** PD/Shareware review / 273 words **

LineUp

77%

** On RD logo here **

** BC **
Entertainment
Freeware, all Ataris
Email: mb@tos.pl.net
http://www.ak.planet.gen.nz/user/mario/
** /BC **

** LINEUP_C.GIF here **

LineUp, programmed by Mario Becroft, is a computerised cross between those sliding puzzles which used to annoy and frustrate me as a child and a two-dimensional Rubiks cube.
The aim is to rearrange the grid of tiles to form a specific pattern or, more interestingly, a picture. Tiles are re-arranged by sliding rows or columns one square at a time.
There's an excellent ST-Guide format hypertext which explains everything except how to solve the puzzle! There are two playing modes:

** UL **
* Coloured or icon squares mode: The aim is to rearrange the sample tiles into rows of identical tiles which line up with the sample tiles to the left of main grid.

* Picture mode: The playing area displays a mixed up image where each tile contains part of the overall image selected from the images included in the archive (or you could create your own in IMG format). Your task is to rearrange them to complete the image. There's a Show picture option which displays the entire image for reference.
** /UL **

There's a high score table, adjustable grid size (4x4, 6x6 or 8x8), five difficulty levels and an automatic solve feature in case you feel like smashing the keyboard.

GEM games like LineUp offer convenient tea break entertainment because they don't take over the system or need booting from floppy. I've left it to late to ask Mario why LineUp isn't happy under MagiC but hopefully he'll have fixed the problem by the time you're reading this!

Joe Connor