FOUR-IN-A-ROW
from Home Computing Weekly, 3rd May 1983

Share the fun with a game written for two

Family and friends can join in with David Nowotnik's
Four-in-a-Row game for both Spectrum models.


Most video games are essentially anti-social. They involve one player
battling against forces generated by the computer. And while this provides
enjoyment for the player, it could be irritating other members of the family
- all those zaps and explosions for hours on end.

If all that sounds painfully familiar to you, and maybe your conscience is
getting to you, then here's a friendly little game for two to play on the
Spectrum. While not guaranteed to restore family harmony, you may find that
it removes at least some of the hostility towards you and your beloved
computer.

Of the few video games for more than one player, most are based on non-video
games which are commercially available. This one is no exception. The name,
Four-in-a-Row, describes the objective - to create a row (horizontally,
vertically, or diagonally) of four of your counters on a four-by- four
matrix, and prevent your opponent from doing the same. The matrix will appear
on the screen as 42 round holes in a black board.

Each player takes turns to drop a counter of their colour into one of the
seven columns, by pressing the appropriate key, 1 to 7, as shown on the
screen. Once a key is pressed, the counter will appear on the screen just
above the selected column of the matrix. After a short pause, the counter
will fall down the column until it reaches the lowest available position. The
second player makes their selection, and the procedure is repeated. The game
continues until one player achieves the objective. At this point, the four
counters which form the row of four flash on and off to provide visual
confirmation of victory.

The program is suitable for both 16K and 48K Spectrums. Once you have typed
the program into your computer, it is started with RUN.

One point to note when entering the program: the characters A, B, C, D in
lines 560, 570, and 740 should be entered in graphics mode. They become the
user-defined characters forming the counters and "board" once the program is
RUN. (Re-LIST the program after RUN to confirm this).

The colours of the background and counters are quite distinct on a colour TV
set, but their corresponding shades of grey on a black and white set may need
improvement. To do this, try altering the values of INK and PAPER commands,
and the colours of the counters (defined in line 600).
