Misunderstood Since 1992 (Minesweeper (PC))

Member Name: thole09

Product:	Minesweeper (PC)
Date:	20/09/09 (22 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: User friendly, Lack of changes to visual design

Disadvantages: Strong learning curve

Minesweeper is a computer game first made popular through it's release to the Windows 3.1 operating system in 1992. Since it's initial release to the Windows platform, it has been included in every major system distribution and has become a staple to the Windows game bundle. I was not able to immediately find an age rating but it's likely that this game would be found suitable for all games.

Admittedly, I did not understand the concept of this game for a very long time. Upon loading the game by locating the "Games" folder, which is generally found in the "Start" menu and Program Files, the player is met with a large grey grid with actionable boxes. A vast amount of these boxes will contain mines which are to be avoided. The player will click the boxes using the left mouse button and attempt to uncover a series of numbers, and it is these numbers which will guide the player to the aforementioned mines. It is said that a certain number will indicate the number of mines in adjacent spaces. So, in theory, a space which contains "1" ought to have a mine one space away from it. I find that this isn't always the case. After locating a suspected mine it can be "flagged" by right clicking the square, and winning the game requires the player to flag a set number of mines while uncovering all safe squares. Location of mines seems to be a combination of logic and luck. While a square may indicate "1" there is still a chance that a player could uncover another "1" in a neighbouring square. It has certainly confused me for the longest time and, even after all of the years I have been exposed to the video game, I still have yet to successfully complete a round.

As the video game comes pre-installed with the Windows operating system, the system requirements to run it are identical to those required to run a certain version of Windows. These requirements can be discovered through reading system documentation. For those interested, I found that Minesweeper requires 2,420 K of memory when running as an active process in Windows XP Home Edition. This is a very low number and should not put any strain on even the most basic of hardware configurations. Effectively, if you are able to read this review now then you are set to run Minesweeper.

The graphics are both humble and modest. After loading the game, the player will initially see a small 9x9 grey grid. This grid shows two red LCD style counters and a yellow smiley face directly above it. As players uncover squares they will either show coloured numbers or black mines which are shaped oddly like the head of a studded mace. The yellow smiley face will also change expression as the player progresses through the game, ranging from a surprised look when clicking on an available square to a frown face after uncovering a mine. I'm also told that a sunglasses emote will appear after winning. The red LCD counters serve two distinct purposes. The counter to the right is a timer which ascends in value until the player successfully completes the game or reveals a mine. The counter to the left shows the number of flags available for use and will descend as the player uses up his or her flags. It's also interesting to note that the visual design of the game has hardly changed since it's initial release in 1992; players familiar with the Windows 3.1 version would be able to find themselves comfortable in Windows XP and earlier titles.

Overall, Minesweeper has proved to be an incredible success for the Windows games bundle due to its inclusion in so many releases over the years. It is generally a user friendly program but I have experienced a strong learning curve spanning 17 years! The game does include a help file which is accessible by pressing F1 but I did not find it to be overly useful. Maybe one day I'll learn my way around the game, but today does not seem to be the day. I think I'll stick with Solitaire for the time being.

Summary: Thumbs in the middle