Mind Master Posted March 18, 2003 Share Posted March 18, 2003 Yes, OTHELLO, the "other" strategy game for the VCS! I hear lots of references to Video Chess and occasionally Checkers on these boards, but nobody talks about Othello. I've never seen it. Does it have a one-player mode? If so, how tough is the computer? Is there more than one difficulty level? What do you think of the game overall? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Witchfynde Posted March 18, 2003 Share Posted March 18, 2003 Does it have a one-player mode? Yeah, I've played quite a few games before. If so, how tough is the computer?Is there more than one difficulty level? It's weird, I'm pretty darn good at games in general, but I personally suck at the game, so I can't say for sure how tough the computer is...anyone else? I think there's more than one difficulty level, I'm being too lazy to look, sorry What do you think of the game overall? Pretty cool, I bought it, plus several other 2600 and a few 7800 games (plus a 7800 as well) from a friend in '88, and I've traded/sold/donated off a good 19 of those games to date, and out of the very few games that I'm actually keeping from that family, Othello's one of them. So that should sum up how I feel about that game Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabriel Posted March 18, 2003 Share Posted March 18, 2003 I used to have this game. I liked it quite a bit. It was one of my favorite games back in the day. As I recall, it had 4 difficulty levels. One through three were pretty tame. Number four seemed pretty brutal to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osmeroid Posted March 18, 2003 Share Posted March 18, 2003 I'm a big fan of the 'classics' games, both Checkers games, Bridge, Othello, Backgammon (I suck at this), Video Chess etc., etc. all superbly entertaining & one of the most overlooked genres IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killersquirel Posted March 18, 2003 Share Posted March 18, 2003 I have recently begun playing this game again on an emulator (at work ). and I have to say that the gameplay on level 1 is easy. but level 3 is pretty tough. I have played many games of othello over the past few years and I have to say that the A.I. is quite impressive on level 3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StanJr Posted March 18, 2003 Share Posted March 18, 2003 Big love for Othello! I understood it as a kid, but never really "got it." Now as a "grown-up" I love it all the more! Very challenging. A great thinking game! I once beat the computer in like 13 moves! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godzilla Posted March 18, 2003 Share Posted March 18, 2003 Ive always loved othello, a simple classic. reminds me a lot of tetris in its simplicity/playability, and a ton like those new match the colored jewels tetris variants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nostalgic Posted March 18, 2003 Share Posted March 18, 2003 Othello is pretty tricky, at least to me. I haven't quite gotten the hang of it. Usually I find myself doing reasonably well, even with the computer or slightly ahead, and then the computer makes some impressive moves and shuts down any hope I have of winning. I don't think it's just limited to the computer, though. I don't win at Othello much in real life. I do enjoy it anyway, though. I wonder if the man on the box cover is supposed to be Shakespeare... He's got the beard for it. As for the game variations, 1=beginner, 2=intermediate, 3=expert, and 4=two-player. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goatnad Posted March 19, 2003 Share Posted March 19, 2003 Back in the day level 4 used to kick my butt all the time. But now that I've played it a tone and know what to do, I lose very rarely now. But the AI for the NES version is much harder. Othello is one of my favorites for Atari. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iguana Posted March 19, 2003 Share Posted March 19, 2003 It is one of my faves! in fact I think I will plug it in right now. the AI is good and it is a much faster game than chess! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Player Posted March 19, 2003 Share Posted March 19, 2003 Here's another rave for Othello. I play at level 3, where I usually win about half my games. Is there a level 4? I thought there were 3 levels against the computer and then a 2 player version? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IBP Posted March 19, 2003 Share Posted March 19, 2003 Been a while since I played it, but I think there are 4 levels. Whatever, on the hardest level it is reasonably ok, but the AI isn't very good: it has patterns which it tries and once you suss the patterns you can beat it easily. No half decent human player should lose much to level 4 because it is very formulaic and seems to have very simplistic rules on where to go next. I have othello on the BBC and that isn't nearly as good as my Atari version, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Mitchell Posted March 19, 2003 Share Posted March 19, 2003 I have othello on the BBC and that isn't nearly as good as my Atari version, though. Haha! VHS or DVD? Do you have most of the BBC Shakespeare plays? Back in the day, my sister and I played alot of Othello board game. We had the patterns down to the point where we knew who would win within about 6 moves. I only got Atari Othello some 4 years ago .. and have only played it once or twice ... Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MegaManFan Posted March 19, 2003 Share Posted March 19, 2003 But the AI for the NES version is much harder. Undoubtedly; it thoroughly kicked my butt the last game I played. But both versions are great for solo play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoOchan! Posted March 20, 2003 Share Posted March 20, 2003 Ah, Othello the Rainy Day Game. I sometimes can spend up to 15 Minutes battling out the VCS on Expert. I love this game, no sound, basic grahics but lovely gameplay and it keeps me good when Playing Othello (Also known as Reversi) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goatnad Posted April 4, 2003 Share Posted April 4, 2003 Which reminds me, I also have it for intellivision Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMika Posted April 4, 2003 Share Posted April 4, 2003 To add to how cool Othello for 2600 is, it is, I believe, Ed Logg's ONLY 2600 title. If I recall correctly, Carol Shaw wrote the display kernal and Ed did the logic. After that, he didn't want to touch the 2600 hardware again. He was a sort of half-breed, having worked in Atari Consumer and Coin-Op, though Coin-Op forgave him. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adriana Posted April 6, 2003 Share Posted April 6, 2003 Yeah, Othello is great... especially two-player. Much better than the actual board game, because you don't have to bother with flipping all those stupid chips yourself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Witchfynde Posted April 6, 2003 Share Posted April 6, 2003 Heh, yeah, good point...plus you also can't accidentally knock over the board either! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad2600 Posted April 6, 2003 Share Posted April 6, 2003 How is Othello played anyway? Rules? And hard is it to find Video Chess and Checkers as well as Othello? I love Checkers..but don't understand Chess or Othello. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MegaManFan Posted April 7, 2003 Share Posted April 7, 2003 How is Othello played anyway? Rules? Easy to grasp, hard to master. Essentially you play as either black or white, and you're playing with two sided coins with your color up and your opponent's color down. Players alternate turns laying down their coins, and each time a coin of the opposite color falls between two coins of your color you flip over all the coins between it to your color. This makes the "battle for the borders" an intriguing part of Othello strategy, because once you flip an entire row or column from end to end you can't "surround" it for a flip in that direction; and then of course you end up with "fake outs" of trying to get somebody to flip a row or column only to leave the last space open for a column lock, and so on and so forth. It can end up being incredibly intense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharky Posted April 7, 2003 Share Posted April 7, 2003 Othello was my Mums favourite game while I was terrible at it. Still Atari's Othello is my best Othello for any system. My mum could beat the Computer sometimes, its the matter of getting the corners of the board before your opponent to get in a winning position (as no one could take the corners off ya). But ill could never get a corner. Its just amazing how well an Atari 2600 could "think". It was so good how you could play 1 player as well as 2 players. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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