HAPPY COIN (Yasunori Takahara)

Title – HAPPY COIN
System – MSX
Author – 高原　保法 (Yasunori Takahara)
Publication – Micom BASIC (マイコンBASIC) November 1984
Page Scans – 1 2 3
Preserved By – TWE
Recommended Emulator – openMSX

Download ROM

Loading the Game –

Two versions of the game are included:
– hcoin.wav, a cassette-tape recording of the original game;
– hcoin.dsk, a floppy disk image of the translated game.

For hcoin.wav:
– After booting the machine, insert the tape image;
– Type ‘CLOAD’ and press Enter;
– After the game loads, type ‘RUN’ and press Enter to star the game.
For hcoin.dsk:
– Insert the disk image in the first slot, then boot the machine;
– The game should load and start automatically.

Game Instructions –

Move the finger left and right with the cursor keys and shoot rubber bands with Space.
Keep the coin spinning by hitting the correct side of it; the green box will make the coin fly off the table it it touches it, but opens up to reveal a bonus fairy that you can hit for bonus points if you get the coin to spin fast enough.

Article Translation –

HAPPY COIN
Yasunori Takahara

STORY

Once upon a time, there was a coin that was said to bring happiness to all. However, that coin also had a demon sealed inside it, and the only way to contain it was if that coin was constantly spinning. The moment it stopped, the demon would emerge from inside.
Today, it’s your turn to keep watch over this spinning coin.

PLAY

Move left and right along the center and hit the coin with rubber bands to make it spin faster.
If the coin is spinning clockwise, hitting its left side will make it spin faster, whereas hitting its right side will make it spin slower.
The UP and DOWN values shown at the upper-right corner of the screen indicate how the speed of the coin changes after one hit.
You can also see how fast the coin is spinning by looking at its face: if it’s smiling, then it’s spinning fast; if it’s crying, the opposite is true.
Additionally, when the coin smiles for the first time in the current round, a fairy will jump out of the Devil Box (the green box), which you can also hit with your rubber bands. If you collect 3 fairies, you get a bonus.
Normally, the coin won’t fall off the table, but it it collides with the Devil Box, it’ll be blown away with tremedous force and fly off the table. If this ever happens, shoot a rubber band at the coin to stop it from flying away.
This game also features ways to exterminate the coin’s demon and to get extends, so make sure to find those out.

Conclusion

This program’s long, so don’t get disencouraged while typing it in.
This is my first time programming a game for the MSX, so I can’t really say it’s a very good one. Sorry about that. As a side note, my machine is an FM-X, which has an RGB output for clearer displays. This game was developed using an RGB monitor, so if you’re using a standard 16-colour display, the game might be a bit hard on the eyes.

[ CHECKER FLAG ]

Dr. D: By golly, this is one splendid program; it’s got a great concept, after all! It might be on the longer side, but given how fun it is, it’s only natural that it’s this way.
Editor: A long-lasting hit submission, for sure!