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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. REVISION HISTORY
2. HOW TO PLAY THE GAME
3. THE DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE CRYPTS
4. MONSTERS
5. ITEMS
6. SCORING INFORMATION
7. TIPS
8. CONTACT INFORMATION
9. CREDITS
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1. REVISION HISTORY
Version 1.0
04/06/06: First wrote this guide, since it's very underrated yet very complex
in my opinion. Not yet complete, though, since I need to find a way to
get the maze layouts somehow.
Version 1.1
10/31/06: Not much of an update, just fixed some 'typos' and added a small
tidbit of information. Next chance I get to update this guide I promise I will
add the layout of the first maze.
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2. HOW TO PLAY THE GAME
You are a brave adventurer who has decided to venture into the Crypts of Chaos,
knowing fully well that many have ventured into it, yet none have returned.
They have all fallen victim to the monsters that inhabit the crypts, including
trolls, dragons, and giant blobs, all intent on making this crypt your final
resting spot!
You are not defenseless, however, as you have been given special items that
will aid in your quest. Now get ready to enter the crypts.
BEGINNING YOUR ADVENTURE:
Set up your Atari 2600 and plug a joystick into the left controller jack.
Crypts of Chaos is for one player only.
The difficulty switches adjust the rate of encountering monsters. Setting both
switches to B (right position) will set it to the standard rate. Setting one
difficulty switch to A (left position) will double that rate. Setting both
switches to A will result in the rate being quadrupled!
Use the Game Select switch to choose one of four game settings:
GAME 1: You start on Floor 5 with 127 wand charges and 31 ring charges.
GAME 2: You start on Floor 9 with 63 wand charges and 15 ring charges.
GAME 3: You start on Floor 13 with 31 wand charges and 7 ring charges.
GAME 4: You start on Floor 1 with 255 wand charges and 63 ring charges.
(The TV Type switch isn't used in this game.)
Once you are happy with your selection, press the Game Reset switch.
PLAYING THE GAME:
The game is played from a first-person perspective (yes, on the Atari 2600!)
and uses a control scheme that may seem a bit awkward at first. You have two
cursors on the bottom of the screen. The top one is pretty much your position
when you are battling a creature. It indicates where your weapons will go
when you use them. Move the joystick left and right to move the cursor.
The bottom cursor allows you to choose items. Move the joystick left and
right to choose an item. When you want to use an item, press the button on
the joystick.
To switch cursors, move the joystick down to change items, or up to go into
movement mode. You can only move when you are in movement mode.
To move forward, push the joystick forward and hold it. The movements are
a little slow and jerky, but don't worry, it's not your joystick. To turn
left or right, move the cursor to the edge of the screen that corresponds to
the direction you wish to turn. A beeping noise will let you know that you
have turned successfully.
You can't move when a monster is approaching you. You'll know because you'll
hear a musical tune (or some kind of constant noise) as it slowly approaches
you. You must select an item, and then use the top cursor to aim it and press
the button to use it. (See below for more details on items.)
Once a monster is defeated, you are free to move on.
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3. THE DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE CRYPTS
Each area within the Crypts is color coded, so you know where you are. The
different areas are:
CORRIDOR (green): The most common area within the crypts, they only go in one
direction, meaning that you cannot turn to the sides, but you can turn around
and go back the way you came.
T-INTERSECTION AND DEAD END (bright red): If you are getting close to a T-
Intersection or a Dead End, you will stop suddenly and you will see an opening
in front of you. You will need to move the joystick forward again to move
into this room. Once inside, one of two things can occur. If there are
wall segments visible on the outer edges of the screen, then it's a dead end,
and you must make a U-Turn to leave.
If, however, you don't see any edges, then you're at a T-Intersection, and can
either turn left or right. It is possible to move to another T-Intersection or
a Dead End from an Intersection without seeing the opening as described above.
4-WAY INTERSECTION (blue): Unlike the T-Intersections and Dead Ends, you will
not see an opening that stops you. Instead, you will automatically enter the
4-WAY INTERSECTION. From here, you can turn in either direction or keep
going forwards.
MONSTER LAIR (purple): This is what you're looking for. There are eight
Monster Lairs on each floor. You will see an opening right before you enter,
meaning that you'll have to move forward manually again, but once you're
inside, get your weapon ready, as a monster will be guarding the treasures.
Once you've slain it, move the cursor to the bag icon on the bottom left and
press the button. A bar will extend from your cursor, indicating how much
treasure you've found, and your score will increase too. Once you are done in
a Monster Lair, you must make a U-Turn to get out.
STAIRCASES (dark red): Staircases can take you up or down.
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4. MONSTERS
There are eight monsters lurking within the Crypts of Chaos. They are,
from weakest to strongest:
TROLL (looks like a stick figure)
FROG (self-explanatory)
SNAKE (looks like a coiled cobra)
SKULL (looks like a bouncing face)
BLOB (weird triangular shaped thing with a hole in it)
EYE (giant eye that blinks as it comes towards you)
WIZARD (hard to describe, looks like it's extending its arm)
DRAGON (needs no explanation!)
In addition, the monsters will be colored to show how powerful they are.
Again from weakest to strongest:
GREEN
VIOLET
BRONZE
LIGHT BLUE
RED
DARK BLUE
LAVENDER
GOLD
The first floor of the crypt starts off guarded by trolls, and then frogs
appear on the second floor. Snakes appear on the third floor, and so on,
untill you reach the eighth floor, where all eight monsters can appear at any
time from there untill the eighteenth floor.
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5. ITEMS
Your items are displayed on the bottom of the screen, and can be selected by
tilting the joystick downward, and then moving it left or right to move the
inventory cursor in that direction. The items are as follows, from left to
right:
TREASURE SACK (looks like a bomb!): When you are in a lair, and you have slain
the monster residing within, press this button to loot the lair. You'll gain
points for this. Your cursor will also increase to show how much treasure you
gained.
SWORD (looks like a left-pointing arrow): The sword has a short range, but
is the only weapon that can be used an unlimited number of times. However,
wizards can't be harmed by the sword.
WAND (small line with four dots surrounding it on the right side): The wand
has a limited number of charges depending on what game variation you are
playing, but will cover a longer range. Dragons can't be harmed by the wand.
RING (circle): This is the most powerful weapon, as each use will drain hits
from a monster and add them to your hit count. This item has a very low number
of uses, so use it sparingly.
PEACE (peace symbol): If you encounter a troll, eye, wizard, or dragon, you can
attempt to convince them to leave you alone by using the peace symbol.
However, you will gain no points for doing so. In addition, you can't use it
in a Monster Lair.
U-TURN (an arrow that is shaped like an upside down U): Using a U-Turn will
make you turn 180 degrees, which is useful when leaving a Monster Lair or if
you are at a dead end. You can't use this when you are encountering a monster.
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6. SCORING INFORMATION
Points are awarded for defeating monsters, with increasing values for tougher
monsters and higher difficulty color. (At this time, exact point values aren't
known.) You also earn points for looting Monster Lairs.
Your score is displayed on the top-right part of the screen, and your hit
points are shown on the top-left part. You start with 90 hit points, and when
a monster gets too close to you, your hit points will be reduced. (Exact
amounts are unknown at this time as well, although I believe that the type of
monster and difficulty is a factor.)
If your hit points drop to 0 at any time, the game is over. The game also ends
if you exit the crypt on the first floor. You can only regain hit points by
using the ring.
If you manage to loot all eight Monster Lairs, you will receive a bonus of ten
extra charges for your wand, and two charges for your ring when you descend to
the next floor.
While there are no official rankings in this game, the manual lists the
following ratings that are given for scores attained:
SERF: 0-1000 Points
PAGE: 1000-2000 Points
COURTIER: 2000-3000 Points
KNIGHT: 3000-4000 Points
NOBLE: 4000 or more Points.
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7. TIPS
-This game is very difficult, especially because of the somewhat stiff
controls, so it may take a few playthroughs to get the hang of it.
-When you first start every game, you will always encounter a monster, so be
ready to fight.
-Try to save your ring for when your hits are running low. It's best to use
your wand on tougher enemies, and save the sword for weaker opponents.
-If you're running low on hits and you don't have any charges left in your
ring, remember that you can always use the peace symbol to drive off some
monsters. You won't earn any points, but it's better than biting the dust.
-And of course, even when the crypts are darkest, don't forget to HAVE FUN!
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8. CONTACT INFORMATION
READ THIS BEFORE YOU SEND ME ANY E-MAIL!
The following types of E-Mail I will _NOT_ accept under any circumstances:
-Mail that contains flaming (insults) or offensive content within. If you
don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything!
-Spam/Advertisements of any kind. This is against the law, and will not be
taken lightly.
-Asking if you can use this on your website/in your FAQ/Magazine/anything
like that will not be tolerated. In case you missed it, I specifically
stated that I won't allow it in the disclaimer section at the beginning.
The following types of E-Mail I will accept:
-Suggestions and/or constructive criticism.
-Strategies of your own.
-Any information I may have left out in this version.
-Generally, anything that will help me improve this guide in future revisions!
(Make sure you put "Crypts of Chaos Guide" as your subject line.)
-Specifically, if you have any information for the games which I did not test
yet, let me know.
You can reach me at: LarcenTyler7650 (AT) yahoo (DOT) com
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9. CREDITS
Well, the guide may not be complete yet, but it's a start, and I owe it all to
those who made it possible:
-My mother, for playing Atari and passing her love for it onto me.
-Atari, for putting out the Atari 2600.
-John W.S. Marvin, for managing to squeeze an RPG-like game into an Atari 2600
cartridge.
-AtariAge (www.atariage.com) for providing me with a typed copy of the manual
that gave me some of the information I needed for this guide.
-Jeff 'CJayC' Veasey, for such a great website where FAQ writers (like me!) can
post our work.
-Very special thanks to Michael Rideout, a fellow user of the AtariAge forums,
whose scanning and uploading the Crypts of Chaos manual is something I cannot
thank him enough for.
-But, there's only one person more important than anyone whom I must credit,
and that's YOU, for reading my guide!
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