ALIEN SYNDROME LOADING COMMODORE - Commodore 128 owners, select 64 mode before loading. Use Side 1 of the tape. To load, press the SHIFT and RUN/STOP keys simultaneously. SPECTRUM CASSETTE - 128K owners, please select 48K mode before loading. Using Side 1 of the tape, type LOAD"" and press ENTER. Be ready to stop the tape if prompted. SPECTRUM +3 DISC - Insert the disk into the drive. To load, use the Disk Loader on the startup menu. GETTING STARTED COMMODORE - When the music first stars, zero the tape counter on the cassette deck. Leave the PL^Y key down. Control is by Joystick only. Press FIRE on Joystick in Port 2 to select one player game, or Joystick in Port 1 for two player game. Then use Joystick to select your character, Ricky or Mary. You will have to wait for the first part of Level 1 to load. Extra controls are... RUN/STOP - PAUSE F3 - MUSIC OFF F5 - MUSIC ON SPECTRUM - Alien Syndrome is a multi-load game, so be ready to stop the tape when prompted. Joysticks supported are Kempston, Sinclair Interface, and Sinclair Plus 2 & 3. On a one player game the player can use either Joystick or keyboard controls, and on the two player game one player uses the Joystick and the other the keyboard, except on Spectrum Plus models where two Joysticks can be used. Keyboard controls are... Qand A - UP and DOWN O and P - Left and RIGHT H - PAUSE/RESTART R = QUIT PLAYING Play either on your own, or as a two player team. Each Level has two parts... Part 1 - The time bomb has been set! Your objective is to rescue your trapped comrades from the station complex, then escape via the Exit - all the while defending yourself against the hideous mutant hordes - and with only a short time before the bomb goes off! You start armed with a basic Shot blaster, but scattered around the complex are weapons bays from which, by touching them, you can change to other weapons - Laser, Bomb, Flame Thrower or Fire Ball, plus (Spectrum version only) Option - a protective droid which guards your rear and fires backwards. There are MAP points which, when touched, flash up a map of the complex, showing the location of your remaining comrades. There are also Bonus bays, marked with a ? that you can touch for extra points. On each Level the complex is totally different - you may have to run along causeways or watch for holes in the floor! The EXIT will not open for you until you have rescued the required number of comrades (indicated by the Comrade Counter - a row of heads in the score panel). Once through the EXIT you go on to Part 2. (Commodore version - there is a load between each Part 1 and Part 2 as well as between each Level) Part 2 - At the end of each Level you will have to tackle a huge and grotesque monster that you must destroy, still within a time limit, before you can proceed. There is a different one on each Level - each with its own vulnerable points, and each with its own bizarre method of attack! You enter Part 2 with the weapons that you brought with you from Part 1, and it is always best to face the big aliens carrying the best weapons possible. If you succeed you go onto the next Level. This will load in automatically on the Commodore; watch for the prompt on the Spectrum tape version. IF YOU DIE COMMODORE VERSION - If you die on Part 1 of Level 1, you can start again straight away. If you die anywhere else, you will have to start again from Part 1 of Level 1 - either wind back to the zero point that you set earlier, and start the tape from there, or turn over to Side 2, rewind fully, and then start the tape. SPECTRUM TAPE VERSION - If you die during the Levels contained in the first load, you can start again without reloading. If you die subsequently, you must start again at Level 1 - turn the tape over to Side 2, rewind it, and then start the tape. SPECTRUM DISC VERSION - The appropriate parts of the programme will be loaded automatically. CREDITS C64 - Coding - Tim Rogers, Graphics - Darrin Stubbington, Music - Jerome Kimmel Spectrum - Coding - Pamela Roberts Graphics - Jack Wilkes/Mike Marchant ********* The Project 64 etext of the ~Alien Syndrome manual~, converted to etext by Russell Reed . ALISYN10.TXT, November 1997, etext #317# Readapted for the Spectrum in 2001 AD by Alessandro Grussu http://www.ag-online.da.ru ********* ALIEN SYNDROME They've got us. Those vile and treacherous parasites have infiltrated one of our outcolonies. The only way to get rid of them is to blast them into oblivion. But then hundreds of ex-earthling hostages will not escape. Get the hostages out. Now! Before the blast gets all of you. Get Rid Of 'Em! It happened. The dreaded alien mega-virus has infiltrated one of our most important outcolonies. All of its inhabitants are being held hostage by this vile and vicious breed of post-universal parasites. They're slimy. Poisonous. Treacherous. And nearly indestructible. Somebody's got to save our outcolony. And the people in it. And you have volunteered. You'll go in armed only with your rifle. But hidden throughout the sectors is more sophisticated weaponry. And it's yours for the taking. These alien creatures feed off human energy. So you must rescue the hostages before going on to the next sector. Before teleporting to the next sector, you also must confront one of the Super Aliens. They're hideous. Horrific. And 1000% pure hatred. Find their weak spots. It won't be easy. Then find your way into the next sector. And the next. And the next. And, oh yes. One more thing... We've planted a time bomb on the outcolony. The entire lab -- with you in it - will be blown into oblivion. Because we can't afford to have this vile virus spread any further. No matter how many lives it will cost! On Board Our outcolony is the newest and most advanced of its kind. It's made up of several sectors. With teletransfer stations between each one. Unfortunately, the alien parasites have taken over every one of these sectors. And they've placed a grotesque Super Alien at each teletransfer point. Each sector has its own unique features -- such as electronic doors, hidden passages, and surprise bonus bays for extra points. And each has its unique dangers -- such as hidden traps, holes in the floors, and more. There is also a map of each sector that's always available. It shows you the shape of the sector as well as where the hostages can be found. Seen on the Screen Before you rush right outt there and get yourself in trouble, why not familiarize yourself with what's on the screen? [Illustration omitted from etext] Taking Control OK. Ready? Now start ridding the lab of these hideous pests. And saving the hostages. Here's how to maneuver, once your adventure begins: To move: Push the joystick or use appropriate keys. To fire laser exterminator: Press the fire button or appropriate key. To rescue hostages: Touch them. To earn bonus points: Touch the "?"s along the walls. To pick up a new weapon: Touch it. To see a map: Touch the maps along the walls and the locations of the hostages will be displayed. To exit to next stage: First rescue the hostages. Then go through the EXIT doors. To pause: On the Commodore 64/128, press the RUN/STOP key. Press again to continue. To reset: On the Commodore 64/128, press the RUN/STOP key to pause the game. Then press the Q key to reset. Upgrading Your Weapons Hidden throughout the lab is a vast arsenal of highly sophisticated weapons. They're much better than the rifle you brought with you. So when you do find one, simply touch it. This weapon becomes your current means of defense until you find another. And when you exit the lab, you'll take your current weapon with you. Here's a listing of the weapons you'll find -- and how they work: Fireball (FB): This state-of-the-art weapon shoots large rolling balls of fire. Laser (L): So powerful, it can blast through groups of aliens with one shot. Flame Thrower (F): This weapon sprays a steady stream of lethal fire. Bomb Launcher (B): This is useful with things get intense and it will help with some of the Super Aliens. Shot (S): This is the standard rifle given to you at the start of the game. Meet the Super Aliens Guarding every EXIT (teletransport station) is a Super Alien. They're bigger, badder, meaner -- even uglier -- than all the rest. And -- you guessed it -- they're a lot harder to destroy. Each Super Alien has a weak spot. And when you hit it in the right place you'll see a flash. Even then, it will still take several shots to destroy it. Even with more sophisticated weaponry. Your Name in Lights If you have gained enough points to rank within the existing scores, the "Name Entry" screen will appear and your score will be listed in order. When this happens, you'll be able to enter your initials next to your score. And your initials will remain there until you're aced out by future scores. Winning Tips * Study the patterns of each group of alien attackers to figure out the best strategy for attacking. * Use your maps to learn positions of the remaining hostages. Remember, studying maps uses up time. * Develop strategic ways to play each sector. For example, remember where certain weapons are kept and head for those areas first. And try to pick up hostages in a time-saving order. * Keep moving all the time. When you stop, the aliens sense your presence and converge on you in hordes. * Certain weapons are better than others for destroying the Super Aliens. Experiment with different weapons. ********* End Project 64 etext Alien Syndrome manual. *********