REFRECTION BEAM (Ayao Kawase)

Title – REFRECTION BEAM
System – MSX
Author – 川瀬　郁夫 (Ayao Kawase)
Publication – Micom BASIC (マイコンBASIC) September 1985
Page Scans – 1 2 3
Preserved By – TWE
Recommended Emulator – openMSX

Download ROM

Loading the Game –

Files:
reflbeam.wav: Tape recording of REFRECTION BEAM program
reflbeam.dsk: Self-booting disk image of REFRECTION BEAM program
reflbeam_en.wav: Tape recording of translated REFRECTION BEAM program
reflbeam_en.dsk: Self-booting disk image of translated REFRECTION BEAM program

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

Game Instructions –

Move with the cursor keys;
Push the reflectors around to reflect the beams to the icons;
The red beam sometimes changes direction, and letting a beam go out of bounds counts as a loss.

Article Translation –

MSX
REFRECTION BEAM
Ayao Kawase

This program makes use of ON STOP, so after typing in, make sure to SAVE before entering RUN.
If you don’t want to type in the REM statements, I’ve used AUTO for your comfort. Also, the REM statements in lines 879 and 899 are measurements for typing in, and therefore unnecessary.

How to Play
After inputting RUN, it takes about 20 seconds for the display to show anything, so please wait a while.
A simple explanation of the game and an initial demo are initially shows; when you’re ready to start, press the space key.
2 types of beam move within the borders. These beams turn by 90 degrees when they hit a reflector, and when they hit a block they break it a bit and rebound. The yellow beam moves regularly, but the red beam moves irregularly, and every 5 rounds the probability of it closing in on you increases.
You move with the cursor keys, are able to push reflectors 1 space at a time, and must guide the beams to collect clocks and points. Clocks add 50 seconds to the time, and points give you 100 points. Getting all the points clears the round, with a bonus of (remaining time)*(round number) being awarded to you.
The clocks and your lives are increased every 5 rounds, though you can only get a maximum of 5 lives.
Regarding techniques, aside from using the yellow beam, you can take advantage of the higher rate of the red beam coming towards you.
Letting a beam break the frame and leaving the stage scores a miss, so be careful. Furthermore, getting hit by a beam or running out of time also scores a miss.
To replay, press the space key, and when you wish to stop press [CTRL]+[STOP].

{Table 1} Variable Table
I, J, K, A$ General purpose
X, Y Your position
X1, Y1 Your moving direction
E(), F() Beam’s positions
E1(), F1() Beam’s moving directions
H High score
S Score
T Timer (in seconds)
R Round nº
MA Nº of lives
P Nº of points
TK Nº of clocks
L Red beam’s chase level
PT Your sprite patterns
SP Beam’s sprite patterns
O Your footstep sound’s octave
GT Beam’s next step character, for use with ON GOTO
VP Block’s character code during change
ST Joystick function
AD Assistant for VPOKE and VPEEK addressing
B$ Block images (2×2)
I$ INSTR characters
D1$, D2$ Demo’s moving messages
Functions:
DEFFNS$ Score and time drawing
DEFFNU Draw character to display with VPOKE
DEFFNV Read character from display with VPEEK

{Picture 1} Title and game explanation
{Picture 2} It’s a puzzler real time game
{Picture 3} Think well and move the relfectors!!
{Picture 4} Nice!! Hit a clock!!

CHECKER FLAG:
Editor: The characters are small, but used effectively.
Dr. D: Definitely an inventive game!

★Superstitious people drive through the Meishin Expressway (“Meishin” = 名神, which is also the reading for “Myoushin”, a title for high-ranking Shinto shrines). People that have their heads empty all the time(bōto) ride boats. (Iyomishima, Ehime・Toyohide Tomono, 16 y.o.)……【Editor: So then, what would hot-tempered people ride? Kage: What do you mean?(“Ikada”, also reading for “raft”) What do you mean!?💨 Editor: Correct!!】
★Hey, Kage!! I told what you said to that lady, and she fumegated like a piping hot bento box, gave me 2 slaps, and to top it off said “Why, you little idiot!”. (Osaka・Akira Amita, 13 y.o.)……【Kage: Part 3: “I am your customer!”.】
★Monthly MICOM is insulting!! I didn’t get a disk with “Challenge Puzzle” and demand that diskette. (Oga, Akita・Still BeMaga, 14 y.o.)……【Kage: BeMaga does not disregard its readers the same way MICOM does.】