Android Nim

<h2 id="gameplay">Gameplay</h2>
<p>The object of the game is to remove the last <a href="/facts/Android_(robot)/JcEneeP9">android</a> from three rows of androids. The game's premise is simple, but its animation is impressive given the limitations of the TRS-80's display. Throughout the game androids are animated to face different directions, as if bored or engaging in conversation with one another.
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<p>The game starts with three rows of androids which contain 7, 5, and 3 androids respectively. An <a href="/facts/Animation/093f9nUg">animated</a> android asks the player if they would like to go first. The player chooses a row and types in how many droids to remove. An animated droid at the head of the row then nods its head and raises a gun and the other androids turn to look at the selected row. The specified number of androids are then zapped with a <a href="/facts/Laser/jk6PTvvT">laser</a> beam. It is then the computer's turn—with similar effect—and play continues until the last android is removed.
</p><p>If the human wins, the computer is an amusingly poor sport and displays astonishment; if it wins, the computer displays a huge "I WIN!". If the computer is about to lose, it pretends to seek futile ways to avoid losing (i.e., by selecting more androids than are available in a given row) before giving up.
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<h2 id="reception">Reception</h2>
<p>The game was reviewed in <i><a href="/facts/Dragon_(magazine)/8tzJHJec">The Dragon</a></i> #44 by Mark Herro. Herro stated, "if you want a good 'demo' program or just a little light entertainment — I think you could do worse than to try out this game. I like <i>Android Nim</i>."<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a>
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<h2 id="external-links">External links</h2>
<ul><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osPYppC33OI">PET gameplay video</a> at <a href="/facts/YouTube/db276jst">YouTube</a></li>
<li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20071214214026/http://www.leochristopherson.com/android_nim.htm">Windows version</a> by Leo Christopherson</li>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/80-U.S._Volume_II_Number_3_1979-05_80-NW_Publishing_US/page/n21/mode/2up">review</a></li>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/creativecomputing-1981-10/page/n51/mode/2up">Review</a> in <a href="/facts/Creative_Computing/xDFuhfa2">Creative Computing</a></li>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/80-microcomputing-magazine-1980-02/page/n59/mode/2up">Review</a> in <a href="/facts/80_Micro/4TnaCcuN">80 Micro</a></li>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/80-microcomputing-magazine-1980-02/page/n97/mode/2up">Review</a> in <a href="/facts/80_Micro/4TnaCcuN">80 Micro</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1"><p>Crawford, Chris. "A Grain of Sand, A Gust of Wind". The Journal of Computer Game Design. 5. <a href="http://www.erasmatazz.com/library/the-journal-of-computer/jcgd-volume-5/a-grain-of-sand-a-gust-of.html" target="_blank">http://www.erasmatazz.com/library/the-journal-of-computer/jcgd-volume-5/a-grain-of-sand-a-gust-of.html</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:2"><p>Herro, Mark (December 1980). "The Electric Eye". The Dragon (44): 86–87. <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
</ol>

Android Nim open-in-new

Android Nim