Codebuster

by Bruce Anderson

from Your Sinclair #4 (Apr.1986)



[NOTES:                                                    ]

[The UDGs for this listing weren't printed in the magazine,]

[and no explanation was given for them, so I've just had to]

[use my best guess as to which is which.                   ]

[The location for the machine code is set so low that there]

[is only about 300 bytes free for variables, causing the   ]

['Competition' option to always fail half way through with ]

[an "Out of memory" error.                             JimG]



This is the ultimate version of the classic board game Mastermind.

STOP! Hold on. Don't turn the page. You should at least give it a

chance 'cos this program is truly unique. As far as we know this is

the only version of the game that'll guess your code as well as

guessing its own; and there are a full five skill levels.



Okay, so far you're not completely convinced yet, but since you've got

this far you might as well find out all the different options on the

main menu. 



1. Competition mode: swapsies time - you and your Speccy take it in

turns to break each other's codes and whichever of you does it in the

least number of goes collects a score equal to the number of goes they

beat their opponent by. Well, that's what it says here. Looks as

though you'll just have to play the game to work out what it means!



2. Set code: you set the code for the computer to break.



3. Break code: the computer sets a code for you to break.



4. Level: how hard do you want to play? - 0 for thickies, 5 for the

faultless.



5. Holes: you can have between two and six peg holes.



6. Colours: you can choose two to nine colours - black through white

plus blank.



7. Target: the score that you have to reach to win.



8. Autoscore: the computer scores itself.



9. Quit ...



... but not yet 'cos you don't know how to play. The program

automatically puts you on the correct line and then flashes the

position. Simply press the colour/number required (space is blank).

You can edit your entry by using the cursor keys - provided the

computer doesn't think you're cheating; then press Enter to proceed.



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Another Fine Product transcribed by:

Jim Grimwood (jimg@globalnet.co.uk), Weardale, England

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