Ball Point (Yoshinobu Koono)

Title – Ball Point
System – NEC PC-8001
Author – 河野義宣 (Yoshinobu Koono)
Publication – Program Pochette – ’84 Volume 1
Page Scans – 1 2
Preserved By – Dustin Hubbard (Hubz)
Recommended Emulator – j80

Download ROM

Loading the Game –

– Run your PC-8001 emulator and make sure it is in PC-8001 mode.

Disk Version

– Insert the disk file.
– Game should autoboot if it doesn’t you may just need to reset the emulator.

Tape Version

– Insert the tape file.
– Type MON hit enter and then type L and hit enter.

Description & Instructions

You have 90 seconds to hit as many P’s you can with the bouncing ball Breakout/Arkanoid style. You control a block that can bounce the ball in various directions.

Controls –

Numpad 2 – Move block down.

Numpad 4 – Move block left.

Numpad 6 – Move block right.

Numpad 8 – Move block up.

Magazine Article Translation from Google Gemini (FYI This may not be 100% accurate!)

BALL-POINT

For PC-8001
By 河野義宣 (Yoshinobu Koono)

It’s said that insomnia is something that usually affects intelligent people, so I have a feeling that you all are more than qualified… But, if you do happen to be suffering from insomnia, I recommend playing this game about 10 times before bed as a special remedy.

The sluggishly moving ball goes “puchi puchi puchi” and takes out the targets, a weird version of Breakout. You get sleepy while playing, and I ended up adopting this style while watching the beautiful colored screen.

Even so, it really makes me remember the Breakout boom of my youth… (This is a story from the pre-Space Invaders era).

When you start the game, the ball immediately starts bouncing around. Using the ■, reflect the ● and collect the ‘P’s with a “puchi puchi” sound. The ■ will stop moving if it hits a ‘P’ or a wall. The time limit is only 1 minute and 30 seconds, and while it seems short, it’s surprisingly long. Whether you can actually clear the whole screen is another story. The fact that just 1 minute and 30 seconds can feel so long… it’s a matter of sensibility.

(How to Play the Game)

This is a game where you control the reflection block, reflect the ball, and get points. Each point is worth 10, and the time limit is 1 minute and 30 seconds.

(Keys Used)

2 ・・・ Move down

4 ・・・ Move left

6 ・・・ Move right

8 ・・・ Move up
(Note: These refer to the numeric keypad)

(Program Explanation)

(Variable List)

X, Y ・・・ Position of the ■ (player’s block)

SC ・・・ Score

H ・・・ High Score

TIME$ ・・・ Time

(Program Description)

160〜200 Initial Setup

210〜280 Demo

290〜400 Screen Creation

410〜540 Main Loop

550〜630 Game Over

640〜660 Machine Language Initial Setup

670〜790 DATA

(Check Point / Tips)

To increase the time, just increase the value of TIME$ in line 480.

To change the number of ‘P’s, you can change the 30 in the FOR, NEXT loop in line 320.

Also, in the program’s decision-making parts, places that use AND can be made faster by using IF~THEN, IF~THEN…. Also, if you make the variables into integer types, that is to say, if you use DEFINT A-Z, it will become even faster.