Valley of the Minotaur
Encyclopedia
Valley of the Minotaur is a computer game for the Apple II
series of home computer
s. It was published by Softalk
magazine in 1983
, on a 5¼ inch floppy disk
. It is a work of interactive fiction
, also known as a "text adventure". The game occurs within a large, fictional setting
that includes a detailed and exotic terrain
, with some references to Greek mythology
.
games, in that the goal is to collect treasures, and to deposit them in a telephone booth
(whereas in Zork I: The Great Underground Empire
, the goal is to collect treasures to be stored in a trophy case). Additionally, the game features a giant bat
, which will pick up the player
(without his consent), and carry him to various other locations within the game (a feature nearly identical to the giant bat in the first of the Zork trilogy
games), as well as travel by boat (which is also featured in Zork I).
Valley of the Minotaur features many aspects which, at that early period in gaming history, were essentially unique to itself, such as an encounter with a tribe
of cannibalistic headhunters
. In addition to treasure collection, there is a secondary goal, necessary in order to solve the game: The slaying of the dreaded Minotaur
.
The game appears to have some bugs, but that is difficult to determine without confirmation from the designer
. What appear to have been bugs, may have simply been the off-beat nature of the game itself. Valley of the Minotaur was an unusually long and complex work of interactive fiction for its time, and gameplay
required the use of both sides of its floppy disk. The game was not a big seller in its day, and is today very obscure, and extremely difficult to find.
Apple II
The Apple II is an 8-bit home computer, one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products, designed primarily by Steve Wozniak, manufactured by Apple Computer and introduced in 1977...
series of home computer
Home computer
Home computers were a class of microcomputers entering the market in 1977, and becoming increasingly common during the 1980s. They were marketed to consumers as affordable and accessible computers that, for the first time, were intended for the use of a single nontechnical user...
s. It was published by Softalk
Softalk
Softalk was a magazine of the early 1980s that focused on the Apple II computer. Published from 1979 through 1984, it featured articles about hardware and software associated with the Apple II platform and the people and companies who made them...
magazine in 1983
1983 in video gaming
-Events:* A major shakeout of the video game industry begins. By 1986, total video games sales will decrease from US$3.2 billion to US$0.1 billion.* MCA Universal files suit against Nintendo, claiming that the latter company's video arcade hit Donkey Kong violated Universal's copyright on King Kong...
, on a 5¼ inch floppy disk
Floppy disk
A floppy disk is a disk storage medium composed of a disk of thin and flexible magnetic storage medium, sealed in a rectangular plastic carrier lined with fabric that removes dust particles...
. It is a work of interactive fiction
Interactive fiction
Interactive fiction, often abbreviated IF, describes software simulating environments in which players use text commands to control characters and influence the environment. Works in this form can be understood as literary narratives and as video games. In common usage, the term refers to text...
, also known as a "text adventure". The game occurs within a large, fictional setting
Fictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
that includes a detailed and exotic terrain
Terrain
Terrain, or land relief, is the vertical and horizontal dimension of land surface. When relief is described underwater, the term bathymetry is used...
, with some references to Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
.
Overview
Despite the fact it relies on a simple verb-noun parser, it appears to be inspired by the first of the ZorkZork
Zork was one of the first interactive fiction computer games and an early descendant of Colossal Cave Adventure. The first version of Zork was written in 1977–1979 on a DEC PDP-10 computer by Tim Anderson, Marc Blank, Bruce Daniels, and Dave Lebling, and implemented in the MDL programming language...
games, in that the goal is to collect treasures, and to deposit them in a telephone booth
Telephone booth
A telephone booth, telephone kiosk, telephone call box or telephone box is a small structure furnished with a payphone and designed for a telephone user's convenience. In the USA, Canada and Australia, "telephone booth" is used, while in the UK and the rest of the Commonwealth it is a "telephone...
(whereas in Zork I: The Great Underground Empire
Zork I
Zork: The Great Underground Empire - Part I, later known as Zork I, is an interactive fiction computer game written by Marc Blank, Dave Lebling, Bruce Daniels and Tim Anderson and published by Infocom in 1980. It was the first game in the popular Zork trilogy and was released for a wide range of...
, the goal is to collect treasures to be stored in a trophy case). Additionally, the game features a giant bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
, which will pick up the player
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
(without his consent), and carry him to various other locations within the game (a feature nearly identical to the giant bat in the first of the Zork trilogy
Zork
Zork was one of the first interactive fiction computer games and an early descendant of Colossal Cave Adventure. The first version of Zork was written in 1977–1979 on a DEC PDP-10 computer by Tim Anderson, Marc Blank, Bruce Daniels, and Dave Lebling, and implemented in the MDL programming language...
games), as well as travel by boat (which is also featured in Zork I).
Valley of the Minotaur features many aspects which, at that early period in gaming history, were essentially unique to itself, such as an encounter with a tribe
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...
of cannibalistic headhunters
Headhunting
Headhunting is the practice of taking a person's head after killing them. Headhunting was practised in historic times in parts of China, India, Nigeria, Nuristan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Borneo, Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Japan, Micronesia, Melanesia, New Zealand, and the Amazon Basin, as...
. In addition to treasure collection, there is a secondary goal, necessary in order to solve the game: The slaying of the dreaded Minotaur
Minotaur
In Greek mythology, the Minotaur , as the Greeks imagined him, was a creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, "part man and part bull"...
.
The game appears to have some bugs, but that is difficult to determine without confirmation from the designer
Game programmer
A game programmer is a software engineer, programmer, or computer scientist who primarily develops codebase for video games or related software, such as game development tools. Game programming has many specialized disciplines all of which fall under the umbrella term of "game programmer"...
. What appear to have been bugs, may have simply been the off-beat nature of the game itself. Valley of the Minotaur was an unusually long and complex work of interactive fiction for its time, and gameplay
Gameplay
Gameplay is the specific way in which players interact with a game, and in particular with video games. Gameplay is the pattern defined through the game rules, connection between player and the game, challenges and overcoming them, plot and player's connection with it...
required the use of both sides of its floppy disk. The game was not a big seller in its day, and is today very obscure, and extremely difficult to find.