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Parallax Painter
Cunning And Devious Games
Programming and music by Andrew Gower
Graphics and Design by Paul and Andrew Gower
Levels by Paul Gower
Testing by Peter Oliver
Written in 100% Assembler using Devpac 2
Copyright 1995
Introduction
Parallax painter is a superb three dimensional platform game. It
features smooth multi-directional triple layered parallax
scrolling, with scaling graphics and the ability to jump between
layers, in maps up to 15 layers deep. The main character is
brilliantly drawn and animated making it full of personality. The
game also features stunning 4 channel digitised music, even
whilst you play! With 7 different soundtracks. 3 Stunning
different modes of play. A one player mode, plus 2 multi player
modes for double the action. With a fast update rate it is easy
to control once mastered, and with a total of 120 levels its game
which will last despite its addictiveness.
Loading Instructions
1. Turn off the computer and disconnect all unnecessary
peripherals. We recommend that you leave your computer switched
off for thirty seconds in case a virus has installed itself into
your computers memory. This will kill a virus if one is present
2. Insert the disk into the drive and switch the computer on. An
icon with the words 'parallax.prg' underneath it should appear on
the screen. Position the mouse pointer over it using the mouse,
and double click on it using the lefthand mouse button. The game
will now begin to load. Do not remove the disk from the drive
whilst the game is playing.
3. If you remove write protect from the disk, (by moving the
little tab in the top right hand corner so you cannot see through
the hole). Then the program will automatically save any high
scores you achieve.
Starting The Game
Once the game has finished loading the title screen should
appear. Press the fire button on the joystick (connected to port
0) to bring up an options box. From here you can select if you
want to play a 1 or 2 player game, and if you have played the
game previously you can type in a password you have collected, to
start where you left off. If it is your first time playing, or
you have not yet reached far enough into the game to collect a
password you can ignore this.
The game types
Moving the joystick up or down will move the arrows in the option
box so they either point to '1 player', '2 player' or
'competative'. Below is a brief summary of the different modes.
1 player. On this mode you play the game on your own using the
joystick in port 0. You must paint all the blue blocks on each
level purple or destroy them in some other way to progress onto
the next level. During this mode you will be given passwords
every few levels so you do not have to repeat levels you have
already completed.
2 player. On this mode you can play a different set of levels
which have been designed for 2 people to play at once. To use
this mode you will need to connect a second joystick into port 1
(The port normally used by the mouse) for the other player to
use. This mode is similar to 1 player mode in that the aim is to
paint all the blue blocks purple. The difference is that 2 people
need to work together to complete the levels. The screen is split
in half showing player 1's position on the left and player 2 on
the right. Some levels are only possible if the 2 players
cooperate. For example if the players start in different
positions, and 1 player must paint one part of the level which
the other player cannot reach. A different set of passwords is
used for the 2 player levels which can be collected by either
player when found.
Competative. This is another mode which 2 players play at once.
The difference is that unlike the other 2 player mode you do not
work together, but try and achieve opposite aims. The level will
start of with half the blocks painted blue, and the other half
painted purple. Player 1 (Red) is trying to paint all the blocks
purple, but Player 2 (Orange) is trying to paint them all blue!
Whoever can paint fastest will win. It is also possible to push
the other player about by bumping into them. For instance you
could try and push the opposing player over your colour paint.
This type of level will end after a fixed amount of time has run
out. The amount of time remaining can be seen on a counter in the
top left hand corner of the screen whilst playing. Whoever has
painted most blocks will win a point, and then the game will
proceed onto the next level. A draw results in both players being
given a point. After each level a score box will be shown,
displaying how many blocks were of each colour, and the total
scores achieved by each player so far. Unlike the other modes
passwords do not need be collected, but are displayed at the
start of each level.
Passwords
If you see a block which looks like a question mark during the
game walking over it will display the password for the current
level. This should be written down so you can use it to restart
at this particular level should you die. Note: On competative
levels, passwords are given at the start of each level without
the need for a question mark block to be found. Once you have a
password you should move the arrows on the option box to point to
the mode on which the password was found. The password should be
then typed in using the keyboard, and it should appear in the
black box underneath the different game options. Passwords from
one type of game cannot be used on another. For instance if you
had a 2 player mode password it would not work on 1 player mode.
Not typing in a password, typing in an unknown password. Or
typing in a password for a different mode without moving up the
arrows will result in the game loading level 1 instead. Once you
have typed in a password and selected the correct mode press the
fire button on the joystick to start the game.
Controls
The main character is moved by moving the joystick in the
required direction. During the game you are looking down upon the
action. Be careful you have quite a lot of momentum. Pressing the
fire button results in the character jumping up 'out of the
screen' Towards you. If there are any blocks above you will land
upon them. If at any time there is nothing below you then you
will fall downwards 'into the screen' until you land upon
something. If you fall off the bottom of the level you will lose
a life and have to restart. To collect an object or use a block
simply move the character over it. The only other controls are
used to activate special features. On the keyboard. Pressing F1
will quit the game, and return you back to the title screen. F9
Activates a jetpack should you have collected one. F10 Activates
a stick of dynamite if you have collected any, exploding the
surrounding blocks. On 2 player mode F7 activates player 2's
jetpack and F8 activates player 2's dynamite.
The blocks
A summary of what all the blocks in the game do, and how to use
them can be found by leaving the computer untouched on the title
screen for several seconds. Instructions on all the blocks with
accompanying diagrams will scroll past. Pressing the fire button
at any time will abort this and bring up the options box. Blocks
are normally activated when the centre of the main character is
positioned over them, however there are a few exceptions such as
sticky blocks, or cracked blocks. The other exception is moving
blocks which are activated if any part of the character is
touching them.
Moving blocks
Some blocks in the game move about. There are 3 types of moving
block. Moving in the x-axis (left and right), the y axis (up and
down), and the z axis (in and out). These all behave the same way
except in the direction they are moving in. Standing upon a
moving block causes you to move with it. However standing on more
than one moving block at once can have interesting effects on
your movement, which is used to make the later levels more
difficult. If a moving block hits a non-moving block or the edge
of the map it will turn around and start moving back in the
direction it came from. The other type of special block is the
flashing block which appear and disappear at a regular rate.
Different blocks will flash at different rates. This feature is
used to create puzzles, or make levels more difficult.
Using Paint
Down in the bottom left hand corner of the screen you will see an
icon of a paint pot. This displays how much paint you are
currently holding. Moving over a paint pot will completely fill
this icon up, normally paint pot's are used up once collected,
except on 2 player competative mode where they would run out
quickly if this was so. One paint pot's worth of paint can paint
5 blocks. As you paint blocks the amount of paint left will
gradually go down. You cannot refill your paint pot until it is
totally empty. Please note that to win a level all blue blocks
must be painted or destroyed. This includes blue paint pots. So
if a level has a blue paint pot on, you will have to use it up,
and then paint the blue blocks purple again. Alternatively you
can destroy it in some other way, e.g dynamite. Be careful not to
end up with all the tiles painted, and just a blue paint pot left
over. If you are still holding some purple paint you will not be
allowed to collect the blue paint pot, and you will have to
restart the level.
The control panel
The panel in the bottom left hand corner displays everything you
need to know whilst playing the game. The indicator which looks
like a transparent paint pot shows how much paint you have
remaining. See Above. Next to this it shows the number of lives
you have left. You start the game with 3 spare lives. As you lose
lives the spares shown here will be deleted. Above this is the
number of jetpacks you have, and the amount of dynamite you have
collected. At the start of the game you will have neither of
these. N.B you cannot carry dynamite, paint, or jetpacks from one
level to another. If you have more than 3 lives, jetpacks, or
sticks of dynamite only 3 will be shown here, but the extra will
still be remembered by the program.
Game Over
Once you run out of lives you will be told what score you
achieved. This is calculated by the number of blocks painted.
Every block painted achieves 5 points. Each bonus block collected
gives 20 points. If you have a particularly good score you will
be asked to type in your name using the keyboard. When you have
entered your name press 'Return' on the keyboard. Your score will
be placed on a table |
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