Balzak Globotron is the first Paper Computer Game in the Balzak Globotron Series, introducing Balzak Globotron, the Mez'Dora Corridor, Sphere Children, and many others. The game was made by Xaq, and took over a decade to complete. It also featured some screens that were drawn by other creators, such as Kurt. This game builds on events from previous PCGs in the Pierre Series and the Ginkus' Odyssey series. There are even references to the Malphoid Series.
The PCG is a massive space exploration epic, in which the player gathers a fleet of starships with which they can explore multiple planets within the Mez'Dora Corridor of space. There are massive space battles, puzzles, and many characters. A multiplayer component is also featured later in the game, as Ari and his party join the cast.
In 2017, a teaser was released on the Paper Computer Games YouTube channel. The video consists of sci fi music playing over screens of the game in a movie trailer fashion with teaser text throughout. The text reads, "On a remote space station...; He was found; Now he must discover...; What he is"
Story and Situation[]
A man living by himself on his space station comes across a strange canister, containing a new type of lifeform: Balzak Globotron! Alton teaches Balzak what he can about the world, but the "Sphere Child" (as his race comes to be called) begins to wonder what he is and where he came from.
From then on, Balzak's quest will be to explore the far reaches of space, chasing clue after clue, trying to find out both his origin... and his destiny.
The Character[]
Balzak Globotron is a man made up of metallic spheres connected by a strange but powerful electromagnetic force. Everything about him is alien, and is way too complex for most normal physicists to study. Unfortunately, he has no memories prior to landing on Alton's station.
Allies[]
- Alton is the man who finds Balzak floating in space and opens his canister. He takes Balzak under his wing, and takes care of him.
- The crew of the Taburnackle, the starship Balzak finds, as well as the crews of the other ships which join Balzak's Fleet, which include:
Balzak's crew V • E
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- Ginkus is the former King of a nation on the planet Shri, and plays a mysterious role in Balzak's origin. After Balzak awakened him, the two worked together for a time.
- Other figures also help Balzak's quest, although they have not yet been revealed.
Villains[]
- The Crodin.
- The Company.
- Pierre.
- And other mysterious villains behind EVERYTHING. Dun dun DUNNNNN
The Game / Overview Summary[]
Balzak's memories seen at the start of the game. From top to bottom: Balzak strapped to a table with people standing around him; Balzak running away on a bridge; Balzak confronted by guys with guns in lobby of a building; Balzak sliding through a tube, guys with guns seen in background; Balzak continues down the tubes, escaping the danger.
A massive PCG epic, with the largest number of screens of any known PCG at the time. The game featured an explorable corridor of outer space, with multiple planets that could be visited. Adventures were played out in a Star Trek episodic style, having been inspired by "Star Trek The 25th Anniversary", a point and click adventure game.
Balzak Globotron included many characters and settings, some from previous PCG stories and all of which could be explored in an open world fashion. It also included a space-travel system (in which players had to procure fuel on a planet in order to proceed to the next), a space battle system, and a system for building a fleet.
Midway Station[]
The game begins with a two-screen cinematic depicting a series of mysterious memories in floating spherical objects connected by electricity. To the player, it is unclear who the person depicted in these memories is, but the player can tell they are that person (Balzak Globotron). The last memory shown depicts Ginkus's staff producing a powerful blast.
The player then wakes up on a space station called Midway Station with a man named Alton. Alton had an overgrown beard due to the fact that he had taken a one-way space taxi to Midway Station around a couple of years before, leaving him with no way to go back home after the interstellar commerce routes changed (sources do not agree on this, the changing commerce routes may or may not have affected Alton's situation).
Alton explains that he picked up a metal cylinder he found floating in space, and contained inside were the pieces of Balzak Globotron. After a little less than a week (exact timing is more likely a month or two, sources are not consistent), the metal spheres took the form of Balzak. The player is then allowed to explore Midway Station in an attempt to find their missing inventory screen. During this exploration, Balzak finds a few items. Most notably, he finds a ship belonging to the Zigori as well as Alton's Journal, which sheds more light on Alton's backstory. After Balzak finds his missing inventory screen (which takes the form of the largest sphere in his chest), Midway Station falls under attack and the outer hull is breached, sucking Balzak into space.
Balzak escapes the alien ship on a small shuttlecraft
Invasion Aliens[]
Balzak wakes up in a cell on an unfamiliar ship filled with enemy Invasion Aliens. It is unknown exactly why the aliens are flying this spaceship, but it is suspected that they were attempting to kidnap Balzak. He must navigate his way through the ship in a classic maze screen cutaway sequence. This is the only screen in the entirety of the game to include color. The mysterious Crystal Guy also makes an appearance, being in an inaccessible room of the maze. Once presented with the screen, AnStaree famously said "this ship is just a diagram of my intestines". Balzak makes his way to a small shuttlecraft and flies away from the alien ship. In order to completely escape, the player must shoot and disable the alien ship, first targeting its power source and then its lasers.
Abandoned Alien Ship[]
Alien graffiti found in the ship. Drawn by Keith.( Xaq thinks he drew the door)
After flying aimlessly for a short while, Balzak comes across an abandoned alien ship plastered with graffiti by 'space hooligans'. Most of the graffiti depicted was drawn by Keith, made to look like characters from an alien language and was dated "8279".
Ending[]
Yet to be revealed. Will Balzak discover his true origin?
References[]
- BALZAK GLOBOTRON - PCG Overview
- BALZAK GLOBOTRON [Part 2] | Paper Computer Game Overview
- BALZAK GLOBOTRON (First Draft) On the PCG Shop