SIMON User's Guide

SIMON User's GUIDE

Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Getting Started
3. Playing in Mode 1
4. Playing in Mode 2
5. Game's End

Introduction

This is SIMON, a classic game of memory. However, this is different from the original game in that it has two modes of play. The first is very much like the original: the computer plays a simple sequence composed of any number of four distinct tones, and if the user is able to replicate that sequence by pressing the buttons corresponding to the tones, the computer will play a slightly more complicated sequence. The second mode is more of a test of reaction time: the computer plays a tone, and the user only has a certain amount of time to replicate that tone until the game is over.

Getting Started

The game will display the startup sequence, and then ask the user to choose a mode. It must cycle through the mode select sequence once and return to the screen that says "Select mode" before the user can choose which mode he is going to play. As the sequence displays, switch S1 will select Mode 1, and switch S2 will select Mode 2. The game will then ask the user to choose a level, and will display the switch choices for each level. See the descriptions for each mode for an explanation of the differences in difficulty levels.

Playing in Mode 1

Mode 1 could also be described as "standard SIMON"; it is the game in which the computer plays a sequence of tones, and the user is required to repeat that sequence accurately. The computer will store and playback sequences up to 100 tones in length, which should be more than adequate for human use--it's highly unlikely that anyone can remember 100 tones in sequence. In level 1 of Mode 1 SIMON, the computer will simply add one new tone to the sequence each time. In level 2, the computer chooses a random number of tones, so that anywhere from 1 to 4 tones will be added to the sequence for an increased level of difficulty. Once you err once in replicating a sequence, the game ends.

Playing in Mode 2

Mode 2 is a mode which is based more on your reaction time than your ability to recognize tones. The game will play a tone, and you will have a certain amount of time to replicate the tone. As the game progresses, the time to react will become less and less. The level of difficulty dictates the amount of time. In level 1, you start with approximately 4 seconds to replicate the tone, and go all the way down to 1.5 seconds. In level 2, the starting interval is 3.25 seconds, and the end time is 700 milliseconds, and in level 3, the starting interval is 2.6 seconds, and the final interval is 260 milliseconds. If you fail to repeat a tone in the allotted amount of time, or you press the wrong button, the game ends.

Game's End

Once you lose, the game will play a tone which indicates that the game is over, and then give you the option of playing again. Pressing switch S1 at the prompt will take you back to the mode select menu; pressing switch S2 will end the game.