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Table of Contents
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1. What is Aquanoid?
2. Controls
3. Blocks
4. Powerups
5. The Levels -- Unfinished
6. Handy Tricks
7. Legal Stuff, Stuff, Credits and Farewell
======================
1. What Is Aquanoid?
======================
Aquanoid is a game similar to Arkanoid and Alleyway. You control a
paddle and hit a ball, trying to keep it from falling into the abyss
under you. The ball hits blocks, and you get points. One big
difference is powerups - bonus lives, shoot blocks out, take out
multiple blocks, even immortality! It is for MS-DOS and was made in
version. The full version has 150 levels and a FOUR PLAYER MODE, but
I don't think you can find that anywhere legally. The basic
shareware version has 20 levels, however, and is still fun and
challenging.
=============
2. Controls
=============
In-Game:
Move the mouse from side to side to control the paddle
Left click to shoot if you have a Terminator powerup active
When holding the ball at the start of a level/after respawning/when
you have a Hold powerup active:
Right click to change launch direction
Left click to launch
===========
3. Blocks
===========
Brown block = 0 points
Red block = 10 points
Light Blue block = 20 points
Yellow block = 30 points
Light Green block = 40 points
Light grey block = 50 points
Purple block = 60 points
Blue block = 70 points
Pink block = 80 points
Dark Green block = 90 points
Dark Grey block = 100 points
Shiny metallic block = Titan, can only be destroyed with Terminator
Strong or Titan Knocker powerup active
Dull metallic block = Cracker, can be destroyed in two hits or with
Terminator Medium(or higher)/Cracker(or Titan) Knocker active
Red/yellow block = Shooter, hit it and a terminator bolt erases the
block above it(equivalent to Terminator Weak)
Green/yellow block = X-Shooter, hit it and a terminator bolt erases
the block above it(equal to Terminator Strong)
=============
4. Powerups
=============
Powerups are like medicine caplets. All are different colors and have
different letters. There is a list in the help section, but I will
provide a list with effects here.
When a powerup appears, the gray box between the bars(below your
score and lives and above the other players' scores) will turn a
color. Red means it does something bad, yellow means it can do harm
and good, and green means it does nothing BUT good.
I will put them by color and sort them by letter
-Warps(X)-
Red - Exit to last level(or restart level if on first level)
Gray - Exit to next level
Purple - Exit to a far level(can be anywhere from next level to 10
levels up)
Tips:
Xs are always useful. Only grab a red X if the last level was easy
and the current level is killing you. If you see a purple X and can
grab it without dying, BY ALL MEANS GRAB IT. Also, NEVER grab an X if
you are very close to finishing the level -- 30 points might mean the
top score!
-Terminators(T)-
Red - Weak(color blocks only)
Blue - Medium(can destroy crackers)
Green - Strong(destroy anything but shooters and xshooters)
Tips:
IF YOU SEE A TERMINATOR, GRAB IT. Terminators are always good. I
think you only score 5-10 per termination, but these can help you
nail more blocks faster. Only give it up for knockers.
-Knockers(K)-
Brown - Color Knocker(color blocks only)
Orange - Cracker Knocker(color and cracker)
Purple - Titan Knocker(anything but shooters and xshooters)
Tips:
Knockers are good for points. If you get a knocker, the ball will go
until it hits a wall/your paddle/dies. One of the few things to give
up a Terminator for.
-Holds(H)-
Dark grey - Bring Back(brings the ball right back to your paddle)
Purple - Hold Once(next time the ball hits your paddle it sticks there until
you launch it)
Yellow - Hold ETERNALLY(makes the ball stick on your paddle until you lose a
life, get another powerup or clear the level)
Tips:
Holds are awesome. If you want a certain block and see a hold, grab
it. This way you can relaunch the ball(plus you get a repreive) and
start on another spot.
-Multipliers(J)-
Red-Orange - Junk(half score)
Light blue - Jewel(double score)
Tips:
Never get Junk. Always get Jewel unless you have a better powerup.
-Irritate(I)-
Yellow - Irritate Ballhide(hides makes the ball less visible)
Blue - Irritate Ballmove(moves ball erratically)
Tips:
Avoid these at all costs
-Viability(V)-
NOTE: All of these are olive green, the letter is what is a different color!
Light Green V - Viability Bad(-1 life)
Yellow V - Viability Good(+1 life)
Pink V - Viability Best(+2 lives!)
Tips:
Never get light green. However, Yellow and Pink are the most prized
possessions of gamers - extra lives! It takes 30,000 points in this
game to get one extra life, making a pink V worth 60,000! Also,
Viability powerups disable any others, so make sure you absolutely
need those two lives before sacrificing your Undead.
-Assorted singles-
D - Decrease
Decreases your paddle size. I can survive on this, but I call it
Death because it's a killer
L - Large
Increases paddle size a bit. Not too helpful, but handy at times.
U - Undead
Also known as the Slacker powerup. If you get this, bury your paddle
in a corner. No, really. This thing puts a wall on the bottom of your
screen, making it IMPOSSIBLE to die. If you get this, put your paddle
where no powerups will rain down on it and take a break. Only move
your paddle if the ball starts looping around the screen not hitting
anything so you can redirect the ball - or if you see a purple X.
O - Oldie
Slows the ball down. Don't slack too much - it's very easy to really
relax and miss the ball by a tiny bit.
C - Change
Mirrors your movement. This means that if you move the mouse right,
the paddle goes left and vice versa.
===============
5. The Levels
===============
Here we are, it's game time!
Level 1 -- The First Quest
Classification: Simple
Shape: Somewhat like a Super Nintendo controller
Tips:
You don't need many timps here. Just avoid the red powerups.
Level 2 -- Invasion of the Discs
Classification: Simple
Shape: A long rectangle, long side going up
Tips:
Beware the low near end. The sides are quite wide, however, making
for some nifty high point shots up top.
Level 3 -- Living in a Box
Classification: Simple
Shape: A rectangular cluster of blocks surrounded by a line of blocks, with
titan blocks at the corners
Tips: Knock some holes in the side of the outer box. Holds are useful
here, as you can grab your ball and send it in a gap you made to
pulverize the inner box.
==================
6. Handy Tricks
==================
-Use rebounds to your advatage. After a death, right click to adjust
your angle. Study the blocks and shape.
-Titans are helpful too. Rebound off them to get back at the main
blocks.
-Shooters and X-Shooters destroy blocks, don't be afraid to hit them.
=============================================
7. Legal Junk, Stuff, Credits and Farewell
=============================================
-------------
Legal Junk
-------------
This FAQ is copyright 2004-2005 Lord Setar. You may not reproduce
this FAQ without my permission, and you may not profit from it in any
way. You can print it out, just don't sell copies because if I find
out, you will face a lawsuit and I will probably win. This FAQ must
be kept in its entirety and may not be changed or altered in any way
whatsoever.
-----------------------------------------------
If you want to post this FAQ on your site...
-----------------------------------------------
E-mail me for permission first.
Don't use it to make money.
Don't change it.
-SITES THAT CANNOT POST THIS FAQ-
Cheat Code Central -- www.cheatcc.com
Why? Known to have stolen FAQs and guides in the past.
-----------------
Update History
-----------------
v0.8 -- December 13, 2004: First version of this FAQ produced. Getting busy
around Christmas time so I will stop now and resume
after Christmas. Hope to finish more levels then!
----------
Credits
----------
Stefan Heineke and Karsten Finger
-- For making this great game
The guys who made DOSBox
--Without the magic of DOSBox, I could never have played this game again
Jeff "CJayC" Veasey
--For making GameFAQs, or I could never have gotten this FAQ posted.
You, the reader
--For sitting down and reading this.
Tool
--For giving me something to listen to while I wrote this
Anyone else I missed
--Just in case ;)
-----------
Farewell
-----------
"Wherever there is a meeting, a parting is sure to follow."
--The Mask Salesman from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Yep, that rings true here. Hope you liked the game, I know I did, and
I sincerely hope this guide helped you on the way to the elusive HIGH
SCORE! If I ever write another FAQ, I hope you read it, if for help
or just for the sake of reading.
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Copyright 2004-2005 Lord Setar. All rights reserved
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