Zork Zero: The Revenge of Megaboz  (5.25" Diskette version)
by Steve Meretzky
from Infocom/Activision
Requires: 128k enhanced //e, //c, IIc+, or IIgs with 5.25" drive


     Though Zork Zero was released after Beyond Zork, it is set in
a time before Zork I. The adventure begins with a flashback to the 
throneroom of Lord Dimwit Flathead the Excessive, King of a rich (if
stupidly ruled) empire. Here you are serving at an excessively great
banquet which is interrupted by the sudden appearance of an arch mage,
Megaboz, who is very (_very_) angry.

     Evidently, one of Dimwit the Excessive's excesses includes a
project which happened to destroy a particularly prized part of the
powerful wizard's property. (Bad move!!! Hint: don't wait too long 
after Megaboz arrives to hide under a table like everyone else in the
throneroom who has any sense.)

     Nearly a century passes and you (a descendent of the servant at the
fateful feast) awaken in a ruined throneroom following yet another spate
of looting by the mobs which now roam a crumbling empire. Though a mere
peasant, you are in the capital to win the reward offered by the current
king-- half the empire-- for dispelling Megaboz's curse. Unlike others
who seek the prize, you have a scrap of parchment from the scroll
which your ancestor managed to snatch from the wizard's pocket just
before the curse was pronounced. On the parchment is the key to
uraveling the curse spell and making your fortune!



The Parchment

     Lost Treasures of Infocom fails to include an item needed to solve
Zork Zero...namely the "scrap of parchment" mentioned near the end of
the game.  A .gif image of the parchment from The Infocom Home Page
and/or the key text from the parchment will often be included with
the game disks. The text reads ...

"...(s)e cannot be halted 
 ...(e)pt by two items belonging
 ...each of the accursed twelve! 
 ...     *  * *  *  **   * 
 ...(s)ing it into the cauldron...
 ...       * ** *   *  * *  * 
 ...hen uttering the sacred word."

Letters in parentheses ( ) are "cut off" at the torn edge of the scrap.

(Text from Interactive Fiction Archive ftp://ftp.gmd.de/if-archive/ .)



Zork Zero Maps

     You can map the towns, castle, desert, and other places yourself;
or you can reference a set of maps. The maps are available in .gif form
for viewing on a PC, Mac, etc.. Below is the message from the original
contributor:

>>
from Interactive Fiction Archive ftp://ftp.gmd.de/if-archive/

Date: Mon, 26 Apr 93 13:31:12 +0200
From: howell_ma@movies.enet.dec.com (another fine product of 
      the Sirius Cybernetics Corp  26-Apr-1993 1235)
To: blasius@gmd.de
Subject: Zork 0 map GIFs

Hi Volker,

Here are a set of GIFs from Zork 0. There are all the individual maps
filled in. The only one that is not complete is the delta GIF. This is
because of a problem with the graphics and the screen capture program
I was using.

Again, these might be of interest to somebody.

Mark...
<<


Zork Zero Display

     Since the game is in color double-hires you may have 
difficulty reading the text on a IIgs monitor or emulator display.
(You will bet the best color display with an Apple II computer 
connected to a composite color monitor.)  To get clear text, change
your display mode to monochrome.




5.25" Diskette version

ref: ZorkZ1nu.dsk - ZorkZ4.dsk

     This set includes a Disk 1 which uses standard ProDOS rather than
the loader originally supplied by crackers. (The loader caused problems
with starting the game.)  The new Disk 1 has been tested through play in
the early part of the game and appears to work fine.


Note About Starting Zork Zero from 5.25" diskettes

     You can use two drives to cut down on disk swapping; but, the game
will not make it through the startup if you place Disk 2 in Drive 2. If
you have two drives, boot the game with Disk 1 in Drive 1 and Disk 3 in
Drive 2.  (You will be asked to insert Disk 2 in Drive 1 during startup.)

     Before you boot the game, be sure to format a ProDOS diskette named
something like "ZZSAVE" to serve as a Save Game disk.



Rubywand