Chip's Challenge NES: Difference between revisions

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== Description and gameplay ==
== Description and gameplay ==
The NES [[ruleset]] is largely similar to [[Lynx]], including [[key]] behaviour and [[block slapping]]. There are no major gameplay [[glitch]]es, although the game's graphics sometimes fail to refresh properly, and there is a noticeable lag when stepping on a [[hint]] tile. The hint is displayed in white text with a black background, over the middle of the gameplay area.
The NES [[ruleset]] is largely similar to [[Lynx]], including [[key]] behaviour and [[block slapping]]. The original "boot" designs — [[water shield]], [[fire shield]], [[magnet]], and [[cleats]] — remain. There are no major gameplay [[glitch]]es, although the game's graphics sometimes fail to refresh properly, and there is a noticeable lag when stepping on a [[hint]] tile. The hint is displayed in white text with a black background, over the middle of the gameplay area.


The most noticeable difference between the NES port and other versions of the game, is the viewport: a 16 by 13 tile area is visible at all times, rather than the usual 9 by 9. This has the side effect of making several levels, notably [[Cellblocked]], much easier. The level number, [[computer chip|chip]] count, [[time limit]] and player's inventory are superimposed over the left of the map.
The most noticeable difference between the NES port and other versions of the game, is the viewport: a 16 by 13 tile area is visible at all times, rather than the usual 9 by 9. This has the side effect of making several levels, notably [[Cellblocked]], much easier. The level number, [[computer chip|chip]] count, [[time limit]] and player's inventory are superimposed over the left of the map.
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The player can press A before starting a level to skip to the next one, or B to go back to the previous one, without having to enter the level's password; this is most likely due to the game's beta state. There are are no sound effects or music, also likely due to the game's beta state. The game also lacks a proper ending sequence, crashing after displaying the final message.
The player can press A before starting a level to skip to the next one, or B to go back to the previous one, without having to enter the level's password; this is most likely due to the game's beta state. There are are no sound effects or music, also likely due to the game's beta state. The game also lacks a proper ending sequence, crashing after displaying the final message.


The game features an Easter Egg: entering the password CRED at the beginning displays the game's credits.However, unlike [[Thanks to...]], this is not a [[credits level]]; instead, it is once again green text on a black background. The first credits page reads:
The game features an Easter Egg: entering the password CRED at the beginning displays the game's credits.<ref>https://tcrf.net/index.php?title=Chip%27s_Challenge_(NES)</ref> However, unlike [[Thanks to...]], this is not a [[credits level]]; instead, it is once again green text on a black background. The first credits page reads:
  NES VERSION
  NES VERSION
  PROGRAMMED BY
  PROGRAMMED BY
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== Levels ==
== Levels ==
The NES port features 136 levels, rather than the usual 148 or 149. 135 come from the original Lynx game, albeit in a different order. One level, appropriately called [[Exclusive]], is exclusive to this port. As with most other ports, the last four levels are [[secret level|secret]] and can only be accessed by entering the right password.
The NES port features 149 levels. 148 come from the original Lynx game, albeit in a different order. One level, appropriately called [[Exclusive]], is exclusive to this port. Levels level 133 to 136 are [[secret level|secret]] and can only be accessed by entering the right password, which is found in [[Cypher]].
# [[Lesson 1]]
# [[Lesson 2]]
# [[Lesson 3]] (the [[hint]] is identical to the original Lynx version)
# [[Lesson 4]]
# [[Lesson 5]]
# [[Lesson 6]]
# [[Lesson 7]]
# [[Lesson 8]] (followed by decade message "AFTER WARMING UP ON THE FIRST LEVELS OF THE CHALLENGE, CHIP IS RARING TO GO! "THIS ISN'T SO HARD," HE THINKS.")
# [[Strange Maze]]
# [[Nuts and Bolts]]
# [[Brushfire]]
# [[Hunt]] (followed by message "PICKING UP CHIPS IS WHAT THE CHALLENGE IS ALL ABOUT. BUT ON THE ICE CHIP GETS CHAPPED AND FEELS LIKE A CHUMP INSTEAD OF A CHAMP.")
# [[Southpole]]
# [[Teleblock]]
# [[Elementary]]
# [[Nice Day]]
# [[Digger]]
# [[Ladder]] (followed by message "BUT THE CHALLENGE TURNS OUT TO BE HARDER THAN CHIP THOUGHT. THE BIT BUSTERS WANT IT THAT WAY--TO KEEP OUT LOBOTOMY HEADS.")
# [[Beware of Bug]]
# [[Cypher]]
# [[Invincible Champion]]
# [[Drawn and Quartered]]
# [[Wars]]
# [[Trinity]]
# [[Tossed Salad]]
# [[Iceberg]]
# [[Telenet]]
# [[Oorto Geld]]
# [[Chchchips]]
# [[Seeing Stars]]
# [[Glut]] (followed by message "CHIP READS THE CLUES SO HE WON'T LOSE")
# [[I.C. You]]
# [[Pier Seven]]
# [[I Slide]]
# [[Chipmine]]
# [[Force Square]]
# [[Shrinking]]
# [[Cellblocked]]
# [[Castle Moat]]
# [[Go with the Flow]]
# [[Ping Pong]]
# [[Arcticflow]] (followed by message "CHIP'S THICK-SOLED SHOES AND POP-BOTTLE GLASSES SPEED HIM THROUGH THE MAZES WHILE HIS CALCULATOR WATCH KEEPS TRACK OF TIME")
# [[Knot]]
# [[Lemmings]]
# [[Sampler]]
# [[Floorgasborg]]
# [[Three Doors]]
# [[Grail]]
# [[Spooks]]
# [[Amsterdam]]
# [[Victim]] (followed by message "CHIP USED TO SPEND HIS TIME PROGRAM-MING COMPUTER GAMES AND MAKING MODELS. BUT THAT WAS JUST PRACTICE FOR THIS BRAIN-BUSTER!")
# [[Steam]]
# [[Up the Block]]
# [[Suicide]]
# [[Now You See It]]
# [[Block Buster]]
# [[Lock Block]]
# [[Refraction]]
# [[Mugger Square]] (followed by message ""I CAN DO IT! I KNOW I CAN!" CHIP THINKS AS THE GOING GETS TOUGHER. BESIDES, MELINDA THE MENTAL MARVEL WAITS AT THE END!")
# [[Traffic Cop]]
# [[Deepfreeze]]
# [[Loop Around]]
# [[Hidden Danger]]
# [[Scoundrel]]
# [[Bounce City]]
# [[Playtime]] (followed by message "CHIP IS HALFWAY THROUGH THE WORLD'S HARDEST PUZZLE. IF HE SUCCEEDS, MAYBE THE KIDS WILL STOP CALLING HIM COMPUTER-BREATH!")
# [[Vanishing Act]]
# [[Four Square]]
# [[Metastable to Chaos]]
# [[Apartment]]
# [[Jailer]]
# [[Time Lapse]]
# [[The Marsh]]
# [[Blink]]
# [[Monster Lab]]
# [[Problems]]
# [[Digdirt]]
# [[The Last Laugh]] (followed by message "BESIDES BEING AN ANGEL ON EARTH, MELINDA IS THE TOP SCORER IN THE CHALLENGE--AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE BIT BUSTERS.")
# [[Reverse Alley]]
# [[Morton]]
# [[Spirals]] ([[Spirals corruption|corrupted version]])
# [[Jumping Swarm]]
# [[Vortex]]
# [[Roadsign]]
# [[Paranoia]]
# [[Kablam]]
# [[Chiller]]
# [[Deception]]
# [[Block Buster II]]
# [[Miss Direction]] (followed by message "CHIP CAN'T WAIT TO JOIN THE BIT BUSTERS! THE CLUB'S ALREADY FIGURED OUT THE SCHOOL'S PASS-WORD AND ACCESSED EVERYONE'S GRADES!")
# [[Slide Step]]
# [[Alphabet Soup]]
# [[Perfect Match]]
# [[Totally Fair]]
# [[The Prisoner]]
# [[Firetrap]]
# [[Mixed Nuts]]
# [[Skelzie]]
# [[All Full]]
# [[Lobster Trap]]
# [[Trust Me]]
# [[Partial Post]]
# [[Underground]]
# [[Pentagram]] (followed by message "CHIP HITS THE ICE AND DECIDES TO CHILL OUT. THEN HE RUNS INTO A FAKE WALL AND TURNS THE MAZE INTO A TRASH-A-THON!")
# [[Rink]]
# [[Block Factory]]
# [[Nightmare]]
# [[Writers Block]]
# [[Catacomb]s]]
# [[Memory]]
# [[Balls O Fire]]
# [[Block Out]] (followed by message "IF CHIP'S CGRADES AREN'T AS GOOD AS MELINDA'S, MAYBE SHE'LL COME OVER TO HIS HOUSE AND HELP HIM STUDY!")
# [[Open Question]] (the typo in the [[hint]] is fixed)
# [[Ice Cube]]
# [[Stripes?]]
# [[Fireflies]]
# [[Potpourri]]
# [[Four Plex]]
# [[Socialist Action]]
# [[Fortune Favours The]] (followed by message ""I'VE MADE IT THIS FAR," CHIP THINKS. "TOTALLY FAIR, WITH MY MEGA-BRAIN." THEN HE STARTS THE NEXT MAZE. "TOTALLY UNFAIR!" HE YELPS.")
# [[Totally Unfair]]
# [[Mix Up]]
# [[Doublemaze]]
# [[Goldkey]]
# [[Icedeath]]
# [[Short Circuit]]
# [[Oversea Delivery]]
# [[Eeny Miny Moe]]
# [[Corridor]]
# [[Playhouse]] (the [[hot block]] at the beginning is replaced with a [[wall]])
# [[Torturechamber]] (followed by message "GROOV-U-LOIDS! CHIP MAKES IT ALMOST TO THE END. HE'S STOKED!")
# [[Exclusive]] (followed by message "GREAT JOB, CHIP! YOU FINISHED THE CHALLENGE! NOW YOU CAN TAKE MELINDA THE MENTAL MARVEL TO THE BIT BUSTERS E-PROM!")
# [[Cake Walk]]
# [[Force Field]]
# [[Mind Block]]
# [[Special]] (followed by a repeat of level 132's message)


=== Missing levels ===
In a significant departure from Lynx, levels 137 to 149 are hidden within an Easter egg: they have no passwords themselves, but entering the special password <code>HARD</code> will warp to level 137, [[Forced Entry]], and they can be played in order from there.  Many of these 13 "hard" levels are well-known for their difficulty; others, like [[Yorkhouse]], are more curious choices.
The following 12 levels, for unknown reasons, are absent from the NES port:
 
* Forced Entry
As this port is based on the Lynx edition, most levels match the originals, and for example the alteration to [[Spirals]] found in [[MSCC]] is not present.  However, some levels do have new differences:
* Blobnet
 
* Mishmesh
* In [[Lesson 4]], the [[fire]] beneath the [[hot block]] has been replaced by a [[wall]].  The block remains, but is immobile.
* Scavenger Hunt
* In [[Potpourri]], [[Playhouse]], and [[Block N Roll]] the [[hot block]]s have been completely replaced with [[wall]]s.  (The only remaining [[hot block]]s in the game are in [[Lock Block]], [[The Marsh]], and [[Special]].)
* On the Rocks
* In [[Nuts and Bolts]], the upper-right [[block]] of the four near the beginning has been moved down one cell, from (15, 25) to (15, 26).
* Cityblock
 
* Colony
Notably, all of the hints are identical to those in the Lynx levels, meaning that the hint in [[Cellblocked]] still prompts the player to press Option 1 (a button on the Lynx) to restart the level.
* Icehouse
 
* Block N Roll
{| class="wikitable sortable" border="1"
* Blobdance
! width="80" | #
* Pain
! width="80" | Lynx #
* Yorkhouse
! Title
|-
| 1
| 1
| [[Lesson 1]]
|-
| 2
| 2
| [[Lesson 2]]
|-
| 3
| 3
| [[Lesson 3]]
|-
| 4
| 4
| [[Lesson 4]]
|-
| 5
| 5
| [[Lesson 5]]
|-
| 6
| 6
| [[Lesson 6]]
|-
| 7
| 7
| [[Lesson 7]]
|-
| 8
| 8
| [[Lesson 8]]
|-
| colspan="3" | AFTER WARMING UP ON THE FIRST LEVELS OF THE CHALLENGE, CHIP IS RARING TO GO! "THIS ISN'T SO HARD," HE THINKS.<br>(originally seen between #10 [[Brushfire]] and #11 [[Trinity]])
|-
| 9
| 57
| [[Strange Maze]]
|-
| 10
| 9
| [[Nuts and Bolts]]
|-
| 11
| 10
| [[Brushfire]]
|-
| 12
| 12
| [[Hunt]]
|-
| colspan="3" | PICKING UP CHIPS IS WHAT THE CHALLENGE IS ALL ABOUT. BUT ON THE ICE CHIP GETS CHAPPED AND FEELS LIKE A CHUMP INSTEAD OF A CHAMP.<br>(originally seen between #50 [[Digdirt]] and #51 [[I Slide]])
|-
| 13
| 13
| [[Southpole]]
|-
| 14
| 14
| [[Teleblock]]
|-
| 15
| 15
| [[Elementary]]
|-
| 16
| 17
| [[Nice Day]]
|-
| 17
| 19
| [[Digger]]
|-
| 18
| 36
| [[Ladder]]
|-
| colspan="3" | BUT THE CHALLENGE TURNS OUT TO BE HARDER THAN CHIP THOUGHT. THE BIT BUSTERS WANT IT THAT WAY--TO KEEP OUT LOBOTOMY HEADS.<br>(originally seen between #20 [[Tossed Salad]] and #21 [[Iceberg]])
|-
| 19
| 42
| [[Beware of Bug]]
|-
| 20
| 34
| [[Cypher]]
|-
| 21
| 77
| [[Invincible Champion]]
|-
| 22
| 79
| [[Drawn and Quartered]]
|-
| 23
| 84
| [[Wars]]
|-
| 24
| 11
| [[Trinity]]
|-
| 25
| 20
| [[Tossed Salad]]
|-
| 26
| 21
| [[Iceberg]]
|-
| 27
| 85
| [[Telenet]]
|-
| 28
| 24
| [[Oorto Geld]]
|-
| 29
| 26
| [[Chchchips]]
|-
| 30
| 37
| [[Seeing Stars]]
|-
| 31
| 39
| [[Glut]]
|-
| colspan="3" | CHIP READS THE CLUES SO HE WON'T LOSE<br>(originally seen between #40 [[Floorgasborg]] and #41 [[I.C. You]])
|-
| 32
| 41
| [[I.C. You]]
|-
| 33
| 47
| [[Pier Seven]]
|-
| 34
| 51
| [[I Slide]]
|-
| 35
| 67
| [[Chipmine]]
|-
| 36
| 78
| [[Force Square]]
|-
| 37
| 98
| [[Shrinking]]
|-
| 38
| 16
| [[Cellblocked]]
|-
| 39
| 18
| [[Castle Moat]]
|-
| 40
| 27
| [[Go with the Flow]]
|-
| 41
| 28
| [[Ping Pong]]
|-
| 42
| 29
| [[Arcticflow]]
|-
| colspan="3" | CHIP'S THICK-SOLED SHOES AND POP-BOTTLE GLASSES SPEED HIM THROUGH THE MAZES WHILE HIS CALCULATOR WATCH KEEPS TRACK OF TIME<br>(originally seen between #30 [[Mishmesh]] and #31 [[Knot]])
|-
| 43
| 31
| [[Knot]]
|-
| 44
| 35
| [[Lemmings]]
|-
| 45
| 38
| [[Sampler]]
|-
| 46
| 40
| [[Floorgasborg]]
|-
| 47
| 46
| [[Three Doors]]
|-
| 48
| 54
| [[Grail]]
|-
| 49
| 64
| [[Spooks]]
|-
| 50
| 65
| [[Amsterdam]]
|-
| 51
| 66
| [[Victim]]
|-
| colspan="3" | CHIP USED TO SPEND HIS TIME PROGRAM-MING COMPUTER GAMES AND MAKING MODELS. BUT THAT WAS JUST PRACTICE FOR THIS BRAIN-BUSTER!<br>(originally seen between #80 [[Vanishing Act]] and #81 [[Writers Block]])
|-
| 52
| 75
| [[Steam]]
|-
| 53
| 83
| [[Up the Block]]
|-
| 54
| 86
| [[Suicide]]
|-
| 55
| 94
| [[Now You See It]]
|-
| 56
| 89
| [[Block Buster]]
|-
| 57
| 43
| [[Lock Block]]
|-
| 58
| 44
| [[Refraction]]
|-
| 59
| 48
| [[Mugger Square]]
|-
| colspan="3" | "I CAN DO IT! I KNOW I CAN!" CHIP THINKS AS THE GOING GETS TOUGHER. BESIDES, MELINDA THE MENTAL MARVEL WAITS AT THE END!<br>(originally seen between #90 [[Playhouse]] and #91 [[Jumping Swarm]])
|-
| 60
| 53
| [[Traffic Cop]]
|-
| 61
| 56
| [[Deepfreeze]]
|-
| 62
| 58
| [[Loop Around]]
|-
| 63
| 59
| [[Hidden Danger]]
|-
| 64
| 60
| [[Scoundrel]]
|-
| 65
| 69
| [[Bounce City]]
|-
| 66
| 74
| [[Playtime]]
|-
| colspan="3" | CHIP IS HALFWAY THROUGH THE WORLD'S HARDEST PUZZLE. IF HE SUCCEEDS, MAYBE THE KIDS WILL STOP CALLING HIM COMPUTER-BREATH!<br>(originally seen between #70 [[Nightmare]] and #71 [[Corridor]])
|-
| 67
| 80
| [[Vanishing Act]]
|-
| 68
| 95
| [[Four Square]]
|-
| 69
| 97
| [[Metastable to Chaos]]
|-
| 70
| 101
| [[Apartment]]
|-
| 71
| 104
| [[Jailer]]
|-
| 72
| 111
| [[Time Lapse]]
|-
| 73
| 117
| [[The Marsh]]
|-
| 74
| 25
| [[Blink]]
|-
| 75
| 45
| [[Monster Lab]]
|-
| 76
| 49
| [[Problems]]
|-
| 77
| 50
| [[Digdirt]]
|-
| 78
| 52
| [[The Last Laugh]]
|-
| colspan="3" | BESIDES BEING AN ANGEL ON EARTH, MELINDA IS THE TOP SCORER IN THE CHALLENGE--AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE BIT BUSTERS.<br>(originally seen between #100 [[Colony]] and #101 [[Apartment]])
|-
| 79
| 72
| [[Reverse Alley]]
|-
| 80
| 73
| [[Morton]]
|-
| 81
| 88
| [[Spirals]]
|-
| 82
| 91
| [[Jumping Swarm]]
|-
| 83
| 92
| [[Vortex]]
|-
| 84
| 93
| [[Roadsign]]
|-
| 85
| 96
| [[Paranoia]]
|-
| 86
| 106
| [[Kablam]]
|-
| 87
| 110
| [[Chiller]]
|-
| 88
| 114
| [[Deception]]
|-
| 89
| 116
| [[Block Buster II]]
|-
| 90
| 118
| [[Miss Direction]]
|-
| colspan="3" | CHIP CAN'T WAIT TO JOIN THE BIT BUSTERS! THE CLUB'S ALREADY FIGURED OUT THE SCHOOL'S PASS-WORD AND ACCESSED EVERYONE'S GRADES!<br>(originally seen between #110 [[Chiller]] and #111 [[Time Lapse]])
|-
| 91
| 119
| [[Slide Step]]
|-
| 92
| 120
| [[Alphabet Soup]]
|-
| 93
| 121
| [[Perfect Match]]
|-
| 94
| 122
| [[Totally Fair]]
|-
| 95
| 123
| [[The Prisoner]]
|-
| 96
| 124
| [[Firetrap]]
|-
| 97
| 125
| [[Mixed Nuts]]
|-
| 98
| 127
| [[Skelzie]]
|-
| 99
| 128
| [[All Full]]
|-
| 100
| 129
| [[Lobster Trap]]
|-
| 101
| 135
| [[Trust Me]]
|-
| 102
| 138
| [[Partial Post]]
|-
| 103
| 141
| [[Underground]]
|-
| 104
| 142
| [[Pentagram]]
|-
| colspan="3" | CHIP HITS THE ICE AND DECIDES TO CHILL OUT. THEN HE RUNS INTO A FAKE WALL AND TURNS THE MAZE INTO A TRASH-A-THON!<br>(originally seen between #60 [[Scoundrel]] and #61 [[Rink]])
|-
| 105
| 61
| [[Rink]]
|-
| 106
| 63
| [[Block Factory]]
|-
| 107
| 70
| [[Nightmare]]
|-
| 108
| 81
| [[Writers Block]]
|-
| 109
| 99
| [[Catacombs]]
|-
| 110
| 103
| [[Memory]]
|-
| 111
| 107
| [[Balls O Fire]]
|-
| 112
| 108
| [[Block Out]]
|-
| colspan="3" | IF CHIP'S GRADES AREN'T AS GOOD AS MELINDA'S, MAYBE SHE'LL COME OVER TO HIS HOUSE AND HELP HIM STUDY!<br>(originally seen between #120 [[Alphabet Soup]] and #121 [[Perfect Match]])
|-
| 113
| 113
| [[Open Question]]
|-
| 114
| 130
| [[Ice Cube]]
|-
| 115
| 143
| [[Stripes?]]
|-
| 116
| 144
| [[Fireflies]]
|-
| 117
| 55
| [[Potpourri]]
|-
| 118
| 76
| [[Four Plex]]
|-
| 119
| 82
| [[Socialist Action]]
|-
| 120
| 112
| [[Fortune Favours The]]
|-
| colspan="3" | "I'VE MADE IT THIS FAR," CHIP THINKS. "TOTALLY FAIR, WITH MY MEGA-BRAIN." THEN HE STARTS THE NEXT MAZE. "TOTALLY UNFAIR!" HE YELPS.<br>(originally seen between #130 [[Ice Cube]] and #131 [[Totally Unfair]])
|-
| 121
| 131
| [[Totally Unfair]]
|-
| 122
| 132
| [[Mix Up]]
|-
| 123
| 136
| [[Doublemaze]]
|-
| 124
| 137
| [[Goldkey]]
|-
| 125
| 140
| [[Icedeath]]
|-
| 126
| 105
| [[Short Circuit]]
|-
| 127
| 115
| [[Oversea Delivery]]
|-
| 128
| 68
| [[Eeny Miny Moe]]
|-
| 129
| 71
| [[Corridor]]
|-
| 130
| 90
| [[Playhouse]]
|-
| 131
| 109
| [[Torturechamber]]
|-
| colspan="3" | GROOV-U-LOIDS! CHIP MAKES IT ALMOST TO THE END. HE'S STOKED!<br>(originally seen between #140 [[Icedeath]] and #141 [[Underground]])
|-
| 132
| —
| [[Exclusive]]
|-
| colspan="3" | GREAT JOB, CHIP! YOU FINISHED THE CHALLENGE! NOW YOU CAN TAKE MELINDA THE MENTAL MARVEL TO THE BIT BUSTERS E-PROM!<br>(Different from the Lynx text, which was about gaining entry to the Bit Busters.  Game crashes after this.)
|-
| 133
| 146
| [[Cake Walk]]
|-
| 134
| 147
| [[Force Field]]
|-
| 135
| 148
| [[Mind Block]]
|-
| 136
| 149
| [[Special]]
|-
| colspan="3" | (Plays the same ending as completing [[Exclusive]].)
|-
| 137
| 22
| [[Forced Entry]]
|-
| 138
| 23
| [[Blobnet]]
|-
| 139
| 30
| [[Mishmesh]]
|-
| 140
| 32
| [[Scavenger Hunt]]
|-
| 141
| 33
| [[On the Rocks]]
|-
| 142
| 62
| [[Slo Mo]]
|-
| 143
| 87
| [[Cityblock]]
|-
| 144
| 100
| [[Colony]]
|-
| 145
| 102
| [[Icehouse]]
|-
| 146
| 126
| [[Block N Roll]]
|-
| 147
| 133
| [[Blobdance]]
|-
| 148
| 134
| [[Pain]]
|-
| 149
| 139
| [[Yorkhouse]]
|-
| colspan="3" | (Plays the same ending as completing [[Exclusive]].)
|}


== References ==
== References ==


[[Category:Ports]]
[[Category:Ports]]
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