| Planetfall | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Infocom |
| Publisher(s) | Infocom |
| Designer(s) | Steve Meretzky |
| Engine | Z-machine |
| Platform(s) | Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Amstrad PCW, Apple II, Apricot PC, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, Commodore 64, CP/M, Rainbow, Kaypro II, Mac, NEC APC, Osborne 1, MS-DOS, PC-9801,[1] TI-99/4A, TRS-80.[2] |
| Release | Release 20: July 8, 1983 Release 26: October 14, 1983 Release 29: January 18, 1984 Release 37: October 3, 1985 Solid Gold: May 31, 1988 |
| Genre(s) | Interactive fiction |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Planetfall is a science fiction themed interactive fiction video game written by Steve Meretzky, and published in 1983 as the eighth game from Infocom. The original release was for Apple II, Atari 8-bit computers, TRS-80, and IBM PC compatibles (both as a self-booting disk and for MS-DOS). Atari ST and Commodore 64 versions were released in 1985. A version for CP/M was also released. Planetfall was Meretzky's first published game, and it proved one of his most popular works and a best-seller for Infocom. It was one of five top-selling games to be re-released in Solid Gold versions with in-game hints. Planetfall uses the Z-machine originally developed for Zork and was added as a bonus to the Zork Anthology.
The word planetfall is a portmanteau of planet and landfall, and occasionally used in science fiction to that effect. The book Planetfall written by Arthur Byron Cover, uses the game image on the cover, and is marketed "In the bestselling tradition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."[3] A sequel, Stationfall, was released in 1987.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
PC9801 Librarywas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Planetfall at Adventureland by Hans Persson and Stefan Meier
- ^ Cover, Arthur Byron (1988). Planetfall. Avon. p. 298. ISBN 0-380-75384-7.