Introduction

We decided we wanted to build a Tetris-like game for our final 476 project. We felt this project would challenge our hardware and software skills. We liked the numerous optional features that we could add but were not crucial. For copyright reasons, we decided to change the rules and the pieces from the classic Tetris game and renamed it "BiLines".

The Game : Random game pieces fall sequentially from the top of the screen and settle at the bottom. When the user fills in TWO complete rows, those lines are cleared. The speed with which the pieces fall increases after the user graduates to a new level. Points are earned from clearing lines and fitting a piece onto the game board. The game ends when the pieces have stacked to the top of the screen.

Objective: Obtain the highest score through clearing as many lines as possible before Game Over.

Strategy: Move and rotate the pieces to optimally fill in the game board.

Special Features:

Optional two player mode: BiLine supports a "plug-n-play" two player mode. Simply interface two BiLine units and, without any change of settings, the two player mode becomes enabled.

Interactive Sound and Background Music: We have included a stereo sound port (with identical sound channels) so that the player can connect the BiLine unit upto headphones or amplified speakers. Notes are generated via a 64 sample sine wave. There are sound for three user interacting events: line clear, start/pause, and game over. There are also two different background scores: "Für Elise" and "Cannon in D" that the player may listen to while playing.