Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!julius.cs.uiuc.edu!apple!portal!atari!momenta!chris From: chris@momenta (Chris Christensen) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games Subject: Re: Columns Message-ID: <1990Sep27.163637.26046@momenta> Date: 27 Sep 90 16:36:37 GMT References: <12801@arisia.Xerox.COM> Organization: Momenta Corporation Lines: 29 >Now, I'm not a huge fan of either of these games, nor am I a fan of litigation >in general, but it seems like something strange is happening here, when I >see almost identical rip-off versions of games appearing like this. I actually >don't know which came first, but I suspect (given the about boxes on the Mac >versions) that the Mac authors came up with the ideas. (And names.) For columns, an X11 windows version came first and the Mac version was written with the permission of the original author. The rights to the original were eventually sold, so you are probably seeing one of the first commercial versions. Although there are at least two PC versions and and atari version that are not commercial (and only one of which was "authorized"). It is not my desire to make an explaination of columns into a periodic posting, but in answer to recent questions I will again describe it. Columns is a "Tetris-like" game. Tiles drop from the top and the player tries to keep them from piling up. In Columns, the blocks are composed of three tiles. Each tile is one of 6 patterns. The user can rotate the order that the patterns appear. When 3 or more like patterns exist after the block can drop no further, the matching tiles remove. This can cause chain reactions. This is one of the reasons I liked columns more than Tetris and decided to port it to the Mac. Columns is available on most large Mac bulletin boards or services. For details on abtaining it contact me. Chris "Mr Columns" Christensen P.S. Stay tune for "Son of Columns"