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                        A Q U A N O I D
                            1992-2000
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WELCOME to all you folks who like to play AQUANOID, the ultimate
Breakout clone from Germany.  This game has everything an
arcade-game player demands:  great graphics, a cheat mode, tilt
function, lasers, knockers, and an extensive high-score list. 
Also, you'll get a password every tenth level, so you may
continue the game at the level of your choice!

This ReadMe file explains the functions and surprises of
AQUANOID.  To view this information, use the up and down arrow
keys to scroll through the file.  If you are ready for some
action, press [Esc] and dare to run AQUANOID.  But be
careful...you could get addicted to AQUANOID!


BASIC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:  XT/AT/386 or higher, VGA card, mouse.

ENTERING AQUANOID -- After the title screen appears on your
monitor, you have 3 options:
     1.   enter a help screen to view additional information on
          the game pieces and functions
     2.   enter the Hall of Fame to view game records
     3.   start the game

STARTING THE GAME -- This option allows you to either choose the
number of players and then enter the action, or continue to the
set-up menu.

SET-UP MENU -- Choices include:
 1. change mouse sensitivity        5. enter passwords
 2. change level of difficulty*     6. view master access codes
 3. turn sound on/off               7. clear high scores
 4. change font color               8. view our credits

     *influences the falling extras

After adjusting the switches, AQUANOID saves them automatically.

                                
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                       AQUANOID FEATURES
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STONES -- There are 15 kinds of Stones. Beside colored Stones,
there are Crackers (which you have to hit multiple times until
they disappear), and the indestructible Titans and Shooters.  The
help screen in AQUANOID tells you what each Stone looks like and
how many points you get for knocking them out.

LIFE -- You get a new Life every 30,000 points.  Life counter is
at the upper right part of the screen.

EXTRAs -- Extras fall toward your racquet when you hit some of
the colored Stones; some you want to capture with your racquet,
and some you want to avoid.  Extras will only fall from the
stones that are closest to your racquet (meaning if you hit a
Stone, and there is another Stone in that column that is closer
to your racquet, it will not yield an extra -- so hit the bottom-
most Stones).  Only one Extra is active at a time; the moment you
collect a new Extra, the old one is deactivated.  There are 24
kinds of Extras:


  LETTER   |BARREL |POINTS | EXPLANATION
  & LETTER |COLOR
  COLOR    |
  -------- +-------+-------+------------------------------
  X-yellow |red    | 2,000 | Cross back to previous level 
  X-red    |grey   | *     | Cross over to next level
  X-yellow |purple | *     | Cross over several levels (random)
          Note: * = additional points vary.

  T-white  |red    |   200 | "TNT" for blasting Color-stones
  T-yellow |blue   |   200 | TNT for Color/Cracker-stones
  T-yellow |green  |   200 | TNT for Color/Cracker/Titan-stones
          Note:  to shoot the TNT (dynamite) or "laser" after you
          have caught a T Extra, press the right mouse key. 
          Lasers are good for getting Stones you can't reach with
          the ball, or getting Crackers and Titans out of the
          way.  However, you don't get points for colored Stones
          you destroy with TNT.

  H-white  |purple |   500 | Holds ball once on racquet
  H-black  |yellow |   200 | Holds ball always on racquet
  H-pink   |grey   |   500 | Ball returns and Holds on racquet
          Note:  Once you've caught an H Extra and then the ball,
          use the right mouse key to choose the launch direction,
          and press the left mouse key to launch the ball.

  V-yellow |olive  |   200 | This "Vitality" Extra adds one Life
  V-green  |olive  | 2,000 | Drains one Life
  V-pink   |olive  |   200 | Adds 1-3 Lives (random)
          Note:  At first it's not easy to distinguish between
          the extra which gives an extra life and the one which
          drains a life.  Check the right side of the screen for
          Barrel help (see below).

  J-lt.blue|dk.blue|   200 |"Jewel" doubles points when you hit
                              colored Stones 
  J-yellow |red    | 2,000 |"Junk" halves points when you hit
                              colored Stones
          Note:  While Junk decreases Stone points, the 2,000
          points you get for catching it usually more than
          compensates.

  I-red    |yellow | 2,000 | Makes ball mostly Invisible
  I-green  |blue   | 2,000 | Irritates ball movement

  K-brown  |beige  |   200 | Knocker for colored Stones
  K-purple |orange |   200 | Knocker for color/Cracker Stones
  K-green  |purple |   200 | Knocker for color/Titan Stones

  D-white  |black  | 2,000 | Decreases racquet size 
  L-white  |blue   |   200 | Lengthens racquet size 

  U-black  |green  |   200 | "Undead" places a wall Under racquet
          Note:  When the ball hits the Undead Wall, you lose
          points; the higher the play level, the more points
          taken away.

  C-white  |brown  | 2,000 | Changes/irritates mouse movement
          

  O-black  |grey   |   500 | "Oldie" slows ball speed
     Note:  The slowed ball speed makes it harder to catch the
     next Extra.
                                
BARREL HELP -- [T] -- Switches Barrel help on/off during game
play (default is "on").  This information can be found at the
right side of the screen and shows you how good or bad the
falling Extra is.  Red means bad, orange medium and green means
good.  Of course, bad extras give more points as the good ones if
you collect them (see Extras point chart above).

GAME PAUSE -- [P] -- Pause mode with 262,144 colors.

LAUNCH DIRECTION -- right mouse key -- When the ball is on your
racquet (after catching an Extra or at the beginning of the game)
you can choose the launch direction. 

TILT FUNCTION -- space bar --  The ball acts like it got pushed
and continues its flight in an other direction. This is very
useful, when you try to hit a Stone, the ball just won't reach. 
The 10 Tilts are replenished every 30,000 points.

MASTER-ACCESS-CODE -- This code allows you to enter AQUANOID at
any level, and appears after you completed the 149th level.   If
you can't wait that long, see the SETUP.EXE program for the
four-letter code.

SOUND -- [S] -- Switches sound on/off during game play.

JUMP -- Ctrl+[Y] -- To jump into the next level during play. This
one is VERY useful for getting yourself off a level at which you
are stuck, but costs you half of your lives.

ESCAPE -- [ESC] -- To stop play and enter high-score list.  Or
use Shift+[ESC] to go directly to the title screen.

DOS SHELL -- [ENTER] -- To cover yourself if your boss enters
while you're playing.  To get back to the game, type EXIT and
press enter.


                        ---------------
                         CONTACTING US
                        ---------------
Please contact us if you find mistakes or have questions,
problems, or advice.

Phone:  Karsten Finger : 0451-6102828
Email:  Karsten_Finger@hotmail.com

Aquanoid-Home Page: 
http://www.aquanoid.de

Or come around on the weekend and we'll have a fantastic AQUANOID
session that you will never forget!


           ------------------------------------------
            PURCHASING REGISTERED COPIES OF AQUANOID
           ------------------------------------------
                                
Send 10 Euro or $15 US along with your desired shipping address or
Email Address to:
   Karsten Finger
   Parkstr. 14
   23568 Lbeck
   GERMANY



                --------------------------------
                 KANER'S MILLION-POINT STRATEGY
                --------------------------------
                
What is the measure of success in the game of AQUANOID?  Points. 
How do you get the most points?  By catching lots of Extras and
obtaining enough extra Lives to attain higher and higher levels. 
My approach to achieving games where you may score MORE THAN ONE
MILLION POINTS follows.  It is a two-phase strategy.

PHASE ONE -- You are a squirrel, stashing away nuts (in this case
Extras and Lives) for the Winter.  Your job in this phase is to
gather as many of the falling Extras as possible (with some
exceptions) because they give you the most points.  It is best to
stay at levels 1 or 2 during this phase because they are the
easiest.  How do you keep going back to or staying at levels 1
and 2?  Keep catching the red/yellow "X" Extras (2,000 points).

Also go for all the T, H, U, J, and D Extras.  Yes, one of the Js
is denoted as a "bad" Extra, but you get 2,000 points for
catching it, which usually outweighs the temporary decrease in
points for hitting the Colored Stones.  

Make an extra effort to catch the yellow and pink Vs because they
give you Lives, but avoid the green Vs because they drain Lives.  
The D Extra (also 2,000 points) decreases the size of your
racquet, but this should be of little consequence to experienced
players.  I also advocate catching the 2,000-point red/yellow "I"
Extra, even though it makes the ball mostly invisible.  All of
these effects from the Extras are temporary until you catch the
next Extra.  Levels 1 and 2 offer frequently falling Extras.

I avoid the C, blue/green I, and red V Extras because they do
much harm.  The O Extras are good when the ball speed increases
because they put the game back to normal. 

As mentioned in the AQUANOID features section, extras will only 
fall from the stones that are closest to your racquet (meaning 
if you hit a Stone, and there is another Stone in that column 
that is closer to your racquet, it will not yield an extra -- 
so hit the bottom-most Stones).  This is the reason I also avoid
the K Extras during phase one of the game.  The Ks knock out
Stones that could yield more Extras for you.  Extras are always
worth more than Stones.

PHASE TWO -- Once you feel like you have enough Lives and points
to go further in the game, GO FOR IT!  Keep catching as many Extras
as you can, and use them as they make sense.  In this phase, I 
still avoid the C, blue/green I, and red V Extras because they do
much harm.  I also avoid catching the red/yellow X Extra, unless 
the last level was an easy one that allowed for repleneshment of 
Lives, Tilts and points.

                        GOOD LUCK!!!
