TUSKER

Keyboard Command Reference

G = Gun M = Machete
B = Boom D = Dagger
I = Acid A = Ammunition
L = Gold F = Flash
W = Watch U = Amulet
K = Key T = Torch
C = Matches J = Magic Stick
S = Stick O = Bottle Pills

E = Exchange Objects
F9 = Object Held Selection
F10 = Weapon Selection
Space = Pick Object Up
Alt = Fire
Cursor Keys = Direction you wish to move
P = Pause
ESC = Quit Game

Keypad Commands
---------------

0 = Switch High Resolution mode on and off. In High Resolution mode,
the picture is condensed and centered in the middle of the screen.
To see your Amiga reach new heights of graphic excellence, switch
to this mode.
1 = Toggle Screen Scroll mode on and off.
2 = Switch Low Resolution mode on and off.
3 = Toggle Interlace mode on and off. Interlace mode will double the
number of lines displayed on your monitor thus eliminating scan
lines and improving image quality. This may, however, cause flicker
on some monitors.
4 = Toggle Playfield Screen Brightness (each time this key is pressed
the screen will become darker).
5 = Toggle Playfield Screen Brightness (each time this key is pressed
the screen will become brighter).
7 = Toggle Upper Activity Window Brightness (each time this key is pressed
the screen will become darker).
8 = Toggle Upper Activity Window Brightness (each time this key is pressed
the screen will become brighter).

SKID ROW
============================================================================

TYPED BY THE TWINS OF TRILOGY

T U S K E R
~~~~~~~~~~~

INTRODUCTION

It is now more than three years since the multilated body of your
father was found, skewered to a native raft, floating down the Turkwel
river.
Everyone had warned him not to pursue the last of the great ancient
treasures of the dark continent, but he wouldn't listen. His life-long
quest for the treasure had long creased to be just another adventure -
it had become and obsession.
Many had gone before your father, treading the same treacherous path
that he had chosen. None ever returned. Would any now dare follow? Is
the desire for the treasure great enough to induce anyone to suffer the
hardships and hazards of such a quest? Or will the Elephant's Graveyard
remain in the realm of myth and legend?
Something of a disappointment to your father, you had never shown the
desire to follow in his footsteps as one of history's great explorers
and adventurers. Preferring to remain at home and pursue a more
cautious career in writing. Since leaving university you had been your
father's diarist and biographer, carefully documenting all his great
adventures and creating several novels based on his exploits - none of
which had yet entered the bestseller lists!
The truth is that you have neither the courage nor the compulsion to
venture further than the coast of England, especially not to the dark
continent - all those nasty, creepy-clawly things, wild animals who
look at you as a quick snack and not to mention the less-than friendly
natives who like to use you for target practice. What sane person would
really want to risk all that?
For the last two years you have been trying to put together your
father's memories from all the material collected over the years. While
searching through your father's papers you happen to find your father's
private journal, his own personal diary that he never showed to anyone.
You are surprised to find this here as he would never go anywhere
without it and you had surmised that it had been lost when her was
murdered.
You had never been allowed to read the journal while your father was
alive, though you often asked permission to do so. You father had
always dismissed the contents of the journal by claiming they were
little more than the emotional ramblings of an old man and of no use to
your literary works. You were soon to discover how far from the truth
your father's claim was and the sinister nature of the journal's
contents.
The journal was full of hand drawn maps, sketches of landmarks and
numerous notes on the Elephant's Graveyard. It became clear that your
father had been looking for the graveyard most of his exploring life
and had amassed information from every quarter of the dark continent, a
story here, a folk-tale there, but all had been appended with the same
pathetic footnote - no luck so far.
Why had your father not taken his most personal possession with him?
Did he know he would not come back this time? As you read the
wellthumbed and browning pages, you are drawn deeper into the web of
mystery that has at its centre the greatest prize of all - the
Elephant's Graveyard.
Nearing the end of the journal you find that two pages have been
hurriedly tornn from the book leaving only frayed remains. Bending back
the covers of the journal in order to examine the remnants of the
missing pages, you notice part of a name written in your father's
familar scrawl. The word is hard to make out especially as the end of
it is missing, all you can see is Nyahur.
Reaching for your atlas, you turn to the detailed map of central
Africa. After careful scrutiny you discover there is only one place it
could be - Nyahururu. Is this where your father's last adventure began?
What was so important about these two pages that he would rip them from
the journal? Had your father stumbled across the true path to the
Elephant Graveyard?
The irrational compulsion to follow your father's trail overpowers
you. Ill-equipped and even less prepared, you make the decision to
leave for the dark continent at the earliest possible moment.
Still shocked from the rashness of your decision you slowly regain
your composure with the realisation that your father's dream has become
your destiny.


COLLECTING OBJECTS & WEAPONS

The hero is able to pick up a wide range of things, these are divided
into two catagories, weapons and objects.
The weapons are: A Gun, Knife, Machete and a Slingshot.
The objects are: A Water bottle, Book, Pocket Watch, Gold Nuggets,
Bottle of Acid, Bottle of Medicine, Hammer, Chisel, Key, Box of
Matches, Idols and a plank of Wood.
In order to pick up either weapons or objects, you must position the
hero facing the item you want, with his feet level with it. When in the
correct position, press the space bar and the hero will automatically
crouch down and retrieve the item.
The collected item will be automatically added to the hero's inventory
and an appropriate icon displayed in the status area. If your attempt
to pick up the item is unsuccessful, reposition the hero and try again.
With a little practice, this manoeuvre will become easy to accomplish.
Whenever an object or weapon is collected, it becomes the current item
the hero is using - this is shown by the fact of its icon being
displayed in the status area. To change the weapon the hero is using,
press the F7 key, this will cycle one at a time, through the complete
inventory of weapons until the one you want is displayed in the status
area.
To select an object for the hero, use the F1 key and follow the same
procedure as for weapon selection.


USING WEAPONS

Certain weapons require a specific object to be displayed in the
status area in order for the weapon to function correctly. For example,
the gun needs ammunition - so the appropriate object icon has to be
displayed as well as the gun.

STATUS AREA

The status area shows the main functions from left to right they are:

1)Object:
Icon of object in current use.
2)Weapon:
Icon of weapon in current use.
3)Score and Lifes left:
Accumulated score and life counter - this automatically alternates
between showing how many lives you have left and your score.
4)Energy:
Your reserves of energy - as your energy is used up this will
progressively turn to black.
5)Water:
Your reserves of water - as your water supply is used up this will
progressively turn to black.


FIGHTING

There are two methods of fighting. Bare-handed or holding a weapon.
When you start the game your will have no weapons, only hands and
feet, with which to defeat your opponents. The moves available are as
follows. (All the following are joystick moves with the fire button
pressed):

To Fight Bare-Handed:

Slow uppercut punch - Push up.
Rapid left/right - Push left or right on the joystick.
Punch - The hero will automatically turn and face the
direction in which you push.
Kick - Pull down on.

To Fight With The Knife:

Upward slash - Push up either diagonally left or right. The hero
will automatically turn and face the direction in
which you push.
Stab - Push either left or right. The hero will
automatically turn and face the direction in
which you push.
Kick - Pull down.

Fighting With The Machete:

Swipe - Push up either diagonally left or roght. The hero
will automatically turn and face the direction in
which you push.
Stab - Push either left or right. The hero will
automatically turn and face the direction in
which you push.
Upper-cut stab - Push up.
Kick - Pull down.

Fighting With The Gun:

To Fire - Push either left or right. The hero will
automatically turn and face the direction in
which you push.
Kick - Pull down.

Fighting With The Slingshot:

To Fire - First, face the direction in which you want to
release a projectile then press the fire button
to start the slingshot spinning.
Depending on the length of time of the spin, and
the position when button is released, the
distance the projectile travels will be set.


Basic Movement

The joystick controls below move the hero around the screen and are
without the fire button being pressed.

Up the screen - Push up.
Left or right across- Push left or right. The hero will automatically
the screen turn and face the direction in which you push.
Diagonally up or - Push up-left, up-right, down-left or down-right.
down the screen The hero will automatically turn ad face the
direction in which you push.


Controlling The Hero on Screen.

In order to provide the maximum amount of realism in the game and give
the player as much freedom in the control of their character, it is
important that the player master the range of joystick controls prior
to serious play.


WATER BOTTLE

The reserve of water you carry is indicated in the status area. It is
important that a careful eye is kept on this as you will loose a life
if you run out of water.
Your reserve is reduced continuously, but a different rates depending
upon where you are and what you are doing. Therefore, it is essetial
that your water reserves be replenished as often as possible for
example, in the desert there are many cacti.
Find the water bottle and the knife and then, selecting them both as
object and weapon - stab an approriate cacti towards the front of the
screen.


ENERGY RESERVES

You will need as much energy as possible to combat some of the
opponents you encounter, so keep a careful eye on how much you have
before throwing yourself into reckless combat.


PLACING OBJECTS DOWN

In order to solve some puzzles and overcome certain hazards, some
objects have to be put in particular places.
To place an object, first make sure that the appropriate object icon
is displayed in the status area - if it is not then use the F1 key to
make the selection.
Position the hero so that his feet are level with where the object is
to be placed ad that the hero is facing the target location. If you now
press the space bar the object will be placed down, or used in some
manner depending on the puzzle or hazard confronting the hero. Once
this has happened, the icon will disappear from the status area.
Objects canot be placed just anywhere, there are specific locations
for all placeable objects. If you try to put down an object in the
wrong place nothing will happen.
There is also a special object drop function. This is activated by
having the appropriate icon displayed and performing a punch action
with the joystick. This is only used once in the game, so be on the
look-out for a lofty puzzle that would alter the outcome of the game.
As with all special functions in a game of this sort, practice makes
perfect so expect to make a couple of mistakes before you master this
function.


DESCRIPTION OF OBJECTS

The following illustrations and their accompanying descriptions are to
held you identify the many objects you will have to find throughout the
game. Also, careful reading of the descriptions may give you a few
hints about some of the puzzles you will encounter - on the other hand
they may not!

Knife
Will give you a cutting edge in combat. But don't be thrown by its
simple apprearance, there's magic in the air.

Machete
Stanley could never have found Livingstone without one.

Gold Nuggets
Could relieve you of a weighty problem and lead to a more balanced
outlook.

Pocket Watch
There is no time like a present.

Idol
Three little monkeys could be well placed to reveal all.

Key
Unlock a native's good nature for the present.

Medicine Bottle
Which doctor would meen only one bottle.

Flask Of Acid
Unshackled, you could get a quick burn through the jungle.

Book
They say on's destiny is mapped out, well not till you lift this
problem from your chest.

Clenched Fist
It's all you've got in the beginning.

Bullets
There is a strong case for having these, but don't count on them
forever or you may come up blank.

Box of Matches
Strike out and go on evre forward and don't idol away too much time.

Slingshot
Victory sometimes can be little more than a stone's throw away-unless
you forget to look underfoot.

Hammer & Chisel
It would be a shame not to get all tooled up.

Plank
Walking it could span-out the quest.

Water Bottle
Refreshments not always being on tap could have prickly consequences.

Orb
Mystery.


HINTS ON HOW TO PLAY LEVEL 1 TUSKER

We felt that to help you get into the adventure element of TUSKER we
would give you some hints on how to complete level 1. Do not read
any further if you want to find out for yourself.
Kill all the Arabs with your fists while you look for the water
bottle. You should find this and the knife first so when your water
gets low you can replenish the supply. As soon as you find the gun the
Arabs get agressive and will chop off your head.
Find the ammuntion park before your gun becomes useful. Remember you
only get 10 shots. Around the desert there will be an entrance to
underground caves. You must collect the machete from one of the rooms.
Kill The crocodile with the knife by stabbing him on the nose. Natives
guard the entrance to both rooms and cannot be killed. You must run
through the middle of them. When you exit the caves back into the
desert you should notice green foliage. This reveals a hidden forest.
Use the acid to free the monster at the end of the level by dropping
the acid on the chains. Exit to level two.




----- AGAIN ANOTHER 100% POWER-TYPING ----

--- DONE BY THE TWINS OF TRILOGY ---

-- IN NOVEMBER --