Blazing Games - Ultimate Retro Project - Volume 4 - Episode 43

Ultimate Retro Project
Episode 43 Classic Light Box

Playing the Game

The goal of the game is to try to recreate a light box by only looking at the outputs when a light is shined in a slot. The light box is made up of special prisms that will allow a beam to pass throught the point unaffected, split if the beam goes through the base and bends towards the base if the beam goes through either side. You place prisms on your board and try to get them to match the source box. Type in commands to perform actions in the game. If typing doesn't seem to be working then you may have to click on the applet window to give it keyboard focus. The following commands are used (you only need to use the first letter):

• ? gives you these instructions.
• BOARD prints out your current board.
• PLACE places prism on the board. R Removes prism from board.
• LAUNCH Launches beam on both boxes so you can see how your box matches source.
• TEST Checks all slots and lets you know which slots still don't match. If the test is 100% match you win.
• QUIT. Give up.

Behind the Game

Black boxes are actually used in some engineering classes, though as far as I know, using light and prisms is a unique twist. I could be wrong, but if I am I am sure that people will let me know.

The game actually is a lot easier to play if you use a piece of graph paper to help you work things out. You could also use a paint program such as GIMP to work out the possibilities.