Home Computing Weekly


Flippit

Author: N.B.
Publisher: Sinclair Research
Machine: Spectrum 16K

 
Published in Home Computing Weekly #36

This game, written for Sinclair, is a cross between Rubik's cube and a magic square.

The program responds very quickly to your commands as you should expect.

When loaded, you are shown a large square made up of nine smaller squares. Each of the smaller ones has a number between zero and three in the corners and it is your task to move, rotate or flip over these tiles so that each row and column plus the two diagonals add up to nine.

This is not as simple as it sounds - there are supposed to be millions of combinations.

The graphic display, while being easy to read, is not very exciting, but it is hard to see what else could be done to make it so.

A record of moves is kept and, if playing competitively, your opponent's target is displayed and the tiles are setback to their original positions.

When, or if, you solve the puzzle, the pieces turn red and a musical trill sounds. If you manage to beat your opponent, the border flashes too. I haven't managed to test this yet!

The tape comes attractively boxed with a user manual, but I feel thatit would have been better to do away with the packaging for a lower price.

N.B.

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