🧭 THE ARCHIVES

Quote of the day

As the robot reaches for the sphere, a solid steel cage falls from the ceiling, trapping him. You can faintly hear his last words: "Whirr, buzz, click!" A cloud of smoke rising from beneath the cage confirms your fears about the fate of your brave mechanical friend.

-- Zork II

Factoid of the day

During development, the working title for The Witness was Invitation to Murder. Later, the title became, simply, Witness but Infocom's marketing firm Giardini/Russell felt that The Witness sounded more like a Raymond Chandler story.

Computer Entertainer, v6(3)

~2 minute read

Jun 1987

Critically Speaking...Multi-Systems

Stationfall

STATIONFALL (NA/⭐⭐⭐⭐) by Steve Meretzky for Infocom is a sequel to "Planetfall" and brings bakc the character of Floyd, the lovable robot. (It is not necessary to have played "Plnaetfall" to enjoy the sequel, however.) The action in the sequel takes place five years after you saved the planet Resida with Floyd's help, which led to a promotion in the Stellar Patrol. Unfortunately, the promotion only moved you from pushing brooms to pushing papers. Absolutely nothing interesting has happened to you in five years, and it looks like more of the same now that you're a member of the paperwork task force on this insanely bureaucratic planet. Your current assignment: head for Space Station Gamma Delta Gamma 777-G on an emergency run for -- what else -- more forms! Specifically, a supply of Request for Stellar Patrol Issue Regulation Black Form Binders Request Form Forms. Things begin to look up, though, when you find your old friend Floyd in the robot room. His childlike glee at seeing you again is the high point of your day -- your whole year, for that matter. And so you and Floyd head for the space station after a few rounds of one of Floyd's favorite games, Hider-and-Seeker.

t Deserted Space Station

The space station is main focus of the story, for you and Floyd find it deserted when you arrive. The captain's log mentions machinery breakdowns. Floyd finds a friend on the station, a very intelligent robot named Plato. But some alien force seems to have the power to turn machines against humans in this place. Plato is affected, and even your cheerful little buddy, Floyd, starts acting strangely. There is obviously a mystery to be solved if you hope to survive. Fans of "Planetfall" or any of Meretzky's other works of interactive fiction are sure to appreciate the humor, the puzzles, and the ultimate warmth of this story and its irresistible character of Floyd the childlike robot. (Solo play; Keyboard; Blank disk required.) Available for Amiga, Apple II, Atari ST, Atari XE/XL, C64/128, IBM, Macintosh.

Recommended. (MSR $39.95 except Atari XE/XL, C64/128 at $34.95)

These historical, out-of-print articles and literary works have been GNUSTOed onto InvisiClues.org for academic and research purposes.