                        GOLD OF THE AZTECS

Typed in by SCOOTER of SCOOPEX. Edited by PARASITE.


BORED?...PENNILESS?

BUT THEN YOUR NAME IS BRET CONRAD AND YOU`VE GOT HIDDEN RESOURCES. OR SOON
WILL HAVE. RESOURCES CALLED `TREASURES`

OF COURSE THERS A MAP, 400 YEARS OLD, ITS SPANISH AND IT SHOWS THE LOCATION
OF AN AZTEC TEMPLE BRIMMING WITH GOLD.

THE MAP ALSO TELLS OF IMMENSE DANGER. HOW 300 CONQUISTADORS DIED IN THE
LAST ATTEMPT TO ENTER THE TOMB. HOW EVER THEWY WERE`NT BRAVE,INTELLIGENT,
AND STRONG LIKE YOU.

ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS HITCH A LIFT IN AN AREOPLANE AND PARACHUTE INTO THE
JUNGLES OF MEXICO, A COUPLE OF HUNDRED MILES FROM THE NEAREST ROADS.

IT WILL BE EASY WONT IT? STRAIGHT IN,GRAB THE GOLD AND STRAIGHT OUT AGAIN.

AFTER ALL, A FEW WILD ANIMALS,HEADHUNTERS AND TRAPS ARE ALL IN A NORMAL
DAYS WORK TO YOU.

GHOULIES AND GHOSTS ARE KIDS STUFF AND MONSTERS DONT EXIST?...DO THEY?....


HOW TO SKIP THE STARTUP-SEQENCES

WHEN THE GAME IS STARTING SIMPLY PRESS THE `SPACE BAR` IN ORDER TO SKIP
THEM..YOU CAN ALSO DO THIS DURING THE SEQUENCES WHICH OCUR WHEN YOU
SUCCESFULLY COMPLETE THE GAME OR DIE.

CONTROLLING BRET

WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU CONTROL BRET WITH A JOYSTICK, HOWEVER IF A JOYSTICK
IS NOT AVAILABLE, THE KEYBPOARD MAY BE USED AS FOLLOWS.

JOYSTICK         KEY TO PRESS
  UP              E OR P
  DOWN            D OR L
  LEFT            < OR X
  RIGHT           > OR C
  FIRE            . OR RETURN

DIAGONAL MOVEMENTS MAY BE ACHIEVED BY PRESSING 2 KEYS TOGETHER. WHEN THE
GAME STARTS, BRET IS HANGING BY THE SHROUDS OF HIS PARACHUTE IN A TREE. CUT
HIM LOOSE BY PRESSING FIRE. THEN GO LEFT OR RIGHT TO BEGIN THE GAME.

SIMPLE MOVEMENTS.
THE REACTION OF BRETT TO THE JOYSTICK IS DETERMINED BY THE STANCE HE IS IN,
ADDITIONALLY THE RANGE OF ACTIONS WILL BE DIFERNT ONCE FIRE HAS BEEN
PRESSED.

`NOTE: THESE ARE BRETS ACTIONS WHEN FACING TO THE RIGHT~

          NW                       N                       NE
  SOMERSAULT BACKWARDS          JUMP UP              JUMP FORWARD

          W                                                 E
    TURN TO ACE LEFT                                   WALK RIGHT

         SW                      S                       SE
      STEP BACK                 DUCK                   PICK UP

NOTE; THESE ARE BRETS ACTIONS WHEN ACING TO THE LEFT`

        NW                      N                         NE
  JUMP FORWARD               JUMP UP              SOMERSAULT BACKWARDS

        W                                                  E
     WALK LEFT                                    TURN TO FACE RIGHT

       SW                      S                          SE
     PICK UP                 DUCK                     STEP BACK

A SHORT TAP TO THE RIGHT ON THE JOYSTICK WILL CAUSE BRET TO SKIP FORWARDS A
SMALL AMOUNT WHILST A SHORT TAP TO THE LEFT WILL CAUSE HIM TO SKIP BACK.
BRET ALSO MOVES FORWARD A SMALL AMOUNT WHEN JUMPING UP. IF BRET JUMPS
FORWARD WHILST HE IS MOVING HE WILL PERFORM A LONG FORWARD SOMERSAULT.

WHEN ACING INWARDS BRET WILL TURN LEFT OR RIGHT, OR IF THE JOYSTICK IS
PUSHED UPWARDS WILL WALK INTO THE SCREEN.

COMPLEX MOVEMENTS
WHILST FACING INWARDS, WALKING TOWARDS A LADDER OR VERTICAL ROPE WILL CAUSE
BRET TO MOUNT IT..WHILST ACING LEFT OR RIGHT TO A ROPE, PULLING UP OR DOWN
WILL CAUSE BRETT TO GRAB IT.

LADDERS:
ONCE ON A LADDER, BRET CAN MOVE UP OR DOWN, GO LEFT OR RIGHT AT OBVIOUS
POINTS TO GET OFF.

ROPES:
WHEN ON A VERTICAL ROPE BRET CAN MOVE UP OR DOWN. GO LEFT OR RIGHT AT
OBVIOUS POINTS TO GET OFF, OTHER WISE LEFT OR RIGHT WILL CAUSEBRET TO GRAB
VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL ROPES. REMEMBER THOUGH, BRETS HAND MUST TOUCH THE
OTHER ROPE. BRET CAN DROP OFF THE END OF VERTICAL ROPES.

BRET CAN GET ONTO A HORIZONTAL ROPE FROM A VERTICAL ROPE AS ABOVE OR BY
JUMPING UP AND GRABBING IT. ONCE ON A HORIZONTAL ROPE, BRET CAN GO LEFT OR
RIGHT AND IF THE JOYSTICK IS PULLED DOWN HE WILL DROP OFF IT.

AT THE BOTTOM LEFT OF THE SCREEN ARE TWO ROWS OF EIGHT ICONS. THE TOP ROW
ALWAYS HAS AN ICON SELECTED WHICH IS HIGHLIGHTED. THIS ICON DETERMINES
BRETS ACTION WHEN FIRE IS PRESSED. SELECTION BETWEEN THESE ICONS IS THROUGH
THE USE OF THE `SPACEBAR`

(PISTOL ICON) BRET USES THE PISTOL. HE WILL PUT THE PISTOL AWAY IF THE FIRE
IS PRESSED WHILST HE IS STANDING STILL OTHERWISE HE WILL FIRE THE GUN
WHENEVER FIRE IS PRESSED. PULLING DOWN WILL CAUSE BRET TO KNEEL. BRET CAN
TURN WHILE HOLDING THE GUN

(AMMO ICON--BULLETS) BRET RELOADS THE GUN, BRET WILL ALWAYS AUTOMATICALLY
RELOAD WHEN FIRING THE PISTOL. THIS OPTION ALLOWS AN EARLY RELOAD IN TIMES
OF DANGER.

(KNIFE ICON) THE MACHETE CAN BE USED IN CLOSE QUARTER FIGHTING IN THE SAME
WAY AS BULLETS.

(LEVER ICON) BRET PULLS A LEVER...ASSUMING THAT BRET IS NEAR A LEVER.

THE STATUS BAR:
THE SECOND ROW OF ICONS ARE FOR THE TREASURES AS THEY ARE COLLECTED. THEY
WILL DISPLAY IN THE ORDER THEY WERE LOCATED(NOT FOUND). THERE IS A BULLET
COUNTER IN THE TOP RIGHT SCREEN AND UNDERNEATH IT IS THE LIVES DISPLAY.
BRET HAS 3 LIVES, BUT THERE ARE 2 MORE AVAILABLE AT VARIOUS POINTS IN THE
GAME. THE SCORE IS SHOWN AS A PERCENTAGE OF THE GAME COMPLETED. THIS IS
BASED ON EXPLORATION AND TREASURE.

IF BRET IS DYING OR DROWNING. PRESSING THE `SPACEBAR` WILL SHORTCUT THE
SEQUENCE.

THE GAME OPTIONS:
AT ANY POINT DURING THE GAME PLAY, PRESSING `ESC` WILL BRING UP THE OPTIONS
SCREEN. THIS CAN ALSO BE USED AS PAUSE.

ON THE SCREEN ARE A NUMBER OF OPTIONS ICONS. THEY MAY BE SELECTED BY
MOVEMENT OF THE JOYSTICK. THE TOP ROW ARE TOGGLES, A RED CROSS DISABLES
THEM WHEN THEY ARE SELECTED AND FIRE IS PRESSED. THE SECOND ROW OF ICONS
HAVE IMMEDIATE EFFECT..THESE ARE

(BIRD ICON)             SOUND EFFECTS ON/OFF

(MUSICAL NOTES ICON)    MUSIC ON/OFF

                        START THE GAME AT THE BEGINNING.

(MAN RUNNING ICON?)     CONTINUE PLAYING WERE YOU LEFT OFF

(MAP ICON)              LOOK AT THE MAP...USE YOUR JOYSTICK TO SCROLL
AROUND
                        IT.

(? ICON)                TAKE A SNEAK PREVIEW OF US GOLDS NEXT RELEASE

SO WHATS IT ALL ABOUT?
BRETS THE NAME. BRET CONRAD I`M A SPECIAL FORCES VIETNAM (RETIRED) AND I
WAS PRETTY BORED. THE CIA SAID I WAS TO MUCH OF A RISK, EVEN THE FBI
WOULDNT HAVE ME, I SEE THEIR POINT..I DO LIKE A BIT OF ACTION AND WHEN THE
BULLETS START FLYING I KIND OF LOSE CONTROL. STILL MY OLD SARGE SAID THE
NAME OF THE GAME IS SURVIVAL..AND I`M PRETTY GOOD AT THAT.
TROUBLE WAS I WAS DOWN AT HEEL, OUT OF LUCK AND BORED, IF YOU DONT KNOW HOW
BORED I WAS, YOU SHOULD TRY A SATURDAY NIGHT OUT IN TIJUANA. I WAS STAYING
THERE WITH MY GREAT UNCLE MILO WHO, BEING MY LAST LIVING RELATIVE, BECAME
BY DEFAULT MY BENEFACTOR. TROUBLE WITH OLD UNCLE MILO WAS HIS OBSESION WITH
THE AZTECS, LOTS OF DRY AND DUSTY ACADEMIC THINGS CLUTTERING UP HIS PAD AND
NEVER A PARTY TO SPEAK OF, HE NEVER HAD MUCH MONEY SO I HAD TO DO SOME PART
TIME STUFF FOR LOCAL SECURITY FIRMS WHO WOULDNT EVEN ISSUE ME WITH A UZI, I
SUPPOSE THEY WERE CONCERNED AT THE COST OF THE BULLETS I MIGHT USE.

ANYWAY BACK TO THE TALE, OLD MILO IS DEAD..DEAD AS A DODO, AND NATURALLY I
END UP WITHY HIS APARTMENT AND THE RELICS, BUT WHATS A GUY LIKE ME SUPPOSED
TO DO WITH A LOAD OF ANTIQUES(I KNEW WHAT TO DO WITH THE APARTMENT)I HAD A
PARTY AND RAISED HELL FOR A FEW DAYS AFTER ALL!/ I GOT TO REASONING(I`M
PRETTY GOOD AT THAT) THE OLD MAN MUST HAVE SOMETHING OF VALUE SOMEWERE.
BEING AN EXPERT ON PEOPLE WHO HAD MOUNTAINS OF GOLD. I TORE THE PLACE
APART, FINDING NOTHING. TYPICAL. AH WELL I THOUGHT, AND THEN I SAW BUNNY,
PLAYMATE OF THE MONTH AND ENOUGH TO CALM ANY MANS SOUL. THAT PICTURES GOIN
IN MY ROOM I THOUGHT(I WAS IN THE OLD MANS STUDY AT THE TIME). THE THING
WAS, IT WAS MOUNTED IN ONE OF THE OLD FRILLY FRAMES USED BY PEOPLE WITH BAD
TASTE. NO PROBLEM, GET THE OLD MANS KNIFE OUT AND WE`LL SOON HAVE IT IN A
NICE PLASTIC SURROUND.

GUESS WHAT?, HIDING BEHIND BUNNY ALL THIS TIME WAS A MAP, A REAL LIVE
SPANISH TREASURE MAP!

DON JUAN LOPEZ DE MARBELLA WAS THE NAME ON THE MAP. CAN YOU IMAGINE
INTRODUCING YOURSELF WITH A NAME LIKE THAT?. OLD UNCLE MILO(BLESS HIS SOUL
AND ALL THAT) HAD KEPT A TRANSLATION OF ALL THE FOREIGN WRITING ON THE MAP
AND THE TALE WAS PRETTY GRUESOME.

YOIU SEE DON JUAN WAS THIS SPANISH NOBLEMAN, WHO BEING JUST LIKE ME (BORED)
DECIDED TO GO TO THE NEW WORLD TO SEEK HIS FAME AND FORTUNE, BEING A
NOBLEMAN, HE DIDNT HAVE TO DO IT ALL ON HIS OWN. HE TOOK 300 BUDDIES WITH
HIM. THEY ORGANISED A BIG EXPEDITION, WHICH EVEN INCLUDED ELEPHANTS, TO
HELP MOVE SUPPLIES THROUGH THE JUNGLE, ANYWAY. THEY GOT TO MEXICO JUST
ABOVE THE YYCATAN PENINSULA. NOW DO JUAN BEING THE MAN HE WAS AND AS IT WAS
THE YEAR 1615, JUST GRABBED A FEW FRIENDLY NATIVES AND GENTLY PERSUADED
THEM TO CHAT ABOUT GOLD AND THINGS. IT NEVER FAILED.

IT TURNED OUT A COUPLE OF HUNDRED KLICKS INLAND WAS A TOMB, DEDICATED TO
SOME GOD CALLED `QUETZALCOATL` WITH LOADS OF GOLD. WHAT MORE COULD A MAN
WANT. SO OFF HE WENT TO PLUNDER-PILLAGE AND MAKE HIS FAME. THIS IS
WHERE/THE TALE SHOULD END BUT UNFORUNATELY FOR POOR DON JUAN AND
FORTUNATELY FOR YOUR TRULY, IT DIDN'T.

A COUPLE OF YEARS LATER, OLD DON JUAN STAGGERED OUT OF THE JUNGLE ALONE.
NOT EVEN AN ELEPHANT IN SIGHT. DYING OF FEVER AND STARVATION HE TOLD A
GARBLED TALE OF WEALTH BEYOND A MANS WILDEST DREAMS AND NIGHTMARES WORSE
THAN A DRY BAR IN THE SAHARA. TREKKING THROUGH THE MURDEROUS JUNGLE, HIS
MEN HAD DROPPED LIKE FLYS TO DISEASE,HUNGER NATIVES AND THE WILDLIFE.
REACHING THE TOMB WITH LESS THAN A HUNDRED MEN STILL ALIVE. HE SANK A SHAT
DOWN INTO IT. THATS WHEN HIS TROUBLES REALLY BEGAN.

NOW OLD DON JUAN WAS NOBODY`S FOOL. LIKE ALL GOOD ADVENTURES, HE SENT HIS
MEN AHEAD OF HIM TO MAP OUT THE WAY AND TAKE CARE OF ANY DANGERS. SO HE
TELLS HIS BOYS TO BRAVE ALL AND BRING BACK THE GOLD. DOWN THE SHAFT THEY
GO.SILENCE. DON JUAN WAITED OR FOUR DAYS BUT NOBODY RETURNED FROM THE
SHAFT. SO HE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO WALK BACK ALONE THROUGH 200 KILOMETRES OF
DENSE TROPICAL JUNGLE. SOME CHOICE!!

HOWEVER THIS GUY TURNS OUT TO BE REAL TOUGH, HOW HE MANAGED TO GET BACK TO
CIVILISATION BEATS ME. BUT HE DIDNT BEAT THE JUNGLE IN THE END. JUST BEFORE
HE CROAKED, OF JUST ABOUT EVERY NASTY DESEASE IN THE BOOK, DON MADE A MAP
WHICH HE LEFT WITH THE LOCAL PRIEST WHO HID IT(WHERE ELSE) UNDER THE ALTAR,
WHICH IS WERE UNCLE MILO FOUND IT.

SO OFF I WENT TO SEE AAN OLD MATE CALLED JAKE(WHO HAS A PLANE) "HOW ABOUT A
TRIP DOWN YUCATAN" WAY?. I ASKED OVER A FEW DRINKS DOWN AT THE BAR, YOUR
KIDDING SAYS HE, "BUT BUY ME A FEW MORE BEERS AND I`LL TAKE YOU ANYWERE".

SO THERE I WAS, WITH THE SUN STILL HIDING BELOW THE HORIZON AND MY
PARACHUTE ON MY BACK. I CHECKED MY TRUSTY BROWNING 13MM AUTOMATIC(WELL
NEARLY TRUSTY) AND CLIMBED ABOARD....MAKE SURE SOMEONES HOVERING AROUND IN
24 HOURS TO PICK ME UP..I SHOUTED OVER THE NOISE OF THE PLANE. THEN WE WERE
AWAY...LOOKING FOR THE GOLD OF THE AZTECS.

End.
