Zig Zag is a maze video game written by Ed Hickman and published by dk'tronics

DK'Tronics

dk'tronics were a software and hardware company during the 1980s. They primarily made peripherals for the ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC but also released video games for the Spectrum, Commodore 64, Commodore Vic 20, BBC Micro, Memotech, MSX and Amstrad platforms....

 in 1984

1984 in video gaming

-Notable releases:* May 10, King's Quest , the first animated adventure game, the first in the King's Quest series, and the first to use the AGI engine.* June 4, Nintendo releases Donkey Kong 3...

. It was released for the ZX Spectrum

ZX Spectrum

The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...

 and the Commodore 64

Commodore 64

The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...

.

Gameplay

In Zig Zag, the player must explore a maze from first-person perspective searching for Scarabaqs. Scarabaqs are creatures that hold sector entry data that the player needs to continue to the next level. Scarabaqs flee from the player, who must exploit their behaviour to chase them into dead ends.

Adversity comes in the form of Hoverbots; their attacks drain the player's energy.

Zig Zag also supports the Currah MicroSpeech

Currah

Currah was a British computer peripheral manufacturer, famous mainly for the speech synthesis cartridges it designed for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, and other 8-bit home computers of the 1980s.-Currah μSource for the ZX Spectrum:...

 peripheral.

Graphics

The first-person 3D effect was achieved by using a series of vertical black lines to form the perspective of the walls, and to give the impression of the ceiling and floor. This also allowed relatively smooth movement animation, particularly when the player rotates left or right. However, some reviewers found the stripes to be an eye-strain.

Critical reaction

Reviewers were impressed with the 3D graphics and endearing nature of the Scarabaqs sprites and behaviour. The drawn-out chases were described as tiring, but addictive. CRASH

CRASH (magazine)

Crash was a magazine dedicated to the ZX Spectrum home computer. It was published from 1984 to 1991 by Newsfield Publications Ltd until their liquidation, and then until 1992 by Europress.-Development:...

magazine awarded 85% in issue 5. In the CRASH issue 15 retrospective, Zig Zag was still appreciated as a good game although several reviews felt the gameplay became boring after a while. Your Spectrum awarded an average of 5 out of 10 in issue 5, also highlighting the fast and colourful 3D effect but viewed it as a "common-or-garden maze game".