Zenith is a unique video game for the Philips CD-i that combines elements of action and puzzle gameplay. Players manipulate a silver ball within a vertical scrolling environment, aiming to navigate challenging levels by timing bounces off surfaces while avoiding hazards like pits and pools. The game requires skillful directional control but does not include traditional pinball mechanics such as flippers. Power-ups and score-enhancing items are available throughout the levels.
Zenith is a game which defies traditional genre descriptions. Players control a silver ball, akin to a pinball, with a viewpoint looking directly down on the ball from above. Unlike pinball, where the ball falls vertically in front of the player, in Zenith continuously bounces towards and away from the player viewpoint. Imagine dropping a golf ball on a hard floor while looking at it directly from above - and then watching as the ball bounces directly upwards along that straight line of sight.
There are no flippers or any other traditional elements similar to pinball. Instead the player controls the ball directly. While the bouncing cannot be controlled, the ball can be moved in any of the four cardinal directions. To progress players need to time the bounces on hard surfaces then push in the required direction to pass over bottomless pits and acid/lava pools. Time your movement poorly and the ball will miss connecting with a solid surface and plunge into death, losing the player a life.
The screen cannot be scrolled horizontally, only vertically. As a result, the levels are like long vertical fields, and some levels are made up of multiple fields which are not directly connected. Later levels also feature warp gates which take you to different parts of that level, or to entirely different vertical fields. Power-ups and score increase items can be collected in the levels.
Zenith plays similarly to Bounder and its sequel Re-bounder on 8-bit home computers, albeit with a great sense of depth and speed, and the ability to scroll the screen in reverse.
