Zone 66
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''Zone 66'' is a top down, multidirectional shooter released in 1993 for
IBM PC compatibles IBM PC compatible computers are similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT, all from computer giant IBM, that are able to use the same software and expansion cards. Such computers were referred to as PC clones, IBM clones or IBM PC clones. ...
as
shareware Shareware is a type of proprietary software that is initially shared by the owner for trial use at little or no cost. Often the software has limited functionality or incomplete documentation until the user sends payment to the software developer ...
. The game was created by a North American demoscene group called Renaissance, and was published by
Epic MegaGames Epic Games, Inc. is an American video game and software developer and publisher based in Cary, North Carolina. The company was founded by Tim Sweeney as Potomac Computer Systems in 1991, originally located in his parents' house in Potomac, Ma ...
. The game shipped on a
self-booting disk A self-booting disk is a floppy disk for home or personal computers that loads directly into a standalone application when the system is turned on, bypassing the operating system. This was common, even standard, on some computers in the late 1970 ...
, so it could bypass MS-DOS and load into a custom
protected mode In computing, protected mode, also called protected virtual address mode, is an operational mode of x86-compatible central processing units (CPUs). It allows system software to use features such as virtual memory, paging and safe multi-tasking d ...
environment.


Plot

In the distant future, an ex- GSA pilot has been tipped by a stranger that his hometown is in danger, but by the time he reaches the city limits, a
nuclear bomb A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bomb ...
destroys the city along with his beloved wife and baby girl. The pilot uses a ship on a landing pad to meet with the stranger at a certain location. When the pilot reaches the location, he finds the stranger is dying but obtains some vital information. The pilot then gets a fighter plane and heads to a group of islands to begin his vigilante revenge. As the pilot progresses from nation to nation destroying each base, the plot thickens and he begins to understand who and what he is dealing with and why the
terrorism Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...
started.


Gameplay

Before starting the selected mission, the player must choose a type of aircraft. Different planes have different statistics. When the plane has been selected the player can decide what weapons to take to the extent of the payload limit. After the plane inventory has been arranged the mission can begin from a starting supply bay. The player can also return to the supply bay to restock and repair, change aircraft type to use and change weapon types and quantities. The player makes use of the loaded weapons to destroy air and land targets. Bombs are launched at the target indicator right in front of the plane. In addition to weapons the player has two types of maneuvers to counter hostilities with ease. The player has infinite chances unless all the supply bays are destroyed. The player also has a radar as a guide. All main ground targets must be destroyed to complete a mission.


Soundtracks

Three different soundtracks were available for the game, depending on the user's sound card. The Sound Blaster soundtrack was composed of a mix of FM synthesis sounds and digital samples. This particular method of music creation and playback was unique to the Renaissance demogroup. The AdLib soundtrack consisted solely of FM synthesis sounds, due to most AdLib sound cards being incapable of playing digital audio. Some songs in the AdLib soundtrack were arrangements of those in the Sound Blaster soundtrack, while others are completely different songs altogether., A third, separately downloadable soundtrack was available for owners of the Gravis Ultrasound sound card featuring high quality music. Like the AdLib soundtrack, some of the Ultrasound's tracks were completely different songs, whereas others were arrangements of songs found in the AdLib or Sound Blaster versions. The reason for the separate "GUS" music download was due to the size of the Gravis music: as it was nearly as large as the original game, users who only had a Sound Blaster or AdLib didn't have to waste time downloading music they would never hear. Disc versions of the game included all three, as players did not need to download the game.


Release

Zone 66 was released primarily as shareware, on floppy disks, and CD-ROM. The first mission was released and distributed as shareware by GT Software. B&N Software released the first four missions of the game via floppy disk; Missions 1 and 2 were released together on one floppy disk, as were Missions 3 and 4. Epic MegaGames released all of the first four missions on two floppy disks. Finally, all eight missions were released on CD-ROM.


Reception

''
Computer Gaming World ''Computer Gaming World'' (CGW) was an American computer game magazine published between 1981 and 2006. One of the few magazines of the era to survive the video game crash of 1983, it was sold to Ziff Davis in 1993. It expanded greatly through ...
'' in 1993 recommended ''Zone 66'' to "joystick jockeys", but stated that "occasional thumb twitchers may find the action a bit much to bear, as this title is quite intense".


References


External links

*{{moby game, id=/zone-66 1993 video games Demoscene software Multidirectional shooters Assembly language software Video games about revenge Video games about terrorism Video games set in the 22nd century Video games set in Egypt Video games set in Iran Video games set in Italy Video games developed in the United States