Skull
From Games Machine

Enter the Catacombs ...
Hunt the Treasure ...
Avoid the Traps ...

WATCH OUT FOR SKULL!

Introduction
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The object of the game is to collect treasure from a maze without
losing lives and thus to achieve the highest score possible. Each item
of treasure is worth a number of points, the more treasure collected,
the highter the score.
There are a number of hazards within the maze, pitfalls, trapdoors,
portcullis and wandering SKULLS. The SKULLS will attempt to guard the
treasure by catching you but you may find within the maze a green
cross which will give you a period of safety during which you may
attack the SKULLS.

Other features of the game are:
- Top ten highest score table.
- Game in progress save/load
- Merge highest scores with table on tape
- Halt or pause game
- Print screen on printer.
- Display a short term plan of the maze
- Lock or unlock a portcullis with a key
- Safety ladders to lower levels of the maze
- Lucky charm bracelet to show proximity of skulls
- Inventory of collected treasure
- Totally random maze generation
- 9999 levels of maze
- Score up to 999999

SKULL Keyboard Overlay
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Hold - 1
Plan - 2
Print - 3
Key - 4
Rotate Left - 5
Back - 6
Forward - 7
Rotate Right - 8
Tape Menu - 0
Merge - T
Return - Y
Save - S
Load - L
Restart - CAPS SHIFT

Scoring
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On entering a square which contains an item of treasure, the treasure
will be added to your haul. An inventory is shown on the top right of
the display. Scoring is as follows:
A Cross 10 points
A Key 7 points
A Gold Coin 5 points
A Bronze Coin 2 points
A Pair of Gems 15 points
Using a key to open or close a portcullis will decrease your score by
7. Buying a plan will cost you 25 points or any points you have less
than 25.

Movement
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The normal cursor keys (5, 6, 7 and 8) without shift are used for
movement within the maze. Keys 5 and 8 will cause a quarter turn left
and right respectively. Key 7 will advance your position by one
square, if free to do so. Key 6 will allow you to take one step
backwards if free to do so. Movement forwards or backwards may be
blocked by a wall of the maze or by a portcullis.

Hold the Game
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The game may be held at any time with Key 1. The screen will be
replaced with the 'holding' page. This page shows the high score
table. The game may be restarted by pressing the 'Y' key.

Plan view
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The plan can be called up with Key '2'. A plan 'costs' 25 points.
Each item of treasure within the maze is shown on the plan. Also your
own position and direction (arrow), any SKULLS, pitfalls (filled
square), trapdoors (empty square), or ladders to lower levels (x).

The plan will only be present for a fey seconds after which it will
slowly disintegrate.

Printing
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Key '3' will usually allow the screen image to be printed.

Keys and Portcullis
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While wandering through the maze you will occasionally 'trip' a
portcullis into falling. If you have no keys you (and the SKULLS)
will no longer be able to pass that point. In the early stages of the
games it is easy to wander into a dead-end only to see the 'flash'
indicating that a portcullis has fallen behind you. If you have a key
you may unlock it by first facing the portcullis and then pressing
Key '4'. If you have no keys you will have to wait for a trapdoor to
open beneath you.

A portcullis may be closed, if you wish, by pressing Key '4' while
looking towards the opening you wish to lock. A key may only be used
once and your score is decreased for each key used.

Tape Menu
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Four options are available in the tape menu (Key '0').

Save: Save the current game position and high score table onto a tape.
Load: A new game position and high score. A tape load error will not
affect the current position and high score table. A verify may
be carried out by first 'SAVE'ing the game, then 'LOAD'ing the
same game without altering the programme in memory.
Merge: Will read the high score table from tape and compare it with
the current high score table. From these twenty entries the top
ten will replace the current high score. Thus in order to obtain
an 'all time high' score table the current high score table can
be merged with a previously saved table the new table may then
be saved onto tape.
Return: Either continues with the present game or if a LOAD has
occured, continue a previous game.

Restart or Break
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A game may be terminated at any time, by pressing CAPS SHIFT and BREAK
together. A new game can now commence.

Crosses
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On obtaining a cross (by stepping onto the square containing the
cross) there will be a period of 15 seconds during which you can
attack the SKULLS. This period will be indicated first by an inverse
video cross (at the top right of display) for a period of ten seconds,
then five seconds of flashing. During these 15 seconds any SKULL
encountered will have gems set into their eye sockets. On stepping
into the same square as the SKULL the two gems will be collected but
you will be unharmed.

Lucky Charm Bracelet
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Below the 3D view of the maze a bracelet can be seen. The number of
effigies on the bracelet show the number of SKULLS in the maze. The
colour of the effigies indicates the proximity of the SKULLS.

CYAN 4 or more steps away
GREEN 3 steps away
MAGENTA 2 steps away
RED 1 step away

A SKULL behind a portcullis will not affect the colour of its effigy
unless another route to you exists.

Ladders, Trapdoos and Pitfalls
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A pitfall will throw you down to a lower level and a life will be
lost. In a pitfall you fall through a multi-coloured hole.

A trapdoor has a one in five chance of opening beneath you in which
case a life will be lost. Do not hesitate while standing on a
trapdoor; STEP OFF THE TRAPDOOR IMMEDIATELY.

A ladder will enable you to safely descend to a lower level.

High Score Table
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On obtaining a score which is greater than another in the high score
table you will be requested to enter your name.

Up to ten characters may be entered, upper or lower case. Each
character entered will be placed below the cursor (down cursor);
left and right arrows may be used ('5' and '8') to re-position the
cursor. The name will be accepted on pressing the 'enter' key.

To avoid entering your name each time, pressing (right cursor) ten
times will show the previously entered name. Left and right keys
may now be used, if desired, to 'edit' the name.

It is suggested that a print-out of the high score table be used as
evidence of your high score.