MISSION ON THUNDERHEAD FAQ v1.0
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by David J. Stein, Esq.
0. Foreward/To Do
1. Background
2. Gameplay and Controls
3. Locations
3.1 Floating Tower Area
3.2 Death Ray Cell Area
3.3 Planet Surface Area
3.4 Energy Dump Area
3.5 Greenatorium Area
3.6 Flashtite Mine Area
3.7 Chapel Area
3.8 Color Caves Area
3.9 Foundation
3.10 Final Gauntlet Area
3.11 Statis
3.12 Computer Room
3.13 Victory Screen
4. Items
4.1 Raygun
4.2 X-Trom
4.3 Beamer
4.4 Shield
4.5 ???
4.6 Ioner
4.7 Key
4.8 Energy cell
4.9 Icon
5. Walkthrough
5.1 The Final Appeal
5.2 Operation Tempest
6. Credits
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0. INTRODUCTION
0.1 FOREWARD
Mission on Thunderhead is a game written for the Commodore 64 and Atari 800XL
in 1986 by The Avalon Hill Game Company. It's an exceptionally surreal game,
set in a floating fortress and on the planet surface below, where you have to
learn how the world works in order to achieve your objectives. For its time,
the game was rather revolutionary; it falls somewhere between
Myst and Metroid in terms of presenting a new, strange world for you to
explore.
The game was released on a floppy disk with the Commodore version on one side,
and the Atari 800XL version on the other side. I played the game through on
both systems when I was a kid, and I never observed any differences - so this
FAQ applies to both versions.
I wrote this FAQ in November, 2000, in a fit of procrastination from law school
finals studying. Thanks to the wonders of emulation, I obtained a copy of
Thunderhead and was able to play through it for the first time in, oh I dunno,
15 years or so. I decided that such a great game needed a FAQ, so here it is!
0.2 TO DO
With the completion of version 1.0, there's not much left to do. I will
probably HTMLify it at some point, and I may stick in a screen shot of each
area (maybe...) I've also considered adding a bestiary to describe all the
different creatures you may encounter, complete with screen shots. But these
additions are probably superfluous and unlikely to happen, unless I
receive a lot of requests for this (which, given we're talking about a FAQ for
a little-known game from 1985, would be slightly unexpected!) More likely to
occur would be any additions to the FAQ in terms of secrets or the correction
of errors. In particular, if anyone can figure out any use for the Ioner or the
Key, or any additional use for the "???" item, that stuff will be added
promptly.
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1. BACKGROUND
Mission on Thunderhead is extremely unusual in that you can select one of two
backgrounds at the start of the game. At the title screen, you can select
Operation Tempest (where you play an agent sent to destroy the "execution
planet" Thunderhead) or The Final Appeal (you become a prisoner on Thunderhead
for some unspecified crime by some unspecified higher power, given a chance to
escape and win your freedom.) The world is very slightly different, depending
on which mission you select, and your goal in the game differs depending on
which scenario you've chosen. If you've completed one game and become familiar
with Thunderhead, you should be able to complete the other one pretty easily.
Operation Tempest is quicker and easier, so you may want to complete this one
first.
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2. GAMEPLAY AND CONTROLS
When you reach the title screen, the up arrow will toggle between the two
missions. This key and the left arrow key together change the "Variation" of
the game; basically, the only part that changes based on the "Variation" is
where the exits in each location take you and where the objects are located.
You can pretty much ignore this value. You can also choose a "Skill Level" by
using the right arrow key. Basically, your energy slowly drops throughout the
game and the "Skill Level" increases the rate. I highly recommend you stick
with a Skill Level of 0 (your energy drops very slowly) because I have always
thought this feature is annoying!
Once you hit F7, the game begins. In Operation Tempest, you start at the top of
the floating tower (see section 2.1); in The Final Appeal, you begin in the
Death Ray Cell (see section 2.2).
The gameplay of Mission on Thunderhead is pretty simple. It's a two-dimensional
sprite-based game, where you maneuver a spaceman around the world using the
arrow keys. In some screens, you've got a bird's-eye view, and pushing up will
walk "north"; in other screens, you see a straight-on view, where pushing up
will cause the character to jump (you can also do a running jump by walking
sideways and then pressing up.) Often, especially in cramped spaces like the
Flashtite Caves, you can get stuck on an edge of the wall; just move the
joystick around at random to dislodge yourself.
You'll find a number of items on your journeys. To use the one you're holding,
just tap the fire button. If you're holding more than one and want to switch to
a new one, hold down the fire button; after about a second you'll see a list of
the items you're carrying. If you keep holding down the fire button and use the
arrow keys, you'll switch between the items until you release the fire button.
Also, you can drop an item by holding down the fire button until the select
option comes up, and then pressing the joystick down. The item will be dropped
at your feet and you can pick it up again just by touching it. It should be
noted that you can only carry five items at any one time; to pick up a sixth
you'll have to drop one of the items you're currently carrying.
You start the game with 500 energy. The game is played until you win or run out
of energy. When you encounter something fatal, you'll lose 100 energy; if
you've still got energy left after this hit, you'll go to Stasis until you hit
the fire button, at which point you'll return to the location where you died
(you'll have to start over in this room.) If this takes you out of energy,
you'll be transported to the Computer Room, where you'll meet a swift and final
death.
Each area has a certain "energy drain" rate - the rate at which energy seeps
out of you in this area. The numbers represent the amount of energy that's lost
every second. Most areas feature energy drain rates between 0.1 and 0.5, but
particularly nasty environments can go as high as 10 or 20 units per second.
Also, some flying objects I call Comets will occasionally fly through any area;
they're deadly, but they're easy to avoid and you can blast them with the
raygun if they're too close. They only create trouble when you're trying to
complete a puzzle and can't move around much. The Comets most heavily populate
outdoors areas, like the Planet Surface and the Greenatorium, but they'll fly
through any area if you stick around long enough.
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3. LOCATIONS
Thunderhead is littered with beamers, and each beamer's destination changes
depending on the "Variation" you've chosen, so it's hard to lay out a complete
map. I'm going to group this description into the various areas, but keep in
mind that depending on the "Variation," you'll often have to use trial and
error to figure out how to get to that area. Also, the locations of items
change depending on the "Variation," so if you're looking for a particular
item, you'll often have to go through all of the locations to find it. I'll
provide a description of how the game is laid out in The Final Appeal variation
00 Skill 0 (see notes to "000") and I'll make a brief note for any changes in
Operation Tempest.
The locations are broken down as follows:
3.1 Floating Tower Area
3.2 Death Ray Cell Area
3.3 Planet Surface Area
3.4 Energy Dump Area
3.5 Greenatorium Area
3.6 Flashtite Mine Area
3.7 Chapel Area
3.8 Color Caves Area
3.9 Foundation
3.10 Final Gauntlet Area
3.11 Statis
3.12 Computer Room
3.13 Victory Screen
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3.1 FLOATING TOWER AREA
The Floating Tower is a large building that apparently floats above the
planet's surface.
3.1.1 FLOATING TOWER (0.2)
You begin an Operation Tempest game standing on top of the Floating Tower. This
is pretty much the only time you'll ever see this area, as you can't get back
to it.
Exits: Walk off either side to get to one of the two platforms to get to the
middle of the Floating Tower (3.1.4).
3.1.2 BEAMER CENTRAL (0.2)
This convenient area is located at the top of the Floating Tower. You can get
to it by beaming in from somewhere or climbing/beaming up from the Girdertron.
Beamer Central features five beamers and one exit hatch that leads to Service
Access. Furthermore, the middle three beamers each contain an energy cell. This
is a good place to drop the Portable Beamer so you can come back here whenever
you want. Don't dally here, however; there's a gun that fires at you if you
take too much time.
Exits: Take any of the five beamers (from left to right, in 000, they go to
Death Ray Cell (3.2.1), Freedom Gate (3.5.2), Chapel (3.7.1), Energy Dump
(3.4.1), and Stabilizer (3.3.1)), or fall down the chute on the right to get to
the Girdertron (3.1.3).
3.1.3 GIRDERTRON (0.2)
In this level, you'll have to hop over platforms and climb ropes while avoiding
falling obstacles and a gun at the bottom of the screen. Avoiding the obstacles
is pretty tough, especially if you fall from the top platform, because you have
a long fall in which you can't maneuver but can get hit by obstacles. The
Portable Beamer is often found here.
Exits: The bottom chute leads to the Access Area (3.1.5). If you stand on the
top platform under the top chute and jump, you'll either get lifted or beamed
up to Beamer Central (3.1.2).
3.1.4 FLOATING TOWER (0.1)
The Floating Tower has two platforms jutting out on either side, right in the
middle of the tower. If you fall off the top of the floating tower you'll land
on one of them. The raygun is usually here in Operation Tempest games, and as
it's an extremely important survival tool, you'll want to grab it immediately.
If you don't see it, try going through the Service Area to the other platform.
You can enter the tower at Service Access from either platform, or you can
walk off the side of the platform to fall down to the Stabilizer on the Planet
Surface. (CAUTION: If you walk off either side and fall straight down, you'll
often end up caught in a wall of the Stabilizer that will kill you. However,
while falling, you can somehow manage to step in either direction at one point,
and if you do that you'll fall into a clear area of the Stabilizer. If you fall
off the right platform, hold the joystick to the left (and vice versa) to make
sure you survive the fall.)
Exits: Walk off the platform to get to the Stabilizer (3.3.1) or walk into the
Floating Tower to get to the Service Access (3.1.5).
3.1.5 SERVICE ACCESS (0.1)
This is a very common beamer destination. Furthermore, there are two switches
here that you can activate by jumping up and hitting them with your head. The
right lever creates a chute upward that, if you jump while you're underneath
it, will take you to the Girdertron. The left lever creates two chutes downward
that take you to the Ion Chamber.
Exits: Take the upward chute to the Girdertron (3.1.3), the bottom chutes to
the Ion Chamber (3.1.6), or the side exits to the middle of the Floating Tower
(3.1.4).
3.1.6 ION CHAMBER (1.5)
This room features a column in the shape of a T filled with radiation. You'll
land on top of it and can fall down either side to get to the floor, where you
can fall down a hatch and get to the Small Reactor. Hurry through this chamber;
not only is the energy drain high, but lots of ions are floating around that
will take away about 50 energy if they hit you. The room also features what
looks like a gun on the bottom edge, but it doesn't seem to fire (and there's
no good reason to stick around long enough to find out if it does!) Note that
the two exits lead to different sides of the Small Reactor below, and sometimes
an item is featured on one side of the Small Reactor (and you can't cross over
easily.) If you fall down the wrong side and can't get the item, you may have
to fall down to the other side by taking the other hatch from the Ion Chamber.
CAUTION: Don't try to cross over from one side of the T to the other; the
radiation in the column will kill you.
Exits: The bottom exits lead to the Small Reactor (3.1.7).
3.1.7 SMALL REACTOR (3.7)
This room features a reactor covered in a bunch of radiation. The reactor core
is an Icon, so if you're playing The Final Appeal you'll want to grab it (but
it's probably not worth the effort to grab it in Operation Tempest.) The
radiation can be cleared out with several shots from your raygun; you'll have
to clear a path down to the reactor core, grab it, and climb back up. Note that
the blue sides of the reactor act as ladders here, so you should fall down one
side, fire a few times to clear a row of radiation, climb up a bit, fire again,
and so on. Do this quickly, because you're losing a lot of energy in this room!
When you're done, fall down the middle of the reactor, grab the core, climb
back out, and exit through one of the two bottom hatches. Note that the gun on
the bottom of the screen fires pretty frequently; be careful when you're
clearing the bottom few rows of radiation, grabbing the reactor core, or
leaving the room. Note that the Portable Shield is often located here.
Exits: The bottom exits lead to the Stabilizer (3.3.1).
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3.2 DEATH RAY CELL AREA
This is the area where you begin the game in The Final Appeal. The goal is to
get out of the Death Ray Cell, find the key, and get back to the Death Ray Cell
to beam out of this area.
3.2.1 DEATH RAY CELL (0.1)
You begin The Final Appeal in the Death Ray Cell standing on top of a
nonfunctional beamer. You'll also see the raygun at the bottom of the screen.
Grab the raygun and exit the room quickly; if you don't do so fast enough, a
blockade will appear over the exit, leaving you trapped in the room (all you
can do then is die and restart this room.) The room is lined with guns that
fire shots. The shots will pass through the middle wall and the beamer, but as
long as you're standing in the beamer you're safe. You can also destroy the
shots with your raygun. Basically, you can see them coming and dodge or destroy
them easily. Once you get back with the key, just enter the beamer again and
you'll leave.
Exits: The bottom exit takes you to the Laser Blockade (3.2.2); the beamer
takes you out to a random location, but often to Beamer Central (3.1.2).
3.2.2 LASER BLOCKADE (0.2)
In this room, you'll have to dodge moving obstacles and make your way past two
sets of cycling lasers to the exit on the far side of the room. The lasers are
only open for a very brief time, so this becomes a matter of timing your moves
through the obstacles to clear the lasers. You can keep walking against the
laser until it opens without dying. The obstacles will kill you or push you
away if they touch you, but they're pretty easy to avoid. First, there's a
narrow space between the obstacles where you can stand or walk up and down
safely. Second, if you're having trouble crossing their paths, you can blast
them and they'll change direction.
Exits: The top-left exit takes you to the Death Ray Cell (3.2.1); the right
exit takes you to Spiked Run (3.2.3).
3.2.3 SPIKED RUN (0.3)
Here you'll have to negotiate several sets of moving spikes, and you'll have to
do so quickly. The right side of the room fills up with blocks and will block
the top exit if you're not fast enough (and touching the blocks will kill you.)
Furthermore, an Icon is here, but since you'll be coming back to this room
after you have the key, you should grab it when you're not under time pressure.
The horizontal spikes are easy to navigate since they go back and forth over a
long distance. The vertical spikes are harder, since they're longer and they
cover a smaller area.
Exits: The top-right exit takes you to the Key Room (3.2.4); the left exit
takes you to the Laser Blockade (3.2.2).
3.2.4 KEY ROOM (0.4)
This room holds the key for activating the beamer in the Death Ray Cell so you
can leave this area. It's guarded by a bunch of stars that randomly bounce
around the room and that will kill you if you touch them. Shooting them will
destroy them, but another will reappear in the center, so you can't just clear
out the room. The room also features two energy cells next to the key that you
should grab. (CAUTION: To get into the central key room, you can walk take the
shorter counterclockwise path around the right side - but once you get up near
the entrance to the central room, a blockade will appear in front of you.
Instead, take the longer clockwise path around the left side into the central
room.) One additional surprise is that if you grab the key, exit out the
bottom, and come back into it, you'll see an entrance open up at the top that
takes you straight to the Death Ray Cell, so you don't have to negotiate the
Spiked Run and Laser Blockade again.
Exits: The bottom exit takes you to Spiked Run (3.2.3); the top exit (when it
appears) takes you to the Death Ray Cell (3.2.1).
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3.3 PLANET SURFACE AREA
The planet basically consists of all the interesting bits (Energy Dump, Freedom
Gate, Greenatorium, Chapel, etc.) enclosed by a deadly laser fence. The areas
outside the fence that make up the Planet Surface Area are pretty inhospitable;
they feature high energy drain values and lots of deadly Comets. If you fall
from the Floating Tower or get beamed outside the fence from somewhere, you'll
have to get through the fence or find a way to someplace more interesting.
3.3.1 STABILIZER (0.5)
The Stabilizer is an electricity field; most likely, it's intended to keep the
Floating Tower up and in place. The Stabilizer has some walkways through it,
but they all pretty much go nowhere. Although you can get out of the field area
to the bottom or the sides, there aren't any exits here - you just lose some
energy and get bumped back. The only exit is to the top of the screen. Watch
out for the Comets that populate this area.
Exits: The top of the screen takes you to one side of the Laser Fence (3.3.2).
3.3.2 LASER FENCE 1 (1.0)
The laser fence encloses a bunch of more interesting features, but you usually
can't cross it without dying. Furthermore, it will slowly draw you toward it,
so you have to take a few steps away from it every once in a while to keep from
touching it. To make matters worse, the ground around the laser fence is
covered with mines (but they don't seem to take away energy); a bunch of Comets
will fly around while you're in this area; and the energy drain is pretty high
- so don't stick around long. The Ioner can often be found and picked up on the
left side of this fence (but it's pretty much useless so don't bother.) This
side of the fence is blue. If you walk along either side of the laser fence,
you'll find that it eventually ends - and if you walk upward, you'll turn the
corner and start walking around another side of the square fence. Not only can
you get to other parts of the planet surface this way, but if you cross the
fence at different points, you'll enter different areas. To cross the fence
safely, just activate the Portable Shield (of course you'll have to find it
first.) In game 000, crossing the fence here will take you to the Freedom Gate.
Of course, you can head downward to get back to the Stabilizer (if you're
really low on energy, you can save some during travel by skirting along the
upper edge of the Stabilizer instead of walking by the fence.)
Exits: Downward will take you to the Stabilizer (3.3.1). The left side of the
fence will take you to Laser Fence 4 (3.3.5) and the right side will take you
to Laser Fence 2 (3.3.3). If you go through the fence, you'll go to another
location (in game 000, it's the Freedom Gate.)
3.3.3 LASER FENCE 2 (1.1)
This side of the fence is red. The downward exit leads to Planet Surface 1.
Exits: Downward takes you to Planet Surface 1 (3.3.6). Crossing the fence in
game 000 takes you to the Chapel (3.7.1). The right side takes you to Laser
Fence 1 (3.3.2) and the left side takes you to Laser Fence 3 (3.3.4).
3.3.4 LASER FENCE 3 (1.2)
This side of the fence is yellow. The downward exit leads to Planet Surface 2.
Exits: Downward takes you to Planet Surface 2 (3.3.7). Crossing the fence in
game 000 takes you to the Flashtite Mine (3.6.1). The right side takes you to
Laser Fence 2 (3.3.3) and the left side takes you to Laser Fence 4 (3.3.5).
3.3.5 LASER FENCE 4 (1.3)
This side of the fence is green. The downward exit leads to Planet Surface 3.
Exits: Downward takes you to Planet Surface 3 (3.3.8). Crossing the fence in
game 000 takes you to the Energy Dump (3.4.1). The right side takes you to
Laser Fence 3 (3.3.4) and the left side takes you to Laser Fence 1 (3.3.2).
3.3.6 PLANET SURFACE 1 (0.2)
This place is empty - it's just a flat expanse of ground. I wonder whether it's
a placeholder that the developers meant to replace with something cooler, but
just forgot about it or ran out of time. If you walk down for just a little
bit, you'll be taken to the Chapel Access.
Exits: Upward takes you back to Laser Fence 2 (3.3.3). The bottom exit takes to
you Chapel Access (3.7.2).
3.3.7 PLANET SURFACE 2 (0.3)
This area is pretty bland - it's just a flat expanse of ground. However, in the
middle of the area (you may need to wander around a bit because it's big)
you'll find an oasis kind of a deal, complete with two energy cells.
Exits: Upward will take you back to Laser Fence 3 (3.3.4).
3.3.8 PLANET SURFACE 3 (0.4)
This area has some weird squares of shimmering stripes, but they won't harm
you. In the middle of this area, you'll find an Icon. It's in the center of a
rectangular field. You can't enter the field from the sides, and if you enter
it from the top or bottom you'll slowly get pushed outward by the field. The
trick is to enter very near the middle and keep walking toward the middle
(opposite the direction you're being pushed in) as you make your way toward the
icon in the center. Once you grab the icon, or if you stay in the field too
long, you'll get taken somewhere else (usually the Energy Dump, but
occasionally the Chapel or somewhere else.) Sometimes this doesn't happen,
though; you can sit in the field all day without going anywhere. Dunno why.
Exits: Upward takes you back to Laser Fence 4 (3.3.5). The field will (usually)
eventually take you to the Energy Dump (3.4.1).
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3.4 ENERGY DUMP AREA
This isn't a fun area. The energy drain is high and it's hard to get out of it.
However, you'll need to go here at least once if you're playing The Final
Appeal, and you'll probably get stuck here at least a few times anyway.
3.4.1 ENERGY DUMP (0.4)
This area has an entrance to the Energy Drain and that's about all. You can go
either left or right to get to it (it wraps around, like the Freedom Gate.) Not
only do Comets populate this area, but Energy Beasts also roam around. They're
large enough that you really can't avoid bumping into a few of them on your
way; and while they don't kill you, every one you touch will increase the
energy drain of this area by 1.0 - so by the time you get to the exit you'll
probably be losing a lot of energy! So get out of here quickly.
Exits: One doorway to the Energy Drain (3.4.2)
3.4.2 ENERGY DRAIN (0.3)
The energy drain is basically a big conveyor belt - headed the wrong direction.
You'll start at the bottom and have to struggle your way up. This is
complicated, of course, by the fact that lots of deadly Energy Bits litter the
conveyor belt that you'll have to avoid (or have to start over at the bottom
with 100 less energy.) Your raygun can destroy them, but of course since it
can't fire upward, it's useless here. The sides are deadly, too, so stay away
from them. Furthermore, the drain gradually gets narrower the farther you go,
so by the time you get to the top you'll have almost no room to dodge the
Energy Bits. This part is difficult and you'll probably have to do it a few
times before you get the hang of it. The only good news is that an Icon is
(very deviously) hidden here! When you first enter the Energy Drain, you can
find it in a walled-off area if you go downward. This was the last one for me
to find and it took me forever!
Exits: The top of the drain will take you to the Greenatorium (3.5.1) in game
000. Often it takes you to the Chapel (3.6.1).
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3.5 GREENATORIUM AREA
The Greenatorium Area is the center of the area enclosed by the laser fence on
the surface of the planet. It's also a hub of sorts, because it leads to a lot
of other places.
3.5.1 GREENATORIUM (0.1)
The Greenatorium is basically a large hedge maze. This area may not have any
deadly puzzles, but it's still pretty dangerous; it's littered with deadly
creatures, some of which chase you around. Furthermore, since you're walking
through some narrow passages in the maze, the creatures often come out of the
hedges right on top of you and kill you without warning. There are lots of
Comets in this area, too, and even the multicolored circles in the shrubs can
kill you (although this is uncommon.) However, one particular creature - the
lightning bolt - is actually a good thing; if you bump into it, you'll absorb
it and gain 50 energy. If you're low on energy and can't find any cells or
Icons around, this is a good place to stock up; go to the central area, where
there's lots of room to dodge/kill baddies, and absorb some lightning bolts.
The bottom-left-hand corner of the Greenatorium maze contains two energy cells.
The Key can often be found here, in a part of the maze accessible from the
upper-left-hand corner; but as far as I can tell, the Key doesn't do anything,
so ignore it.
Exits: The top exit leads to the Freedom Gate (3.5.2). The middle clump of
hedges leads to the Color Caves (3.8.1). The bottom exit leads to the Flashtite
Mine (3.6.1). The right exit leads to the Chapel (3.7.1).
3.5.2 FREEDOM GATE (0.1)
The Freedom Gate is the exit to Thunderhead. Each Icon corresponds to a letter
in the words "FINAL APPEAL" that show up on the sign as you get closer to
victory. In case you're missing just one or two Icons and can't find them, the
letters on the sign correspond to the Icons in the following locations:
F - Energy Drain (3.4.2)
I - Spiked Run (3.2.3)
N - Death Ray Trap (3.7.8)
A - Music Room (3.7.3)
L - Chapel Altar (3.7.9)
A - Planet Surface 3 (3.3.8)
P - Lava Falls 2 (3.6.11) OR Exhaust Baffle (3.6.9) (see note about this area)
P - Color Cave 2 (3.8.2)
E - Lava Falls 1 (3.6.6)
A - Small Reactor (3.1.7)
L - Crack the Whip (3.6.2)
When it's spelled out completely (if you're playing The Final Appeal), the gate
opens and you can proceed through to the Final Gauntlet. The path to the left
or right wraps around and leads you back to the Freedom Gate, but sometimes you
can find an item back there (in game 000 the X-Tron is found back there.)
Exits: Through the gate to get to the Final Gauntlet (3.10.1). Go downward to
get back to the Greenatorium (3.5.1).
-----
3.6 FLASHTITE MINE AREA
The Flashtite Mine is a set of flashing caves with some puzzle rooms thrown in
for good measure. There's a goodly amount of stuff for you to do here, though,
so you'll probably find yourself wandering around in them frequently. And if
you're playing Operation Tempest, you'll have to go through them to get to the
Main Reactor.
3.6.1 FLASHTITE MINE (0.1)
This is the entrance to the Flashtite Mine. The mine has two entrances: a front
entrance (a big, bordered doorway flush with the cave that's right at the
bottom of the central path from the Greenatorium) and a back entrance (a rocky
opening set in a recess of the cave wall, with two energy cells next to it - be
sure to grab them!) Note that the little bits of flashtite in the cave walls
will flash occasionally, and if you're too close to one it will kill you. So
keep a bit of distance between you and the walls here. Both entrances go to the
Flash Cave, but which entrance takes you to which path depends on your game
variation.
Exits: One entrance (in 000, it's the front entrance) will take you to the
long, straight corridor in the bottom middle of the Flash Cave (3.6.3). The
other entrance will take you to Crack the Whip (3.6.2). Walking downward takes
you back to the Greenatorium (3.5.1).
3.6.2 CRACK THE WHIP (0.1)
In this puzzle, you have to cross some lava by traversing rapidly rising and
falling blocks. What makes this difficult is that the blocks rise and fall so
fast that once you're standing on one, you have to time your jump so you make
it to the next one; if you don't jump at the right time, you won't leap far
enough and you'll fall into the lava. The way to do this is to ride the blocks
up (keep holding up on the joystick), and when it starts falling (and you start
falling with it), hold up and in the direction you want to jump. That way, when
the block stops descending and begins ascending right above the lava, your feet
will touch it and you'll get a solid jump onto the next block. Be careful to
make only one jump, though, and then start riding the next block upward;
otherwise, you'll make a second, weaker jump and end up swimming in the lava.
The payoff for enduring this mess is an Icon sitting on a platform in
the middle of the puzzle.
Exits: The left entrance takes you back to the Flashtite Mine (3.6.1); the
right entrance takes you to the bottom left entrance of the Flash Cave (3.6.3).
3.6.3 FLASH CAVE (0.2)
The Flash Cave is pretty annoying to navigate. The passages are very narrow and
you'll find yourself bumping into walls a lot. Also, the cave flashes randomly,
and each time it does you lose 10 energy. If you find yourself trapped,
remember that since your adventurer is tall and narrow, you can squeeze
through small vertical openings, but you can't squeeze through small horizontal
openings. Oh well, deal with it. A Comet occasionally wanders by, but you can
dodge pretty easily. The Flash Cave has two entrances from the bottom: one at
the lower left (it opens into an uneven, cavelike room) and one in the
lower middle (it opens into a straight corridor.) CAUTION: The one that opens
into a straight corridor will often trap you; as you walk around this area, two
barricades appear that block both exits. There's nothing you can do at that
point except beam out, kill yourself with the X-Tron, or try catching a Comet
to kill yourself. So stay out of this straight corridor! Sometimes you'll make
it, sometimes you won't; the risk isn't worth the effort - back out of the cave
and use the other entrance to the Mine. There are two exits at the top end of
the cave. The one at the top left leads to the Rock Processor (3.6.3) and
the one at the top middle leads to Crack the Whip. CAUTION: The right side of
the cave is functionally useless. Even worse, there is a narrow path upward in
the upper right-hand corner of the cave that will actually leave you stuck in
the middle of a bunch of rocks with no hope of escape! Seems like the
developers forgot about this exit...?
Exits: One exit at the bottom leads to the Flashtite Mine (3.6.1) and the other
leads to Crack the Whip (3.6.2). The exit in the upper left leads to the Rock
Processor (3.6.4). The exit in the upper middle leads to Lava Falls (3.6.6).
3.6.4 ROCK PROCESSOR (0.4)
This room features a bridge across some lava that slowly materializes out of
small stones. The problem is that boulders fall from the ceiling to smash out
bits of the bridge. You can shoot the boulders to prevent them from making
holes in the bridge, but of course, getting hit by one is fatal. This room is
basically a waiting game. The bridge builds up faster than the rocks can
destroy it; if you stick around for 30 seconds or so, the bridge will be almost
fully formed and you can cross pretty safely.
Exits: The left exit leads to the Flash Cave (3.6.3). The right exit leads to
the Light Bridge (3.6.5).
3.6.5 LIGHT BRIDGE (0.1)
This room features a bridge across the open space that forms the top of the Ion
Channel. The bridge has a few holes in it that move back and forth at different
speeds. If you're standing on the bridge when a hole passes below you, you'll
start to fall through the bridge; you can recover by jumping back on top of the
bridge. If you fall through completely, you'll find yourself falling onto a
beamer situated on a platform right below the bridge, or falling down into the
Ion Channel. If you can make it to the other side, however, you'll find
yourself at Crack the Whip.
Exits: The left side of the bridge leads to the Rock Processor (3.6.3) and the
right side of the bridge leads to Lava Falls (3.6.6). The beamer leads
elsewhere (in 000, it leads to the Freedom Gate) and if you fall through the
bottom of the screen you'll find yourself in the Ion Channel (3.6.7).
3.6.6 LAVA FALLS 1 (0.3)
Lava Falls are exactly that: a waterfall of lava. Boulders fall from the
ceiling into the lava, where they slowly sink into the lava. You can cross the
falls by leaping across the tops of the boulders. It's very tricky to get all
the way across, however; the boulders sink so fast it's hard to find a less
submerged one to stand on. The good news is that you probably won't need to do
this anyway, as the other side of the lava just leads back to the Flash Cave.
The reason to bother with this level, though, is the Icon buried in the middle
of the lava. If you make your way halfway across the bridge, you can fall down
to the small alcove that holds an Icon.
Exits: The left exit leads to the Light Bridge (3.6.5) and the right exit leads
to the Flash Cave (3.6.3). The bottom exit continues down the Lava Falls 2
(3.6.11).
3.6.7 ION CHANNEL (0.1)
The Ion Channel is a tall vertical passage. You have no choice but to fall
downward. This area is a little unfair, in that you often can't avoid hitting
one of the Ions and dying. You can't blast them out of your way with the
raygun, but you can use the Portable Shield to pass through one unscathed. If
you fall far enough without dying, you'll end up at the Ion Antenna (3.6.8).
Exits: The Ion Antenna (3.6.8) is at the bottom of the Ion Channel.
3.6.8 ION ANTENNA (0.2)
The Ion Antenna is at the bottom of the Ion Channel. The Antenna has a few Ions
flying around that will take away 50 energy if they touch you. Just ignore them
and drop down one of the two bottom hatches. Exits: The hatches lead to the
Exhaust Baffle (3.6.9).
3.6.9 EXHAUST BAFFLE (0.3)
The Exhaust Baffle consists of four levels, with a flashing column in the
middle that divides each level in half. For any particular half-level, you can
walk into the wall at the edge of the screen or the column in the middle of the
screen; each one acts as a doorway to another half-level. If you consider the
half-levels labeled as such:
| 1 || 2 |
| 3 || 4 |
| 5 || 6 |
| 7 || 8 |
..then the exits on each half-level lead you to these locations:
|2 4||1 1|
|6 5||1 3|
|2 2||7 1|
|1 7||1 1|
..so if you're in half-level 1, you can walk left to get to half-level 2 or
right to get to half-level 4, and so on. There are beamers in 7 and 8, and
there's an energy cell in 5. If you're playing Operation Tempest, things are a
little different. Half-level 7 has a chute in it that will drop you down a very
long tunnel to the Main Reactor. Also, 6 will sometimes have a plantlike thing
in it. Oddly, this acts as an Icon, although it never seems to show up in The
Final Appeal! It gives you 50 health and scores the first P in "APPEAL" on the
Freedom Gate sign. However, it will also eliminate most of the floor in 6, so
you'll drop down to 8. You have to be careful, because if you just walk into
the Icon, you'll land on the beamer in 8 and get sent elsewhere; but if you
jump to the left to pick up the Icon, you'll miss the beamer narrowly. The Icon
also opens a chute in 8 that, like the one in 7, leads down to the Main
Reactor.
Exits: Beamers in 7 and 8 take you elsewhere (in game 000, the beamer in 7
takes you to the Chapel (3.7.1); in game 010, beamer 8 takes you to the Freedom
Gate.) In Operation Tempest, the two chutes drop down (for a very long time...
don't worry, your game hasn't locked up) to the Main Reactor (3.6.10).
3.6.10 MAIN REACTOR (0.4)
This room is only accessible in Operation Tempest. It's a big reactor
surrounded by small blocks that act as stairs. To destroy the reactor, you'll
need the X-Tron. Equip your raygun and blast a few of the stairs out of the
way. Then equip the X-Tron, walk up the stairs, and jump into the reactor. The
screen will start flashing like crazy and the energy drain of this room will
jump to a whopping 99.9! You'll only have a few seconds to activate the X-Tron.
Once you do this, the screen will start REALLY flashing like mad, and you'll be
taken to the Victory Screen. Note that the walls of this area will take you
back to half-level 2 of the Exhaust Baffle; if you find you don't have the X
Tron, you can escape this way. Otherwise, be careful you don't leave the room
accidentally.
Exits: The walls lead to the Exhaust Baffle (3.6.9). Destroying the reactor
with the X-Tron will take you to the Victory Screen (3.13).
3.6.11 LAVA FALLS 2 (10.4)
This area HURTS, but that's because you're swimming in lava! Your trip down the
Lava Falls will continue until you see a yellow tower with an energy cell on
top. If you stopped for the Icon and walked off the correct side of the
platform (it's random, but in 000 this is the left side) you'll land on the
platform. The platform contains an item that *looks* like an energy cell, but
it's actually an Icon. Oddly, it gives you 90 health... don't ask me why, I
don't get it either. After you've seized the Icon, decide which side of the
tower you'd like to continue falling down. Although it's impossible to tell
from the top, at the bottom of the falls on one side of the tower (again, in
000 it's the left side, although this switches with game variation, too) is a
beamer. Regardless of which side you fall down, when you hit the bottom you
can hop into the yellow tower to go elsewhere (almost always Foundation, in my
experience.)
Exits: The yellow tower takes you elsewhere (Foundation (3.9) in 000.) The
beamer at one side of the tower, if you can reach it, takes you elsewhere as
well (in 000 you'll find yourself in Service Access (3.1.5).)
-----
3.7 CHAPEL AREA
The Chapel might be the most interesting area of the game. The puzzles are
relatively easy and fun, and there's plenty to do here.
3.7.1 CHAPEL (0.2)
This is kind of the front lawn of the Chapel. The Chapel has three entrances
that lead to various areas inside the Chapel. Also, this area features a
fountain-like thing - it's actually a beamer that leads you elsewhere.
Furthermore, off to either side of the Chapel entrances is a small path; if you
follow either one (they wrap around), around the back of the Chapel you'll find
a wider path leading south. Occasionally an item is hidde on this small path,
too.
Exits: Three doors into the Chapel (in game 000, the left one leads to the left
side of the Accelatron, (3.7.4); the middle one leads to the left side of the
Music Room, (3.7.3); and the right one leads to the Riser Room (3.7.6).) The
fountain is a beamer (in game 000, it leads to the Service Access, (3.1.5).)
The path south of the fountain always leads back to the right side of the
Greenatorium (3.5.1). The path around the back of the Chapel almost always
drops you into the dreaded Energy Dump (3.4.1).
3.7.2 CHAPEL ACCESS (0.1)
This is only accessible from Planet Surface 2. You enter on a platform on the
left side of the screen; below you is the roof of the Chapel. Two small Goblins
patrol the top; try to time your drop from the platform so that you can avoid
the Goblins or hop over them (you can jump over them more easily if they're
coming toward you than if they're going away from you.) The middle of the roof
contains a chute that drops down through the middle of the Music Room to the
high platform in Razzer Run. If you jump over the chute, you can climb up to
another platform on the other side of the Chapel Access to reach an energy
cell. You can't exit off the right side of the right platform; a rather
powerful force field will throw you back (sometimes off of the platform!)
Exits: Walking left off the leftmost platform will take you back to Planet
Surface 2 (3.3.6). Falling down the chute takes you through the Music Room
(3.7.3).
3.7.3 MUSIC ROOM (0.2)
The Music Room is actually two rooms, on the left and right, separated by a
vertical chute. Each room features a colorful, flashing chandelier that plays
music. The right room contains an Icon; when you pick it up, a trapdoor below
you opens. The middle chute can only be accessed via Chapel Access (3.7.2) and
just drops straight down through this room.
Exits: You can exit the left room to get back to the entrance to the Chapel
(3.7.1), or you can exit the right room to return to the Accelatron (3.7.4).
All three lower exits lead to Razzer Run (3.7.5).
3.7.4 ACCELATRON (0.1)
This room features a big pile of blocks in the middle and boulders that rain
down from overhead. The boulders can be destroyed with the raygun, but they're
deadly and fast. You have to blast your way through the blocks (but this is
easier than, say, blasting through Foundation, since one good shot will often
take out a whole row of blocks here) while avoiding the boulders. You can also
climb over the blocks, but usually you'll get stuck and a boulder will smack
you before you can dislodge yourself.
Exits: The left side leads back to the entrance to the Chapel (3.7.1) and the
right exit leads to the right side of the Music Room (3.7.3).
3.7.5 RAZZER RUN (0.4)
Razzer Run features a quite difficult obstacle. The room is divided in half by
a raised platform, under which are a series of seven small but deadly Razzers
(more on these in a minute.) If you came from the right room in the Music Room,
you'll land right on the beamer and won't have to worry about the Razzers.
(Forget the energy cell; unless you're almost out of energy, it's really not
worth the large risk you'll get killed going for it.) But if you fell down from
the left entrance to the room, you'll land on an energy cell, but you'll have
to brave the Razzers to reach the beamer out of the room. And if you entered
the room from the middle chute from Chapel Access, you'll land on the high
platform. Not only will you often find an item here (in game 000 it's the
"???" item), but you can choose which way you want to go. Now for the Razzers:
Each moves up and down at a different rate, and you've got to synchronize your
run through them at the point where they're all up and out of the way. You can
destroy a Razzer with your raygun, but a new one will take its place
immediately - and often this is counterproductive as it disrupts the pattern,
so it's harder to find a good time to run through. The Portable Shield comes in
very handy in getting through this; just activate it and wade on through. If
you don't have the Shield yet, you might want to consider beaming out with the
Portable Beamer.
Exits: One beamer that takes you elsewhere (in 000 you wind up in the
Stabilizer (3.3.1).
3.7.6 RISER ROOM (0.3)
Riser Room features a bunch of "risers" that float from the floor to the
ceiling, as well as a Goblin (like those on the roof of the Chapel, in Chapel
Access) that patrols the area. The trick is to catch a riser that will lead
through the small opening in the ceiling. If you don't want to do this or don't
want to be here, leave quickly; a blockade will appear over the door in a few
seconds. The first time the Goblin walks along, he'll just push you aside;
after that he'll kill you if he touches you, and he can be hard to jump over.
Try standing right under the exit in the ceiling and jumping continuously. If
you don't catch a riser this way and the Goblin is getting near, just grab any
slow-moving riser to get out of its way; you can then drop back to the floor
after it passes or continue riding it up, with the hope of jumping to another
riser that will float through the ceiling exit.
Exits: The exit to the left will take you back to the entrance to the Chapel
(3.7.1) but it gets barred quickly. The exit through the ceiling takes you to
the Faith Divider (3.7.7).
3.7.7 FAITH DIVIDER (0.2)
This room features three levels, each with a Fire Wall that patrols the level.
You start on the bottom level and you have to time your path past the deadly
Fire Walls to make it to one of the exits on the top level. The floor of each
level is red with some yellow areas; to get to a higher level, stand under the
yellow area, jump up, and climb through it. The higher levels also contain
hatches to the lower levels - handy for a quick dodge of a Fire Wall. The Fire
Walls themselves move slowly back and forth across a level. Shooting a Fire
Wall with your raygun won't destroy it - instead, the Fire Wall picks up a
little speed, and will continue moving at that faster speed until it hits the
left or right wall of the level. You can use this to your advantage to get past
the Fire Walls. If two are moving together at the same speed and you can't get
past them, shoot one of them a bunch of times to make it go faster; you can
then work your way past them individually.
Exits: The right exit leads to the Death Ray Trap (3.7.8). The right exit leads
to the Chapel Altar (3.7.9).
3.7.8 DEATH RAY TRAP (0.3)
The Death Ray Trap is basically a pit with four small platforms in the middle.
Some guns on the sides fire in sequence and you'll have to time your jumps
carefully to avoid the shots. Furthermore, the bottom of the pit contains two
beamers that will take you away from the Death Ray Trap. If you're playing The
Final Appeal, you'll have to negotiate this trap, because an Icon is waiting on
the other side of it. Fortunately, there's an energy cell right by the entrance
to the Death Ray Trap, so you can die once and still break even here. Hint: If
you make it to the third platform, just jump off the right side; you'll clear
the right beamer and (presuming you don't get shot) you can climb up the right
ladder and out of the trap.
Exits: The left exit takes you back to the Faith Divider (3.7.7). The two
beamers take you elsewhere (in game 000, the left one takes you to the Energy
Dump (3.4.1) and the right one takes you to the high platform on the Chapel
Altar (3.7.9).)
3.7.9 CHAPEL ALTAR (0.4)
The Chapel Altar features a raised platform surrounded by spikes. To avoid the
spikes, you can either ride some lower, moving platforms (if you can time your
fall so you land on one in the first place) to leave via one of the two lower
hatches in the spikes, or you can use the beamer located on the Altar. The
Altar also holds an Icon and an energy cell. If you enter via the left side of
the Faith Divider, you'll be on a small ledge and won't be able to reach the
Altar; but almost always, one of the two exit hatches at the bottom of the
screen will actually drop you onto the Altar, so you can get there this way.
Exits: The right exit takes you back to the Faith Divider (3.7.7). The top
beamer takes you elsewhere (in 000 it takes you to the Light Bridge (3.6.5))
and the two exit hatches also take you elsewhere (in 000 the left one leads to
the Accelatron (3.7.4) and the right one drops you onto the Altar in this
room.)
-----
3.8 COLOR CAVES
This is a pretty simple area. It's only accessible via the central area in the
Greenatorium.
3.8.1 COLOR CAVE 1 (0.1)
When you first enter the Color Caves, you'll fall down into the middle of this
room. Color boulders are flying around; you can blast them with the raygun, but
they're too fast to avoid easily, and they only take 50 energy - so just ignore
them and get out of the room quickly through one of the two hatches at the
bottom.
Exits: Both hatches lead to Color Cave 2 (3.8.2).
3.8.2 COLOR CAVE 2 (0.2)
This area has a lot of color boulders too, but these will kill you when they
touch you. The room has an energy cell on the left, an Icon on the right, and a
beamer in the center. (The Icon and energy cell may switch places with
different game variations, but I'm not sure about that.) Hopping over the
beamer is hard but possible, so try grabbing both items in one swoop if you
can. Depending on your game variation, the grates on which the Icon and energy
cell sit may give way once you grab the item and drop you into a new location;
if they don't, the beamer is your way out.
Exits: Either grating may open to drop you into a new location (in game 000,
the left hatch is solid but the right hatch drops you to Foundation (3.9).) The
beamer also takes you elsewhere (in 000, it's the Energy Dump.)
-----
3.9 FOUNDATION (0.3)
Foundation sucks. It's dangerous, it's tedious, and I've never found anything
useful there. Foundation consists of a bunch of glowing bricks and tight
passages. Often you'll have to blast your way through a bunch of bricks with
your raygun to get you to a new location. And although touching the walls only
takes away 1 energy or so, the second you touch any one of them, creatures like
those in the Greenatorium will come out of the woodwork to get in your way and
kill you. (And once you die, of course, all those blocks you blasted away
return.) Comets occasionally wander by, too. And the exit - a pulsing
garage-door-looking thing - jumps around a lot, depending on your game
variation. My best advice is to beam out immediately, if you have the Portable
Beamer. If you don't, try making your way upward as far as you can and then
blasting your way to the left - the exit seems to show up there more often than
not. Step carefully and try not to hit any walls at all; but if you do, then
just hurry as fast as you can to get out of there!
Exits: One beamer somewhere... in game 000, it's below and to the left of the
starting point, but you'll have to meander and blast your way through some
bricks to get there.
-----
3.10 FINAL GAUNTLET AREA
Past the Freedom Gate lay the few final tests that separate you from a
victorious Appeal and freedom. These tests are quite hard, though; expect to
die frequently and know that you can't go back for more energy - so you'd
better stock up before entering this area. Try absorbing a whole lot of
lightning bolts in the Greenatorium before trying this.
3.10.1 FINAL GAUNTLET 1 (0.1)
The first stage of the Final Gauntlet is a set of platforms over a lava lake.
The platforms change direction and speed frequently and randomly, so just
staying on top of one can be difficult. There's an exit on the right side of
the screen that leads to Final Gauntlet 2. There's also a difficult-to-reach
exit on the left side of the screen; if you go through it you'll find yourself
on the right side of the screen, right by the exit to Final Gauntlet 2.
Finally, a Droid will wander around the screen; you can blast it to get rid of
it temporarily, but it always comes back a few seconds later.
Exits: The left exit leads to the right exit; the right exit leads to Final
Gauntlet 2 (3.10.2).
3.10.2 FINAL GAUNTLET 2 (0.2)
The second stage of the Final Gauntlet requires you to survive three pits and
make one difficult jump. Each pit has a rope leading up to a platform that
leads to the next pit. Goblins patrol the floor; try timing your jumps so that
you won't land on one and you'll have enough time to grab the rope and climb
to safety. The last pit is difficult because it doesn't have a rope; if you
fall in, you're doomed. Instead, you've got to jump perfectly to reach the tiny
bit of rope leading to the ledge on the right and the exit. Don't try a running
jump here, as this is difficult and risky. Instead, tiptoe up to the right edge
of the third platform, start jumping in the air, and when you're in the air
start holding the joystick right as well as up; your very next jump should make
it to the ledge.
Exits: The left exit leads back to Final Gauntlet 1 (3.10.1); the right exit
leads to Final Gauntlet 3 (3.10.3).
3.10.3 FINAL GAUNTLET 3 (0.4)
This area consists of two levels. The lower part, where you'll enter from Final
Gauntlet 2, has two rafts moving across two lava pools; simply hop on each
raft, ride it across, and hop off - it's easy. The top part, where you'll enter
from Final Gauntlet 4, is more difficult. You'll have to make one hard jump
across a pit leading down to the lake and one *very* hard jump to reach a rope.
The most consistent way to reach the rope is to jump from the edge of the
second step from the bottom of the middle platform. If you manage to reach the
rope, you'll climb up to the last stage of the Final Gauntlet.
Exits: The lower left exit leads back to Final Gauntlet 2 (3.10.2); the lower
right exit leads to Final Gauntlet 4 (3.10.4); the upper left and upper right
exits take you to different areas in this same room; and the rope leads up to
Final Gauntlet 5 (3.10.5).
3.10.4 FINAL GAUNTLET 4 (0.3)
This is a two-stage puzzle. In the first stage, you'll have to hop across a
number of small platforms without falling into some lava. While you're doing
this, each platform will either spawn a Riser that will carry you upward if you
let it, or an Arrow from the ceiling that will try to kill you. If you see an
Arrow headed your way, just hop to another platform that has a Riser instead;
those aren't deadly. Once you make your way to the middle platform, you'll need
to ride a Riser upward to grab a flashing Key near the top of the screen. The
second you touch this, the room will change; you'll be up at the top of the
screen with Arrows raining down on you. You want to dodge the Arrows and make
your way over to the platform in the lower right-hand corner with a chute above
it. To do this, you could fall down to the left and cross over the platforms
again, but this is a bad idea; the Arrows will almost always kill you or knock
you off the platform into the lava. The better choice is to stay at the top of
the screen, head right, and drop down onto the lower-right platform. You'll
have very little time to react to the Arrows, but your chances of survival are
much better than the alternative. Once you've made it to the lower-right
platform, stand under the chute and jump; you'll be taken to the upper-right-
hand ledge in Final Gauntlet 3.
Exits: Lower left exit (before you grab the key) takes you back to the lower
part of Final Gauntlet 3 (3.10.3); the upward chute sucks you upward and drops
you onto the upper-right platform in Final Gauntlet 3 (3.10.3).
3.10.5 FINAL GAUNTLET 5 (0.3)
This last test is pretty difficult. You'll have to make your way across three
levels that have two gaps in each; grab a key; cross over the top two gaps in
the top level again; and use the exit - all while dodging a decent number of
well-aimed Comets. Furthermore, if you don't traverse a gap properly, you'll
fall all the way back down to the bottom of this room. The gaps are traversed
by using a very small moving platform that moves back and forth on the level.
When the platform hits the edge of the level, it reverses direction - but its
speed also changes randomly. Furthermore, you can only see the platform at all
once it's in the gap; it's very difficult to tell its position or velocity -
your reflexes have to be fast to cross each gap. It's a very common occurrence
for a platform to move very slowly across a gap, hit the edge, and come flying
back so quickly that your jump is too late, so you fall to the bottom again.
One effective technique is this: When you're standing at the first gap on the
level, it's hard to jump on the platform properly when it's going in the same
direction. What you can do instead is wait until it goes to the other end of
the level and is coming back. When it crosses the second gap, you can estimate
its speed and position - and then you can try jumping into the gap to land on
it when the platform is coming towards you. If you succeed, hop again
immediately onto the other edge of the gap - voila! You cleared it. When you're
standing before the second gap on the level, this is easier; once the platform
starts coming in your direction, you can judge its speed and position when you
see it cross the first gap. Then you can walk out into the second gap at the
right time and ride it across. Another tactic that will actually save you quite
a lot of work: If you stand under a platform and jump, your head will catch it;
if you're quick you can climb and jump up to the next level. Once you've
grabbed the key, a third gap will open in the top two levels. Cross the three
gaps in the top level and take the exit. This area is difficult, but don't give
up hope!
Exits: The upper right exit that opens once you get the key is your ticket to
freedom; you'll find yourself at the Victory Screen (3.13).
-----
3.11 STASIS (0.5)
When you die, you'll appear in Statis - basically you'll be floating in a
cloudy field. You're not holding any objects and you can't use them. Staying
here is a waste of energy (0.5 is rather steep), and yes, if you run out of
energy here you get a one-way ticket to the Computer Room. You lose 100 energy
each time you die, too; plus when you leave Statis you'll return to the area
you were in when you died, but you'll be back at the point where you entered
and all changes you've made (e.g., blasting new paths in Foundation) will be
wiped away. Exits: Just move the joystick or hit the fire button to get out of
here.
-----
3.12 COMPUTER ROOM (0.0)
When your energy reserves hit 0, you'll get sent to the Computer Room. All your
objects will be taken away and you'll have a few seconds to walk and hop around
while a dismal little tune plays, and then you're executed. Game over!
-----
3.13 VICTORY SCREEN (0.0)
If you manage to win your Final Appeal or destroy the main Thunderhead reactor,
you'll find yourself in the Victory Screen. You have no items, but you can
wander around a small box and marvel at your score, your ending energy level,
the game variation, and the high score. Congratulations!
-------------------------------
4. ITEMS
You'll encounter the following items throughout the game:
4.1 RAYGUN
The raygun is your standard-issue blaster. You use it blast away baddies and
eliminate obstacles. This is one of the first items you'll find on Thunderhead.
In The Final Appeal, it's located in the Death Ray Cell where you start; in
Operation Tempest, it will be on one of the Floating Tower platforms onto which
you fall, or in the Service Access area connecting them. Firing it does cost 1
energy, so don't get trigger-happy or you'll drain your energy. And you can
only have one active shot at a time, so rapid fire is usually
counterproductive; let your first shot hit something before you fire again.
4.2 X-TRON
The X-Tron is a bomb in a suitcase. In Operation Tempest, you drop this into
the main reactor to win the game. If you use it anywhere else, you die and go
to Stasis. The X-Tron may be found behind the Freedom Gate or in the Ion
Channel, among other places.
4.3 BEAMER
The beamer is a very useful item. If you activate it, you'll go to the location
where you found it (this is almost always the top platform of the Girdertron in
the Floating Tower, where you can easily climb/beam up to Beamer Central.)
Furthermore, if you drop it somewhere and pick it up again, you'll go to that
location every time you beam. Use it sparingly, however; it eats up about 75
energy each time.
4.4 SHIELD
The shield is useful, but it drains your energy quickly, so it should only be
used in special cases. When you activate it, the energy drain in the room will
start growing rapidly; if you leave it on too long you may find yourself
suffering a 20-unit energy loss every second! Once you turn it off, the energy
drain goes back to normal immediately. The shield is still a handy tool,
though; in some cases (Razzer Run) it will protect you from difficult and
deadly traps, and you can use it to cross the Laser Fence on the Planet
Surface. It won't protect you from everything, though; the Fire Walls in the
Faith Divider and the radiation covering the Small Reactor, among other
hazards, will kill you whether or not you're using the shield. The Shield is
usually found around the Small Reactor in the Floating Tower.
4.5 ???
It's hard to say what this item is meant to do. Every time you use it, if your
energy is over 100 you lose an energy unit; but if your energy is under 100 you
gain an energy point (up to 100.) It might be regarded as a last-ditch item; if
you're on the brink of death you can use it rapidly to build up your reserves
again - but of course, if you get killed, the 100-point loss will still kill
you. I haven't found any other use for this item.
4.6 IONER
The Ioner is almost always located near one corner of the Laser Fence on the
Planet Surface. I have yet to find a use for this item, though. I've used it
everywhere (including the Ion Channel) and it has no effect.
4.7 KEY
I once found an orange Key in the Greenatorium. I could pick it up and select
it like any other item, but it had no use. Certainly it didn't open the Freedom
Gate!
4.8 ENERGY CELL
These aren't items you can pick up and walk around with, unlike everything
above. Rather, once you touch an energy cell, you'll receive 100 energy and it
will permanently disappear.
4.9 ICON
Icons are the keys to opening the Freedom Gate and winning The Final Appeal.
However, they also give you 50 energy when you pick them up, so you'll want to
grab them in Operation Tempest as well. And each fills in a letter on the sign
above the Freedom Gate (see The Final Appeal walkthrough (5.1).)
-------------------------------
5. WALKTHROUGH
Depending on which game you play, the objectives of your game will vary.
5.1 THE FINAL APPEAL
Only moments away from execution
You accept the challenge of
The Final Appeal
In this game, you must escape the Death Ray Cell, grab all eleven Icons, pass
through the Freedom Gate, and survive the Final Gauntlet to win your freedom.
It's a much longer challenge than Operation Tempest, and because there's no
save option, the time you've invested in the game can make the challenges of
the Final Gauntlet very exciting!
Finding all eleven Icons can be daunting. Luckily, the sign above the Freedom
Gate indicates which Icons you have and have not yet found. Use the sign to
determine where you need to go to find more Icons.
Since this campaign is so long, energy is a big concern. Grab all the energy
cells you can find and try to conserve as much as possible. Capture lightning
bolts a lot. Beam out of locations where you'll waste a life and/or lots of
time getting out, and use the shield frugally but where necessary.
Once you've grabbed all of the Icons, don't go through the Freedom Gate just
yet! Spend some time in the Greenatorium stocking up on energy by capturing
lightning bolts before you take on the Final Gauntlet. This last challenge will
include several unavoidable deaths and require many precision jumps, and you
can't turn around halfway through - so you'll have to stock up on energy
beforehand.
Once you're at a comfortable energy level - you may want to amass 1500 or more
energy - pass through the Freedom Gate and finish the Final Gauntlet, and
you'll find yourself at the Victory Screen.
-----
5.2 OPERATION TEMPEST
Agent X your mission is to
Destroy the execution planet
Operation Tempest
In this game, your goal is to find the X-Tron and drop it into the Main
Reactor. The first part is actually harder, since the X-Tron seems to bounce
around a lot with each variation. (In 010, it's on the path around the back of
the Freedom Gate.) Once you've found it, just travel to the Main Reactor (find
the Light Bridge in the Flashtite Caves, fall through the Ion Channel, and take
the bottom passage down to the reactor), clear out a path, and drop it in.
Simple. Once you know what you're doing, you can probably complete a game of
Operation Tempest within, say, 5 or 10 minutes... it's really not very hard.
-------------------------------
6. CREDITS
This FAQ was written by David J. Stein in November, 2000 during a fit of law
school finals studying procrastionation. :)
Special thanks to:
The Avalon Hill Game Corp. - For creating this cool game.
Per Hakan Sundell - For writing a great and exceptionally compatible emulator.
Darren Hanson - My childhood friend who introduced me to the game on his Atari
800XL, and who lent me the disk for use in my Commodore 64.
Anonymous - Whichever kind soul dumped this game from C64 to PC.
Pepsi Co. - For creating Mountain Dew, the sine qua non of this FAQ.
Allison Olenginski - For being with me through good times and bad.
