Seastalker
| Seastalker | |
|---|---|
| Game | |
 | |
| Main links | |
| Published | 1984 |
| Credits | |
| Authors | Stu Galley and Jim Lawrence |
| Publisher | Activision, Infocom |
| Reception | |
| IFDB rating | 2.5 out of 5 (33 ratings) |
| Gameplay | |
| Interaction style |  Parser |
| Literary genre |  Science fiction |
| Location |  Ship |
| Language | English |
| Accessibility | Colour: none. Graphics: none. Sound: none. |
| Technical details | |
| Authoring system | ZIL |
| Format | Z-code 3 |
| License | Commercial |
| IFID | ZCODE-16-850603 |
| Browse the games database • Edit this page | |
From the Spring 1984 edition of the New Zork Times, in an article entitled "Infocom Introduces Seastalker™: First Junior-Level Interactive Fiction":
Seastalker, a new adventure in the tradition of Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, will make its appearance in June. Its arrival marks a number of firsts for Infocom.
As the first of the new Junior-Level series, it has been written to be the best introduction to our line of interactive fiction for preteens. While still offering a good challenge to our older customers, it includes a number of Infocards (clue cards) which will help the younger players get through the game.
In another major development in the evolution of interactive fiction, a noted outside author has collaborated with a member of the Infocom staff in producing the game. That author, Jim Lawrence, has authored nearly 60 books -- many of these were ghosted for series like Tom Swift, Jr., The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, and the Bobbsey Twins.
Jim worked with Infocom's Stu Galley, whose first effort, The Witness, was recently named "The Best Adventure of 1984" by Electronic Games magazine. Stu and Jim worked for nearly a year to put Seastalker together, a longer time than for any other Infocom product to date. Much of the effort went into additional features that make the story easier for newcomers to interactive fiction to play.
The story is this: An alarm sounds. You are told that there's something terrifying in the depths of the ocean below, and that it threatens the Aquadome, the world's first undersea research station. Your specially equipped submarine, the Scimitar, is ready. But wait -- you haven't even tested the Scimitar in deep water, and the crew of the Aquadome may have a traitor in its ranks. Mystery, intrigue, and adventure await you as you face the underwater world of Seastalker.
Inside the Seastalker package, you will find a submarine logbook, which serves as the manual. There are also eight top-secret Infocards, Infocard decoder film (which can be used to reveal the clues), a nautical chart of Frobton Bay, and a special Discovery Squad decal.
The game starts by asking for the first and last name of the player.
The plot starts by having your work on a top secret submarine being interrupted by an alarm bell.
Versions
Infocom releases
Date: 1984
Initial Version
- Seastalker: [Your Name] and the Ultramarine Bioceptor (Stu Galley and Jim Lawrence; publisher: Infocom; 1984; Z-code 3).
Final Version
- Seastalker: [Your Name] and the Ultramarine Bioceptor (Stu Galley and Jim Lawrence; publisher: Infocom; 1984-85; Z-code 3).
Activision releases
Date: Date unknown
- Seastalker is included on both The Lost Treasures of Infocom Volume II and the Classic Text Adventure Masterpieces of Infocom CD-ROMs.
Links
General info
- Seastalker - at IFDB
- Seastalker at Wikipedia.
- Seastalker at CSD.
Reviews
- Seastalker - at SPAG.
Date: 1984
Date: Date unknown