A fierce competitor from 1979

Here are the contents of the Softape Othello tape, now that I have opened it up. There was no instruction card or anything, just the tape and the cover insert. The two sides of the tape contain different versions of the game, one side has a version for the standard Apple II (with Integer BASIC ROMs) and the other side has a version for the II+ (or upgraded II, with Applesoft/AutoStart ROMs). As with several of these tapes, the name on the cover doesn’t precisely match the name on the tape, though oddly, it does match the name in the program itself. Strange that this didn’t bother people. This game is “actually” called Othello, like it says on the tape cover, although on the tape casing, it’s called Super Othello.

Othello tape integer

Othello tape applesoft

Othello tape cover

Below are the audio files, as well as two DSK images that I created to load the data from the tape without having to wait around for the loading procedure. As before, I’ve tested the AIFF file and it loads fine with Virtual II, but I have not tested the WAV file.

I included both the Applesoft and Integer versions because I was just being thorough. There is no difference between the two programs, as I’ll detail below.

Starting up the game, you see the following:

Othello splash

I opted to go first, at which point the game board is drawn:

Othello start

Despite claims on the cover that Super Othello is a “fierce competitor,” I pretty much destroyed it on my first attempt.

Othello won

The loading procedure is quite straightforward, you just LOAD either the Integer BASIC or Applesoft BASIC version and RUN it. You might have thought it would have been a lot of work to translate from one dialect to the other, but you’d have been wrong. The game is actually written in machine language, wrapped within the BASIC program. So, if you were hoping to derive a learning experience in programming from examining how it is done, you’ve got a lot of work ahead of you.

Othello int list

Othello fp list

So, that’s (Super) Othello. Further tapes to come in further postings.

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