<!--
	Title: (Space Wars And Earth Games) Zork II, The Wizard of Frobozz
	Author: Steve Leibson
	Source: PC Magazine, v1(8)
	Date: December 1982
	Transcription by Steve Derby
-->

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<p class="larger tight"><strong>ZORK II, THE WIZARD OF FROBOZZ</strong></p>
<div style="margin-left: 2em; text-indent: -2em;">
<p class="tight">Infocom</p>
<p class="tight">55 Wheeler St.</p>
<p class="tight">Cambridge, MA 02138</p>
<p class="tight">(617) 492-1031</p>
<p class="tight"><strong>List Price:</strong> $39.95</p>
<p class="tight"><strong>Requires:</strong> 48K, one disk drive, (printer optional)</p>
<p class="tight"><strong>Age-group:</strong> 10 to adult</p>
<p class="tight"><strong>Number of Players:</strong> One (but a group of players will also have fun)</p>
</div>
</div>

Adventure games are the pinnacle of tex-tonly computer games. *Zork* is a microcomputer
version of the original minicomputer game *Adventure*. *Zork II* is a new offering
from Infocom. and it is truly a puzzler.

In this game, as in other adventure games, the computer becomes the player's
alter ego. It takes commands and reports what is happening in the make-believe
world of the adventure. The challenge in *Zork II* is to explore the cave world created
by the game's author, figure out the puzzles by using the clues and tools scattered
about, steal as much booty as possible, and escape from the cave. To further
complicate matters, an addled wizard appears from time to time to torment the
player with obstacles.

*Zork II* is a sophisticated adventure game. It recognizes many high-level commands.
If the player finds a table with several objects on it, for example, and enters
the command "Take all." the game responds by picking up all of the objects on
the table. It also tries — and fails — to take the table, telling the player. "Nice try" or
"No way." The game tries hard to decipher what the player wants to do and is therefore
easy to use. But because part of the game is to try to guess the right commands,
Infocom has not made the task too easy.

The manual for *Zork II* is a brief nine pages. It explains how to start the game,
how to quit, how to talk to the computer, and how to save the player's position on
disk so the game can be resumed at a later time. Also included is a list of some of the
more useful commands the player might not think of, such as "Inventory" to list the
objects the player is carrying. The manual is vague about the specifics of *Zork II* because
the real fun of an adventure game is figuring out how to play it. A quick-reference
card of commands rounds out the documentation package.

<blockquote class="float-left larger" style="border-top: 4px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid; text-align: center; padding: 0.5em 0.25em; font-weight: bold;">
ZORK II <em>IS a sophisticated adventure game.</em>
</blockquote>

*Zork II* employs no graphics; it is entirely a text game. At the top of the screen a
status line tells the player's position, the current score, and how many moves have
been made. Beyond that, the game might as well be played on a teletypewriter.

The game tallies all positive and negative point scores accurately. It also keeps
an accurate count of player moves for rating purposes. Errors are handled in a clever
manner. If you press the Enter key with no command, the game responds with
"Beg pardon?" Other responses to errors include "Interesting concept” and "Nothing
happens." There is nothing a player can enter that fazes *Zork II* in the least.
Infocom warranties the disk for 90 days. If the disk fails within that period, it
will be replaced free of charge; after 90 days it costs $15. A postage-paid registration
card is included to activate the warranty. This system is less than perfect,
however, because the disk is copy protected and eventually will fail, probably after
the warranty expires.

Adventure games are highly appealing -- people spend hundreds of hours trying
to solve them. *Zork II* is especially fascinating because of its difficulty: Objects
must be combined in complex ways to get anything done. That pesky wizard always
pops up at the worst times to put a curse on the player. *Zork II*'s appeal is just short of
universal; the game is attractive to everyone but younger children, who tend to get
frustrated by it.

*Zork II* is a challenge. It is interesting, difficult, frustrating, and, most of all, enjoyable.
For those who have plenty of time, the game is endlessly amusing.

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*Steve Leibson is on electrical engineer who designs and writes about computers.
He designs Computer-Aided-Design Workstations for the Cadnetics Corporation
in Boulder. Colorado.*
