ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN LIMA NEWSLETTER JANUARY 1991
 
          Review of Mancala  
          By:  Andy Frueh, Lima UG 
 
     Several other computer, especially the PC's, have several "foreign" games.
These originate as folk games in some other country and are adapted in the USA
for play on our computers.  Tetris is a good example.  These games are few
becuase they require thinking and brainpower with coordination.  They are not
the simple familiar shoot-em-ups.  Now, from Africa, comes...Mancala.  It is
very well-done, and extremely addictive to play.  The rules are about as simple
as the ones for Tetris. 
 
     It is sold as a cartridge, so it is very convinient to load; just plug it
in.  The title screen slowly forms the word Mancala to a neat "bongo" type
beat.  You can press any key to abort this display.  Upon doing that, you are
asked for the number of players.  I prefer to play a human, mainly because it's
an easier opponenent (usually).  Next you are asked for the number of stones
(explained later) that you want.  This is a number from 3 to 8 or a random
ammount.  Finally, you are given the choice of which player moves first.  I
know some of the strategy of the game, and I can see no reason to want to move
first or second.  Now the game begins. 
 
     On the screen are 6 "cups" and 1 "goal" for each player.  Player 1 has the
bottom row and the right goal, and the second player/computer has the top row
and the left goal.  Each cup holds a certain number of stones, as specified in
the beginning.  You can play with joysticks or the keyboard.  Each player is
represented by and orange marker, which surrounds the cup.  The idea is to get
as many stones in your cup as possible. 
 
     The rules for acheiving this aren't very difficult.  You move the stones
by moving to a cup and pressing FIRE.  Then, the marker picks up all the stones
in the cup.  The marker moves towards your goal, depositing one stone in each
cup it passes over.  If there are more stones left after the goal is reached,
then the marker moves to the other players side and continues going around the
board.  If you make it to the goal with no stones left in the marker (for
example, you move one stone from the cup next to your goal), then you may go
again.  If you move one stone into an empty space, then you get all of the
stones from the opponents cup opposite of yours into your goal.  This provides
a good ammount of action. 
 
     There is a demo mode if you want to see how to play.  There are also
severl levels of play (but I can't get passed 2).  All of this makes for a
great game.  It isn't one of those games where after you lose or win you want
to go on to something else.  It is available in Triton catalogs.  BUY IT! 
.PL 1