THE SPECTRUM GAMES DATABASE



JUMBLY



PUBLISHER

dk'tronics



AUTHOR

Don Priestley



YEAR

1983



DESCRIPTION

A wonderful game based on sliding-block puzzles, but with moving

designs to make life difficult. Big colourful graphics.



CONTROLS

Z: left, X: right, Q: up, A: down, V: View

Keys are redefinable so Sinclair and cursor joysticks may be

used.

Kempston joystick also supported (View is fire).

S: Stop, H: Hold, 0: Abort, T: Tunes on/off.



INSTRUCTIONS

There are 11 slider puzzles in the game consisting of 20 squares.

Select a puzzle by its title and press J to jumble it up. Use the

direction keys to move the blocks adjacent to the empty space and

unscramble the puzzle. The game is made harder because most

pictures are animated and many designs move from square to

square; you can use the View key to freeze the picture as it

should look, and squares in the wrong position are in black and

white.  If you take more than the target number of moves to

complete the puzzle, you will be given the chance to try again

with an increased target.





INLAY CARD TEXT

JUMBLY is a slider puzzle taken to its absolute limits.



WHAT HAPPENS In the program are a number of specially designed

pictures, each one divided into 20 blocks. The computer jumbles

the picture by removing a block and sliding the remaining 19

blocks about in a random manner; the odd block is then replaced.



YOU then have to reassemble the blocks in the correct order using

keys or a joystick.



IF the number of moves you took exceeds the TARGET for each

picture you'll need to try again.



IF you equal or beat the TARGET you then have the option to move

on to the next picture.



TITLES are given to each picture, but the title for any picture

is only given by succeeding in the previous picture. Once you

know the titles you can start the program with any title and do

them in any order. You can try guessing the titles but that's

harder than solving the puzzle! The first three pictures are

LETTERS, JUMBLY and NURSERY. You can do these in any order. 

Completing NURSERY gives you the title of picture 4, the first

scrolling picture!



ANIMATION of colours and shapes make the picture come alive but

don't make solving the puzzle any more difficult. (Well, at least

not in the earlier pictures!)



SCROLLING in different directions and at different speeds brings

a whole new dimension to the puzzle. You may find it a bit

'mind-boggling' when you first meet it.



STOP This key will stop any picture scrolling, to help you solve

the puzzle.  However, the scrolling can't be started again and

the TARGET will be an unbeatable zero. Once solved (or abandoned)

you can try again. Scrolling blocks which are out of place will

only be two colours. Without this feature the puzzle would be

almost impossible to solve. Think about it!



VIEW This key, while held down, gives a complete assembled

picture to help you get your bearings.



HOLD will freeze action as it is.



ABORT abandons your attempt and asks you to input another (or the

same) title; useful when you can see that you can't beat the

TARGET.



TUNES will turn the tune on and off. Tunes will automatically

turn on with a new picture or at a correct solution.



DIRECTION keys or joystick move the blocks, NOT THE EMPTY SPACE.

LEFT will move a block left, the space will therefore jump right.

A joystick is optional and by no means essential. A Kempston type

uses the fire button for VIEW. Joysticks using 6,7,8,9,0 can be

used by redefining keys.



WRAP-ROUND Some pictures jumble with wrap-round, i.e. a block can

jump off the edge of the picture on to the opposite edge. Solving

the picture can be done in the same way and if used opportunely

can reduce the number of moves taken. However, on some occasions

you may find the puzzle seemingly insoluble. Another wrap-round

move will correct this.



HINTS The first three pictures are the easiest but at your first

attempt you may not think so! Once you have the knack you will

be able to solve the earlier pictures surprisingly quickly. The

secret is a logical approach.  Always assemble in lines or

columns and be prepared to shift blocks around which are already

in their correct place. Work out which line to finish with, i.e.

the one with the missing block. This last line is nearly always

the most difficult. You MUST get the previous line out of the way

into a group of four or five blocks together, doing the same with

the unsolved line, which you then have a chance of getting in the

right order. Both lines will now be in the right order but in the

wrong places, so shunt them round and HEY, PRESTO!  If a picture

is scrolling watch the sequence from one block to another. 

Decide where to move a particular block and then, ignoring what

appears on it, move it to its correct destination.



THE LAST PICTURE You don't know which one is last, but solving

it won't, of course, give you the title of the next! Instead you

will be asked to input your name. Use one initial, a space and

then your surname.  A code number, based on your name, will then

appear, proof of JUMBLY expertise!



COMPETITION When you get your personal JUMBLY code number you are

eligible to enter the dk'tronics JUMBLY II competition. Send us

this card filled in with your address, name and the code number.

We shall send you all details and materials needed to design a

picture of your own. The best designs will be used in JUMBLY II

to be released in 1984. Each winning designer will be paid a fee

of at least œ150 for his (or her) work and his (or her) name will

be placed in the program (or in the picture itself). The closing

date for completed designs is 31 March 1984.





CHEATS

The puzzles are called (in order) LETTERS, JUMBLY, NURSERY,

FLIGHT, PLANS, WINDOW, VERSE, VERTIGO, TUNNEL, TRAINS and STAIRS.



SEQUELS/PREQUELS

Jumbly II was advertised in the inlay card.



SCORES RECEIVED

Your Spectrum (issue 3, May 1984, p.70): 7/10

"The pictures generated are superb, and the speed of the program

is very fast."



URLs



GENERAL FACTS



NOTES

