This program is a fun and educational star identification game written in BASIC for the TRS-80. The game displays random star patterns on the screen and challenges the player to identify various constellations by entering the correct letter. Each round of the game presents a different constellation, with a selection of three to choose from.
- Run the program on a TRS-80 computer.
- Observe the star pattern displayed on the screen.
- Below the star pattern, the game will prompt you with a question like "THIS IS A=URSA MINOR B=PERSEUS C=URSA MAJOR".
- Press the key (A, B, or C) corresponding to your choice of the constellation you think is displayed.
- If you guess correctly, the game will compliment you and move to the next round. If not, it will encourage you to try again.
- The game progresses through various rounds, each featuring different constellations.
If you don't have access to a TRS-80 computer and BASIC, you can play a Javascript-emulated version online: TRS-80 Constellations
- Randomly generated star fields to simulate the night sky.
- Multiple-choice questions to test your knowledge of constellations.
- Immediate feedback on your guesses.
- Varied difficulty levels as the game progresses.
This game is designed for educational purposes and as a nostalgic throwback to the era of early computing. It is a simple representation of star constellations and not a tool for accurate astronomical study.
Written for 8th grade earth science class at Coshocton High School by:
- Carolyn Stout
- Dawn Rinehart
- Ron Derewecki (instructor)