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Checkers |
One of the requirements for being a "real" computer in the 70's was the ability to play checkers. Not only was checkers a relatively easy game to program (other than the round pieces), it was a good family style game that appealed to both the young and old. Sadly checkers seems to have fallen by the wayside as a favorite American pastime, and it is quite rare to see anyone playing it today.
The VideoBrain version of checkers isn't bad, and the VideoBrain actually puts up a pretty decent fight. This isn't surprising considering that the AI was developed by Dr. Arthur Samuel, who is widely known for his work in the field of artificial intelligence (most famously for teaching computers to play checkers). The VideoBrain version of Checkers has four different computerized players, each with their own playing style.
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Name
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Difficulty
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Style
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Abe
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Easy
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Quick and aggressive, but not too smart |
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Betty
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Medium
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Quick and sharp, but not overly difficult. Betty is probably the best player to play against unless you're a checkers pro. |
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Charlie
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Hard
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Charlie is the first "real" challenge you'll meet. Expect to lose the first couple of games. |
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Dorothy
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Very Hard
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Dorothy is the best checkers player on the cartridge. I have yet to beat her. |
Checkers is featured
on the Demonstration cart, but the graphics are rather
different. The pieces are square instead of
round and the YOUR MOVE text is at the bottom and in a
much larger font.
Checkers had a production run of 3,072 cartridges
making it one of the more common carts. It was
manufactured from 5-1-78 to 2-12-79.
