"For its time, magnificent; Now, get a freeware Othello/Reversi game."

Othello is a very good board game. It was made into an NES game in the late 1980s. It seems like there are two different versions of this game, the 1986 version and the 1988 version. Many of these reviews seem to be reviewing the 1988 version. I've never played that version.
From what I can gather from a screenshot of the 1988 version (screenshots are available at vgmuseum.com, gamefaqs has links) the pieces are pink and blue and the board is orange. For more details on this version, look at the other reviews.
The 1986 version is the one that I'm going to review here. It is the one with the classic green board with black and white pieces. The scores are rated by what should be expected out of the game based on when it was produced. 10 means a game has all the expected features while 1 means it has almost none.

Gameplay: 9/10
The gameplay is all it needs to be. Point at the square you want to place your disc and press 'A'. You can press 'B' to undo a move (except in some of the harder difficulties). The only flaw in the gameplay is an inability to pause. Of course, that could be used as a trick to get all the time you need (unless they faded the board out, but even then you could set up your own board). Not being able to paus in a timed game can be an annoying so gameplay gets a 9.

Sound: 10/10
The sound is good. It does its job. There isn't much sound to rate, but I am reviewing what is in the game, not what is absent.

Graphics: 10/10
The graphics look fine. No problems here. The flipping chips is even animated.

Difficulty: 9/10
There are 4 difficulty levels plus one extra which you get to play after you've beaten level 4. Level 1 basically sits back and lets you beat it. Level 5 basically sits back and beats you (it is possible to beat). There is a wide range of difficulties, but I would think a few more in between some of the levels would have been a good idea.

Fun Factor: 10/10
Do you like Othello or Reversi (same game, Othello is a trademark; there are minor differences but they are used interchangeably with the differences ignored)? If yes, then you would love this game. If no, then you won't like this game.

Overall: 10/10
This game is all anybody could have expected from it when it came out. It is very good.

Buy or Not?
This game is probably not worth buying unless you find it for cheap or just want to collect it. There are many freeware Othello/Reversi engines on the internet that work just as well or better.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 07/31/04