''Oo-Topos'' is an

interactive fiction Interactive fiction (IF) is software simulating environments in which players use text Command (computing), commands to control Player character, characters and influence the environment. Works in this form can be understood as literary narrati ...

game published by Sentient Software in 1981 for the

Apple II Apple II ("apple Roman numerals, two", stylized as Apple ][) is a series of microcomputers manufactured by Apple Computer, Inc. from 1977 to 1993. The Apple II (original), original Apple II model, which gave the series its name, was designed ...

. In 1986 it was re-released by Polarware for additional systems and with graphical depictions of scenes described by the game's text. The graphics were designed using Penguin Software's ''Graphics Magician''.

Plot

The pilot of a space vessel is carrying important cargo vital to the survival of humanity. The pilot is attacked by space pirates and forced to land on the planet Oo-Topos. After landing the pilot is captured and imprisoned in a fortress on the alien world. The pilot must escape confinement, retrieve the precious cargo taken from the crashed ship and get off Oo-Topos with it in order to save the human race from extinction.

Gameplay

The player enters commands on the keyboard to progress. Commands usually involve verbs such as "Go, Get, Put, Shoot, Use, etc." and nouns such as "laser, food, rod, etc." Directions such as "North, South, East, West" are used to move through areas and rooms within the game. Abbreviations are allowed such as "N, E, W, S." When entering a new area, the text gives a detailed description of the location and any relevant facts that may or may not help with progress. This can include both objects and living beings. In the 1986 re-release, the drawn-in graphics overlay the text. When actions are performed on objects that are allowed to be manipulated (retrieved, inserted, dropped, etc.), the objects appear on screen as though they had been manipulated or moved. After commands are executed, some real-time actions are drawn-in such as a bright light flash from a laser gun or wearing goggles to "darken" a room.

Reception

Dale Archibald reviewed ''Oo-Topos'' in '' Ares Magazine'' #13 and commented that "Aside from the fact that you can be resurrected, this isn't a particularly unusual game. If mental jigsaw puzzles are your favorite hobby, ''Oo-Topos'' should keep you happily occupied for many, many hours."

Legacy

Many years later, Penguin Software released ''Oo-Topos'' (with several other games) as

freeware Freeware is software, often proprietary, that is distributed at no monetary cost to the end user. There is no agreed-upon set of rights, license, or EULA that defines ''freeware'' unambiguously; every publisher defines its own rules for the free ...

. Also after end of official support, an enthusiast reconstructed a

source code In computing, source code, or simply code or source, is a plain text computer program written in a programming language. A programmer writes the human readable source code to control the behavior of a computer. Since a computer, at base, only ...

variant of the game's

engine An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy. Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power ge ...

to port it to modern platforms.recomprehend
by Ryan Mallon on github.com

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Oo-Topos 1980s interactive fiction 1981 video games Amiga games Apple II games Atari ST games Commodore 64 games DOS games Freeware games Penguin Software games ScummVM-supported games Single-player video games Video games developed in the United States