GOLDEN PATH Part 1 GOLDEN PATH, by Firebird, can be a quirky game. As of this writing there is an end-game bug which allows you to finish the game but does not allow you to collect all 100 points (steps). No matter what point-earning tasks you accomplish, the game will credit you with 98 maximum. Future releases will, hopefully, solve the problem. Mapping directions in this game are a bit different from average. You certainly can't go north or south (up or down on the screen) but often you need to go northerly or southerly (high or low) on the two remaining sides. In this walkthru, "northeast" will mean towards the upper right corner, "southwest" will correspond to lower left, etc. Also remember that you cannot move towards the top or bottom unless you're at an intersection. If you want to move northeast and your character seems determined to go southerly, then look for a spot where paths cross. Move the curser there and try again. Note on keeping goblins at bay: In addition to your martial arts skills, there are four objects in the game which will help keep the vine-shortening goblins away: the spear, the hatchet, the flute and the orb of protection. Three of these are not necessary to complete the game (one has an additional purpose). With each use, these objects become less effective against the little pests, and so, you may wish to have all four in order to be able to switch them off. There's food to be found throughout the game, and some of it has a specific use in the story. But eating the food will also help your vine to stay healthy. There's an apple tree, a banana, a joint of meat and a set of chopsticks next to a pot. Each one of these items will regenerate when used (you can eat an apple; and when you return to the apple tree, there will be another). Feel free to let these items keep your vine healthy; but remember that each time you use an item, its beneficial effect will diminish the next time you do so. Finally, don't forget that if your vine withers out during the game, don't give up! If you're playing on the ST, hit the RIGHT mouse button to reincarnate. Any other button will start the game over. Begin by putting the ring into a pocket. Don't use it for energy until you're told to do so! Pick up the hint book and use it. (You need to use it at least once to get a maximum score.) Take the parchment out of your pocket, use it and drop it. Go southeast to the thief and get ready to kick. About three kicks will knock the scoundrel on his face. Move to the center of the screen then go northwest to the thief's shack. Inside the shack take the fan and exit by going east. Put the fan in a pocket and go over to the thief. Bend over him and take his bag of gold. Return to the apple tree by going southwest, turn around on the bridge, and this time go northeast to the beggar. Drop the bag of gold (don't expect a "Thank you," but honestly it was the right thing to do) and leave the screen to the northeast. Here is the dragon. You can either walk over his hill or you can hold the fan in your hand and walk right by him under the hill. Either way, exit to the east. You've entered the hill of the starving man from the southwest. Go about half-way to the east, turn around and climb up the hill. Exit the screen to the northwest. On the Bridge of Tranquility you must capture Norman the Hedgehog (Spiney Norman of Monty Python?). He's a slippery devil, but catch him you must. Put him in your pocket (A live hedgehog in my pocket? Kinky!), then pick up and pocket the castle key. From the bridge turn around and exit east. Go past the starving man, turn around and leave southwest. In the middle of the beggar's screen pick up the flowers and continue west back to the apple tree. Keep going west to the girl and drop off the flowers. She'll give you a lantern but just leave it there for now. Exit west. You'll come from the southeast to the temple guarded by a crocodile. Turn around and leave to the northeast, where you'll find the miller. Listen to his story and continue to the east. Here is the back entrance to the castle, in front of which is a key to the dungeon. Climb up the steps and unlock the door with the castle key which you can now drop. Run down the steps and pick up the dungeon key, then go back up and enter the castle. You start out in the garbage room and continue east to the dungeon. The poor kid in jail is the miller's son. Climb up the steps and use the dungeon key to let him out. Now be careful: you want him to follow you so you have to slow down. Move all the way to the west (left) and let him catch up. Then go west back to the garbage room, making sure the miller's child is following. If he doesn't follow, go back to the dungeon and try again. Continuing west will not lead you to the back entrance again. From the garbage room you go to the kitchen where you'll see a set of chopsticks and a joint of meat. Pick up the joint of meat and pocket it. The chopsticks are not necessary to complete the game, but you should use them whenever the vine is looking a little weak. Simply pick them up and use them right there at the boiling pot and drop them when you're feeling better. Now take Norman the Hedgehog from your pocket. Go west from the kitchen into the main hall. Drop Norman as soon as you enter -- Kim the guard dog will ignore you and chase Norman. Exit to the east. This is the main entrance to the castle. Make sure the miller's child is still following you! Go down the steps and pick up the tweezers. Leave to the west and don't panic! This is a baby dragon who will not set you on fire. The little guy's got a thorn in his paw, and you have just the armamentarium to operate. Use the tweezers then drop them. Now the baby dragon will follow you if you let him. For now it really doesn't matter. Go southeast and let the miller thank you for returning his child. Now you need to find some water and a dragon's tooth for him so he can help you. GOLDEN PATH Part 2 From the miller, go northwest to where the baby dragon (get your hands off his teeth!) should be waiting. Take the bucket and let him follow you to the west. Here's a well which you would not be able to approach without the dragon because of a "water sprite" (sounds like a wet Commodore graphic). With the baby dragon following you, go about half way across the screen, turn around and go northeast up to the well. Use the bucket and you'll get some water. (Try approaching the well without the baby dragon sometime because the graphic of the water sprite is worth seeing.) Leave the well then turn around and go back to the east -- you're done with the baby dragon. Go east a second time to be back where the miller is, and drop the bucket. From the miller go east back to the castle's rear entrance -- you don't need to unlock the door again. Go up to the door and enter. Go east past the trash and the dungeon and into the hallway. As you enter, pick up the spear and put it in a pocket, then continue to the east through the front door. To the east of the door is the bridge; and to the east of that is the starving man. Take the joint of meat out of your pocket and give it to the man. He'll stuff his face and then give you a pole. Take the pole and put it in a pocket. Go down from the hill, turn around and leave to the southwest. Make sure you're holding the fan. While holding the fan, you can't be burned by the dragon's flame. Walk under the hill until you are standing directly in front of him. You must be in his blind spot because his flame has turned off! Put the fan in a pocket, take out the spear and use it. Toss away the spear (not the fan!) and help yourself to the beast's bicuspid. From the deceased dragon go west to the beggar, west to the apple tree, and west again to the girl. Drop the fan and you'll get another gift from her -- a flute which, when used, will drive away goblins. Go west to the crocodile then turn around and go northeast. Drop the tooth and the miller walks over to his mill and produces the demon-destroying powder (he makes you wait about seven seconds). Take the powder and go northwest to the wilderness; and then go west past the well, and pick up the banana. Pocket the banana and take out the pole given you by the starving man. Proceed west where you find a lake with a raft, a monkey and a hatchet. Stand on the west-most edge of the raft and use the pole. Once you are on the western side wait until the monkey wanders onto the raft and then use the pole again, this time facing east. Once you reach the eastern side of the lake, throw away the pole and take out the banana. Needless to say, the little simian will follow you anywhere. Go northeast to the incense tower. At the top of the tower is yellow incense, but there is no way for you to get it. Throw the banana right at the incense. The banana will stay up in the tower and Cheetah will go right after it. He'll knock the incense to the ground where you can pick it up. GOLDEN PATH Part 3 With the yellow incense, go southwest to the starving man. Go southwest again past the dragon and west to the beggar. Continue west past the apple tree and the girl to the crocodile. Drop the incense, turn around and go southeast, back to the girl. This time pick up the lamp (the flute also, if you wish, as protection). Continue east to the apple tree and pick up an apple. Go southeast past the thief, being careful not to use, drop or pocket the apple. Continuing east you'll pass a deadly goat. Fortunately, some of his best friends are fruits so he won't hurt you while you're holding the apple. Unfortunately, he'll want to follow you as you leave so this time move fast so he stays stuck on his screen. Go southeast to find another girl. At least she looks like a girl. If she gets close to you, you'll hear some demonic laughter and see her for the demon in disguise she really is. Drop the apple and take out your demon-killing powder. While holding it, you can see through her demonic disguise even from a distance. Use the powder and she's history. As she dies (laughing it up 'til the last) she'll drop a bottle. For now just leave it there with the apple. From the remains of the demon, go northeast. Up at the top of a hill you'll find three stones. Pick up one and go east. You'll find yourself at the top of a valley through which flows a stream. The valley cannot be crossed; but if you look down, you'll see a boulder which constricts the flow of water. Carefully aim your stone at a spot right next to the boulder and throw. If you've aimed correctly the water will now have a very tight squeeze in between the boulder and your stone. Go back west, pick up a second stone, and return east to the valley. You now need to aim the second stone even more carefully so that it falls next to your first stone and the boulder, cutting off the flow of water. Return west. If you missed with either of the first two stones you can go back to the valley with the third. Go southwest to where you killed the she-demon and this time go southeast to the waterfall (the graphic is beautiful!). If you've done your job with the stones correctly, you'll see an entrance in the waterfall to a secret cave to the east. Enter it to find a treasure. The only item you can take is the orb of protection, which is simply another item which can be used to send the goblins running. Leave the cave by going west and then west from the waterfall to where you killed the demon. Go back again northeast to where you found the three stones, but this time turn around and go northwest. You'll be on a hill just over another cave entrance, this one guarded by a nasty lion. (You could have entered this screen from the other side by going northeast from the goat, but you'd be in trouble.) The lion won't see you. Nor will he see the boulder perched precariously above his path. Stand behind the boulder and wait for the beast to pace under it. Now be careful! This lion likes to stop part way and turn around! You only have one boulder and only once chance to kill the lion. As he paces under the boulder, KICK! The boulder will fall and the lion will be crushed. Make your way down the hill (sorry about the lion innards) and turn around. Enter the cave by going southeast. You'll quickly learn that this cave is the local goblin-ghetto, so move fast and be prepared to call on whatever anti-goblin equipment you've brought with you. The first room in the cave contains nothing, so simply go east. In the next room be ready to kick: A moving skeleton will attack you. Three or four kicks will reduce the thing to a pile of mouldy bones, one of which you can take (though I have yet to find a use for it). Remove the lantern from your pocket and go southeast into the next cavern. This room, when dark, contains a massive pair of eyes (put the lantern back in your pocket if you don't believe me) which will destroy your vine if you remain in the dark too long. Also in the room is some red incense. Drop the lamp and take the incense. Pocket the incense and arm yourself with whatever anti-goblin gear you have. From the incense room go west back to the skeleton's remains. From there go northwest, turn around and go northeast, cross the screen and go southeast, cross it again, but this time exit northeast. This is the old man you read about in the game's novella -- the man who was given the special key by your father. Simply take the ring out of your pocket and the key will drop from his hands. (It is now safe for you to use the ring to restore your vine. You can use it only once and you MUST use it in order to finish the game.) Take the key and put it in a pocket. Again, arm yourself. From the old man's room go west, southwest, northeast, southwest, and finally west. From the entrance of the cave you could go west back to the goat, but don't: You have some equipment to pick up. Go back up the hill and exit northeast. From the top of the hill, turn around and go southwest to where you killed the she-demon. Pick up the bottle, which contains a sleeping potion, and the apple. Holding the apple go west to the goat. Move quickly, so the goat can't follow. Go west, past the thief, past the apple tree, and past the girl to the temple. Drop the sleeping potion. You need to make one last trip to the castle. Go northeast to the miller and east to the castle. Enter the castle and you'll be at the garbage room which contains a box of matches. Take the matches then go west to the kitchen, west to the main hall and turn around to leave the castle southeast. At the main entrance go southwest to the wilderness (home of the baby dragon), then east to the miller, and southwest back to the crocodile and the temple. To finish the game, you need to have the matches, the red and yellow incenses, the temple key and the sleeping potion. Stand at the edge of the lake and use the potion. The crocodile is asleep and you can walk across his back (just like Roger Moore in "Live and Let Die!") to the temple entrance. Use the temple key to enter. Inside, put the red and the yellow incenses in front of the Buddah. Use the matches twice, once facing the red incense and again facing the yellow incense. Make sure that both are lit and stay lit. The Buddah will open his eyes and the incense will rise up to the middle of the room. After a short wait you will appear to die, but you will be instantly reborn and young once again. Check your point total. If you've only achieved 98 out of 100 and you've followed this walkthru, you've encountered the program's end-game bug. Believe me, it's 100. Sayonara! GOLDEN PATH is published by Firebird Licensees, Inc. This walkthru is copyright (c) 1987 by Allen L. Greenburg. All rights reserved.