On this page you can download various
programs and pieces of software I have written over the years.
They are all meant to be run on x86 IBM PC compatible computers.
Some of these programs are Windows based, and some are MS-DOS
based. Some come with installation programs, some come in the
form of ZIP archives which you have to extract onto your system.
To install and run any of these programs, simply run the installation
file, or copy the files contained within the ZIP archive into a
directory or folder on your hard drive and run the executable file.
Most of these programs don't come with extensive documentation of any
kind (with a few exceptions). I believe they are all easy
to use and relatively
self-explanatory, and specific information regarding the use of each
program is provided on the area of this page where each program can be
downloaded.
If you have any questions or comments
about any of my programs, please
feel free to reach me at ekohl@sbcglobal.net.
LEGAL INFORMATION
Distribution
Policy &
Copyright Notice
All of the programs you can download
on this page are known as
Freeware. You are not required to pay for them or register them,
and you are granted a limited license to make copies and backups.
You are also encouraged to share them with others as much as possible,
provided that it is done on a personal basis and no fees are charged
(otherwise, you must get permission from the author).
However, all of these programs are
still Copyright (C) by Erich
Kohl. You may not make any modifications to these programs or to
any of the files that accompany them, and when you distribute them, you
must include all of the files that were present in your original copy
or archive.
Warranty
& Disclaimer
The programs on this page come with no
warranties of any kind.
They are provided to you "as is," and you must use them at your own
risk. The author is not responsible for any damages that may
occur where one of these programs is believed to be at fault.
Using any of this software in any way
obligates all users to accept and
abide by all of the aforementioned legal policies and is an automatic
indication of the acceptance of these terms.
Magic Box Benchmark
Magic Box Benchmark is a 32-bit
console program that attempts to solve a type of puzzle known as a
"magic box" (which is actually a 3 x 3 grid whose numbers must all add
up to the same value in every possible direction). Right now
you're probably thinking, "That's neat, but does this program actually
do anything useful?" Well, it's hard to say. This is
basically a novelty application, because if nothing else it is kind of
fun to watch the computer crunch away at solving the problem. At
the very least, however, by interpreting the statistics that are
reported once the program is finished executing, you can use this
application as a type of benchmark utility by running it on different
machines and comparing the results.
Version: 1.00
OS requirements: MS Windows 95 OSR2 or
later
Hardware requirements: Pentium or
Athlon-based PC, 723 KB of disk space
Written in: Emergence Basic 1.59
(source code included)
Click HERE to download this
program. It is a self-extracting archive which serves as the
program's installation file.
Screw Thy Neighbor
Screw Thy Neighbor is a card game, and
a pretty simple one. But I'm sure you'll find it to be fun and
enjoyable. The object is simple: Win the pot at the end of the
game by avoiding having the lowest card in your hand at the end of each
round (you have the right to trade your card with an adjacent player,
which is where the "screwing" part enters into play). The program
features colorful graphics, sound effects, and it keeps track of player
statistics (a complete help/documentation file is included as well).
Version: 1.0.0 (Contains two
updates/bug fixes since original release)
OS requirements: MS Windows 98 SE or
later
Hardware requirements: Pentium or
Athlon-based PC, 27.1 MB of disk space
Written in: REALbasic 2005
Click HERE to download this
program. It is
a self-extracting archive which serves as the game's installation file.
ALTERNATE
DOWNLOAD
Click HERE to see a screen shot.
Sink ze Ship
Version 2.02 of Sink ze Ship is here!
Sink ze Ship is game, and
intentionally a very simple one. But it's meant to be an
addictive way to waste time, kind of like playing Solitaire. The
object is pretty straightforward: Sink the ships and boats by dropping
bombs from your plane! Version 2.02 features numerous
improvements over the original version, the most important ones being
the addition of much more variety and gameplay which is more
challenging. It's also written in a new language -- Emergence
Basic (whereas the first version was written in REALbasic). Based
on an old Apple //e game.
Version: 2.02
OS requirements: MS Windows 95 OSR2 or
later
Hardware requirements: Relatively fast
Pentium or Athlon-based PC, 6.75 MB of disk space
Graphic requirements: DirectX 7.0 or
later, screen size of 1024 x 768 with 16-bit color (32-bit recommended)
Written in: Emergence Basic 1.59
Click HERE
to download this program. It is a
self-extracting archive which serves as the game's installation file.
ALTERNATE
DOWNLOAD
Click HERE to see a screen shot.
Word Jumble
Word Jumble is a word-search design
program. It allows you to
create, save, and also print.
Version: 1.05
OS requirements: MS Windows 95 or
later (This is a 32-bit program and
will not run on Windows 3.1 or Workgroups)
Hardware requirements: 486, Pentium,
or Athlon-based PC, 5.4 MB of disk
space, printer for printing of puzzles
Written in: MS Visual Basic 5.0
Click HERE to download this program.
Juxtapose
Juxtapose is a Connect-Four clone, and
was essentially the first non-trivial Windows program I ever
wrote. It has some neat features and even keeps track of player
statistics. It actually is a 16-bit Windows program, and even
requires the VBRUN300.DLL support file (which is included, along with a
help file). It will, of course, run under the most recent
versions of Windows, such as Vista and XP.
NOTE: The tech-support contact
information in the help file is largely outdated.
Version: 2.00
OS requirements: MS Windows 3.1 or
later
Hardware requirements: 486, Pentium,
or Athlon-based PC, 493 KB of disk space
Written in: MS Visual Basic 3.0
Click HERE to download this program.
Super Upwards
Super Upwards is a rendition of the
board game known as Upwords by
Milton Bradley, the same people who make Scrabble. Upwords is a
word-forming game similar to Scrabble, but with some important
differences. First of all, the board game is smaller.
Second, there are no such things as "Double Word Score" or "Triple
Letter Score." Third, unlike Scrabble, letter tiles can be
stacked. With some exceptions, one point is earned for each tile
you use in each word you create, including the tiles in your word that
are stacked.
Super Upwards can be played by two,
three, or four people, and you can
also play against one or more computer opponents. The rules are
almost identical to the real game (in my version, it is always legal to
add an 's' at the end of a word).
Arguably the most interesting aspect
of this game is the skill level of
the computer player. It is quite difficult to beat, and I believe
if you play this game you will find it an enjoyable -- albeit sometimes
frustrating -- challenge. The reason for this has to do with the
game's dictionary file. When I wrote this game, I had a hard time
finding a ready-made dictionary that I could use, because I certainly
did not feel like creating my own. Eventually I was able to
locate one, and I tried to make sure that the words in it were legal by
Upwords standards. Still, the dictionary seems full of odd words
that I never heard of before, and the computer doesn't hesitate to use
them. Sometimes a word comes up that shouldn't be in the
dictionary; if this happens to you, simply remove it (the game has
dictionary management functions built into it). Nevertheless, if
you do plan on keeping an extra dictionary handy when you play this
game, don't be surprised at how many of the obscure words that the
computer uses are actually real words. Don't forget -- you can
use them too.
Another thing I should mention is that
it usually takes the computer a
minute or two to make its move, except when he moves first. And
although this game is DOS-based, I strongly recommend you play it only
under Windows 95 or a later operating system. This is because in
that environment, a disk cache is used to search the dictionary when
the computer is thinking, which helps to greatly speed things up.
Version: 1.38
OS requirements: MS-DOS 2.10 or later,
Windows 95 or later STRONGLY
recommended
Hardware requirements: Fast Pentium or
Athlon-based PC, 383 KB of disk
space
Written in: MS QuickBasic 4.50
Click HERE to download this program.
Naval Engagement
Naval Engagement is a rendition of the
game Battleship. Need I
say more? You play against the computer,
and it even keeps track of "high scores."
Version: 1.07
OS requirements: MS-DOS 2.10 or later
or MS Windows
Hardware requirements: x86 PC, 133 KB
of disk space, display adapter
capable of 50-line mode
Written in: MS QuickBasic 4.50
Click HERE to download this program.
TIP: To turn off sound, use the
command-line parameter "/nosound".
Deluxe Mastermind
The game of Mastermind. Visually
appealing, computer opponent, and also keeps track of high
scores. Complete documentation is included (it's a text file even
though the filename extension is .doc).
NOTE: Some of the tech-support contact
information in the documentation is outdated, such as the list of
computer bulletin boards you can call.
Version: 1.6b
OS requirements: MS-DOS 2.10 or later
or MS Windows
Hardware requirements: x86 PC, 166 KB
of disk space
Written in: MS QuickBasic 4.50
Click HERE to download this program.
Ninety-Nine (99)
This is a card game known as 99.
Instructions for playing it can
be viewed by pressing the appropriate key while viewing the
introductory screen. You play against three computer opponents.
Type 99 /help at your command prompt
to view this program's available
command-line parameters.
Version: 1.21
OS requirements: MS-DOS 2.10 or later
or MS Windows
Hardware requirements: x86 PC, 66 KB
of disk space
Written in: MS QuickBasic 4.50
Click HERE to download this program.
Oh Shit!
Relax -- it's not that filthy
of a word. This is a card game. Instructions for playing it
can be viewed by pressing the appropriate key while viewing the
introductory screen. You play against three computer opponents.
Type Ohshit /help at your command
prompt to view this program's
available command-line parameters.
Version: 1.13
OS requirements: MS-DOS 2.10 or later
or MS Windows
Hardware requirements: x86 PC, 72 KB
of disk space, display adapter
capable of 50-line mode
Written in: MS QuickBasic 4.50
Click HERE to download this program.
QuickRace
This is a simple racing game.
And when I say simple, I mean
it. But you might find it addicting. Your car is in the
center of the screen, and the road scrolls past you, all the while
twisting and turning. The longer until you crash, the higher your
score.
Version: 1.01
OS requirements: MS-DOS 2.10 or later
or MS Windows
Hardware requirements: x86 PC, 66 KB
of disk space, display adapter
capable of 50-line mode
Written in: MS QuickBasic 4.50
Click HERE to download this program.
Whip-It!
Whip-It was one of the myriad of
puzzles that came out in the early
1980s, around the same time that the Rubix Cube did. This is a
program that emulates the original Whip-It and lets you try to solve it.
Basically, Whip-It was a cylinder with
different colors on it, and the
idea was to rotate its "tiers" and get the colors to match up in each
column. This program is two-dimensional, however. When you
run the program, imagine the grid that you see is wrapped around a
cylinder.
Version: 1.01
OS requirements: MS-DOS 2.10 or later
or MS Windows
Hardware requirements: x86 PC, 35 KB
of disk space
Written in: MS QuickBasic 4.50
Click HERE to download this program.
Interesting Freeware Sites
Freeware-Guide.com
Freeware
Publishing Site
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