Hi.

How do you get to a menu in this game? Can you save? How do you exit? It runs in ScummVM. I hit the Windows key to close it but I'm assuming there is some other way. Neither right click nor escape works; space bar pauses.

Thanks.

It's been a while, but have you tried hitting F5? I believe it is there that you can save and load a game. You may be able to exit from there as well - I don't remember for sure.

Thanks Marian. I found the manual and just finished looking at it. Yes, it appears F5 is for saving and loading and Ctrl C is for closing the game. I'll have to test it out but truthfully, after looking at the manual I'm not sure I want to play this type of game. Too much work involved! We'll see.

This is a very challenging game for puzzle lovers. Certainly not easy, but rewarding if you get into it.

I can understand why it seems like too much work. This was made back in the day when gamers were a lot more patient. They had to be, as there was no walkthrough where you could just look up the answers as soon as you got stuck. Not a good place to start if you have never played a Lucasarts adventure game before.

Here is a review of the game from Adventure Gamers.

If you want to try a Lucasarts game that is much more accessible, I would recommend the remastered versions of Secrets of Monkey Island and Monkey Island II: LeChuck's Revenge as a starting point, the remastered version of Grim Fandango, or even Sam and Max Hit the Road. They have some truly great games in their catalogue.

Thanks. We'll see.

I agree with Marian's suggestions. Zac is a toughie. Took me weeks to make it to the end back in the day 🤡

Thanks Mad. I knew this was an old game but I didn't realize it was the *click on words* old type of game. I've never played this type of game and am not really sure I want to. I have several of them I think, but they are not what I reach for first when I go to start a new game. I've had this game downloaded for a long time now waiting to be clicked on, so I was kind of disappointed when I did but mostly after reading the manual about how it works.

Marian, I have played Grim Fandango from disc and also the remastered version from GOG. It is not the same as this word stuff (unless an even older Grim Fandango was).

That is true about Grim Fandango, oldbroad. It never had text-based commands.

Older games with *click on words* aren't all as difficult as Zac, oldbroad. And some are really good games.

Plus walkthroughs and hints etc for oldies are plentiful nowadays where they were hardly heard of years ago.

Lots of games took me absolutely ages to get through when I first started playing.
Not only because there were no walkthroughs anywhere but because having never played computer games before I didn't really have a clue as to what I should be doing anyway !!

So, I decided to give the game a go and have been playing for three days. I did already look at a wt but saw something I wasn't looking for and stopped. I did use that information but found the other info on my own eventually. I am afraid I will run out of money though as I have been flying back and forth and back and forth, over and over. The review says to keep an eye on your cash card balance but I don't see how to do that. I sort of want to restart the game but then again, after over six hours of playing, I don't.

Do either of you remember how to look at your cash balance?

Have you tried: read cashcard?

Congratulations for giving the game a try! Six hours in. I am impressed.

There's a manual HERE if it might help, oldbroad

Thank you both! I had read both the review and manual prior to continuing with the game but it doesn't sink in your brain until you're actually playing (at least mine). I was worried about the money and re-read the review before posting. I never thought to try "read cashcard" Marian. I will do that. I'm going to take another look at the manual now too Mad.

Good Luck and Enjoy !!!! 🤗

I really haven't progressed at all. I was going to try to continue on even though I've spent a lot of money but I need the oxygen tank from the plane and just cannot get it. I have consulted a guide and I have already used the one object that might have helped me to have more time, although I'm not sure why I'm running out of time anyway. If I don't try to pick it up the scene will go on for what seems like forever. When I try to pick it up Zak says he'll get caught and won't even try. I guess I will restart the game and see if I can get the oxygen tank. If not, I will have to abandon the game, which you know I hate to do.

I am going to state my opinion here but please understand that I don't mean to sound negative. I feel that dead ends in games are glitches, not fun. I understand that these "classics" are old and well loved and highly commend all of you who started on these games and figured them out AND still continued to play adventure games. I'm glad I started gaming later. As it was, it took me four years to figure out how games worked (The Blackstone Chronicles). I don't think I could have played these old games and still went back for more. I don't particularly care to die over and over but I prefer that to playing for hours and hours only to find out that I put myself in a dead end many hours back.

If I manage to get the oxygen tank, I'll play the game using a guide with the hope that I don't run into a dead end.

I definitely agree with you about the dead ends. Not all of the older games have them, but some do. I have never met anyone who was amused by them but rather at best something to be tolerated.

What I do before playing a much older game now is to google to find out what, if any, dead ends there are - and then make note of them if there are any in order to avoid them. It makes playing them much more enjoyable and really doesn't spoil much of anything - that has been my experience, anyway. In fact, I started Space Quest I yesterday (which I played many years ago), and making a note of the possible dead ends is something I did before even starting the game.

There are some dead ends in the early Sierra games, but once you get to games like Gabriel Knight and Phantasmagoria, there aren't any. And when in doubt, google.

Here is a list of dead ends for Zak McKracken. I do not see any mention of the oxygen task in the list. And you may have already passed some of the items mentioned.

Thanks Marian! That is the guide I read already from start to finish. It's not full step by step details so I can figure out the "how's" myself (I hope). I know the game is also on UHS hints if I need more information.

I will need the oxygen tank later in the game when I go to Mars. I am not going to play all the way to there and then be stuck. I've already put a good 10 hours into the game which is why I would rather just continue but... I did figure a lot of stuff out myself and from the guide I see that there is a lot I missed but I haven't caused a dead end yet*. It will be one though without that tank. I also saw somewhere some techie thing to do if the game is not giving you enough time. I'm not sure it would apply to me though as the game is probably acting right. I don't care to do those techie things anyway.

*Edit: It is not a listed dead end but if using the item I already used is what's keeping me from having enough time to get the tank, it sort of is, and not having the tank later surely will be.

Well, whatever you decide to do from here on out, I am very impressed that you have put this many hours into the game.

Me, too, oldbroad. A hard slog !!

I remember finding this game both frustrating and difficult when I played it all those years ago but "achieving" something during it was SO rewarding !!
[Out of all proportion, really ]

Anyway, very good luck with the oxygen problem

Thank you both! It does seem to be a good game!