THUNDER CASTLE
Cartridge Instructions
(For 1 or 2 Players)
Guide your knight through the deadly mazes of Thunder Castle,
slaying evil dragons, sorcerers and demons as you go. Watch for
gates that block your path...magic objects that grant special powers,
extra points, or extra lives...and magic creatures that energize your
knight. Complete all three mazes -- forest, castle and dungeon -- and
the game starts over at a faster speed. Continue playing, increasing
your score, until all of your knight's lives are lost.
OBJECT OF THE GAME: To score the highest number of points by
slaying the evil guardians of each maze and collecting magic objects.
The player with the highest score at the end of the game is the
winner.
PRESS THE RESET BUTTON
Game title will appear and the game will go into Demo Mode,
repeating titles and sample mazes for forest, castle and dungeon.
TO START THE GAME: Press any key. Select the number of players by
pressing Key 1 or 2, then Enter, on the right hand controller.
GAME CONTROLS
One-player game -- use either hand controller. Two-player game --
player 1 (First Knight) uses the left hand controller; player 2 (Second
Knight), uses the right hand controller.
DURING GAME PLAY YOU WILL USE ONLY THE SIDE ACTION BUTTONS
AND THE DIRECTION DISC.
Press any side action button to activate a magic object after your
knight picks it up. Object can be activated only once, unless picked
up again.
Press the direction Disc to move your knight. Release the Disc to stop
the knight. The Disc moves the knight in four directions:
TOP EDGE: Knight moves up
BOTTOM EDGE: Knight moves down
RIGHT EDGE: Knight moves right
LEFT EDGE: Knight moves left
To save time, press the Disc to turn your knight before he reaches a
turn in the maze. The knight will continue in his present direction
until the turn is possible.
GAME IN BRIEF
(see next section for game details)
1. Three dragons appear in the forest maze, one at a time. Slay all
three dragons and advance to the castle maze.
2. Six sorcerers guard the castle maze, appearing two at a time. Slay
all six sorcerers and advance to the dungeon maze.
3. Nine demons guard the dungeon maze, appearing three at a time.
Slay all nine demons and advance to the next, faster forest maze.
4. To slay a dragon, sorcerer or demon, move ENERGIZED knight on
top of guardian. If knight comes into contact with guardian while not
energized, knight will lose one life.
5. To energize knight, touch a magic creature: bat in forest, mouse in
castle, or red skull in dungeon. Energy lasts several seconds, then
disappears.
6. Pick up magic objects for extra points, lives or powers. Avoid the
comb. To pick up object, move knight on top of it. Object picked up
replaces any unused object in possession. To use object, press side
action button. Object disappears after use.
7. Knight starts with four lives. Additional lives are earned by
picking up candle stick or accumulating points. Game ends for player
when that player's knight loses all lives.
8. In a two-player game, a player's turn lasts until his knight loses a
life. Game ends when both players' knights have lost all lives.
GAME DETAILS
MAZES
There are three levels to Thunder Castle -- forest, castle and
dungeon. Forest level is slowest. Dungeon level is fastest. If your
knight makes it through all three levels, game play resumes at the
forest, but game speed continues to increase.
There are several possible mazes at each level. Once a maze appears,
it does not change until the next level is reached.
WALLS AND GATES
Knights and evil guardians can move only along open passageways.
Magic creatures can move through walls and gates. All mazes have
gates that randomly open and close. Gates are invisible until they
close. Gates remain closed for a few seconds, then open again.
MAGIC CREATURES
All mazes have magic creatures that energize your knight when
touched.
Forest maze: 2 bats
Castle maze: 1 mouse
Dungeon maze: 1 red skull
The knight remains energized for a few seconds, during which he
flashes and special music plays. Only while energized can the knight
slay evil guardians.
EVIL GUARDIANS
All mazes have evil guardians that must be slain to advance to the
next level. Evil guardians come in three colors. Green: slower than
your knight and worth 300 points when slain. Gold: almost as fast as
your knight and worth 400 points when slain. Red: faster than your
knight and worth 500 points when slain.
Guardians pursue your knight when he is not energized; flee from
your knight when he is energized. If your knight touches or is
touched by a guardian while not energized, he will lose a life.
Different mazes contain different evil guardians.
� Dragons: Three in the forest maze. Dragons appear one at a time.
� Sorcerers. Six in the castle maze. Sorcerers appear two at a time,
and can move as a pair or split up and attack from different
directions.
��Demons. Nine in the dungeon maze. Demons appear three at a
time, and can move together or split up and attack from different
directions.
MAGIC OBJECTS
Magic objects appear at various times, in various locations
throughout each maze, remaining for several seconds before
disappearing again.
To pick up a magic object, move your knight on top of it. To use the
object picked up, press any side action button.
An object's power can be used only once each time it is picked up. An
object remains in your knight's possession until it is used or replaced
by a different object. (A knight can carry only one object at a time.)
� Grail: Energizes knight
� Crown: Freezes guardian(s) for a few seconds
� Necklace: Speeds knight up for few seconds
� Lantern: Doubles knight's energy
� Key: Lets knight move through gate or wall
� Ring: Moves knight to random location in maze
The above objects also add points to your score. The first object
picked up within a maze adds 100 points. The second adds 200
points. All subsequent objects within that maze add 300 points.
Some objects can be picked up without replacing the object already
in possession.
� Coins: Add 500 points to score
� Candlestick: Grants an extra life
� Comb: Cuts your score in half
GAME LIVES
Each knight starts with four lives, and loses one life if touched by an
evil guardian while not energized.
Additional lives can be earned by picking up a magic candlestick, and
by reaching scores of 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000 and 100,000
points. Game ends for you when all of your knight's lives are lost.
The number of lives left, in addition to present life, appears in the
upper right corner of the screen, next to your game score.
SCORING
Slay a guardian:
� Green: 300 points
� Gold: 400 points
� Red: 500 points
Pick up magic object (except coins, candlestick and comb):
� 1st object in maze: 100 points
� 2nd object in maze: 200 points
� All other objects in maze: 300 points
� Coins: 500 points
Remember: If you pick up the comb, your score is cut in half!
Extra lives awarded when score reaches 5,000, 10,000, 20,000,
50,000 and 100,000 points.
WINNING TIPS
1. Lure an evil guardian as close as possible to your knight before
touching a magic creature. Your knight will be energized for only a
few seconds and meanwhile, the guardian is running away from you!
2. Try to anticipate gates, to trap an evil guardian in a dead end.
Corners also slow guardians down.
3. Pick up the most useful magic objects. Although all objects give
points, some are more useful than others. Exceptions: Always pick up
coins and candlesticks. The extra points and lives don't affect other
magic powers.
4. Avoid touching the comb whenever possible, but don't be afraid to
sacrifice points, if the comb stands between your knight and a safe
retreat.
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�1986, 1998 Intellivision Productions, Inc.