Loading

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Spectrum 48k/+             type LOAD "" and press ENTER (for the uninitiated, Key J is 'LOAD' and'"'= SymbShift+p at the same time)

Spectrum 128k/+2/+3/+2A    select Tape Loader option (ENTER on startup)





Control

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Keyboard only sorry, keys are refineable via the main menu, default is QAOP-Space-H=Pause (the choice of kings).



Objective

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Shoot all the aliens on each screen to progress.  Green tanks appear which shoot at you.  Cyan bomb bandits drop explosives.  On the green rough patches you slow down,on the lined road style patches you speed up nice.  Collect the letters 'M.O.R.E' in order, and you will get an extra life (up to a maximum of 4, in which case you get 500 points).  The overall aim is to complete level 16, though after the end of game sequence the game loops with different blocks, and you get a slightly different end of game animation every time.



Level 16 has a boss, the GREEN GRONK, he roams the screen with 3 guardians.  If you shoot all 3 the GRONK goes into temporary stasis while spawning new guardians, leaving him vulnerable to attack. You can also shoot the GRONK while not in stasis though.



Important backstory

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Harrogate, capital of the agnostic republic of UK, 2038CE



Jake Quake sat back and took a protracted toke on his synthi-cig, sitting back pensively while waiting for the Mayor.  “Goddammit Jake...”, snarled the Mayor as he stormed in, knocking a bowl of sundries off the desk "...we have to do something about the goddam Pomodorians."  “The Pomodorians?”, asked Jake in his inquisitorial fashion while taking a hearty sip of Barley Cup.  “The Pomodorians.”, retored the mayor in his baroque manner, “I’m surprised you have to ask Jake, they’ve invaded the town every goddam night this week.  The outer perimeter gets infiltrated nightly, allowing them (the Pomodorians) to wreak havoc in the boroughs of this proud town, from the sacred allotments to the sanctified cassette library, no-one is safe from them.  Nothing is precious, even the local retro computer fair was trashed.”



“Well Mayor, as a privately funded bounty hunter, and with such a dangerous mission, a man has to ask - What’s in it for me?” retorted Jake, his sinistral eyebrow raised.



The Mayor grinned, but in a sneering style.  “Jake, we're men of the world, I hear the gossip.  In short, I know about your UDG addiction.  Well, I can offer you one special UDG for every successful mission, and not just any UDG, it’s a special new kind, blown up big like.  That should be tantalising even for yourjaded palette...that and as many points as you can handle”.



Jake sighed and looked at his well worn shoes, cursing his weakness.  Damn those UDGs.  Damn those points.



“Don’t feel bad Jake.  You're only human.  However, the Police can’t cope, which is why I’ve called the best man in to help - you.”



“ME?!” replied Jake Quake diffidently, “what can I do against the might of the Pomodorians?!, they have red Doom-Drovers, green Terratanks and cyan BombBandits.  What can I possibly do against them?  How can we possibly punch above our weight against the Pomodorians?!” he said in his humble but assured way.



The Mayor smirked again, but this time in a mysterious & interesting fashion, took off his monocle and pressed a secret button.  The side wall furtively corrugated away to reveal an aircraft hangar.  Jake saw a flash of properly engineered yellow metal.



“Good god! What’s that?!” squealed Jake astoundedly.



“Jake…………………let me introduce you to the SHUTTLEBUG....”

