Apple II Bits

Thirty years ago, when multiple incompatible computer formats vied for dominance, there were as many cross-platform games as there were exclusives. Companies who could afford to port their software benefitted from a larger potential audience, resulting in Mac, DOS, and Apple II users having similar yet disparate experiences of games such as the Ultima series.

The modern benefit to such historical cross-pollination is that many classic Apple II games can still be enjoyed, albeit in alternative formats. For example, in the July episode of Open Apple, I mentioned a free version of Ultima IV that requires DOSBox. (Several listeners recommended I instead run the game using Boxer, a DOS emulator specifically for the Macintosh.)

For a more turnkey approach to reliving the classics, I recommend two online distributors who have made games such as Ultima and Zork available again: Steam, and Good Old Games (GOG). Unlike the remake of Ultima IV (or even ADG's non-profit remakes of King's Quest), Steam's and GOG's offerings are not free for the taking — but these commercial products are designed to be run from a modern operating system, usually Windows XP or higher but occasionally for the Mac as well. How else can you easily and legally enjoy the Zork anthology for just $3.59, or four classic LucasArts point-and-click adventures for $9.97, in a native, offline environment?

If you're not sure which of these games to start with, you don't need to delve into old issues of Nibble to find what critics of the age had to say. Modern reviews are still being published at Web site Pixelmusement under the title Ancient DOS Games (ADG). Here's their review of King's Quest II:

They may not be identical with the Apple II games you remember, but these games are legitimate originals that have taken straight from the past to be enjoyed in the present. So… enjoy!

Awhile back, TIME.com produced a list of the best computer games from the 1980s. Lists may be quick and easy ways to generate pageviews, but they're also enjoyable opportunities to reminisce and debate.

Time's list, which did not limit itself to the Apple II (see Retro Gamer for that list), consisted of the following apparently unranked one dozen games:

• Lode Runner • Castle Wolfenstein • Paperboy • Gauntlet • Budokan • King's Quest III

• California Games • Ghostbusters • Quest for Glory • SimCity • Prince of Persia • Police Quest

I haven't actually played many of those games, or at least on their native platforms. But it does inspire me to jog my memory by consulting Wikipedia's list of Apple II games and list of Apple IIGS games to see which would make my must-play list. Here are my candidates:

• Archon • Arkanoid • The Bard's Tale • Castle Wolfenstein • Choplifter • Conan: Hall of Volta • Ghostbusters • Karateka

• Leisure Suit Larry • Lode Runner • The Magic Candle • Oregon Trail • Snake Byte • Space Quest • Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar • Wizardry

And that's not even counting non-commercial games, such as GShisen or Silvern Castle.

What games top your memories of the Apple II?

As mentioned on this week's episode of Open Apple, remakes of Sierra's first three King's Quest point-and-click adventures are now available as free downloads from developer AGD Interactive. The only game in that series I'd previously encountered was the fifth, courtesy its Nintendo adaptation. I wouldn't think earlier incarnations of such a crude game would age well, but I've briefly played AGD's version of King's Quest III, released just this year, and found it a superb and enjoyable title that is competitive with today's games.

If you've never played King's Quest and are wondering what all the hubbub is, Clint puts the original game in context, recollecting how groundbreaking the interface was compared to predecessors such as Mystery House:

To our modern gaming world, King's Quest is hopelessly antiquated in both look and play, but it still stands as one of our most important relics of computer gaming. And back in the day, I was as mesmerized as anyone by the amazing magic it represented. King's Quest … was nothing less than revolutionary, and I don't think it's too much to say every graphical adventure game that followed owes it (and, I guess, IBM's money) at least a nod of respect.

As Clint alludes to, King's Quest did not emerge in a vacuum, nor did it prove to be an anomaly. The entire lifespan of the genre that Sierra redefined is reviewed in Ars Technica's in-depth look at the 25-year rise and fall of a beloved genre. The piece encompasses all variety of graphic adventures, from the Macintosh classic Shadowgate to LucasArts' many SCUMM titles to Telltale Games' recent episodic ventures, such as Sam & Max.

It's a lengthy piece of journalism — nearly 7,000 words. In about as much time as it'll take you to read, you could play through the entire King's Quest game, as demonstrated in this speed run:

If you ask me, such experiences are meant to be savored, indicative as they are of a more thoughtful era in computer gaming. My thanks to AGD Interactive for bringing the past into the present, and for Sarien for suggesting that touch interfaces such as the iPad offers are ripe for a resurgence in the genre's popularity.

(Hat tip to Blake Patterson)

UPDATE: Want to see the full King's Quest played in real-time? Spend 98 minutes watching this video!