3D Monster Maze
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''3D Monster Maze'' is a survival horror
computer game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device to gener ...
developed from an idea by J.K. Greye and programmed by Malcolm Evans and released in
1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...
for the Sinclair ZX81 platform with the 16 KB memory expansion. The game was initially released by
J. K. Greye Software J.K. Greye Software was a British software company set up by J.K. Greye in early 1981 and 6 months later joined by Malcolm Evans (computer programmer), Malcolm Evans after they met at a Bath Classical Guitar & Lute Society meeting in Bath, S ...
in December 
1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...
and re-released in 1982 by Evans' own
startup A startup or start-up is a company or project undertaken by an entrepreneur to seek, develop, and validate a scalable business model. While entrepreneurship refers to all new businesses, including self-employment and businesses that never intend t ...
,
New Generation Software New Generation Software was a firm best known for the computer games with innovative graphics it produced for the Sinclair ZX81 and ZX Spectrum The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit home computer that was developed by Sinclair Research. It was rele ...
. Rendered using low-resolution character block "graphics", it was one of the first 3D games for a home computer, and one of the first games incorporating typical elements of the genre that would later be termed survival horror. ''3D Monster Maze'' puts the player in a
maze A maze is a path or collection of paths, typically from an entrance to a goal. The word is used to refer both to branching tour puzzles through which the solver must find a route, and to simpler non-branching ("unicursal") patterns that lea ...
with one exit and a hostile monster, the '' Tyrannosaurus rex''. There, the player must traverse the maze, from the first-person perspective, and escape through the exit without being eaten. J.K.Greye Software went on to become a very successful games company, publishing six Game Tapes for the Sinclair ZX81; two use 3D graphics: 3D Monster Maze and 3D Defender, both designed by J.K.Greye and programmed by Malcolm Evans. New Generation Software went on to become a well-known software firm with the Sinclair platform and continued to pioneer the 3D gaming technology for ZX81 and the later model ZX Spectrum. The press immediately gave the game a title of a "firm favourite" of the ZX81 users. Decades later, it became popular with the retrogaming community, inspiring
remake A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same ...
s and fuelling ZX81 emulation projects.


Gameplay

The game uses an 18-by-16 cell maze which is
randomly In common usage, randomness is the apparent or actual lack of pattern or predictability in events. A random sequence of events, symbols or steps often has no :wikt:order, order and does not follow an intelligible pattern or combination. Ind ...
generated. Initially the ''T. rex'' lies in wait. Once the player starts moving, the beast begins hunting. Thereafter, the ''T. rex'' may either calm down (if the player goes into a part of the maze that is far enough away), or become more active as the player comes closer. If the ''T. rex'' gets a direct view of its prey, the monster will run directly at the player. The ''T. rex'' anxiety level, reported to the player as a statement in the status line, provides an indirect clue to the player's relative distance from the monster. These statements are: ''REX LIES IN WAIT'', followed by ''HE IS HUNTING FOR YOU'', ''FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING'', ''REX HAS SEEN YOU'', and ''RUN HE IS BESIDE YOU'' or ''RUN HE IS BEHIND YOU''. The player's speed is greater than the monster's, thus it is possible to escape by running (unless the player is trapped in a dead end). Scan of ''3D Monster Maze'' instructions. The player can manually map the maze on a piece of paper with each step, but this becomes increasingly difficult as the pace increases. The fast pace can also lead to hard keyboard presses, which, in turn, can shake the computer/16K memory expansion connection, and lead to a sudden reset with several minutes worth reload time.
Points Point or points may refer to: Places * Point, Lewis, a peninsula in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland * Point, Texas, a city in Rains County, Texas, United States * Point, the NE tip and a ferry terminal of Lismore, Inner Hebrides, Scotland * Point ...
are awarded for each step made by the player any time the dinosaur is on an active hunt. Since the player runs faster than the monster, it is possible to accumulate points by running around in circles with the monster just a few steps behind. Points are also given upon successfully getting away through an exit and into another maze. When the game ends, the player is informed about being "
sentenced Sentenced was a Finnish gothic metal band that played melodic death metal in their early years. The band formed in 1989 in the town of Muhos and broke up in 2005. History Early years (1988–1991) Sentenced started in 1988 as Deformity and c ...
to roam the maze forever", and then can either "appeal" or continue playing again in the last maze. If the appeal is attempted, it is rejected with 50% probability, in which case the player is sent back to roam the previous maze again. An appeal which is accepted effectively results in the computer self-reset via BASIC's NEW statement.


Technology

The graphical view, animated in real time at around 6  frames per second, is composed of 8×8 pixel black-and-white characters, so the view is roughly square, taking a 25×24 area on the 32×24 text screen. Sub-character resolution of the ZX81 pseudo-graphics character set makes the resolution doubled in each dimension (making the view consist of 50×48 "larger pixels"). Using the 6 pseudo-graphics with a dithering pattern also made it possible for the game author to incorporate a third colour (grey) in the black-and-white picture. Part of the screen is reserved for the score count, and a one-line status message is occasionally overlaid at the bottom of the graphical view. The player always runs along the corridor's centreline, and looks in the current direction only, which simplifies the rendering task. The game's 3D engine and the random
maze A maze is a path or collection of paths, typically from an entrance to a goal. The word is used to refer both to branching tour puzzles through which the solver must find a route, and to simpler non-branching ("unicursal") patterns that lea ...
creation code is written in Z80 machine code, produced with an assembler. This is augmented by several dozen
BASIC BASIC (Beginners' All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) is a family of general-purpose, high-level programming languages designed for ease of use. The original version was created by John G. Kemeny and Thomas E. Kurtz at Dartmouth College ...
lines for less critical tasks, such as the initial greetings and the game legend animation inter-line delay. The machine code
subroutine In computer programming, a function or subroutine is a sequence of program instructions that performs a specific task, packaged as a unit. This unit can then be used in programs wherever that particular task should be performed. Functions may ...
s block is embedded into the BASIC line 0, beginning with a REM (BASIC
comment Comment may refer to: * Comment (linguistics) or rheme, that which is said about the topic (theme) of a sentence * Bernard Comment (born 1960), Swiss writer and publisher Computing * Comment (computer programming), explanatory text or informat ...
) statement, making the interpreter step over it. If, by accident, one tries to edit the line via the BASIC line editor, the changes will not be accepted since 0 is an invalid line number. Such code is typically created by first creating a line with a valid number, and then modifying the number field in the BASIC program area using direct memory manipulation, such as POKE. No copy protection is embedded into the game; moreover, the
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of the time being unreliable, one could reuse the save entry point in the BASIC code (that was used by the original developers to have the game auto-run upon being loaded by the user) in order to save another program copy to the tape (for archival and
backup In information technology, a backup, or data backup is a copy of computer data taken and stored elsewhere so that it may be used to restore the original after a data loss event. The verb form, referring to the process of doing so, is "back up", w ...
purposes). The game is controlled by three of the keyboard cursor control keys (left, forward and right, respectively 5, 7 and 8 on the ZX81 keyboard). The game speed can also be controlled according to the original cassette inlay, the BASIC line 370 has a
hardwired Hardwire or hardwired may refer to: *Electrical wiring *Hardwired control unit, a part of a computer's central processing unit *In computer programming, a kludge to temporarily or quickly fix a problem *Wired communication In arts and entertainme ...
constant determining a busy waiting loop delay. The constant initially is set to 5; by varying it from 0 to 9 the game can be adjusted from faster to slower tempo. The 6 frame per second figure corresponds to the delay set to zero, while holding the "forward" key to run straight. A somewhat jerky motion is perceived at this slow framerate which gives a feeling of being jerked along with each step of a desperate heavy run.


Development

''3D Monster Maze'' was the first game programmed by Malcolm Evans based on a design by J.K.Greye. He worked in the aerospace industry, first in aircraft design, and then as a microprocessor scientist at Sperry Gyroscope in Bristol, United Kingdom. He received a ZX81 from his wife for his thirty-seventh birthday in April 1981. Malcolm developed basic aspects of the game to test what the computer was capable of, and completed it after adding design features suggested by J.K.Greye, including adding the T.Rex and turning the Maze into a game. Friends persuaded Malcolm that the game was of high enough quality to sell and it was eventually released by J.K. Greye Software in late 1981. An article about ''New Generation Software'', the firm that was started with the ''3D Monster Maze'' development. When soon after that the Bristol branch of Sperry Gyroscope closed, Malcolm made a decision to concentrate fully on computer gaming. The firm New Generation Software he had founded kept producing 3D games for the Sinclair Research computers, and became synonymous with 3D gaming on this platform for some time. Discussion of the 3D gaming scene on the Sinclair computers, naturally opened by ''3D Monster Maze''. Some of his games were hailed by the gaming scene, but some titles occasionally drew criticism from reviewers for their fancy graphics but poor game plot. After releasing ''3D Defender'' and ''Breakout'' for the ZX81, Malcolm switched the development efforts from ZX81 to ZX Spectrum as the latter model was released onto the market. In addition to republishing ''3D Monster Maze'', the new firm also released such game titles as ''
Escape Escape or Escaping may refer to: Computing * Escape character, in computing and telecommunication, a character which signifies that what follows takes an alternative interpretation ** Escape sequence, a series of characters used to trigger some so ...
'', ''
3D Tunnel ''3D Tunnel'' is a ZX Spectrum video game developed by New Generation Software New Generation Software was a firm best known for the computer games with innovative graphics it produced for the Sinclair ZX81 and ZX Spectrum The ZX Spectrum ...
'', ''
Knot in 3D ''Knot in 3D'' is a ZX Spectrum action game by Malcolm Evans published in 1983 by New Generation Software. It resembles a three-dimensional (i.e. with three degrees of freedom instead of only two) version of the Light cycles game from the film ...
'', ''
Corridors of Genon ''Corridors of Genon'' is a first-person maze video game for the ZX Spectrum developed by New Generation Software and released in 1983. Reception ''Crash'': "An unusually addictive game for those who don't mind a bit of figuring" 72/100 ''Pers ...
'', ''
Trashman Trashman may refer to the following: *Trashman (character), a fictional character and eponymous comic book created by Spain Rodriguez * ''Trashman'' (video game), a 1984 video game for the ZX Spectrum *The Trashmen, a band from Minneapolis, Minneso ...
'' and ''Travel with Trashman'', ''Light Magic'', ''Jonah Barrington's Squash'', ''The Custard Kid'' and ''Cliff Hanger''.


Reception

The game was sold domestically in the UK and overseas, and became a hit shortly after it was released: Contemporary reviews described it as "the best game I have seen for the Sinclair ZX81" and "Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant! Straight away this gets into my personal top ten ZX Programs ... Undoubtedly one of the best ZX programs available.". Even though it did not use the undocumented
hi-res Image resolution is the detail an image holds. The term applies to digital images, film images, and other types of images. "Higher resolution" means more image detail. Image resolution can be measured in various ways. Resolution quantifies how cl ...
graphics feature of the ZX81, and rendered the scene with pseudo-graphics characters (available in the standard ZX81 character set), the game was considered to be a remarkable achievement, utilising the machine's capabilities to its best: Soon the Sinclair platform users began switching over to the newer ZX Spectrum, which had better graphics resolution and colour, bigger RAM and
ROM Rom, or ROM may refer to: Biomechanics and medicine * Risk of mortality, a medical classification to estimate the likelihood of death for a patient * Rupture of membranes, a term used during pregnancy to describe a rupture of the amniotic sac * R ...
, as well as sound capability and a sleeker look and feel. Some people still continued to use their ZX81, and even the Spectrum users gave credit to ''3D Monster Maze'' as the game that brought the 3D aspect into the home computer gaming: Monster Maze's praises brought recognition to Malcolm Evans and his firm, New Generation Software, which continued releasing further games that further improved the 3D gaming experience. Even when later hit games by N.G.S., such as ''
Trashman Trashman may refer to the following: *Trashman (character), a fictional character and eponymous comic book created by Spain Rodriguez * ''Trashman'' (video game), a 1984 video game for the ZX Spectrum *The Trashmen, a band from Minneapolis, Minneso ...
'', were covered by the gaming media reviews, ''3D Monster Maze'' was remembered as the landmark impressive start: '' Edge'' in 2006 stated that ''3D Monster Maze'' "is the original survival horror game", writing "Ask any player and they'll tell you what 3D Monster Maze was chiefly about: fear, panic, terror and facing an implacable, relentless foe who's going to get you in the end." '' Retro Gamer'' agreed, in 2014 stating that "Survival horror may have been a phrase first coined by Resident Evil, but it could've easily applied to Malcolm Evans' massive hit." With ZX81 games played mostly in emulated environments by the retrogaming community, it still receives enthusiastic reviews, even while modern high-end
gaming console A video game console is an electronic device that outputs a video signal or image to display a video game that can be played with a game controller. These may be home consoles, which are generally placed in a permanent location connected to a t ...
s and home computers provide much richer capabilities for one's immersion into a first-person 3D game:


See also

* '' Dungeons of Daggorath'' * ''
Maze War ''Maze'', also known as ''Maze War'', is a 3D multiplayer first-person shooter list of maze video games, maze game originally developed in 1973 and expanded in 1974. The first version was developed by high school students Steve Colley, Greg Thomp ...
''


References


External links


NGS World
(archive.org) a tribute homepage of the ''New Generation Software'' titles, created and maintained by Malcolm's daughter Rachel; hosts downloads of the original game and a fan-contributed remake for MS Windows; features a ''J.K. Greye Software'' cassette inlay image of the game.
A Review
of Malcolm Evans' ''3D Monster Maze''
''3D Monster Maze''
the game page on the "ZX81 Tapes, Books and Hardware Collection" site, with the original inlay image as published by ''J. K. Greye''. Includes an emulator to play the game online.
''3D Monster Maze''
the game page on the "ZX81 Tapes, Books and Hardware Collection" site, with the cassette inlay image of the title as republished by ''New Generation Software''. {{DEFAULTSORT:3d Monster Maze 1981 video games Dinosaurs in video games Survival horror video games Maze games New Generation Software games Video games developed in the United Kingdom ZX81 games Single-player video games