From: Thomas Mattsson (thsman95@student.umu.se) ROBOWARRIOR(tm) INSTRUCTION MANUAL --- --- CONTENTS Thanks for buying RoboWarrior from Jaleco. It's just one of many new and exciting games we will be bringing out for your NES. TABLE OF CONTENTS RoboWarrior-The Story Instructions-The Controller Zed and His Powers Learn the "Main" and "Sub" Screens Special Powers Super Powers Know the Score The Lands of Altile The Room of Idols-Well of Hope-The Shop The Xantho Invaders The Lords of Xantho The Mighty Xur Taking Care of your Jaleco Game --- THE LEGEND OF ALTILE... In the distant future, overpopulation and pollution have plunged planet Earth into near ruin. World leaders have no way to solve the crisis, so they turn to Altile, a very wise scientist for possible answers. Altile is a genius, and after a short period of thought, devises a plan to rid the Earth of this terrible curse. In the year 2395 Earth's scientists and engineers follow Altile's plans and construct an artificial planet in the far reaches of the galaxy that will be home to a portion of the overpopulated Earth's people. All the people of Earth work together to complete and colonize the artificial planet. Unfortunately, Altile dies shortly after crafting his plans for the new world, and never sees his dreams come true. So, in his memory, the people name the planet Altile. Besides providing a new and peaceful home for the people of Earth, the new planet Altile also unites the nations of the Earth. Thoughts of war disappear and the half-man/half-machine RoboWarriors, who have defended the Earth for so long, are deactivated, and the two planets, Earth and Altile, exist in harmony. --- THE ALIENS INVADE But in the year 2036 A.A. (After Altile), led by their ruthless dictator Xur, the Xantho Empire from another dimension invade Altile, deactivating its specially constructed weather-control system and plunging the peace-loving people into bitter cold. The Xantho aliens transform the surface of the beautiful green planet into a barren and brown wasteland for their own diabolical uses. The inhabitants of Altile flee underground to escape the frigid temperatures that the Xantho Empire have inflicted on their planet. Before leaving, however, they send a message to their sister planet Earth begging for help. Although the Xanthos are cruel, the brave people of Altile vow never to surrender. --- HELP ARRIVES The Earth scientists receive the Altile plea and quickly reactivate the Z-Type Earth Defense cyborg (ZED), the most powerful of all RoboWarriors. They ready ZED for combat, preparing their fastest spaceship to send him across the galaxy to Altile. ZED lands in Landor on Altile, far from the alien Xantho main invasion force, yet he can see the terrible destruction Xur and his Xantho Empire have inflicted upon Altile-green plants withered, beautiful birds and animals gone. ZED knows he has to reach the weather-control station, but it's feared that Xur himself commands the vital base. ZED also holds a secret that will help him defeat Xur. Before disappearing underground, the people of Altile have left many assorted energy capsules hidden on the surface of their planet. These energy capsules not only increase the fighting abilities of RoboWarrior, but other special functions as well. ZED knows he must find the capsules to topple the Xanthos and restore freedom to Altile. --- A WORLD OF WONDER As you will discover, Altile is a magical land filled with wonderful surprises and plenty of challenges. You'll encounter dozens of strange aliens and see fantastic sights as you guide ZED on his quest above and below the surface of Altile. On your way to a final confrontation with Xur, you must use all your weapons and bombs to uncover the secret powers left by the people of Altile in order to help you defeat the Lords of Xanthos. It's a dangerous mission, but tremendous awards await ZED and the people of Altile should you succeed. --- --- INSTRUCTIONS CONTROLLING ZED As you know, ZED is a mighty warrior with many different abilities and powers. Before you can send him into battle with Xur, you must first learn how to use these powerful weapons. PAD-Moves ZED across Altile and around obstacles/Is also used to select powers and super-powers in the sub-screen. SELECT-Calls sub-screen and main screen. START-Pause during play/Start game. 'B'-Releases bombs when available. 'A'-For attacking with laser/Selecting power or super-power in the sub-screen/Using power or super-power in the main screen. --- CONTINUE BATTLE? If ZED's energy supply is depleted, your game will end and the following prompt will appear on the screen: Start Continue Selecting start will return you to battle at the beginning of play, while the continue mode will take you back to the first level of the period you were last on. --- WHO IS ZED? ZED is the most feared and respected of all RoboWarriors. His combined human and cyborg characteristics make him the ultimate soldier, having the ultra-fast reactions of a computer and the bravery of a man. Besides the various weapons and powers ZED finds during his adventures, he has many regular functions, and several super-functions that you must monitor at all times. ZED'S REGULAR FUNCTIONS You will use ZED's beam gun and bombing abilities more than any of the other available weapons. Both are powerful and will enable you to defeat the Xantho invaders as you make your way to Xur at the weather-station. --- Use your beam gun to eliminate the enemies as they appear on the screen. Be careful! Many of the aliens require more than one hit to vanquish them, so be sure you have plenty of room to attack. As you gather more Power Balls, the length of your shots will increase and the number of shots you need to destroy the Xanthos will decrease. ZED's ability to bomb things, however, is the essential part of the game! Use bombs to destroy the aliens and the various types of blocks that stop movement and hide secret Powers. A bomb will explode one second after ZED releases it. Although powerful, the bombs have an effective range of only one block. Your inventory of bombs decreases as you use them. Collect additional bombs by recovering the hidden bomb symbols found in most rounds, or by gathering the single bombs (blue) left behind when an enemy is destroyed. Even though the bombs are your most effective weapon, they inflict serious injury much more powerful than the aliens' attacks. So clear out fast before they blow! In the early rounds, practise laying bombs and running away so you can perfect your play for more difficult stages of RoboWarrior. --- ZED'S SUPER-FUNCTIONS Before setting off on your quest, you must first learn about all of ZED's super abilities. Each provides ZED with a different function vital to his survival. RANGE Range indicates the effective shooting length of ZED 's beam gun. You can increase it by one block every time you collect the special Power Ball. DEFENSE POWER There are eight different levels of defense power ZED has to protect himself from Xantho attacks. Defense power varies with your score. The more points you collect, the more powerful ZED becomes to resisting hits. Always try to guide ZED to the highest points. --- ENERGY Always indicated in the upper-right corner of the screen is ZED's Energy Level, the most important function of all! Remember: ZED is half machine and requires a constant supply of power. If his energy is depleted, the game ends. ZED can carry up to four Life Pods and one Energy meter at once. The Energy Level decreases with both the lapse of playtime and with successful attacks of the Xanthos. Find any of the hidden Life Pods and you'll automatically replenish ZED's supply by adding four white bars to the Energy meter. Energy can also be refilled with one of the Special Powers ZED can collect in many of the stages. --- LEARN THE "MAIN" AND "SUB" SCREENS The story of Altile is full of adventure, spread across many lands. But if you hope to see all the wondrous sights, you must master RoboWarrior's two separate screens. WHERE THE ACTION IS... The main screen shows ZED and the various dangers and powers that can be seen within ZED's immediate area. As you move, the whole screen will scroll to bring new items into view. The screen moves in only one direction however, so don't try to backtrack. Remember your mission! You must reach Xur and the weather-station before it's too late. --- WHAT HAVE YOU GOT? The sub-screen, meanwhile, provides a menu and easy access to any of the special powers ZED has collected. You must use the directional pad to guide the arrow next to the appropriate power and select it with either the 'A' button or the Select button. If you decide not to choose a special power, press the 'B' button. This will return you to the main screen without selecting a special power. After you return to the main screen, you can activate the power or super power by pressing the 'A' button. To use a power-up again, you must re-enter the sub-screen. --- TIME TO POWER-UP! Let's Learn About ZED's Special Powers and Super Powers ZED must use all of his cunning, bravery and fighting strength to defeat the Xanthos and reach their vicious leader Xur at the weather-station. As you struggle to help save Altile, you must collect the power-ups the people of Altile have left. Power-ups are the most important things to remember if you want to go against the evil Xanthos. But before you can use the powers that you have gathered, you must first learn exactly what each does. Some of them are good during battle, while others work well underground. There are 23 items in all for ZED to recover. Do you know which are best for you? --- SPECIAL POWERS Candle-The candle is a useful implement that lights up a narrow area around ZED for a time. The candle should always be used underground and in dark passages to help you find your way out. Energy Capsule-Energy is the most important power of them all. It completely refills ZED's energy reserves, but must be used before the ENERGY METER runs out. Remember always to keep ZED's energy level as high as possible. Clock-This clock is strange and mysterious, unlike any ever made. It has a mystical power that freezes time and places all the objects on the screen in suspended animation for 10 seconds. You can also use the Clock to stop the Xantho Lords, but, since the Lords are more powerful, the Clock will stop them just for an instant. If you want to eliminate an enemy more quickly, or simply want to escape from a large group, use the Clock to always get the upper-hand. Super Boots- These special boots makes ZED move faster for a period of 20 seconds. Super Boots increase ZED's fighting abilities by allowing him to maneuver better around the aliens and blocks. The boots are especially helpful in the underground sections and when you battle the Xantho Lords. Missile-The Missile is a mighty weapon with greater distance and more power than ZED's regular pulse rifle. It destroys everything in its path, including enemies, obstacles, and blocks. Flash-Flash is another great weapon that will destroy all the aliens on the screen! It won't destroy the Xantho Lords, however, but it will damage them. CrossFire-Activates ZED's additional guns and allows him to shoot simultaneously in four directions for 35 seconds. It is more effective in open spaces such as underground and when fighting the Xantho Lords. --- SUPER POWERS Life Vest-The Life Vest looks like an inner tube. It enables ZED to float over the water for 20 seconds. Since ZED is half robot, he will sink and die if he tries to cross a stream or lake without a vest. Lamp-The Lamp is much more powerful than the Candles and should be used in the above ground stages that are dark. The Lamp can also be used underground; but in most instances, the Candles will do. Megaton Bomb- The Megaton Bomb is the most powerful weapon in ZED's entire arsenal. The Megaton Bomb destroys all the blocks and aliens on the screen at once with thundering force! You should use these valuable bombs only in stages that are filled with blocks and when fighting the Lords of Xantho. --- THE TREASURES OF ALTILE Besides the many special powers left by the people of Altile, ZED will find many other magical treasures that can help you beat Xur. Some will increase ZED's fighting ability while others will award mega-point bonuses. Still others must be found to exit certain stages. Try to gather as many as possible to win the game. Super Bomb-Increase ZED's allotment of regular bombs by 10 with a Super Bomb. Always get the Super Bomb whenever possible so you can explore the hidden areas. Power Ball-The Power Ball is a key element in the game. It increases the firing range of ZED's gun each time it's collected. It's especially important to have a longer beam in later levels of play when the aliens move faster and are more dangerous. Life Pod-This reserve tank will immediately increase ZED's energy. Barrier-As soon as the Barrier is collected, a powerful shield will surround ZED and protect him from both the aliens and his own bomb blasts! The Barrier is so strong, in fact, that you can eliminate the Xantho warriors by simply running over them with it! Hurry, because the Barrier is only activated for a period of 15 seconds. Magical Bee-Unlike the other treasures and powers, the Bee is a unique item. Once you retrieve the Bee, it will automatically transform itself into any one of ZED's Special Powers: Candle*Energy*Missile*Super Boots*Clock*Cross Fire. You can never be sure exactly what the Bee will give you, so try not to miss it! Medal-Very important! You must save the medals to exchange for Special Powers or Super Powers in the shops. You can collect medals and save them up from round to round to purchase the more expensive enhancements if you like. --- IS THERE A WAY OUT? Chalice-Chalices are jewel-encrusted cups and part of a wondrous treasure hidden well by the people of Altile so that the Xantho invaders would never see such beauty. These cups are priceless artifacts sent to Altile from Earth. The Chalice also holds a special secret! If you fail to find and pick up the chalice, the level that you're on will continue without end! You must uncover the valuable chalice treasure and take it with you if you want to escape! Key-A special key is hidden somewhere on the far right of all the individual stages. Once you grab the key, you'll see an exit automatically appear at the upper right-hand corner. The level will end once you leave through the exit. Remember, the Key is always located at the end of a round. If you don't see the key, use your bombs to destroy the blocks and uncover it. (Both the Chalice and the Key are required to exit some rounds. If you can't seem to escape, look for these two objects to be hidden in certain blocks.) --- KNOW THE SCORE! The following treasures will increase your score and also increase ZED's defenses proportionately. * 100 Points ** 1000 Points * ** 10,000 Points ** ** 100,000 Points * ** ** ???? Points --- THE LANDS OF ALTILE As you'll discover, Altile is a large planet with exciting sights, terrible dangers, and obstacles. The region known as Landor to the people of Altile, once rich and green, but now a wasteland, is where you'll battle Xur and the Xantho invaders. Each of the different lands that comprise Landor have been mapped, but little is known about them since Xur took over. --- CYBORG TRAINING The game begins as ZED's space fighter drifts overhead and drops him on the surface of Altile. "What a barren and desolate place this is..." ZED thinks to himself. You can start ZED on his quest by first learning some of the maneuvers that will take him to the final confrontation with Xur. The first screen is stationary, providing an excellent opportunity for you to hone your fighting and bomb-laying skills. Once you have perfected the basics, you can move into battle. --- THE FRINGES (First Level) The first area where ZED must restore peace are the Fringes. Once one of the most stunning sights in the entire universe, the Fringes are still slightly green in parts. However, they are devoid of life and filled with pain. The Fringes are the very edge of Landor, and an example of Xur's wrath. THE OUTLANDS (Second Level) The damaged ruins of Altile still grace the landscape in the once magnificent Outlands, although blue streams and some small bushes remain. One of the regions has been blacked out, so be alert! --- THE LANDS OF TEMPLES (Third Level) Once the most important region in Altile, the Land of Temples has been decimated by the evil Xanthos. The people of Altile have fled this sanctuary in the face of the Xantho invasion but pledge to return with your help. Be careful! A Xantho Lord now holds a tight grip on this important land! THE IRON HILLS (Fourth Level) At one time the Iron Hills were rich and prosperous, providing homes to millions of people. Since the Xantho invasion, however, the Hills have been swept clean and are now devoid of human life. --- INTELLICON (Fifth Level) The technological hub of the planet Altile, Intellicon produced the greatest computers and robots in the entire universe. Like the other inhabitants of Altile, the great scientists who occupied this region have all fled underground to escape Xur and his Xantho armies. A Xantho Lord now controls this land. OCEANIA (Sixth Level) Before the Xantho attack, Oceania was a rolling land filled with mighty seas and rivers. Blue and magnificent, these seas were once the home to many forms of marine life. Now Xur has changed most of the region into a desolate, scorched land, draining the water from the face of the planet for his own home world. You must reach him at the weather-station to revitalize this precious water. --- OUTER CITY (Seventh Level) The Outer City is near the outskirts of the Altile capital, Regency. It has been fortified with a number of obstacles, numerous aliens, and two Xantho Lords! It's a very difficult region to conquer, but with ZED's extraordinary abilities you can do it! REGENCY (Final Battle) Regency is the inner capital of Altile and Xur's new headquarters. The vital weather-station control systems are being held closely by Xur and Gholem, the most powerful of the Xantho Lords. There's not much information available-rely on ZED's fighting skills and your own reactions and you may be able to reach the evil dictator of Xantho...the mighty Xur! --- MYSTERIES OF ALTILE What secrets lie underground? In addition to the many sights you'll find on the surface of Altile, hidden staircases leading underground can be found in most areas. Constructed by the people of Altile to escape the Xantho invaders, these passages have been covered with blocks, trees and other objects to prevent Xur from eliminating the population of Altile. This doesn't mean that the underground passages are empty, by any means. You'll find still more special powers can be found in these darkened areas, as well as a cadre of aliens! Filtering into the underground from a secret entrance in the main city, the Xanthos have not found the people of Altile, but the aliens do mean business! --- The Room of Idols Besides the many implements and bonus objects above and below the surface of Altile, you'll find several secret rooms spread throughout the above ground landscape. These special sanctuaries are most often located near the top of the screen. Can you find them? The idol rooms provide ZED with a chance to increase some of his powers. Bombing the various statues in the correct order will uncover power-ups for you, but if you destroy the wrong idols, you'll receive nothing! Well of Hope The Well of Hope is a special area that looks like a pool of water surrounded by blocks. One of the blocks can be destroyed with the appropriate number of bomb blasts, giving ZED easy entry into the water itself. ZED will not drown when he enters the Well of Hope. Instead, you will be awarded with twice as many Special Powers than you previously possessed! You know that you've entered the well when the screen flashes brightly. After you see this flash, quickly check your sub-screen and see for yourself! --- The Shop At the end of certain periods ZED will encounter a special room filled with weapons and other implements, including the powerful Super Powers! You can retrieve these items in exchange for Medals you collect during the course of the game. Spend them wisely! Certain power-ups are vital in later rounds, so be sure that you have enough to purchase them! THE XANTHO INVADERS Known throughout the universe for their atrocities and cruelty, the Xantho aliens are as powerful as they are numerous. A wide variety of adversaries await you in the occupied lands, each with their own strengths and abilities. You must stop the Xantho before the atmosphere becomes critical and the aliens set their sights for other planets-such as Earth! --- Strinker (100 Points)-Strinkers are very slow animals enslaved and reprogrammed by the Xantho. The Strinker will usually stick to the sides of walls for protection. These creatures can be avoided. Skraug (100 Points)-Skraug is another non-violent creature that cannot fire at ZED. The Skraug moves faster than the Strinker, however, and can be dangerous unless you eliminate him quickly. Grunt (200 Points)-Grunt is an infantry soldier who moves slowly after ZED. He doesn't fire any shots, but if you let him get close to you, he will sap your energy. Tracer (200 Points)-Tracer is similar to a Grunt, with the same powers. --- Mecha-Bird (100 Points)-Mecha-Birds are mechanical replicas of normal birds of prey that will attack ZED. If not destroyed, the cyborgs will continue off the screen. Baiter (100 Points)-Baiters are robots that use much more dangerous actions to trick ZED and inflict damage. Be aware of the Baiters at all times and try to eliminate them on sight. Deltoid 1 and Deltoid 2 (200 Points)-Deltoids are special crystal-like objects that move toward ZED in a slightly curving manner at rapid speed. Deltoids will stop at nothing to get to ZED and can damage you if they reach your immediate area. --- Lurcher (400 Points)-Lurchers are robotic spiders armed with powerful missiles that inflict great damage upon ZED. Lurchers can only fire their weapons in straight horizontal or vertical directions, so watch where you move! If your skillful, you can trick Lurchers into firing their guns, hiding from their shots, and then returning their blasts. LORIC Tank (400 Points)-LORIC Tanks are heavily armored, independently controlled vehicles developed on the planet LORIC, one of the many worlds that Xur has conquered. These powerful tanks maneuver into dangerous positions so they can take aim at ZED in a manner similar to Lurchers. Try to trick them in the same way as the Lurchers. Type 1 and Type 2 Amoeba (200 Points)-These shrouds, the Amoeba, transform themselves into the deadly Wanes and Wisps whenever ZED approaches. Always destroy these seemingly harmless creatures, or you'll soon find yourself face to face with a screenful of Wanes and Wisps. --- Wane (200 Points)-One of the most deadly creatures in the entire universe, the Wanes, like their brothers the Wisps, move at lightning speed and can damage ZED tremendously. Wanes can also steal ZED's energy and selectable weapons making them formidable opponents! Wisp (200 Points)-Almost identical to the Wanes, the Wisps also charge directly at ZED with tremendous precision and speed! Wisps also steal energy and implements so be sure to return their attacks without thought! --- THE LORDS OF XANTHO Globula (30,000 Points)-Lord of the Amoebas The vicious creature Globula is assembled of millions of Amoebas, combined to make a tremendous monster of gigantic proportions! Globula creeps about in a sluggish manner while spitting tiny Amoebas in ZED's direction at all times. Viripides (50,000 Points)-Lord of the Dragons Viripides was once Xur's pet trained to guard and enslave entire planets! Viripides lives in a well just outside Intellicon, defending itself by moving quickly and launching fireballs at ZED. Aquarian (100,000 Points)-Lord of Water Aquarian is a special machine constructed by Xur to help overtake the planet Altile. It can maneuver quickly using the ghosts of whales to attack ZED's position. Move quickly! Lian (120,000 Points)-Lord of Air Lian inhibits a region of Altile near a great lake. Lian is genetically created and boasts the abilities of many different creatures. Lian moves quickly with great swiftness, firing deadly flames at ZED. --- Pyrodyne (150,000 Points)-Lord of Fire A specially designed cyborg of incredible strength, Pyrodyne has the power to spray fire at ZED. Once a man, Pyrodyne now serves Xur with his special powers. Gholem (180,000 Points)-Lord of Stone Gholem is the strongest of the Xantho lords, an evil monster assembled from stone and rock. Gholem is also the most aggressive of the Xantho Lords, showering ZED with stones while moving in a triangular direction. Watch out for his attacks! --- THERE IS HOPE! What to expect when you meet Xur... Little is known about the background or abilities of the mighty Xantho warrior Xur. He has conquered many different worlds and enslaved millions of innocent people in his quest for universal power, and he expects Altile to fall as well. Obviously Xur has never heard of the RoboWarrior ZED! Although they don't confirm it, intelligence reports taken before the actual invasion say Xur is actually a cyborg-like ZED. Xur is also half man/half machine, with incredible powers and a mind like a robot. --- How do you stop Xur? Even though he is powerful, Xur can be stopped. He takes damage like many of the other aliens (especially the Xantho Lords), but is much stronger. Certain weapons work better on him than others. Experiment to find out which are best. --- TAKING CARE OF YOUR JALECO GAME * This Jaleco Game Pak is a precision-crafted device with complex electronic circuitry. Avoid subjecting it to undue shock or extremes of temperature. never attempt to open or dismantle the Game Pak. * Do not touch the terminal leads or allow them to come in contact with water or the game will circuitry will e damaged. * Always make sure your NES Control Deck is SWITCHED OFF when inserting the Game Pak or removing it from the NES Control Deck. * Never insert your fingers or any metal objects into the terminal portion of the expansion connector. This can result in malfunction or damage. --- Jaleco(tm) and RoboWarrior(tm) are trademarks of Jaleco Ltd. (c) 1988 Jaleco Ltd.