Home Computing Weekly


Othello
By Kenema Associates
Oric 48K

 
Published in Home Computing Weekly #18

Also known as Reversi, this game involves the capture of opponents pieces by reversing them to your colour. The object is to get more of your coloured counters on an 8 x 8 board at the end of the game than your opponent. In this version, you can play against a friend, against the computer, or watch as the computer plays itself.

My copy suffered from loading difficulties (even though it was saved at 300 baud) and, despite several attempts, I could not obtain the on-screen instructions without a program crash.

The high resolution display is well laid out, but for a "thinking" game I fear the sound effects are a little overdone; ZAPs when reversing pieces, PINGs at the end of a move.

Oric's thinking time is painfully slow, and to have the computer play itself gets boring very quickly. Luckily, a human can take over at any stage.

M.B.