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OCS no. 2

Zak McKracken And The Alien Mindbenders

General info

Not Amiga Original

Relationships

WHDLoad

2020-03-10

Stats

11,801

OCS

Credits

Amiga conversion
Amiga conversion
Amiga conversion
Game scripting
Game scripting
Animations
Backgrounds
Backgrounds
Backgrounds
Sound effects
Technical assistence
Game design
Game design
SCUMM system support
Technical assistence
Game design
Technical assistence

Hard Disk Installer

Yes

- Simply copy all disk contents to a game folder on HD.

- Approx. 1.5MB HD space is required for installation.

- Savegames (saved game positions) may be saved to HD or floppy (game disk 1 only).

Releases

Year
Name
Licence
Type
Country
Publisher
Languages
Manual Languages
Disks
Rarity
1988
Zak McKracken And The Alien Mindbenders
Commercial
Full Price
Rest of the World
English, French, German, Italian
English, French, German, Italian
2
One version is common, at least one other version is rare
1988
Zak McKracken And The Alien Mindbenders
Commercial
Full Price
Germany
English, French, German, Italian
English, French, German, Italian
2
One version is common, at least one other version is rare
1992
Zak McKracken And The Alien Mindbenders
Commercial
Budget
Worldwide
English, French, German, Italian
English, French, German, Italian
2
One version is common, at least one other version is rare
1992
Zak McKracken And The Alien Mindbenders
Commercial
Budget
Germany
English, French, German, Italian
English, French, German, Italian
2
One version is common, at least one other version is rare

Notes

[1] Game written using the Script Creation Utility for Maniac Mansion (SCUMM), originally developed by Ron Gilbert and Aric Wilmunder in 1987 to create MANIAC MANSION for the C64/128.

[2] Distributed by Mediagenic in North America, U.S. Gold in the UK/France, Rushware in Germany and Leader in Italy.

[3] Initially released in the U.S. in the latter part of 1988, ZAK MCKRACKEN was released in late 1988 in non-English parts of Europe (e.g. Germany) and delayed until early 1989 in the UK and elsewhere. Presumably, the variation in Amiga release dates by country/region was due to the multitude of distributors handling the game's release in different parts of Europe and other regions of the world.

[4] Game must be launched from WB (or shell/CLI) after booting from floppy (i.e. game does not autoboot).

[5] Game features multiple floppy drive support for disk loading, keyboard/mouse-keyboard/joystick-keyboard control,  savegame support and a quit back to WB option (press CTRL-C).

[6] Game manual contains some basic hints & tips for players.

[7] A wealth of info. about game development on the C64 and other platforms along with a FAQ, hints & tips, screenshots and much, much more is available for game enthusiasts on the Zak McKracken Archive website [see HERE].

[8] The original music composed and recorded in 1987 by game designer/coder Matthew Kane, prior to development of the lead C64/128 version of ZAK MCKRACKEN, is available for downloadHERE in MP3 format from his personal website. [Source: game designer/coder Matthew Kane's website]


TRIVIA:
[1] In looking back on their beginnings as Lucasfilm Games for their 20th anniversary celebration in 2002, LucasArts had this recollection of ZAK MCRACKEN

'Lucasfilm Games's second foray into original adventure games stemmed from another inventive concept. The plot of Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders was concisely stated on the front of the game box: "Can One Hack Writer, Two Yale Coeds, and a Stale Loaf of French Bread Save the World from a Galactic Conspiracy?" Players were cast in the role of a tabloid journalist who discovers a conspiracy among aliens to render humans terminally stupid. And yes, somewhere along the way Elvis is discovered to be living among the aliens. Using the SCUMM engine, Zak McKracken also featured the most extensive music and audio library of any product of its time, largely because one of the game's co-designers (Matthew Kane) was a musician.'

[Source: LucasArts' 20th Anniversary (1982-2002) online history article, courtesy of the Internet Archive]

[2] The two people on the back of the box are David Fox and Matthew Kane. [Source: Ron Gilbert on Mastodon and David Fox on YouTube]

Conversion Notes

Based on 1988 Lucasfilm Games C64/128 release.
PC versions: Hercules, CGA, EGA, MCGA, Tandy

Screen info

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Scan info

Box: OCS
Box scan OCS no. 1

U.S. Release (front) [Source: mocagh.org]

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U.S. Release (back) [Source: mocagh.org]

Box scan OCS no. 3

German Release (front)

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German Release (back)

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Budget Release (front) [Kixx XL]

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Budget Release (back) [Kixx XL]

Box scan OCS no. 7

Budget Release (front) [TopShots Deluxe]

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Budget Release (back) [TopShots Deluxe]

Disk: OCS
Disk scan OCS no. 1

English Release

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English Release (alt)

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German Release

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Budget Release [1/2]

Disk scan OCS no. 5

Budget Release [2/2]

Misc: OCS
OCS no. 1

Copy Protection Cover (German)

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UK Advert [Source: Atari Mania]

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UK Advert (Amiga Format, issue 4, 11/1989, pages 54 & 55)

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Italian Advert

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German Pre-release Advert (PowerPlay 2/1989, Page 24)

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German Advert (PowerPlay 4/1990, Page 7)

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German Advert (Amiga Joker Sonderheft 4 Adventures, Page 2)

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French Advert [1] [Source: Atari Mania]

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French Advert [2] [Source: Atari Mania]

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UK Advert (Amiga Format, Issue 42, 1/1993, Page 146) [Budget]

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German Review (ASM 2/1993, Page 60)

Manual info

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Manual (English)

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The National Inquisitor (English)

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Hintbook (English) [Source: mocagh.org]

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Manual (German)

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Manual Lookup Code Booklet (Copy Protection)

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Manual (English) [Budget] [Source: mocagh.org]

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Kixx Catalogue 1992 [Source: mocagh.org]

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Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Help! I've washed away the breadcrumbs/Got stuck at the Martian Pyramid/Sent the bus off into outer space/Generally mucked things up!
A:The problem with Zak is that it's an early LucasArts game, before they started their "no die" and "can't get stuck" policies. If you find yourself completely stuck, with no apparent method of escape then you'll have to start over again. Yes, really. I know it's frustrating, but do try not to smash up your computer.
[Don't worry too much - although you can die or get stuck, it is very unusual. As long as you save occasionally, you should be fine. - Chris Tolworthy]

Q: Zak needs money! How can I earn him some?
A: Well, earn may not be the right word but here are some ways to improve Zak's cashflow:
1: Take the butterknife early in the game (before you use the toolkit to open the trapdoor in Zak's bedroom) and use it to prise up the boards. The knife will bend, but take it to the pawn shop and sell it. Lou will mistake it for a piece of modern art and give you a whole stack of money for it.

2: Don't give the alien at the Phone Company your phone bill; instead, wait until you have your own disguise - Groucho Marx glasses and hat - and use the phone bill on the Phone Company's computer yourself. Zak will register the bill as paid without deducting anything from his account.

3: After a while, the trip to the Bermuda Triangle will become available. The first time you do this, you will be teleported aboard Elvis Presly's spaceship. It seems that Elvis is really an alien, and has Lotto-Dictor which can tell you upcoming lottery results. Once on the alien ship, note the order of the buttons that the pilot presses but don't join him or cross the line. Wait until he has teleported and then press the button by the side of the door. An alien will 'greet' you and take you to see... Elvis!
To befriend him, give him either the guitar, or the membership certificate of the Elvis society (NOT the incomplete form). You will be shown a way to get home, but don't cross the line; just write down the order of buttons that the alien presses (different to those that the pilot used and you only get to see them this once). This will send you home if you are on the other side of the line, so make sure that you aren't and re-enter the main room. Keep walking to the right until you see the Lott-o-Dictor. Read it and note down the numbers it gives you.
Now return and use the order of buttons that the alien - not the pilot - showed you and you will be teleported back to your room. Go to Lou's pawn shop and buy a Lottery ticket. Use the numbers you read on the lotto-dictor and then wander out and do something for a while. When you return, Lou will tell you that you've won, and give you your winnings. Repeat as much as you like.

Q: Annie is running low on money! Help!
[Edit: Game Cat's solution was to buy and sell via the porn shop. But Martin Hennings found a better solution. See, this proves that Zak has replay value :)

Get both to the same airport (best not San Francisco or Miami, because of all the codes). Then buy the most expensive ticket with the character that has the high balance on cashcard (usually Zak). Give the bought ticket to Annie. Switch to Annie, use the ticket machine. It says, "for the old ticket I got this much money..." No money loss due to buy/sell, very fast and you can do it almost everywhere...]

Q: Leslie and Melissa are running low on money! Help!
A: It is impossible to earn Melissa and Leslie any more money than they start with, but because they're on Mars, things to buy are pretty limited. You must be drowning in tokens, or something...

Q: Help! The aliens have put me in their Mindbender!
A: Don't worry, the effects aren't permanent. Wait until all of your faculties have returned and check your inventory. They've nicked your crystals! Luckily, they've left everything else in your pockets, so put your disguise (hat and nose-glasses) on and enter the back room of the Phone Company. Walk to the left hand side and open the cabinet to get all your magical stuff back. Whilst this won't end your game, it is a pain if you have to pay to get all the way back to wherever you were. However, if you need to get back to San Francisco on a budget do feel free to use it. --

The Solution:

SAN FRANCISCO: The game will begin with Zak being told by his grotesque editor to go to Mount Rainier in Seattle, where the first UFOs were seen, and write a story about mysterious happenings there. Zak is upset by this, as he wants a real story that will win him the Pulitzer Prize. Still, it's either this or the sack, and he leaves for home. That very night he has a bizarre dream in which Zak is faced with a giant face on mars, a mysterious map, an attractive woman in pink, a mysterious machine, a giant pair of Groucho Marx disguise glasses and a huge yellow ankh, all whilst listening to a damned catchy tune. All of these have a part ot play later in the game, but for now don't worry about it.

Before the game begins properly, make sure that you have a pen and a piece of paper handy as you will frequently have to take notes. As soon as the game begins, take the fishbowl and open the dresser. Take the phone bill and read it. Use the phone bill on the CashCard below your desk to retrieve it. See the odd mark on the wall beside the door? That's a bit of torn wallpaper, that is. It'll annoy your landlord no end, but tear it off anyway. Finally, open the dresser drawer and take your kazoo. You can do a load of other stuff in this room if you want, such as turn the cat clock on and off, and get in and out of bed. Once you're done faffing around, leave the room.

Now you're in Zak's living room/kitchen. Plug in the TV set and lift up the cushions on your sofa. Take the remote control you find underneath and use it to turn on the TV. Watch the news items until you begin to feel a sense of deja-vu and then use th remote again to turn it off. Walk to the right to enter the kitchen area and take the butterknife. Open the cupboard under the sink to find a box of crayons. Take them and use the yellow crayon yo find inside on the wallpaper. Zak will draw out the map from his dream. (You could also have used the crayon on the phone bill, but you'll be losing that later on in the game). If you want to exmaine this map at any point in the game, you can 'read' it.

Wander over to your fridge and open it to find a solitary egg inside. This probably explains why Zak's so disturbingly thin; he must have spent all of his food budget on that huge TV. Anyway, walk over to the right-hand door but don't go through. Instead, take the small key on the hook beside it and return to Zak's room. Now lift up the corner of his rug to find some loose floorboards. Use the butterknife on them. Hmm, seems like you'll need some tools better suited to the task. Go back through the living room and leave the house.

Once you're outside, walk to the bakery on the left-hand side of the screen. Ring the doorbell three times to piss off the baker (aren't you supposed to run away or something?) and pick up the rock hard lump of bread he throws at you. Walk all the way to the right of the screen. Ignore the bus and Phone Company and instead walk around the corner to Lou's Pawn shop. Sell the butterknife to Lou for a goodly sum and resist playing the lottery. Buy the following items from him: the golf club, the wet suit, the guitar, the toolkit, glasses and hat. Don't bother with the guitar for now. Leave the shop. Once out, walk to the right again and open the toolkit. Amongst the huge pile of new items will be a pair of wire-cutters. Use them to cut down the "Bobby Pins" sign. Now walk back around the corner.

Put on the hat and nose-glasses and enter the Phone Company. It seems that the aliens running this place use just such a disguise to hide their giant heads and lack of noses. You could give the representative the phone bill, but he'd only charge you. Instead, open the door to get behind the desk and use the phone bill on the computer. There, your bill is cleared - for free! Now take the form for the Elvis society from the filing cabinet and leave. Use the yellow crayon to fill in the form and the small key to open your mail box. Place the form inside ready for your postman to get it. now enter your house again. Open the cupboard below your sink and use the wrench on the exposed pipe. Now place the bread in the hole and turn the switch by the sink on then off to grind it up. The breadcrumbs should fall into the cupboard below, so take them. Once again, leave your house.

Go up to the bus outside and play your kazoo to wake up the bus driver and when he opens up the doors, use the CashCard in the reader. You'll now be at the airport. Give your CashCard to the devotee and you'll recieve a book in return. You should already have a ticket so just walk through the door on the left.

AEROPLANE: Now it's time for some fun! The stewardess will complain at you for being late and will hand you your complementary meal (a packet of peanuts). She will tell you about the seats, which in the case of a sea-crash, will float. Sounds like these could be a handy acquisition, doesn't it? You'll have to distract the stewardess first, though, so run all the way to the back of the plane and enter the toilet. Shut the door behind you and take the toilet roll. Use it in the sink and turn on the tap, so that all of the water pours out onto the floor. Now push the call button. When the stewardess arrives, take your leave and exit, stage right so that you are in the private cabin crew's quarters. Place the egg in the microwave and turn it on; marvel at the wonders of physics, ballistics and dairy products combined and leave before the stewardess returns. This mess should keep her occupied for the rest of the flight, so pick up the cushion of the unoccupied seat to find a lighter; take this also. Now open all of the overhead luggage compartments until you find one with an oxygen tank in. Take this, too. Now you can either sit down and wait for the plane to land or speed up the process by pressing ESC.

NOTE: If you ran out of time, and the plane landed before you had chance to get everything, you can just catch a plane back and follow the same system on that plane. Remember, however, that it will cost you money this time.

SEATTLE: Now that you've arrived in Seattle, leave the airport and you'll find yourself at the top of Mt. Rainier. Break off the tree branch and give the peanuts to the two-headed squirrel to stop it from savaging you. Now use the tree branch or golf club on the loose dirt to clear a way into the cave. Enter it and you will find yourself in darkness. 'Turn on' your lighter to get a (small) amount of light around your cursor - remember that after a period of time it will get so hot that Zak is forced to turn it off, in which case just wait until he agrees to turn it back on. Now look up at the top of the screen to find a birds' nest. Use the golf club to knock it down and then pick it up. Now look at the bottom of the screen and you'll see a fire pit. Place the tree branch in the fire pit and place the nest on it. Use the nest as kindling by using the lighter on it and the whole room will be illuminated. Turn off your lighter.
Now you should be able to see a door on the right-hand wall, with some yellow dots on it. Use the yellow crayon to join the dots and create an ankh like Zak saw in his dream. The door will open, so enter.

Inside is a huge alien statue holding a crystal in its' "hand". Look at the sensor on the front of the statue - remind you of anything? That's right, the TV infra-red reciever. Use the remote control to make the statue release the blue crystal. Take it and go back to the airport. Use the CashCard on the reservation machine and book a flight to San Francisco. Take the ticket and go through the doors to your left.

SAN FRANCISCO: Once you're back in San Francisco, go back to the street with the Pawn shop and walk right until you see a door with a drop-slot and some writing on it. Read the writing, if you want, then put the blue crystal in the slot. The woman from your dream will open the door and introduce herself as Annie. It seems that aliens are trying to take over the Earth, and somehow Annie had a dream in which she was told how to defeat them. She must build a machine, powered by three crystals, one of which Zak found in the cave on Mt. Rainier. Two others recieved this dream - Leslie and Melissa, two friends who were shown how to convert an ordrinary bus into an interplanetary spaceship. Currently, they are on Mars where they are waiting for further instructions from whatever it was that contacted them before.

From hereon in, it is possible to change characters between Zak, Annie, Leslie and Melissa. Each can do something different and each will have to be controlled at some point. From now on, the PLACENAMES will have the names of the character you should be controlling in brackets, so if you are playing as Zak in Seattle, it will read SEATTLE (Zak): but then you must switch to Leslie by the martian pyramid, it will read MARTIAN PYRAMID (Leslie). Also, Leslie and Melissa only have a limited amount of oxygen in their helmets before they begin to suffocate (although they will warn you when they get low), so you might want to switch to them now:

MARTIAN FACE (Leslie): Leslie and Melissa are stood by the Martian face, on the surface of Mars. As Leslie, open the door of the space-bus and enter. You will now have a person's-eye view of the bus interior and it's possible to mess around with much of the stuff around here but for now leave it. Change to Melissa.

MARTIAN FACE (Melissa): Like Leslie, enter the space-bus. Close the door to stop the oxygen from escaping. Remove Melissa's helmet and use the oxygen tank to fill it up. Although the oxygen in the helmets is limited, the oxygen tank has an unlimited supply.

MARTIAN FACE (Leslie): Remove Leslie's helmet. Use the oxygen tank to fill up her helmet. Change to Annie.

SAN FRANCISCO (Annie): Pick up the blotter on Annie's desk to find her CashCard. Take it and then leave the building and wait outside the bus. Change to Zak.

SAN FRANCISCO (Zak): Follow Annie's route but make a visit to your house first and unlock your mailbox - you should have your Elvis Society membership certificate now. Go up to the bus now and play the kazoo. Enter the bus and use Zak's CashCard in the reader. Quickly change to Annie.

SAN FRANCISCO (Annie): Use Annie's Cashcard on the reader. Zak and Annie should end up at the airport. Buy a ticket to London for Annie and go through the doors to the plane.

LONDON (Annie): Actually, not quite. You will find yourself outside Stonehenge which is actually a few hundered miles out from London. Why is one of the royal guards protecting it even though they are only supposed to protect the royal family? Put it down to a lack of research. Anyway, enough whining.

[ NOTE: As a Brit, this bothered me too, so I checked. Stonehenge is a long way from London, but only 90 miles as the crow flies. The game does not say that it is at London, only that London has the airport. London does have the nearest major airports. And although the guard has a palace-style hut, he is not in palace uniform. The palace style hut can be forgiven, as it is the simplest way to draw a hut that is small enough to fit in a corner of the screen, but instantly recognizable as a guard hut. The important thing is that stonehenge DOES have a big security fence around it, much to the annoyance of local druids. So the main points are correct - Chris]

You can't do much now (except perhaps electrocute Annie on the fence) so switch to Zak.

SAN FRANCISCO (Zak): Buy a ticket to Miami and head for the plane.

MIAMI (Zak): Give the book on enlightenment to the bum and you'll recieve a quart of whisky and the book back for your troubles. Have a look at the sign on the doors - they've closed down the entire of Miami! - and then buy a ticket to Cairo.

CAIRO (Zak): You can go and visit the pyramids later on, the only reason you've been directed here is because it's the only place to buy a ticket to Katmandu. Do so and hop aboard the plane.

KATMANDU (Zak): Go up to the guard and give him the book to prove that you are enlightened enough to visit the Guru. Enter and the Guru will teach you the powers of the blue crystal. It seems that it gives you the power to control the minds of animals. Coo, eh? Leave and try it out on the yak. What fun! Don't stay in the Yak's body too long, however, because as the cutscene showed, the aliens are onto you. If you spend too long on this screen, the aliens will teleport up to you and take you away to their HQ behind the phone company. If this happens, check out the FAQ above.

Anyway, walk to the right and use the lighter on the hay. The policeman will be so busy trying to put out the fire that he won't notice you stealing the flagpole outside the police station. If you get caught and put in jail, bring Annie over to Katmandu and bring her into the jail. Get Zak to give her the lighter and go and set fire to the hay again. Return to the police station and steal the keyring. Use it to free Zak. Then get Annie over to London and Zak to Kinshasa.

If Zak got the pole with the minimum of difficulty, use his CashCard in the Yak's licence plate to get a lift back to the airport. Buy a ticket to Kinshasa.

KINSHASA (Zak): Kinshasa has one of the jungle mazes which really infuriate me. You could try mapping it, but I generally wander around in circles until I (a) reach the exit (b) wind up at the airport or (c) destroy my monitor in anger.

Eventually, you will come out at a tribal village. Wander all the way to the left and enter the hut. Inside you will find a Shaman. Get a piece of paper and a pen ready before giving him the golf club. He will show you a native dance; wait until the men finish running around and then note the order in which they bob their heads and don't forget the pause key. You will need to keep this handy for later on. If you missed out the first time, give your CashCard to the Shaman and he will have them perform the dance again - at a price. The Shaman will then tell you to return when you have the yellow crystal. Stride through the jungle again until you reach the airport. Get a ticket back to Cairo.

CAIRO (Zak): Get a plane over to London.

LONDON (Zak): Now over to San Francisco.

SAN FRANCISCO (Zak): And now to Lima.

LIMA (Zak): Another pesky jungle beyond the airport. You will come out at a giant statue with a bird flapping about. Use breadcrumbs on the pedestal to draw the bird over to you. Save your game and use the blue crystal on the bird. Quickly now, fly up to the statue's left eye and take the scroll you find there. Now fly back to Zak's body and give the scroll to him. Quickly get Zak to come around and go back to the airport before the alien turns up to grab you. Once you're in the airport, fly to Mexico.

MEXICO (Zak): Go through the next lot of jungle until you come across a large temple and enter one of the doors. Wander through ANOTHER maze, although this one's in the dark. You can turn on your lighter or use the what is command to find torches, the use the lighter to light them. This is also a useful way of retracing your steps. Eventually, you will reach a chamber. If you look at its' base, you will see some yellow marks, rather like the ones at Mt. Rainier. This time, however, you must draw the shape manually and you don't know what to draw - yet! Change to Leslie.

MARTIAN FACE (Leslie): If you dodn't before, use the oxygen tank to refill your helmet and wear it. DO NOT USE THE IGNITION WITHOUT SAVING FIRST. Open the glove compartment and take the Cashcards, the fuse and the DAT (Digital Audio Tape) from inside the Boom Box. Switch to Melissa.

MARTIAN FACE (Melissa): Fill up your helmet and wear it. Take the boom box. Open the door and step outside. Change to Leslie.

MARTIAN FACE (Leslie): Step outside the bus and give Melissa her CashCard. Switch.

MARTIAN FACE (Melissa): Give Leslie the boom box. Switch.

MARTIAN FACE (Leslie): Keep walking left until you reach a black monolith. Use your CashCard in it four times so that you get four tokens. Give two tokens to Melissa. Walk back to the building you saw before (the alien hostel) and enter.

The airlock won't work, so use a token to unscrew the panel. Take the burnt fuse and replace with the fuse from the bus. Push the button to work the airlock's outer door, then press the button by the right-hand dooor to gain access to the inside of the hostel. Open the lockers and take the vinyl tape and flashlight, then pull back the sheets on the bed to reveal.... A DEAD ALIEN! Take the ladder and the dead broom-alien. Exit the hostel, retrieving the good fuse on the way out.

Once outside, use the broom-alien's body to sweep the piles of dust off the Martian solar panels before heading to the right. You will actually wind up at a large door in the side of the giant Martian face. On the door are three buttons, each corresponding to the men in the tribal dance you saw before. Push the buttons in the order of the men bobbing, using the ladder to reach the higher buttons. Once completed, a door will open. Pick the ladder back up.

Inside the face there are three large doorways and two big statues, resembling the one in the Mt. Rainier chamber. One of these statues has marks on its' base. Examine them and make a note; these are the markings Zak needs to use to get the crystal shard. You may wish to move both girls inside the bus before switching to Zak.

MEXICO (Zak): Draw on the base of the statue the pattern you saw on Mars. This will release the second crystal shard. Return to the airport and get a ticket to London.

LONDON (Zak): Once at Stonehenge, give Annie the flagpole, the yellow crystal shards, the scroll, the whiskey and the wire-cutters. Switch to her.

LONDON (Annie): Give the whisky to the misplaced royal guard to make him fall asleep (an army man who can't handle his drink? Some mistake shurely?) and then turn off the large switch behind him. Use the wire-cutters on the now de-activated fence and step through to Stonehenge. Place the flagpole in the hole on the altar, and the two crystal shards on the altar itself. Get Annie to read the scroll and a lightning bolt will strike the pole, fusing the two shards into one fully-functioning crystal. Take this new crystal and give it to Zak.

LONDON (Zak): Return to the airport and buy a ticket to Miami.

MIAMI (Zak): Buy a ticket to the Bermuda Triangle. Save your game and go through the doors.

BERMUDA TRIANGLE (Zak): You will be flying over the Bermuda Triangle in a biplane. Listen to the pilot's banter and take note that he has supplied you with a parachute. Suddenly, you find your plane caught in a tractor beam from an alien spaceship... Once on the alien ship, note the order of the buttons that the pilot presses but don't join him or cross the line. Wait until he has teleported and then press the button by the side of the door. An alien will 'greet' you and take you to see... Elvis!

To befriend him, give him either the guitar, or the membership certificate of the Elvis society. You will be shown a way to get home, but don't cross the line; just write down the order of buttons that the alien presses (different to those that the pilot used and you only get to see them this once). This will send you home if you are on the other side of the line, so make sure that you aren't and re-enter the main room. Keep walking to the right until you see the Lott-o-Dictor. read it and note down the numbers it gives you.

Put on your wetsuit and go back to the buttons. Press them in the same order as the pilot did; you will be teleported back above the triangle, but this time without a plane. Use the parachute that the pilot gave you to float safely to the sea. Once in the water, you will float on the cushion you stole from the big aeroplane. Note the fin in the background? Use the kazoo to call it over... don't worry, it's a friendly dolphin. Use the blue crystal to control it, and make it dive under the water. Down here is the lost city of Atlantis, looking a little damp. Pick up all the seaweed until you find a glowing device, then pick that up and surface again. Give the device to Zak and then switch back to him. Wait until the aliens come to take you away to the Mindbender.

SAN FRANCISCO (Zak): Wait until they release you outside and you are able to function properly again. You now have two choices: the first is to put on the alien disguise of hat and nose-glasses and enter the Phone Company. Go through to the back room and look in the cabinet on the left to find all your special thingumajigs. Otherwise, go into your apartment bedroom and use the wrench on the floorboards to prise them up. Now close your door and tie a rope to it, draping the other down the hole. Climb down the rope into the aliens' HQ and look in the cabinet before clambering back out.

Go to Lou's shop and buy a Lottery ticket, inputting the numbers you got from the spaceship. Now leave the shop and switch to Leslie.

MARTIAN HEAD (Leslie): Enter the head again, and go up to the first door on the left. Use the vinyl tape on the DAT to make it recordable and place it in the boom box. Put the ladder up against the orb on the stand. Switch to Melissa.

MARTIAN HEAD (Melissa): Walk up to Leslie and switch back to her.

MARTIAN HEAD (Leslie): Give the boom box (with the tape inside) to Melissa. Switch.

MARTIAN HEAD (Melissa): Turn on the boom box and press record. Switch.

MARTIAN HEAD (Leslie): Press the orb on top of the stand. It will make a noise which opens the door. The noise will now be recorded onto the tape so... switch.

MARTIAN HEAD (Melissa): Turn off boom box.

MARTIAN HEAD (Leslie): SAVE THE GAME and enter the newly opened door. In here you'll find another stupid maze. Use the flashlight to find your way around, until you reach the atmosphere generator room. Turn on all switches and wait until the safety lights go green. The Martian Head now has a breathable atmosphere! Take off your helmet. Switch.

MARTIAN HEAD (Melissa): Take off helmet.

MARTIAN HEAD (Leslie): Work your way back out of the maze to Melissa. Switch to Zak.

SAN FRANCISCO (Zak): Enough time should have passed for the lottery results to have been declared, so enter Lou's shop and collect your winnings. Not bad, eh? If you want, you can do that again, although in any subsequent visits, don't use the pilot's teleport code, use the one the alien showed you, which should teleport you back to your apartment.

When you're sure that you won't need any more money, exit and go to your apartment. Use the wrench to fix the pipe back on and empty Sushi the fish into the sink, leaving an empty fish bowl. Now go out to the bus and use the kazoo to wake the driver. Again, use the CashCard in the reader and go to the airport. Once there, buy a ticket to Miami.

MIAMI (Zak): Buy a ticket to Cairo.

CAIRO (Zak): Exit the airport and visit the sphinx. Examine the legs and you will see some odd markings. Use the yellow crayon on them [Edit: On Mars you need to go to the map rom and find the picture of the sphinx. Look at it to see the correct markings.] Draw the pattern on the sphinx; go through the door that opens. Walk through until you reach a room with hieroglyphics on the wall. [Edit: Go into the doors with a sun symbol on them.] Switch to Annie.

LONDON (Annie): Buy a ticket to Cairo.

CAIRO (Annie): Go to the room where Zak is, and push the hieroglyphics in the order dictated by the pattern outside. Switch to Zak. [Edit: Game Cat might have made a small mistake here. Forget about the markings on the sphinx outside. The marks are inside, next tot he buttons. Just get Zak and Annie into the button room. Read the markings. Then Annie reads the hieroglyphs above the buttons. Then Zak pushes them.]

CAIRO (Zak): Use the crayon on the wallpaper again, and then leave the Sphinx and head for Kanshasa.

KANSHASA (Zak): Walk through the jungle again and go to the Shaman. Give the yellow crystal to him and he will explain how it works; whilst the blue crystal allows your mind to travel into the bodies of animals, the yellow crystal allows you to physically teleport, but only to places with special plates on the floor (eg: in Mt. Rainier), and only if the plates have not been damaged or submerged. Use the yellow crystal now and you will see the wallpaper map. Move your cursor over the various different points to see potential destinations. Click on Egypt.

EGYPT (Zak): You are now stood in the Great Pyramid. Good, eh? Pull the lever in the wall to open a door below. Switch to Annie.

EGYPT (Annie): Exit the Sphinx and enter the pyramid. You will be walking in darkness now, but just use the 'what is' command to see your way through. Head to the right and enter the first door you come to, then head to the left and up the stairs on the far left. Switch to Zak.

EGYPT (Zak): Recognise the thingy in the middle there? It's the base of the machine that Annie showed you back in San Francisco. Now you have to fix together the rest of it; middle, candelabra and crystals. You already have the middle part; it was the thing that the dolphin found in Atlantis so attatch that to the base. Now you need the candelabra. Use the yellow crystal and click on Lima.

LIMA (Zak): You'll appear in the right eye-socket of the carved head, next to - guess what? - the candelabra. In case you were wondering, the bird wasn't strong enough to carry it over to you before. Take it and use the yellow crystal to get back to the pyramid.

EGYPT (Zak): Affix the candelabra to the glowing part and the machine is almost complete. Now all it needs is the three crystals. You already have two, you just need the third, white crystal which currently rests on Mars. Thing is, whilst the Martian Head (where, incidentally, you'll appear if you use the yellow crystal) has a breathable atmosphere, the rest of Mars is barren and oxygen-less. Time to do an A-Team and fashion a space suit out of some ordinary objects! (I love it when a plan comes together) Wear the wet suit and oxygen tank and wrap duct tape on the fish-bowl to make it into an air-tight helmet. Finally, wear the fishbowl to complete that home-grown astronaut look... I pity da fool who messes with you!

Now remove the fishbowl and oxygen mask for now and switch to Melissa.

MARTIAN HEAD (Melissa): Walk away from the first door and into the main chamber. Walk to the middle door and note how the opening orb is broken. Good job you've seen Wargames, eh? Turn on the boom box and press play. The open sound should play and the big door will open. If it doesn't work, re-record the sound and try again. When the door opens, switch to Zak.

EGYPT (Zak): Use the yellow crystal and travel to Mars.

MARTIAN HEAD (Zak): The atmosphere should be breathable and you will be able to use your lighter as a makeshift torch again. First, however, use your yellow crayon on the markings and repeat the image you saw on the sphinx. [Edit: The marings are inside the sphinx, in the button room.] Turn on your lighter and negotiate this next maze until you exit into the main hall with Melissa and Leslie. If you want, go out to the bus and use the oxygen tank to refill your own supply (don't forget to get dressed up in your makeshift suit), then go to the middle door.

MARTIAN HEAD (Leslie): Go to the middle door.

MARTIAN HEAD (Zak): Enter the opened middle door and keep heading right until you come to a doorway. Go through it into a new room, where you will find an ankh. Return to the main chamber.

Enter the third and final door. Again, walk through all the usual maze junk until you wind up in a room with a panel. Use the ankh in the panel to turn off the forcefield and push the button on the machine. Now pick up the small gold key and go back out to the main chamber. Give the newly-found key to Melissa. Get suited up and leave the martian head. Stop off at the bus to refill your tank and then go over to the black monolith. Get a couple of tokens (just in case) and switch to Melissa.

MARTIAN HEAD (Melissa): As with Zak, put on your helmet and leave the head. You'd better top up on oxygen before going over to the same spot as Zak. Make sure that she has TWO tokens. Switch to Leslie.

MARTIAN HEAD (Leslie): Helmet. Leave. Refill. Monolith. TWO tokens. Check that the solar panels have had their dust swept off and then use a token on the tram. Switch.

MARTIAN HEAD (Melissa): Use a token on the tram. Switch.

MARTIAN HEAD (Zak): Use a token on the tram. Wait, and you'll all be swept off down the rail to the Martian Pyramids.

MARTIAN PYRAMID (Zak): Look at the monolith at this end. Now do you see why you needed two tokens? Go to the entrance of the pyramid.

MARTIAN PYRAMID (Melissa): Go to the entrance of the pyramid.

MARTIAN PYRAMID (Leslie): Go to the entrance of the pyramid. Use the broom-alien to sweep up the collected dust around the door. Watch the cutscene then switch to Zak.

MARTIAN PYRAMID (Zak): Use the Bobby Pins sign in the giant lock to pick it and open the door. Enter and you'll be in the dark (again). Use the 'what is' command to find a doorway. Enter and walk as far left as possible. Switch to Melissa.

MARTIAN PYRAMID (Melissa): As with Zak, just find the doorway and head to the left of the next room. Switch to Leslie.

MARTIAN PYRAMID (Leslie): Turn on the flashlight to give you a hand and follow the same route as the others. The room in here is an almost identical copy of the one found in the Egyptian Pyramid, except that there's no stairway in this one... or is there? Push the feet of the sarcophagus. Switch to Zak.

MARTIAN PYRAMID (Zak): There should be a stairway opened up on the far left of the room, now so walk up it, making sure that Leslie stays put. Switch to Melissa.

MARTIAN PYRAMID (Melissa): Follow Zak up the stairs. Switch to Leslie.

MARTIAN PYRAMID (Leslie): Move Leslie away from the feet so that the doorway closes. Switch to Zak.

MARTIAN PYRAMID (Zak): Stand in front of the white crystal. Switch to Melissa.

MARTIAN PYRAMID (Melissa): Use the small gold key in the box on the wall and push the button inside. Switch to Zak.

MARTIAN PYRAMID (Zak): Get the white crystal and use the yellow one to travel to Egypt.

EGYPT (Zak): Take off your spacesuit and use the crystals on the machine. Turn on the switch on the right hand side of the machine. Switch to Annie.

EGYPT (Annie): Turn on the machine to complete the game. Hurrah!

Well done, you've completed one of LucasArts' most satisfying adventure games, so sit back and let the credits roll !!!

[Sources: Game Cat (Wilko_3000@yahoo.com) and Chris Tolworthy (tolworthy@hotmail.com), courtesy of the Zak McKracken Archive]

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CGA

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Hercules

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MAGAZINE REVIEWS

Magazine
Issue
Rating
Reviewer
Release type
Review
Scans
Amiga Action
39 (Dec 1992)
90%
Peter Lee
Re-release
1
Amiga Computing
Vol 2 No 1 (Jun 1989)
82%
Dave Eriksson
3
Amiga Format
50 (Sep 1993)
78%
Stephen Bradley
Re-release
1
Amiga Joker
Apr 1992
81%
Max Magenauer
1
Amiga Joker
Apr 1993
Joachim Nettelbeck
Re-release
1
Amiga Magazine (It)
10 (Mar 1990)
81%
0
Australian Commodore and Amiga Review
Vol 6 No 4 (Apr 1989)
Ted Beck
0
CU Amiga
Jan 1993
89%
Steve Merrett
Re-release
1
Datormagazin
No 6 (Apr 1989)
6/10
Lennart Nilsson
1
The One
7 (Apr 1989)
75%
Paul Boughton
3
The One
51 (Dec 1992)
74%
Re-release
1
Zzap
47 (Mar 1989)
90%
Gordon Houghton
Maff Evans
Kati Hamza
0

MAGAZINE PREVIEWS

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Issue
Rating
Reviewer
Release type
Review
Scans
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OCS

Lore Score: 78%

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