Classic Concentration (NES)
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Classic Concentration is a game show adaptation for the NES developed by Arizona-based software developer Softie, Inc. and published by GameTek. Softie also developed the game for home computers such as the Commodore 64 and DOS, but these feature completely different graphics and sound.
The player(s) start by selecting either a male or female contestant. If there is no second player, then the game will have the computer take over the second contestant. The goal of the game is to uncover the rebus. You do this by playing flash cards that obscure the rebus; each of which containing words like Ski or TV. When enough of it is uncovered, you name what you think it is. For example, looking at the game's box art, the solution would be Me and my Shadow.
The player who has the most winnings will most on to the final round. Here, the player must match fourteen of the fifteen available panels, this time, the panels having car names, and if the fifteenth tile is uncovered before the thirty-five second time limit, the player wins what was under the fifteenth tile. The game also has a four-letter password system to ensure the player doesn't receive puzzles they already know the answer to.
Classic Concentration was programmed by Bruce Sandig, music by Rob Wallace, and possibly the graphics by Timothy Skrehot.
The game received mixed to negative reviews from critics. Some criticized the difficulty of the AI being too hard, seemingly knowing all the card placements on the board, while others praised the game for its graphics and music.
Contents
Screenshots
Music
Classic Concentration features a soundtrack by professional musician Rob Wallace. According to Wallace, it was the first game he worked on. Wallace said of the soundtrack:
The game is unique in that some of the songs that loop also have variations that have an ending. For example, at the title screen, you can press the Start button to begin, but first, you have to wait for the song to reach a certain point in the song, then rather than loop, the song will play its ending. After that, the menu will show up. The Correct! and Final Round themes also have variations and have been recorded here.
According to Wallace, Merv Griffin Enterprises did not grant the company the rights to use the theme music from the show, so he had to create an original theme instead.
Bruce Sandig converted Wallace's compositions into his sound engine. Whether he converted the music files themselves or entered them by hand is unknown, though it was most likely the latter.
Recording
| # | Title | Composer | Arranger | Length | Listen | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Title Screen | Rob Wallace | Bruce Sandig | 0:56 | Download | |
| 02 | Title Screen ~ Ending | Rob Wallace | Bruce Sandig | 0:07 | Download | |
| 03 | Menu | Rob Wallace | Bruce Sandig | 0:55 | Download | |
| 04 | Main Theme | Rob Wallace | Bruce Sandig | 4:32 | Download | |
| 05 | Correct! | Rob Wallace | Bruce Sandig | 0:23 | Download | |
| 06 | Correct! ~ Ending | Rob Wallace | Bruce Sandig | 0:03 | Download | |
| 07 | Final Round ~ Intro | Rob Wallace | Bruce Sandig | 0:27 | Download | |
| 08 | Final Round | Rob Wallace | Bruce Sandig | 1:05 | Download | |
| 09 | Final Round ~ Ending | Rob Wallace | Bruce Sandig | 0:17 | Download |
Credits
- Ripper:
- Recorder: Doommaster1994
- Game Credits:
- Uncredited Composer: Rob Wallace
- Uncredited Programmer: Bruce Sandig
(Source: Verification from staff; Game lacks credits.)
The game does not have credits. As other GameTek games had credits, this was most likely a decision by the staff and not at the behest of GameTek. We have contacted Bruce Sandig who verified his involvement with the game. Wallace also credits Bruce Sandig on his website (now archived).
Game Rip
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Audio Devices
The game outputs to the 2A03 of the NES. The DPCM channel is never used. The game uses Bruce Sandig's sound driver.
Releases
Links
- gamefaqs.gamespot.com/nes/587191-classic-concentration - GameFAQs.
- mobygames.com/game/nes/classic-concentration - MobyGames.
