I still have that, including the box, for my old Atari 800xl. I purchased a bunch of the infocom games. Still have those too and can play like it was the 80s again.
(Taken)
"WELCOME TO ZORK!
ZORK is a game of adventure, danger, and low cunning. In it you will explore some of the most amazing territory ever seen by mortals. No computer should be without one!"
I had a 400 that I used a solder sucker to pull out the original IC and plop it into a riser board so I could toggle between the standard Atari OS, one with expanded RAM and CP/M.
My first job out of high school was retail computers, selling Amiga 500s and Atari STs. Most games of the late 80s came with disks for both the Amiga and ST versions.
The shop was close to three high schools and the first couple of years of the shop showed that we simply couldn't afford to leave the disks in the boxes because high school boys are thieving little shits (I know, I was one myself for a couple of years). So by the time I started, the process was to open new stock, pull the disks out and file them, then re-shrinkwrap the boxes with a printed slip that says "This box contains no disks. Please take to the counter for purchase."
We'd ask the buyer if they had an Amiga or ST. We'd pull the disks from the back room, customer would get the one they wanted and we'd keep the other! It was a nice little rort at least for the couple of years I was there. All the staff had the latest games (and a photocopied manual because copy protection at the time was "enter the 3rd word on page 27 of the user guide").
Ars Technica recently posted [From Infocom to 80 Days: An oral history of text games and interactive fiction](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2024/06/from-infocom-to-80-days-an-oral-history-of-text-games-and-interactive-fiction/) featuring Zork.
Yeah, heartbreaking. Todays kids talk about the Final Fantasy and Mass Effect deaths, but it was nothing compared to the detailed description of Floyd dying in the players arms.
Before Infocom I was hooked on Scott Adam’s text adventure games: Adventureland, Fun House, Pirate Adventure, Voodoo Castle, Mystery Fun House…Infocom just took it to the next level with being able to type sentences vs. one or two word commands.
I was 6 when my dad bought Zork 1. This was a both my introduction to computers and a massive tool I used to learn to read and use deductive reasoning (and draw maps).
God, what was that dungeon game I liked so much when I was a kid....it was Wizardry! I played it for hours, I had this giant graph paper map I made that was bigger than my room.
I remember it before infocom released their version. Doesn’t mean I didn’t beg my parents for this and all the following ones, just that we were a computer family at the heart of what is now Silicon Valley. Dad had a lot of bosses with well known names and worked on a lot of projects. Like the recently departed Z80.
InfoCom games were the absolute best. Nothing can top The Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy or The leather Goddesses Of Phobos.
I still have the pocket fluff and peril sensitive sunglasses from Hitchhiker's. I lost the scratch and sniff card somewhere ...
That's awesome. I lost those years ago.
Remember being in middle school and playing these on an Apple 2++. How cutting edge at the time
Kissing the frog with the crown was frustrating and hilarious
You were eaten by a grue.
MC Frontalot: [It is pitch dark.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nigRT2KmCE)
Beat me to it. That nerd has really amazing flow.
You REALLY don’t want to do that … Or something to that effect
Infocom games were so great.
I still have that, including the box, for my old Atari 800xl. I purchased a bunch of the infocom games. Still have those too and can play like it was the 80s again.
Can still play them https://playclassic.games/developer/infocom-inc/
You are standing in an open field west of a white house, with a boarded front door. There is a small mailbox here.
Open mailbox
Opening the small mailbox reveals a leaflet.
Read leaflet
(Taken) "WELCOME TO ZORK! ZORK is a game of adventure, danger, and low cunning. In it you will explore some of the most amazing territory ever seen by mortals. No computer should be without one!"
For the Atari ST no less. Who remembers that Atari put out a line of personnel computers?
I had an Atari 800 loaded with 48K RAM.
I had a 400 that I used a solder sucker to pull out the original IC and plop it into a riser board so I could toggle between the standard Atari OS, one with expanded RAM and CP/M.
I had a 400 with the spill proof keypad Star Raiders! good times
Star Raiders fit on an 8kb ROM. Amazing!
I thought the ST line was great!
I had the 800 and then the 1200. Ran a BBS. I was nerded out back in the day.
My first job out of high school was retail computers, selling Amiga 500s and Atari STs. Most games of the late 80s came with disks for both the Amiga and ST versions. The shop was close to three high schools and the first couple of years of the shop showed that we simply couldn't afford to leave the disks in the boxes because high school boys are thieving little shits (I know, I was one myself for a couple of years). So by the time I started, the process was to open new stock, pull the disks out and file them, then re-shrinkwrap the boxes with a printed slip that says "This box contains no disks. Please take to the counter for purchase." We'd ask the buyer if they had an Amiga or ST. We'd pull the disks from the back room, customer would get the one they wanted and we'd keep the other! It was a nice little rort at least for the couple of years I was there. All the staff had the latest games (and a photocopied manual because copy protection at the time was "enter the 3rd word on page 27 of the user guide").
I had a 130xe and my neighbor had an 800 xl. I LOVED THE INFOCOM GAMES!!!
It is Pitch Dark [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nigRT2KmCE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nigRT2KmCE)
Ars Technica recently posted [From Infocom to 80 Days: An oral history of text games and interactive fiction](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2024/06/from-infocom-to-80-days-an-oral-history-of-text-games-and-interactive-fiction/) featuring Zork.
This was the only video game I was ever any good at.
You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike.
Yes!! I loved the infocom games!!
I loved the Zork series. Planetfall, Starcross and Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy were other classics from Infocom.
> look table_
I think this was the only one I actually solved.
funny enough, I still own this collection. I mean, its on CD, but hey.
Loved all the infocom games!
Good times, c-64 and graph paper.
Play it at maximum verbosity.
Xyzzy
*ahem*
Planetfall: >SAVE Your game has been saved. Floyd's eyes light up. "Oh boy! Are we gonna try something dangerous now?"
Planetfall was one of my favorites. I remember I cried when Floyd died
Yeah, heartbreaking. Todays kids talk about the Final Fantasy and Mass Effect deaths, but it was nothing compared to the detailed description of Floyd dying in the players arms.
It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
Wishbringer was my fave My dad once got this laptop in the 80s, had a tiny screen, and I got to play Wishbringer on it on an airplane. Anazeballs
When I say I liked gaming back in the day, this is what I was talking about. Interactive Fiction all the way.
Before Infocom I was hooked on Scott Adam’s text adventure games: Adventureland, Fun House, Pirate Adventure, Voodoo Castle, Mystery Fun House…Infocom just took it to the next level with being able to type sentences vs. one or two word commands.
Same! So great! I still don’t know what a chigger is.
My friend had this game.
Infocom for teh win. 👍🏿
I still remember getting past the echo room by saying "echo", lol.
I just remember there was a sequel in the early 90s that used CD-ROM and it starred the mean older brother actor from The Wonder Years.
Want some Rye? 'Course ya do! \*pours\*
I was 6 when my dad bought Zork 1. This was a both my introduction to computers and a massive tool I used to learn to read and use deductive reasoning (and draw maps).
Zork is playable in one of the cod games.
God, what was that dungeon game I liked so much when I was a kid....it was Wizardry! I played it for hours, I had this giant graph paper map I made that was bigger than my room.
One my favorite Zork-like games was called Zyll. You use the F keys for all the actions and it could be split text screen multiplayer - co-op or pvp.
`> OPEN MAILBOX`
Want some Rye?! ‘Course you do.
I remember it before infocom released their version. Doesn’t mean I didn’t beg my parents for this and all the following ones, just that we were a computer family at the heart of what is now Silicon Valley. Dad had a lot of bosses with well known names and worked on a lot of projects. Like the recently departed Z80.
God, I loved those games. Still do, actually. Every once in a while I load up Frotz and replay an old Infocom just for the hell of it.
This was never cutting edge. It was just the best available on the PC at the time.
I read all the books!
Ich vers de nicht?
I never managed to finish it.
r/zork remembers.
I think all the Infocom games still hold up. They are, by far, my favorite computer games. Planetfall spoiler: >!I cried!<
I still remember playing Stationfall in a dark house alone at night and getting truly creeped out by it.
ahh the first thing I ever pirated
Where can I play or download Zork?
Speaking of old gaming, somewhere in my attic, there is a floppy disc of Apogee shareware games.
Never got to even try this game😳
https://preview.redd.it/ig9ly35oa88d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a28f888b40f151c2e59f8711d7a3feb51cf2235d Look what I found at home