The BBC and Master Computer Public Domain Library

DRAIN MANIA

Professional, Originally Released On Cassette Only

Game Type          : Arcade Platform Game

Authors            : P. A. Morgan and D. J. Morgan

Standalone Release(s)   : 1985: DRAIN MANIA, Icon, £7.95

Compilation Release(s) : 1987: ELECTRON POWER PACK 2, Audiogenic, £9.95

Stated compatibility    : Electron

Actual compatibility    : Electron

Supplier            : ICON, 65 High Street, Gosforth, TYNE & WEAR

Disc compatibility     : CDFS E00, DFS E00

Instructions

DRAIN MANIA is a game where a love of sewers is an advantage! You play the part of Theodore, an athletic young chap who wanders the various tunnels of the system in search of a way out. But the sewers are inhabited by mutant sewer creatures who get washed down the drains at the top and slither down to the bottom. During their dangerous descent, you must either avoid or kill them. This is achieved by head-butting them up through the floor so that they fall over, then kicking them out of the way. If you fail to kick them, they will get back up and pursue you even

more viciously than ever!

Any encounter with the creatures will result in death. Each creature has a different resistance to head-butts - some require more than one butt to make them fall over. Butting the Zap block causes all creatures on the screen to die, but this can only be used three times. Occasionally, water or fire balls are ejected from the pipes. These must be avoided.

Coins lost down the gutters are hanging from the ceilings. These can be collected, and if you get a tunnel full of coins, you should try to collect them all before the beasties catch up with you.

You can move left and right or jump, but beware of the slime underfoot. Some tunnels have different slipperiness factors, so tread carefully. You can avoid death by becoming invisible, but only for a short time on each screen. You get a bonus life and extra Zap block at 10,000 and 30,000 points.

Game Controls

During loading, you can define your own playing keys for Left, Right, Low Jump, High Jump and Invisible.

<DELETE>/<COPY> - Pause/Restart,   <ESCAPE> - Quit Game

S - Sound On/Off,   M - Music On/Off

Instructions' Source   : POWER PACK (Audiogenic) Inner Inlay

Review (Electron User)

When I first loaded this game into my computer, I wasn't particularly impressed. It appeared to have shades of KILLER GORILLA, although in a novel setting. Since then, however, playing it and getting the hang of it rather better, I have rapidly become hooked on this game.

It has that fatal quality of all super games - it becomes truly addictive, being easy to play yet difficult to master. The rather unusual scenario is a system of underground sewers in which our hero, Theodore, has to counter the attentions of such noxious creatures as Inky, Dinky and Pinky.

There are platforms on to and from which Theo can leap with either a small or a large leap. Movement is also possible to the left or right, and these keys may be
selected once only during the loading of the game.

Moving from the initial platform, which promptly vanishes, Theo has a habit of travelling continuously. But with practice, his speed can be adjusted, and he can even come to rest. As the creatures bounce their way from top to the bottom of the
screen, there are two courses of action open to the player.

You can merely avoid them, or gain points and sweet revenge by jumping up and knocking the creature above off its feet. But some need rather more persuasion than others to topple. If Theo can then leap on to that level and kick the stranded creature off, there are bonus points to be had. But too long a delay brings a metamorphosis into an even more deadly beast.

The authors have also kindly included a Zap button which, on being headbutted, has the effect of scoring for all the animals currently on the screen, and also any coins. These tend to appear in the oddest places and bring you further points.

However, this little kindness on their part is countered by the malign fireballs, which bounce strangely around on the more difficult stages.

It's a little strange to begin with, but it will soon become a favourite in your collection.

Phil Tayler, ELECTRON USER 2.12