Contraption Zack

Contraption Zack came with our Amstrad MegaPC and was one of the highlights of my childhood.

The game is simple. You are Zack, it's your first day at the GadgetCo factory and your new colleagues have "borrowed" your tools, and left them around the factory. You now have a plant to repair, and so you set out, to repair the plant and recover your tools in the process. Now that you've settled into your false sense of security, the game is not as simple as it first appears.

The game uses a 3D isometric view that was popular on the old consoles. You must progress through each room by solving the puzzles in each. Some rooms contain tools that you need to collect, others don't. If you can't get to a tool, it may not seem to be that much of a problem at first, until you reach a room where you need that tool to proceed.

The game does have some annoyances. It's not always possible to go back to a room you've come from. It's also possible to get stuck into areas in a room, the only solution being to restart the level.

Despite it's flaws, the game proved hugely entertaining for a 10yr old, and is a memory I won't forget.

Abandonware

Contraption Zack is considered abandonware, this doesn't make it legal to download, but usually means that the company behind it doesn't exist or persue legal action against illegal downloaders.

As such, Contraption Zack can be downloaded from abandonia.com, a site dedicated to your favourite old games. You can get Contraption Zack from this page.

Screenshots

Below are some screen shots of the game in action. There isn't a larger view, as what you see is the original resolution of the game, the good days!