Mario's Random Picross' readme file
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Based on Nintendo's Picross series, particularly
on Mario's Picross for Game Boy.

To run the game double-click PICROSS.EXE

You'll run into a simple language selection menu.
The choices are:
-English
-Spanish
-And that's it. Just English and Spanish.

 The rest of the game follows the same rules of the Game Boy game.
 The only difference is that the puzzles are randomly generated.

Tu sum it up:
-------------
* A pattern of black squares are hidden underneath brown tiles.

* The player must uncover that pattern of black squares within
  a time limit of 30:00'

* Use arrow keys to move the cursor.
  Press Enter to remove a tile:
   If it has a black square under it, it will be revealed.
   If not, you'll lose some time. Do not miss too much.
   Each mistake will decrease the timer more and more.
  Press Spacebar to mark/unmark a tile:
   This is used as a help.
   If you think that a red tile has nothing underneath, mark it.
   So you'll always know that there's nothing under it.
  Press ESC to quit.

* The numbers at the top and left side of the screen are the
  only references you have.

* Beginners should try 5x5 puzzles.

* Let's try one:

           1   2
       1   1   1   2   4
     +---+---+---+---+---+
   3 |   |   |   |   |   |   
     +---+---+---+---+---+
   3 |   |   |   |   |   |   
     +---+---+---+---+---+
   1 |   |   |   |   |   |   
     +---+---+---+---+---+
3  1 |   |   |   |   |   |   
     +---+---+---+---+---+
   1 |   |   |   |   |   |   
     +---+---+---+---+---+

* The numbers represent how many black squares are in that row (or column).
  For example: The first and second row are labeled with a number 3.
  It means that there are three black squares, one after another.
  The third and fifth row only have a single black square.
  But we still don't know where they are.

* The fourth row has a 3 and a 1. It means that there is a group of three
  black squares, a gap with empty tiles and a single black square, in that
order.

* As there are only five tiles in the row, and we know that four of them are
black
  squares, the gap is only one tile wide:

     +---+---+---+---+---+
3  1 |BBB|BBB|BBB| X |BBB|   
     +---+---+---+---+---+

(BBB is a black square and X is a marked empty tile)

* We reveal the black squares with Enter and mark the empty tile with the
Spacebar.

* Now let's solve the first row:
     +---+---+---+---+---+
   3 |   |   |   |   |   |   
     +---+---+---+---+---+
* There is a group of three black squares somewhere.
  There are only three possible solutions:

  Possible solution No 1:
     +---+---+---+---+---+
   3 |BBB|BBB|BBB| X | X |   
     +---+---+---+---+---+

  Possible solution No 2:
     +---+---+---+---+---+
   3 | X |BBB|BBB|BBB| X |   
     +---+---+---+---+---+

  Possible solution No 3:
     +---+---+---+---+---+
   3 | X | X |BBB|BBB|BBB|   
     +---+---+---+---+---+

  Only one of them is correct, but we don't know which one.
  The only certain thing is that in the three options the middle tile
  is a black square. Let's reveal it and leave the others unmarked.
  The second row is very similar and we proceed in the same way.
  So far the puzzle is like this:

           1   2
       1   1   1   2   4
     +---+---+---+---+---+
   3 |   |   |BBB|   |   |   
     +---+---+---+---+---+
   3 |   |   |BBB|   |   |   
     +---+---+---+---+---+
   1 |   |   |   |   |   |   
     +---+---+---+---+---+
3  1 |BBB|BBB|BBB| X |BBB|   
     +---+---+---+---+---+
   1 |   |   |   |   |   |   
     +---+---+---+---+---+

* We accidentally solved two columns: The first and the third.
  Let's mark their empty tiles:

           1   2
       1   1   1   2   4
     +---+---+---+---+---+
   3 | X |   |BBB|   |   |   
     +---+---+---+---+---+
   3 | X |   |BBB|   |   |   
     +---+---+---+---+---+
   1 | X |   | X |   |   |   
     +---+---+---+---+---+
3  1 |BBB|BBB|BBB| X |BBB|   
     +---+---+---+---+---+
   1 | X |   | X |   |   |   
     +---+---+---+---+---+

* Let's move onto the fifth column. It shows 4.
  It has four black squares one next to the other.
  If we proceed like we did in the first row, we only have two possible
solutions:

   4                 4
 +---+             +---+
 |BBB|             | X |
 +---+             +---+
 |BBB|             |BBB|
 +---+             +---+
 |BBB|             |BBB|
 +---+             +---+
 |BBB|             |BBB|
 +---+             +---+
 | X |             |BBB|
 +---+             +---+
Possible          Possible
solution 1       solution 2

* The only constant thing are the three middle tiles. They must be
  black squares. Let's reveal them and leave the others unmarked:

           1   2
       1   1   1   2   4
     +---+---+---+---+---+
   3 | X |   |BBB|   |   |   
     +---+---+---+---+---+
   3 | X |   |BBB|   |BBB|
     +---+---+---+---+---+
   1 | X |   | X |   |BBB|
     +---+---+---+---+---+
3  1 |BBB|BBB|BBB| X |BBB|   
     +---+---+---+---+---+
   1 | X |   | X |   |   |   
     +---+---+---+---+---+

* Now we accidentally solved the third row. Let's mark their empty tiles.

           1   2
       1   1   1   2   4
     +---+---+---+---+---+
   3 | X |   |BBB|   |   |   
     +---+---+---+---+---+
   3 | X |   |BBB|   |BBB|
     +---+---+---+---+---+
   1 | X | X | X | X |BBB|
     +---+---+---+---+---+
3  1 |BBB|BBB|BBB| X |BBB|   
     +---+---+---+---+---+
   1 | X |   | X |   |   |   
     +---+---+---+---+---+

* The fourth column can be solved. It has two unmarked tiles,
  two marked tiles, and a single unmarked tile. The label above
  says that there are two continuous black squares.
  We know that the third and fourth tile are empty.
  The last tile can't be a black square, since there are two and
  they are one next to the other.
  The only possibility is the first two unmarked tiles.
  Those are black squares and we should reveal them,
  and don not forget to mark the fifth, empty tile:

           1   2
       1   1   1   2   4
     +---+---+---+---+---+
   3 | X |   |BBB|BBB|   |   
     +---+---+---+---+---+
   3 | X |   |BBB|BBB|BBB|
     +---+---+---+---+---+
   1 | X | X | X | X |BBB|
     +---+---+---+---+---+
3  1 |BBB|BBB|BBB| X |BBB|   
     +---+---+---+---+---+
   1 | X |   | X | X |   |   
     +---+---+---+---+---+

* There's not too much left. The second row got solved. The remaining blank
  square is empty. Mark it.
  Then, the second column will get like this:

   1
   1  
 +---+
 |   |
 +---+
 | X |
 +---+
 | X |
 +---+
 |BBB|
 +---+
 |   |
 +---+

* It's label reads 1 - 1.
  One lone black square, a gap and another lone black square.
  The forth tile is one of those lone black square.
  The unmarked fifth tile is no other than an empty one.
  Only one unmarked tile remains -the first one- and we know
  that it IS the remaining lone black square.
  The puzzle is now like this:

           1   2
       1   1   1   2   4
     +---+---+---+---+---+
   3 | X |BBB|BBB|BBB|   |   
     +---+---+---+---+---+
   3 | X | X |BBB|BBB|BBB|
     +---+---+---+---+---+
   1 | X | X | X | X |BBB|
     +---+---+---+---+---+
3  1 |BBB|BBB|BBB| X |BBB|   
     +---+---+---+---+---+
   1 | X | X | X | X |   |   
     +---+---+---+---+---+

* The first row is solved. The last row shows a 1.
  It has a single black square. Four of the five tiles
  are already marked as empty. The last one is undoubtably
  the last black square. Let's reveal it and:

           1   2
       1   1   1   2   4
     +---+---+---+---+---+
   3 | X |BBB|BBB|BBB| X |   
     +---+---+---+---+---+
   3 | X | X |BBB|BBB|BBB|
     +---+---+---+---+---+
   1 | X | X | X | X |BBB|
     +---+---+---+---+---+
3  1 |BBB|BBB|BBB| X |BBB|   
     +---+---+---+---+---+
   1 | X | X | X | X |BBB|   
     +---+---+---+---+---+

* The puzzle has been solved!

* These are the basics. It may be difficult at first but it's really
  easy when you understand the rules.
  Mario's Picross is one of my favourite puzzle games. It only lacked
  a random mode or something. That's why I wrote this Q-basic program.

* Enjoy!
