Zeppelin

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Synapse Software

When I decided to play Zeppelin, it was for no reason other than I wanted to review a game that started with a Z. I did not expect a random game that I had never heard of to be this excellent. Zeppelin is a mix of a scrolling shooter and an adventure game, where you pilot your zeppelin through scrolling caverns and shoot stuff, but you're also looking for keys to unlock new areas in the 250-room cavern. The ultimate goal is to locate the dynamite and blow up the enemy lair in each of the seven levels of the game. The shooting can take a little bit to get used to - by default, you shoot forward. However, if you move up, down, or left and fire, you will fire in those directions instead. So, if you're moving down, and an enemy is coming towards you from the front, you need to stop moving in order to fire. If an enemy is coming from above, below, or behind you, then you actually have to move in their direction to be able to fire at them. The game feels well done enough, where that doesn't often feel like a problem, but newcomers may struggle with that a little in the beginning. Along your journey through the caverns, you'll also find switches that you need to activate…and the switches are often guarded by a robot. This robot is called, according to the manual, the "Hamburger Creature," and it can only be lured away by, you guessed it, giant hamburgers. If you give the burger to the robot, then you're able to access the switch. Quirky things like that always score points with me. Anyway, Zeppelin was a fantastic game for its time. From the little I've seen of it in magazines and newsletters, it looks like it was universally praised when it came out, and I can definitely see why. If you get an opportunity to play Zeppelin, I highly recommend doing so.

Review added: 07/31/2026

Zork I

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Infocom

Zork: The Great Underground Empire was a game that was not going to let graphical and storage limitations of software and hardware of the time prevent the player from experiencing a fantastic adventure, filled with exploration and figuring out where to go and what to do via trial and error. The catch? This game is entirely text-based, so the visuals of the game are basically what your imagination is capable of coming up with as you read your way through this adventure. As you navigate through each area Zork, you'll get a description of each place that you enter, with paths to take, items to investigate, and people/creatures to encounter. You use commands to do everything…like TAKE GARLIC or STAB THIEF. The beauty of the game, though, is that the developers had a sense of humor and assumed that some of the folks playing this game would have one as well. If you decided that you just wanted to goof around, you can type in other stuff like ATTACK HOUSE or SCREAM and see the amusing results. They key to survival in Zork is to limit your inventory (because you can only carry so much) and always make note of where you came from and what was in each location - like drawing yourself a handy little map…which is especially useful when navigating mazes within the game. Zork also has a save feature, so you're not stuck trying to complete this whole game in a single sitting…you can play a bit, save, and come back later. In terms of text-based adventures, Zork is the best one that I've played…like a good book, it manages to ooze personality and allows you visualize what's happening without having any pictures present. If a text-based adventure sounds like something that you may enjoy, then give this game a try. It's still entertaining to navigate through 45 years later.

Review added: 08/01/2026