Game Review

Graphics (n.) The use of animation and visual effects to stimulate the senses	vvv (Good)	Despite having no intro screens, and only one screen in gameplay, Connect Four QB has plenty of graphical merit to carry it to the "good" range. The checkers are animated, and are dropped by a photorealisting thumb and index finger. The fonts are clear, sporting different colors, the background is interesting enough to keep the user occupied and everything is smooth. It has all you could ever expect from a clone of Connect Four in any language. But as a bonus, there is a tiny graphical display of plasma lighting which is quite impressive and smooth. Gaudy: yes, but detractive: no. The only thing keeping Connect Four QB from getting a "great" graphics score is the lack of a realistic "checkers falling to the floor" simulation, which is why anyone plays Connect Four in the first place.
Sound/Music (n.) The smooth blend of atmospheric sounds and original harmonies	N/A	It truly is a shame that we will never hear realistic and immersive "Connect 4" sound effects of all those little checkers falling to the floor. No stars for you, you *are* the weakest link, goodbye!
Gameplay (n.) The precision of control and involvement of character within its universe	vv (Average)	It is Connect Four, the classic vertical checkers game. Nothing more, nothing less. Not to say Connect Four doesn't have good gameplay, it is just the gameplay is unoriginal. It gets full credit for being an accurate simulation, but without any twists in gameplay, it can achieve no higher than two stars. As a showcase program for the QB DSock port, however, the no-frills style is to be expected. The basic rules of Connect Four are actually closer to tic-tac-toe than any form of checks. Players take turns dropping red and yellow checkers into a grid until either player has four checkers connected horizontally, vertically or diagonally. In its own right, this simplistic gameplay can generate strategies that involve thinking ahead and offensive and defensive attacks.
Story (n.) The creativity and presentation of the game's critical plot	(Very Poor)	Thankfully, Connect 4 has not concocted any kind of pathetic story to go along with its gameplay like some Pong or funky Snake clones. Actually, there is a story, a story of bitter conflict within the creation of the DSock library.
Replay Value (n.) The timelessness of the gamer's delight, such that the experience can be repeated again and again	vvv (Good)	As long as you have a friend to play with, this game will never get old. The added feature of online play enables you to connect with any other pc in the world. It should be noted that Connect 4 QB is the first released game to feature true online play thanks to V1ctor's QB version of the Dossock library which he wrote (called "DSock"), winning a race that included games like Future Software's Bomberman and the infamous Subshock, not forgetting the SSNet tester program, Bork. While you will find yourself playing it again and again, games are short and unchanging. You will grow tired of it about as fast as you grow tired of playing Connect 4 or any other board game in real life, but thanks to its smooth online play and chat/diss capabilities you wont bury this one in the closet of your hard drive just yet.
Challenge (v.) To strike the mental nerve in such a way as to stimulate human thought and reflexes	vv (Average)	As one of the few games with a multiplayer mode and no single-player mode, this was a hard category to pick because there is no way to "beat" the game. As a challenge between two players, however, it requires heavy cognitive abilities, or at least more than any online QB tic-tac-toe program can boast. So while it has the drawback on not being able to enjoy this game itself, playing with anyone short of an idiot will require to put your brain to the test, earning Connect Four QB an average score.
Fun Factor (n.) The overall entertainment value as maintained throughout the adventure	vvvv (Very Good)	Because it's a reflection of how fun the game experience is during testing, Fun factor has become sort of a corrective tilt in V Planet's review system. Games that dont excel in any technical category can still be very excellent, and Connect Four QB is one of those games. Many of us never expected to hear the words "online play" to enter the Quickbasic lexicon, but here we are, and I for one am very pleased with the results. Connect Four is a simple game anyone can play, it can be played by and with anyone with online capabilities and is simply fun to play. Like many old video games (and old board games for that matter) less is more, and Connect Four is a perfect example of how something so basic (parden the pun) can be so revelating and enjoyable as an experience. Play this one... you will enjoy it. Connect 4 Online Reviewed by Toonski
Players	2 players Alternating	Genre: Puzzle Game
Rating		To solve: N/A Final Rating: 14/35

Download

To download Connect 4 Online (159KB), click here. wThis game works for two players online only. You must know your IP address and the IP address of your opponent before playing. wTo play Connect 4 Online, unzip the file and run "CONNECT4.EXE".

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The Highs: An online QB game with good graphics and a chat feature. Perfect for casual play.
The Lows: The lack of a one-player or two-player non-online mode makes this game impossible to play without an appointment.

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