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Four in a Row
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| First Impression |
Four in a Row is your standard board game converted into ones and zeros (standard in QB, that is.) It's not too good, and it's not too bad. It's entertaining enough for what it is, plus it comes with some valuable source code for learning the basics of programming AI.
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| What It's Like |
Connect 4 (the game Four in a Row is based on) is so simple.. If you've played it before, skip the next two sentences. Connect 4 is pretty much Tic-Tac-Toe on a bigger board where you must outwit your opponent by getting four squares in a row to win. The problem is that both you and your opponent can only mark the squares at the top of the marked squares in each column (this was originally a vertical board where each player dropped pieces into one of the columns, and gravity made them automatically fall to the lowest open space in that column.) In this game you are matched against your computer in a Connect Four match. The computer's artificial intelligence may hinder your winning, though. :)
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| Other things you should know |
This program comes with a compiled version and the source code, so it makes it easy just to unzip and start playing, but you can also look at the source to find out how the program works. The only reason you may want to look at this is to see what's behind the AI in this game.
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| The rating |
| Graphics |
They're not good, as you can see in the screenshots. They don't really need to look that good, but I wouldn't have minded having a bit of eye candy. There is a bit of animation in this game also. The intro sequence takes a while and is a bit slow, but in the end, a bunch of the circles used in the actual gameplay drop down to form that giant '4' you can see in the first screenshot. Secondly, when the computer puts down a piece, it blinks a couple times (accompanied by low bass-like noise) before it is put down. Not good, but they are good enough for a Connect 4 game.
*** |
| Sound |
Horrible! Just a bunch of SOUND statements on the PC speaker. But ... most games in QB don't have sound, which is kinda queer.. But since Phillip was nice enough to put sound in this game, I'm going to go easy on this. :)
*** |
| Flexibility/Features |
This is just the framework of a game with no real special features. Of course, there's the intro animation, the nice AI, and the help menu. Plus, along with the .exe, you get some source to feast your eyes upon. Flexibility wasn't the intention of this game. It was to make a Connect 4 clone in QB with semi-realistic AI.
***1/2 |
| Gameplay/Control |
I have no complaints here. You use the left and right arrow keys to move the column selector left and right, and enter to drop a checker. F1 loads up the help menu, and you'll be asked a (Y/N) question once in the game. That's all there is. I'd like to have seen menus, but this is good enough for me.
****1/2 |
| Overall Impression |
Four in a Row may not be the prettiest looking game I've ever seen, but it was a good effort, and succeeded in bringing Connect 4 to QB. The computer actually making smart decisions makes the game more interesting, and the actual gameplay is fine.
**** |
| Total |
18/25 * 4 =
72% |
