0.o! Does this mean they will be updated to work with new operating systems? I'd definitely want to get them then. Um, not to appear uninformed or anything, but what in the world is GOG, and what is their website?

Jean, you can access it here: Gog.com

It is made to run on newer machines.

Ana

Thanks Ana!

"...the choice for IF (assuming this is true) is a bold one."

You nailed it, DaveHT. These are Zork text adventures. Well, I'm up for a challenge (and they are a challenge for me, I'm so bad at "talking" to the game to get anywhere) but I can always hope that the graphic adventures will follow along in time.

Gil.

Boy was I wrong!

I still hope to see Return to Zork and Zork Grand Inquisitor get done by GOG. I already have the Anthology so I'll have to sit back, be patient and keep hoping.

I have to say that I am thrilled with what GOG.com is doing and I will do whaterver it takes to support them. It was also very nice to find out about DotEmu.com here on GameBoomers as well. Thank You!

Cheers,

Bill

"I have to say that I am thrilled with what GOG.com is doing and I will do whaterver it takes to support them."

Me too, mrbill

Gog sure is picking up a lot of fans. I can't wait to see what they put out next.

Based on what I heard from you guys about Zork, I went to GOG and downloaded it. I've gotta say that I don't like it. All I get is written text in DOS with a flashing curser that expects me to write something.

Is that the way the game is supposed to go? I don't get it.

That's what a text adventure IS

Melia,

The Zork games they've all been saying they liked so much are not text adventures. The ones GOG has just released are early in the series, back when gaming was new, AFAIK. With luck, eventually GOG will have the later games.

Gil.

Hi Melia,

That's how adventure gaming started back in the mid to late 1970s. The computers were massive called main-frames and filled entire rooms. They were not able to deal much at all with graphics at the time. When home computers came out they were very expensive and could only run small programs like text adventures. Zork 1 was released for sale in about 1980 for over $40.00. What you just bought would have cost over $250 and the computer that would run them might have cost up to several thousand dollars. What you are playing is a bit of gaming history. Give them a chance and let your imagination soar. Depending on what you type in might give you a few belly laughs. There are walkthroughs available to help you out.

Take care,

Mr. Bill

If you have played the first Monkey Island game, you'll know what to do. Just write n for north, s for south, e for east and w for west.

You need to type in commands like 'open mailbox' or 'close window' or 'open grate' or 'look down' or 'look up'. And try not to be eaten by a grue (hint: they don't like light much...grues that is)

Hi Melia-

Mr Bill has a great page over at his Adventureland which helps to explain which commands can be used for the text adventures-

http://www.mrbillsadventureland.com/howto/intfiction/textplay.htm

You also might want to check out Wikipedia for background info on 'interactive fiction', 'Infocom', or even 'Zork' to get a feel for what IF's are all about.

I never had to do that with The Secret of Monkey Island.
My first version of the game was on those huge floppies, my next was on the 3.5 and currently I have it on CD.

So, there was an even older version that MY first one ??

Mind boggling

Thanks, all. I didn't realize that what I'd bought was a text adventure. I'll try your website, Mr. Bill, and see how it goes.

Which are the games with pictures, too?

Hi Melia-

I think the following later Zork games either had some pictures or were entirely graphic- Zork Zero, Zork Nemesis, Return to Zork and Zork Grand Inquisitor.

I also remember the old Legend Entertainment games as having some pictures to go along with the text adventure. Some were written by Steve Meretzky who wrote a bunch of the Infocom games. These were games such as Spellcasting 101-301, Gateway 1 and 2, and Eric the Unready. Great games.

I just meant that in the first Monkey Island game, you had to actually write talk or walk. But for the movement you used the arrow keys or the mouse.

Zork Nemesis and Zork Grand Inquisitor are games with graphics.

Melia,

Return to Zork (1993), Zork Nemesis (1996) and Zork Grand Inquisitor (1997) are the Zork graphic adventure games.

Take care,

Mr. Bill

Are you sure you aren't thinking of the first King's Quest? As far as I know, every version of Secret of Monkey Island used the SCUMM engine, where you pick a verb that's listed on the screen and never actually type anything in. SCUMM was first introduced in LucasArt's Maniac Mansion. JA has an article on SCUMM ***here***.
Check the screenshots at Mobygames. There's no place to type.
http://www.mobygames.com/game/secret-of-monkey-island/screenshots

But with the first King's Quest, yes you had to type, and you can see where your words appear at the bottom of the screen in these screenshots.
http://www.mobygames.com/game/kings-quest/screenshots

Thanks, Jenny100 !!

I was sure I HAD bought "the" original version of Monkey Island when I first purchased it

[Just love those games and still re-play them regularly ]

Cheers.

Mad

I'm playing a Zork game on my iPad now. It is the last story in a list of the app called "Frotz"