FIST II PROLOGUE CENTURIES have passed since the tournaments of the Grand Masters. The once mighty Warriors of the Exploding Fist have been betrayed and defeated,their fighting techniques lost beneath the rubble of their temples. The land is blighted, the crops withered, creatures of the night infest the rivers and forests. The people are enslaved, ruled by an evil Warlord from his volcano fortress. Guarded by mercenaries and warriors, protected by natural and man-made barriers, this stronghold has been seen by no man who has lived to tell of its horrors. But at night, around the fire, the village elders speak furtively of bottomless pits, of walls of fire, of caverns of purest night and choking gases, of endless underwater labyrinths, and of the unnatural creatures that dwell therein. And the village elders tell of one who is yet to come, who will seek the Warlord out and free the land from tyranny. Such a one would needs be a direct descendant of a Fist Master, who had acquired the fighting skills of his ancestors and learnt the secret paths to inner harmony. For, say the elders, legend has it that, before their destruction, the Fist Masters wrote the secret of their combat prowess upon scrolls, and scattered them throughout the land. There are rumoured hidden shrines and temples, too, where meditation may strengthen mind and body. If one were to seek the scrolls, and absorb their arcane knowledge, if one were to fight well and bravely against the Warlord's warriors, if one were to conquer his inner self and master the power of the Exploding Fist - why, then the source of evil would be destroyed and the people freed. But, shrug the elders, looking deep within the flames, does such a one exist... LOADING INSTRUCTIONS Enter the command LOAD "", press RETURN and start the tape. 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Enjoy other great spectrum titles from: MELBOURNE HOUSE ROCK 'N' WRESTLE - "Wrestle a copy from your local software shop now, you won't regret it" Computer & Video Games WAY OF THE EXPLODING FIST- "Quite símply the best program I have seen in a long time" Popular Computing Weekly FIGHTING WARRIOR - "The graphics are big, bold and superbly animated" Computing & Video Games THE QUEST You take on the part of a young disciple, descended from a Grand Master, whom the village elders have entrusted with the perilous mission to find and defeat the evil Warlord. Inexperienced in combat and lacking in strength, you search the land for the hidden scrolls and temples. The terrain is difficult to negotiate, for it skirts the slopes of the Warlord's volcano, and is covered in jungle and steeped with cliffs. Though some of these precipices may be scaled with ladders, other hazards may only be overcome if you possess the necessary skills and strength. Pits often lead to the underground caves which riddle the volcano. In the depths of these cavern complexes can be found secret passages and corridors. Nestled in the cliffs are the fortress towns, which wind their way up the slopes of the volcano. Your Quest depends on the successful exploration of these towns and the catacombs which, it is whispered, lie beneath. Gradually, if your Quest succeeds, you will proceed upwards and ever nearer to the crater, at the tip of the volcano, almost shrouded in cloud. This the village elders believe to be the Warlord's dominion, from whence none have returned. Only the bravest Warrior of the Fist can enter here, for the terrors are unspeakable. THE ENEMY As you journey you will encounter the dark servants of the Warlord, whose skills and weapons are varied and deadly. Some will challenge you openly, while others lie in ambush. You need not fight them to continue your exploration, though some might strike you as you pass, but though you conserve energy by avoiding combat, you will not gain beneficial experience. Be warned that some opponents will still pursue you even if you choose to run. Peasant soldiers Fearless mercenaries recruited from the villages, these capped soldiers are able, but not exceptional, fighters, and would kill their own kin for a pittance. They are good adversaries for a novice. Warrior guards Bestial and ferocious, bedecked in war paint, these have but recently swept down from the crater. They can be outfought only by a true Fist Master. Ninjas Shadow dwellers, they attack without warning. Adept in all martial arts, they have concealed weaponry about them. Watch out for stars. Shoguns Renegade chieftains, enticed by the Warlord with promises of spoils. These masked opponents are nigh invulnerable, and confrontation with one often follows a battle with hordes of warrior guards. Assassins Perfect fighting machines. Assassins are despatched when your exploits have been brought to the attention of the Warlord. Utterly relentless, they cannot be outrun. Panthers Black and powerful, ready to strike and maul - they'll leap when you least expect. CHI Chi - energy - is indicated by the bar at the bottom left of the screen. When you are in combat, your opponent's Chi is similarly represented at bottom right. Only when an opponent's energy is completely exhausted will he die and be reclaimed by his Warlord master. You begin your quest with only a small amount of energy, which is also your initial maximum energy level. Should you lose energy, you will slowly recover it up to your current maximum level, but should you be poisoned, you will not regain Chi. Chi is rapidly depleted in poisonous gas chambers. You can always recover Chi quickly by meditation in a temple, and this will also cure you of poison. Your maximum energy level will increase through meditation, depending on the number of opponents you have defeated since your last meditation. If your energy is exhausted, you will die. However, for each scroll you have found and learnt, you will gain an extra life. You will be reincarnated at the last temple you meditated at. The game is over when your last life is used up. CH'AN Whenever you discover and enter a temple, you will automatically walk to the shrine and meditate. As well as serving to regain Chi and rid you of poison, meditation has a more crucial purpose. On the altar mat, you will see the imprint of a trigram. If you have found the scroll representing that trigram, you will, after meditation, learn all the secrets associated with that scroll. To cease meditation, simply press the fire button or fire key and you will leave the temple a refreshed and spiritually enhanced warrior. TRIGRAMS The success of your quest inevitably relies upon your learning of the knowledge contained in the scrolls. This knowledge is symbolised by the trigram associated with each scroll. You must discover the use to which you can put this knowledge. The following descriptions of the trigrams contain hints as to how and when their knowledge can be used. --- CH'IEN, the creative. This trigram symbolises heaven and is --- associated with strength --- --- SUN, the gentle. Represents the wind and, like the wind, has the --- ability to pass through inimicable elements - - - - CHEN, the arousing. Like a mighty clap of thunder, Chen can awaken - - the dead, move the immovable --- - - KAN, the abysmal. The trigram of danger. Linked to the image of water, --- it can also afford protection - - --- KEN, keeping still. Symbolic of mountains. Ken is the trigram of - - patient resting, of calm. of poise - - - - K'UN, the receptive. Representative of the earth, and of earthly - - strength. It may bend but cannot be broken - - --- LI, the clinging. The trigram of fire, an eternal source of light, - - even in the darkest of dark --- - - TUI, the joyous. The trigram of joy, the bringer of health, of well- --- being in the presence of malignance --- CONTROLS Kempston and Sinclair joysticks are supported as well as user defined keys. The choice of controls is made from the pre-game WALK FORWARDS / | \ / | \ / | \ / | \ / | \ / | \ | REVERSE SOMERSAULT V JAB DUCK/CLIMB DOWN ------------------------------------------------------ FIRE BUTTON PRESSED FLYING KICK BACK KICK ^ HIGH KICK | \ | / \ | / \ | / \ | / \ | / \ | / ROUNDHOUSE/TURN <---------- @ ------------> MID KICK / | \ / | \ / | \ / | \ / | \ / | \ | REAR SWEEP V LOW KICK SWEEP To turn your player around: to do an about face, simply reLease the trigger anytime after commencing a roundhouse. Blocking: You will automatically block if you retreat when your opponent is about to hit you. Note that as there are two blocks (a high block and a low block), you cannot survive by simply holding a block. Kneeling punch: This is the true Exploding Fist punch. Simply remain crouched and when ready press the joystick forward. GETTING STARTED The second side of the cassette contains a game allowing you to develop your skills as a devotee of the Way of the Exploding Fist, by playing against a series of computer opponents or a friend. The controls are identical to those described above. The control keys for this game operate as follows: 1 to start a 1 Player Game 2 to start a 2 Player Game G and H together to abort a game and return to demo mode. Copyright (c) 1986 Beam Software If you have written any interesting programs why not send them to Rachel Davies, at MELBOURNE HOUSE (UK office) for evaluation in complete confidence and without obligation Fist II - The legend Continues was designed and programmed by the following team: Game design Gregg Barnett Programming Damian Watharow Stephen Taylor Graphics Frank Oldham Music Consult Computer Systems Additional programming Bill Macintosh Published by MELBOURNE HOUSE 60, High Street, Hampton Wick Kingston-upon-Thames Surrey KT1 4DB United Kingdom Distributed in Australia by Software Licensing & Marketing Pty Ltd. 96-100 Tope Street South Melbourne, Victoria, 3205 Australia