Developer(s) Zeuss Scientific Initial release date 1983 Mode Single-player video game | Genre(s) Interactive Fiction Publisher Softalk | |
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Designer(s) Nicolas van Dyk and Chris M. Evans Platforms Apple II, Commodore 64, Commodore VIC-20, Commodore PET | ||
Valley of the Minotaur is a computer game for the Apple II, Commodore 64, Commodore PET, VIC-20 home computers. It was published by Softalk magazine, under the Zeuss Scientific label in 1983. It was released on a 5ΒΌ inch floppy disk. It is a work of interactive fiction, also known as a "text adventure". The game occurs within a large, fictional setting that includes a detailed and exotic terrain, with some references to Greek mythology.
Contents
Overview
Despite the fact it relies on a simple verb-noun parser, it appears to be inspired by the first of the Zork games, in that the goal is to collect treasures, and to deposit them in a telephone booth (whereas in Zork I: The Great Underground Empire, the goal is to collect treasures to be stored in a trophy case). Additionally, the game features a giant bat, which will pick up the player (without his consent), and carry him to various other locations within the game (a feature nearly identical to the giant bat in the first of the Zork trilogy games), as well as travel by boat (which is also featured in Zork I).
Valley of the Minotaur features many aspects which, at that early period in gaming history, were essentially unique to itself, such as an encounter with a tribe of cannibalistic headhunters. In addition to treasure collection, there is a secondary goal, necessary in order to solve the game: The slaying of the dreaded Minotaur.
The game appears to have some bugs, but that is difficult to determine without confirmation from the designer. What appear to have been bugs, may have simply been the off-beat nature of the game itself. Valley of the Minotaur was an unusually long and complex work of interactive fiction for its time, and gameplay required the use of both sides of its floppy disk. The game was not a big seller in its day, and is today very obscure, and extremely difficult to find.
About the Designer
One of the designers, Nicolas Van Dyk, was only 13 years old when designing and publishing this game. Today he looks back at the game as "terrible".
About the Writer
The content, descriptions, and many of the characters and plot were written by Nick's classmate, Christopher M Evans. Christopher Evans also designed the map. Later, he collaborated with Nick Van Dyke on a second text based adventure project, 'Return to the Valley of the Minotaur', which was finished, but not published. The writing and concepts were heavily influenced by popular text based exploration games of the day, including 'Microsoft's Adventure', 'Zork I' and 'II', as well as the maps from 'Wizardry'. Other influences in the writing of 'Valley of the Minotaur' were Dungeons & Dragons, and some of the props from Doctor Who; specifically the telephone booth which appears in the game is a reference to the TARDIS.