a calc83plus production
by Benjamin Ryves

 

What is Stigma?
Stigma is a fast-paced puzzle-style game, in which you have to collect all the orbs on a level and get back to the start without falling into space!

 

What do I need to play Stigma?
You need: a TI-83 Plus calculator (hopefully you know what this is) with a copy of MirageOS installed on it. You cannot run the game without MirageOS- download it from www.detachedsolutions.com or www.ticalc.org.

 

Installing Stigma
This is the same as any other other calculator game: using TI-Connect, TI-Graph Link or any other linking program, send the game to your calculator. To check that it has installed, go into MirageOS. You should see the program 'Stigma' in your MAIN folder. If you have 'Show Program Images' enabled, selecting it should show an icon of a ball.

 

Running Stigma
Select the name 'Stigma' in MirageOS then press '2nd' or 'Enter'. The splash screen should appear- if it doesn't, you might not have enough RAM to run it. Try archiving some programs first, then run it. You are now ready to play!

 

Playing Stigma

 

A screenshot of me playing Stigma (badly)

 

Playing Stigma is a fairly easy concept- but the game can get quite infuriating! If you watch the screenshot, you might start to get the idea. All you have to do, it seems, is bounce around, picking up 'orbs' (the smaller balls). Wrong. There are many obstacles to try and destroy your quest for the orbs. Slippery tiles, walls, falling into space. arrow tiles... quite a list, really.

To start, you will begin at level 1, then progress. Using the up and down buttons and '2nd' or 'Enter' select the option 'New Game' from the menu. A message will appear asking you about saved games. This is of no issues to us yet as we have no saved games- press '2nd' or 'Enter' to confirm a new game (any other key would cancel). 'Level 1' appears on screen. Just see if you can complete it (it's quite simple). When you have collected the orbs, head for the tile marked with an 'X'. This finishes the level. 'Level 2' appears on screen. On this one, you have to watch out- don't fall off the edge! Pressing Clear at any time in a game will take you to the main menu- pressing Clear here will quit the game.

 

Saving and Loading Games
From time to time you should save your progress through the game. This is easy to do- when you have completed a new level, press 'Clear' and select the 'Save Game' option from the menu. You will then be put back to the level you were just on. That then stores the starting point for when you next select the 'Load Game' option. Using the + and - keys during a game will move you up and down levels. You can only get to a level if you have completed the one before it! Please note too that before you go back a level you should save- if you win level 15, then go back to level 14 without having saved level 15 or higher, you cannot go up back to level 15! Selecting 'New Game' at the main menu resets your saved game back to level 1. There are 25 levels in all.

 

Beating the Levels

The different tiles on the levels do different things- some you bounce off, some chuck you around, and some make you skid! What are they all for?

Walls

You bounce off these!
Slippery Tiles The ball will just glide over these without stopping.
Arrow Tiles These will nudge your ball in the direction indicated
Orbs Pick all of these up to beat the level

There are other 'formations' made up of other tiles- whirlpools, where a group of arrow tiles push you round and round, and black holes- a hole in a level with arrow blocks around it to such you into space! All the levels have their little quirks- see if you can complete all 25!

 

Questions? Comments? Suggestions?
You can contact me: www.calc83plus.tk or benryves@techie.com. Have a look at some of my other programs: Fire Track, Skate, Keep Going... Have a look at my source too if you are learning ASM. It is pretty shaky code, but it works! Thanks for reading this far too :).