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║ ── │ October/November 1996 │ v │ ^ ║
╟────┴─────────────────────────────────┴───┴───╢
║ ┌──┐ ┌──┐ ┌──┐ ║
║ │ \ │ │ │ │ The Year of ║
║ │ \│ │ │ │ MEGAZEUX! ║
║ │ │\ │ │ │ ║
║ │ │ \ │ ┌─┐ │ └────┐ ┌─┐ ║
║ └──┘ └──┘ └─┘ └───────┘ └─┘ ║
║ ──────────────────────────────── ║
║ ║
║ Volume 3 "Stylin' Profilin" ║
║ ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════╝
ZZT-MZX Newsletter Issue 10 (The Double Issue (Not.))
Head Of Staff: E. CyberBRO
THE STAFF: DeadPhrog, Owcp, and STRIKESOFT
┌───────────────────┐
│ PACK-IN'S include │
╔═════════════════╧═══════════════════╧═══════════════════╗
║ - ZZT FunTown by Owcp ║
║ ║
╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
╔════╤═════════════════════════════╤═══╤═══╤═══╗
║ NL │ Nl NeWz NuMbEr NiNe │ _ │ ■ │ X ║
╟────┴─────────────────────────────┴───┴───┴───╢
║ ┌──┐ ┌──┐ ┌──┐ as always truely ║
║ │ \ │ │ │ │ fer Windows '95 ║
║ │ \│ │ │ │ (If you don't count ║
║ JOy?│ │\ │ │ │ that it's in DOS) ║
║ │ │ \ │ ┌─┐ │ └────┐ ┌─┐ ║
║ └──┘ └──┘ └─┘ └───────┘ └─┘ Zzt/Mzx ║
║ ──────────────────────────────── reports ║
║ NL NeWz & updates ║
║ By DeadPhrog of & stuff. ║
║ SHATTERED PERSPECTIVES GAMES ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Hello, and welcome to a new edition of NL NeWz. First this month, Greg
Janson, the creator of MZX, has said that he will create a MZX 3.0. This
version will be in protected mode, so memory will not be a problem anymore.
Also in this version will be unlimited robots, (normal and global), counters,
etc. Greg has said that after he finishes MZX 3.0 he plans to make a new
ZZT/MZX style game system, tenativly titled UltraZeux. UZX is planned to
full VGA/SVGA support, 256 colors, multiple colors in a char, and other vast
improvements over MZX. Needless to say, it will be some time before we will
see a completed UZX. Another new ZZT/MZX style game coming around is
"ZZT 2." The name is sure to change because of rumors of being sued by Epic
Mega Games, the creators of the origonal ZZT. In other news, one of the most
awaited MZX games ever, Sivion MZX, is still nowhere near being done. Now
that the Nintendo 64 has been released (formerly Ultra 64), Sivion has been
delayed more than the N64. And that's saying a lot. A few old ZZT/MZXers
have also returned to internetdom, most notably the creator of Sivion,
Monthigos, and the creator of ZaZoomda and the Terminator vs. Barney series,
Brian McFee. McFee went under the handle Briantator on AOL, but since
leaving it, he nows calls himself Keebler. That's right, like the elves.
McFee has commented that he is considering making a Terminator vs. Barney 4.
The Creator, the MZXer behind Slimed has said that work on Slimed is going
quite slow, and ever since he has left AOL people have stopped sending him
levels. If people don't start sending in levels we may never see Slimed
finished. Another note, Greg Janson has said that if he doesn't get any
worthwhile MZX worlds for his World Creation Contest it will be cancelled.
Also, my own Doom-style game poking fun at crappy ZZT games, ZZTorture has
taken quite a few setbacks and the engine I was using had to be scrapped.
However, it should be finished sometime after Christmas if all goes well.
On a completly different front, several password crackers for MZX have been
released against the wishes of Janson, the authors have claimed ingorance.
Also a new unlocker for MZX by Kev Vance has been released, with the
capability to unlock the "Moron Lock." UnLockPRO searches files for the lock
type and unlocks them. What is Moron Lock? I quote from the UnLockPRO
manual, "The Moron Lock (also called Coaliton Lock and Matt=Lock) is supposed
to render Software Vision's Super Lock useless. Ironically, Moron Lock _is_
Super Lock with the board length reduced to three. This lock didn't deserve
to be called something cool, hence the name Moron Lock." Also, my own MZX
project, !nsane-X is going at it's normal pace, slow. But at least !nsane-X
getting more.... insane. The first area, Cow Skull Land, really isn't all
THAT weird, but it's all down-hill from there! Don't expect this one to
down any time soon. But what you can expect is more preview/demos of it.
A demo of a rather contraversial game, Bloodgate, has been released. In the
game you control a demon trying to take over earth after being summoned by
cultists, whom you promptly kill. While several people have expressed
concerns over the game's content, most think it's going to be quite a game.
It has very high quality ANSI graphics. When asked about the ANSI, the
game's creator said that he uses a seperate program outside of MZX and
imports them. The results are quite stunning. Maybe you should seek out
the demo and form an opinion of your own.
----====DeadPhrog====----
send comments, flames,
and hatemail to:
DeadPhrog@sinewave.com
The NL Column About Nothing In Particular, Number II (TNLCANIP2)
By Kevin Rohleder
The topic for TNLCANIP2 is: the condition of the NL. I say it's rather awful.
The NL was once the best, in fact, the ONLY place for ZZT (and later, MZX)
information. The NL mailing list (the NLML) used to have all sorts of talk,
even OTPs! Now it has barely one post every two weeks. What happened to it?
Did Greg's MZXML take away from the popularity? Maybe, but I think the NL
was floundering before that. Why did this happen? I don't know. But the
question is now what to do. I don't run the NL, but the way I see it is
that we can either keep going like this, or try to get new people on the
NLML. If we get new people, then maybe they will write articles, and the
NLML will start flourishing again. What do you think? Tell us! Reply to
the NLML about this! Let the rest of us know how you feel! :)
The Critic Corner
By E. CyberBRO
-----------------
MZX
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Jimmy's Quest
AUTHOR: Jariska
GRADE: C-
SIZE: 46K
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fortunately:
1. It's a game with more than one board.
2. Somewhat playable.
Unfortunately:
1. Most of the boards are very small.
2. Not appealing enought to enjoy.
3. Not enought health in the game to survive.
4. A flame-like boss is very difficult to destroy due to the fact
you cannot counter a fireball with a bullet very often.
5. Title screen on his games will not tell you what the game's title
is, just the little bit of the story.
MZX
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Woofartegnugan
AUTHOR: Jariska
GRADE: C
SIZE: 57K
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fortunately:
1. Well.......Not bad animation on the character.
Unfortunately:
1. Like I said before about the title screen.
2. Your character jumps two spaces to the right or left when moved.
3. A bit too pointless to enjoy.
MZX
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME: Oh-No! Not another Star Wars Parody
AUTHOR: Kev Vance
GRADE: B
SIZE: 105K (325K Packaged)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fortunately:
1. Yes! It's another Star Wars Parody. (Though I'm not a fan of
Star Wars)
2. Pretty neat special effects.
3. Nifty features.
Unfortunately:
1. It's another Star Wars Parody.
2. That "Flying though the lazer" level is very tough.
3. Not the flashiest graphics you've ever seen, but It'll do.
In Other News
-------------
- I haven't been to the PC Gamers forum in a while. Man did they do some
changes in that area. Took me a while to find the ZZT/MZX games. If you
haven't seen it yet and if you own a copy of AOL (3.0?) then go check it out.
- While that being said Megazeux V2.5 is in the downloading area. If you
don't have it, I suggest you get it. Read the description for details.
- The activities in the NL list have really slowed down since a while when
there used to be chattering here. I'm going to start advertising the NL in
the PC Games forum. If you know anywhere else to advertise and try to
convince ZZT/MZX'ers to join the NL then by all means. Although I'm CEO of
the NL it's "You" that keeps this thing going.
That's it for the NL this month (And last month). Until next month. Adieu!
The NL - Volume 3 Issue 10 (The Double Issue (Not.))
Inside: NL NeWz, The NL Column About Nothing In Particular, The Critic Corner, Other News
Published: Nov 30, 1996
Part of Series: NL
