COLUMNS - A Tetris-Like Game (Version 1.01) columns.zip (original is lost) COLUMNS is a single-player game in which one attempts to manipulate multicolored tiles in order to form sequences of three boxes of the same color -- arranged horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. The COLUMNS game board is a 6 x 18 array of squares. The playing tiles drop from the top of the screen, and are comprised of 3 boxes arranged in a column -- each box has one of 6 possible colors. Tiles drop one at a time, and may be manipulated in one of four different ways: 1) moving the tile one column to the left (the left command), 2) moving the tile one column to the right (right), 3) cycling the colors downward within the tile (cycle), and 4) dropping the tile straight down into place (drop). You can apply the right, left, and cycle commands as often as you wish while the tile is falling. The game ends when a tile is placed and -- after counting all sequences and removing the boxes involved -- a box remains touching the ceiling line at the top of the game board. RUNNING COLUMNS To run COLUMNS: COLUMNS [/T] [/G] [/S] [/M] [/C /T: Force COLUMNS to run in text mode. This is the default on the CGA
display
/G: Force COLUMNS to run in graphics mode. This is the default on the
EGA and VGA displays.
/S: Silent. Beep option is initially off. When on, this option causes
COLUMNS to beep whenever points are scored.
/M: Monochrome. Only meaningful in graphics mode.
Replaces the six colors with six different monochrome crosshatch
patterns.
This is the only graphics mode available for COLUMNS on the CGA
display.
/C: On COLUMNS startup, cut the Top Ten scores file to contain only the
top
KEYS
The following keys are active during the game:
4, 5, 6, 2:
These are the left, cycle, right, and drop commands as mapped
onto a numeric keypad.
J, K, L,
S, D, F,
SCORING
The object of the game is to arrange the tiles on the game board such
that boxes of the same color line up in sequences of three or more
boxes.
A sequence may be formed horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
Points are earned when such a sequence is formed: the scoring is a
function of the number of boxes in the sequence, the current level of
difficulty, and, if the drop command is used, how far the current
tile dropped.
Any time a sequence of three or more boxes is formed, the boxes in
the sequence are removed from the board, and all boxes located above
those removed collapse to occupy the vacated squares on the game
board.
If the new arrangement of boxes (after the collapse) forms more
sequences, these are also removed and points are scored.
DIFFICULTY LEVELS
COLUMNS has ten difficulty levels -- the higher the level, the faster
the tiles fall.
You choose the starting level at the beginning of each game.
If you start at 0 (the easiest), the level will increase by one for
every fifty boxes removed.
If you start at a higher level, the difficulty will remain the same
until the appropriate number of boxes has been removed, then will
start increasing.
(For example, if you start at 2, the level will stay there until 150
boxes have been removed.)
THE TOP TEN
COLUMNS keeps track of the top ten scores and displays them before
each game.
After a score that qualifies you to enter the top ten, COLUMNS
prompts for your name.
If you play more than one game during a session, COLUMNS remembers
the name and offers it as the default input on future name input
prompts.
If, when prompted for your name, you press the backspace key before
any other keys, COLUMNS will erase the default input and give you a
clear line on which to enter a new name.
The Top Ten record is kept in a plaintext file called COLUMNS.HIS.
AUTHORS
COLUMNS was invented for the X Windows system by of Jay Geertsen
HewlettPackard Co. It was ported to DOS and enhanced by Nathan Meyers
of HewlettPackard Co.
LICENSE
Permission is granted to freely distribute this game without charge.
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