MATRIX MARAUDERS Complete Manual Typed By J.M.S.oftware PAGE 1 You are now the owner of a new concept in superfast 3D abstract computer racing games - your task will be to both outdrive and outthink your opponents in a futuristic no holds barred first past the post contest. Matrix Marauders has taken over three man years to develop and has been designed to test the skills of even the most dedicated games enthusiasts world-wide, yourself included. Dropped from your mother spacecraft in a specially tuned marauder racing pod onto the unique three dimensional circuit, you face evermore challenging levels of difficulty together with even more fearsome opponents as you progress through the game. Your mission - To emerge victorious as Annihilator One - and so to be accepted as the sole recruit required for the elite Intergalactic Screaming Race Skull Team. Both you - as Earth One - and the other pilots have already proved to have exceptional abilities during the play-offs on each participating planet. Yet nothing in the play offs can compare for what is to await you on the awesome Grid of No Return constructed by prisoner droids, deep in the bowels of a Black Hole. For razor sharp reactions are only part of the skills necessary to graduate to the ultimate contest. An extraordinary mind is also required in order to make the colossal number of decisions necessary to emerge victorious. PAGE 2 Hurtling through the complex mazes of the Death Tunnels you must negotiate torturous twists and turns, in order to remain ahead of the other competitors. You must keep track of numerous facets of your ship, speed, weapons, fuel and still compute the optimum path to the next Pit Grid, for if you fail to make the top three, you're OUT! The deadly race tracks are linked by a series of Pit Grids where the contestants may refuel and re-arm, assuming they have qualified for the next section, before re-entering the main race. It is crucial that the player picks up enough fuel and speed amplification modules in order to reach the next grid. The grids are also littered with extra ammunition and special components that will enable the mapping and navigational components of your ship. The players must collect these bonuses with all possible haste, for while they are accumulating the extras for their ship, opponents will continue to speed towards the entrance to the Death Tunnels. Once prepared, the player then races towards the centre of the grid and with split second timing leaps over the barrier surrounding the entrance to the circuit. He then braces himself for a tremendous increase in acceleration as he re-enters the circuit. On entering the Death Tunnels the player must negotiate the race matrix and avoid the numerous dead ends and other traps, lock on to extra fuel and ammo, whilst simultaneously tracking his opponents. Once in his sight he will then unleash the full force of his armoury on his unfortunate victim. You must fend off your opponents on all the Death Circuits and emerge victorious before you can don the prized ornate Screaming Skull Squadron helmet. Good luck Earth One. We'll be rooting for you...... PAGE 3 EARTH ONE - PREPARE TO DESCEND YOUR TIME HAS COME......... Calling all "Death Club" enthusiasts. This is your friendly reporter - Irving The Ghoul Hansen - about to give you a deadly blow by blow commentary on the event that annually tops the sickie ratings - Matrix Marauders. Here I am once again jostling with the rest of the media observers in the sweaty, smoke filled - if only they'd never been invented those cancer free cigarettes - beer swilling confines of the observation platform hovering in the bowels in one of the less attractive black holes. But if it's blood and guts that you want - there's no better place to be calling the shots from than the Grid of No Return. After all, there's only one surivor and that my friends means gore galore, courtesy of the losers. Let's not forget though that each of the combatants is here of his own free will - and they're lean and mean and well blooded after returning victorious from the qualifying rounds on their own planets. And all are driven or consumed with the overwhelming desire to emerge as Annihilator One - and so to be accepted as the solitary annual recruit for the elite Intergalactic Screaming Skull Squadron. And those boys are real nasty sons of bitches. This time razor sharp aerial dogfight skills will not be enough. For it's not called the Big One for nothing. It is set apart because it also demands brain throbbing concentration on two distinct levels. Not PAGE 4 only do they have to destroy or be destroyed, but they have to simultaneously memorise the mind numbingly complex Death Tunnels as they hurtle through them at breakneck speeds. And the Gladiatorial Killing Grid has never looked more menacing. Those prisoner droids pressganged into constructing have been beavering away, relishing their opportunity to ensure that this years event offers even more horrendous possibilities for that final trip to oblivion. Very soon now, the last of the mother ships will be dropping the challenger from Earth in his kamikaze fighter pod - then we're off to Space Body Bag Land. Here it comes now, the huge grey hulk is about to disgorge the tiny craft and its occupant on the journey into a nightmare from which only one combatant will awaken... In the last few seconds before his fighter craft is lowered into Vehicle Armament and Repair section, or as you game afficianardo's call it, the Arsenal of Doom, memories of what he well knew may prove to be his final few weeks alive, flashed before the eyes of Earth One. The Faces of the 17 crack pilots he had been forced to dispose of in the kill-offs during that time - many of whom had been his friends - hauntingly appeared, causing tiny beads of perspiration to appear on his hairline. But it was their death screams heard in full polyphonic sound over his battle intercom that now echoed once again in his ears which caused his stomach to almost discharge its contents. Not that this provoked pangs of conscience in Earth One - his personal programming saw to that - but he did ponder whether or not when his turn came he would emit similar blood-curdling sounds. PAGE 5 The seconds were now ticking down. Earth One must now prepare his fighter, before leaving the Arsenal of Doom and entering the game proper. The centre is a huge modular cavern entered by a shaft from the killing grid. Here a severely damaged craft could be readied for battle once again by an army of mechanical drones. But for a price. Because down here the only currency accepted is battle credits - the same credits needed to replenish or enhance the offensive capabilities of his ship. Once again time is not on Earth One's side. For every second spent in this section allows the other competitors to increase their advantage on the surface. Scrolling through the replacement parts available via his onboard computer, he selected a new undersection - and electronically transmitted the correct number of credits to the grim dome cashier. At the push of an unseen button the replacement section swung into view and powerful robotic arms eased it into place then atom welded it to the main superstructure. Earth One concentrated on the Arsenals weaponry inventory - CANNONS AND LASERS - capable of only firing in straight lines. ROCKETS - offering a smooth arc long-range trajectory. SMART GUN - able to spew out a constant stream of heat-seeking homing bullets. PLASMA WEAPON - pumping out projectiles at a speed difficult to detect even using the most advanced electronics. PAGE 6 MISSILES - the most powerful weapons of all guaranteeing an apocalyptic hit. Weapons selected. Clunk. He was grounded, his kamikaza fighter pod locked onto the gleaming tutomium grid line. Click. The instrument panel in both the cockpit and his head visor lit up simultaneously - both issuing warnings of imminent danger. Throttle back and Earth One hurtles away, his superb powers of mental agility allowing his to absorb the contents of both displays at the same split second. WILL EARTH ONE MAKE IT THROUGH THE INCREASINGLY TORTUOUS LEVELS OF DIFFICULTY IN THE DEATH TUNNELS? WILL HE BE ABLE TO OUT-THINK AND OUTWIT THE EVER MORE DANGEROUS OPPONENTS THAT WILL APPEAR IN EVERY STAGE? WILL HE WIN THE ORNATE HELMET AND BE ACCEPTED BY THE INTERGALACTIC SCREAMING SKULL SQUADRON? ONLY YOU WILL WILL KNOW. FOR YOU ARE EARTH ONE! PAGE 7 GAME CONTROLS MAIN GAME Joystick Left/Right Turn selection (Turn again for tighter turns) Mouse Left/Right Turn head Escape Jump Thrust Forces craft to make a jump Space Centre head Forces view to centre position Fire Button/ Fire weapon Fire the current weapon Right Mouse Button Left Mouse Button Toggle weapons Changes to another weapon Enter Target Target weapon on object T Triangle Disp Grid section is shown as filled triangles L Line Display Grid section is shown displayed as lines P Pause Game Stop the game J Eject When ejector seat is fitted REPAIR CENTRE Joy Up Enter game Go back to the game itself Joy Left Enter repair Enter the repair bay PAGE 8 Joy Right Weapon select Enter the ordinance screen R Restarts Game L Load saved game. Select file and press Return. S Save Game. Select file and press Return. Enter Name and press Return. X Enable/Disable Serial Link for 2 players (Via null modem). When the serial option is enabled the game is then re-set and starts at Level I. The link is enabled until either opponent is killed and then the remaining opponent will continue to play against the computer until the serial link is re-established. REPAIR BAY Mouse pointer at the following Repair box Internal/External box switches screen Right joystick enter main screen ORDNANCE CENTRE Joystick left/right Scan available weapons Fire Selects/Re-arms Returns to Repair centre screen by wrapping round to the left or right. That's All Folks....