Previous Next

Computerised versions of traditional games and pastimes are a most popular source of game ideas for programmers. However, it is the first time that I have heard of a program mimicking a jigsaw puzzle.

Vidipix have produced a game for the Dragon 32 and 64 where pictures displayed on the high resolution screen are jumbled up and you, using the joystick-controlled cursor, must re-arrange them just like doing a jigsaw. There are four pre-drawn designs each divided up into 192 separate square pieces. Pressing the fire button on the joystick "picks up" the piece where the cursor is and this piece can then be moved around the whole screen and dropped simply by pressing the fire button again.

The drawings are quite reasonable given the Dragon's medium resolution graphic limitations, the picture of the Pontiac sports car and the boat cruising through the water being the best of the pictures. In addition, Vidipix gives an extra option to draw and save your own jigsaw screens which can be loaded in and put together at a later date.

This additional option lengthens the life of the program from a few hours finishing the pre-drawn designs to weeks and weeks of fun creating your own jigsaws. There are a couple of reservations on my part. The control of the moving cursor is annoyingly clumsy and I wonder whether people will have trouble staring at a screen display so hard for many hours.

These points apart, Jigsaw makes a pleasant change from the usual run-of-the-mill games and Vidipix should be heartily congratulated at taking a risk with this unusual game, priced very fairly at £3.95.

C.G.