| Z-Code Games for the Palm OS |
Wanna play text-adventure games on your Palm device?
No problem.
First, though, you'll need to know that these sort of games are now called interactive fiction, or IF (because, apparently, "text-adventure game" didn't sound sophisticated enough). Now, you'll be able to search the Web for lots of information about the hobbyist community that's still making and playing these games.
But, if you don't feel like crawling your way across the Web you can find enough here to get you started.
Z-Code Interpreters
Most of these games that will run through the Palm OS are in a format called Z-Code. They need an interpreter to run. If you have a new Palm device with expansion cards and such you might want to look at CliFrotz or Kronos. Otherwise, get Frobnitz.
Z-Code Games
Once you've picked an interpreter, you'll need to find some games to play. Most everything in the Z-Code section of Baf's Guide to the IF-Archive will do the trick and so will any old Infocom games you happen to have lying around.
However, a recent thread at the IF-players' Internet discussion group suggested that these games, in particular, are most suitable for a new player on a Palm device, because they're relatively short and small ...
- Balances
- Chickens of Distinction
- Enlightenment
- Friar Bacon's Secret
- Galatea
- Hunter in Darkness
- 9:05
- Photopia
- Shade
- The Underoos That Ate New York
- A Very Old Dog
If you're using Frobnitz, you'll need to convert those .z5 files into .pdb files before you load them into your Palm device.
MS Windows users will need MakePRC. At the DOS prompt, type makeprc game.z5 game.pdb "Game Title"
Macintosh users will need the Pilot ZIP Wrapper. Launch it (in Classic), point it at a .z5 game and then type in the title of the game. After you've saved it, add .pdb to the new file's name.
Linux users will need Z2PDB. Type z2pdb game.pdb game.z5 "Game Title"
Playing the Z-Code Games
Launch your interpreter and pick the game you want to play. If you don't know how to play text adventure games, Infocom distributed a demo game that includes a tutorial. Choose that game and enter "I" at the first prompt.
-- Walter Sandsquish, Fall 2004.