<!--
	Title: Zork Zero takes you back to the beginning
	Subtitle: Computerdom’s most sacred barrier broken
	Author: Infocom staff
	Source: The Status Line, v7(3)
	Date: Fall 1988
	Transcription by Steve Derby
-->

<figure class="float-right">
	<img src="/public/img/articles/sl-zork-zero-takes-you-back-to-the-beginning/zork-zero-screen-shot-1.png" alt="Zork Zero Screen Shot">
	<figcaption><em>The now-famous Zork stone logo appears once more,
		heralding the coming of</em> Zork Zero<em>, the prequel to the</em>
		Zork Trilogy<em>. Game writer Steve Meretzky labored nearly 18
		months combining the lore of the Great Underground Empire, graphic
		puzzles and his own zany humor to create the latest chapter
		of the GUE saga.</em></figcaption>
</figure>

Ever since *Zork I* first appeared on home computers, and the *Zork Trilogy*
became our best-loved series of interactive stories, countless fans have
begged for *Zork IV*. Now our Steve Meretzky, doing exactly the opposite,
gives you something even better by taking you back to before the beginning.
Nearly 18 months in the making, we are proud to reveal our most ambitious
project ever, *Zork Zero*.

*Zork Zero: The Revenge of Megaboz* takes you back to the last days of
the Empire. A wizard's curse has destroyed the ruling Flathead family and
has threatened the kingdom itself. Although you are but one of many
fortune hunters who have flooded the capital city of Flatheadia to try to
claim the huge reward for stemming the curse, a carefully guarded family
secret gives you a big advantage!

## Every corner of the kingdom

As you begin your quest, you'll meet the court jester, whose rhymes
will leave you laughing, whose tricks will leave you cursing, and whose
rebuses and riddles will leave you scratching your head. You'll travel to
every corner of the kingdom, visiting exotic locales from the glaciers of the
Gray Mountains to the swamps of Fenshire, from the placid shores of
Lake Flathead to the searing heat of the Great Underground Desert, from
the defoliated Fublio Valley to the granola mines of Antharia.

*Zork Zero* answers many of the questions that have tormented Zorkers
for ages: What is it like to play Double Fanucci? Where did grues
come from? And finally, most compelling of all, what is the origin of the
white house where *Zork I* begins?

Epic in both size and scope, this prequel covers a full century and explores
the collapse of the Great Underground Empire. Straining our new
"Y" development system to the limit, *Zork Zero* is our largest game ever,
with more than 200 locations, and as many puzzles as all three games of the
*Zork Trilogy* combined. To top it off, *Zork Zero* shatters one of computerdom's
most sacred barriers —- the first true graphical enhancements to an
Infocom story.

## Double Fanucci

Our diehard fans are probably mourning the passing of an era; but
take heart. “*Zork Zero* has everything you've come to expect from us: lots of
descriptive prose, a ton of puzzles, depth and attention to detail; it's a
well-tested and polished game, all served up in a fun, handsome package,”
says author Meretzky. “The graphics simply add one more level of
excellence. I tried to use them in a different way; rather than illustrate
locations, the graphics are integrated into the puzzles themselves. I'm really
pleased with the result.” The graphics, created by computer artist James
Shook, make possible such graphical puzzles as Peggleboz, Snarfem, the
Tower of Bozbar, and Double Fanucci.

But wait—there's more! *Zork Zero* abounds with exciting new features. It
marks the introduction of our newest generation parser, our friendliest ever.
Now it's easier for a novice to start, and powerful enough for the experience
player.

<div style="display: flex; gap: 1em;">
	<figure style="width: 35%;">
		<img src="/public/img/articles/sl-zork-zero-takes-you-back-to-the-beginning/zork-zero-screen-shot-2.jpg" alt="Another Zork Zero Screen Shot">
		<figcaption><em>In</em> Zork Zero<em>, the prequel to the Zork Trilogy,
			you'll finally get a chance to try your hand a Double Fanucci.
			We have taken computer game graphics a step further by integrating
			graphic-oriented puzzles into </em>Zork Zero.</figcaption>
	</figure>
	<figure style="width: 35%;">
		<img src="/public/img/articles/sl-zork-zero-takes-you-back-to-the-beginning/zork-zero-screen-shot-3.jpg" alt="Yet another Zork Zero screen shot">
		<figcaption><em>We've gotten more extravagant than Dimwit Flathead himself
			with our new development system. Ordinary screens of text come
			to life with graphic enhancements like these.</em></figcaption>
	</figure>
</div>

*Zork Zero* includes our very popular on-screen hints. In a development
made possible by our new graphics system, *Zork Zero* also has complete
on-screen mapping. The puzzles themselves range from simple to boggling.
Finally, *Zork Zero* is laced with that famous Meretzky humor you
loved so much in *Planetfall*, *The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy*, and
*Leather Goddesses of Phobos*.

The packaging lives up to our usual standards. Start with a scrap of parchment
containing a spell from the secret notebooks of the great magician
Megaboz. Then, add a construction blueprint from Rockville Estates, the
cave-bound condo complex that's targeted for Young Underground Professionals.
And top it off with a handsome calendar, featuring excerpts
from "The Lives of the Twelve Flatheads" and illustrations by the great
painter, Leonardo Flathead. This calendar is from the year 883 GUE, but
(by an incredible coincidence) it is also perfectly usable as a 1989 calendar.

From the exciting prologue, where you come face to face with Lord Dimwit
Flathead the Excessive, to the climactic epilogue, where you meet
the most powerful wizard ever to set foot on the soil of Quendor, *Zork Zero*
has something for everyone, and promises to be the best offering yet
from the Master Storytellers.

*Zork Zero* will be released in October on the Apple Macintosh, supporting
both color Mac II and regular black and white Macs, and will retail
for $59.95. Watch upcoming issues for details on other computer versions.
