Game Review: Color Lines

Game Review: COLOR LINES

Another game from Russia arrives for testing. The Russians are known for their ingenious yet simple game ideas — just think of Tetris, arguably the most successful game in the world, which spawned thousands of clones. To be honest, I used to love Tetris, but for some time now I have preferred more complex games: action adventures, wargames, and the like. Yet Color Lines has once again convinced me that even straightforward concepts can be utterly captivating.

However, let me start with the two downsides that bothered me the most. First, you can hardly play the game on a grayscale monitor (which many mistakenly call a B&W monitor). To properly distinguish and match all the pieces, a color monitor or television is practically essential. Although the blocks have numbers that are enlarged when clicked, they are still barely legible on darker pieces. The other minus point — and a far more annoying one — is the well-worn issue where the cursor goes crazy without a connected Kempston joystick, just like in Hexxagon. Fortunately, I now always have a Kempston joystick interface hooked up to my Speccy 128 (a homebrew build, mind you). Once a Kempston interface is plugged in, you can also play using a Sinclair joystick.

What is the game about? As I mentioned, Color Lines takes heavy inspiration from Tetris. Depending on the level, you have to line up three or more colored blocks diagonally, horizontally, or vertically. After every move, three new blocks appear at random positions on the board. You can move any block to another square, provided no other block obstructs the path. The pieces that will spawn on the next turn are always previewed in a small window at the top right. If you move a block back to its original spot, you can select another one instead, in case you change your mind about your move. Once you complete a line, all the blocks that formed it disappear, and no new blocks appear on that turn. After clearing several rows, the level increases, requiring you to line up one additional block to clear them. It sounds simple, but it is easily one of the best puzzle games to come out recently.

The AY music (the beeper is not supported) is probably the finest tune heard in a long time. It might not quite reach the caliber of, say, Starglider 128, but it is brilliant nonetheless. I believe it was composed with a Soundtracker, and it plays right through the game. And there isn't just a single track! Before the game even started, I counted at least four different tunes, and during gameplay, a VU meter in the bottom-right window displays the activity of the individual sound channels. 48K users unfortunately miss out on this unless they own an AY interface, though the game remains fully playable.

Those unfamiliar with the Cyrillic alphabet can simply start the game using option 1. Option 4 performs a reset, and for those who can read Russian, there is not only a scrolling information ticker but also a dedicated game info option.

Alright, that is plenty revealed for now. As far as I know, this game is copyrighted (at least it says so on the screen), but attempting to sort out a license seems pointless to me given the general interest in the SCORPION.

Now for the ratings:

• Graphics: 6
• Music: 10 (AY)
• Tech: 6
• Gameplay: 9 (128K), 6 (48K)

Yours,
Tiger's Claw