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REPTON 3

Professional, Originally Released On Cassette Only

Game Type : Arcade; Overhead Maze Game

Authors : Tim Tyler & Matthew Atkinson

Standalone Release(s) : 1985: REPTON 3, Superior, £9.95

1990: REPTON 3, Superior/Blue Ribbon, £2.99

Compilation Release(s) : 1987: PLAY IT AGAIN SAM 2, Superior/Acornsoft, £9.95

Stated compatibility : Electron

Actual compatibility : Electron, BBC B, B+ and Master 128

Supplier : SUPERIOR/ACORNSOFT

Disc compatibility : CDFS E00, DFS E00

Instructions

"REPTON 3 - Are you ready for the ultimate challenge?

Our original Repton game was immediately acclaimed as a refreshingly new concept: a game requiring dexterity to complete its arcade-style elements, and clear logical thinking to solve its strategic puzzles. REPTON involves retrieving treasure whilst avoiding falling rocks, fearsome monsters and haunting spirits. "This is an astounding game reaching new heights in BBC arcade adventure," enthused The Micro User magazine.

REPTON 2, released last Christmas was larger and much more challenging than before. Acorn User wrote: "REPTON 2 is better than anything I've played on the BBC Micro or Electron. Brilliant!"

Now, available for the Commodore, Amstrad, BBC Micro and Electron, we proudly present Repton 3. A screen-designer is included for devising your own game screens. There is also a character-designer which enables you to redesign any or all of the game's characters.

REPTON 3 is much larger than its predecessors - it has 24 fascinating screens. All the favourite Repton characters have been retained, together with several new ones: a creeping poisonous fungus, time capsules and golden crowns.

Can you complete REPTON 3?"

REPTON 3 has a total of 24 game screens. These are provided as three files with eight game screens in each:

File 1: PRELUDE

File 2: TOCCATA

File 3: FINALE

The PRELUDE file is loaded automatically when the Repton 3 game is first loaded.

The PRELUDE, TOCCATA and FINALE files are on side 2 of the cassette. To load any of these files, simply select the "L" option on the main REPTON 3 screen, and enter the appropriate filename.

Objective Of The Game

In order to complete REPTON 3 you must carefully determine your routes through each screen in turn, with the aim of defusing the time-bomb by passing over it. However, before the time-bomb can be defused, you must first:-

(a) collect all the diamonds (including those concealed in safes or cages),

(b) collect the golden crown, and

Each screen has a time-limit and, if you do not complete the screen within this time-limit, the time-bomb will explode and you will lose a life. Repton can, however, travel backwards in time because whenever a time-capsule is collected, the time-bomb's clock is reset.

Each screen comprises a series of puzzles. Many of these are interlinked and you may have to solve a number of small puzzles to enable you to tackle a large one. The puzzles may, in some cases, seem impossible - but we assure you that REPTON 3 can be completed.

Rocks will fall if unsupported and should one land on you it will kill you. You must also avoid the monsters, spirits, skulls and fungis - contact with these is fatal.

When an egg falls, it cracks upon landing and a monster hatches out. The monsters are killed by pushing or dropping rocks onto them.

There may be up to eight spirits on each screen. They always follow the walls to their left until they reach a cage. When a spirit enters a cage, it changes into a diamond. A spirit may become dazed if you drop a rock onto it or collect all the diamonds immediately surrounding it. This is to be avoided as the spirit will then move endlessly in a small circle.

Watch out for the poisonous fungus which grows incessantly sealing your fate. Trap it in by surrounding it with rocks if you can, or you may never live to collect the golden crown.

Your route may be blocked by a safe. If so, you must locate a key which will open all of the safes on the screen revealing a diamond within.

Each screen may have a maximum of four transporters. They cause you to be rematerialised at some other location on the screen, but each transporter can be used once only.

Game Controls

Z - Left, X - Right, * - Up, ? - Down, M - View Map (Screens A-E only)

<ESCAPE> - Kill Yourself (Useful if you become trapped), <SHIFT>-R - Restart Game

P - Enter Password, L - Load Data File, S/Q - Sound On/Off

K - Select Keyboard Control, J - Select Joystick Control (Plus 1 Interface)

F - Select Joystick Control (First Byte Interface)

Scoring

5 points ............. for collecting a diamond

20 points ............... for killing a monster

50 points .............. for collecting a crown

The REPTON 3 Series Editor

The Editor is loaded from side 1 of the cassette by selecting option 2 on the loading screen menu.

The Screen Designer And Character Designer

We recommend that you carefully read all the instructions in advance and experiment with the controls before attempting serious design work.

Screen Layout

1 2 3 4

______________________________________________

| 5 |___|___| 6

| 7 |___|___| 8

| 9 |___|___| 9

| 11 |___|___| 12

| |_______| 13

| |XXXXXXX|

| |X X|

| |X X| 14

| |XXXXXXX|

| | |

| 17 |_______|

| |_|_|_|_| 15

| XXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Key

1. Pull-Down Notice: This details the version of the game in use

2. Pull-Down Menu: OPTS - options

3. Pull-Down Menu: CHAR - see Character

4. Pull-Down Menu: MAPS - see Screen Designer section

5. Select keyboard control (default setting). The keys used are:

Z - Pointer Left, X - Pointer Right, * - Pointer Up, ? - Pointer Down

<RETURN> - Execute

6. Select Screen Designer

7. Select Joystick Control

8. Select Character

9. Define Time-Limits - see Screen Designer section

10. Define Passwords - see Screen Designer section

11. Save Data File - see Saving and Loading Files section

12. Load Data File - see Saving and Loading Files section

13. End Zone - terminates currently selected mode

14. Currently-Selected Character Window

15. Colour Selection Pallette

16. Pointer - moved by using the keyboard, joystcik

17. Main display area

Using Pull-Down Menus

1. Move pointer over menu required

2. Press <RETURN> and menu will appear

3. Continue to press <RETURN> and move the pointer over the option required

4. Release <RETURN> to select

NOTE: When using the joystick, press the joystick button instead of pressing <RETURN>.

Using Icons

1. Move pointer over icon required

2. Press <RETURN> to select

NOTE: Before selecting a new icon, it is necessary to confirm completion of the previous mode by moving the pointer to the End Zone (icon 13) and pressing <RETURN>.

Saving And Loading Files

Loading: 1. Select the Load Data File icon (icon 12)

2. Enter the name of the file you wish to load

3. Press <RETURN> and wait until the pointer re-appears

NOTE: The program will not allow you to edit any of the supplied Repton 3 game screens unless you are able to give the appropriate edit code numbers (displayed after each screen has been completed).

Saving: 1. Select the Save Data file icon (icon 11)

2. Give your file a name

3. Press <RETURN> and wait until the pointer re-appears

The Character Designer

1. Select the Character Designer by selecting icon 8.

2. Select a character for editting from the full set of minature character icons displayed at the bottom of the screen.

3. Choose a colour from the pallette (icon 15) by moving the pointer to the colour and pressing <RETURN>.

4. Move the pointer to the main display area.

5. Fill in pixels as desired with the chosen colour by moving the pointer and pressing <RETURN>.

6. Repeat steps 3-5 until you are satisfied with the redefined character.

7. Repeat steps 2-6 if you want to redefine other characters.

8. Select the End Zone icon (icon 13) when you have finished redesigning the characters.

9. You can now save the screen data file (including the new character definitions) by selecting the Save Data File icon (icon 11).

Pull-Down Menu 3 (CHAR) may be selected enabling you to use the following options:

(a) Animate - Animates any character where more than one frame is used, i.e. Repton, Monster and Spirit.

(b) Unset pixels,

(d) Wipe - Clears the character window to the current colour.

The Screen Designer

NOTE: The program will not allow you to edit any of the supplied Repton 3 game screens unless you are able to give the appropriate edit code numbers (displayed after each screen has been completed).

1. Select the Screen Designer by selecting icon 6.

2. Screen A is now selected. To redesign another screen, select Pull-Down Menu 4 (MAPS) and move down the menu to the required screen (A-H).

3. Select a character for placing on the screen map from the set of miniature character icons displayed at the bottom of the screen.

4. Move the pointer to the main display are.

5. Place the chosen character onto the amp in the desired locations by moving the pointer and pressing <RETURN>. (See the glossary below for further information).

6. Repeat steps 3-5 until you are satisified with the redefined screen.

7. Repeat steps 2-6 of you want to redefine other screens.

8. To redefine the screen colours, move the pointer to the pallette (icon 15) and press <RETURN> over a colour. Press <RETURN> repeatedly to alter this colour to one of the other available colours.

9. Select the Passwords icon (icon 10) if you want to define the screen passwords. By default, the passwords are "A" to "H" screens A to H.

10. Select the Time-Limits icon (icon 9) to set the time-limit for each screen.

11. Select the End-Zone icon (icon 13) when you have finished redesigning the screens.

12. You can now save the new screens by selecting the Save Data File icon (icon 11).

Glossary

Character

Repton ............... 1 Placing Repton on the screen determines his starting position. Otherwise, he always starts in the top left-hand corner

Rock ................. - Rocks will fall if unsupported

Diamond .............. - All the diamonds on a screen must be collected

Blank Space .......... - Use blank spaces to erase other characters on the map

Earth Sections ....... - Repton can dig his way through earth

Barrier Sections ..... - The flat-topped variety supports rocks and eggs but they will fall off the curved-top barrier sections

Skull ................ - Skulls are deadly if touched. They are good objects to use when constructing mazes

Fungus ............... - A dangerous creeper. It grows rapidly and is deadly on contact

Crown ................ 1 There should be one crown on each screen

Egg .................. 4 Eggs hatch into fearsome monsters

Safe ................. - Each safe contains a diamond

Key .................. - When Repton obtains a key, all the safes on the screen open to reveal their diamonds

Spirit ............... 8 Spirits must be carefully placed on the screen so that they will follow the walls to their left-hand side

Cage ................. 8 When a spirit enters a cage, it changes into a diamond. Ensure that you place as many cages on screen as you have spirits

Time-Capsule ......... - Consuming a time-capsule resets the time-bomb's clock

Time-Bomb ............ 1 Repton must defuse the time-bomb once he has collected all the treasure and killed all the monsters

Transporter .......... 4 Position the transporter on the screen by moving the pointer and pressing <RETURN> at the desired location. Now, keep the <RETURN> key pressed and move the pointer to your chosen destination point for the transporter. Releasing <RETURN> will now store that location as the transporter's destination point.

Instructions' Source : REPTON 3 (Superior/Acornsoft) Back and Inner Inlay

Review (Electron User) - "Mazes To Amaze"

Just when you thought it was safe to go back down the mine, Superior Software have released REPTON 3. The game features all the characters and graphics of REPTON 2, but is closer to the original REPTON in gameplay and objectives. It comes with 24 challenging levels to complete, stored on tape as three separate files.

On successful completion of each level you are given the password for the next, which means that when you play the game on subsequent occasions you don't have to wade your way through it all again.

When playing the game only a small section of the overall map is visible at any one time. Each level is laid out like a maze, constructed from boulders, earth,

diamonds, giant eggs and many other devilish things. To complete a level you must kill every monster and collect all the diamonds and a golden crown before a time bomb explodes.

The problems begin as you burrow your way beneath boulders. As soon as the supporting earth has been removed, the boulder falls, killing you or changing the shape of the maze by blocking off a passageway. For this reason your route through the maze must be very carefully planned - one badly placed rock and you might as well start again.

As in REPTON, you can call up a detailed map of the whole level to help you choose the correct path through a maze. When I first played the game I thought the monsters were pretty tricky to deal with as they have to be lured beneath a precariously

balanced boulder and then squashed.

Worse than the monsters are the spirits, Will-o'-the-wisps which whizz along the pathways at incredible speed. You must lure them into cages, where they turn into diamonds.

As if 24 mind-bogglingly difficult screens weren't enough Superior provides a screen designer too. This is a very classy piece of software which enables you to construct new screens in map form. These can then be saved as data files and loaded by the main game. You could even challenge your friends to solve your latest devious

masterpiece.

The game's graphics aren't the greatest I've ever seen but this minor niggle is soon forgotten as you wrap your mind around the puzzles. REPTON 3 is a must for every Electron user.

Sound ........................... 6

Graphics ........................ 8

Playability .................... 10

Value for money ................. 9

Overall ......................... 9

James Riddell, ELECTRON USER 4. 4