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U L T I M A T E B R A I N G A M E S
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Version 1.0
31st July 2003
For GameBoy Advance
This guide is Copyright 2003 Lisa Harrison. This guide may be not be reproduced
in whole or in part under any circumstances except for personal, private use.
It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without
advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a
part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of
copyright. All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned
by their respective trademark and copyright holders.
Should you have any questions about issues not raised in this FAQ, or should
you wish to contact me regarding seeking my permission to place this guide on
your site, please e-mail me:
[email protected]
Please mention this FAQ in the subject line of your e-mail. If you are seeking
my permission to put this on your site, please include the URL of your site in
the e-mail. If you don't include the URL, the answer will be no.
At present, this guide may only be shown on www.gamefaqs.com . If you see this
guide on any other site, please notify me through e-mail immediately.
Thankyou.
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Contents List
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1. Version Information
2. Introduction
3. Main Menu
4. The Games
a. Sink Ships
b. Mahjong
c. Backgammon
d. Chess
e. Checkers
f. Reversi
g. Dominoes
h. Four in a Row
5. Credits
6. Things I learnt while writing this guide
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1. Version Information
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1.00 Begun writing this guide 07/29/03. This guide was written over three very
long days with barely any sleep involved. VERY long days. The guide is in
a complete state, with as much detail as I intend to include. However, if
you do find any mistakes, please e-mail me and let me know.
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2. Introduction
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Ultimate Brain Games is basically a compendium of traditional puzzle and
board games. Released in Europe in March 2003, it is certainly the only game of
its kind available that I personally am aware of, being as it is a collection
of eight different games all playable either in single player or multi player
form. What makes it unique is the calibre of games on offer - all are very
traditional; the kind of board games that have been around for centuries.
Unfortunately it's not so easy to get hold of. Perhaps due to its niche
qualities, it was a small scale release, which is a shame because I think that
the game holds more appeal than the publishers gave it credit for. Still, if
you're reading this, I guess that means that you did get hold of it, so I will
stop ranting and just get on with the FAQ!
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3. Main Menu
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One of the most noticeable features of this game is the sheer wealth of
options featured throughout. Here, I will quickly run down the different
choices you have available on the game's main start up screen. All options
should be selected by using the D-pad to highlight your choice, then pressing
the A button to confirm it.
Single Player
-------------
Fairly self-explanatory really. Selecting this option will take you to the
single player mode game selection screen, to choose a game to play alone. For
Mahjong, you will play alone, whereas for the rest you will face an artificial
intelligence opponent.
Multi Player
------------
Again, self-explanatory. Selecting this option will take you to the multi
player mode game selection screen. The games will be the same as the single
player ones, the difference being that for all games you will play against a
human opponent. This works in either turn-based format (with both players
taking it in turns to make their moves on the same GBA), or you can link up
two GBAs to play against each other this way. You can select which way to play
at the start screen for each game when accessed from this multi player game
selection screen. In all cases, to play on the same machine select "Hotseat",
or to link two machines together select "Single Game Pak".
Face Creator
------------
This allows you to create a model of yourself (or alternatively a model of
your own design) to be your "face" when playing the games. If you do not create
one, you will see that a silhouette appears as your icon when playing against
an opponent (including the AI). Here, you can eliminate this silhouette by
making your own face. There are a huge variety of choices available here to
fully personalize your look. The best thing to do is just to play around with
it until you find a look that suits you best.
Options
-------
These are the in-game options that allow you to customize your game. The
choices are:
a. Audio
Playlist - shows the list of music tracks that are played.
Shuffle Tracks - change the order in which the tracks are played.
Volume - alter the volume of the music and sound effects.
Save Settings - save your customized audio settings for future use.
Default Settings - return to the default audio settings.
b. Memory
You have the option to reset your scores, saves, faces, options or all of
those things. Self-explanatory.
c. Opponent
Here you can either select a regular AI opponent, or use randomly selected
opponents for all your games. The default setting is to use random.
d. Credits
Find out who is responsible for making this game!
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4. The Games
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The games available will be the same whether you are playing in single player
or multi player mode. From the game selection screen, navigate by using the
D-pad to highlight your preferred game. You can continue a saved game by
pressing the Select button when the game is highlighted. To return to the main
menu, press the B button. To confirm that you wish to play a highlighted game,
press the A button.
You can see your success rate for each game as you scroll through them in
single player mode. There will be three statistics displayed - wins, losses
and your success percentage. You can reset these statistics at any time by
using the Options choice from the main menu, then selecting Memory, then
choosing Reset Scores.
For each game, the in-game options menu can be accessed by pausing the game. Do
this by pressing the Start button. Use the D-pad to navigate the menus, and
press A to select a highlighted option. Press B or Start to return to the game.
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a. Sink Ships
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In single player mode, you will be playing against an AI opponent.
In multi player mode, you will be faced with two options - Hotseat and Single
Game Pak. The Hotseat option works with both players taking it in turns on the
same GBA to place their ships and take their turns. Single Game Pak allows you
to link two GBAs together to play against a friend. This guide works for
whichever option you choose, as game play is basically the same.
Sink Ships works as a grid-based strategic guessing-game. Before the game
commences, you will have to place several battle ships on a grid, and your
opponent will do the same on their grid. Then players take it in turns to hit
different squares on their opponent's grid, the object being to destroy all of
your opponent's battle ships. You have five ships each of different sizes.
When the ships are placed, you will have the ability to shoot one square for
each battle ship you have left, and your opponent will do the same to your
grid. If you hit a ship, you will see smoke rise from that square. A good
tactic in that case is to use your next turn to shoot the squares around it to
see which direction the ship is facing and to try to sink it. A ship sinks when
every square it occupies has been hit.
At the start, you will need to place your ships. Use the D-pad to move each
ship to your desired location on the grid. Use the B button to rotate the ship
and use the A button to confirm its position. Toggle between your different
ships by using the L and R buttons. When all your ships are placed, the game
will commence.
You will see your opponent's grid on the left of your screen. A round target
will appear - this is the cursor which you should move around to select which
square you wish to shoot. Use the D-pad to move it, and use the A button to
select a square for shooting. You will need to select all the squares you have
available before your turn will commence. If playing in multi player Hotseat
mode, your opponent will also need to select the squares they wish to shoot
before the turn will commence. Turns continue in this form until one player
has destroyed all of the other player's battle ships.
Square Color Key
----------------
The grid is initially made up of light blue squares. When partway through
taking your turn, any squares which you have selected to be shot will be shown
in white. If you hit a ship, you will see a plume of smoke rise from that
square. If you sink a ship, it will appear as a block of black squares. A dark
blue square is one which you have previously hit but which is hiding no ships.
In-Game Options
---------------
Pressing the Start button at any stage during play will pause the game and lead
you to the in-game menu, where you will find various options. Navigate the
menus by using the D-pad and select an option by pressing A. Return to the
game by pressing the Start button or the B button.
1. Preferences - contains options to adjust music volume, change music tracks
or alter the difficulty level (this ranges from Very Easy to Extreme. The
default level is Easy).
2. Game - contains the following options: Restart (restart current game),
Start Game (if you don't wish to move your ships' locations), Demo (view
demo of game), Load, Save, Quit (return to game selection screen).
3. Help - contains the following options: Switch Sides (cheating!), Back One
Move (and again!), Redo One Move (cheating, cheating!!), Animate (this is
default and is basically a graphics option - doesn't affect game play) and
How To Play (for a clear explanation of the rules).
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b. Mahjong
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In Mahjong, if you play in single player mode, you will find a solitaire form
of this game, so that you play completely alone. In multi player mode, you have
the usual choice of Hotseat or Single Game Pak. Since in this case Single
Player and Multi Player are quite different, I will explain both seperately.
The basic principle of the game though, whichever mode you play in, is to match
pairs of tiles (identifiable by checking the patterns and numbers on the tiles)
to clear them from the table, with the ultimate aim being to clear the table
completely.
The number of different types of tile that will appear varies depending on
which difficulty level you are using. What does not vary is that for each style
of tile, there are always two pairs on the board. You should be careful when
matching pairs off to ensure that you don't end up blocking your remaining
tiles in. A good strategy is to only match off pairs of tiles when you can see
where all four are located on the board, or at least ensure that you have a
tile remaining at the lowest level so you know there isn't a matching one
lurking beneath it. If you run out of available moves, it's game over, so make
sure you plan ahead to stay alive for the longest time possible. Note that
tiles can only be selected when they are free on either their right or left
side. If you play using the Rivers layout, the rules become more complex. Check
the in-game help option for the rules for Rivers.
Single Player
-------------
The single player version of Mahjong plays like a solitaire version of the
game. The object is to match pairs of tiles and clear the table. Playing alone,
the best way to get a good game (and the default settings, incidentally) is to
use the most difficult setting for the maximum number of tiles and work on the
different tile formations. In this circumstance, clearing the table becomes a
real challenge - it's far more difficult than it looks.
The game can be controlled as a point and click game. Use the D-pad to move the
cursor around the table, and press A to highlight a tile. When a tile is
highlighted, either press A on a matching tile to clear them from the table, or
cancel your selection by pressing B. If you need a hint, you can press the
Select button to show one available move.
Multi Player
------------
To play Mahjong against an opponent, you basically play the same way as with
the single player version, but each player takes it in turns to match as many
tiles as they can against the clock. You can alter the amount of time you have
available to match tiles by accessing the pause menu and selecting Turn Time
from the Preferences sub-menu. The main aim here is to clear more tiles from
the table than your opponent, so take care not to inadvertently leave them
plenty of openings! Playing with strategy is the best move here - try not to
leave obvious pairs remaining at the end of your turn, but remember that they
may not see the same pairs you do.
In-Game Options
---------------
Pressing Start will bring up the pause menu. Available options are:
1. Preferences - change the Music Volume, change Music Tracks, Background (a
list of available styles of background image will appear if you select this
and the only function of this option is aesthetic), Turn Time (multi player
mode only. Alter the length of time available to match off tiles in each
turn), Layout (this brings up a sub-menu of difficulty levels. Select one to
access the list of available layouts for that level), Tileset (an aesthetic
option. Change the style of tiles used) and Show Information (toggle the
on-screen information that appears during game play on or off).
2. Game - Start New, Load, Save, Quit (takes you back to game selection menu).
3. Help - Hint (show an available move), Back one move, Redo one move, How to
Play (for the in-game help).
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c. Backgammon
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If you choose to play in single player mode, you will face an AI opponent. If
in multi player mode, the usual choice between Hotseat and Single Game Pak
applies.
The rules of Backgammon are reasonably complex, but it is an easy game to pick
up once you know the basics. Each player has 15 stones. One player uses black
stones whilst the other uses white. The stones are arranged on a board of
triangles known as points, as you will see if you start a game. There is a
dividing ridge in the centre of the board, the section on the left being the
outer board and the section on your right being the inner board. The aim of the
game is to move your stones across and off the table - the first player to
achieve this is the winner. There are 24 points altogether - 6 on each outer
and inner board.
At the start of the game, both players roll a dice. The player with the highest
number takes the first turn, and uses the number on the dice as the first move.
From then on, each player takes it in turns to roll the dice and move their
stones around the board. As there are two dice used in this game, you can
either move one stone for each different number (therefore two stones get
moved), or you can apply both numbers to just one stone and move that. If both
dice show the same number when you roll, then you get a total of four moves of
the number shown on the dice. So, to recap, if you rolled for example a 5 and
a 3, you could either move one stone 5 points and another stone 3 points, or
move one stone 8 points. If you rolled a 5 and a 5, you would be able to move
four stones by 20 points, or each of four stones by 5 points, or any mixture
that adds up to this amount. Moving is compulsory if you can do so, but if you
can only move one piece then you must move that. If you can't move any stones,
then you lose the turn.
You cannot move one of your stones onto a point occupied by two or more of the
other player's stones. There is no maximum to the number of stones of the same
colour that can be on the same point.
If there is a single stone occupying a point, this is called a "blot". If the
opposing player moves a piece onto your blot (and vice versa), it must be
placed onto the ridge in the centre of the board. In this case, you will not be
able to move any other pieces until this piece is back in play, which you must
achieve by placing it onto the section of board on your upper right. To do this
you will need to roll both dice on your turn. You will then have to place your
stone on the numbered point that matches the number on either of your dice, so
long as it is available to do so. For this purpose, the point on the far right
is number one, through to number six which is the point nearest the ridge. Use
one of the numbers you rolled to put the piece back in play, and the other
number you rolled to move it. If neither of the points you rolled are free,
then you lose the turn.
For the sake of making this easier to remember, think of the board as being
divided into quarters. The section on the top right is the furthest away. You
should always move your pieces in an anti-clockwise direction, towards the
quarter on your near-right. Once all your pieces arrive at the near-right
section, this is where you can move them off the board, but you can ONLY move
your stones off the board when they are all in this quarter and available to
move. Once all your stones are off the board, you have won the game. That's it!
Controls
--------
So, if that explanation didn't completely put you off, here are the controls.
Pressing Start at any time pauses the game. Press start again to un-pause it.
Use the D-pad to move the cursor, to select the point which you wish to move
your stones from when taking a turn. Use the A button to move using the value
on the right hand dice, and the B button to move using the value on the left
hand dice. During play, you will see the outcome of moving the selected piece
using the A or B buttons in the form of icons at the outer edges of the board.
In-Game Options
---------------
The pause menu (press Start) for Backgammon contains the following available
options:
1. Preferences - contains options to adjust the music volume, change the music
tracks you hear, change the Difficulty level (ranges from Very Easy to
Extreme), alter the view of the game, change the side of the board you are
playing from via the Human on Top option, or Alternate Colours (play using
alternating colours each game).
2. Game - allows you to Start New (start a new game), Demo (show a demo game),
Load, Save or Quit (return to game selection screen).
3. Help - choose to Switch Sides or select How to Play for a brief run-down of
the rules.
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d. Chess
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Usual choice of single player = AI opponent or multi player = Hotseat or
Single Game Pak applies here.
Chess is a very old strategy board game. If you have never played it before,
you may find the learning curve quite steep initially, but it is very much
worth persevering, as it is really an excellent game and a great skill to have.
The chess board is an eight-by-eight checkered grid. The player with the white
pieces always takes the first turn. Both players take one move each, the aim
being to capture your opponent's King. You achieve this by moving your pieces
into such positions that the opponent's King can not take a move without being
captured by any piece - this scenario is known as "Checkmate". When a King can
be taken by a piece but can take defence to prevent being captured, it is
referred to as "Check". If you are under Check, you will only be able to move
either the King (to move it out of the way) or another piece (to directly block
the opponent from taking the King). If both players are in a position whereby
it would be impossible to cause a Checkmate scenario (usually when there are no
pieces left on the board other than the two Kings), this is Stalemate, meaning
that no player can win - basically, a tie. Each different piece can move in its
own unique way. To take one of your opponent's pieces, you must move your piece
into the square that the opponent's piece is currently occupying. Pieces may
only move when there is a clear path - they can not jump over other pieces, the
only exception to this rule being Knights. I will describe the movement range
of the different pieces here, based on the starting positions of the pieces in
the standard chess formation (pieces always begin play in the same locations).
Each player has 16 pieces arranged in two rows. Your front row is comprised of
eight identical pieces known as pawns. Pawns are very limited in their capacity
for movement. You can move a pawn forward one or two spaces on its first move
only, then only one space forward for each move it makes after the first. To
take an opponent's piece using a pawn, you must move diagonally left or right
one space - you cannot take pieces by moving forwards, and you cannot move
diagonally unless you are taking a piece. Pawns can never move backwards on
the grid - only forwards. They are generally considered to be low-value
defensive pieces. If you move a pawn to the opposite end of the grid, you can
choose to turn it into a high value piece - usually, players will choose to
turn it into a Queen.
The pieces you will see in the back row corners that look like little castles
are known as Rooks. Rooks are valuable - you should do your best to protect
them. They can move in straight lines in any direction, any number of spaces.
They are also a fundamental part of the "Castle" defensive move - explained
later in this section.
The pieces next to the rooks that look like little horses are called "Knights".
Their movement range is quite difficult to explain... Basically, a knight can
move only in jumps of two and one or one and two. That is, two in any direction
(but straight lines only) then one in another. Knights are the only pieces that
are able to jump over other pieces - it makes no difference to movement if
another piece is directly blocking your path - you can skip right over it!
Below is a diagram:
_______________________
|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__| The square in the middle with the * symbol in it is
|__|__|^_|__|^_|__|__|__| the location of the Knight. The squares showing the
|__|^_|__|__|__|^_|__|__| ^ symbol are the places the Knight can move to from
|__|__|__|*_|__|__|__|__| this position, using the two and one rule.
|__|^_|__|__|__|^_|__|__|
|__|__|^_|__|^_|__|__|__| Knights are moderately valuable pieces, mainly due
|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__| to their unpredictability (it can be difficult to
|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__| notice them sometimes!).
The pieces next to the Knights that look like weird dome things with blobs on
them are the Bishops. These are very useful pieces that should be protected as
much as your Rooks. They can move any number of spaces in any direction but
only diagonally.
The middle two pieces on the back row are the King and Queen. The slightly
shorter one (on the left) is the Queen, and the tall one with the cross on his
head on the right is the King. The Queen is your most valuable attack piece and
it is extremely important that you try to hang on to it for as long as you can.
The Queen can move any number of spaces in any direction - vertically, on any
diagnol line, horizontally. Finally, there is the King. The King may only move
one space at a time, but may move in any direction. It is imperative that you
protect your King - in fact, that's the whole aim of the game, as if you lose
your King it is Game Over (or Checkmate if you've been paying attention!).
There are other more advanced rules, but I won't go into them here. The game
has an in-built Tutor mode (accessed through the Pause menu - see below) to
help you out if you get stuck.
Controls
--------
Use the D-pad to navigate around the board. Press A to select a piece, and B
to cancel your selection. When a piece is selected, use the D-pad to move the
cursor to the required square and press A again to confirm the move.
In-Game Options
---------------
1. Preferences - Music Volume, Music Tracks, AI Options (this is an advanced
version of the Difficulty setting. If you select this, you will see a set
of percentages which allow you to specifically tailor your opponent to your
exact abilities), Board Type (choose the way you see the game played. I do
not recommend sticking to the default, as it is very unclear. I prefer the
"standard" setting personally), Figures (choose between different types of
playing pieces), Human On Top (put your icon above the opponent's icon in
single player mode), Alternate Colours (select this to play alternating
games with black and white), Opening Book (not sure what this is).
2. Game - Restart, Start New, Set Up Board (allows you to create a scenario by
placing pieces in the locations you want them on the board. You could use
this to, for example, replay famous chess matches or create your own chess
problems), Demo (view demo game), Solve Problem (allows you to get the AI
to solve the current situation for you during play, by assigning a set
number of moves in which you would like to achieve Checkmate and having the
computer work out for you how to achieve it), Select Task (play an assigned
chess problem), Load, Save, Quit (return to game selection screen).
3. Help - Switch Sides, Back one move, redo one move, Tutor (access the built
in chess tutor), Animate (graphical option), Keep Arrows (leave the arrows
showing movements on the screen), How to play (access rules).
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e. Checkers
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Again, if you choose to play this in single player mode, you will face an AI
opponent. Otherwise, you have the usual multi player options of Hotseat or
Single Game Pak.
The game of Checkers is a very simple one. The two colors in this version are
white and red, and red always plays first. The game board is an eight by eight
checkered grid. Only the dark squares of the grid are used. Each player has
twelve circular pieces which all have the same movement capabilities and the
same rules - much simpler than chess! The aim is to remove all of your
opponent's pieces from the board. The last player standing when this has
happened is the winner. The twelve pieces of each player start the game by
occupying the four dark squares on the three rows nearest their respective
player.
To remove your opponent's pieces, you will need to skip over them to the square
beyond. You can only jump over an adjacent piece, and you can only move up the
grid diagonally. You can not move in straight lines and you cannot move back.
You can only jump when the square past the piece is empty. When you are not
taking a piece, you can only move one square at a time. Example:
_______________________
|__|O_|__|O_|__|O_|__|O_| This example shows a game in progress. Squares marked
|__|__|__|__|O_|__|O_|__| with O signify your opponent's pieces. Squares marked
|__|__|__|__|__|^_|__|__| with * signify your pieces. If you look towards the
|__|__|__|__|O_|__|__|__| middle of the grid, you will see that one of your
|__|__|__|*_|__|__|__|__| pieces is in a position to remove your opponent's
|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__| piece. Upon doing this you would move to the square
|__|__|__|*_|__|*_|__|__| marked with ^. However, once you move there you will
|*_|__|*_|__|*_|__|*_|__| find that your opponent can take your piece on their
next turn, since it will be in a square adjacent to
their pieces and with no pieces blocking the path behind it. This is something
that you should watch out for during play. Also note that you can only jump
over one piece at once, unless you form a chain of jumps, illustrated below:
_______________________
|__|O_|__|^_|__|O_|__|O_| In this example, the squares marked with * show your
|__|__|__|__|O_|__|__|__| pieces, and the squares marked with O signify your
|__|__|__|__|__|^_|__|__| opponent's pieces. It is your turn to move. Your
|__|__|__|__|O_|__|__|__| piece nearest the centre can jump over the piece next
|__|__|__|*_|__|__|__|__| to it as in the example above. However, the square it
|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__| will land on has another available jump which can be
|__|*_|__|*_|__|*_|__|__| performed from it, so rather than just moving once
|*_|__|*_|__|*_|__|*_|__| as usual, you can actually perform both jumps at once
in order to take both your opponent's pieces in one
simple move. You'll also notice that once this move has been performed, you
will also have arrived at the back of the grid. Your pieces change when they
reach this location and can now move both backwards and forwards. You should
also be aware that if you're in a position to take one of your opponent's
pieces, you won't be able to move your other pieces normally. If you can take
it, you must take it. Also, you can't jump over your own pieces to move. Once
one player has no pieces left, the game is over.
Controls
--------
Use the D-pad to navigate around the screen. Press A once the cursor is over a
piece to select it, use the D-pad to move to the square you wish to move the
piece to, and press A again to confirm the movement. If the piece cannot be
moved there, the move simply won't register.
In-Game Options
---------------
Press the Start button to access the in-game menus. The options available are:
1. Preferences - adjust the Music Volume, change Music Tracks, change the
Difficulty level (from Very Easy through to Extreme), change the view of the
game (Perspective view is the default), Figures (use White and Red or White
and Black pieces), Mode (Normal or Giveaway. Normal is a regular game, but
Giveaway mode is when you win by losing your pieces to the other player).
Human On Top (play from the opposite end of the board) and Alternate Colours
(play alternating colours each game) are also available.
2. Game - Start New Game, Demo (show demo game), Load, Save, Quit (return to
game selection screen).
3. Help - Switch Sides, Back One Move, Redo One Move (all as before), Keep
Arrows (make the arrows that show where you have moved stay on screen),
Animate (graphical option) and How to Play (show rules of game).
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f. Reversi
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As with the other games, if you choose single player you will face an AI
opponent, or with multi player you will have the choice of Hotseat (take it in
turns on the same machine), or Single Game Pak (play via linking up two GBAs).
The principle of Reversi is very simple. Play takes place on an eight by eight
checkered board. Players use coloured discs - black and white. At the start of
the game, the central four squares of the board are occupied by two white and
two black discs. Players then take turns placing one disc per turn of their own
colour on the board. Any of the opponent's discs trapped between the new disc
and a disc already on the table are flipped over and become the colour of the
player who flipped them. Discs can be flipped in any line - horizontal, diagnal
or vertical. Example:
_______________________
|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__| In this example, squares marked with O symbolize
|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__| squares containing a white disc, and squares marked
|__|__|__|^_|__|__|__|__| with * symbolize squares containing a black disc. If
|__|__|__|*_|O_|__|__|__| another white piece is added to the square marked
|__|__|__|O_|*_|__|__|__| with ^, then the black disc in between the two white
|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__| discs will be flipped over to become a white disc.
|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__| Each turn, you have to flip at least one disc to make
|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__| a legal move. If there are no moves available then
you will forfeit the turn.
Whilst playing the game, if you take a look at the right hand side of the
screen, you will see that a number is visible below your name. This is your
current score, and is equal to the number of discs you have on the board. The
game ends when every square on the board is occupied by a disc, and the player
with the most discs on the board is the winner.
Controls
--------
Use the D-pad to navigate around the board. When you place the cursor over a
square that has an available move, the discs that will be flipped to your
colour will show up as grey. Press A to confirm a move.
In-Game Options
---------------
Press Start at any time to pause the game and access the in-game menu screen.
Available options are:
1. Preferences - Music Volume, Music Tracks, Difficulty (ranges from Very Easy
to Extreme. Default for this game is Easy), Perspective View (alters the
angle from which you see the board), Human on Top (puts your icon above that
of the AI in single player mode), Alternate Colours (play each game in turn
using alternating colours).
2. Game - Start New, Demo, Load, Save, Quit (returns you to the game selection
screen).
3. Help - Switch Sides, Back One Move, Redo One Move (all as before). Animate
(graphical option), How to Play (explains the rules briefly).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
g. Dominoes
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In single player mode, you will face an AI opponent. In multi player mode, you
have the choice of Hotseat (two players use one machine in turn) or Single
Game Pak (play via link-up).
Dominoes is a remarkably simple game. There are a number of tiles (known as
bones) which have numbers ranging from O to 6 marked on them, with two numbers
on each bone. Certain of the bones are called doubles - these are bones with
the same number marked on them twice. In this version, each player starts off
with seven bones, with a reserve pool being left to the side. The player with
the highest double bone plays first, and places that bone on the table. Then
each player must take turns to place a bone on the table, which must have a
matching number with one free end number currently on the table. If the player
cannot achieve this, then you must draw another bone from the reserve, and keep
doing so until you are able to make a move. If there are no reserve bones left
then you will have to pass. The game ends when a player scores the amount of
points required to win (which you can set via the pause menu). Each hand ends
when either a player plays the last domino, or when no-one is able to move. The
player who played the last domino wins points equal to the values of the other
player's remaining dominoes and then a new hand is played, continuing until one
player passes the required score to win.
Controls
--------
Use the D-Pad to navigate your bones, and press A to select one and place it.
You will see where you are able to move as an icon will appear to show you. If
you can't make a move, then pressing A will draw a new bone from the reserve
for you. If you can make a move but wish to draw a bone anyway, then press B.
The L and R buttons allow you to choose where to place the bone if multiple
locations are available, and pressing Select will make the AI move for you.
In-Game Options
---------------
Press Start at any time to access the pause menu. Available options are:
1. Preferences - Music Volume control, Music Tracks, change the Difficulty
level, and Human To The Left (choose which side of the screen your hand is
on).
2. Game - Start New, Restart, Demo, Load, Save, Quit (returns to game selection
screen).
3. Help - Switch Sides, Back One Move, Redo One Move, Manual Deal, How To Play.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
h. Four in a Row
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As with the other games, if you opt to play in single player mode, you will
face an AI opponent, whereas in multi player mode you have the option of
Hotseat or Single Game Pak to play on the same machines or via link-up.
The premise of Four in a Row is very simple. Both players are assigned either
red or yellow tiles. On the screen you'll see what appears to be a vertical
grid. Each player takes it in turns to drop tiles down the columns, using
gravity to determine their placement. Just take it in turns to drop the tiles
and the first player to create a row of four tiles of their colour running in
any direction including diagnally wins the game. You will need to be strategic
in order to block your opponent's efforts, by carefully watching where they
place their tiles.
Controls
--------
Use the D-pad to choose which column you wish to put your tile down, and press
A to confirm the placement. You will see a flashing icon showing you where the
tile will land before you drop it.
In-Game Options
---------------
Press Start to pause the game and access the menu. Press Start again to return
to the game. Available options are:
1. Preferences - Music Volume, Music Tracks, Difficulty (default Difficulty
setting is Average), Perspective View (alters the way you see the grid),
Human On Top (just makes your face show above the AI instead of below it),
Alternate Colours (play each game using alternating colours).
2. Game - Start New, Demo, Load, Save, Quit (takes you back to the game
selection screen).
3. Help - Switch Sides, Back One Move, Redo One Move, How to Play (for a brief
explanation of the rules).
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
5. Credits
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
o GameFAQs for hosting this guide, and for the legal notice.
o Telegames, for making Ultimate Brain Games.
o Me, for foregoing sleep for three days to write this damn thing!
o An unknown Yahoo user, for teaching me to play backgammon.
o August, for teaching me to play Reversi.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
6. Things I learnt while writing this guide
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
o Backgammon is estimated to be some 5000 years old.
o There is such a thing as "Chess Archaeology".
o Cat should not listen to Fear Factory when he has a headache.
o Mahjong evolved from Dominoes.
o Dominoes is deceptively difficult.
o At this time of year, the sun rises at approximately 4.30am.
