________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ___ __ | | | | | | | | | | | \ | | | __ | | __ | |__ __| |__ __| | __ | | \ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | \ | | | |__| | | | |__| | | | | | | | | | |\ \ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | \ \ | | | __ | | | __ | | | | | | | | | | \ \| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | \ | | | | | | |__| | | | __| |__ | |__| | | | \ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | \ | |__| |__| |________| |__| |________| |________| |__| \__| ______________________________ ______________________________ | | | | | | | | | ________________________| |________________________ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |________________________ ________________________| | | | | | | | | | |________________________ | | ________________________| | | | | | | | | | | | | ________________________| | | |________________________ | | | | | | | | |______________________________| |______________________________| o---------------------------------------------------------------------------o | Platform: NES | | Version 1.0 (March 11, 2003) | | | | By Brian Sulpher & The Admiral | | Email: briansulpher@hotmail.com & Admiral1018@yahoo.com | o---------------------------------------------------------------------------o INTRODUCTION ------------ So many clichés jump to mind when thinking of Action 52: "They broke the mold with this one," "They just don't make them like they used to," and "One man's trash is another man's treasure." Action 52 is a terrible game, by any standards, and no one will ever tell you otherwise. In fact, the sole reason that this guide exists and that you are likely reading it is because Action 52 is so astoundingly bad that you almost need to see it to believe it. It's not just bad based on a few gamers' experiences, either. The game was a complete scam, released by a phantom company at an initial price of $200. Action 52 was sold under the guise of "52 games for less than $4 each," but even this statement relies on a very loose interpretation of the word "games." Nearly every single one of the 52 games is loaded with bugs or glitches. Some games don't start, some freeze or crash moments after loading, and many are just clones of other games with different colors and sprites. The story of Action 52 is probably more interesting than the game itself, and this guide dedicates a section to the folly that was Active Enterprises and the game that has become their legacy. Even after all that, there's something strangely attractive about this game. It's drawn enough attention among a dedicated enough circle that it's a veritable cult classic in the making. When you relax all your standards of what a game should be and just take it for what it is, you can actually have quite a bit of fun "playing" Action 52. This guide, while keeping in the that spirit of fun, offers a very in-depth look at the workings of each game, from the initial storyline presented in the manual down to the individual glitches that will end your gaming adventures. Hopefully, this guide will enhance whatever fun Action 52 affords you, letting you experience one of the most unique games ever made to its fullest. Yeah, they just don't make them like they used to. And Active Enterprises sure broke the mold with this one. ============================================================================= D I S C L A I M E R ACT0A ============================================================================= This FAQ is meant for personal use only and cannot be reproduced or redistributed for commercial usage under any circumstances. No portions of this guide may be reprinted, in part or in entirety, without the expressed, written consent of the authors. If you would like to use any part of this guide in your FAQ or on your website, we will probably give you permission if you ask, but you must ask first (Email: briansulpher@hotmail.com or admiral1018@yahoo.com). The Action 52 title and all characters, games, and contents within are copyright of Active Enterprises, 1991. ============================================================================= T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S ACT0B ============================================================================= To jump to any section of this guide quickly, click the Edit option on the toolbar, then go to Find and type in the index number listed in the right column. You can also press Crtl+F to bring up the search box in most browsers and text editors. The index codes for all game are ACT## where ## is the number of the game. Codes for all other sections, including the games, can be found below. INTRODUCTION DISCLAIMER..............................................................ACT0A TABLE OF CONTENTS.......................................................ACT0B EMULATORS...............................................................ACT0C GAME WALKTHROUGHS.......................................................ACT00 1. FIRE BREATHER........................................................ACT01 2. STAREVIL.............................................................ACT02 3. ILLUMINATOR..........................................................ACT03 4. G-FORCE..............................................................ACT04 5. OOZE.................................................................ACT05 6. SILVER SWORD.........................................................ACT06 7. CRITICAL BYPASS......................................................ACT07 8. JUPITER SCOPE........................................................ACT08 9. ALFREDO..............................................................ACT09 10. OPERATION FULL MOON.................................................ACT10 11. DAM BUSTERS.........................................................ACT11 12. THRUSTERS...........................................................ACT12 13. HAUNTED HILL........................................................ACT13 14. CHILL OUT...........................................................ACT14 15. SHARKS..............................................................ACT15 16. MEGALONIA...........................................................ACT16 17. FRENCH BAKER........................................................ACT17 18. ATMOS QUAKE.........................................................ACT18 19. MEONG...............................................................ACT19 20. SPACE DREAMS........................................................ACT20 21. STREEMERZ...........................................................ACT21 22. SPREAD FIRE.........................................................ACT22 23. BUBBLEGUM ROSY......................................................ACT23 24. MICRO MIKE..........................................................ACT24 25. UNDERGROUND.........................................................ACT25 26. ROCKET JOCK.........................................................ACT26 27. NON HUMAN...........................................................ACT27 28. CRY BABY............................................................ACT28 29. SLASHERS............................................................ACT29 30. CRAZY SHUFFLE.......................................................ACT30 31. FUZZ POWER..........................................................ACT31 32. SHOOTING GALLERY....................................................ACT32 33. LOLLIPOPS...........................................................ACT33 34. EVIL EMPIRE.........................................................ACT34 35. SOMBREROS...........................................................ACT35 36. STORM OVER THE DESERT...............................................ACT36 37. MASH MAN............................................................ACT37 38. THEY CAME...........................................................ACT38 39. LAZER LEAGUE........................................................ACT39 40. BILLY BOB...........................................................ACT40 41. CITY OF DOOM........................................................ACT41 42. BITS AND PIECES.....................................................ACT42 43. BEEPS AND BLIPS.....................................................ACT43 44. MANCHESTER..........................................................ACT44 45. BOSS................................................................ACT45 46. DEDANT..............................................................ACT46 47. HAMBOS ADVENTURES...................................................ACT47 48. TIME WARP...........................................................ACT48 49. JIGSAW..............................................................ACT49 50. NINJA ASSAUL........................................................ACT50 51. ROBBIE ROBOT........................................................ACT51 52. CHEETAHMEN..........................................................ACT52 ACTION 52 DRINKING GAME.................................................ACT0D CONTACT INFORMATION.....................................................ACT0E REVISION HISTORY........................................................ACT0F CREDITS.................................................................ACT0G ============================================================================= E M U L A T O R S ACT0C ============================================================================= Action 52 performs very differently on many emulators. Some will not run Action 52 at all, some will not run all the games, and some run the games with limited performance. For technical reference, Action 52 uses Mapper 228, and any emulator which does not support this one cannot load the game. Please note that this guide does not provide links to any ROM images of Action 52, nor will such files be provided if you contact the authors. This guide assumes that you own the cart and are playing the ROM legally from an image you flashed yourself. The following section includes a list of which emulators best play this game, based on the most recent versions at the time of this guide's completion. If we have excluded any worthwhile emulators or new releases which handle this game differently, please contact us. RockNESX (v2.0): Performance-wise, this was the best all around emulator we found. It has near flawless graphics and sound emulation, controller support, easy to use save state features, and options that allow you to adjust the graphics, sound, and color palette to best suit your tastes. The only downside is that this emulator, like many, will not play Alfredo or Jigsaw. NESten (v0.61, with v1.2 Mappers): This was the only emulator we found that could run all games on the ROM flawlessly, even ones that the actual cart couldn't load. This includes Alfredo and Jigsaw. The graphics and audio performance are not as good as RockNES or a few other emulators, but they are more than sufficient. It also does not have a true full-screen mode, which doesn't help. The main drawback of this emulator is that save stage reloads are always glitched. You can still play, but the graphics are garbled. This problem will be fixed if you lose a life, complete the current stage, or switch games. NNNesterJ (v0.23): Good emulator with multiple graphics options that allow for smoothing, which is noticeable in most Action 52 titles. Controller support and sound emulation are also very good, but this emulator cannot play Alfredo or Jigsaw. FCE Ultra (v0.81): This emulator has decent performance with good sound emulation, but the graphics settings get lost in the transition to full- screen mode and become jagged. This emulator also has the common issue of being unable to fun Alfredo and Jigsaw. Nester (v2001.01.27): Cannot run Action 52 NESticle (vx.xx): Cannot run Action 52 VirtuaNES (v0.74): Cannot run Action 52 JNES (v0.50): Cannot run Action 52 ============================================================================= G A M E W A L K T H R O U G H S ACT00 ============================================================================= The following sections give full descriptions or walkthroughs for all 52 games on the Action 52 cart. Each section gives a the game's description from the instruction manual, a general overview, controls listing, tips and strategies, tactics for facing enemies and obstacles, and a discussion of some of the bugs and glitches. Some of the more complex games include stage overviews of walkthroughs, depending on the level of detail. These instructions and strategies will hopefully guide you through any problematic sections of the game (or let you know if this is even possible). If you spot any errors or areas you think could be improved, please contact the authors. Good luck in your Action 52 endeavors! ============================================================================= 01. F I R E B R E A T H E R ACT01 ============================================================================= "It's the last of the dragon wars. You must kill the dragon riders in the midnight skies and bring victory to the kingdom." OVERVIEW -------- This game is a Two Player game that has each player in the control of their own Dragon. You will try to knock your opposition from the sky by pelting their Dragon with enough fireballs to cause it fall from the sky. Remember that the levels allow for wrapping around provided no obstacles block the path through. First Player to get more victories out of the eight matches will be the champion of the Fire Breather duels! This is the only decent Two Player experience on the cartridge, but that isn't saying much. CONTROLS -------- UP/DOWN: Moves your Dragon up and down. LEFT/RIGHT: Moves your Dragon left and right. A-BUTTON: Shoots fireballs from your Dragon's mouth. B-BUTTON: Not used. OBSTACLES AND ENEMIES --------------------- 1. Fireballs will just spin in place waiting for someone to run into them. They can be removed with a fireball of your own. 2. Moving objects will appear and try to hunt your Dragon down. They can be removed with a fireball of your own. STAGE OVERVIEW -------------- 1. The first level is wide open, with one castle blocking off part of the top right quadrant. 2. The second level is another wide open level, but it has one castle blocking off the top left quadrant. 3. The third level is a completely wide open level. 4. The fourth level is rather wide open, but it does have a castle in the bottom right quadrant. 5. The fifth level is rather wide open, but it does have a castle in the bottom right quadrant. 6. The sixth level is a completely wide open level. 7. The seventh level has many small blocks strewn about to try and cut your flight paths off. 8. The eighth level has a windy wall all along the bottom of the screen as well as large thick wall on the left half of the screen. ============================================================================= 02. S T A R E V I L ACT02 ============================================================================= "The star gets brighter until there is no night. Then the fire creatures come out to rule and defeat you, but kill them all and bring back the night." OVERVIEW -------- The game's description makes no sense at all, but Starevil is a typical space shooter. You control a pod-like ship that fires projectile "bars" at enemies, as you fly through three vertically scrolling stages. The graphics and play control are actually decent by Action 52 standards, but, as you'd expect, the gameplay is pretty limited. Most enemies look like your ship or some variation of your ship via a little uninspired palette swapping. The AI is also close to non-existent, as the enemies don't do much more than fly forward, occasionally moving diagonally in some direction. Nothing shoots at you or really presents much of an obstacle. The biggest roadblock is trying to avoid crashing into walls or dying from the horrid hit detection. CONTROLS -------- UP/DOWN: Moves your ship forwards and backwards. LEFT/RIGHT: Moves your ship left and right. A-BUTTON: Shoots projectiles from the ship. Holding down the A-Button will fire a constant projectile screen, but not as fast as you could by tapping the button yourself. B-BUTTON: Not used. OBSTACLES AND ENEMIES --------------------- 1. SHIPS (100-500 PTS): This game has an assortment of green and red enemy ships that attack you. There isn't really much difference between any of them, except that some move a little faster and some can veer left or right. Most will just fly straight at you and the right on past you. None of the ships fire projectiles of any kind. 2. BOSS SHIP: Large, red ship that guards the end of stages 1 and 2. It moves quickly around the screen in straight lines, seemingly independent of where you are (ah, the amazing AI at work). This foe takes a few dozen hits to dispatch, but is hardly much of a threat it all. It also does not fire any projectiles. 3. WALLS AND BLOCKS: These include the blocks and obstacles scattered around the screen, as well as the edges of the screen. Touching and of these will likely kill you. TIPS AND STRATEGIES ------------------- 1. At the start of each stage, there is a block directly in front of your ship that will typically kill you within a second. Be prepared the fly left or right to dodge it, or you'll be in for a quick game (like this would be a bad thing...) 2. The vertical hit detection is extremely poor. If there is a block or wall even half a ship length in front of or behind you, you will hit it and most likely be killed. Keep this in mind when flying. The horizontal hit detection (side-to-side) seems to be much more accurate. 3. You actually have a life bar in this game –- found on the lower-left side of the screen. It helps protect you from enemy collisions and *slight* touches against walls and blocks. 4. It makes sense to stay against the bottom of the screen at all times. This gives you the most time to react to obstacles, and there is no fear of anything coming from behind and killing you. BUGS AND GLITCHES ----------------- 1. You can be killed by blocks/walls that you don't even touch. This only seems to happen when you get close to obstacles directly in front of or behind you. 2. The game has no end. Stage 3 reaches a point where the scrolling stops and enemies just keep appearing forever. OBJECTIVE --------- Make your way through three scrolling space stages, defeating the boss at the end of each one. You have 4 lives to complete this game, and dying sends you back to the start of the stage. You also have a life bar that offers you a slight bit of protection from enemies and obstacles. ============== STAGE OVERVIEW ============== Stage 1: Gold, red, and blue background. As soon as you begin, move your ship to the right. There is a block just before the start of the stage that will kill you otherwise (nice way of Action 52 to "add" a challenge). After this point, the level is pretty easy. You can more or less remain in the center of the screen and continuously fire. Enemies do their part to stay away from you, so they shouldn't pose much threat. There is a boss at the end of the stage that is moderately difficult. It will fly forward and try to make contact with you, but moves about somewhat erratically. Try to stay near the center of the screen and keep your distance from the boss. If you patiently wait for your opening to fire, the fight should be over in about 30 seconds. Stage 2: Red, white, and blue background. Same cheap trick as at the start of stage 1, only more annoying. You'll need to be holding LEFT as soon as the level start, otherwise your ship will smash into a pair of blocks. This level has a series of "block traps" scattered throughout, which are arrangements of blocks that you will need to zigzag between. The end boss is the same as in stage 1. Again, try to stay near the middle of the screen and fire when given the opportunity. It's more important to keep your space and stay alive than to get a few extra hits off, so try to remain patient. Stage 3: Brown, red, and blue background. Another cheap trick at the start, though this one gives you some time to react. Overall, this level is probably easier to navigate than the previous one, as the passages are more open and the blocks are farther apart. The enemies, however, are noticeably quicker. Still, not a threat. As you would expect, Starevil's major glitch takes effect about half way through the level. The scrolling just stops, and you are left on a screen with continuous enemies and nothing else. No matter how many you kill, you can never advance beyond this point. Even if you cheat to get to the next level (through Game Genie or hacking), there is nothing programmed. Starevil was never meant to go beyond stage 3. Too bad. This game was verging on only "poor," but this glitch bumps it back down to "terrible." ============================================================================= 03. I L L U M I N A T O R ACT03 ============================================================================= "The Illuminator must find his sister in the dark. He must also find batteries if his get weak and can use a special spotlight to kill the enemies. Can also get additional flashlights, but he must be careful of enemies like shadows, vampires and others." OVERVIEW -------- You run around the multi-floored levels attempting to zap any enemies you can find. The catch is that the levels are dark except for when you burn an enemy to a crisp, which lights the level for about a second or two. You will use ladders to move up and down to get your enemies, with only the floors and enemies being visible. Take them out with extreme prejudice! The Levels will be covering to level ten, but they may go further. However, for my own sanity, that is as far as I am going to play this game. CONTROLS -------- UP/DOWN: Moves your character up and down ladders. LEFT/RIGHT: Moves your character left and right. A-BUTTON: Shoots an electrical charge at the opposition. B-BUTTON: Causes a jump when your character is stuck in the floor. OBSTACLES AND ENEMIES --------------------- 1. Vampires just move back and forth across the screen trying to run you down. 2. Shadow Walkers also just move back and forth across the screen trying to run you down. 3. Shadows stand in place trying to hide in the dark to pick you off as you walk around. 4. Bats will relentlessly hunt you. Get to the bottom floor of the level where you wait till they draw near, at which point you go through the wrap around wall to get rid of them (they crash to ground). They can be shot, but this is exceptionally hard to do. TIPS AND STRATEGIES ------------------- 1. Stick to guarding one or two floors at all times until you have to go get the other floors when enemy stocks are running low. 2. Keep a sharp eye out for Bats as they can really hurt your progress with their speed and ability to home directly in on you. 3. Partially climb a ladder when you have to get up/down to the floor with an enemy with a small route to patrol so you will have better chance of killing instead of being killed. 4. In later levels, make sure that no Shadows are standing over the tops of ladders when you use a save state (if you use an emulator) or you will have to sacrifice a life because level is impossible to defeat if this occurs. STAGE OVERVIEW -------------- ========= Level One ========= ||| ||| ||| ||| ||| ||| ||| ||| |||------+--+--------------------------------------------------||| |||------+--+--------------------------------------------------||| ||| +--+ ||| ||| +--+ ||| ||| +--+ ||| ||| +--+ ||| |||------+--+----------------------------------------+--+------||| |||--------------------------------------------------+--+------||| ||| +--+ ||| ||| +--+ ||| ||| +--+ ||| ||| +--+ ||| |||------+--+----------------------------------------+--+------||| |||------+--+--------------------------------------------------||| ||| +--+ ||| ||| +--+ ||| ||| +--+ ||| ||| +--+ ||| |||------+--+------------------+--+----------------------------||| |||----------------------------+--+----------------------------||| ||| +--+ ||| ||| +--+ ||| ||| +--+ ||| ||| +--+ ||| -------------------------------+--+------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------ -Just watch the ladders to tell when it is safe to climb up to next level to make a kill. -Walls prevent you from wrapping around. ========= Level Two ========= ---------------------------------------------+--+------------------- ---------------------------------------------+--+------------------- +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ ------+--+-----------------------------------+--+------------------- ------+--+---------------------------------------------------------- +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ ------+--+------------------+--+------------------------------------ ----------------------------+--+------------------------------------ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ ----------------------------+--+--------------------------+--+------ ----------------------------------------------------------+--+------ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ ----------------------------------------------------------+--+------ -------------------------------------------------------------------- -Just watch the ladders to tell when it is safe to climb up to next level to make a kill. -No walls mean you can wrap around to the far side of the screen. =========== Level Three =========== ||| ||| ||| ||| ||| ||| ||| ||| |||------+--+------------------+--+----------------------------||| |||------+--+------------------+--+----------------------------||| ||| +--+ +--+ ||| ||| +--+ +--+ ||| ||| +--+ +--+ ||| ||| +--+ +--+ ||| |||------+--+----------+--+----+--+----- ---------+--+------||| |||--------------------+--+------------- ---------+--+------||| ||| +--+ +--+ ||| ||| +--+ +--+ ||| ||| +--+ +--+ ||| ||| +--+ +--+ ||| |||-----------+--+-----+--+--------+--+--------------+--+------||| |||-----------+--+-----------------+--+------------------------||| ||| +--+ +--+ ||| ||| +--+ +--+ ||| ||| +--+ +--+ ||| ||| +--+ +--+ ||| |||------- +--+-----+--+--------+--+----------+--+----------||| |||------- ---------+--+----------------------+--+----------||| ||| +--+ +--+ ||| ||| +--+ +--+ ||| ||| +--+ +--+ ||| ||| +--+ +--+ ||| |||--------------------+--+----------------------+--+----------||| |||------------------------------------------------------------||| -Just watch the ladders to tell when it is safe to climb up to next level to make a kill. -Falling through a hole will result in your death, so be sure to avoid the holes at all costs. -Walls prevent you from wrapping around. ========== Level Four ========== ------------ --------------- ---------------------+--+------ ------------ --------------- ---------------------+--+------ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+---------------------------------- --------------+--+------ +--+---------------------------------- ------------------------ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+--------------------+--+----------------- ----------------- ------------------------+--+----------------- ----------------- +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ ---------- ----------+--+----------------------------+--+------ ---------- ------------------------------------------+--+------ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ --------------------------------------------------------+--+------ ------------------------------------------------------------------ -Just watch the ladders to tell when it is safe to climb up to next level to make a kill. -Falling through a hole will result in your death, so be sure to avoid the holes at all costs. -No walls mean you can wrap around to the far side of the screen. ========== Level Five ========== --------------- ------------------ ------------ ------+--+ --------------- ------------------ ------------ ------+--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+----------- ---------------------- ------------------+--+ +--+----------- ---------------------- ---------------------- +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+----------------------------- --------------------------+--+ --------------------------------- --------------------------+--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ --------------- ------+--+---------------- --------------+--+ --------------- ------+--+---------------- ------------------ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ -------------------------+--+-------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------- -Just watch the ladders to tell when it is safe to climb up to next level to make a kill. -Falling through a hole will result in your death, so be sure to avoid the holes at all costs. -No walls mean you can wrap around to the far side of the screen. -You will need to use your mini-hop on this level. ========= Level Six ========= ---------------------------------------+--+------------------------ ---------------------------------------+--+------------------------ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+-----------------------------------+--+------------------------ +--+--------------------------------------------------------------- +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+-----------------------------------+--+------------------------ ---------------------------------------+--+------------------------ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+-----------------------------------+--+------------------------ +--+--------------------------------------------------------------- +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+--------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------- -Just watch the ladders to tell when it is safe to climb up to next level to make a kill. -No walls mean you can wrap around to the far side of the screen. -You can collect the batteries strewn about the level. =========== Level Seven =========== ------ ------+--+---------- ------+--+----------------------- ------ ------+--+---------- ------+--+----------------------- +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ ------ ------+--+--- --+--+-- --+--+----------------------- ------ ------------- --+--+-- ----------------------------- +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ -------------------- ----+--+-- ----------------+--+--------- -------------------- ---------- ----------------+--+--------- +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ ----------------+--+------ --------+--+------------+--+--------- ----------------+--+------ --------+--+------------------------- +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ ----------------+--+------ --------+--+------------------------- -------------------------- ------------------------------------- -Just watch the ladders to tell when it is safe to climb up to next level to make a kill. -Falling through a hole will result in your death, so be sure to avoid the holes at all costs. -No walls mean you can wrap around to the far side of the screen. -You will need to use your mini-hop on this level. =========== Level Eight =========== ------------- -------------------- -----------------+--+------ ------------- -------------------- -----------------+--+------ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ ---+--+------------------- -------------- ----------+--+------ ---+--+------------------- -------------- -------------------- +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ ---+--+---------- ----------------------- ----------+--+------ ----------------- ----------------------- ----------+--+------ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ ---+--+----------------------- ------------------------+--+------ ---+--+----------------------- ---------------------------------- +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ ---+--+--------------------------------- ------------------------ ---------------------------------------- ------------------------ -Just watch the ladders to tell when it is safe to climb up to next level to make a kill. -Falling through a hole will result in your death, so be sure to avoid the holes at all costs. -No walls mean you can wrap around to the far side of the screen. ========== Level Nine ========== ---------------+--+------------------------------------------------- ---------------+--+------------------------------------------------- +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ ---+--+--------+--+------------------------------------------------- ---+--+------------------------------------------------------------- +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ ---+--+--------------------------+--+------------------------------- ---------------------------------+--+------------------------------- +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ ---------------------------------+--+--------------------+--+------- ---------------------------------------------------------+--+------- +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ ---------------------------------------------------------+--+------- -------------------------------------------------------------------- -Just watch the ladders to tell when it is safe to climb up to next level to make a kill. -No walls mean you can wrap around to the far side of the screen. ========= Level Ten ========= ---------------------------------+--+------------------+--+--------- ---------------------------------+--+------------------+--+--------- +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ ---+--+--------------------------+--+------------------+--+--------- ---+--+------------------------------------------------------------- +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ ---+--+------------------------------------------------------+--+--- -------------------------------------------------------------+--+--- +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ ---------------------------------+--+------------------------+--+--- ---------------------------------+--+------------------------------- +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ ---------------------------------+--+------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------- -Just watch the ladders to tell when it is safe to climb up to next level to make a kill. -No walls mean you can wrap around to the far side of the screen. ============================================================================= 04. G - F O R C E F I G H T E R ACT04 ============================================================================= "Watch your fuel level. Use it wisely and escape the force that holds you. The enemies are strong but the G-Force of the planet will take us as we get powerless." OVERVIEW -------- Fly your Fighter Jet through the narrow corridor as you fight off enemies. As you kill enough enemies, you will progress to the next level, but if you take too long or take too much damage, your energy will run and low and your Fighter Jet will be blown apart! Good Luck pilot. CONTROLS -------- UP/DOWN: Moves your Ship up and down. LEFT/RIGHT: Moves your Ship left and right. A-BUTTON: Shoots ammunition rounds from your Ship's cannon. B-BUTTON: Not used. OBSTACLES AND ENEMIES --------------------- 1. The enemies will fly straight at your Fighter Jet, and if they make it past you to the edge of the screen on the left, they will fire missiles going to the right. These missiles will often die out before they go too far, but they will usually go far enough right to get your Fighter Jet. 2. The enemies that you have seen fly by will reappear flying at the same altitude and the same formations as before. TIPS AND STRATEGIES ------------------- 1. Only shoot when you have an enemy lined up. Since your Fighter Jet is limited to one bullet on the screen at a time, you do not want to have stray shots not allowing you to shoot the approaching group of enemies fighters. 2. Try to be aggressive on one half of the screen only. If you try to fight too large an area, you will end up running into the oppositions fighters more often than when you shoot them. ============================================================================= 05. O O Z E ACT05 ============================================================================= "Avoid the green ooze." OVERVIEW -------- You are a small, green Mohawk-sporting tough guy who has a slime wrecking gun in his holster. You must make your way through the various worlds killing off enemies and making sure to avoid the Ooze (puddles of it will bound at you). Good luck to you on your adventure, even though it is a terrible game due to god awful design flaws. CONTROLS -------- UP/DOWN: Not used. LEFT/RIGHT: Moves your character left and right. A-BUTTON: Shoots bullets from your sidearm. B-BUTTON: Causes your character to jump. OBSTACLES AND ENEMIES --------------------- 1. Ooze are large blue puddles will bounce their way across the screen (from right to left) without worry as they are invulnerable. 2. Slimes are two versions of this enemy. One sits in place, firing shots at you occasionally, and the other bounds back and forth while popping off the odd shot. TIPS AND STRATEGIES ------------------- 1. Shoot as many Slimes as you go across the screen. This will lessen the amount of projectiles you will need to dodge. 2. If you see the Ooze coming after you, try to get onto a ledge in the air. If you can do this, you will be able to dodge the deadly charge of the Ooze. 3. If you use an emulator and save states (most people have to), some areas of the game can be defeated when normally they can not. You will often run into an area where the Ooze attacks and you have no ledge to hide on. If you saved just previously to this area, keep reloading as necessary to keep respawning the enemies until the Ooze does not spawn in that area. BUGS AND GLITCHES ----------------- 1. Oozes will sometimes appear in areas where it is not possible to get onto a platform. This means that you will be unable to pass over the Ooze in certain parts of some levels. 2. Sometimes the Slimes will be hopping back and forth along their patrol routes, which will cause a problem as the Slimes will often hit your guy with a projectile of their own. ============================================================================= 06. S I L V E R S W O R D ACT06 ============================================================================= "Mutants in the forest and the must be fought off." OVERVIEW -------- A romp through the forest by you, a brave knight of some kingdom (you never really find out) to rid the world of the terrible mutants that dwell within the trees. You will do this by throwing your seemingly inexhaustible supply of Silver Swords, but it will not be so easy. The enemies will show up in groups of two to four at a time, which can be quite deadly to you. Be careful, Sir Knight! CONTROLS -------- UP/DOWN: Moves your character up and down. LEFT/RIGHT: Moves your character left and right. A-BUTTON: Shoots your Silver Swords at the mutant in the forests. B-BUTTON: Not used. OBSTACLES AND ENEMIES --------------------- There three types of enemies to be faced, and they are: 1. Non-projectile enemies will move around the screen in an attempt to run you down. 2. Projectile using enemies will come on screen and strafe around you shooting solo shots at you. 3. Multi-projectile using enemies will come on screen and strafe around you shooting solo shots at you. TIPS AND STRATEGIES ------------------- 1. Advance forward slowly, taking out enemies one at a time. 2. If you are facing a projectile enemy, try to pick them off from a distance. It lessens your chance of getting hit. 3. On Level Two you can get in the second column from the right wall (imagine if you had a twin walking between you and the wall), and when you are there, run forward at top speed while firing your Silver Swords off at top speed. This will allow you to cover large parts of the level with minimal attacks from enemies. 4. You can often scroll enemies off the screen if they are near the bottom of the screen. This will rid yourself of one less threat periodically. STAGE OVERVIEW -------------- 1. Level One is mostly a forest with a few boulders thrown in. More than half the enemies will be non-projectile enemies, but the area you can walk in is quite limited. 2. Level Two is a rock filled pass with a few sections of heavy boulder walls bottle-necking the walkable areas. The enemies are split into 50/50 groups of projectiles and non-projectiles enemies. 3. Level Three is a mix of the first two levels. The area begins with heavy amounts of non-projectile enemies rushing you, and switch to many projectile enemies later on. ============================================================================= 07. C R Y T I C A L B Y P A S S ACT07 ============================================================================= "You have got to land with your valuable cargo, but the intense gravitational pull on this planet is treacherous. You must initiate landing procedures defeat this gravity problem and save your cargo." OVERVIEW -------- A top view shooter that moves from left to right. You shoot enemies as you make progress to the end of the level. Good luck Pilot as you will face heavy resistance to your invasion of air space (with nearly impossible controls to counter this of course). Avoid this one is my advice to you. CONTROLS -------- UP/DOWN: Moves your ship up and down. LEFT/RIGHT: Moves your ship left and right. A-BUTTON: Shoots your ammunition rounds out of your Ship's Cannons. B-BUTTON: Not used. OBSTACLES AND ENEMIES --------------------- 1. Enemy Ships will attack you as you right the gravity pulling you to the ground below. 2. Tall Blocks can also hit your ship, causing severe damage. TIPS AND STRATEGIES ------------------- 1. Try to get enemies to come at you from the above or the front. These are the easiest locations from which to deal with them. 2. Try to avoid or shoot the squares on the ground as soon as possible. It is difficult to deal with the enemies and these obstacles as your ship flies counter maneuvers to enemy attacks. 3. Keep your firing direction forward as much as possible to clear your flight path. This will prolong the life of your ship. BUGS AND GLITCHES ----------------- 1. Your shots have a slight delay to them. This makes it exceptionally difficult to take out closing targets with any degree of accuracy. 2. Occasionally, the game will allow your ship to hit a block in your path and remain in flight (this should destroy your ship). ============================================================================= 08. J U P I T E R S C O P E ACT08 ============================================================================= "At first we saw one or two fall and thought nothing of it, never thinking it could result in a Meteor shower. Using the "Star-Zap" Laser we shoot them out of the sky, before they collide with things, but the meteor shower gets more intense." OVERVIEW -------- There is a meteor shower that apparently only drops meteors within a one screen area, and it's your job to destroy them all or else... well, or else nothing. You don't actually need to destroy the meteors, nor are you penalized for any that get by. Jupiter Scope is a stationary shooter, and your goal is to destroy the meteors that fall vertically downward. These meteors move slow enough that they present hardly any threat, and only the lethargic movement of your "Star-Zap" Laser adds any challenge. While the meteors do move faster at later stages, the tedium remains quite constant throughout. CONTROLS -------- UP/DOWN: Moves your Laser forwards and backwards. LEFT/RIGHT: Moves your Laser left and right. A-BUTTON: Shoots projectiles from the Laser. Holding down the A-Button will fire a constant projectile screen, but not as fast as you could by tapping the button yourself. B-BUTTON: Not used. OBSTACLES AND ENEMIES --------------------- 1. FALLING METEOR (100 PTS): The meteors are your only obstacle in this game. They appear randomly in the sky and fall straight down, with speeds varying by stage. TIPS AND STRATEGIES ------------------- 1. Not really anything tricky about this game. Just don't go too far out of your way to blast a meteor, or you end up hitting it instead. The Star- Zap Laser isn't very maneuverable. BUGS AND GLITCHES ----------------- 1. After completing the seventh stage, the game just sends you back to the first one. There is no ending or other acknowledgement that you've completed the game. OBJECTIVE --------- You have 3 lives to defeat as many meteors as you can an progress through the stages. You move to the next stage after defeating a set number of meteors without dying. As the levels advance, the meteors become quicker. Here is the listing of how many "kills" are required to advance past the given stage. Level 1: 20 kills Level 2: 30 kills Level 3: 40 kills Level 4: 50 kills Level 5: 60 kills Level 6: 50 kills Level 7: 60 kills (back to stage 1) This count resets when you die. Also, when you go from stage 8 to stage 1, your point total remains intact but the levels are identical otherwise. ============================================================================= 09. A L F R E D O ACT09 ============================================================================= "The pasta has gotten out of control, and you've got to race the clock and get the spaghetti, linguine and other pasta back into the pot where it belongs." OVERVIEW -------- Most likely, you won't even get far enough to experience the culinary joy that is Alfredo. This game only seems to load one emulator, at least as of the date this guide was written. See the "Emulators" section for more details. If you can get it started, Alfredo (a.k.a Alfredo and the Fettuccini's) is a typical side-scroller with decent graphics and the usually poor play control. You play as a stereotypically Italian chef, whose objective is to "flatten" all the various pasta that have escaped with some sort of cooking ladle. Unlike the game's description says, there is no clock to race against and no pot to put the pasta in. To make up for it, the game treats you to all sorts of delicious bugs and glitches, such as the "invisible block" bug, the "fall into pits and don't die" feature, and the delectable "random freeze in stage 3" glitch. Get your palate ready for the best damn pasta-based scroller ever created by Active Enterprises! CONTROLS -------- UP/DOWN: Not used LEFT/RIGHT: Moves the character left and right. You can also move while jumping in mid-air. A-BUTTON: Pounds the ground with your chef's ladle. Repeatedly pressing the A-Button as you fall lets you "glide" down from your jumps. B-BUTTON: Used to jump. While in mid-air, you can press LEFT or RIGHT to glide down in that direction. OBSTACLES AND ENEMIES --------------------- Note that these are not the official names of these enemies. 1. FETTUCCINI: (100 PTS): Small, noodle-like pasta that run back and forth through the first two stages. They can be pretty difficult to avoid, and require a well timed attack to flatten. 2. RAVIOLI (50 PTS): Small, square-like pasta found in stages 2 and 3. Ravioli does nothing except remain stationary. Just pound it and move along. 3. LINGUINE (50 PTS): Has a Z-like shape and moves across the ground at blazing speeds. These stage 3 enemies are extremely deadly, and require a well timed pounding to flatten (no pun intended). 4. SPAGHETTI (50 PTS): Snake like pasta that doesn't move. Unlike the Ravioli, this enemy is too large to jump over. You will also find Spaghetti guarding the edges of pits, so be mindful to flatten them before jumping. BUGS AND GLITCHES ----------------- 1. The game doesn't start on the cart or in most emulators. See the "Emulators" section for a list of which ones can run this game. 2. Facing backwards and pressing the A-button will still cause you to attack forwards. 3. Many of the blocks that are supposed to be impassible can be walked through, as though they aren't there. This occurs mainly when there are adjacent raised blocks. 4. There is a cool glitch that let's you fall down pits and come flying down from the ceiling. As soon as you fall, start pressing the A-button as fast as you can. When you drop off the bottom of the screen, you will then reappear from the top, and "glide" down. You need to keep pressing the A-button, otherwise you will die in mid-air. Very nice glitch, indeed. 5. Near the end of stage 3, there are some pits that should kill you. Instead, you are able to stand on top of them as though there is a block underneath. 6. When dying near the middle to end of stage 3, the game may freeze. 7. After stage 3, the screen turns gray and the game freezes. You will need to reset it at this point. TIPS AND STRATEGIES ------------------- 1. Some of the pasta come racing towards you once they appear on the screen, and it's very likely that you won't have much time to react. You can improve your chances by "nudging" forward instead of walking continuously. 2. Some enemies guard the opposite side of pits blocking your way. In a few cases, these enemies are too far away to hit, yet do not allow you enough room to cross the pit to kill them. One cheap solution is to hit them while falling into the pit, then use the pit glitch (number 4 above) to survive. OBJECTIVE --------- You have only 2 lives to make it through 3 kitchen stages and flatten all the various pasta that come your way. Getting hit by anything will cost you a life, and you are returned to the beginning of the stage when killed. There are no end stage bosses of any kind. You just have to walk far enough and the next level will begin. ============== STAGE OVERVIEW ============== Stage 1: This first stage consists mainly of Fettuccini enemies, who rush towards you as soon as they appear. Spend some time near the beginning to get the timing of your ladle down. There is a noticeably long delay before attacking, and timing is often critical to surviving. It will benefit you a lot to advance slowly through stage 1, as to ensure you have enough time to respond to the enemies. Aside from this, the level doesn't have much else to offer. Stage 2: Not too different from stage 1. This level also introduces Ravioli enemies, which essentially do nothing. They don't move or attack you, but are often placed in annoying locations. The Fettuccini's have returned, and are interspersed with the Ravioli. Overall, this level is probably a little easier than the previous one, though also slightly longer. Stage 3: Stage 3 is tough, and not just because the game may randomly freeze when you die. The two enemies occupying this level are Linguine and Spaghetti. Linguine are blazingly fast versions of the Fettuccini from the previous stages. You often have no room for error when attacking them, as even a slight delay will mean your demise. There are also the Spaghetti enemies laying about, very similar to the Ravioli's. These foes are slightly larger than their stage 2 counterparts, and seem to be situated at very inconvenient locations. This level also sports more jumping obstacles than the previous ones do, but these aren't more than moderate challenges (especially given the pit bug). Stage 3 always ends with a frozen screen, which puts an abrupt end to any "fun" you may have been having. Time to reset and move on. ============================================================================= 10. O P E R A T I O N F U L L M O O N ACT10 ============================================================================= "Mission: Assault Luna Base 1; Drive your dune buggy through enemy territory, destroying all terrible occupants and establishments. Better look around real good and leave no moon-stone unturned." OVERVIEW -------- OFM (Operation Full Moon) is another vertical-scrolling shooter, though this one has an extremely imaginative twist: instead of flying aimlessly through space, you now drive aimlessly across the moon in a dune buggy! The levels are very realistic, too, with moonscapes going from tropical green to bright fuchsia. The description makes it seem like this game is an all out raid on some enemy moon base, but it's anything but. The only thing you'll encounter are turret guns that fire horizontally, offering no challenge whatsoever. Like with most games, the biggest obstacle in OFM is coping with the poor play control and trying not to hit the walls and platforms. CONTROLS -------- UP/DOWN: Moves your buggy forwards and backwards. LEFT/RIGHT: Moves your buggy left and right. A-BUTTON: Shoots projectiles from the buggy. Holding down the A-Button will fire a constant projectile screen, but not as fast as you could by tapping the button yourself. B-BUTTON: Not used. OBSTACLES AND ENEMIES --------------------- 1. TURRET GUNS (100 PTS): Turret guns are the only enemy you'll encounter on your trip across the lunar surface. They sit on top of platforms and fire bullets horizontally. Bullet speed increases with level. 2. WALLS AND BLOCKS: These include the blocks and obstacles scattered around the screen, as well as the edges of the screen. Touching one of these is truly the only threat in the game. TIPS AND STRATEGIES ------------------- 1. You have a hidden health bar in this game. You are allowed 3 hits from enemies and obstacles before dying. This includes hits from bullets and turrets, as well as *slight* contact with blocks and walls. This isn't as useful as it might sound, however, since nearly all of the danger comes from hitting blocks and walls. 2. A few of the stages have cheap traps at the start of the level. Be alert, or else you'll have lost a life before the stage screen even fades out. 3. Try to stay back as far as you can in this game. There is no penalty for doing so, and it allows you more time to respond to the terrain. BUGS AND GLITCHES ----------------- 1. After completing the eighth stage, the game just sends you back to the first one. There is no ending or other acknowledgement that you've completed the game. 2. The music seems to glitch when the game is paused, even more so than in other games. After unpausing, the foreground theme will disappear or the music will shut off completely. OBJECTIVE --------- Make your way through the 8 stages of the lunar surface on 4 lives. You have an invisible health bar that allows you to take up to 3 hits worth of damage from bullets and turrets. As always, dying sends you back to the beginning of the stage. ============== STAGE OVERVIEW ============== There isn't really too much variety in the levels. The main differences are that the background colors change and the turret's bullets speed up. Some areas have difficult block layouts and cheap surprises, and these are noted below. Stage 1: Light green background. Nothing much to say here. Take out the turrets on the sides of the screen, if you want. The block arrangement isn't too tricky, so it shouldn't be very tough to avoid them. Stage 2: Light blue background. Nearly identical to the first stage. The turrets are still laid out more or less along the sides of the screen, and they still pose little, if any, threat. The middle area of this level has a step-like block arrangement that can very rather tricky. Just move all the way to the left and try to squeeze through the opening near the last block. Stage 3: Orange background. This stage has a really cheap obstacle just after you start. As soon as the new stage screen fades out, move left or right immediately, otherwise you'll run right into a block and die. I guess this was the closest the programmers could come to emulating a challenge. Aside from this, Stage 3 does have a few trick block arrangements. All such obstacles are best passed on the left side of the screen. Stage 4: Yellowish-brown background. Yet another very cheap trick to start the level. There is a stair-like arrangement of blocks that you'll smack into unless you start the stage by moving all the way to the left. This level is probably the toughest one you'll face in this game. There several sequences of stair-like block layouts, which are probably the hardest type to pass. You will also notice, by now, that the enemy bullets have gotten considerably faster. Still, these pose only a marginal threat, at best. Stage 5: Tropical green background. There is no cheap trick at the start of this stage, nor really much else, for that matter. This level seems far easier and shorter than the last few. Stage 6: Light purple background. Not much, if at all, different from the previous stage. The bullets are now quick enough that you need to actively time your way past them, however. Stage 7: Hot pink background. More of the same. The last stage was copied and the color palette was changed. It seems like the programmers stopped putting in any effort (if you can even call it that) after the fourth stage. Stage 8: Light blue background. Very anti-climactic finish. Same as the previous level, with only a few obstacles modified slightly. Once you reach the end of this stage, you are returned to stage 1. Your point total is kept, but the game remains identical otherwise. ============================================================================= 11. D A M B U S T E R S ACT11 ============================================================================= "They are destroying everything and the only way to save the wildlife is to break the dam and let the water free." OVERVIEW -------- You must hustle out to fight off the animals that are enraged with thirst as you try to break the dam, although you never see a dam, although pools of water are readily apparent, thus rendering the point of the game useless. Anyway, fight off the animals as you make it through the two levels in the game to reappear at the start of level one once again (whoopity doo!). CONTROLS -------- UP/DOWN: Moves your character up and down. LEFT/RIGHT: Moves your character left and right. A-BUTTON: Shoots your weapon at the wild animals. B-BUTTON: Not used. TIPS AND STRATEGIES ------------------- 1. Enemies will throw projectiles at you, whether they are stationary or mobile. They can fire multiple shots at a time, so finish them off quickly. 2. Move quickly through the level as you fight. If you linger in an area too long, enemies on the screen will home in on you quickly with their shots, and randomly spawned enemies will appear to make you miserable. 3. With only two levels, you can be slightly careless and still "beat" this game. Go ahead and be a little reckless to increase your enjoyment of the gameplay. BUGS AND GLITCHES ----------------- 1. When you fire a shot up or down, it will lose it's line of fire if you move to the LEFT or to the RIGHT. This occurs because of the programming reading the bullets location as on a vertical path on the screen, instead of a specific spot in a level as a whole. ============================================================================= 12. T H R U S T E R S ACT12 ============================================================================= "You have right and left thrusters. Hit full speed and use laser canons to avoid the alien invasions in the galaxy." OVERVIEW -------- Yet another space shooter. Yet another substandard title. Thrusters is hardly a memorable game, and offers little variety from the dozens of other identical shooters on the Action 52 cart. You command a ship and... you fight a lot of enemies to... oh, who the hell knows. The game has no plot and crashes well before you can even get into things. You won't get more than half way into stage 2 before the game becomes unplayable, and the one and half stages you can play are virtually pointless. The enemies can literally be ignored with no consequence at all. Even if you do try attacking, your shots will likely go right through the enemies and have no effect. If you want a quick 2 minutes of gaming, Thrusters is the title of choice for you. CONTROLS -------- UP/DOWN: Moves your ship forwards and backwards. LEFT/RIGHT: Moves your ship left and right. A-BUTTON: Shoots projectiles from the ship. Holding down the A-Button will fire a constant projectile screen, but not as fast as you could by tapping the button yourself. B-BUTTON: Not used. OBSTACLES AND ENEMIES --------------------- 1. SHIPS (25-200 PTS): This game has a series of ships that all fly at you and fire bullets as they pass. Some are different sizes, but all are essentially the same. None of them possess much threat, and the different point awards are assigned for not explainable reason. 2. EDGES AND BLOCKS: These include the blocks scattered around the screen, as well as the edges of the screen. These aren't nearly as big of a threat as in other games. TIPS AND STRATEGIES ------------------- 1. Ignore the enemies. Really, that's all you need to do. Don't worry about killing them, as you probably won't hit them even if you try. Avoiding them lets you focus on avoiding the bullets and obstacles. BUGS AND GLITCHES ----------------- 1. Hit detection when shooting enemies is very poor. Your bullets will occasionally pass right through other ships, causing no damage. 2. Nice Action 52-style glitch in Stage 2. After about a minute or so into the level, the screen begins to flash like a disco dance. During this time, enemies stop appearing, the music ends, control of your ship becomes staggered, you cannot fire a projectile more than a ship length away, and things that otherwise killed you (like blocks) don't hurt you. If you happen to die (by touching the side of the screen), you reappear as this fragment of pieces, seemingly invincible. 3. Above glitch also happens randomly on some emulators just when dying. 4. Due to Stage 2 glitch, game is unplayable beyond that point. Very nice 4- minute title in this one. OBJECTIVE --------- You have 4 lives to make it through the first two stages, until the game glitches. Getting hit by enemies or blocks, or touching the edges of the screen, will kill you. You return to beginning of the level when killed in stage 1, and you crash the game when killed in stage 2. ============== STAGE OVERVIEW ============== Stage 1: Blue stars, blue blocks. There is nothing especially challenging about this level. The enemies do fire projectiles at you, but they move slow enough to avoid quite easily. You can realistically go the entire course of this stage without killing an enemy, and that may occur even if you aren't trying to do, given the terrible hit detection. Stage 2: Red stars, purple horseshoes (all you need to green clovers for a complete box of Lucky Charms). Take stage one, alter some of the colors, return the exact same enemies, and add an assload of glitches. You now have stage 2. There's really nothing different about this stage, except the bugs. Dying will often cause you to reappear as a mass of fragments, unable to do anything. Even without dying, you eventually reach a point where the screen starts to flash and the game becomes unplayable. This game is a strong contender for the "Acty" award of "Shortest Play Time Before a Major Glitch." Good luck, Thrusters! ============================================================================= 13. H A U N T E D H I L L ACT13 ============================================================================= "Ghosts and ghoulies are running loose in the cemetery. Get them all back to where they belong and end the chaos in the Halls of Wentworth." OVERVIEW -------- Enter the large-breasted heroine, who dares to defeat the undead creatures within the dungeon halls. You can tell Active Enterprises was going for sex appeal with this title. Haunted Hill (though there is no Hill, so it was probably going to be "Haunted Halls") is actually one of the more playable titles in Action 52. You defeat enemies by hurling miniature crucifixes at them as you journey through three side-scrolling levels (nice religious motif). As usual, this game is plagued by poor play control, so enemies will frequently appear from angles in which you cannot kill them (though they, of course, can kill you). Don't feel guilty at all about abusing the save state feature on this one -- the levels are ridiculously long, and the game always sends you to the start when you die. There is bound to be a glitch that kills you along the way, so save yourself the frustration. CONTROLS -------- UP/DOWN: Not used LEFT/RIGHT: Moves the character left and right. You can also move while jumping in mid-air, and this is necessary to make it across certain areas. A-BUTTON: Shoot a crucifix projectile at enemies, which travels across the screen. You can also fire while in mid-air. Your character cannot shoot any lower than her waist, so keep in mind that enemies traveling from below cannot be targeted. B-BUTTON: Used to jump. While in mid-air, you can press LEFT or RIGHT to glide down in that direction. TIPS AND STRATEGIES ------------------- 1. Your character has zero ability to survive falls. NEVER jump off a platform onto a lower level. Always fall off by walking horizontally. 2. If you see an enemy approaching from below, try jumping up a few times. The targeting AI will tell the enemy to move up at this same point, possible allowing you to kill it with the crucifix. 3. In sections with spiders, you can often make your life easier by waiting a few moments after they first appear. Usually, several of the spiders will disappear off the screen, making it easier to pass BUGS AND GLITCHES ----------------- 1. Due to poor enemy placement (spider spawning location, enemy starting point), some areas of the game are impossible to pass without dying. Luckily, enemy appearance locations are randomly chosen each time you enter a screen. 2. After completing the third stage, the game just sends you back to the first one. There is no ending or other acknowledgement that you've completed the game. OBJECTIVE --------- Make your way past the ghouls and ghosts and defeat the giant Spider boss guarding each of the game's three levels. After defeating the boss of stage 3, the game just sends you back to stage 1. You have 3 lives to beat the game, otherwise you return to stage 1. Getting hit by anything –- ghosts, "lava" floors, ceiling chains, spiders -– will kill you, sending you back to the start of the level. ======================== HAUNTED HILL WALKTHROUGH ======================== Stage 1 ------- The first stage is pretty basic. For some unexplained reason, you begin in a blue-stoned dungeon, and are attacked by ghosts, skulls, and red and white ghouls. From the start, just walk forward normally, jumping over the pitfalls and stopping to kill anything that might be chasing you. Ghosts that appear above eye-level are easier to take out by jumping and shooting, so you might want to use this approach. When you get to the part of the dungeon with overhead chains, be careful to avoid jumping into them. They will kill you, of course, since we all know that hanging chains are extremely lethal. Right near the end of the first stage, a patch of pink bubbles will appear on the floor. This is probably supposed to be lava or something, but just keep in mind that it will kill you if you walk onto it. Just after this pink patch, a giant spider boss will appear. Jump back over the pink bubbles and stand beneath the cob webs on the ceiling. From here, you can hit the giant spider without fear of being damaged. The spider can be either at an eye-level or an elevated position. When it's down, you can hit it by simply firing crucifixes across the screen. When it's up, you'll need to jump and fire from the peep of the jump to hit it. Most of the time, the spider will just sit there doing nothing, so don't anticipate any sort of challenge. It will take about 48 hits to end the fight, so get ready to spend a few minutes annoyingly tapping the A-button. Stage 2 ------- The second stage is much more annoying than the first. Most of the level is filled with vertically moving spiders, which make it next to impossible to pass by. You can't kill the spiders, but they will often disappear on their own if you wait long enough. The spiders' appearance is entirely random each time the screen loads, and it's very possible to get a pattern that makes it impossible to pass (what a shock). Just prepare to be frustrated in advance. This level also introduces platforms, which you will need to jump between in order to cross vast areas of "lava." Be warned that you can never jump onto a lower platform and survive –- you will die in mid-air if you try to do this. Just fall onto lower ones by walking off the higher ones. The key to making it through this level is patience. Watch the patterns of the spiders, and figure when the best time to go is, as well as if it makes more sense to go under them or jump over them. Not far from the start of stage, there is a bridge made of platforms that's covered in spiders and hanging chains. It's *extremely* difficult to make the jump onto the platforms with the chains without hitting your head and dying. To do this, you'll need to jump straight up and then hold RIGHT to glide underneath the chain. This is, of course, assuming there isn't a spider there to kill you. Also, if you see an enemy appear from below while you're waiting to jump, consider yourself dead. You can try to jump up and down a couple of times to bring it to your height, but most likely it will hit you from below and cost you a life. Keep these things in mind as you move through the level. This stage has two large lava areas covered by platforms, then a few smaller lava pits with one or two platforms, then finally another long lava area before the boss. At the end, another giant spider awaits, just as before. Stand on the left side of the screen and use the same strategy as last time. It will be dead after a few minutes, and you can then bask in the effort and originality that went into this creature. Stage 3 ------- This final level is pretty similar to the Stage 2, with one enormous difference: the lava in this stage is green!. The spiders and platforms have also returned in full glory. Shortly after the stage begins, three ghosts will appear from the right side of the screen. Try jumping a few times and possibly moving back left to get them low enough to kill. You will need to time it well (or be lucky) to kill them all without dying. The rest of the section across the green lava should be about the same as what you've already seen. Ghouls and Skulls do seem to appear more often in this stage, however, so keep an eye on the left side of the screen. After the first section, the pink lava return and you'll need to cross yet another platform bridge. Once you hit the end of the bridge, three ghosts will once again appear from the right side of the screen, making it extremely difficult to survive. You can try moving back up and left after they appear, giving you a better chance to kill them. You can also kill them from your standing spot, if you time it right, but either way is tough. After this, the green lava returns. Be sure, once again, to walk off the platforms and not to jump. It may look like you'll fall in the lava if you walk off, but you'll clear it. When you get to a section where to floor tiles contain dozens of crosses, you're about 2/3 of the way through the stage. The remainder is a series of jumps over lava pits, all of which you've seen before. The Stage 3 boss is... *drum roll*... another giant spider! Unlike the previous ones, however, this one can only be hit when it's elevated, as the down position puts it within the rock. No problem. Stand beneath the first or second chain and continuously fire crucifixes. After 48 hits, the giant spider will once again be dispatched. You amazing reward, for having cleared Haunted Hill is... getting sent back to stage 1. You do keep your score, however. Yippee! Don't forget that START + SELECT will take you back to the main menu. ============================================================================= 14. C H I L L O U T ACT14 ============================================================================= "Old man winter is at the top and is your goal, but it keeps snowing and he's blowing. You must reach the top before you get snowed under." OVERVIEW -------- With such a great build-up as this, how can this game not be the best!?! Actually, this game is rather similar to Illuminator in the killing of enemies on multi-floored levels, but it does not have the uniqueness that an Illuminator style game can offer. An alright game that is done better elsewhere on the cartridge, so only the first four levels will be mapped here (once again for my sanity). CONTROLS -------- UP/DOWN: Moves your character up and down ladders. LEFT/RIGHT: Moves your character left and right. A-BUTTON: Shoots a frozen iceball at the opposition. B-BUTTON: Causes a jump from your character. TIPS AND STRATEGIES ------------------- 1. Stick to guarding one or two floors at all times until you have to go get the other floors when enemy stocks are running low. 2. Partially climb a ladder when you have to get up/down to the floor with an enemy with a small route to patrol so you will have better chance of killing instead of being badly damaged or even killed. BUGS AND GLITCHES ----------------- 1. Sometimes you will jump over a hole in the floor to land on the far ledge, to only have yourself die. The game somehow reads you as falling, which is not true as you do make it to the next ledge (this should not kill you). STAGE OVERVIEW -------------- ========= Level One ========= +--+ +--++--++--++--++--+ +--++--++--++--++--++--+ +--+ | | | |+--+| || || | | || || || || || | | | +--+ +--++--++--++--++--+ +--++--++--++--++--++--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--++--++--++--++--+ +--++--++--++--++--++--+ +--+ | | | || || || || | | || || |+--+| || | | | +--+ +--++--++--++--++--+ +--++--++--++--++--++--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--++--++--++--++--+ +--++--++--++--++--++--+ +--+ | | | |+--+| || || | | || || || || || | | | +--+ +--++--++--++--++--+ +--++--++--++--++--++--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ | | +--+ | | +--+ +--+ +--+ +--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--+ | || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || | +--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--+ -Just watch the ladders to tell when it is safe to climb up to next level to make a kill. -Falling through a hole will result in your death, so be sure to avoid the holes at all costs. -No walls mean you can wrap around to the far side of the screen. ========= Level Two ========= +--++--++--+ +--++--++--++--++--++--++--+ +--++--++--++--+ | || || | | |+--+| || || || || | | || || || | +--++--++--+ +--++--++--++--++--++--++--+ +--++--++--++--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--++--++--+ +--++--++--+ +--++--++--+ +--++--++--++--+ | |+--+| | | || || | | || || | | || |+--+| | +--++--++--+ +--++--++--+ +--++--++--+ +--++--++--++--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--++--++--+ +--++--++--++--++--++--++--+ +--++--++--++--+ | || || | | || || |+--+| || || | | || || || | +--++--++--+ +--++--++--++--++--++--++--+ +--++--++--++--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ | | +--+ | | +--+ +--+ +--+ +--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--+ | || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || | +--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--+ -Just watch the ladders to tell when it is safe to climb up to next level to make a kill. -Falling through a hole will result in your death, so be sure to avoid the holes at all costs. -No walls mean you can wrap around to the far side of the screen. =========== Level Three =========== +--++--+ +--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--+ +--++--++--+ | || | | || || || || || || || || | | || |+--+ +--++--+ +--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--+ +--++--++--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--++--++--++--++--++--++--+ +--++--++--++--+ +--++--++--+ | |+--+| || || || || | | || || || | | || |+--+ +--++--++--++--++--++--++--+ +--++--++--++--+ +--++--++--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--++--++--++--++--+ +--++--++--++--++--++--+ +--++--++--+ | |+--+| || || | | || || || || || | | |+--+| | +--++--++--++--++--+ +--++--++--++--++--++--+ +--++--++--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--++--+ | | +--+| | +--+ +--++--+ +--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--+ | || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || | +--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--+ -Just watch the ladders to tell when it is safe to climb up to next level to make a kill. -Falling through a hole will result in your death, so be sure to avoid the holes at all costs. -No walls mean you can wrap around to the far side of the screen. -Ladders extend through floor, so do not climb too far down or you will die from falling too far. ========== Level Four ========== +--++--+ +--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--+ | || | | || |+--+| || || || || || || || |+--+| | +--++--+ +--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--++--+ +--++--++--++--+ +--++--++--++--++--+ +--++--+ +--+| | | || || || | | || || || || | | || | +--++--+ +--++--++--++--+ +--++--++--++--++--+ +--++--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--++--+ +--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--+ | || | | || || || || || || || || || || |+--+| | +--++--+ +--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--+ +--++--+ | | +--+| | +--+ +--++--+ +--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--+ | || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || | +--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--++--+ -Just watch the ladders to tell when it is safe to climb up to next level to make a kill. -Falling through a hole will result in your death, so be sure to avoid the holes at all costs. -No walls mean you can wrap around to the far side of the screen. ============================================================================= 15. S H A R K S ACT15 ============================================================================= "You are a Frogman and must collect rare marine creatures and recover lost treasures at the bottom of the sea. You have your stun-gun and can always retreat into your electromagnetic base that repels sharks and the rest of the enemies. Your diving suit can only survive a few shark bites and is useless against the deadly jelly fish." OVERVIEW -------- You are fighting off the Sharks as you swim around under the ocean (the story states you are recovering "lost treasures", although they never appear on screen or anything), and be sure to avoid the deadly Jellyfish! Use your stun-gun to rid yourself of sharks, but be wary that the skills of the sharks increase as their colors change! However, be even more wary of your face changing color to a green tinge as you come close to vomiting with the terribleness of this game! CONTROLS -------- UP/DOWN: Moves your character up and down. LEFT/RIGHT: Moves your character left and right. A-BUTTON: Shoots your Stun-Gun at the vicious Sharks. B-BUTTON: Not used. OBSTACLES AND ENEMIES --------------------- 1. Grey Sharks are the first type of shark you will face. They are worth 20 points or 40 points each (unsure as to what separates the scoring). 2. White Shark are slightly faster version of they Grey Shark, it is worth slightly more points at 50 points a kill. 3. Jellyfish are invincible to all of your attacks (all one of them!). Just avoid these fast moving beings as they attempt to cut you down through their sudden changes in direction. STAGE OVERVIEW -------------- 1. Level One requires about 10 Shark Kills on a single life to advance to the next level. Grey Sharks are the only enemies in this level. 2. Level Two requires about 15 Shark Kills ona single life to advance to the next level. Grey Sharks and White Sharks are the enemies on this level. 3. Level Three has a massive amount of Jellyfish that appears to be never ending (I spent forty minutes dodging them before I quit). Jellyfish are on this level for sure, but no clue as to the inclusion of Sharks or not. TIPS AND STRATEGIES ------------------- 1. Try to remain in the middle of the open area of the sea. This allows you more options for you when you come under attack. This will also make it less likely the enemy will trap you. 2. Avoid the Jellyfish at all costs. Even if this means you must get bit by a Shark to do so, you will have the chance of living through the Shark bite instead of the instant death alternative of the gelatinous enemy. 3. Be wary of new Sharks with every level that you clear. The higher the level, the faster the Shark you may encounter. The same holds true for seeing more Jellyfish per level. BUGS AND GLITCHES ----------------- 1. After the first level, the seafloor will become uneven, apparently cutting your area to swim in to a lower percentage. However, you can swim in this rocky area to your hearts content as the physical boundaries were not programmed into the game. ============================================================================= 16. M E G A L O N I A ACT16 ============================================================================= "She comes out of no where with her evil armies. You must defend against the wave after wave of enemies and they will attack until only the Empress Machine "Megalonia" remains." OVERVIEW -------- You must go it one on all the forces of your opponent, only armed with your ship's blaster. However, you have a superior ship when compared to the weak enemies. You can fire shots forward at great speed, you have incredible (well compared to the enemies you do) maneuvering abilities, and you also have a tougher ship. Even with these advantages, a good pilot is still needed, and that pilot is you soldier! CONTROLS -------- UP/DOWN: Moves your ship up and down ladders. LEFT/RIGHT: Moves your ship left and right. A-BUTTON: Shoots your ship's blaster at the vicious attack ships. B-BUTTON: Not used. OBSTACLES AND ENEMIES --------------------- 1. Regular Ships are fighters will fly from the right side of the screen towards the left side of the screen. They rarely shoot a shot forward, but are notorious for letting their slow moving payloads move back towards the centre of the screen after they pass your ship. 2. Power Ships are monstrosities can take multiple hits before dying, and they also can move in all directions. They shoot large groups of bullets in any direction as they go, so these are the most dangerous enemy you will face. TIPS AND STRATEGIES ------------------- 1. Keep your ship close to the left side of the screen. This allows for maximum reaction time to the enemies attacks. 2. With the above point in mind, keep a small space between your ship and the left side of the screen. This will make it harder for enemy attackers to shoot you as they pass overhead. 3. When fighting a Power Ship try to be patient. Since there is no time limit to beat, you can take your time to be sure that you do not get hit by the multitude of shots you are faced with. ============================================================================= 17. F R E N C H B A K E R ACT17 ============================================================================= "You may try to keep the cookie patterns pounding, and the bread rising but it's not as easy as it sounds." OVERVIEW -------- Being a French Baker, you must try to get the rebelling food and furniture to stop going crazy so you can work at your job as a chef. Another Illuminator-style game, but this one is rather bland in graphics as well as in design of enemy balance and control. I will map three level for you as this game is of too poor quality to deserve any more than that. CONTROLS -------- UP/DOWN: Moves your character up and down ladders. LEFT/RIGHT: Moves your character left and right. A-BUTTON: Shoots your Rolling Pins at the . B-BUTTON: Not used. OBSTACLES AND ENEMIES --------------------- 1. Walking Bread is worth 25 points. 2. Hot Dogs are worth 50 points. 3. Birthday Cakes are worth 75 points. 4. Serving Carts are worth 100 points. 5. Filing Cabinets are worth 100 points. TIPS AND STRATEGIES ------------------- 1. Stick to guarding one or two floors at all times until you have to go get the other floors when enemy stocks are running low. 2. Partially climb a ladder when you have to get up/down to the floor with an enemy with a small route to patrol so you will have better chance of killing instead of being killed. 3. Also remember that you can stop on any point on a ladder to throw Rolling Pins at enemies on ledges to your left or right. This is a great way to clear platforms that would be difficult to clear otherwise. 4. Falling through a hole will result in your death, so be sure to avoid the holes at all costs. BUGS AND GLITCHES ----------------- 1. Every now and then one of your rolling pins will pass through an enemy for no apparent reason. STAGE OVERVIEW -------------- ========= Level One ========= =============================================================== ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ======================================= ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ========================= ========================= ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ================================================================== ================================================================== ================================================================== -Falling off of a ladder of ledge will result in instant death for your French Baker, so be wary of this problem. -Up to five enemies can be on screen at one time, and they can appear almost on top of you, so be ready for that attack as well. -There is NO WRAP AROUND rules here, so try to remember that as you flee from the enemies. ========= Level Two ========= ======================================================= ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ =============================== ================================ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ====== ============== ====== ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ================================================================= ================================================================= ================================================================= -Falling off of a ladder of ledge will result in instant death for your French Baker, so be wary of this problem. -Up to five enemies can be on screen at one time, and they can appear almost on top of you, so be ready for that attack as well. -There is NO WRAP AROUND rules here, so try to remember that as you flee from the enemies. -The small hole between the second highest set of floors is not really a hole, and both you and then enemy can walk across it safely. =========== Level Three =========== ========================= ========== ========================= ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ========== ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ========================== ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ =============================================================== =============================================================== =============================================================== -Falling off of a ladder of ledge will result in instant death for your French Baker, so be wary of this problem. -Up to five enemies can be on screen at one time, and they can appear almost on top of you, so be ready for that attack as well. -There is NO WRAP AROUND rules here, so try to remember that as you flee from the enemies. -The small hole between the highest set of floors is not really a hole, and both you and then enemy can walk across it safely. ============================================================================= 18. A T M O S Q U A K E ACT18 ============================================================================= "The legions of space pirates are causing solar flares and sending shock waves to destroy your planet. You must fly in and arrest them all." OVERVIEW -------- Atmos Quake is a space shooter, having a grand total of five levels before ultimately crashing. This is another unmemorable title, offering very little over the other shooters in the game. The ship's handling and firing rate are identical, though the enemies do fire projectiles as they pass, making them slightly harder than in most other shooters. You are supposedly fighting against a band of space pirates who are threatening your planet, but the story may as well be anything. These "pirates" all fly the same type of ship, which just happens to come in five different colors. The enemies do become trickier in later stages, which is at least one novel point in favor of Atmos Quake. Aside from this, you'll have a difficult time remembering this title over the other dozen space shooters. CONTROLS -------- UP/DOWN: Moves your ship forwards and backwards. LEFT/RIGHT: Moves your ship left and right. A-BUTTON: Shoots projectiles from the ship. Holding down the A-Button will fire a constant projectile screen, but not as fast as you could by tapping the button yourself. B-BUTTON: Not used. OBSTACLES AND ENEMIES --------------------- 1. SHIPS (100-200 PTS): Ship come in white, yellow, aqua, and green. For the first three stages, their main method attack is to fly straight forward and hope that you happen to be in the way. Starting at Stage 4, the green ships leave trails of small bullets as they fly by, making it difficult to quickly maneuver through the screen. Also, as the levels increase, the speed of the ships also increases. 2. BLOCKS: Purple in stage 1, Green in stage 2, spiked ledges in stages 3 and 4. The blocks are placed in various positions to impede your flying. Touching them is sure death, so stay back and plan your path around them. 3. ANTENNA AND "ROOTS:" These are found hanging off the ledges and walls in the early stages. Like other static obstacles, just don't get too close and hit them. 4. WALLS AND SPIKES: Some of the biggest obstacles in the game. Walls align the sides of the screen, and, in later stages, are covered with spikes. TIPS AND STRATEGIES ------------------- 1. The enemies increase in speed and difficulty as the stages advance. One trick to taking out as many as you can is just to fire continuously as you move. This will often kill enemies just as they appear, and seems to be more effective than waiting to fire on a target. 2. It makes sense to stay as far back as you can, unless trying to squeeze between a tight area in front of you. There is no penalty for doing so, and this usually gives you more time to react to the enemies and obstacles. BUGS AND GLITCHES ----------------- 1. Stage 5 is extremely glitchy, to the point of being unplayable. Your ship begins to explode all over the screen for no apparent reason, and it's literally impossible to advance for more than a few seconds at a time. 2. Because of the stage 5 bug, this game has no ending. You will either die or be forced to reset. OBJECTIVE --------- You have 2 lives to make it through five vertically scrolling levels. Dying sends you back to the start of the level. There is no boss or guardian at the end of the stages, and you simply move on to the next one once you've flown far enough. Your main objective is to avoid hitting the different non- moving obstacles and tight passageways, until the game finally glitches at the start of stage 5. ============== STAGE OVERVIEW ============== Stage 1: Blue and green background. The stage layout is pretty wide open and simple to navigate. A few sections near the end of the stage have some cramped passageways, so enemies are slightly more threatening here. Also, watch out for the antennae and roots (or whatever they are) jutting from the ledges. Stage 2: Purple background. This level has a much tighter layout than the previous one. Also, the walls and ledges are laced with spikes, so be careful when nearing them. Stage 3: Purple and blue background. More open than the previous stage, but blocks and ledges have been replaced by long, spiked platforms arranged across the screen. The layout of these also makes it difficult to move in some areas, but this stage is still probably easier to navigate than the last. Stage 4: Purple and green background. This stage is pretty tough. The spiked platforms have returned, and now the walls narrow in many parts to an uncomfortably small space. As if the maneuvering weren't bad enough, the enemy speed has become noticeably faster. Also, the green ships now leave bullets as they pass by, resulting in yet another obstacle to avoid. Stage 5: Blue and green background. Let the nightmares begin. Atmos Quake has been pretty playable until this stage, but you now experience the joy of the "randomly die at unexpected places" bug. Yes, you can navigate for a few moments, but will always die at some unexpected point without fail. You can abuse the save states and find some areas to traverse that let you survive for a minute or so into the stage, but this really accomplishes nothing. You won't get through, and will only get frustrated by trying. Even if you cheat to move beyond this stage (via Game Genie or hacking), the subsequent levels are unplayable. Oh well. This is Action 52 we're playing, so no real surprise here. ============================================================================= 19. M E O N G ACT19 ============================================================================= "Board game of strategy and skill. Try to get places from starting line to goal. Watch out for hidden traps. Harder than it sounds." OVERVIEW -------- Meong might have been impressive were it released for the Atari or Commodore 64 systems nearly a decade earlier. As it is, Meong is the laughing stock of Action 52, and it's the game people tell you to play when they're trying to convince you that this is the worst cart ever made. Meong is a unique puzzle game in which you control a piece that looks like a triangular "A52." You navigate the "A52" over a board with hidden traps and bombs that will often kill you before you can see them. Many people think this game has a "die randomly" bug, but this actually isn't true. If you wait long enough, you will always be able to see the traps in advance. Still, even with this amazing secret revealed, Meong will probably only hold your interest until the title screen fades. Save yourself the pain of playing through all four levels. It really never gets any better. CONTROLS -------- UP/DOWN: Moves your "A52" piece forwards and backwards on the board. LEFT/RIGHT: Moves your "A52" piece left and right on the board. A-BUTTON: Not used. B-BUTTON: Not used. OBSTACLES AND ENEMIES --------------------- 1. TIME. That's right, time is against you. Standing still for too long will cause your "A52" to explode. You'll need to keep constantly moving to survive, even if this motion is simply between the same two tiles, repeatedly. 2. PITS. Flying into black pits will cause your ship to explode. 3. HIDDEN TRAPS. Most people think this game has a "die randomly" feature, but it's really the hidden traps. If you stay on a screen for long enough, they will begin to open and close. Much of the strategy in this game is "biding your time" to see which tiles are safe to cross. 4. BOMBS. In stage 3, you'll notice "bomb" tiles that appear throughout the board. Unlike other traps, these will kill you both on the tile where they lay AND the tile above that one. Tiles underneath are still safe, however. TIPS AND STRATEGIES ------------------- 1. Meong is pretty simple once you realize how the game works. The easiest way to pass through the levels is to proceed forward very slowly and deliberately. At this pace, any hidden traps should reveal themselves before you get to them. You can also bide you time by moving back and forth over two tiles, waiting for hidden traps to appear. Either way, just don't rush into things. BUGS AND GLITCHES ----------------- 1. Surprisingly, the only real glitch is the fact that stage 4 sends you back to stage 1 when completed. There is no indication or acknowledgement of any kind that you have completed the game. OBJECTIVE --------- You have 3 lives to pass your "A52" piece safely through the 4 mazes that make up the Meong board. The only objective is to survive and complete the stage without dying. Getting killed by either a pit, trap, or bomb will send you back to the start of the level. ================= MEONG WALKTHROUGH ================= STAGE 1 ------- Below is one set of directions to pass through stage 1. There are certainly other ways to make it across the board, but this one is fairly straight forward. For the most part, it hugs the right-hand wall. 1. RIGHT: 6 2. UP: 39 3. LEFT: 2 4. UP: 3 5. RIGHT: 2 6. UP: 38 7. LEFT: 1 8. UP: 4 9. LEFT: 1 10. UP: 3 11. RIGHT: 1 12. UP: 7 13. RIGHT: 1 14. UP: 42 15. LEFT: 1 16. UP: 2 17. RIGHT: 1 18. UP: 19 STAGE 2 ------- Below is one set of directions to pass through stage 2. There are certainly easier paths to take, but this one gets the job done. It mainly involves hugging the right-hand wall. 1. RIGHT: 6 2. UP: 25 3. LEFT: 1 4. UP: 2 5. RIGHT: 1 6. UP: 10 7. LEFT: 2 8. UP: 3 9. RIGHT: 2 10. UP: 9 11. LEFT: 2 12. UP: 2 13. RIGHT: 2 14. UP: 27 15. LEFT: 2 16. UP: 3 17. RIGHT: 2 18. UP: 18 19. LEFT: 1 20. UP: 2 21. RIGHT: 1 22. UP: 33 23. LEFT: 2 24. UP: 4 25. RIGHT: 2 26. UP: 2 27. LEFT: 1 28. UP: 13 29. RIGHT: 1 30. UP: 4 STAGE 3 ------- Below is a set of directions to pass through stage 3. Again, it is one of many possible combinations. 1. RIGHT: 6 2. UP: 39 3. LEFT: 3 4. UP: 5 5. RIGHT: 3 6. UP: 18 7. LEFT: 1 8. UP: 3 9. RIGHT: 1 10. UP: 30 11. LEFT: 3 12. UP: 6 13. RIGHT: 3 14. UP: 56 STAGE 4 ------- Below is a set of directions to pass through stage 4. Despite being the last level, stage 4 is actually less challenging than stage 3. Once you cross the finish line, you return to the first level. 1. RIGHT: 6 2. UP: 28 3. LEFT: 1 4. UP: 8 5. LEFT: 1 6. UP: 3 7. RIGHT: 1 8. UP: 6 9. RIGHT: 1 10. UP: 27 11. LEFT: 1 12. UP: 2 13. RIGHT: 1 14. UP: 13 15. LEFT: 1 16. UP: 2 17. RIGHT: 1 18. UP: 30 19. LEFT: 2 20. UP: 3 21. RIGHT: 2 22. UP: 35 ============================================================================= 20. S P A C E D R E A M S ACT20 ============================================================================= "There is a black hole and on the other side are all your space dreams. You must get past all of the obstacles to enter the hole and realize your dreams." OVERVIEW -------- You control a baby's pacifier trying to manage its way through a cartoon-like space zone filled with toys and other kiddy trinkets. Yes, the game is really this stupid. The description doesn't seem to have any bearing at all on what actually happens. You are probably playing from a baby's perspective, and the game sure does a good job of treating you this way. As far as Action 52 space shooters go, Space Dreams has to rank near the bottom. Who really thought this would be a good idea? You face such menacing opponents as "Clothes Pins" and "Yellow Rubber Duckies." Every level of the game is identical, and the challenge is really non-existent in the first 8 or 9 stages. This game might be worth playing for a good laugh, but don't expect too much aside from this. CONTROLS -------- UP/DOWN: Moves your pacifier forwards and backwards. LEFT/RIGHT: Moves your pacifier left and right. A-BUTTON: Fires some projectile from the tip of your pacifier. Only one projectile can be on the screen at a time. B-BUTTON: Not used. OBSTACLES AND ENEMIES --------------------- Nearly every enemy below is identical. All of them will just fly straight down from wherever they appear, and none can maneuver horizontally. If you are generally in front of them when they appear on the screen, most will fire a bullet at you. Some enemies don't appear until the later stages, and this is also listed below. 1. Teddy Bear (75 PTS) 2. Red-Haired Doll (100 PTS) 3. Clothes Pin (100 PTS) 4. "Number 1" (40 PTS) 5. "Letter A" (90 PTS) 6. Hanger (50 PTS) 7. Balloons (75 PTS) 8. Blocks (70 PTS) 9. Baby Rattle (25 PTS): First appears in stage 7 10. Race Car (45 PTS): First appears in stage 9 11. Lawn Chair (150 PTS): First appears in stage 10 12. Rocking Horse (50 PTS): First appears in stage 11 13. Rubber Ducky (100 PTS): First appears in stage 12 14. Sun Spots: These enemies appear in all stages, and are stationary spots on the screen that kill you when touched. They are maroon/purple with a yellow lining, and are hard, at first, to distinguish from the background. TIPS AND STRATEGIES ------------------- 1. In the first few stages, you hardly need to move from the starting spot. Just continue to shoot and most enemies appearing in front of you will be killed. You may need to move slightly left or right if an enemy is not aligned exactly. 2. In the later stages, the easiest way to survive is by dodging enemies, rather than attacking them. Enemies will be appearing quickly, so just move aside and let them pass right by. BUGS AND GLITCHES ----------------- 1. Once you complete stage 12, you are sent back to stage 1. There is no indication or acknowledgement of any kind that you have completed the game. OBJECTIVE --------- You have 3 lives to fly through 12 identical space stages. Getting hit by anything will take a life away, and you will be sent back to the start of the level. There is no end boss or indication that a current stage is ending – this will just happen after you've flown far enough. ============== STAGE OVERVIEW ============== All stages: Every stage in this game is identical in terms of layout. There are stars and other symbols in the background that may look dangerous but can be flown over freely. Most of the stage is wide open space and a complete joke in terms if challenge. You hardly need to move at all to survive, and can literally get away with never killing an enemy. All of the enemies, in fact, are identical. They all fly straight down and will fire bullets if you're in the way. None pursue you or exhibit any type of AI whatsoever. About 2/3 of the way through any level, sun spots will being to show up. These are static, purple bubbles with yellow outlines. They make navigating a little more tricky, but likely won't make things that much harder. Once the area of sun spots is over, you know the stage ending is nearby. As you move in to later stages, the enemies begin moving faster and some new foes show up. Still, these are no different from all the others. Once you complete stage 12, you are simply sent back to stage 1. Your score remains intact, but the game plays identically apart from this. ============================================================================= 21. S T R E E M E R Z ACT21 ============================================================================= "Try climbing to the top of this one by throwing steamers and climbing them. On your way up you better watch out for the various pie throwing clowns, burning candles and bouncing balls, because if they get you, you'll die a little each time." OVERVIEW -------- A very unique little game that takes a bit of the coolness of Bionic Commando's bionic arm idea. Put the main character as a clown, and you have a happy fellow attempting to bypass some mean enemies as he climbs to the top of the tower, one floor at a time. A great idea with a decently designed game that suffers from the mistake of only one level being designed. CONTROLS -------- UP/DOWN: Not used. LEFT/RIGHT: Moves your character left and right. A-BUTTON: Shoots your Streamer at on a 45 degree angle B-BUTTON: Not used. TIPS AND STRATEGIES ------------------- 1. If you feel an enemy is going to hit you, run off the platform. In this game, you can fall as far as you want to without dying. 2. Every fourth hit you take will kill you. Try to conserve hits as you climb because you will occasionally be forced to take a hit by enemies blocking your path with no way around. 3. Try to time your ascending to an enemy platform with the enemy just starting to turn away from your location. This allows the maximum amount of time for your clown character to ascend to the next platform before the enemy returns to hurt you. 4. Once you get to the top of the tower, try to go back down to the very bottom. Then try to climb it again. See how many times you can do this for an added challenge to a too short game. BUGS AND GLITCHES ----------------- 1. Occasionally your streamer will pass through the level above your clown to attach to the one above that one. However, this is rarely a good thing as the game just throws your clown clear of the floors to fall down (possibly into an enemy). 2. Enemies will sometimes appear in areas where you cannot bypass them, requiring your clown to take a necessary but annoying hit. ============================================================================= 22. S P R E A D F I R E ACT22 ============================================================================= "You may have some great weapons, in fact the best. You will need them to fight off the tremendous enemies that seem to multiply." OVERVIEW -------- The description gives no hint as to what this game is about, nor what your ship is and why enemies keep attacking. That is assuming you are even controlling a ship. It may very well be a giant lobster or a large insect. Spread Fire is another stationary shooter, which has the feel of a poor man's Galaga. You basically move back and forth and try to shoot enemies before they hit you. Unlike other shooters, this one actually has enemies that target you, as well as a decent challenge as the levels increase. Still, the hit detection is bad and the kill counter is bugged, meaning your success is more determined by luck than skill. This game also has 19 stages, which is a record for any Action 52 title. Mind you, these stages aren't fun, but there's still 19 of them. CONTROLS -------- UP/DOWN: Not used. LEFT/RIGHT: Moves your "ship" left and right on the board. A-BUTTON: Shoots projectiles from the ship. Holding down the A-Button will fire a constant projectile screen, but not as fast as you could by tapping the button yourself. B-BUTTON: Not used. OBSTACLES AND ENEMIES --------------------- The enemies are very non-descript and have no official names, so bear with the following descriptions. 1. ORANGE THING (50 PTS): Not sure what it is, but it's the only orange foe in the game. This enemy moves in straight lines and will pursue you, though not ardently. Probably a medium threat. 2. BLUE THING (50 PTS): Same sprite as Orange Thing, only it's blue. Same exact movement and attack patterns, also. 3. COCOON/MOTH (100 PTS): This enemy changes between a cocoon and either a moth or butterfly. You cannot kill this enemy when in moth form. It generally flutters near the top of the stage and leaves you alone, though will occasionally move down and attempt to hit you. This enemy is light threat. 4. WHITE LINES (400 PTS): This enemy looks like a set of dual white/gray lines with red balls scattered within. You'll know it when you see it. This foe moves quickly across the screen and frequently attempts to hit you. Consider it a pretty immediate threat. 5. BLUE LINES (200 PTS): Definitely the most challenging opponent in the game. Blue Lines looks just like white lines, only blue (obviously). Once this enemy appears on the screen, it will immediately target you and fly at any angle to hit you. It also moves quite fast, so you'll need to forget what you're doing and pursue it. This enemy is an urgent threat. TIPS AND STRATEGIES ------------------- 1. Learn the enemies patterns of attack. This will often help you decide which foes you should go after first, and which are relatively harmless. 2. If an enemy reaches the bottom level where you are, you can move away from it in hopes that it will take back to the air space above. Alternately, if avoiding this enemy may cause too many enemies to reach your level, then take the hit as you remove the more serious threats. BUGS AND GLITCHES ----------------- 1. The hit detection is very bad in this game. You shots will often pass right through the enemy and not phase it at all. 2. The game's kill counter is bugged. You typically need to defeat 12 enemies to advance in levels (this is the programmed total), but the game keeps track of kills in a weird way, crediting you for kills you don't make or not counting ones that you do. As a rule of thumb, expect the require kills to be off by up to 2 each level. 3. Once you complete stage 19, the game sends you back to stage 1. Your score remains intact, but these levels are identical otherwise. After stage 19, there is no indication or acknowledgement