GameSpot editors' review
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CNET editors' rating:
stars
Mediocre
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 04/16/1998
- Updated on: 05/01/2000
- Released on: 02/28/1998
- Originally published on GameSpot: Mastermind (PC) Review
Nowadays, it seems as if virtually every classic card, tile, and board game is making the transition to the home computer. Heck, even puzzles have migrated to the silicon platform. In most instances, these media-enhanced translations have been quite satisfying - 3D animations, sound effects, array of game variants, and the inclusion of a multiplayer mode often breathe new life into a tired old favorite. Unfortunately, some publishers have drawn a false sense of security from these celebrated remakes, sensing vindication as they feverishly port over every conceivable product in their vast gaming inventory.
In the case of Mastermind, Hasbro Interactive may have been better off leaving well enough alone. The original game of Mastermind owes its success to its logical if simplistic design: You have ten tries to guess the order and composition of a set of four multicolored pegs secretly hidden from your view. With each guess, the opposing player places a scoring peg alongside your row of pegs, intended to graphically depict how many pegs have been correctly identified and how many have been placed in the proper position. Typically, a white peg is used for each colored peg correctly identified while a red peg indicates that a peg has been placed in the corresponding position. Based upon these results, you must then deduce which pegs have been correctly identified and which have been placed in the right sequence, juxtaposing one, several, or all of the remaining pegs to match the hidden pattern before your tries run out. Simple enough.
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