Ricochet, Reflex and Deflexions

Here is a version of a my Ricochet game, programmed by Bryan Monosmith for the HP calculator. Ricochet was my first computer game, and I was determined to create a computer-unique, two-person strategy game, just like checkers, except not at all. Jim Connely was the program designer, and we wound up making versions of the game for the TRS-80, and the Apple II, and Atari VCS, and even PC Junior. Oh, so many years ago.

I don't know if you can tell from the image - there are "canons" on all 4 corners of the grid. The ones on the right or the ones on the left are yours. On your turn, you can either move one of your pieces or shoot one of your canons. If a canon ball hits a piece, it ricochets off that piece, and turns that piece 90 degrees. If it hits another player's canon, you're one canon away from winning, unless it hits your own canon, in which case you're not.

Reflex doesn't have the two-player strategic canon blowing-up aspects of Ricochet. But it does play with the same basic fascination that led me to Ricochet - the whole bouncing predictably around thing.

There's even a board game called Ricochet Robot that plays with this very fascination. I mean, it's not even a computer game, and it's fun enough. And, just to complete the circle, there's a board game with lasers. Remember? Called "Deflexion."

Ricochet. Just one of those ideas that keeps on coming back.