ABYSS

Released in January 1984, *ABYSS* is a landmark science-fiction text adventure developed by Humming Bird Soft for the PC-8801. Set in the year 3001, the game challenges players to escape an alien prison after their memory is erased by a criminal syndicate, requiring precise English-language command inputs to interact with the environment. Notable for its rigorous gameplay, *ABYSS* features a high difficulty level where players must manage oxygen and battery life, adding a tense survival element to the traditional puzzle-solving experience. As one of the early examples of Japanese adventure gaming, it stands as a testament to the technical creativity and challenging design philosophy prevalent in the 8-bit PC era.

In the year 3001 of the Universal Calendar, a warrior is dispatched into deep space on a top-secret mission known as "ABYSS" to secure the fate of the Galactic Ninth Planetary Union. During the operation, he is captured by an interstellar crime syndicate, which wipes his memory and leaves him imprisoned on an unknown, uncharted planet. The player must navigate this hostile environment to escape confinement, re-establish contact with the mother ship, and ultimately destroy the syndicate's base. Surviving the journey requires careful action, as the protagonist must also contend with a strictly limited life-support energy supply.