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(>---===+ Impossible Mission Documentation +===---<)
1. Subject: Mission of vital importance to national and global
security. Operations to begin immeadiately. Utmost urgency.
2. Situation: During the past three days, key military computer
installations of every major world power have reported security
failures. In each case, someone gained access to a primary missile
attack computer.
Only one person is capable of computer tampering on this scale:
Professor Elvin Atombender (hereafter reffered to as "Elvin") We
believe that Elvin is working to break the computer's launch
codes. When he succeeds, he plans to trigger a missile attack that
will destroy the world.
3. Mission: You must penetrate Elvin's underground stronghold and
stop him. To succeed you will have to invade the scientist's robot
guards, break his security code and find his control center. Your
predecessors, agents 4116 and 4124 (may they rest in peace), were
able to send back some information about Elvin's installation. It
is detailed in the following pages.
Your only weapons will be your keen analytical mind and your
M1A9366B pocket computer. Good luck. The world is depending on
you.
Elvin's stronghold ------------------
Using a fortune he amassed by raiding the computer systems of
various financial institutions, Elvin constructed a vast
underground stronghold packed with computer equipment. There, in
seclusion, Elvin spent four years working to breach the security
of military computer installations around the world. As you know,
he has succeeded.
Our computer estimates that he will break the launch codes and
trigger the missle attack in exactly six hours. This is the amount
of time you will have to complete your mission.
Elvin's stronghold consists of 32 rooms. Each room can be
accessed by an elevator or lift. For each room there may be a lift
(1 inch b/w thing that moves up or down sometimes both) in which
you access each level in the room.
Elvin's security system -----------------------
Our intellegence indicates that Elvin uses three types of codes
(or passwords) in his security sustem. One code deactivates the
robots, another operates the lifts and the third code (a password)
unlocks the control room.
Now comes the really strange part.
-> We believe that Elvin hides the passwords in his furniture <-
Elvin, who is extremely absent-minded, frequently forgets the
passwords for his security computer. His solution is to scatter
them haphazardly around the house. You can find one of his
passwords in the sofa. Or the stereo. Or the candy machine. But
you must find them. Without the passwords, you will almost
certainly end up like agent 4124 (but we don't want to think about
that, do we?)
Once you find the codes, using them should be relatively easy
(for the most part). You should be able to log onto a security
terminal as you enter each room and deactivate the robots or reset
the lifts (if neccessary) from there.
Note -> You can deactive or reset lifts depending upon how many
"init lift" passwords you have or find. <- This should present no
problems.
Note-> You can deactivate the robots with a "snooze" password
(temporarily) in that room.. When you find one it shows the
picture of a robot with a series of zzzzzz's...Or you can check
your status while standing in the elevator and pressing button 0
or 1.
(-> Extreme note!! <-) However, the control room password is
another matter. Realizing the importance of this particular code,
Elvin has broken it into dozens of pieces, scattering them
throughout the complex. You will have to find and retrieve all of
the pieces and match them up like a puzzle to form a password.
(Objective of game)
With the completed password, you can gain access to the control
room where Elvin is preparing to launch the missiles. You have to
stop him or the world is going to be terminally late for dinner
tonight. (All gone)
Overview of objective
Idea is to run about room avoiding robots and holes (on bottom
floor) and try to find the pieces of the puzzle to solve.
Controls --------
> In the elevator: Push the joystick forward or back to go up or
down. Push the joystick left or right to move in either direction
along the corridor. Running to the edge of the screen takes you
into a room. (This is the place where you start in the beginning)
Also-> This is where you use your buttons to view your status or
use equipment which will be explained later on.
> In the rooms: Push the joystick left or right to move in either
direction. If you press the fire button, your agent will perform a
mid-air foward flip that you won't believe (this is especially
useful for somersaulting over pesky robots and gaps in the floor.
> On lifting platforms: If you're standing on a striped lifting
platform (b&w 1 inch block) in one of the rooms, you can push the
joystick forward or backward to go up or down (to it's limits of
course)
Game play ---------
As you explore Elvin's stronghold, your pocket computer (at the
bottom of the elevator screen) will display a map of the rooms and
tunnels you have entered. In every room, you should conduct a
search.
Searching for codes ----------
Search every object or piece of furniture in the room for codes
and password puzzle pieces (if you can avoid the robots). You can
do this by standing directly in front of an object (sofa, desk,
fireplace or whatever) and pushing the joystick forward.
The word "searching" will appear in a box at the top of the
screen. You will also see a horizontal bar indicating the length
of time it will take to search the object. You must continue
holding the joystick forward until the bar disappears. If your
search is interrupted for any reason you can go back to the object
and resume searching where you left off. But if you leave the
room, you'll have to start the search from the beginning.
When you have finished searching the object, one of four things
will replace the words "searching" at the top of the screen:
> The words "nothing here." (Then the object disappears)
> A picture of a striped lifting platoform with an arrow above it.
This represents a lift init password which alows you to reset all
of the lifting platforms to their original positions. (not
elevators)
> A picture of a sleeping robot. This represents a snooze password
which allows you to temporarily deactivate the robots in a room.
> A puzzle piece. This is part of the password which allows entry
to the control room. It will be entered into the memory of your
pocket computer automatically.
Using security terminals -----------
Use can use the -> snoozes <- and -> lift inits <- at any
security terminal. These terminals are usually located near the
entrance to each room. They look like television sets with
darkened screens facing toward you. (Actually it looks like facing
an apple w/a monitor which is off. (it's on a stand)
To use a security terminal, move directly in front of it and push
the joystick forward. The screen of the security terminal will
enlarge to fill your display. You can select one of three
functions with the joystick. (press button when the arrow points
to the function you want):
> Reset lifting platforms. To use this option, you must have a
lift init password in your possession. (Your pocket computer
displays the number of 'lift inits' you have.)
> Temporarily disable robots. To use this option, you must have
"snooze" password in your possession. (Your pocket computer
displays the number of 'snoozes" you have.)
> Log off.
Code rooms ----------
Elvin's stronghold contains two code rooms where you can earn
additional passwords. Walk up to the console and push the joystick
forward as if you were searching it. A sequence of squares will
flash on the wall, each with a musical note, and a white glove
will appear. Use the glove to touch each square in a sequence so
that the notes are sorted in ascending order. (from low to high)
If you produce the proper sequence of notes, the checkerboard
will flash and you will get a -> snooze <- or -> lift init <-
password. You can do this as many times as you like, but the
sequence gets longer each time. You can quit at any time by
touching the purple bar at the bottom of the checkerboard.
Pocket computer ---------------
Your pocket computer is an amazing device. It allows you to play
with the puzzle pieces right on the screen, twisting them around
to figure out how they go together.
To activate your pocket computer, you must be "standing" in one
of the "elevators" or corridors. Press the button to turn on the
pocket computer. Note -> you can't use the pocket computer in any
of the rooms. Pressing the fire button in a room will cause you to
do a somersault.
When the computer is activated, the map of Elvin's stronghold
will vanish and a white glove will appear. Use the glove to put
the puzzle pieces together, to form the password which will let
you enter Elvin's control room.
Using the pocket computer commands ---------
> Arrow keys- (upper left corner) - Moves other pieces that were
found into memory window.
> Phone key- (bottom left corner) - Dials out for help. (see using
the phone)
> Password- (mid lowest left) - The computer assembles Elvin's
control password here.
> Memory window- (mid upper left) - Displays the pieces of the
puzzle your working with. (arrow command moves up a piece or down
a piece to add to the puzzle)
> Snooze & init passwords- Just tells how many of each you have
found if any.
> Selected puzzle piece(s)- (mid right of center box)- The only
way the piece gets here is when you move it from the memory window
to assemble it.
> Off key- Turns off the pocket computer. (pauses game)
> Game clock- Shows time left to play. (Game ends at 6:00:00)
> Vertical flip key- (first top command on the 8 keys together
(from left to right)) - Flops the selected puzzle piece
vertically.
> Horizontal flip key- (to right of vertical) - Flops the selected
puzzle piece horizontally.
> Trash can key- (right of horizontal key) Deletes the selected
puzzle piece from the display. (not memory)
> Exclamation key- (right of "off" key) - If you just deleted a
puzzle piece or put two pieces together, you can use this to
"undo" it.
> Color keys- (to right of exclamation key) - changes the color of
the selected puzzle piece.
> Pause key- (botom right corner, two of them) Pauses the game.
Using the glove ---------------
> To move the glove, move the joystick in the desired direction.
> To activate a function key, "point" to it with the glove and
press the joystick button.
> To pick up a puzzle piece in the memory window, "point" to it
with the glove and press the joystick button. Then you can move it
by moving the joystick.
> To drop a puzzle piece, press the joystick button.
> To make a copy of the selected piece, "point" to it with the
glove and press the joystick button.
> To put back a copy of the selected piece, position the copy
directly over the selected piece and press the joystick button.
> To select a puzzle piece that isn't selected, "point" to it with
the glove and press the joystick button.
> To find out if two pieces match, position one piece directly
over the other and press the joystick button.
Solving the puzzles -------------------
> some pieces are upside down or backwards (or both) when you find
them, so if a piece doesn't seem to match anything, try flipping
it with the function keys.
> Pieces must be the same color, or they won't match. If two
pieces with different colors look like the should match, then use
the color keys to change them.
> A completed puzzle looks like a computer punch card: a solid
rectangle with several little holes in it.
> A completed puzzle may be upside down or backwards when you
finish putting it together. (you may have to flip it around before
it is recognized as a solution)
> There are four pieces in each completed puzzle, and nine puzzles
in the game, each time you complete a puzzle, one letter of
Elvin's password password will appear at the bottom of the pocket
computer screen.
> When you have all nine of the letters in the password, you can
open the door to Elvin's control center and save the world.
Control room ------------
The door to Elvin's control room is in one of the bedrooms. When
you have completed the password, position your agent directly in
front of the door and push the joystick forward. The door will
open, and you'll finally have the last laugh.
Using the phone -----------
When you touch the phone key on your pocket computer, it dials up
the agency's main computer. (to get some help with the puzzles)
But there is a charge for using it. Each use of the phone cost two
minutes on the game clock.
The agency's computer will give you three choices. Select the one
you want with the glove, and then press the joystick button.
Choices -------
Correct orientations of leftmost pieces- the computer will flip
the two puzzle pieces in the memory window to orient them
correctly (right side up and forwards, instead of upside down and
backwards). A read mark will appear to the left of each piece that
has been flipped.
Have we enough pieces to solve the upper left puzzle?- The
computer will look at the upper puzzle piece in the memory window
and tell you whether you've found all three of the pieces that go
with it to make a completed puzzle.
> Hang up- hangs up the phone.
Continuing play- You can start a new game at any time by
depressing the 'esc' key. The rooms and robots will be re-
arranged, and the computer will generate a new set of puzzles.
Scoring -------
The game clock (on the pocket computer display) starts at 12:00.
The game ends when the clock reaches 6:00.
Losing time --------
Each time you fall off the bottom of the screen or get zapped by
a robot or floating orb, you are penalized 10 minutes.
Each time you use the phone, you are penalized two minutes. When
the game ends, you are awarded points as follows:
1 point for each second remaining on the clock 100 points for
each puzzle piece found. 100 Points for each snooze & lift init
password found. 500 Points for each puzzle solved. 1000 Points for
completing the mission.
Hints -----
Here are some playing hints from the author of impossible
mission:
> Some rooms are harder than others. If a room seems too hard
(presumably because you don't have any passwords to reset the
lifts and turn off the robots), come back to it after you've
aquired some passwords.
> Each robot has a different behavior program. Some robots move
faster than others, some of them shoot lightning bolts, and some
have no sight or hearing. So watch them closely. You can often
figure out what program a robot is running before you try to get
past it.
> Your pocket computer will let you combine any two pieces that
don't overlap, but this isn't always enough. Puzzle pieces which
don't overlap may not really belong together. If you find that
it's impossible to finish a partially completed puzzle, you may
have combined the wrong puzzle pieces.
> You don't have to somersault over every hole in the floor. If a
gap is no wider than a lifting platform, try stepping across it.
But don't let up on the joystick until you get to the other side,
or you'll fall.
> If you have to cross a very large chasm, you can actually have
one foot in the abyss before you press the fire button to jump. If
you do this just right, it will give you the extra distance you
need.