ZZT
| Levels? |  Editable |
|---|---|
| Tiles? |  Not editable |
| Sprites? | Not editable |
| Fullscreen? | Not editable |
| Sound? | Not editable |
| Music? | Not editable |
| Text? | Not editable |
| Story/cutscenes? | Not editable |
| UI/menus? | Not editable |
| Demos? | Unknown |
Game info
ZZT is a game creation system created by Tim Sweeney in 1991, the first game developed and published by Potomac Computer Systems (later Epic Megagames, now Epic Games.) There were 4 worlds released with the commercial version of the game: TOWN, CAVES, CITY, and DUNGEONS. The shareware version of ZZT came with just TOWN. In all versions of the game, the built-in world editor is fully functional (however, it will not edit saved games or locked worlds natively.)
Later, Super ZZT was released based on this engine.
Debug mode
In all versions, the cheat menu can be opened by pressing ? and typing in a code. In versions prior to v3.2, standard cheats will not work until the +debug cheat is used. This also enables the display of how much memory is available on the heap, in bytes. In the upper-right corner, it will show the letter 'm' followed by this value. OOP code on the currently shown board and the game's entire compressed board data consume heap memory.
Versions
The latest version of the game is v3.2. Other versions of the game that can be found are v3.1, v3.0, and v2.0. Aside from improvements in input handling and visual appearance, cheat availability and copyright messages, there are no observable differences between these versions.
| Version | File Size (decompressed) |
|---|---|
| 2.0 | 89,792 (89,792) |
| 3.0 | 47,473 (95,440) |
| 3.1 | 47,471 (95,616) |
| 3.2 | 47,764 (96,080) |
Version 2.0
The first available version. Uses standard text mode with disconnected block graphics (1 empty pixel column between characters). The standard keyboard buffer is used, so holding down arrows and other such keys will cause the action to be repeated even after the key is released. Cheats require the ?+debug code to be entered.
Version 3.0
In this version, a refined keyboard buffer is used, so releasing arrow keys will stop the player from continuing to move after the key is released.
Version 3.1
The ZZT.CFG format has changed, nothing else noticeable.
Version 3.2
This is the final official version. The ZZT.CFG format changed again. A connected graphics mode is used (no empty pixel column) making board art a lot easier on the eyes. ?+debug is no longer required to use cheats. This is the version most recommended for playing any game worlds, official or otherwise.
File formats
- BRD Format - Board format. This is stored exactly the same as in a world, but it's just one board.
- CFG Format - ZZT.CFG contains the startup configuration and serial number.
- DAT Format - In 3.0 and later, ZZT.DAT contains help files and end screen messages. This is not present in 2.0; the files are stored in the directory.
- HI Format - High scores.
- HLP Format - In 2.0, these are standard text files. In 3.0 and later, they are encoded differently.
- MSG Format - In 2.0, these are standard text files. In 3.0 and later, they are encoded differently.
- SAV Format - Saved games, 100% identical to world files except a byte in the header.
- ZZT Format - World format.
The Reconstruction of ZZT
the developer Adrian Siekierka released the "reconstructed" source code of ZZT ~August, 2020
Quote:
The Reconstruction of ZZT is a reverse-engineered recreation of the source code to the last official release of ZZT, ZZT 3.2. The output executable is byte-for-byte identical with said release, which means that the source code accurately represents the original engine's behavior.