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=                                  LAZARIAN                                   =
*                                COMMODORE 64                                 *
=                            FAQ / STRATEGY GUIDE                             =
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Author: Sashanan
Date: 10 January 2006
Version: 1.0

DISCLAIMER
This document is a copyright of Peter "Sashanan" Butter, 2006. All
rights reserved.

You are granted permission to make copies of this FAQ (electronical or
physical) for your own, personal use. Furthermore, non-commercial, freely
accessible websites are allowed to upload a copy of this FAQ as long as it is
posted in its full, original form (including this disclaimer) and credited
to Sashanan.

You are not authorized to upload this FAQ to a commercial website and/or
charge for its viewing, or make money off it in any other imaginable way,
without my explicit written permission. Furthermore, you are not allowed to
edit this guide in any way, use it as a basis for your own guide, or post it
without giving proper credit. This is considered plagiarism.

This FAQ is protected by international copyright laws and failure to
comply with the terms in this disclaimer will result in legal prosecution.


=================
TABLE OF CONTENTS
=================

[1] Introduction
[2] Overview
[2.1] Basics
[2.2] Controls
[2.3] Scoring
[3] Strategies – first cycle
[3.1] The circle
[3.2] The meteorites
[3.3] The tunnel of fear
[3.4] The space monster
[3.5] The evil eye
[4] Strategies – subsequent cycles
[4.1] The circle
[4.2] The meteorites
[4.3] The tunnel of fear
[4.4] The space monster
[4.5] The evil eye
[5] Revision history
[6] Final words


===============================================================================
[1] INTRODUCTION
===============================================================================

The story of Lazarian, such as it is, is that you've been sent to provide aid
to stranded starships in the face of countless galactic dangers. In practice,
this means you'll be piloting your ship through a repeating cycle of five short
levels, two of which involve touching a similar looking ship along the way –
presumably representing the stranded ships you are rescuing.

Lazarian is a simple game in design and execution, but it is by no means easy.
Most levels are pretty unforgiving, and a limited fuel supply adds a punishing
time limit to each stage so that you can't take things too slowly and
carefully. The first cycle of five levels is pretty doable and the game is kind
enough to provide infinite continues to you as well, should you lose your three
lives. From the second cycle on, however, this crutch is taken away and the
difficulty is ramped up. Here the proverbial men (or women) get separated from
the boys, and figuring out how to get through in one piece will take many, many
retries.

So isn't it fortunate that I've done these retries for you? This guide covers
each of the five levels of Lazarian, both for the first cycle and for
subsequent ones, and shares strategies for getting through as best as possible.
It'll still take practice and your fair share of reflexes to pull it all off,
but knowing what to aim for should help boost your scores in less time.

This guide is divided into three parts: an overview of the basics of the game
(what each level looks like, how to control your craft and a breakdown of
everything that scores you points), and strategies specific to the first cycle
(which is easier) and the more difficult second and subsequent cycles.


===============================================================================
[2] OVERVIEW
===============================================================================

This section provides an overview of all aspects of Lazarian – the structure
and objective of each level, your controls throughout them and the points that
can be scored along the way. If you are already familiar with the game, you can
safely skip all this and go straight to the strategy sections (although you may
still be interested in the scoring, at least). If Lazarian's new to you, on the
other hand, this is where you'll want to start.


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[2.1] BASICS
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Lazarian is divided into five short but distinctly different levels. These five
levels form a cycle; when you finish the fifth, you start at the first one
again. The first cycle is meant for beginners (or warm up, if you're already a
veteran), and is significantly easier. The real mess begins from the second
cycle on when the game no longer holds back. Things don't get any more
difficult from there on out either – the third and subsequent cycles are
equivalent to the second.

You start Lazarian with three lives and will earn a single bonus life for
finishing the first cycle. No other bonus lives can be earned. In virtually
every level (only one exception) you get to start the level from scratch if you
die, so this is purely an endurance match – a test to see how long you can
persist without making mistakes.

In the first cycle, the game is actually kind enough to let you continue where
you stranded if you lose all your lives. Your score will be reset, but three
new lives will be awarded and you can get another shot at the level you're in.
From the second cycle on, losing your last life means the game is over.

During each level, you gradually use up fuel. There is no way to slow this
down. If your fuel is almost out, an audible warning will sound, but all you
can do is hurry up and finish the level. If you run out of fuel, you lose a
life.

For lack of real names given by the game (with the exception of the Tunnel of
Fear), I've named the levels myself, in a pragmatic and cheesy manner. The
stages are as follows:

THE CIRCLE
The middle of the playing field has a large blue circle in it, and around the
rim are six meteorites locked in place. Each one of these lights up in turn for
a couple of seconds, at which point you need to shoot them to release them.
Released meteorites then start circling around the screen, and you'll need to
avoid them as you release the rest. The level is finished once all meteorites
have been released.

THE METEORITES
With all meteorites out and about, the circle turns red and a stranded ship is
revealed inside. You can now enter the circle and rescue said ship; after that
you are confined in the circle until you shoot down the meteorites still
circling outside. Inexplicably, they'll return fire at this point. This level
is finished by destroying all six meteorites.

THE TUNNEL OF FEAR
If this name seems a little less cheesy, it's because the game came up with it,
not me. You start in the bottom left corner of the screen and your goal is to
get to the top left; and the only way to get there is to navigate through four
layers of tunnels, each with their own hazard. The first layer has winged
aliens swooping down on you trying to force a collision, the second has a
fortified position of four yellow monsters, the third a couple of cannons and
more winged aliens coming after you, and the fourth requires you to manoeuvre
through a sudden swarm of comets to get to another stranded ship at the end.

THE SPACE MONSTER
Just when you thought you saw everything, here's a crude ASCII rendering of a
large space monster with a single eye. From this eye come projectiles that you
must avoid. To destroy the monster, you'll have to shoot a path through rapidly
regenerating skin to get to the eye and place a direct hit on it, after which
the monster will explode.

THE EVIL EYE
The monster is gone but the eye isn't quite done with you yet. In a final
showdown, the eye will bounce around the screen trying to avoid your shots and
collide with you in a moment of inattention, and you will have to place four
hits on it to destroy it before it manages to crash into you or your fuel runs
out. Destroying the eye ends the cycle and brings you back to the circle, now
at a higher level of difficulty.

For the most part, entering a new level restores your fuel. The exceptions are
that when you clear The Circle and the Space Monster levels, your fuel is not
restored.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[2.2] CONTROLS
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

In all five stages, your craft is controlled the same way, with a few
limitations placed on your craft's behaviour depending on the specific level
you're in. Move your craft in any of four directions with the stick, and fire
your cannon by holding down the fire button while indicating a direction. Only
one shot can be on screen at the time, but if you're close to your target (or
the edge of the screen) you can follow your shots up quickly. You can move in
eight directions, but you cannot shoot diagonally. Shots have a limited range
and do not travel all the way to the edge of the screen.

As long as you hold down the fire button, your shots will continue to be fired
in the same direction, even if you steer your ship somewhere else in the
meantime. You need to release the fire button first before aiming in another
direction.

Limitations and exceptions apply for each level as follows:

- In the first level (The Circle) you cannot move inside the circle; in the
second level (The Meteorites) you can move inside, but once there you can't get
out anymore.

- In the third level (The Tunnel of Fear), if you don't indicate movement in
any direction your ship will be pushed backwards in the direction you came
from, away from your goal. If you hold down the fire button you will continue
to fire in the direction you last moved in, though, even if your ship is going
in reverse.

- In the fifth level (The Evil Eye) you are restricted to the bottom row of the
screen and can only move left and right. As a result, you also can't shoot
downwards. However, your shots will travel all the way across the length of the
screen in this level.

- In the first cycle only, if you lose all your lives, pressing the fire button
within a few seconds will trigger a continue; your score is set to 0 but you'll
get three new lives and remain at the current level.

- In the second and subsequent cycles, the range of your shots is halved
(except in the Evil Eye stage). You'll also consume fuel more quickly.


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[2.3] SCORING
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Scoring for each level is as follows:

THE CIRCLE
When a meteorite lights up, indicating it can now be shot to release it from
the circle, a score countdown appears in the middle of the circle, starting at
100 and counting down to 20. When you shoot the meteorite, you'll get a number
of points equal to what the counter currently indicates.

THE METEORITES
Rescuing the stranded ship inside the circle earns no points, but it does fill
up your fuel tank. Once inside, you can destroy the six meteorites for 70
points each.

TUNNEL OF FEAR
Destroying the winged aliens in the first and third layers yields 70 points per
kill. The yellow beasts in the second layer are also worth 70 points each.
Finally, reaching the end of the tunnel and rescuing the stranded ship there
gives you a welcome 1000 points bonus.

THE SPACE MONSTER
As before, the winged aliens are worth 70 points per kill (and get replaced
indefinitely). Tunnelling through the monster's skin is worth 5 points per shot
– getting through entirely works out to a couple hundred points, depending on
how much you allow to regenerate.

THE EVIL EYE
The first three hits on the eye are worth 500 points each. The killing shot is
worth 1000 for a total of 2500 points for defeating the evil eye – easily the
best output in the entire cycle. Finishing the cycle for the first time also
earns you a bonus life.

Usually, clearing a cycle yields about 5000 points. Points are purely for
posterity; the only bonus life you gain in the game is given to you when you
complete the first cycle, regardless of points scored.


===============================================================================
[3] STRATEGIES – FIRST CYCLE
===============================================================================

This section describes the approach to take on each level for the first cycle
only. Even if you're looking for advanced strategies for the subsequent cycles
I recommend you read this first; the more advanced strategies in the next
section assume you're familiar with these.


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[3.1] THE CIRCLE
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The start is simple enough; one of the six meteorites at random will have the
area around it light up in yellow, and as per the game's 'SHOOT THE YELLOW
ZONE' instruction, you can then head toward it and shoot it to release it from
the circle. The meteorite will turn red, come out and now start circling the
screen. At this time the meteorite is invulnerable but running into it will
cost you your ship, so you'll have to dodge it while you head for the next
meteorite to release.

Whenever you release a meteorite, a new one will be lit up – if you fail to get
to a meteorite before its timer counts down all the way, the same thing will
happen. You merely need to make sure you catch all six meteorites without
touching any of the ones you have already released, and before you run out of
fuel.

The second stage starts immediately when you complete the first. If you die in
this level, you need to start over with all six meteorites inside again.

Hints for this level:

- The range of your shots is such that you don’t have to be right next to the
meteorite you’re going to release. Sometimes you can save time (and be at less
risk of colliding with the meteorite you are releasing) by shooting your target
through the circle from some distance away.

- You have plenty of room to dodge the meteorites to the left and the right of
the circle, but things are tight at the top and the bottom. If you need to get
to the other side of the circle, wait for an opening and then move quickly.

- Don't worry about how much points each meteorite is worth - if you only get
20, so be it. It's not worth it to let it go and wait to get 90 or 100 points
for the next; 80 points more or less is nothing and waiting around is risky
with your limited fuel supply.


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[3.2] THE METEORITES
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Now that all meteorites are free, the circle turns red and inside is one of the
stranded ships we’ve been sent to rescue. The meteorites also turn blue at this
point. Your first order of business is to enter the circle – just fly up to it
and you’ll go in automatically. Now touch the stranded ship to rescue it; this
will also refill your fuel tanks.

You’re now stuck inside the circle while the meteorites still swarm outside,
and at this point you can and must destroy them. As soon as you hit the first,
the rest will start to return fire; fortunately there can only be one of their
shots on the screen at a time and there’s a significant pause between shots.
Simply sweep up the meteorites as best as you can, being aware of their
counterfire and ready to dodge when you need to.

The meteorites will sometimes circle in such a way that they actually enter the
circle. Even if they do, you cannot collide with them, but you should still be
wary of being shot down by them.

Fuel is probably not your biggest concern in this stage, but it does tick down,
so try to sweep the meteorites quickly. If you die, you start outside the
circle again with all six meteorites back to “life”.

The third stage will begin in a new area when you destroy all meteorites. You
will have your fuel restored for this.

Hints for this level:

- You won’t be fired upon until you’ve destroyed at least one meteorite. You
can capitalize on this by moving toward a concentration of meteorites and
starting the stage by destroying two or three right after one another.

- After getting your first few kills that way, focus on whichever meteorites
come closest to you; they're easier to hit and their shots will be harder to
avoid, so it's best to get rid of them quickly.

- Once you’ve destroyed the first meteorite, expect a shot to be fired at you
in a second or so. Be ready to dodge, then return to destroying the rest. It’ll
take a couple of seconds for the shot to be followed up – you may even be able
to destroy all the meteorites in the meantime. With practice you’ll get a feel
for the timing.

- When a shot is coming soon, you may find it prudent to withdraw to the middle
of the circle so you can dodge in all directions. At the edge of the circle you
are probably closer to the enemy and may not be able to dodge a shot aimed
straight at you.


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[3.3] THE TUNNEL OF FEAR
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The Tunnel of Fear is a test of endurance consisting of four parts. You need to
navigate through all four parts of it to rescue the stranded ship at the top
left of the screen, without dying to any of the traps along the way and before
you run out of fuel. Fortunately, most of it is not as hard as it looks.

In the first layer, winged aliens will flutter down at you as you pass from
left to right, trying to collide with you. If you shoot any down, they will be
replaced by a new one - your only goal here is to get through quickly.

The second layer has four yellow aliens firing at you from behind the safety of
bunkers. Now you know what the enemy in Space Invaders felt like. You will have
to destroy at least some of the bunkers and the aliens behind them in order to
get past. When you do destroy any of the bunkers, the alien that was hiding
behind it will make a mad dash toward you hoping to at least collide with you
before you can destroy them.

Once you are past these guys, the third layer has four small cannon positions
which will periodically fire straight upwards, hoping to catch you just as you
try to pass them by. To make matters worse, once you start maneuvering past the
cannons, more winged aliens appear behind you to hurry you on.

The last layer has comets shooting at you past the top and the bottom of the
passage, always leaving just enough room for you to avoid them, but you'll have
to move quickly. As you come nearer the stranded ship, you will have less time
to react to the incoming comets.

When you reach the ship, you get a bonus of 1000 points for successfully
navigating the tunnel of fear, and the next level starts with a full fuel tank.
If you die along the  way, you will start back at the second layer (with the
yellow aliens) if you got at least to that part, or way back at the beginning
if you didn't.

Hints for this level:

- For the first layer, hurry up and don't stop to shoot any aliens except the
ones that appear right in front of you. Whatever's behind you is not going to
catch up, and the longer you dally, the better the chance that you will get
surrounded. Much of the time you can just push the stick right as the level
starts and get through without a scratch; other times you may have to kill one
or two aliens who appear in your path.

- For the second layer, the yellow aliens will fire one shot at a time; once a
shot is on the screen and you have avoided it, you are safe until it leaves the
screen. That gives you the chance to return fire. The closer you move to the
aliens, the quicker you can follow up your shots. Once you've mastered the
timing, you can easily take out one, maybe even two aliens while their shot is
on the screen and they are defenseless.

- You do not have to take out all the yellow aliens to pass - taking out the
bottom two is enough - but be sure to wait until a shot is on the screen until
you pass under the survivors. Otherwise one of them is likely to shoot straight
down at catch you.

- If one of the yellow aliens comes flying at you and you fail to destroy it,
when it leaves the screen on the right, it will reappear on the left, only a
little bit higher than before. Keep this in mind if you want to line up to
shoot at it again. A dashing alien will no longer shoot at you, but the
remaining ones will.

- Yellow aliens take a second or two to explode when you hit them. During this
time they can still shoot. Be aware of this or you may be in for a nasty
surprise.

- For the third layer, wait in front of the first cannon while it shoots. Once
it has done so, you have a few seconds pause before the cannons can fire again
- enough to pass all four of them, making this the easiest part of the tunnel.
If you're in doubt, just wait between the third and fourth cannon for another
shot, then move once it's past. Do bear in mind that if you dally too long,
there will be more winged aliens on your tail (but you can destroy them if they
get too close).

- For the fourth layer, push the stick left and don't let go, tapping it up and
down to avoid incoming comets. Taking it slowly doesn't make this any easier,
so you might as well be done with it as quickly as you can. The comet patterns
are random but are never impossible to avoid.

- If you run out of fuel along the way, analyze which part you are taking too
long for. Most likely it will be the fight with the yellow aliens, the slowest
and hardest part of the level. Much time can be won here by making sure you get
close to them as you fire on them - so your shots follow up more quickly - and
by not bothering to kill all four, just enough so you can slip past.


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[3.4] THE SPACE MONSTER
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

You're in for it now! The space monster is actually stationary and for the most
part harmless, except for the eye that is periodically shooting at you. The
winged aliens flying up and down on either side of the monster will also shoot,
independently, though usually there won't be two shots on the screen at the
same time here.

The eye can only shoot every few seconds, so once again your best bet is to
avoid the incoming shot, then take the time you have to do some damage. Your
objective here is to burrow through the monsters skin in front of the eye with
your shots, and ultimately score a hit on the eye to finish the level. To do
this, move your ship all the way up to the monster (don't worry, touching it
won't kill you) and keep shooting at it to dig a tunnel in the two center
columns of skin. Don't bother with the outer columns. As you tunnel through the
skin, move your ship up through the space you just created so you can keep up a
good pace. After a couple of seconds - you have about enough time to get
halfway - move back down and be ready to avoid the eye's next shot. If it's
straight down (this is actually random) you will *have* to be away from there
in order to have time to avoid it. The skin slowly regenerates while you're not
firing at it, but that can't be helped.

If you're quick, you can get halfway to the eye after the first shot before
having to dodge the next, then all the way to the eye before the third shot
comes. If you're not as confident, just do it in a few more steps. But don't
take all day, your fuel is burning.

Hints for this level:

- Ignore the winged aliens; just dodge their shots as necessary. Destroying
them gains you nothing but a few points, and a replacement will fly in anyway.
Focus on the monster.

- For the quickest result against the two inner columns of skin, push this
stick upwards and press the fire button to start firing upwards, then rapidly
move your ship left and right to dig at the two columns equally. You will keep
firing upward for as long as you hold the fire button down, no matter where you
maneuver. You need to make full use of this trick here.


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[3.5] THE EVIL EYE
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The monster has exploded but the eye remains; it's time for the final showdown.
The eye will bounce across the screen at mostly random angles, and you have to
shoot it four times without colliding with it. The eye will not actively try to
collide with you, but between its erratic movements and the size of the screen,
it can happen; or you could run out of fuel before you manage to catch it. To
make matters worse, your fuel is not restored between the previous stage and
this one, so you have to win the battle with whatever you have left.

If you hit the eye four times, you will win the level, complete the cycle and
get to start on the second (and harder) cycle. If you get killed, you have to
start this level from scratch, but this time with a full tank.

Hints for this level:

- If the eye gets uncomfortably close you may actually be able to place
multiple hits in a row on it due to your shots following up automatically as
long as the fire button is down.

- Since you cannot shoot diagonally or leave the bottom row of the level,
you're mostly stuck with firing straight upwards. Try to lead the eye; don't
move directly under it, but in its path so that it will fly into your shots.
This can be a pain since the eye can change speed and direction without
warning, but keep trying.

- Don't forget you can shoot straight left and right, just in case the eye gets
the nifty idea of descending to the bottom row and then moving horizontally
towards you. It does happen. Usually, hitting it will cause it to change
direction, and if it doesn't, well, you can always hit it several times in a
row, no?

- As long as you don't get any closer to the eye than you need to, fuel is your
enemy here, not the off chance of a collision. Be careful, but not so careful
that it takes you ages to get a hit in. You need to take the battle to him.


===============================================================================
[4] STRATEGIES – SUBSEQUENT CYCLES
===============================================================================

Once you get used to the controls and the way each level works, the first cycle
really isn't all that hard. The real challenge starts from here on. After you
finish the first cycle (scoring a bonus life, the only one in the game), the
same levels repeat, but the difficulty is upped considerably. Only once, though
- the third, fourth, fifth and all cycles thereafter are exactly the same as
the second.

This section, therefore, describes the changes between the first cycle and the
next ones for each level, and how you should adapt your strategies.


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[4.1] THE CIRCLE
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

This level remains the same between the first and second cycles, except for a
higher fuel consumption (which applies to all levels now) and a shorter range
on your shots. You therefore have less time to wrap up now, and you need to get
closer to your target in order to release it from the circle. You cannot do it
from a distance or the other side of the circle anymore. This means that you
will have to spend more time dodging the meteorites you've already released,
and you need to be quicker about it too.

Hints for this level:

- There's not much to do that you didn't do before; no specific order to
release the meteorites in or anything. See which one your target is, get to it
quickly, release it and move backwards immediately as you do so so you don't
collide with the newly released meteorite.

- Remember that it's easier to move around existing meteorites to the left or
the right of the circle rather than the top or the bottom. Don't pass them
there if you can at all help it. Some meteorites move in such a pattern that
they block either the top or the bottom completely as they pass through (but
never both). You don't have the time to study their patterns, though, so just
forget about it and wait until they're to the left or right before you sneak
past them.


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[4.2] THE METEORITES
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

This time, when the meteorites start firing on you once you destroy the first,
they can have two shots on the screen at the same time, and follow them up much
more quickly. Your tactic doesn't change, you just need to be more aware of
their counterfire. On the first cycle, you could afford to move close to the
meteorites to take them out quickly; this time, you must keep your distance so
you can avoid their counterattacks. That means you'll need to be able to take
them out from a slightly longer range; you want to stay near the middle of the
circle whenever you can, moving outwards only for the ones that are otherwise
out of your reduced laser range.

Hints for this level:

- More than before, work from the inside to the outside. Nearby meteorites go
first; once they're gone and only the outer ones remain, then you can afford to
move to the edges of the circle to take them out.

- As with the Evil Eye, you want to lead the meteorites with your shots if you
take them out from long range. Aim a little bit in front of them so they fly
into your shot. This makes it easier to avoid their shots too compared to when
you move up right into their faces.


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[4.3] THE TUNNEL OF FEAR
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

This stage has become tricky now. Most notably, the fight against the yellow
aliens has become a lot hairier now that they can fight two shots at a time at
you, and your fuel runs out much more quickly than before. The rest is still
relatively easy.

On the first layer, you will now see more winged aliens fly at you than before.
It's become unlikely (but still possible) that you can pass through without
having to shoot at anything. As before, though, don't dally a second longer
than you need to; your objective is to get through, not to score kills.

On the second layer, the yellow aliens can now fire two shots at a time; which
introduces the risk that one is high and one is low and you cannot pass between
them. If this happens, you have to flee all the way to the bottom right; shots
on the bottom will not go all the way to the end of the screen, but stop just
short, so you will be safe here even if it seems you cannot avoid the incoming
fire. It wastes valuable time though and the real trick is to make sure that
whenever the aliens fire their two shots, they're on the same altitude. That
means you have to wait for them to fire before you move past the two shots to
fire at them.

The cannons on the third layer will have increased firepower, too. The first
cannon will now fire two shots - wait for both of them to pass, then quickly
move past him. The pause between shots has shortened, too. If you're quick, you
can still get past all the four cannons in one go after the first shots, but
you may find it safer to just pass the first three now and wait for the fourth
cannon to fire its shots (once again, two of them) before you pass over that
one. Fortunately, the winged aliens aren't any quicker, so this time it should
be no problem to wait for that second set of shots to happen; they won't catch
up with you that fast.

The fourth layer hasn't changed as far as I can tell. The comets do not appear
to be quicker or more numerous. Just fly through quickly as you did before.

Hints for this level:

- The yellow aliens are the real pest now. It's even more important than before
to move up close to kill them quickly, and to kill no more than you need to.
Take out the bottom two ones and *maybe* the third; leave the one on top and
sneak past him as soon as both of his shots are on screen and he cannot
surprise you.

- You may have noticed that the shot patterns of the aliens depend entirely on
where you are at the time that they're ready for their next shot. You can
influence exactly what they do. For instance, when you enter the second layer,
move up immediately and two shots will be fired at you by the top alien -
giving you the time you need to dodge them, move up close to the two aliens at
the bottom and make short work of at least one of them before you have to move
back to lure the next two shots your way. Getting the aliens to shoot where you
want them is key to getting through this layer alive without wasting any time.


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[4.4] THE SPACE MONSTER
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The main difference here is that the eye follows up shots about twice as
quickly now. It can still only shoot once at a time (though the winged aliens
can add some firepower to this), but you have very little time between shots to
actually make some headway against the skin before you have to dodge the next
shot again. The problem now is mastering the timing. Dodge too soon and the
skin will regenerate so much that you never get anywhere; dodge too late and
you'll be taken by surprise by the next shot, unable to get out of the way in
time.

Hints for this level:

- You can only take away about a quarter of the monster's skin between shots
now. Don't hang around for more. This means you will probably have to make four
or five passes total. If you have enough fuel, don't push it just because
you're "almost there" - better to play it safe unless you are almost out of
time. Do keep in mind that you still need to destroy the eye on the same fuel
supply.

- You are most vulnerable late in the level, if you are already halfway and
have to dig quite deep into the monster's skin. You will be ever closer to the
eye and need to bug out a split second earlier to give yourself enough time to
avoid the next shot.

- Don't move all the way down to the edge of the screen when preparing for the
next shot. About halfway between the monster and the screen's edge is enough to
be able to dodge the next shot, and shortens the time needed to get back to the
target. You need all the time you can get; this is probably the hardest part of
the second cycle.


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[4.5] THE EVIL EYE
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The evil eye hasn't changed much since the first cycle. Your shots pass along
the entire screen here even in the second cycle, so you don't have to let him
get any closer than before. All that's different is that you run out of fuel
faster, so I hope you know how to take him down quickly by now.

Hints for this level:

- There's not much to say. Brush up on your long distance marksmanship so you
can destroy the eye quickly; you'll have very little time. Nothing but practice
will help you lead the target correctly. If there's any bit of advice I can
give you, it is to stay calm and focused even if the low fuel warning tone
sounds. Hurrying up will change nothing; your shots must be aimed to kill or
you'll never get anywhere.

If you complete the second cycle, congratulations! You've conquered all that
Lazarian will throw at you; now the challenge is to get good enough to do it
consistently, so that you can complete the third and subsequent cycles as well.
They don't get any harder, but there are no more bonus lives to gain, so from
here on out it's purely a matter of staying power. You can expect to score
about 5000 points for each completed cycle; my personal record is 23145.


===============================================================================
[5] REVISION HISTORY
===============================================================================

v1.0: (10 Jan '06) First version of the FAQ.

I have no updates planned for this guide; I've already shared all I know. If
there's anything else you'd like to see, though, don't hesitate to drop me a
mail.


===============================================================================
[6] FINAL WORDS
===============================================================================

ABOUT THIS FAQ
The Commodore 64 remains a satisfying platform to write FAQs for. Simple as
though many of its early games were, there is more to mastering them than is
immediately obvious, making it possible to write meaningful guides about them
that go beyond just telling the reader to press the fire button at the right
time. Plus competition is almost non-existent, so that I'll never have to worry
about being beaten to the punch. It is my hope that with guides such as this
one, I am providing something new to the FAQ community - even if there won't be
as much of an audience as for more recent and popular games.

For questions, comments, suggestions, praise and criticism, please contact the
author, Sashanan, at [email protected]. This e-mail address is for FAQ
feedback only. Whatever you wish to share about this document or Lazarian,
chances are I'll want to hear it. Any serious mail will be answered.

If you wish to do anything with this FAQ except for just reading it, check
the Disclaimer section at the top of the FAQ to find out what you can and
can't do. When in doubt, you can always mail me.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sashanan is a Dutch software engineer who, as of this writing, is only 39 years
and a few months away from retirement. In the meantime, he struggles to find
time to feed his gaming and writing hobbies and combine them into one wherever
possible. As a reader of this document, you are one of his victims, and have in
fact pleasantly surprised him by still showing interest in the Commodore 64
well into the 21st century. Sashanan prefers curry over mayo and coke over
pepsi.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks to the usual suspects (you know who you are; yes, you too) for listening
to me prattle about what FAQs I'm working on even though they're for games
you've never heard of. And as always, thanks to the administrators of GameFAQs
for all the time invested and all they put up with, ensuring that GameFAQs
remains the best place to go for your guides, regardless of if you're a writer
or a reader.

This document is a copyright of Peter "Sashanan" Butter, 2006. All
rights reserved. Disclaimer at top of document.

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