🧭 THE ARCHIVES

Quote of the day

You climb into the bed. It is soft and comfortable. After a few moments, a previously unseen panel opens, and a diagnostic robot comes wheeling out. It is very rusty and sways unsteadily, bumping into several pieces of infirmary equipment as it crosses the room. As the robot straps you to the bed, you notice some smoke curling from its cracks. Beeping happily, the robot injects you with all 347 serums and medicines it carries. The last thing you notice before you pass out is the robot preparing to saw your legs off.

-- Planetfall

Factoid of the day

One of the main characters in the Infocomic ZorkQuest: Assault on Egreth Castle is named Gurthark, an apparent reference to the spider-like alien creature from Starcross: "The spider tells you his name is 'Gurthark-tun-Besnap,' (or something more-or-less that)."

*You'll always remember your first time underground.*
Jul 1997

Billboard, 26 Jan 1985

~1 minute read

Jan 1985

NEW ON THE CHARTS

Suspect

Faye Zuckerman

SUSPECT
#19 Entertainment

David Lebling says that his facination with science fiction books, movies and microcomputers is what makes him a successful designer of software known as interactive-fiction, which is distributed by Infocom.

Lebling co-authored the three-year-old "Zork," "Enchanter" and "Star Cross," all of which have garnered positions on best-seller lists. Ane for his latest foray into the interactive-fiction field, "Suspect," he has left the sci-fi world behind and designed a high-level murder mystery that Infocom says is geared toward advanced players.

The software centers on a newspaper reporter who is framed for a murder during a high society party. "You couldn't get any closer inside sources - because you're the prime suspect," an Infocom spokeswoman explains. The entire game takes place in a mansion.

The player determines actions of the character and the direction the story will take through back-and-forth dialog with the computer. One can interact by talking to other characters, using objects or moving around.

The game takes about 20 hours to complete the first time, according to the company. It costs about $44.

This article appeared in
Billboard
Jan 1985

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