Software:Othello (1980 video game)

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Short description: 1980 video game for the Atari 2600
Othello
Othello cartridge cover.jpg
Developer(s)Atari, Inc.
Publisher(s)Atari, Inc.
Programmer(s)Ed Logg
Carol Shaw
Platform(s)Atari 2600
Release
Genre(s)Strategy
Mode(s)Single-player, two-player

Othello is a 1980 video game developed and published by Atari, Inc. for its Atari Video Computer System (later called the Atari 2600). It is based on the variant of Reversi of the same name, originally created in 1971.[1][2][3] The VCS game was programmed by Ed Logg and Carol Shaw.

Gameplay

Gameplay screenshot

The game broadly resembles the game originally developed by Parker Brothers in that it is set on an 8x8 board on which the player must capture squares by sandwiching their opponent's counters between their own.[1] The game has four skill levels.[4] Both one-player and competitive two-player modes are included in the game.[4] The player can create their own problem by depositing pieces on the board, and select whether to go first or not.[5]

Development

The game was programmed by Ed Logg, who had studied artificial intelligence at the Stanford University AI Lab,[6] and Carol Shaw, who later created River Raid. Shaw programmed the visuals for Othello.[7][8] The cover-art for the cartridge was created by Steve Hendricks.[2][9]

Reception

A review in the Autumn 1983 edition of UK magazine TV Gamer criticised the AI, saying that, "the computer can manage only average ability even at its highest level of play", and that by that point the game was showing its age, but also said that the game would suit those who enjoyed that kind of strategy game.[1] Electronic Games editors Arnie Katz and Bill Kunkel assessed the game as "moderately challenging", calling the AI "a fair, if unexceptional, opponent."[10] Conversely, a review in the 1983 Book of Atari Software described the game as "a very sophisticated and challenging game" and gave the game a rating of "A" overall.[11]

A review in the January 1983 issue of Tilt, the French video-games magazine, was broadly positive, particularly praising the ability to set up a problem before starting the game as an advantage over other electronic games of Othello, though it noted that the "expert" difficulty setting merely equated to the level of a good beginner.[5] Conversely, a review in the Autumn 1983 issue of Creative Computing Video & Arcade Games was praising of the AI, describing the opponent on "Expert" setting as "capable of beating the pants off of you".[12]

See also

  • List of Atari 2600 games

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Davis, R.P. (Autumn 1983). "Othello". TV Gamer: 31. http://www.ataricompendium.com/archives/magazines/tv_gamer/tv_gamer_autumn83.pdf. Retrieved 21 February 2021. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lapetino, Tim (2016). Art Of Atari. Dynamite Entertainment. p. 112. ISBN 9781524101060. https://books.google.com/books?id=Z50oDAAAQBAJ&q=%22Othello%22+%22VCS%22. Retrieved 21 February 2021. 
  3. ↑ Weiss, Brett (2007). Classic Home Video Games, 1972-1984 A Complete Reference Guide. McFarland. p. 87. ISBN 978-0786432264. https://books.google.com/books?id=iYNUAAAAMAAJ&q=Othello+Atari. Retrieved 21 February 2021. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Othello: Game Program Instructions. Atari, Inc.. 1981. https://archive.org/details/Othello_1978_Atari/mode/2up?view=theater. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Atari: Reduire ses prises" (in French). Tilt (3): 30–31. January 1983. https://archive.org/details/Tilt003/page/n29/mode/2up?q=Othello. Retrieved 22 February 2021. 
  6. ↑ Rouse, Richard (2001). Game Design Theory & Practice. Wordware Pub.. pp. 100–101, 120. ISBN 9781556227356. https://books.google.com/books?id=oEv_RypcojwC&q=%22Othello%22+%22Atari%22. Retrieved 21 February 2021. 
  7. ↑ Shaw, Carol (29 June 2017). "Carol Shaw, Atari and Activision" (Interview). Interviewed by Kevin Savetz. At 19:37 – via the Internet Archive.
  8. ↑ Shaw, Carol (12 October 2011). "VC&G Interview: Carol Shaw, Atari's First Female Video Game Developer" (Interview). Interviewed by Benj Edwards. Archived from the original on 8 January 2021. I also did the graphics for the Othello game that Ed Logg did.
  9. ↑ Guins, Raiford (2020). Atari Design: Impressions on Coin-Operated Video Game Machines. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1474284530. https://books.google.com/books?id=RT72DwAAQBAJ&dq=Othello+1980+atari&pg=PT528. 
  10. ↑ Katz, Arnie; Kunkel, Bill (1982). The Player's Strategy Guide to Atari VCS Home Video Games. New York: Dell Publishing, Reese Publishing. pp. 36. ISBN 0-440-17058-3. https://archive.org/details/book_players_strategy_guide/page/n27/mode/2up?view=theater. 
  11. ↑ Stanton, Jeffrey; Wells, Robert P.; Rochowansky, Sandra (1983). "The Book of Atari Software 1983". The Book of Atari Software (The Book Company): 328. ISSN 0736-2706. https://archive.org/details/ataribooks-the-book-of-atari-software-1983/page/n329/mode/2up?q=baseball. Retrieved 20 February 2021. 
  12. ↑ Koppin, Martha (Autumn 1983). "Othello". Creative Computing Video & Arcade Games 1 (2): 72. http://www.ataricompendium.com/archives/magazines/ccvag/ccvag_fall83.pdf. Retrieved 23 February 2021. 

External links



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