Tutankham(Atari 2600 version) FAQ
by Andrew Schultz
[email protected]
version 1.0.0
This FAQ is part of my efforts to preserve old games. Please do not
reproduce for profit without my permission. However, a specific request
addressing me by name(not Email) will probably get a favorable response.
A color Tutankham map is available at the following fine location:
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Exhibit/2762/games/tutankham_2600.gif
Check out my small Atari page at:
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Exhibit/2762/games/atari.htm
If I get organized I may even link to the PICTURE from the PAGE! Woo!
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INTRODUCTION, CONTROLS AND GENERAL TIPS
MONSTERS
TREASURES
WALKTHROUGHS
LEVEL 1
LEVEL 2
LEVEL 3
LEVEL 4
QUIRKS
VERSIONS/CREDITS
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INTRODUCTION, CONTROLS AND GENERAL TIPS
You can never fire vertically. However, if you hold the fire button
and push up, you smart-bomb everything on the screen. You can also move
during the smart-bombing.
You can fire the opposite direction you move; tap the joystick right,
hit the button, and tap the joystick left to see this.
You cannot stop your guy unless he runs into a wall. If you are going
horizontally down a narrow corridor, you cannot stop, but if you can
move down, push down and he will stop. Up/down corridors are easier to
stop in.
Monsters have a specific AI for pursuing you in open areas. If they
are below and to the right of you, they move up in a zigzag pattern. If
they are below and to the left, they move up and then right. If they
are above and to the left, they move right and down. Same for above and
to the right.
If you are above a monster, and each of you is to the left of a vertical
corridor, you may have to bait it for it to come up. Try to get above
the corridor and quickly pull back. The monster will "bite," and you
can fire away.
If a monster disappears off the screen, you've ditched him. He's
vanished.
There can't be more than two monsters on the screen, and if one is on
the screen, another is much less likely to appear.
Hitting select and reset at the same time after you've lost your last
life will get you another life even though it doesn't show up on the
screen. After you lose that life, you are back to three lives and three
smart bombs, but you'll need to pull the trick again if those lives run
out.
Time, which regenerates when you solve a level, isn't much of a factor
until level four. When it runs out, you can't shoot, but you can use
smart bombs.
You can't get any extra lives, but if you finish the fourth level with
fewer than three smart bombs, you get one back.
You can't sneak through a hole with a height of two stripes(i.e. color
changes)--this is relevant on the fourth level.
Don't be scared to shoot continuously. Also make sure that, if you
are pulling up quickly, that you lay off the fire button, or you'll use
a smart bomb you didn't need to.
Sometimes monsters seem to get to you when they shouldn't. However,
you can get the better of them. If you are running by a port that
spawns monsters, just fire continuously. Even if you are on top of the
monster when it appears, you will kill it. Knowing this is very useful.
Vertical corridors around monster spawning grounds can be dangerous,
as monsters can come at you.
Use "bunkers" in wide-open areas and let the monsters come to you.
Preferably use bunkers with walls to the right(most important) and
below.
Quick moves are best done just after you've killed a monster--new ones
won't appear for a while.
MONSTERS
Each level has three different monsters. They are worth 1, 2 and 3
respectively, and the more points, the faster one is. The one-pointers
are half as fast as you, the three-pointers are as fast, and the two-
pointers are 75 percent as fast(no, I didn't have a stopwatch or even a
sundial, but that's what I guess.) I believe the manual has different
names for the monsters, but I prefer to describe 'em as I see 'em. Tho'
sometimes I imagine I've tried to look at 'em a bit funny.
By the way, if you want to know the real names of the monsters and
treasures, check out Greg Chance's History of Home Video Games page at
http://208.240.253.18/. You might find some other interesting stuff
there, too.
Level 1
1. snake, light green
2. piranha, brown
3. skinny bird, salmon
Level 2
1. spider, green
2. crocodile, brown
3. fat bird, purple
Level 3
1. snake, green
2. big mouth, brown
3. weird mask, pink
Level 4
1. eyeball/blob, green
2. babboon, brown
3. pinwheel, purple
Each level has a bunch of different treasures that are worth more or
less random points. Most are worth picking up if you wish to add to
your overall point total.
You can pick up up to fifty points for finishing a level, and this
decrements by tens as time runs out down to zero.
TREASURES
These are not all the names in the manual, but I had such fun guessing
that I decided to share my speculations.
I am presenting the treasures in the order they are seen, top to bottom.
Two stars means that the treasure is probably not worth itif you are
just trying to get through the level. One star means it's rather tough.
Level 1
key(20) crown # 1(15) decoder ring(25) rhombus(25) cup(20) crown # 2(45)
Level 2
door knocker(30) comb(25) key() green slime(40) shrub(20) boxing
glove(20)
Level 3
tuning fork(35) door knocker(30) balloon(25) traffic sign(30) key(60)
menorah(5)
Level 4
key(55) door(40) knocker(25) bush(80)** coffin(20) rhinestone(40)*
letter opener(35)
WALKTHROUGHS
These walkthroughs attempt to pick up treasures but note when that is
not adviseable.
LEVEL 1
This is a good introduction. The most obvious thing to do is to go
down and left and pick up the key. You shouldn't have to worry about
monsters as you go left, but you might as well rapid-fire. This is a
good general strategy. Pick up the key and move down quickly--if the
monster hasn't appeared it will now. Left, down, and right through the
first portal. You may need to wait to get to the crown--shuffle
horizontally a bit until a monster passes you by below or you can shoot
it. Then move down via the right corridor and wait until a monster
comes out and shoot it--then pick up the ring. You don't want to get
trapped at the bottom of a vertical corridor with a monster bearing down
on you. From there go up, right, down, and all the way left. Check for
monsters before going down to get the crown. The curved passageway down
next is a bit tough, but don't be scared to camp out at the spot before
it turns left. Then run past the left port, firing, and go down where
you will find another treasure to the side of the corridor.
Now for the final and toughest treasure to get. This is a two-step
plan. First, move down untit you are at the second place where the
corridor opens up. Go hard right and wait for a monster to be produced,
and shoot it. Then move down, and go left while firing all the time.
Dip down to get the second crown after checking for onrushing monsters,
shoot your way past the port, and from there it's no problem to find the
next portal. Just be prepared to go down and shoot your way through to
the left after going through the portal. The first lock is in the
vertical column to the left. It will reveal the letters "MAP," the
screen will flash, your guy reveals some dance steps to accompany the
strobe-lighting, and you'll get a tougher challenge the next round!
LEVEL 2
Move along the corridor until it opens up. Then move quickly up and
down to stabilize your guy. Fire at the spider(my they're fat) and wait
for a crocodile/alligator to come by, and shoot it. Go left and down
quickly. You can fire right while going to get the treasure at the
right end of the corridor(safer than getting the comb immediately) and
then come back to get the comb. Wait for a monster to appear and shoot
it before going down if you're insecure. Then go down the corridor to
the right. Again if you are nervous, wait where the corridor curvesfor
a monster to appear and run up at you before shooting and going down.
There's a wide corridor in the center, so take that down. Again use
timing when you're halfway down. To get the key in the hallway with
ports at each end, fire left until you hit a monster. I find that
killing a couple makes it easy to go up quickly, grab a key, and get
out. The trick is to avoid using a smart bomb(i.e. moving horizontally
with the fire button held down, releasing fire, and moving up quickly)
if you can. From there you may need to be accurate getting into the
portal, and you'll have your first really tough treasure to pick up.
One solution is to go straight down until you're near a wall, go west,
and wait for a spider to appear before outmaneuvering it to get the
emerald. This is not the worst place to use a smart bomb to get by a
port, but camping out on the right is the best strategy if you want to
save. Beware that getting the emerald can be very deadly; if a bird
comes out from the port, it will wait below and to the right of you, and
if you back yourself into a corner, you are giving up a life or a bomb.
The rest of the level has two easy treasures followed by a brutal
gauntlet of a stretch run. The detour to get the cloud looking thing is
worthwhile, and you should be able to out-race the two slower monsters
down the vertical corridor. If a bird appears, bait it to come up and
shoot it. Run by the port while firing, and then go down and left and
down--here you'll need a little fancy footwork and to jiggle the
joystick, to mix a metaphor, but you have enough time if a non-bird is
coming at you. If it doesn't worth the first time, some practice should
nail it. Now the tough part is the last. When going down the corridor,
wait as usual for the monster to come, and then go left, down, left,
being sure to fire left in the meantime. This is not a trivial move,
even when you know what to do. I still sometimes, before running past
the two ports, push right to get my bearings before the final race.
After that, you find the second lock, which reveals some awkward looking
trophy. The manual says it's a vase.
LEVEL 3
Move down, right and down. A snake should come out from the right
port, so run right and fire--you should know the drill by now. Pick up
the tuning fork to the right and up and make sure no monsters are
waiting when you make your return. You can cop out by going right and
down although firing left and going down will give you a better chance
of avoiding monsters produced in the port below. Things get tricky once
you try to go down the wide central corridor, as the pink masks seem to
come out at a distressing rate. Move down after killing a monster,
making sure to back up quickly if a mask appears. Don't be tempted to
use a smart bomb--there's a more appropriate place later in this level.
Once you make it, go right, down and left through the portal. Go up
quickly to get the treasure, then down, left, down and left; the path
to the next treasure should be a free ride. Look both ways before going
down the small vertical shaft and after another vertical corridor in the
center that winds a bit, you'll find yourself in a room full of boxes.
This room introduces a new dimension. There are horizontal passages
too narrow to go throughin the barrier of four boxes on the left-hand
side. Which one to go through, and how? My advice is to note the two
small boxes horizontally in the middle. Run into the one that is
vertically in the middle from above. You now have a path left to the
chamber that holds the key. But a monster may be waiting there, left
and up. You will have to bait it by moving left and pulling back. This
may have to be done several times. There's also the first unlabeled
port to the left, so using a smart bomb may be prudent here once you
reach the other side and push up. It'll give you the time you need to
get in and out. Once down the vertical corridor, go all the way right
until you see a dead end and drop down. There are two bends in this
corridor; in each case, wait in ambush for a monster where walls are to
the right and down. A random factor may come into play here; if a
brown mouth runs up at you, it may not fit, so you'll need to run off
the screen and come back again. Once you've shot a monster at the last
bend, move quickly left, down, and right. The menorah is only worth
five points so it may cost you ten bonus points to get it, but it's fun
to get even if the risk outweights the reward in points. Simply run
left after you hit the right edge, firing all the while. Grab the
menorah quickly, then move right and down. If you miss the turn-off,
wait for a monster to spawn before you move down to the horizontal
corridor that holds the third lock to the right. Behind the third lock
is a triangular mask and the very tough level four.
LEVEL 4
You can see the key off the bat, but seeing the solution is not easy.
Don't go right for it! You'll get nailed by a weird green thing if you
do. You also cannot sneak through the gaps. Rather, move down to the
empty room(don't worry about the portal you see to the left of where you
start.) Stay near the top wall and shoot to the right and move right.
Once you've killed a monster and are close to the ring, grab it and go
back left until you reach the portal. Now you can move right and up and
right quickly(don't forget to fire. Another monster may spawn in the
portal.) If you're paranoid/careful you may stay at the right and fire
left until you hit something and THEN pick up the key. Once this is
done, go back and then go down through the center of the room. You're
in a short corridor, and monsters may be chasing you. You may have to
goad them before you can move down, but once you do, go right and pick
up the necklace above if you are willing to do some more goading. If
not, just go down the shaft, through the portal, and quickly down and
right.
Now here is the first and only treasure I don't recommend you take.
It's easy to see how to get it; go left, up, down and right very
quickly. You are relying on chance here, though; if a monster comes up
after you've gotten the treasure, you will need to use a smart bomb to
avoid death. Unless you've already conserved bombs or lives and are
trying to get through the game with all treasures(the computer doesn't
recognize this apart from giving a higher score) it is in the interests
of your survival to avoid this. But the next treasure, down and to the
right, is easier. You may have to go down the "stairs" sequentially to
bait monsters, but once you get to the corridor where the port is, you
have a choice about picking up the treasure. This is the second-
toughest treasure to get in the game. Run left into the wall above the
treasure(if you entered from the left, go quickly right and left) and
fire right until you hit something. Move down and up as quickly as
possible, and if you can move right and left quickly you'll be able to
fire until you hit and move down again.
The last part may be the best place for a smart bomb in the game.
Down a vertical corridor(from left to right, choose the third of six--it
has a treasure the far right doesn't) you have a port to the left.
You're at the animals' mercy a bit, and it may be tough to pull out
halfway down. Using a smart bomb eliminates all doubt. From there,
zigzags down and right lead you to the final horizontal corridor. Open
the lock to reveal King Tut.
Further levels seem to be a repeat of the cycle. Each cycle should net
you about a thousand points.
QUIRKS
Note how your guy, if sticking around the left wall, will actually
have one pixel of his gun in the wall.
Once you get to a new level, monsters won't appear until you move your
joystick. However, time will tick away.
End of FAQ proper
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VERSIONS/CREDITS
1.0.0: 8/8/2001 sent in first version to GameFAQs.
Thanks to Greg Chance's History of Home Games video page for the manual,
which allowed me to check my work for the point totals. I was off by 5
in a few cases.
