Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders

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Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders
The game's cover artwork was drawn by Steve Purcell
Developer(s)	Lucasfilm Games
Publisher(s)	Lucasfilm Games
Designer(s)	David Fox Matthew Alan Kane David Spangler Ron Gilbert
Artist(s)	Gary Winnick Martin Cameron
Writer(s)	David Fox Matthew Alan Kane
Composer(s)	Matthew Alan Kane
Engine	SCUMM
Platform(s)	Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS, FM Towns
Release date(s)	October 1988
Genre(s)	Graphic adventure
Media	Floppy disk, CD-ROM
Input methods	Keyboard, mouse, Joystick

Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders is a graphical adventure game, originally released in October 1988[1], published by LucasArts (known at the time as Lucasfilm Games). It was the second game to use the SCUMM engine, after Maniac Mansion. The project was led by David Fox and was co-designed and co-programmed by Matthew Alan Kane.

Like Maniac Mansion, it was developed for the Commodore 64 and released in 1988 on that system and the PC. An Apple II version was apparently planned, but never released. The following year, the game was ported to the Amiga and Atari ST and rereleased on the PC with enhanced graphics. Finally, a version was produced for the Japanese FM-Towns computer, which came on a CD-ROM and featured 256-color graphics and a full soundtrack.

Storyline

The story is set in 1997, 10 years after its production. In the game's 'future', all transactions are made via debit card (named CashCards in the inventory) and Digital Audio Tapes are still a medium of music recording.

The plot follows Zak (full name Francis Zachary McKracken), a writer for the National Inquisitor, a tabloid newspaper; Annie Larris, a freelance scientist; and Melissa China and Leslie Bennett, two Yale University coed students, in their attempt to prevent the nefarious, alien Caponians (who have infiltrated society in the guise of a phone company) from slowly reducing the intelligence of everybody on Earth using a 60 Hz "hum".

Luckily, the Skolarians, another ancient alien race, have left a defense mechanism hanging around to repulse the Caponians, which just needs a quick reassembly and start-up. Unfortunately, the parts are spread all over the Earth ... and Mars.

The game was heavily inspired by the many popular theories about aliens, ancient astronauts and mysterious civilizations. The many places visited in the game are common hot-spots of relevant literature, like the pyramids of Egypt and Mexico, Lima, Stonehenge, Atlantis, a space cadillac with Elvis (really an alien) and eventually the Face on Mars. The general New Age feeling is very obvious since players will meet also gurus and a shaman who hold secret knowledge of everything, as well as help convert an airport-housed bum to become a Hare Krishna.

All this is no accident. David Fox, the lead designer and programmer, intended to make a humorous game, but not nearly as wacky as the final version. While designing the game, he spent some days with David Spangler, noted new age writer, before Ron Gilbert and Matthew Alan Kane persuaded Fox to increase the comedy angle.^{[citation needed]} Fox has also said that Zak was not a sequel to Maniac Mansion, and that the two games take place in a different universe.

All versions of Zak except the FM-Towns port require the player to enter copy protection codes whenever they fly outside of the United States. The codes do not have to be entered when flying into the US, or when the player is at an airport in another country. If the player enters the wrong codes five times, Zak gets locked in jail and his guard makes a lengthy anti-piracy speech.

Reception

Most reviews, both online and in print^[1][2], rate Zak McKracken as among the best adventure games ever made, but others disagree. A review in Computer Gaming World described Zak McKracken as a good game, but "it simply could have been better." CGW described the game's central flaw in the game's environments, limited to a relatively small number of screens per location, giving each town a movie-set feel compared to the size and detail of Maniac Mansion.^[3] The large number of mazes in the game was also a source of criticism, but David Fox felt it was the best way to maximize the game's size and still have it fit on a single Commodore 64 floppy disk.

The game was reviewed in 1989 in Dragon #142 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.^[4]

Injokes and references

• In Maniac Mansion, a red herring chainsaw can be found, but it has no fuel; in Zak, chainsaw fuel can be found, but not a chainsaw. When one of the characters is ordered to pick it up, the character replies "I don't need it, it's for a different game."

• There is a poster advertising Maniac Mansion in Lou's Loans merchandise store in San Francisco. Similarly, in the FM Towns version, a poster for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure can be seen in the back room of the phone company.

• There is also a wanted poster for the Purple Meteor from Maniac Mansion inside the Friendly Hostel on Mars and in the Kathmandu, Nepal Police office.

• Razor and the Scummettes, Razor's band from Maniac Mansion, are the band playing the song "Inda Glop Oda Krell" on the Digital Audio Tape (until it is recorded over).

• The three girls in the game are named after the programmers' wives or girlfriends.^{[citation needed]} For example, Annie Larris was David Fox's wife's maiden name and the character's appearance was inspired by her looks. Similarly, Leslie Edwards (Leslie Bennett in game) was Matthew Alan Kane's girlfriend, who also worked as a major playtester during the game's production.

• Each time Leslie's helmet is taken off, her hair is a different colour. This is likely an in-joke referring to the real Leslie Edwards, although its background is unclear.

• Two of the shapes made by the yellow crayon are David Fox's initials.

• The 'words of power' (Gnik Sisi Vle) that mend the crystal in Stonehenge read 'Elvis is king' backwards.

• Zak's phone bill at the start of the game is $1138, in reference to George Lucas's THX 1138. $1138 is also the balance of Melissa's cashcard (until the player spends it on tokens for the Tram).

• When Zak or Annie read the telephone in the Telephone Company's office, it gives a phone number, if you call that number, the representative goes to the phone and asks if it is Edna calling again (a reference to where you called Edna in Maniac Mansion).

Fan sequels

In the absence of an official sequel (and a very low likelihood of one ever appearing), numerous Zak McKracken fans have turned to designing their own sequels to the cult game. The first one to reach completion was The New Adventures of Zak McKracken by "LucasFan Games", containing graphics from the Japanese FM Towns 256 color version, country-specific backgrounds from King of Fighters and some original art. The original release was notorious for containing a somewhat perverse ending. However, the ending was soon changed. That sequel is very short and fairly limited, compared to the two other fan sequels ; Zak McKracken Between Time and Space, which was released to the German speaking public on the 19th April 2008[2], and Zak McKracken and the Alien Rockstars, which was planned to be released sometime in 2007. A sequel named Zak McKracken and the Lonely Sea Monster was scheduled on 1 July 2007, and it was supposed to maintain the look of the original.

Theme

The "Zak McKracken Theme" originally composed by Matthew Alan Kane is a popular song for remixes and reinterpretations. Among the artists who have made cover versions of it are Martin Irigoyen, The Dead Guys, Puffy64, DJ Lizard, Razor and the Scumettes, the German band Glückswald and omnibrain.

See also

• LucasArts adventure games
• SCUMM
• ScummVM
• Ron Gilbert
• David Fox

References

External links

• Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders at MobyGames
• The Zak McKracken Archive
• gameFAQs Review of Zak McKracken
• Netjak Review of Zak McKracken
• other reviews of Zak McKracken
• Zak McKracken C-64 version theme from the High Voltage SID Collection
• Zak's theme, original 1987 recording predating the in-game versions
• Zak McKracken Between Time and Space
• Zak McKracken and the Alien Rockstars
• Some Zak McKracken theme remixes
• Walkthrough