VOLCANIC PLANET
By Nick Burroughs
(Thorn EMI Video)


GETTING STARTED
1  Volcanic Planet will work on any Spectrum.
2  Before switching on the Spectrum, connect the
   joystick (Sinclair or Kempston) if this is to be used.
3  Put the tape into the cassette recorder and rewind to
   the beginning.
4  Check that the EAR lead is connected correctly and
   that the volume level of the tape recorder is set
   correctly.
5  Press the following keys: LOAD "" ENTER (do not
   leave a space between the quotes).
6  Press PLAY on the tape recorder.
7  After a few seconds the screen will display
   PROGRAM: volcanic. When the program has finished
   loading, the screen colour will change to black and
   the flashing message SKILL LEVEL 1-5 will appear.
   The tape can be stopped and rewound at this moment.
8  If the program does not load successfully try
   adjusting the volume setting of the tape recorder and
   repeat the above from step 3. If the problem persists,
   refer to Chapter 6 of the Spectrum Introduction manual.


HOW TO PLAY
1  The title screen will show the words KEYBOARD and
   SKILL LEVEL 1-5.
2  KEYBOARD indicates that movement and firing will
   be controlled by either a Sinclair joystick or the
   keyboard. Pressing the K key will change this to
   KEMPSTON STICK, allowing a Kempston joystick to
   be used. Pressing the K key again will change the
   message back to KEYBOARD.
3  Press one of the number keys 1-5 to select the skill
   level and begin the game. This game can only be
   played by one person at a time.
4  The number of floors in the city is equal to three times
   the skill level. You enter at level 00, and at skill level 5
   the bottom level is 15.
5  When the game begins, the player is in the lift on
   level 00.
6  The keyboard controls are as follows;
   6 and 7 = Left and Right
   8 and 9 = Up and Down
   0 = Fire Blaster (note: this will not fire if the blaster
   status is flashing red)
   5 = Operate lift
   4 = Plant a plasma bomb
   3 = Halt the game
   NOTE: The last three keyboard controls will be
   required even if you are using a joystick.


THE DISPLAY
1  The score for the current game and the high score are
   displayed at the bottom of the screen in the centre.
2  At the top right-hand side of the screen is a small
   map of the entire city level that you are on. A
   magenta cursor shows the location of the player on
   this map; this changes to light blue when the player is
   close to a lift.
3  Below the map is the plasma bomb status. This has
   three conditions;
   STAND BY = the bomb is ready for planting
   SET = the bomb has been planted and the
   countdown has started
   EXPLODED = the bomb has detonated and lava is
   beginning to flood the maze
4  Below the plasma bomb status is the display and
   blaster status. These are blue to begin with, changing
   through yellow, blue and magenta to red as your
   systems suffer damage. When DISPLAY is flashing
   red, the cursor on the small-scale map will
   disappear. When BLASTER is flashing red, you will be
   unable to fire your blaster.
5  At the bottom right-hand side of the screen is your
   life-support system status display. This takes the form
   of a bar graph with four single-letter headings. These
   signify the following;
   O = oxygen
   B = bio-system
   P = power
   If any of these three run out, the game will end.
   A = armour
   When this runs out the other systems become
   vulnerable.
6  At the top left-hand side of the screen is a number
   indicating which level of the city you are on.


THE RULES
1  It is your task to destroy the evil race of Zerans who
   live on the volcanic planet of Zeras. To do this you
   must make your way through an underground
   metropolis to the depths of the city, where there is a
   volcanic plug. If you can plant your plasma bomb
   there, you will blow up the planet. But you must make
   your escape before the volcano erupts and fills the
   city with lava.
2  Using the keyboard or joystick, move around the
   subterranean city until you reach the lowest level,
   where the volcanic plug is situated.
3  As you walk around the city, you will meet the Zerans
   and their slaves. Quite often they will ignore you, but
   sometimes they will try to kill you. The Zerans will
   shoot at you with their fire blasters and the slaves try
   to use their fantastic strength to crush you!
4  Use your blaster to fire back at your attackers by
   pressing the zero key on the keyboard or the fire
   button on the joystick. But watch out, the more of
   them you kill, the more likely they are to start
   attacking you!
5  Look out for the lifts, which are constantly going up
   and down. Use them to ascend or descend to each
   level of the city. You can enter a lift only when it is at
   your level. Each lift travels between two levels only
   and there is no way of knowing whether it is going up
   or down, but you will be able to see from the level
   indicator which way you have gone.
6  If you enter the UP lift at level 00, your bio-system,
   power and armour levels con be restored by
   pressing the 5 key.
7  Your power and oxygen can be fully replenished by
   finding a power pack (square with a zigzag line) or
   on oxygen bottle in the city. Damage can be
   repaired by picking up a damage repair kit (square
   with a circular handle). Any of these items can be
   picked up by moving over them; but if a Zeran finds
   them first, they will remove them.
8  When you have reached the lowest level of the city
   you must locate the volcanic plug. It is black with a
   'glowing' centre. When you are beside the plug,
   press the 4 key to plant the plasma bomb - it will
   explode approximately 15 seconds later.
9  When the bomb explodes, the city will begin to fill up
   with lava. You must reach the surface before you are
   overtaken by the tide of molten rock. If you don't you
   will die!
10 The game will end if one of the following occurs: you
   are killed; your oxygen, bio-system or power run out;
   you plant a bomb and escape via the UP lift on the
   top level (00).
11 You may halt the game at any point by pressing the 3
   key. To resume play press any command key
   (6,7,B,9) or move the joystick. If you press the 1 key at
   this point, the game will end.
12 When the game ends, the score will flash. If your
   mission has not been completed successfully the
   player will flash red and yellow. To return to the title
   screen for a new game, press ENTER.


(p) THORN EMI Video Limited 1983
(c) THORN EMI Video Limited 1983
Manufactured in the UK