Vezza

Vezza is a modern Infocom/Inform/Z-machine text adventure interpreter for 8 bit z80 based computers.  What makes it modern is that it is written in hand-crafted z80 assembler for maximum speed, and can load not only the classics such as Zork 1,2 and 3 but also the later games such as Bureaucracy, Nord and Bert couldn't make head nor tail of it, and Sherlock - plus hundreds of games written after the Infocom glory days. See the feature list below for more details.

This project is about taking my Vezza interpreter and making it easy to use for some of the popular 8 bit consoles. Currently available pre-made disks ready to take your game files are:

• MSX 1 & 2 (Bootable 720k disks)
• Amstrad CPC & PCW (CPC Bootable 3" CPM+ disk)
• TRS-80 model 3 and 4 are here

Other platforms can download the latest binary on my Vezza interpreter page.

Work in progress: Spectrum 3+, SAM Coupe

How to use:

MSX and CPC/PCW:

• Download the disk image for your platform
  • single disk image for MSX1 and MSX2
  • single disc image for CPC and PCW
• Download the game file you want to play (suggested links below)
• Rename the game file to story.dat
• Add the game to downloaded disk image
• Boot the disk and enjoy!

MSX notes:

I've included some samples which demonstrate on Christopher Drum's narrow-screen adjusted versions of Nord and Bert and Bureaucracy that the same boot disk plays perfectly well on both MSX 1 and MSX 2.

Note: more advanced users may wish to adapt the AUTOEXEC.BAT to load story files using different names as Vezza takes a parameter to specify the name for the story = e.g. "VEZZA ZORK1.Z3" will load the story file called "ZORK1.Z3".

Where to get games from:

There are many places on the internet to get the game files from, including:

• Classic Infocom games at the Obsessive Complete Infocom Catalog - look for the Solid Gold or Masterpieces versions, otherwise expect quite a few bugs
• PunyInform built games are new and designed for 8-bit systems. There are many new games written that are listed on the Interactive Fiction DataBase (tagged PunyInform) including jam entries here on itch.io: PunyJam#1 PunyJam#2 PunyJam#3 PunyJam#4
  
• Modern commercial quality games already pre-packaged on a boot disk, (also using PunyInform and designed for 8 bit) include Hibernated 1 and Tristam Island
• Index: if-archive/games/zcode (ifarchive.org) is an archive of  hundreds of compatible games written since the Infocom era - note that quality varies and some are not designed to run on 8 bit systems so your mileage may vary

Vezza features:

• z1, z2, z3, z4, z5, z6, z7 and z8 games can execute
• Named game save and load
• Timed input on CP/M 3 and MSX-DOS (to support game such as BorderZone)
• Accented characters are converted to a printable character
•  Fast execution of games (even z3 games now execute faster than the original)
• z3 status line supports am/pm time including Cut Throats Easter egg
• Some versions only support up to 22K DynMem games (e.g. some versions won't load Trinity or Beyond Zork). 
• Ctrl-A, Ctrl-F, Ctrl-G, Ctrl-H to edit via cursor left, cursor right, delete, backspace shift-left and shift-right also move the cursor left and right during line input
• command-line switch to optionally enable the infamous "Tandy bit". This will tweak the messages and the copyright block of some z3 games
• CPC version supports accented characters

Known limitations:

• z6 game files emulation is experimental and does not support graphics
• Sound files are not yet supported
• Large and complicated games require more memory than is available and won't load
• Some games require 80 columns so will not run properly on an MSX 1
• WARNING and Special note for *Inform 7* compiled games: The Inform 7 library is designed to use the stack a lot more than either Inform 6 or any of the genuine Infocom games. This means that even if an Inform 7 compiled game loads, and you are patient enough to wait for your next turn, as the game develops it may reach a point where the game runs out of stack and you can no longer progress that story. This would be disappointing to say the least.