To heck with a dozen. I don't think the queue has been empty this year, and I'm going to change that. Below are all fifteen games in the queue as I write this and so help me if a sixteenth gets uploaded in the next hour or so I'm going to be very miffed.
This one's got a few items of note. Some standalone releases of 24 Hours of ZZT games that all seem like pretty solid plays. A pair of demos by TheBigTimeDude with the usual freestyle board designs and unusual characters. A game I made about my bizarre experience with being a potential juror this past summer. ZZT-ified conversions of a Counter-Strike's de_dust and an iconic Game Boy tune. Plus, the usual assortment of games that were explored in various Wildcard Streams, of which The Land of Traseel is definitely one of the best finds yet.
Next time: Probably Oktrollberfest titles.
Contents
“Rose of ZZT improved demo” by TheBigtimeDude (2023)
Welcome to the land of Sorbet Woods. Why are you here, and how do you get home? And how delicious is the ground that's made of carrot cake? A rose may be involved.
“We Have Court At Home” by Dr. Dos (2023)
An only slightly exaggerated depiction of true events when I was selected as a potential juror this summer. If you haven't had court from home, you haven't had court! The defendant opted to represent themselves fyi.
“de_dust v1” by Adrian Rupp (2023)
Forget Counter-Strike 2. We've got de_dust for ZZT now. Pick a site and plant a bomb.
“Pokemon OST - Prof. Oak's Lab” by itsmehere (2023)
A rendition of Professor Oak's lab theme from the original Pokémon games made for a scrapped Pokémon ZZT game. Game Boy to ZZT audio ain't half bad though the timing here seems a bit off at parts.
“Tankia: The Sword of Lightning” by Gatekeeper, Joshua Smith, Ruthann Smith, Scott Gross (1999)
A cute little adventure in which you play as Tankia, hero of the land, on a quest to recover the lost Sword of Lightning to defeat the evil Kearinth. Roam your typical environments, forests, mountains, deserts, conquer castles and dungeons, and get help from folks in various towns. A straightforward and fun ZZT game stymied by a tragic board-connection error at the last minute.
“The Land of Traseel” by Graham Peet (2001)
Perhaps best compared to the iconic "Fred! 2". You are Tred, and your crush has been kidnapped by the tyrant Rork! Then you village is burned down! Explore a massive world acquiring keys, treasures and magical items in order to reach various dungeons and eventually infiltrate Rork's castle. The game is loaded with charm in the numerous little homes scattered around the countryside, and characters you meet. Lots of great little objects like the fans found in desert homes. You can even light fires at the inns to restore extra health!
Sadly, this too runs into bugs eventually as flags are not cleared properly and you will run out eventually. Otherwise, a very impressive game both in scale and design!
“Areocon” by Kevin Vance (1998)
The first of a few uploads of various Kev Vance 24 Hours of ZZT entries. I'm always waffling on how to handle these as they're often identical to the ones in the compilation releases for the contests. With more modern uploads like this, it's hard to say if the file was at some point a stand alone release or if the uploader just came across this world, saw it wasn't "available" on the Museum, and uploaded it.
But it does make it significantly easier to find. The Museum lacks a good way to find things in a compilation, so anybody who had vague memories of these games, but not that it was a 24 Hours of ZZT game will struggle to find it. Even if you're aware it was a 24 Hours of ZZT entry, it can still be annoying to discover if you can't remember the topic, and frequently the filenames are deliberately obfuscated to better group the files and/or hide the authorship prior to the contest's judging.
All three of these uploads sound pretty cool at least. Perhaps a 24 HoZZT expedition needs to be considered...
As for Aerocon, the dead planet ain't so dead when you've been sent through a time portal. The planet is currently engaged in the very civil war that will bring about its destruction, and you need to find a way to get back to your own time before you become a statistic.
“Binary” by Kevin Vance (2000)
Simon Martinov isn't really a prisoner, or at least that's what they tell him. He's just drifting alone through space performing meaningless labor because it's cheaper than maintaining a robot. When space pirate close in on his ship, the only thing to do is blow up the ship with himself on it, lest the pirates discover the ship's dangerous secret that could destroy half the universe. For some reason he doesn't want to do that...
“Ray of H.O.P.E.” by Kevin Vance (2001)
Professor Bigbrains has been sent back in time, exchanging places with a wizard. Teaming up with the wizard's apprentice Joe, the two must find a way to return the two to their own time. To do so, they must use the Ray of H.O.P.E. to make the evil wizard Xalton cooperative. This one also seems like a lot of fun!
“Joe Goes To School” by Bobo245 (1995)
The second in a trilogy of Joe games, and one whose first entry remains lost. A very "Fred!: Space Fred" inspired game in which aliens have taken over your school and your job is to blast them all. Fortunately, Joe always carries a rocket launcher. Brought to you by "Oscar the Grouch Software", a ZZT company name that's one of the best I've ever come across.
“Joe 3: Joe is Back” by Bobo245 (1995)
The third Joe game is, fittingly, heavily inspired by "Fred! 2". This time Fred has been sent into the far future and needs to find a way home. People are quite happy to help at least, seeing as how in this time Joe is known as the great hero who saved the world. Although some people would prefer if he'd just grab a squeegee and wash the windows already.
“The Rose of ZZT Demo Version” by TheBigtimeDude (2023)
A slightly earlier upload of the previously mentioned Rose of ZZT demo.
“Tank: A Collection of Assorted Tanks” by Dragon250 (1999)
Exactly what it says on the title screen. A few large and somewhat-fancy ZZT tanks that can be moved around and fire bullets and limited-use missiles. This is an engine ready to be dropped into a game, that here is merely a demonstration. As with all giant masses of ZZT objects though, it's pretty easy to unintentionally cause them to desync and fall apart.
“Enigma Games Offices” by No1Dive (1998)
A grand tour of the Enigma Games Offices. Interview the members of the company, learn all about their love of Quake, their ever changing crushes, and the grand RPGs for ZZT they can't wait to finish. Also features an animation of Santa Claus bombarding some dude's house.
“The End of Time - The 7.142 Stinky Flies” by ZOrangeCow (2000)
Some turn of the century random humor in demo form. Your good friend the Fluorescent Orange Sock has been kidnapped by terrorists, and it's up to you to rescue him. To do this you must raid a bunker, save a town, solve some puzzles, and clear up a misunderstanding with the penguins. A nice time capsule of comedy that may still get one laugh, maybe two, today.
