unwinnable, but these versions are very rare and an item for collectors.
Great little beginning adventure! Only took a few tries and you can save! Definitely a must play for any adventurer!
The stuff of legends, despite some design shortcomings (Infocom would get more sophisticated later on). An awesome parser, not bettered until much, much later, and descriptions that are an awesome mix of evocative, lost grandiosity and self-referential geek wit, made this an instant AAA title. Maybe there is too much contrast between puzzles, but it is a riot to play in any case. Needs a good deal of planning (many an hour has been lost just dealing with the thief in the maze). Some of the older releases in certain platforms (like the original Apple II release 5 version) are so buggy as to be actually unwinnable, but these versions are very rare and an item for collectors.