Terror in space A team of space mechanics sent to repair the planets vital space stations sent a frantic signal for help. No one could understand the message. It was thought that they had run out of supplies or air, or maybe that the temperature control systems on the space stations had failed, resulting in intense heat and bonesplitting cold. Until one day, unexpectedly, one of the maintenance transport craft returned, flown by only one man. He was severely wounded. The tale he told was one of terror. He told of strange creatures that took over the space stations and began to breed. He described strange eggs hatching into pods. The pods turned into skin-sucking critters and ultimately into nasty, spitting snotterpillars. When asked about his companions, he could not answer. His face twisted in terror, he collapsed to the floor. With his last breath, he gasped the word everybody on the planet dreaded - Xenos. Xenos. The creatures of nightmare. When the planet was first settled, the new colonists were attacked by those hideous creatures from the outer worlds. Only after suffering heavy casualties were the colonists able to fight off the Xenos. Since then, frequent attacks had caused the people of the planet to protect themselves by developing a complex system of space stations to warn of Xeno attacks. But now Xenos have overrun the space stations and the planet is in grave danger. The Xenos could use the artificial climate of the stations to become used to the planets atmosphere and temperatures. If the Xenos could successfully adapt for permanent life on the planet, then humankind is in jeopardy. It happened on the old world, Earth. Now it could happen on the new world. An understaffed and ill-equipped group of space gladiators has been dispatched to exterminate the wicked menace. But even if they manage to locate and use the artillery scattered throughout the space stations, they may not be able to withstand the terror of what they are about to see. The people of the planet may have waited too long. It may be too late. Getting Started Xenophobe is a frightening game of outer space terror in which one to four players work to rid 23 multi-level space stations of creepy alien Xenos. Follow the steps listed below to start the game: 1. With your Lynx system(s) switched off, insert the game card(s) as described in the LYNX OWNERS MANUAL. WARNING: Do not touch the game card connector pins. Do not expose the contacts to static or extreme heat. Do not bend, crush, or attempt to clean the game card. 2. Press ON. The Xenophobe title screen and credits appear. (In a multiplayer game where the participants are connected via the Comlynx, all players must be on this screen before anyone can go on. The number of players appears beneath the title in the copyright information. Make sure all players are accounted for before proceeding. One player should press A or B to advance to the next screen.) 3. Press A or B at any time to advance to the Character Selection screen. Press right or left on the joypad to scroll through the characters. Unavailable characters have a big red slash through their pictures. When the desired character is in the center of the screen, press A or B to select that character and begin your mission. 4. You see the space craft as it approaches the first space station. Then a transport disk launches from the space craft, carrying the hero(es) to their destination. When the transport disk docks with the space station, the players beam in and the game begins. Optional Game Control To enhance play, the following optional game controls allow you to modify the display, and pause and restart the game: To flip the screen 180 degrees and reverse the controls, press OPTION 2 and PAUSE at the same time. To pause the game press PAUSE. Repeat to resume play. To return to the title screen press OPTION 1 and PAUSE at the same time. Playing the Came The object of the game is to destroy all Xenos in any way possible, even if it means destroying the space stations. Fight alone or with the aid of up to three additional players. Use the joypad, A and B buttons, and option buttons to control character actions as shown in the figure below. [Figure missing (page 5)] To destroy Xenos, wander through each space station and shoot the monsters. Pick up more powerful weapons and valuable hardware along the way. Each space station has eight rooms per level. The rooms are divided by automatic doors. The doors open when you approach them. Elevator Many space stations have more than one level. To move from one level to the next, find an elevator. To call the elevator, walk, float, or creep into the elevator compartment. The elevator will begin moving toward your floor. Wait for the elevator to come to you. It could take a while, depending on the location of the elevator and the number of levels in the space station. When you are inside the elevator, the Option 1 Readout will display the words `Use Elevator'. Press OPTION 1. The Option 1 Readout will display the directions the elevator can travel. Press the joypad up or down to move to the desired level. Destroying the Xenos Your first objective is to destroy all aliens in a space station within the allowed time. Destroying a Xeno is horrifying, difficult work. Unless you use the minimum amount of force to destroy a particular type of Xeno, the monster lives and continues to threaten you and your companions. The following is a list of Xenos you will encounter during game play (from minor threat to very dangerous): Pod Critter Rollerbaby Tentacle Snotterpillar Festor Collecting Hardware Pick up any valuable hardware you find strewn around the station as you seek and destroy the Xenos. Some hardware can give bonus points or restore lost health points. You will discover the functions of other types of hardware as you gain experience. Weapons You begin the game with a phaser. It's a powerful enough weapon for hunting small rodents on the planet's surface, but it will hardly suffice for destroying hideous Xenos. Search for more powerful weapons as you seek out the Xenos. Pick up the weapons and use them to destroy Xenos. You can only hold one weapon at a time, so make sure you only switch weapons when the new weapon is more powerful than the one you are carrying. When you pick up the new weapon, you will drop your current weapon. Be careful: sometimes weapons explode if dropped in doorways. Each weapon has a different power level and unlimited ammunition. The following list shows the weapons in order of their effectiveness. Fists are least effective against the Xenos while Bombs are most effective. Fists Phaser Laser Pistol Lightning Rifle Poofer Gun Bomb Machines The space stations contain a number of useful machines. To use a machine stand in front of it and do not press the controls The Option 1 Readout will display `Operate Machine.' The Option 2 Readout may also display information to help use the machine. Press the indicated option button to operate the machine. Danger to the Player Xenos are not nice. They do horrible things that can cause serious harm to anyone they attack. Injuries to your character are measured in health units. Health units decrease when the character is attacked. Some Xenos latch on to the character and cause a certain amount of damage for each second that they are in contact with their victim. When your characters health reaches zero, your character dies. After your character dies you will be returned to the selection screen where you may select another character. In a single-player game you are allowed four lives. In a multi-player game, players continue to select until all 8 characters (9 if you count the Snotterpillar) are used. You begin the game with 2000 health units. You can lose health units through the following injuries or attacks: Critter Attack Tentacle Attack Long Fall Hit by Rolling Xeno Hit by Spit (Phlegm) Hit by Bomb Crash with Jetpack Hit by Leaping Snotterpillar Finishing a Mission There are three ways to clear a space station. Each of the three methods offers a greater reward than the one before. METHOD 1: EVACUATION If you do not clear a space station in time, the Xenos overrun the station. The amount of time you have to clear a space station depends on the difficulty level and other factors. If you wait too long, the screen flashes and you are automatically carried back to the space craft as the Xenos take over the space station and the station explodes. METHOD 2: DESTRUCTION You can destroy some Xenos, then use the self- destruct code to destroy the space station and everything in it. You earn 100 bonus points for each Xeno destroyed when the station explodes. Then return to the space craft and move to the next space station. METHOD 3: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED The most desirable mission ending is the total destruction of all Xeno invaders and the safe recovery of the space station. You receive a 300-point bonus for each monster you destroy and a 200-point health bonus. You then return to the space craft and move on to the next space station. Playing the Snotterpillar When playing Xenophobe with others, each player selects the role of one of the characters from the selection screen. Only one player may play the snotterpillar at a time. When playing the bad guy, your goal is to thwart your friends plan to rid the space stations of the Xenos. As a snotterpillar, you can accomplish this by attacking the other players, spitting at them, or stealing their weapons. Jump on a character while he/she is in a doorway and watch as they drop their weapon, causing it to explode. Pick up the hardware and weapons otherwise intended for the good guys, thereby forcing them to settle on less than maximum firepower. You can also drain away their health with a direct attack by jumping or spitting on them. But be careful. Remember, you aren't invincible. The other players might find it advantageous to go on a traitor hunt - for you. If you're killed, you'll be out of the game for the rest of that particular level. You might find it wise to hang out with the other snotterpillars, finding strength in number and anonymity. If the other players don't know which snotterpillar is you, your chances might be improved. After playing the snotterpillar for a round or two you might choose to switch sides and become a team member again if one is still available. Controlling the Snotterpillar Press the joypad left or right to make the snotterpillar hop in that direction. To increase speed, hold down the button B while manipulating the joypad. One of the snotterpillars' most revolting habits is spitting. To spit a glob of phlegm at one of your opponents, press button A. Screen [Figure missing (page 14)] BOMBS the number of bombs left in your inventory, or the number of critters gnawing on your flesh. LOCATION shows your current location in the space station. The first number is the station number. The next two numbers are the level and room numbers. HEALTH UNITS shows your remaining strength. When the health units reach zero, your character dies. You may select a new character and continue where you left off, until you run out of characters or lives. SCORE displays your current score. OPTION 1 READOUT shows what will happen if you press OPTION 1. If the readout says `Throw Critter', for example, then pressing the button will cause your character to throw the critter that is gnawing on him. OPTION 2 READOUT shows what will happen if you press OPTION 2. This readout also identifies the item you just picked up. Also use Option 2 to operate the jetpack. XENOS The following list describes the various Xenos and their method of attack. POD A hideous green spore which will hatch into a critter if not destroyed in time. Pods cannot attack - until they hatch. CRITTER A cross between a small, three-legged squid and a scorpion. Critters latch onto their hapless victims and suck away their skin. ROLLERBABY A thick-skinned cross between a large turtle and an armadillo. Rolls into a ball then bowls over its victim. TENTACLE A long-reaching appendage of a horrifying creature hiding beneath floors and above ceilings. Wraps around the victims head or arms and traps its prey. SNOTTERPILLAR A very large, leaping, heavily armored creature similar to a lizard and a caterpillar. Attacks either by jumping against its victim or by spitting slimy phlegm. FESTOR A huge, menacing, reptilian creature that waits in doorways and attacks without warning. A Festor can paralyze its victim with its telekinetic gaze It can also lay ball-like eggs which can knock down a hunter. The egg will eventually turn into a pod if not destroyed in time. Space Stations Xenophobe contains 23 space stations, each containing anywhere from 1 to five levels. Some space stations were built with the same blueprints as other stations. Learn to recognize the layout of each space station so you can escape quickly if you need to. There are always 8 rooms per level. The most hideous Xeno of all, the gross, disgusting, and dangerously despicable Mother Festor lives on the last space station. Destroy the Mother Festor and you may finally rid the universe of those ugly Xenos at last. Strategy Your primary goal is to destroy xenos as quickly as possible and secure the base. Save your bombs for Snotterpillar bunches. In a multiplayer game, split up to cover all rooms more quickly. Work together on particularly nasty rooms. Save yourself by using self-destruct codes on the more difficult space stations. Use these codes only as a last resort - each station is an important piece of the planet's defense chain. Master you bomb-throwing technique. Bombs are highly effective. Watch out for friends; they are not immune to your bombs. Jetpacks are very effective against Festors. Scoring You receive points for destroying aliens, picking up valuable hardware, or picking up health objects. You also receive bonus points for clearing or destroying a station. KILLING ALIENS Festor .......... 250 points Snotterpillar ... 150 points Tentacle ........ 100 points Rollerbaby ...... 100 points Critter ......... 75 points Pod ............. 25 points PICKING UP HARDWARE Bomb ............ 100 points Money ........... 90 points Comlink ......... 90 points Disk ............ 90 points Secret Paper .... 90 points Tools ........... 90 points Bottle .......... 80 points Knife ........... 80 Points Bones ........... 40 points Rope ............ 40 Points Lab Device . 30 or 90 Points Fluid ........... 30 Points Vitamins ........ 30 points HEALTH POINTS Fluid ........... 48 health points Pail ............ 48 health points Vitamins ........ 48 health points CLEARING A STATION Station Overrun .. 0 points Self-Destruct .... 100 points/Xeno Base Cleared ..... 300 points/xeno and 200 health Points Video Game Advantage WWW manual archive -- http://www.io.com/~vga2000