SPY VS. SPY - The Island Caper Typed in by Postcard Man INTRODUCTION: This game, based on MAD magazine's agents in Black & White, is a madcap game in split screen Simulvision which allows each Spy to see what the other spy is doing. This also allows both players (or one against a computer opponent) to play simultanously. Both Spies parachute onto a tropical island with an active volcano in a desperate race to find the buried parts of a missile. Meanwhile both players construct their own booby-traps in an attempt to eliminate the other spy from the search. MISSION OBJECTIVE: Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find and recover all three parts of a top secret XJ4 1/2 missile. Of course, the missile parts are located on Spy Island, a deserted (except for your opponent and the sharks) tropical island in the middle of nowhere. Not only must you locate all three parts of the missile, but you must fully assmble it before being able to transport it off the island via your submarine. By the way, there is also an active volcano on the island so you won't have much time. As you attempt to recover the parts and assemble the missile, your opponent won't be taking a siesta. After all, your opponent is there for the same reason you are, and there are only three parts for one missile. To aid you in your mission, your country, at great expense has provided you with the ultiate tool in spy technology, the all-in-one, multi-purpose, super-duper Island Trapulator. It comes complte with a computer-generated maping system and a few devious items for building nasty little traps that can surprise your opponent (or yourself if you're not careful). Of course your opponent is likewise equipped. GAME OPTIONS: 1: Number of players 2: Difficulty level 3: Intelligence quotient of the computer (one player mode) 4: Escape sub revealed or hidden until the end of game. CONTROLS: Movement: The rooms that you are in are 3 dimensional. Pushing the joystick up or down will send your player to the background or foreground of the particular area that you are currently viewing. Joystick left and right moves in your Spy in those directions. If you should move your player to the extreme right or left of the view area, it will scroll to reveal the next section of the landscape. Also, note that along the back `wall' of the view area there may be gaps in the background graphics that your spy can fit through. Think of these gaps as passageways that will allow you to move north and south on the island such as scrolling left and right allows you to move east and west. Object Manipulation: First, move within range of any object (you will hear a short tone and see a flash). Then press the Joystick button. Any object found within a room can be opened or lifted and may reveal one of the hidden items you are looking for. If you're not so lucky, it will activate a Booby Trap, blowing you to smithereens. TRAPULATOR: The Trapulator allows you to store and use various items and tools necessary for completing your mission objectives. Inventory: Looking at your Trapulator will inform you as to the status of your inventory. A lit L.E.D. next to the indicator button means that you have at least one of those item. If you find an item on the island that is re- presentted by an indicator button you may pick that item up by standing over it and pressing the Joystick button once briefly. Then by pressing the Joystick button briefly again it will be stored in your Trapulator for future use. The items that can be in your inventory (from top to bottom) are; Shovel to dig open pits or punji pits. Only one gun on the island. Coconut bomb Rope for snares Napalm Island Map Gun: If you find the gun you can shoot your opponent, causing him to lose some strength and momentarily spinning him out of control. While you are in the same screen he is in, point the gun in the direction of your opponent and line your Spy up with him, then shoot. This is done by first by depress- ing the Joystick button and then (while holding down the button) pulling the Joystick forward. Some bullets are duds and the gun is NOT always fully loaded. GAME ELEMENTS: Natural Hazards: VOLCANO - The digital clock located in the control pamal on the right of the Trapulator, indicates the amount of time remaining before the volcano erupts. If the volcano erupts both spies lose the game and the island will be covered with lava. QUICKSAND - When exploring the island you will see dark patches of sand which are quicksand. If your Spy gets trapped in the quicksand, use the techniques recommended by most survivors, which is moving your joystick up and down or twirling it in a circular motion rapidly while trying to move your Spy to the edge of the quicksand. Falling into the quicksand will cost you precious stremgth, lots of time trying to get out also make you a `sitting duck' if your opponent is in the neighborhood. DROWNING - The high seas have taken their toll of unwary Spies who have wandered off the island jetties. Spies just aren't very good swimmers. Stay- ing in deep water will drain your strength very quickly. SHARK ATTACK - If you don't drown while you are in the ocean, the sharks will probably get you. The green gilled Mud Sharks usually like a few appetizers before chowing down to their main course. As the sharks begin to nibble your Spy, your Spy will be tugged under water. This may happen two or three times (you may also see a fin). If you have enough energy remaining it is sug- gested that you move with great speed to the nearest shore, otherwise your Spy may not come back up after the next tug. HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT (Sword Fight) The combat mode exists only when the following two situations occur: (1) Both spies enter the same part of the island and Simulvision ends. The Spy that entered the common area appears on the same screen as the Spy that was already there. (2) Both Spies are within combat range of each other. This distance is equal to two times the width of your average Spy. When you are within combat range, holding your Joystick button will produce a sword in your Spy's hand. Continue to hold the Joystick button down and move the Joystick. Your Spy will now swing the sword around, jabbing your opponent if he is within striking distance. To smash your opponent on the head, the button is held down while the Joystick is moved from the Up position to the Down position. To stab, move the Joystick from left to right or right to left (depending which way you are facing). When the Joystick button is first pushed down, the Spy will auto- matically face his opponent, regardless of which way he was facing or moving. To move your Spy during combat, release the button and move as normal. Hit- ting the other Spy weaken him, and about 33 solid blows delivered in rapid succession are needed to kill him if he started combat with 100% strength. Combat ends when one of the following occurs: 1) A Spy is temporarily disabled getting caught by a trap. 2) A spy moves out of range of combat (runs away). 3) A Spy dies (see death) MAN-MADE BOOBY-TRAPS As you move throughout the island(s), you may select any of the booby- traps. The booby-trap arsenal contains: conconut bombs, napalm, rope snares and a shovel for digging punji pits. To Place and Set a Trap Spies can carry traps, placing them where they wish when they are ready. 1) Press the Joystick button....TWICE! You have just accessed the TRAP- ULATOR. Observe the indicator lights on the right of the icons. 2) Move about the TRAPULATOR using the Joystick controls (up and down). Listen for the bell. 3) Indicate the booby-trap of your choice then press the Joystick button to select it. The booby-trap is now held by your Spy. 4) Position the Spy at the hiding place you have selected. 5) First, press the Joystick button. Next, (keeping the button depressed) pull the Joystick forward. The booby-trap will disappear and you will hear a `whoosh' as it is buried in the sand. Once the trap has been set, EITHER Spy can set it off! To add insult to injury, when the player sets off the trap, he gets zapped while the other spy laughs hysterically. SNARES Set this trap by selecting the rope from your Trapulator. While it is in your Spy's hand, climb the foreground tree. Climb a tree by pushing your Spy against the side of the freground tree, and holding him there moment- arily. Your Spy will then automatically tie one end of the rope to the top of the trees and stretch the other end to the ground. You can then move your Spy in a small radius around the tree. When you reach the location where you wish to drop the snare's noose, hold the Joystick button down and pull back on the Joystick. Any player walking over the snare's nose will be snagged and lifted into the tree, being temporarily disabled, losing strength, and dropping any missile sections being carried. Note: The noose is invisible once buried. This trap can not be set when both spies are on the same screen/section of the island. OPEN PITS Set this trap by picking up the shovel whenever you can find it - either on your Trapulator or on the ground. Walk to an uncluttered area where you wish to dig your pit. With the shovel in your Spy's hand hold the Joystick button down and pull back on the Joystick. Your Spy will now dig a pit. What finally remains is a large gaping hole. Although easy to avoid, falling into this hole will cost you time and strength. PUNJI PITS Placing a sharpened stake at the bottom of the pit will make an even more deadly trap. Find a wooden stake and pick it up. With a wooden stake in your hand walk over to the pit, as you begin to go over the pit, your Spy will automatically place the stake at the bottom of the pit then cover it up with dirt, hiding it completely from sight. Any unwary Spy who walks over this area is sure to fall in. Note: They don't make shovels like they used to. Each shovel is only capable of digging 8 holes before breaking. NAPALM This is the single most deadly trap. Go to the area where you want to place the trap. Select the faucet from your trapulator. Next hold the Joystick button down and pull back the joystick. Your Spy will now bury a Napalm cannister that will torch any unwary Spy who happens to walk over it or tries to dig it up. The unwary Spy will be temporarily reduced to ashes and drop any missile part he was carrying. COCONUT GASOLINE BOMB You will find an abundance of coconuts on these islands. Combine these with gasoline and you make a bomb. You start each level equipped with a few coconuts in your Trapulator; you can get more by finding them on the island. By burying these coconuts in the ground, they become a very effective land mine. The unwary spy that steps on the coconut bomb will be temporarily reduced to ashes and drop any missile parts that he was carrying. To set the trap, select a coconut from your Trapulator. Hold down the Joystick button and pull back on the Joystick. Your Spy will automatically fill the coconut with gasoline and bury the bomb in the ground. After selecting a coconut bomb from your Trapulator you can abort setting it as a trap. By putting the coconut back in your Trapulator you can save it for later; do this by pressing the Joystick button once briefly (without pulling back on the joystick.) Note: If you run out of gasoline your Spy will still bury the coconuts but they will be duds. You can safely dig up buried empty coconuts and store them back in your Trapulator. Keep an eye on the gasoline gauge in the lower left corner of your Trapulator. When your gauge goes don you can refill your Trapulator with gas by finding the plane wreck on the island. Push your Spy against the plane for a few seconds and push the Joystick button your spy will then fill the Trapulator gauge with gas. Hint: Coconut bombs, snares and napalm CAN be placed on top of buried missile parts. READING THE MAP: Anytime you wish (except when both spies are in the same screen) you can read your map. To read your map, first access your Trapulator by pressing your Joystick twice quickly, next by moving your Joystick up and down, light up the L.E.D. alongside the map button, then press the Joystick once again. Your map will now unfold within your monitor. On the map you will see the following: 1) A flashing quadrant where you are currently located. 2) A dotted line showing the last several quadrants that you walked through. 3) A few quadrants containing small white squares representing the locations of the missile sections. ISLAND(S): Depending on the particular level selected, the size (how many differ- ent sectors) and layout (objects found on the island) of the island change. Also on levels 5 & 6 there are two islands! Travel between the two islands may be necessary to win the game, but be careful - the waters may be shark infested ( see shark attacks) and there is only one way to cross over. MISSILE CONSTRUCTION: Your mission being to escape the island, fully assembled missile in hand, iit is important to remember taht all else is but a mere distraction. Before tiem runs out you must manage to find and assemble the missile components in sequence, locate the only exit and board your sub. The missile is in 3 pieces but you can only carry one section of it at a time, unles two or more sections have been connected in sequence. To assemble two missile sections together, do the following: Fid any one of the three missile sections. While you are carrying this section, find the next adjoining missile section. If for instance you have first found the tail section connect this to the center section. Do this by first standing over the second section (as long as it isn't buried). Next holding the Joystick button down and pulling back on the Joystick the section in your Spy's hand will drop to the ground and automatically connect itself to the second section. The two sections that are now connected may be picked up (as if they were one section) and carried off, to be connected to a third section when it is located. Below each Spy's monitor is a diagram of the missile parts. As you pick up a section(s), it will flash on and off in the diagram. ** **** + ***** + ****+ ** LOSING THE GAME Death & Strength: As mentioned previously, many actions can lower one's strength, such as: swimming in the ocean, combat, and being caught in a trap. Each Spy starts with one hundred units of strength as indicated by the Strength Meter. If you lose the full one hundred units of strength, you will die and the game is over for you. This is represented by a tombstone apearing where you died, or if at sea, air bubbles briefly appear over the water. When your strength gets dangerously low you can slowly build it back up by avoiding combat and traps. If a spy dies at sea carrying one or more of the missile parts, those parts are randomily washed up onto one of the beaches. WINNING THE GAME Exit: There is only one way off the island to the sub and you can NOT leave without the correctly assembled missile. Boarding Your Submarine: After you have completely assembled the missile, you must next find your submarine, somewhere off the coast of the main island. Your submarine will surface when you approach with the missile. Look for the sub at both the northwest and northeast beaches, and when you see it, wade out to it. Your Spy will now automatically climb aboard and sail off into the sunset. TABLE OF LEVEL VARIATIONS Level 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Time (in minutes) 6 8 11 14 18 22 27 Gun 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Gasoline (in inventory before refill) 6 5 4 3 3 3 3 Shovels (On island) 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 Shovels (in inventory) 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 Pieces of rope (On island) 0 0 8 12 16 20 20 Pieces of rope (In inventory) 10 8 6 12 16 20 20 Number of stakes (On island) 6 8 15 30 20 30 30 Coconuts (In inventory) 10 10 10 8 6 4 2 Coconuts (On island) 6 12 20 24 20 20 20 1 or 2 islands 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 Total square sectors 6 10 19 20 21 21 22 Number of pits (Per shovel) 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 Stakes (Per level) 6 8 10 30 20 14 14 Napalm (Bombs per spy) 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 LOSS OF STRENGTH TABLE Trap of Hazard Units of Strength _____________________________________ Napalm 40 Punji Pit 32 Coconut Bomb 32 Snare 24 Shark Attack 22 Open Pit 20 Gun 16 (per shot) Shark Nibble 12 Drowning 10 (per second) Sword Hit 3 Quicksand 1 (per move)