Assimilation

The Good
Solidly made overall

The Bad
Badly thought-out bomb mechanic
Sound effects

The Bottom Line
Assimilation is one of many versions of the classic board game Ataxx. Such clones are plentiful, but Assimilation adds two noteworthy twists on the formula. First, the pieces cannot perform knight moves. This introduces new kinds of strategy to the game, since you can sometimes get really close to an opponent without him having a chance to retaliate. The game's other innovation, the bombs, is rather more controversial. The idea is that two random squares are trapped with hidden bombs: if you're unlucky enough to land on a bomb square, your piece is destroyed and you lose the turn. Now, I'm guessing this idea sounded really cool in the developer's head, but it is awful in practice. Nothing quite like playing a heart-pounding, hairbreadth game, only to suddenly be doomed to failure because the Random Number God didn't like you today. Of course, sometimes it's your opponent who ends up losing to a bomb... which only sucks the fun out of your victory, since you feel like you've won by luck and not by skill. (The registered version of the game does allow turning off the bombs, but good luck getting your hands on it.) That said, I'm guessing some players might actually like the bomb feature, since it can add to the challenge if your plans suddenly get derailed by a booby trap.

As an aside, the text file promises that the registered version contains "3 killers" that supposedly "destroy you immediately", and even claims that the shareware version contains one such killer. I haven't run into anything like that during the game, so I can only speculate what that's supposed to mean, but I suspect it's something even more ridiculous and infuriating than the bombs.

Dubious gameplay choices aside, though, this is a pretty well-made game as shareware DOS games go. The controls work well, the opponent's AI offers a reasonable challenge, and the visuals, although not too fancy, are clean and functional. I strongly recommend turning off the sound, though, since the sound effects are more annoying than anything. The title screen features an ear-splitting noise which sounds like a flushing toilet. When you lose against the computer opponent, the game punctuates your failure with an infuriating shrill laugh. Even turning off the game forces you to first listen to an obnoxious howling siren.

Ultimately, in spite of its flaws, I found Assimilation surprisingly engrossing. Yes, even with the annoying bombs. Worth checking out if you're in the mood for a game of Ataxx.