15 replies to this topic

[vdub_bobby]

You've rid the multiverse of aliens - at least for a week - so let's take a break from furious shooting and exercise our minds. Yes, it's time for Othello!

Post a score and let's get this thing rolling!

Please post any tips you may have - best tip gets 1 bonus point! Play as Black on Level 1, time limit of 20 minutes. We will be ranking first by number of captured pieces and second by margin of victory, so 44-20 beats 43-21 and 43-18. But 44-18 beats 44-20 (it is possible to capture all opposing pieces and win without filling all the squares).

And if anyone has a link to the manual, please post it.

This week's competition ends next Tuesday (November 27) morning at approximately 9:00 am PST.


This week's scores:

38 vdub_bobby (+10 pts)
36 atari2600land (+8 pts +1 pt for listing an extra platform)
22 PressureCooker2600 (+6 pts)
21 gdement (+4 pts)
-- potatohead (+1 pt for best tip)

Twin Galaxies High Scores

63 Tom Duncan


Overall standings:

1. PressureCooker2600 (71 pts)
2. vdub_bobby (48 pts)
3. gdement (47 pts)
4. LarcenTyler (42 pts)
5. Blackjack (28 pts)
6. Artlover (24 pts)
7. rjchamp3 (18 pts)
8. theKLT (10 pts)
9. atari2600land (6 pts)
10. Ryanw (4 pts)


Game Info

Released for the NES by Acclaim in 1988, developed by Kawada.

Other platforms: MobyGames.com only lists the 2600, which I don't believe. Hmmm. Just for fun, I'll give...a bonus point to every person who can list another platform that saw a commercial release of Othello. Please provide some evidence for your claim (i.e., link to substantiating website) and note that it is 1 point per person, not 1 point per platform.

UPDATE: Atari 400/800/XL/XE had a 1983 UK release and the Lynx had a 1999 release.

Related games: Apparently Othello is a variant of Ataxx, of which Reversi is also a variant. These games and other variants have probably appeared on virtually every viable platform.

Tips

Here are some basics: the most important positions are the corners (which cannot be taken away) and the sides. Take the corner whenever possible and protect the sides.

potatohead:

Quote

It's a sucker for taking pieces. So, set a nice gain up, let it have at it, then take your corner. Once you have one, build out from there, tempting it as you need to in order to score a spot you want.

More me:

Quote

Playing against the NES is all about pattern recognition. Play lots of games, looking for patterns. When you get suckered into a bad position, try to figure out how it happened; what the sequence of moves was. Then try to do the same thing to the NES. The NES will respond fairly predictably to similar situations, so try to get it trapped. Try different variations on the same opening moves. Also, it is possible to win even if you don't get most/any of the corners, though it is pretty difficult. So don't give up!

Edited by vdub_bobby, Tue Nov 27, 2007 4:27 PM.

[vdub_bobby]

I'll start the alternate platform list off:
The Atari 400/800/XL/XE saw a UK release in 1983 that supported a light pen!

[PressureCooker2600]

Wasn't the 7-Up NES game just a version of Othello?

[PressureCooker2600]

19-45

Needless to say, I need to learn how to play.

[vdub_bobby]

PressureCooker2600, on Tue Nov 20, 2007 9:28 AM, said:

Wasn't the 7-Up NES game just a version of Othello?

Maybe...probably. I'll have to check that out.

[atari2600land]

The Lynx had an Othello game, and the NES 7up game also has a Game Boy counterpart.

[atari2600land]

After a few rounds of sucking, this happened. Has this happened to anyone else before? I won 13-0.

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[vdub_bobby]

atari2600land, on Wed Nov 21, 2007 3:48 AM, said:

After a few rounds of sucking, this happened. Has this happened to anyone else before? I won 13-0.

Yes, you can also with by eliminating the other player completely. The NES, on Level 1, is pretty stupid once you see its patterns.

[vdub_bobby]

36-28



A few more tips:
Playing against the NES is all about pattern recognition. Play lots of games, looking for patterns. When you get suckered into a bad position, try to figure out how it happened; what the sequence of moves was. Then try to do the same thing to the NES. The NES will respond fairly predictably to similar situations, so try to get it trapped. Try different variations on the same opening moves. Also, it is possible to win even if you don't get most/any of the corners, though it is pretty difficult. So don't give up!

[PressureCooker2600]

22-42

I'm still not really getting the hang of this game. The computer makes it almost impossible for you to get a corner.

[potatohead]

PressureCooker2600, on Wed Nov 21, 2007 2:53 PM, said:

22-42

I'm still not really getting the hang of this game. The computer makes it almost impossible for you to get a corner.

I used to play this game all the time. Really liked it.

There is a masters level 5 available, once you beat level 4. (might have the numbers wrong, but it's there --and it rules too.)

It's a sucker for taking pieces. So, set a nice gain up, let it have at it, then take your corner. Once you have one, build out from there, tempting it as you need to in order to score a spot you want.

[atari2600land]

I did it again, this time I won 21-0!

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[gdement]

21-43

[vdub_bobby]

Small improvement: 38-26

I had three corners; I was hoping to do better than 38 but he took something like 8 pieces with his last move.

Edited by vdub_bobby, Mon Nov 26, 2007 2:50 PM.

[atari2600land]

I thought I'd beat Pressure Cooker since in my 21 game, White had no pieces. Anyway, here's a score where I actually beat White 36-28

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Edited by atari2600land, Tue Nov 27, 2007 4:16 AM.

[vdub_bobby]

Ok, that's a wrap for Othello! Hope you had fun with perhaps the oddest HSC game so far!