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{{Short description|1983 video game}}
''For other uses, see ].''
{{Infobox video game

{{Infobox CVG| title = Suspended: A Cryogenic Nightmare |title = Suspended: A Cryogenic Nightmare
|image = ] |image = Suspended box art.jpg
|caption =
|developer = ] |developer = ]
|publisher = Infocom |publisher = Infocom
|designer = ] |designer = ]
|engine = ] |engine = ]
|released = Release 5: ], ] |released = Release 5: February 22, 1983
Release 7: ], 1983<br> Release 7: April 19, 1983<br/>
Release 8: ], 1983<br> Release 8: May 21, 1983<br/>
Release 8: May 21, ] Release 8: May 21, 1984
|genre = ] |genre = ], ]
|modes = ] |modes = ]
⚫ |platforms = ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ]
|ratings = n/a
⚫ |platforms = ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ]
|media = ] or ]
|requirements = No special requirements
|input = ]
}} }}
'''''Suspended: A ] Nightmare''''' is an ] ] written by ] and published by ] in ]. It belongs to the ] genre, and is considered by many fans to be one of Infocom's better non-]-related titles. Like most Infocom titles, it was ported to most popular ]s of the day, such as the ], ], ] and ]. It is Infocom's sixth game.


'''''Suspended: A Cryogenic Nightmare''''' is an ] video game written by ] and published by ] in 1983. Infocom's sixth game, it was released for ], ], ], ], ], ]s (as a ]), ], and ]. It was later available for ], ], and ].<ref>{{Cite web |last=jbindeck2015 |date=2019-03-20 |title=50 Underrated Commodore Amiga Games |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/games/underrated-commodore-amiga-games/ |access-date=2022-11-12 |website=Den of Geek |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Background ==
⚫ ]
⚫ The player's character has been embedded within a facility that controls vital systems, such as moving ] belts and weather control, for an Earth-settled planet called Contra. During this five-hundred-year tenure, the player would normally be kept in ] while his sleeping mind serves as the Central Mentality for the largely self-maintaining systems. As the game opens, however, he is awakened by severe error messages; something is going catastrophically wrong. The facility has suffered catastrophic damage from an ], and the Filtering Computers are shutting down or becoming dangerously unstable. The inhabitants of the city assume that the Central Mentality has gone insane and is purposely harming the city, as a previous CM had infamously done. The player's task is to repair the damage and restore the systems to normal states before a crew arrives at the facility to "disconnect" his mind, effectively killing him, to be replaced with a clone.


== Gameplay == ==Plot==
⚫ ''Suspended'' takes a novel approach in its game mechanics; rather than being free to move about and interact with the game world directly, the player's character spends the entire game in a state of ] (hence the title) and can only interact by controlling the actions of a number of ] surrogates. Each robot has its own unique strengths and weaknesses, and describes the same rooms and objects in completely different terms based upon those specializations. The robots are:
⚫ *Iris - The only robot with visual sensors, Iris can provide visual descriptions of locations and objects. As the game begins, however, Iris has suffered a burnt-out ] and cannot see. Iris is confined to the area surrounding the Central Chamber.
⚫ *Whiz - The most technical robot, Whiz is used mainly for interfacing with a central library computer for historical and technical information.
⚫ *Waldo - The most capable physical manipulator, with several limbs for grasping and holding objects. Waldo perceives the world using ]. (The term "]" was originally coined by ] to describe teleoperated robots.)
⚫ *Auda - Auda is equipped with sensitive audio receptors and can provide information on sounds and vibrations.
⚫ *Poet - A diagnostic robot, Poet can sense the flow of electricity; he tends to communicate in somewhat cryptic language.
⚫ *Sensa - Sensa is specialized for the detection of magnetic and photon emissions.


⚫ The player's character has been embedded within a facility that controls vital systems, such as moving ]ation belts and weather control, for an Earth-settled planet called Contra. During the player's five-hundred-year tenure, the player would normally be kept in ] while his sleeping mind serves as the Central Mentality for the largely self-maintaining systems. As the game opens, however, he is awakened by severe error messages; something is going wrong. The facility has suffered catastrophic damage from an ], and the Filtering Computers are shutting down or becoming dangerously unstable. The inhabitants of the city assume that the Central Mentality has gone insane and is purposely harming the city, as a previous CM had done. The player's task is to repair the damage and restore the systems to normal states before a crew arrives at the facility to "disconnect" his mind, killing him, to be replaced with a ].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-10-12 |title=Disconnection Policy |url=https://jeetwin1.in/disconnection-policy/ |access-date=2022-11-12}}</ref>
⚫ So, for example, Auda will describe a room primarily in terms of the sounds being generated there, Poet will describe it in terms of diagnostics of the equipment there (and phrase it in amusingly metaphorical language), and Iris will provide a visual description. All six of the robots can be given orders in conjunction, and some of the challenges the player faces require that several of the robots work together to solve them.


==Gameplay==
⚫ There is also a seventh robot, an all-purpose multifunction repair robot named Fred, who spends the entirety of the game broken and cannot be repaired. (See ].)
⚫ ]
]


⚫ Rather than being free to move about and interact with the game world directly, the player's character spends the entire game in a state of ] (hence the title) and can only interact by controlling the actions of a number of ] surrogates. Each robot has its own unique strengths and weaknesses, and describes the same rooms and objects in completely different terms based upon those specializations. The robots are:
==Feelies==
The tradition of ], or extra items included in the game package, was started with the release of '']'' and continued with ''Suspended''. The game's feelies included:
⚫ *A map of the facility and small tokens representing each robot. These were intended to allow the player to more easily keep track of each character's whereabouts in the somewhat confusing layout of the facility.
⚫ *''Briefing for the Contra Central Mentality'', a booklet that provides an overview of the facility, the robots, the computer system, and the player character's responsibilities
⚫ *A letter from the Contra Central Lottery Commission Headquarters explaining that the player has been chosen to serve as Central Mentality for the next 500 years
⚫ *A Contra Central Mentality Lottery Card


⚫ #Iris - The only robot with visual sensors, Iris can provide visual descriptions of locations and objects. As the game begins, however, Iris has suffered a burnt-out ] and cannot see. Iris is confined to the area surrounding the Central Chamber.
==Notes==
⚫ #Whiz - The most technical robot, Whiz is used mainly for interfacing with a central library computer for historical and technical information.
]
⚫ #Waldo - The most capable physical manipulator, with several limbs for grasping and holding objects, Waldo perceives the world using ]. (The term "]" was originally coined by ] to describe teleoperated robots.)
One unique feature of ''Suspended'' was that the player's "score" was given in the number of deaths suffered as a result of the malfunctioning systems, rather than a number of points for collecting objects or accomplishing goals. (Obviously, the goal was to minimize this number, and players would often replay the game many times even after winning it, trying to get the lowest number of casualties possible.)
⚫ #Auda - Auda is equipped with sensitive audio receptors and can provide information on sounds and vibrations.
⚫ #Poet - A diagnostic robot, Poet can sense the flow of electricity; he tends to communicate in somewhat cryptic language.
⚫ #Sensa - Sensa is specialized for the detection of magnetic and photon emissions.


⚫ So, for example, Auda will describe a room primarily in terms of the sounds being generated there, Poet will describe it in terms of diagnostics of the equipment there (and phrase it in amusingly metaphorical language), and Iris will provide a visual description. All six of the robots can be given orders in conjunction, and some of the challenges the player faces require that several of the robots work together to solve them.
The game offered three difficulty settings, which affected the number of turns the player had before "disconnection". As one of the many unique features of this game, the player could also play a customized version, configuring how long the game would last and where some of the robots would initially appear. The game also featured a unique "Impossible" setting, which lived up to its name, since the sun went nova after only a few turns, totally destroying the entire planet.


⚫ There is a seventh robot, an all-purpose multifunction repair robot named Fred, who spends the entirety of the game broken and cannot be repaired.
Due to the complicated series of actions required to win the game and the lack of initial information, however, even the easiest setting is widely considered very difficult. Infocom gave ''Suspended'' a difficulty rating of "Expert". Still, ''Suspended'' was a highly regarded game; science fiction writer ], an early fan of Infocom games, was particularly taken with it.


''Suspended'' has six ways to die.<ref name="nzt1984spring">{{Cite journal |date=Spring 1984 |title=Infocom Scoreboard |url=http://infodoc.plover.net/nzt/NZT3.2.pdf |journal=The New Zork Times |volume=3 |issue=2 |pages=3}}</ref>
The original package for ''Suspended'' featured a life-sized white plastic mask set into the front of the box, which has become the most sought-after Infocom collectible item. This was replaced in later packages by a picture of a face.


==Release==
The ] for the game was ''Suspension''.
The cover of the original release was a three-dimensional moulded plastic mask, with cut-outs that revealed eyes printed on the game's manual. Reissues of the game had a more conventional cover. Each package included the following physical items:


⚫ #A map of the facility and small tokens representing each robot. These were intended to allow the player to more easily keep track of each character's whereabouts in the somewhat confusing layout of the facility. Unlike most other text adventure games, the room descriptions of Suspended do not mention the directions of possible exits, which makes the map vital to playing.
"Fooble", which is one of the possible reset codes, is the name of one of the vials in ], which was released the following year.
⚫ #''Briefing for the Contra Central Mentality'', a booklet that provides an overview of the facility, the robots, the computer system, and the player character's responsibilities
⚫ #A letter from the Contra Central Lottery Commission Headquarters explaining that the player has been chosen to serve as Central Mentality for the next 500 years
⚫ #A Contra Central Mentality Lottery Card


==Reception== ==Reception==
The game sold 99,956 copies.<ref name="infocom_sales">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2008/09/great_scott_infocoms_alltime_s.php |title=Great Scott: Infocom's All-Time Sales Numbers Revealed |date=September 20, 2008 |work=GameSetWatch |publisher=Think Services |access-date=September 23, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080924074642/http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2008/09/great_scott_infocoms_alltime_s.php |archive-date=September 24, 2008}}</ref>
''Suspended'' was well-received by critics. A review by '']'' considered each robot to have a unique personality, and praised the use of the library computer as an in-game hint system. The game's parser and time-saving techniques (such as a "follow" command) were similarly praised.<ref>{{citation | date = July-Aug 1983 | last = Stone | first = David | periodical = ] | title = Suspended: Review | year = 1983 | pages = 10-11, 46}}</ref>


''Suspended'' was well received by critics. '']'' praised the ] as "continued breakthroughs in packaging and merchandising", and noted the game's replayability. The magazine concluded that "''Suspended'' represents another milestone in the continuing evolution of the interactive computer novel."<ref>{{cite journal | last=Berlyn | first = Michael | url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1983&pub=6&id=11 | title=Suspended | journal=Softline | volume = 2 | issue = 5 | date=May–Jun 1983 | page=42 | access-date=28 July 2014}}</ref> '']'' considered each robot to have a unique personality, and praised the use of the library computer as an in-game hint system. The game's parser and time-saving techniques (such as a "follow" command) were similarly praised.<ref>{{cite magazine | last = Stone | first = David P. | url = http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1983&pub=2&id=11 | title = SUSPENDED : Review | magazine = ] | volume = 3 | issue = 4 | date = July–August 1983 | pages = 10–11, 46 | access-date = 18 January 2017}}</ref> ] of '']'' also praised the robots' characterization, stating that "a few hours with these electronic personalities will make them your friends" and comparing the experience to that of "a fine novel". He concluded that ''Suspended'' and other Infocom products "are among the finest examples of a new and entertaining means of self-expression which can now be regarded as 'literature' without apology."<ref name="moriarty198307">{{Cite magazine |last=Moriarty |first=Brian |author-link=Brian Moriarty |date=July–August 1983 |title=SUSPENDED by Michael Berlyn |url=https://archive.org/stream/analog-computing-magazine-12#page/n65/mode/2up |magazine=ANALOG Computing |pages=64–65}}</ref> '']'' wrote that Berlyn "has lavished a good deal of complexity and eccentricity into his game. I recommend it."<ref name="sodaro198401">{{cite news | url=https://archive.org/stream/Ahoy_Issue_01_1984-01_Ion_International_US#page/n53/mode/2up | title=Suspended | work=Ahoy! | date=January 1984 | access-date=27 June 2014 | author=Sodaro, Robert J. | pages=54–55}}</ref> '']'' called ''Suspended'' "an exciting, imaginative adventure game that's likely to keep you glued to your keyboard for hours." Although it also noted how the "response time can be somewhat slow" and "some commands require as long as two or more minutes for a response." But the ''Compute!'' review concluded: "If the small inconvenience of a sometimes slow response does not bother you, then I can highly recommend Suspended."<ref name="Compute">{{cite news | url=https://archive.org/details/1984-02-computegazette | title=Suspended for Commodore 64 | work=Compute! Gazette | date=February 1984 | access-date=4 December 2013 | author=Carmichael, Dan | pages=108–116}}</ref> ''Hi-Res'' wrote that ''Suspended'' "is an excellent game" and "a worthy successor to the ''Zork'' series."<ref name="guber19840506">{{cite news | url=http://www.atarimagazines.com/hi-res/v1n4/reviews.php | title=M.U.L.E. | work=Hi-Res | date=May–June 1984 | access-date=22 December 2014 | author=Guber, Sol | pages=14}}</ref>
==Tagline==

''Only your wits can save the world.''
The game received a Certificate of Merit in the category of "1984 Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Computer Game" at the 5th annual ].<ref>{{cite journal |last1= Kunkel |first1= Bill |author-link1= Bill Kunkel (journalist)|last2= Katz |first2= Arnie |author-link2= Arnie Katz|date= February 1984 |title= Arcade Alley: The 1984 Arcade Awards, Part II |journal= ]|publisher= Reese Communications|volume= 7|issue= 11|pages= 28–29|issn= 0147-8907}}</ref>{{rp|28}}

Bill Wallace reviewed ''Suspended'' in '']'' No. 68.<ref name="SG">{{cite journal|last=Wallace |first=Bill |date=March–April 1984 |title=Capsule Reviews|journal=]|publisher=]|issue=68|pages=44}}</ref> Wallace commented that "If you do like text adventures - difficult ones - then this game is a must."<ref name="SG"/>

In 1996, ''Computer Gaming World'' declared ''Suspended'' the 58th-best computer game ever released.<ref name=cgw150>{{cite magazine | author=Staff | title=150 Best (and 50 Worst) Games of All Time | magazine=] | date=November 1996 | issue=148 | pages=63–65, 68, 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 84, 88, 90, 94, 98 }}</ref>


==References== ==References==
{{reflist}} {{Reflist}}


==External links== ==External links==
*{{moby game|id=/suspended}} * {{moby game|id=/suspended |name=''Suspended''}}
* {{IFDB|id=t47hei9uq10xoar8|title=Suspended}}
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* *

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{{Infocom games}}
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Latest revision as of 01:05, 20 October 2024

1983 video game 1983 video game
Suspended: A Cryogenic Nightmare
Developer(s)Infocom
Publisher(s)Infocom
Designer(s)Michael Berlyn
EngineZIL
Platform(s)Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Plus/4, IBM PC, Mac, TI-99/4A, TRS-80
ReleaseRelease 5: February 22, 1983

Release 7: April 19, 1983
Release 8: May 21, 1983

Release 8: May 21, 1984
Genre(s)Adventure, Interactive fiction
Mode(s)Single-player

Suspended: A Cryogenic Nightmare is an interactive fiction video game written by Michael Berlyn and published by Infocom in 1983. Infocom's sixth game, it was released for Amstrad CPC, Apple II, Atari 8-bit computers, Commodore 64, Commodore Plus/4, IBM PC compatibles (as a self-booting disk), TRS-80, and TI-99/4A. It was later available for Mac, Amiga, and Atari ST.

Plot

The player's character has been embedded within a facility that controls vital systems, such as moving public transportation belts and weather control, for an Earth-settled planet called Contra. During the player's five-hundred-year tenure, the player would normally be kept in stasis while his sleeping mind serves as the Central Mentality for the largely self-maintaining systems. As the game opens, however, he is awakened by severe error messages; something is going wrong. The facility has suffered catastrophic damage from an earthquake, and the Filtering Computers are shutting down or becoming dangerously unstable. The inhabitants of the city assume that the Central Mentality has gone insane and is purposely harming the city, as a previous CM had done. The player's task is to repair the damage and restore the systems to normal states before a crew arrives at the facility to "disconnect" his mind, killing him, to be replaced with a clone.

Gameplay

Start of the game (C64)
Game world (excerpt)

Rather than being free to move about and interact with the game world directly, the player's character spends the entire game in a state of suspended animation (hence the title) and can only interact by controlling the actions of a number of robot surrogates. Each robot has its own unique strengths and weaknesses, and describes the same rooms and objects in completely different terms based upon those specializations. The robots are:

  1. Iris - The only robot with visual sensors, Iris can provide visual descriptions of locations and objects. As the game begins, however, Iris has suffered a burnt-out microchip and cannot see. Iris is confined to the area surrounding the Central Chamber.
  2. Whiz - The most technical robot, Whiz is used mainly for interfacing with a central library computer for historical and technical information.
  3. Waldo - The most capable physical manipulator, with several limbs for grasping and holding objects, Waldo perceives the world using sonar. (The term "Waldo" was originally coined by Robert A. Heinlein to describe teleoperated robots.)
  4. Auda - Auda is equipped with sensitive audio receptors and can provide information on sounds and vibrations.
  5. Poet - A diagnostic robot, Poet can sense the flow of electricity; he tends to communicate in somewhat cryptic language.
  6. Sensa - Sensa is specialized for the detection of magnetic and photon emissions.

So, for example, Auda will describe a room primarily in terms of the sounds being generated there, Poet will describe it in terms of diagnostics of the equipment there (and phrase it in amusingly metaphorical language), and Iris will provide a visual description. All six of the robots can be given orders in conjunction, and some of the challenges the player faces require that several of the robots work together to solve them.

There is a seventh robot, an all-purpose multifunction repair robot named Fred, who spends the entirety of the game broken and cannot be repaired.

Suspended has six ways to die.

Release

The cover of the original release was a three-dimensional moulded plastic mask, with cut-outs that revealed eyes printed on the game's manual. Reissues of the game had a more conventional cover. Each package included the following physical items:

  1. A map of the facility and small tokens representing each robot. These were intended to allow the player to more easily keep track of each character's whereabouts in the somewhat confusing layout of the facility. Unlike most other text adventure games, the room descriptions of Suspended do not mention the directions of possible exits, which makes the map vital to playing.
  2. Briefing for the Contra Central Mentality, a booklet that provides an overview of the facility, the robots, the computer system, and the player character's responsibilities
  3. A letter from the Contra Central Lottery Commission Headquarters explaining that the player has been chosen to serve as Central Mentality for the next 500 years
  4. A Contra Central Mentality Lottery Card

Reception

The game sold 99,956 copies.

Suspended was well received by critics. Softline praised the feelies as "continued breakthroughs in packaging and merchandising", and noted the game's replayability. The magazine concluded that "Suspended represents another milestone in the continuing evolution of the interactive computer novel." Computer Gaming World considered each robot to have a unique personality, and praised the use of the library computer as an in-game hint system. The game's parser and time-saving techniques (such as a "follow" command) were similarly praised. Brian Moriarty of ANALOG Computing also praised the robots' characterization, stating that "a few hours with these electronic personalities will make them your friends" and comparing the experience to that of "a fine novel". He concluded that Suspended and other Infocom products "are among the finest examples of a new and entertaining means of self-expression which can now be regarded as 'literature' without apology." Ahoy! wrote that Berlyn "has lavished a good deal of complexity and eccentricity into his game. I recommend it." Compute!'s Gazette called Suspended "an exciting, imaginative adventure game that's likely to keep you glued to your keyboard for hours." Although it also noted how the "response time can be somewhat slow" and "some commands require as long as two or more minutes for a response." But the Compute! review concluded: "If the small inconvenience of a sometimes slow response does not bother you, then I can highly recommend Suspended." Hi-Res wrote that Suspended "is an excellent game" and "a worthy successor to the Zork series."

The game received a Certificate of Merit in the category of "1984 Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Computer Game" at the 5th annual Arkie Awards.

Bill Wallace reviewed Suspended in Space Gamer No. 68. Wallace commented that "If you do like text adventures - difficult ones - then this game is a must."

In 1996, Computer Gaming World declared Suspended the 58th-best computer game ever released.

References

  1. jbindeck2015 (2019-03-20). "50 Underrated Commodore Amiga Games". Den of Geek. Retrieved 2022-11-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. "Disconnection Policy". 2022-10-12. Retrieved 2022-11-12.
  3. "Infocom Scoreboard" (PDF). The New Zork Times. 3 (2): 3. Spring 1984.
  4. "Great Scott: Infocom's All-Time Sales Numbers Revealed". GameSetWatch. Think Services. September 20, 2008. Archived from the original on September 24, 2008. Retrieved September 23, 2008.
  5. Berlyn, Michael (May–Jun 1983). "Suspended". Softline. 2 (5): 42. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  6. Stone, David P. (July–August 1983). "SUSPENDED : Review". Computer Gaming World. Vol. 3, no. 4. pp. 10–11, 46. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  7. Moriarty, Brian (July–August 1983). "SUSPENDED by Michael Berlyn". ANALOG Computing. pp. 64–65.
  8. Sodaro, Robert J. (January 1984). "Suspended". Ahoy!. pp. 54–55. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  9. Carmichael, Dan (February 1984). "Suspended for Commodore 64". Compute! Gazette. pp. 108–116. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  10. Guber, Sol (May–June 1984). "M.U.L.E." Hi-Res. p. 14. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  11. Kunkel, Bill; Katz, Arnie (February 1984). "Arcade Alley: The 1984 Arcade Awards, Part II". Video. 7 (11). Reese Communications: 28–29. ISSN 0147-8907.
  12. ^ Wallace, Bill (March–April 1984). "Capsule Reviews". Space Gamer (68). Steve Jackson Games: 44.
  13. Staff (November 1996). "150 Best (and 50 Worst) Games of All Time". Computer Gaming World. No. 148. pp. 63–65, 68, 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 84, 88, 90, 94, 98.

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