Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders (DOS)

Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders
Developer: Lucasfilm Games Publisher: Lucasfilm Games Platform: DOS Released in US: November 1988 This game has debugging material. This game has a hidden level select. This game has revisional differences. This game has a prerelease article

Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders had two different DOS releases: a V1 port of the Commodore 64 original with downgraded graphics due to the differences in the C64 and DOS EGA palettes, and a re-release with enhanced EGA graphics that also appeared on Amiga and Atari ST.

Later on, a 256-color enhanced version with CD music tracks was released exclusively in Japan for the FM Towns computer. Both English and Japanese versions of the game were available on the CD. A DOS CD port of the 256-color upgrade was also developed, but not released.

To do: More differences between the original and enhanced releases.

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Prerelease Info

Debug Mode

After booting up the game, enter *ch4mysocks on the keyboard. Use the typewriter keys on the keyboard for entering * (Shift + 8), not the key on the numeric keypad. Then, press Ctrl, Shift and D together. At any time, press one of the following:

Key(s)	Action
Shift + F	Fast mode
Shift + G	Go to room
Ctrl + L	Set object in room
Ctrl + O	Get object in room
Ctrl + S	Set SCUMM variable
! (Shift and 1)	Change actor color (original) change room color (enhanced)
@ (Shift and 2)	Change actor color (enhanced)
[/{ or ]/}	Change room color (original)

Tandy Mode in DOS V1

If you run the DOS V1 version on a Tandy computer, the game will use a special low-resolution font, as well as low-resolution cursors.

DOS V1	DOS V1 Tandy

DOS V1	DOS V1 Tandy

In this mode, the flickering cursor also features an additional black color among its hues, replacing a point during the flicker where the cursor disappears on regular DOS systems.

Revisional Differences

In the FM Towns version of the game, the English-language version followed the character designs from the DOS V2 release relatively faithfully. However, in the Japanese-language version, all four main characters have larger "anime" eyes.

DOS V2	FM Towns English	FM Towns Japanese

DOS V2	FM Towns English	FM Towns Japanese

DOS V2	FM Towns English	FM Towns Japanese

Zak's anime eyes can be briefly seen in the English FM Towns version as well, in the animation when he mindlinks with several animals, such as the bird in Peru.

The FM Towns version takes advantage of the larger resolution (640x480 instead of 320x200) to show ten inventory items on screen at once, rather than just four as in previous versions.

Earlier versions of the game had three separate renditions of the main theme: the intro theme, a variant in the finale, and a third version for if you got all four characters killed (or failed the copy protection). The FM Towns release only has one arrangement of the main theme, based on the intro music from earlier versions.

Some lines of dialogue from earlier versions, such as Annie's comments when receiving certain inventory items (like the crystal shards or the scroll from Peru) from other characters, or Zak's quips after mindlinking with animals, are absent in the FM Towns version.

The FM Towns version makes the lighting easier in two of the mazes. In the pyramid in Mexico, the outer ring of hallways already has a torch burning in each room, so the first room you enter will always be lit. And the inside of the Mars Face and Martian pyramid are all lit up, so using the flashlight inside the Face maze is no longer necessary.

(Source: Endy/Ender, bgbennyboy)