Block Battle! (Compute's Gazette)
This is a strategy game for the 64 in which you and your opponent-either a friend or the computer-go head-Io-head in an attempt to move an army of blocks across a treacherous battlefield. What makes this game so tough is that it's actually played on three levels at once. But if you have a good memory and you're it little lucky, you can outmaneuver your opponent.
The article for this game can be found on page 20 of Compute's Gazette Issue 75 (September 1989)
Why TAS This Game?
The continuation of TASing games from my all-time favorite magazine, Compute's Gazette. This makes my 103rd TAS from this series.
Never played this and that is really sad. Why? After TASing this game, I found it to be an excellent strategy game! This was a magazine that I never purchased. It surely would have been an excellent edition to my collection.
Game Difficulty and Ending
There is no difficulty selection; however, this game has a clear and definite ending....where you are notified of your victory.
Details for the Judge
Frame 2304 is where I make the selection for "1 Player" mode. I bring this up, because it looks like I beat the game as a "2 Player".
Effort In TASing (Not BOTed)
I completely TASed this game from beginning to end, three times! After each run, I learned more about how the computer responds. Near the end of the 2nd run-through, I almost decided to submit; however, I noticed some things that I wanted to check out. On my 3rd run-through, I discovered that the AI is not as strong as I previously perceived. In fact, if I move the right block, the computer will do some pretty dumb things. For instance, I got the computer to sink two of its block's!
Human Comparison
None to be found.
Darkman425: Claiming for judging.
Darkman425: It took a bit of reading about the game in the magazine proper to understand the main mechanics of sliding blue rows and red columns to open up holes but I can understand this game enough to judge this properly. It was pretty silly and also fairly clever seeing the computer move pieces either straight into a pit or positioned in such a way where the next player tile shift drops the yellow piece into the pit. I guess the AI just couldn't handle weird and counterintuitive player moves. Nice work!
Accepting to Standard.
fsvgm777: Processing.