Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders (C64)
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Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders is LucasArt's second adventure game to use the SCUMM engine, and their last adventure game to be released on the Commodore 64. The story revolves around Zak McKracken, a journalist who one day has a bizarre dream, and decides to investigate it. His investigation ultimately leads him to discover that alien gangsters have taken over the phone company and intend to use an ancient apparatus on the planet Mars to turn the entire human race into morons.
While far more expansive in scope than the previous Maniac Mansion (C64), Zak McKracken is more akin to other adventure games from this era than LucasArt's subsequent efforts, as the solutions to the puzzles are often extremely obtuse, and any slight mistake can make it impossible to proceed in the game. Still, it has enough of the company's trademark humor and polished game design to make it a worthwhile experience.
Screenshots
Music
Zak McKracken's soundtrack, while still a little bare-bones compared to most of LucasArts's later games, is still easily their most expansive C64-era soundtrack, boasting a catchy and memorable main theme tune, along with a couple of variations used for game overs and when you beat the game. The other themes tend to be shorter and more repetitive, and the space gangsters' theme gets pretty shrill in places, but otherwise, it's not a bad showing for a soundtrack from this era.
Recording
| # | Title | Composer | Arranger | Length | Listen | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Zak's Theme | Matthew Kane | Chris Grigg | 1:24 | Download | |
| 02 | Airport Muzak | Matthew Kane | Chris Grigg | 1:09 | Download | |
| 03 | Airport Muzak Too | Matthew Kane | Chris Grigg | 2:23 | Download | |
| 04 | Mars Theme | Matthew Kane | Chris Grigg | 0:22 | Download | |
| 05 | Space Song | Matthew Kane | Chris Grigg | 1:06 | Download | |
| 06 | Pop Goes the Weasel | Traditional | Chris Grigg | 0:06 | Download | |
| 07 | Game Over | Matthew Kane, Frédéric Chopin | Chris Grigg | 1:44 | Download | |
| 08 | Victory | Matthew Kane | Chris Grigg | 1:55 | Download |
Credits
- Ripper: HVSC
- Recorder: OlfinBedwere
- Game Credits:
- Music and Sound Effects: Matthew Kane
- Music and Sound Effects: Chris Grigg
(Source)
Matthew Kane, the game's co-designer, composed the game's music early in development using a Roland synthesizer, with the music later being programmed to run on the C64 by Chris Grigg. Grigg is not credited in the game's other ports, indicating that he was not involved with the actual music composition.
The song titles are taken, where available, from Matthew Kane's sheet music. The two exceptions are the songs used for game overs and when you beat the game, likely because they're just variations of the main theme.
Game Rip
Ripping Commodore 64 music is beyond the scope of this Wiki.
Releases
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