BLOCKOUT

 Originally designed by Kadon Enterprises, Inc. as a 3-D game using hardwood
blocks, BLOCKOUT bears an uncanny resemblance to WELLTRIS, Alexey Pajitnov's
recent innovation on his original TETRIS design. Since both products have shown
up relatively recently, gamers will be hard put to choose which incarnation of
this type of game they'd prefer to buy. It's a real toss-up. 

 Like WELLTRIS, the object of the game is to move blocks displayed by the
computer so that they'll interlock seamlessly at the bottom of a 3-D pit. Each
block presented can be rotated through all three of its axes until the player
decides the block is in the proper position for dropping. There is a time limit
that starts to count down as soon as the block appears, which puts pressure on
the player to make a decision quickly.

 The blocks offered at the start of a level vary in complexity. The more complex
each block, and the more various the block-set for a particular level, the
greater the challenge (and the higher the score).

 Levels also vary in terms of the dimensions of the pit. There's an option at
the beginning of the game to select your setup; the Choose Setup menu includes
three pre-defined setups, three different kinds of block sets (Flat, Basic, and
Extended), and the ability to set rotation speed. The dimensions of the pit can
also be configured: Depth can be set from three to 16 layers, and width and
length can be set from three to seven blocks wide or long. Once configured, the
setup represents the initial conditions you'll encounter when starting a game.
Setups can be saved to disk for future use.

 Eleven difficulty levels are available in the game, the first ten of which are
user-selectable. You start at whichever level you feel comfortable with, and
progress to the next one after a certain number of cubes have been played.
Difficulty increases from level to level, both in terms of the complexity of
each block shape, and the shape and size of the pit. The numerous levels and
multiple setup options offer BLOCKOUT players a great variety.

 The graphics and sound are all they need to be for a game of this sort; unlike
WELLTRIS, there's little in the way of atmospheric background included in the
program, but the gameplay is just as challenging and addictive. Since the blocks
used are three-dimensional, they always appear first as wire-frame objects,
making it easier for the player to determine their true position. Once dropped,
they are filled with color and matched with the other blocks at the bottom of
the pit. If the block dropped does not fit completely into the current layer,
its extruding parts are colored in a hotter color, thereby reminding the player
that the next level up from the bottom of the pit is being entered. The menus
and windows in BLOCKOUT look much more "Amigatized" than their equivalents in
WELLTRIS, which generally seem flatter. This is due mainly to the proper use of
shading to give the game a solid 3-D feel throughout.

 One of the nicest things about BLOCKOUT (which sets it apart from WELLTRIS) is
the inclusion of mouse control for block manipulation. Like its sister game, the
keyboard can be used for block rotation, but once you get used to the mouse,
it's much easier to handle the blocks quickly -- important at the higher levels.
The mouse also provides a more tactile connection with the manipulated block,
making it easier to pick up the pattern of positioning. Odd (but interesting)
that this simple eye-to-hand coordination should play such a significant part in
what otherwise looks like a game dedicated entirely to the intellect!

 BLOCKOUT comes on one copyable disk, and uses a clever combination
block-and-color-key schema in the manual for protection. Copy protection using
this technique is effective and unintrusive. There is no mention of hard-disk
installation, unfortunately. The game will run on A1000s, A500s, and A2000s.

 If you are a fan of this sort of puzzle game (and who isn't?), you won't want
to miss either BLOCKOUT or WELLTRIS. They both present variations on a similar
theme, one whose origin (as BLOCKOUT's documentation notes) lies with the
mathematical puzzle known as the Soma Cube, invented by Piet Hein. Readers of
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN from way back will no doubt recognize the influence from
Martin Gardner's columns about the Soma Cube.

 BLOCKOUT is published by California Dreams and distributed by Electronic Arts.

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