Looking for an old Apple game

December 2, 2005 8:46 AM

I'm looking for the name of an old computer game, that ran on an Apple IIe (I think).

This was back in first grade, so with the passage of around 15 years, details have faded somewhat.

The game had you controlling a character as you walked around a city. There was a big park in the middle of it. I can't remember why you walk around (I believe monkeys are involved), but when you do, you have to watch out for things like manhole covers.

I've been trying to find out the name of this game for years, and all attempts at searching have failed. A few friends of mine seem to remember the game vaguely, so I don't think I made too much of it up.

posted by Godbert to Computers & Internet (15 answers total)

I can't remember why you walk around (I believe monkeys are involved), but when you do, you have to watch out for things like manhole covers.

That's a Jonathon Coulton song right there. I think we all feel like that at times.

(Sorry, can't help with the game.)
posted by scottreynen at 9:16 AM on December 2, 2005

I, too, remember it vaguely, but can't help you. Now I'm really curious.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 9:22 AM on December 2, 2005 [1 favorite]

i was also looking for a game on Apple that involved trains. Very simple. Red and Black colour scheme. Open and close gates. Any pointers to where I can play it again?
posted by takeyourmedicine at 9:33 AM on December 2, 2005

I also remember this game. You had to go to the zoo and there was an ape in a cage and... I think a hat was involved. You had to get his hat or make him wear a hat or something like that. I also remember the manhole covers.

I unfortunately don't remember the name, either. However, to maybe help others: this was an adventure type game, right? You typed commands into the command line and then a new screen would come up with a graphic of the new location. There was no animation involved, correct?

If I'm thinking of the same game, it was when I was in grade 10, which would have been 1983 or 4 or 5 at the latest, but that's earlier than you're citing so maybe it's a different game.
posted by Manhasset at 9:41 AM on December 2, 2005

Was it kind of freeware-ish, or commercial? Could it be some weird indie game like "Russkie Duck," in which you (as a duck) wandered a city of little moving people?
posted by johngoren at 10:12 AM on December 2, 2005

Might it be The Manhole?
posted by peppermint22 at 10:30 AM on December 2, 2005

Response by poster: peppermint22, I don't think so. You weren't supposed to fall down the manholes in this game, and I'm pretty sure it was on 5 1/4" floppys and not a CD (oh, and the view was an overhead one, I think).
posted by Godbert at 10:33 AM on December 2, 2005

Yah - I didn't think "The Manhole" was it based on your description but it was worth a shot.

Do you remember - did you play this game at school? (Was it somehow educational?)
posted by peppermint22 at 12:29 PM on December 2, 2005

Response by poster: I did play it at school, but I have no idea if it was educational or just recreational.
posted by Godbert at 12:32 PM on December 2, 2005

Unfortunately Virtual Apple is no longer up, it seems the DNS registration lapsed. It had a fantastic archive of Apple ][ disk images. If you remember the letter it started with, or might recall the name if you see it again, I would suggest browsing their list of programs (links at the top of the page). Based on the description of the zoo, I might guess Zoo Master. If the site ever comes back you can play it again here.
posted by kyleg at 1:05 PM on December 2, 2005

Everyone's a Wally? Probably not (I'm not even sure it was ported to the Apple), but can you think of anything else? 2D? 3D? Isometric 3D? Anything?
posted by Gary at 2:00 PM on December 2, 2005

You might try the wiki What Was That Game though from a cursory look, no candidates.
posted by Dag Maggot at 6:51 PM on December 2, 2005

Could it be Tass Times in Tonetown?
posted by bonobo at 9:15 PM on December 2, 2005

Response by poster: I'm pretty sure it was a 2D overhead view; I believe, though I'm far from sure, that the view would scroll as you moved around using the arrow keys.
posted by Godbert at 9:41 PM on December 2, 2005

I'm fairly certain you're describing "Russki Duck," by Nasir Gebelli. I was running it on an emulator not too many years ago; it was as annoying and engrossing as I remembered it.

The view didn't scroll; there was an outdoor view and many little indoor rooms that were very similar.
posted by ikkyu2 at 12:21 AM on December 4, 2005