Tutankham(Arcade) FAQ
Copyright by Andrew Schultz [email protected]
version 1.0.0

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================================

OUTLINE

 INTRO

 SCORING AND LEVEL INFO

 STRATEGY AND MONSTER INFO

 GAME MAPS(INCLUDING WALKTHROUGHS)

 MISCELLANEOUS

 VERSIONS/CREDITS

================================

 INTRO

   Basically, you're this explorer stuck in a maze(14x30 on the first
level, 14x62 or so otherwise,) and your objective is to gather keys to
unlock doors to get to the treasure at the end of the level, and the
more side treasures you pick up on the way and the quicker you finish,
the more points you get.  Three kinds of monsters appear on specified
squares and chase after you as you run through the maze.  You have one
"smart bomb" (destroys all monsters) on the screen per life--it doesn't
roll over, so the answer to "what time will I use it?" is "too early" or
"too late"--and you can fire horizontally, although if you time things
right that shot can knock out a monster just above/below you.  What's
most frustrating is that you can't stop your man in the middle of a
hallway, so you need to run into a wall to position yourself, as
otherwise it's a bit tricky to run back and forth.  There are four
cycling levels that increase in difficulty, as for each level you seem
to need to go further back and forth in the maze with each level--you
can only carry one key at a time, although each key can open any lock.
After the first cycle you must pick up an additional key in each level.
You have a Defender-like view at the top of the screen of where you are
in the maze and where monsters are.  It's neat but too distracting to be
useful.

 SCORING AND LEVEL INFO

--20, 40 or 60 for shooting/smart bombing a monster depending on how
fast it is.
--Picking up 1st treasure on a level:  500
--2nd=1000(total=1500,) 3rd=1500(3000,) 4th=2000(5000,) 5th=3000(8000,)
6th=4000(12000.)
--level 1 only has 3 treasures, but the rest have 6.
--finishing level x = 1000(x/4) + f(x) where f(1)=f(2)=1000, f(3)=2000,
f(5)=5000.
--opening a door with a key:  1000
--getting a key:  500
--time bonus for finishing level:  40 * time left(seconds)
--extra man at 30000

Level|20 pts.|40 pts.|60 pts.   |bricks/alt.|background
-----+-------+-------+----------+-----------+----------
1    |snake  |pelican|orange fly|grey/red   |blue
2    |snake  |pelican|orange fly|purple/tan |blue
3    |snake  |dragon |blue fly  |tan/red    |brown
4    |snake  |gorgon |swirl     |blue/red   |black

   Time per levels:
1:60, 2:120, 3:160, 4:160
5:80, 6:120, 7:160, 8:200

 STRATEGY AND MONSTER INFO

--Note first of all that you only get one smart bomb per life, and if
you don't use it, the bombs don't add up.  The point bears repeating!
--The 60-point monsters are faster than the 40-pointers, who are faster
than the 20-pointers.
--Monsters can't step over each other to get to you.
--In addition, the 60-point monsters, if they are directly to your left
or right in open space as opposed to a hallway, zigzag up and down,
making them quite hard to hit.  Other monsters move diagonally(i.e.
left, then up, then left, then up, etc.) until horizontally aligned with
you.
--A lot of times you'll want to run into a wall to stand still and just
wait for monsters to come at you, since running back and forth only
makes you more likely to touch a monster, even if you do it quickly, and
it's tiring, too.  You can't run into a wall right next to you--you have
to get a running start.  So there are only special locations where you
can stop and shoot.  To get by certain areas there may be nothing else
you can do besides wait for monsters to come out more slowly.
--If you don't remember whether you have a key, look to see if you're
carrying it.  It looks more like a sash than a key.  Also note you can
only hold one key at once.
--Losing a guy can really stink because the game pushes you to the left
to one of a handful of pre-specified locations--although if you are
going back to retrieve a key anyway, it is actually a plus.
--You always have more than enough time to complete a level, even if you
want to pick up all treasures, but it's up to you if you have enough
patience.  Many times you just have to wait for monsters to stop
swarming a certain area.
--Monsters follow you in a diagonal path in an open area, although
sometimes when they are walking through more mazy parts they will go in
the wrong direction.
--There are horizontal niches in mazes which are nice to use--you can
blast monsters as they go past.  An example is to the side of the
vertical corridor just before the wide open space in level two.
--If you are in open space, it is tough to time your shot so that you
nail a sixty-pointer.  The best way to do things may be to run into a
wall and wait for one to get close, because if you are moving around,
things get tough to calculate.  Your shot to one side must vanish before
you can shoot again that way.
--The vapor trail from your shot may touch a monster, but it won't kill
it.  Be alert!
--This is a bit tricky, but if you shoot just as a monster bears down on
you from above, you may nail it.  A good last resort.

 GAME MAPS(INCLUDING WALKTHROUGHS)

     MAP KEY
 . = where enemies can appear
 ^ = "hyperwarp" up
 v = "hyperwarp" down
 O = empty niche, no treasure until 2nd pass(then a key appears)
 2 = niche that reveals key on level 12
 X = wall
 x = where treasure is
[NOTE:  for the next two, which describes the treasure, you step on the
square to get the treasure.  But the treasure itself is not on that
square.]
 k = key
 + = minor treasure(ring, crown, etc.)
 * = door
 & = where door appears at the next wave of levels(i.e. it is not seen
in 1-4)

   You always start on the very left--in level 1 you start in the upper
left corner.

 Level 1

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
X  X         kxXXX           X
X  X XXX XXvXXXX.X XX XXX XX X
X  X      XXXXXX   XX X      X
X  XXX XX .XXXXX X X  X    X X
X  X      XXXX   X   XX XX.X X
X  X XX XXXXXX X   XXX  XXXX+X
X       XX   X   X  +X XXXXXxX
XXXXXXXXX  X   XXXXXxX XXX   X
XXXXXXxXX X^XX   OxXXX  &*   X
XXXXXX+        XXXXXXXXXXX   X
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

   This level isn't too hard.  Just remember you have to use the
transporter, and stay away from the first two places where monsters are
created.  The only tricky part is near the end.  If you want to grab the
third piece of jewelry, make sure no monster is coming towards you.
Also make sure you haven't heard any noises just before you pick up the
third piece of jewelry.  The only specific strategic point is that if
you go immediately up and right you will be in a sticky position.  Shoot
the first snake that comes out before going up.

 Level 2

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXX    X^X     kXX       XXX^XXX  *&                   XXXX
XXXXXX XX     X XxXXX XvX X X    +X XXX              x    XXXX
XXXXXX XX XX XX  +X   XXX X   X XxX XXX              +    XXXX
XXXXXX X  .X    XXX X       X X   X  XX      .            XXXX
XXXX     XXXXXXXX X   XXXX XX X X X XXX   +               XXXX
XXXX X X    +XX X   X .XXX+X.   X   XXX   x               XXXX
XXXX X XX XXxXX       XX  xXX XXXXX XXX                 XXXXXX
XXXX X          X     XXX   X   X   XXX                 XX   X
X    XX XXXvX XXXXX X X^X X XXX   X.XXX                  *   X
XXXX     OxXX       X     X  kxvXXXXXXX                 XX   X
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

   It's a bit tougher here.  You can sneak in and get the first
treasure, but beware here of using the portal below it as you may run
into a monster when you come out.  You might even want to pass by the
place that produces monsters to get to the first key--getting the second
treasure will not be bad then.    From there use the teleporter back and
skirt the lower wall.  Go up and note if you go all the way left, then
down and left and right, you'll have stopped at a critical spot where
you can pick off monsters coming from the right.  You may want to make a
side trip to pick up the treasure just below it first, but be sure no
monsters are too close to you when you go down.  The nice thing about
reaching the rightmost treasure not in the open area is that if there
are a lot of monsters below, you can fake them out by going through the
teleporter.  Going up the passage before the first lock is tricky.  Use
the niches to fire at monsters that are chasing you.  After you've
unlocked the door beware that you won't be able to stop yourself and
ambush the monsters, and don't go into the open spaces.  It'll take
patience to get back down again, but use the niches and you'll make it.
The other key isn't too hard to get if you use the middle teleporters.
The open area is the toughest part, and the apple core looking things
that come at you(butterflies?  Bats?)  are the toughest to shoot as they
zigzag toward you, so a horizontal shot may miss them.  Wait until they
are two or three squares away and lined up with you before shooting, or
you may be frustrated.  It's possible to get the treasures and in fact
for the rightmost one, you may want to go a square right and then up.
If monsters are on your tail it'll be easier to pick them off firing to
the left because they can't zigzag.

 Level 3

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXX               XX                XX OxXXXXX   XXXXX    XX
XXXXX XXXvXXXXXXX   X.            XX XxX XX    X    X.XX XX .X
XXXXX X XXX kxX     XX    X     XX   X+X       X  X      X  XX
XXXXX X     XXX XX  X     X  XXX   X   XXX        X  X   X XXX
XXXXX X X X .XX XX   XX   XX  XXX XXXX   X  XX    X XXX    XxX
XXXXX X X X XXX X     X X .X XXX   X.X X XX .X      X       +X
XXXXX X     XXX X XX  X   XX  XXXX     X X  XX    X X XXXXXXXX
XXXXX X XXX  +X X kxX X   X  XXX   X X   X      X X X XXXX   X
X     X X^X XxX X XX  X   X   +X+X   XXXXX XXXX.X   X  &**   X
XXXXX X         X         X  XxXxXXX        XXXxXXXXXXXXXX   X
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

   If you run right for the first treasure(right, up, right, through
transporter, down, right, up, right) you'll get it.  Otherwise, you'll
have some snakes to shoot through.  For picking up the key I recommend
running up when you're below the transport--you'll have a solid place to
stay and snipe a path to the key.  Getting out is a bit easier as you
have several ways to do so.  After you see the second key(which you
can't pick up) there is a long vertical passage with only one wall in
the center.  If you wait and run down into the wall just to the left of
the passage, you can snipe for a bit until the monster activity dies
down.  You may have to time some 60-point monsters, but you can always
run left into the wall below the pillar in the center if you hear a
monster being produced.  It's not the worst idea to use a smart bomb
here.  Once you do, it's not hard to get the three treasures to the
right.  What is hard is dodging the two monster making areas, which may
be an even better place to use the bomb.  The final treasure is a nice
niche for shooting monsters before you go to unlock the first gate.
Going back is a lot easier than coming in, but you'll have to run the
gauntlet again.

 Level 4

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXX   X^XXXXXXXX kxX   XxX     X     XX 2xXX.XXX   X       X
XXXXX X     XX X^X XXX X X+X XvX   XXX X. XXX    X X X XX XX X
XXXXXkxX XX XX     X   X   X XXX X XXX XX     XX X X X XX    X
XXXXX XX X+    XXXXX XXXXX X X.  X   X XX     XX   X   XX    X
XXXXX    XX XXXX       X   X XXX X X X  X     .X X  XXX   X  X
XXXXXXXX    .XXX XX XX X X X  XX   X X XX XX  XX X XXXX X.XX+X
XXXXX    XX XXXX X  X.   X   X^X X X   XX     X  X X    XXXXxX
XXXXX XX X  XX   X XXX XXXXX X   X XXX X      XX   X XXXXX   X
X           XX X   XxX   X   X  XX            +X+XXX  &&**   X
XXXXXXXXXvX    XvX  +XXX   X    OxXXXXXXXXXXXXxXxXXXXXXXXX   X
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

   Use the transporter to pick up the first key before the monster
population gets dense.  You'll probably get the first treasure just
walking by to the second set of transporters, and the second treasure
will fall, too.  A lot of vigilance is required here due to the
proliferation of vertical corridors.  If you pass by the top of the
third set of transporters, take the zigzag path down as that will allow
more chance to shoot horizontally.  You might as well pick up the fourth
treasure as you can shoot from the niche.  The corridor is lousy with
monsters, but you might as well pick up the fifth treasure, too, as
there are no places near that will make monsters.  From there more up-
down stuff and if you want to take the sixth treasure run into the wall
two squares above the final monster spawning pit if monsters are around
or being created.  Don't run unless a monster comes from up top.  Then
motor in to unlock the gate, and you'll get to go back(tougher than in
level 3) and return.  Your reward is an even tougher version of level 1.

 MISCELLANEOUS

--I think it's possible to smart-bomb and still get killed, if there are
a lot of monsters on the screen and one is really close to you.

END OF FAQ PROPER

================================
VERSIONS/CREDITS

1.0.0:  submitted to GameFAQs 9/19/2001 but actually done about six
months earlier.  At least I proofread it before I submitted it.

www.emux.com for the MAME version of this that allowed me to cheat and
explore later levels and further enjoy this classic.  But only for 24
hours :).

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