Main Menu

The options on the main menu are described below. Use the cursor up/down to navigate the main menu. When the options are set to your liking press the @ key (or the fire button on one of the joysticks). The initial settings of the options are shown after the list of alternatives for each.

Play or End (Play) This sets what the program will do when you have finished with the menu.

White Player: C1-C9 or Human (C9)
This sets the white player level or selects a human player to play as white.

Black Player: C1-C9 or Human (Human)
This sets the black player level or selects a human player to play as black.

First Player: Black or White (Alternates)
This option selects who is to play first.

Play Blitz? Yes or No (Yes)
If this option is set to 'Yes' then during a human player's move he/she can press any number keys for help at that level. The computer will think of a move as if it were playing the move and leave the cursor on the square of its choice.

Joysticks? Yes or No (No)
If this option is set to 'Yes' then moves are made using the joystick controls.

Sound Level: 0-5 (5)
The games make various squeaks during the playing of a game. The player can make this silent or loud as he/she chooses.

White's name: Any name (White)
This name will be used to prompt for the white player's move.

Black's name: Any name (Black)
This name will be used to prompt for the black player's move.

Board colour: Red, Green or Blue (Green)
This selects the colour of the board which the players find most pleasing to the eye.

When the player has selected the options and indicated that he/she is ready to play the game, the screen clears and the board and playing area is shown. Each player is prompted for his/her move when the time comes. Each player selects his/her move by moving a 'cursor' around the screen. This a little 'OK' if the move is legal, or a 'NO' if it isn't. The method of selecting the move depends on whether joysticks are being used or not.

Using joysticks
Move the cursor around the board using the joystick lever and place your piece by pressing the Fire button.

Using keyboard
Move the cursor around the board using the cursor control keys and place your piece by pressing the RETURN key.

If either player selects an illegal move (the number of leval moves is shown at the bottom of the screen), then the computer will bleep at them. If either can't go, then they won't even get a chance to try, as the computer checks first, makes a rather rude-sounding noise if this is the case and the player misses his turn.

At the end of the game, the computer declares the winner, and waits for a button to be pressed before continuing.

Computer Boredom

Even computers get bored of sitting doing nothing. If it is not in the middle of a game, or is waiting for a button to be pressed after one - or no-one has paid it any obvious attention for a while! - it will select two computer-controller players and proceed to play a game against itself!

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CHAIN"FLIPPER" (RETURN)