k4kur0

[ game | motivation | features | screenshots | webdemo | usermanual | issues | license | download | devices | changelog | algorithm]

k4kur0 - A mobile Kakuro game

The k4kur0 Midlet is a J2ME game providing Kakuro puzzles (Cross Sum puzzles) for your java enabled mobile phone or PDA (check J2ME Device List. The game requires at least MIDP 1.0 and CLDC 1.0, MIDP 2.0 is recommended).

From Wikipedia's Kakuro page:

The canonical Kakuro puzzle is played in a grid of filled and empty cells - "black" and "white", respectively - usually 16x16 in size, but these dimensions can vary widely. Apart from the top row and leftmost column - which are entirely black - the grid, just like a crossword, is divided into "entries" - orthogonal lines of white cells - by the black cells. The black cells themselves - possibly barring those in a cluster - are not entirely solid but rather contain a diagonal slash from upper-left to lower-right and a number in one or both halves, such that each horizontal entry has a number in the black half-cell to its immediate left and each vertical entry has a number in the black half-cell immediately above it. These numbers, continuing the borrowed crossword terminology, are commonly called "clues". The object of the puzzle is to insert a digit from 1 to 9 inclusive into each white cell such that the sum of the numbers in each entry matches the clue associated with it and that no digit is duplicated in any entry. It is that lack of duplication that makes creating Kakuro puzzles with unique solutions possible, and which means solving a Kakuro puzzle involves investigating combinations more, compared to Sudoku in which the focus is on permutations.

Wikipedia contributors (2007). Kakuro. (2007, December 16). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 13:00, December 30, 2007, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kakuro&oldid=178353628.

Motivation

For Kakuro not too many generators and mobile games exist. There are a some good ones and some quite simple ones. Our requirements for the mobile version are similar to the requirements we had in mind for 5ud0ku. We wanted a simple user interface and create challenging, non-ambiguous puzzles. So it should match our player natures and remain free of charge. We also wanted to try out some things and - most important - want to play the game by ourselves.

Features

Current Version 1.0

• runs on mobile devices with java versions for at least MIDP 1.0 and CLDC 1.0. MIDP 2.0 is strongly recommended.
  (depending on screen size, min 300k heap (RAM) is needed)
• game creator for user selected puzzle grid size, generating puzzles with unique solution
• game editor and game solver
• supports pointer-devices (Stylus input on Smartphones/PDA)
• colors can be adjusted
• four different display sizes
• autosave/load, load and save of games
• undo/redo support
• status display
• helper: highlight clue-fields for sums with unique combination
• helper: check puzzle
• helper: show a hint
• helper: reveal specific digit
• helper: signal wrong sums
• helper: show possible digit combinations for a sum
• helper: mini-calculator for +/- operations
• helper: show complete solution
• languages: english, german

Screenshots

Web Demo

You can preview the game before downloading it to your mobile. Checkout the webdemo (Java Applet based).

User Manual

you will find instructions at http://wintermute.de/wap/k4kur0man.html

Upcoming/Open Issues

date	version	upcoming/issue	comment
-	All	Language recognition seems to be not working on some devices (Samsung).	This is a known problem with Samsung devices. Just select the language in preferences screen
-	All	Midlet Icon may not display on some devices (e.g. Motorola does not show 14x14, but requires 15x15).	Will not be fixed

License

The k4kur0 midlet is freeware (emailware).

k4kur0 Midlet - a Kakuro game on J2ME Copyright (c) 2008 Ivonne Engemann, Marcus Wagner (midlet (at) wintermute.de)

The k4kur0 midlet ("The software") can be distributed and/or published on the Internet. The software must remain free of charge and it is prohibited to request any donations for the software.

• The k4kur0 midlet source code and software is set under GPL License (see below).
• It contains code generated with the free BamFS (http://supremej2me.bambalam.se/guides/optimization-tools/bamfs/)
• PNGs were optimized using PNG crush http://pmt.sourceforge.net/pngcrush/index.html
• It uses the Permutation Generator from www.merriampark.com/perm.htm

This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.

Download

Emailware

The game is Freeware, but we declared it emailware.
If you use it, please pass a short note to
Thanks!
The midlet and the sources can be redistributed according to the license information above.

Midlet Files

• k4kur0.jad
• k4kur0.jar

To download the game to your mobile via WAP, point your mobile's browser to http://wintermute.de/wap/kakuro/ .

In addition, you can download the game via GetJar.com.

getting the jar/jad to your mobile without WAP Download

• For Nokia devices you will need a program such as the Nokia PC Suite. At least S40 3rd Edition also allows transfer of jar file using standard infrared/bt uploads (tested on Nokia 6233).
• For Motorola devices with a Memory Card (SD Card) you may put the jad and jar into the kjava directory of the card (it is a hidden directory!). Then select 'install new' in 'Games and More'. Now the game should show up (it worked on a Motorola V980)
• On other devices it may be suitable to just transfer the file via any means (bluetooth, IR, cable) to your mobile

Java Sources

The k4kur0 Sources are available in this svn repository folder Kakuro.

Developing and language translation

If you like to participate in developing/maintaining k4kur0 or translate k4kur0 to another language, you are invited to do so. You can sent us code-patches or ask for a write access to our svn repository.

To create a new language set, the procedure is as follows:

1. Create your own 'dict_language-id' and 'cdict_language-id'(e.g. dict_fr/cdict_fr) file using an existing e.g dict_en/cdict_en as a template. The files are UTF-8 encoded.
2. add the language-name and language-id to the lang file within k4kur0.jar
3. pack the new dict-files and the updated lang into k4kur0.jar file
4. update jad for new jar file size (if needed)
5. Commit to our svn or sent the files to us if you want them published

Confirmed devices

As mentioned above, in general the midlet should run on any J2ME enabled device with MIDP 1.0 and CLDC 1.0 at least and sufficient memory capabilities. Devices, such as K610im, which implement CLDC and DoJa cannot run the game (There are some doja games available at http://gnu-mode.sourceforge.net/).

Nevertheless, this list contains the confirmed devices.

To all Sony Ericsson users: Try to set the screen size of the application to fullscreen. You can do so within the 'game' menu of your device and change settings of the game itself (without starting it).

• MTV 3.0 noir
• Motorola V980
• Nokia 3250
• Nokia 3120
• Nokia 6230i
• Nokia 6233
• Nokia E51
• Nokia E60
• Nokia E61
• Sony Ericsson W880i
• Sony Ericsson W200i
• Emulator: microemulator (http://microemu.org)
• Emulator: Sun WTK 2.2

Version History

V1.0

• bugfixes for updating screen resolution if screen size gets changed externally (eg. turning a device, such as Samsung Omnia)
• bugfixes for resolving input games and hint support
• Support for easy input on Nokia E61

V0.9 (RC)

• removed download feature
• resolved some bugs
• allow input of game with multiple solutions

V0.8 (BETA)

• inital release with basic features and minor glitches

Algorithm

For an explanation of the procedures used to generate and solve Kakuro puzzles check the algorithm.