Zachtronics is my favorite video game developer and publisher. Last Call BBS is their most recent game. The game simulates a Sawayama Z5 Powerlance, a fictional computer brand that comes with one solitaire game. You can connect a modem to the “Last Call BBS”, using the NETronics application, to download more games.
The seven mini games available inside “Last Call BBS” are:
- Sawayama Solitaire – A solitaire game like Klondike with no reshuffles. When the deck at the top is empty, you can use its space like a free cell.
- Dungeons and Diagrams – A logic puzzle game like Minesweeper.
- 20th Century Food Court – A Zach-like programming puzzle game where you engineer machines to make processed foods.
- Steed Force Hobby Studio – A fun game where you cut out, assemble, and paint virtual models of Gundam-like Mobile Suits.
- Kabufuda Solitaire – A solitaire game where the goal is to make ten matches of four cards.
- X’BPGH: The Forbidden Path – A creepy game where you gain immortality by growing body parts into templates.
- HACK*MATCH ROM + Emulator – A matching game starring an EXA from Exapunks.
- ChipWizard Professional – An Zach-like engineering puzzle game where you create circuits to meet specifications.
Clicking on “Add New Servers” in the NETronics Connect menu calls an alert, which notifies the gamer that they can create new dial-up servers with javascript. The “View Docs” button opens a link to an online documentation page for the game’s server configuration api. The “Open Folder” button opens up a folder inside your save file called “servers” where you will save a javascript file. Once again, Zachtronics has created a platform for gamers to develop their own content around a puzzle game.
I opened a text file, copied the code to create a test server, saved it to the server directory in my save file. I had to exit and restart the game, but “Test Server” appeared in the NETronics menu, and it displayed the example server.
Sadly, according to Jody Macgregor with PCGamer, “Last Call BBS” will be the last game from Zachtronics. I will miss Zachtronics, but I look forward to the new art that the team behind Zachtronics is going to make.
I haven’t unlocked all of the text yet, so I don’t know if the game passes the Bechdel and Aila tests.
However, I’m going to give this game three squees because I love Zachtronics so much.