ZeldHack

Lineage

ZeldHack is not a variant: the rules are those of NetHack 3.6.7, the last release of the 3.6 line, which descends from NetHack 3.4.3, NetHack 1.3d (1987), Hack and Rogue. What changed is the costume: LSpixel's pack replaces every monster, object and dungeon feature with a sprite in the style of the NES-era Zelda games, and adds sound effects, an ambience loop and a tuned options file. See the family tree.

Credits

Trivia

• The “Net” in NetHack is not for networked play: the DevTeam worked together over the Internet. (Wikipedia)
• There never was a NetHack 3.5: the 3.6 README calls it “a direct descendent of NetHack 3.4 as there was no NetHack 3.5 release”. (README)
• 3.6.7 was prompted by a security fix and follows 3.6.6. (README)
• The pack ships a Windows batch file that starts NetHack with its own options, and a PowerShell script that plays the music alongside. (the pack's files)

What's unique

• A whole dungeon as a console adventure. Every one of NetHack's monsters, objects and map features has a hand-drawn Zelda-style sprite, at three sizes.
• Sound. Hits, misses, doors, stairs, traps, fountains and more play chiptune effects; here they are hooked to the game's own actions rather than to message text.
• Unchanged rules. Underneath it is vanilla 3.6.7: every NetHack guide and spoiler applies.
• In the browser: auto-explore (~), stair walking (< >), an Enter command menu, item menus in the inventory and autosave.

Code dive

• Language: C in the traditional K&R-compatible style of 3.6: about 218,000 lines in 212 files under src/ and include/.
• Data tables: monsters in src/monst.c, objects in include/objects.h, artifacts in include/artilist.h; special levels are compiled by lev_comp from dat/*.des.
• Window port: the core draws through a window_procs table; ours is win/web/winweb.c (about 1,400 lines). The build tools run as WebAssembly under node, because native 64-bit tools write data files the 32-bit game rejects.
• Tiles: the pack's sheets follow NetHack's own tile order, so tilemap maps glyphs to them unchanged.
• Source: memmaker/zeldhack; upstream NetHack/NetHack @ ed600d9; our changes.

Stats

Manual

The official Guidebook (“A Guide to the Mazes of Menace”, NetHack 3.6, text) from the source, under the NetHack General Public License. Online: nethack.org Guidebook 3.6.7. The in-game ? help and the port's help page cover the keys. The asset pack has no manual of its own.

Getting started

1. Open the game, type a name and pick a role, race and alignment (Valkyrie is the classic first choice).
2. Move with the arrow keys or h j k l y u b n; walk into a monster to attack. ~ explores, > walks to the stairs you have seen.
3. Press Enter for a menu of every command, i for the inventory; letters there use or wear an item.
4. Pray (#pray) when hit points are very low and you have not prayed for a long time; search (s) in dead ends.
5. Eat when “Hungry”, keep your pet close, and expect to die: the full key list is in the help page.

Help

There is no ZeldHack walkthrough; everything written for NetHack 3.6 applies. Start with the NetHackWiki's Standard strategy. Rules of thumb:

• Never melee a floating eye. Never eat a cockatrice corpse; never touch one without gloves.
• Engrave Elbereth in the dust (E, -) when cornered.
• Drop items on an altar to see which are cursed; price-identify in shops.
• More: NetHackWiki on 3.6.7, RogueBasin.

Cheats

• Wizard mode is compiled in, but the page never passes -D and the built-in sysconf only allows the users root and games, so it can't be reached here. (NetHackWiki)
• Explore mode works: #exploremode makes a non-scoring game where death is optional.
• Excalibur: a lawful character of level 5 or more dips a long sword into a fountain.
• Save scumming works in the browser: Export save before something risky, Import save if it goes wrong.