THE SPECTRUM GAMES DATABASE



PYRACURSE



PUBLISHER

Hewson



AUTHOR



YEAR

1986



CONTROLS

Keyboard, Kempston. (This game is best played using a joystick

rotated clockwise by 45 degrees).



 KEYS : A to G          - Up/Left               - Joystick left

        H to L, ENTER   - Up/Right              - Joystick up

        B to M, SPACE   - Down/Left             - Joystick down

        Z to V          - Down/Right            - Joystick right

        Y to P          - Fire                  - Joystick fire



        0/9                     - Pause/Unpause

        Fire while moving       - Throw/Discard object

        Fire while stationary   - Display menu





INSTRUCTIONS

Pyracurse features the adventures of a team of three people and

a dog called Frozbie who explore an ancient Sinu city based in

the forests of South America in search of the missing

archaeologist Sir Pericles Pemberton-Smythe. There are a host of

fearful creatures for them to meet and match but with your help

they can overcome all...



You will see a view of the entrance to the ruined city, in front

of which are standing the four characters, each of which have

their own personalities and abilities. These are:



1. Daphne Pemberton-Smythe (good at finding things)

2. Professor Roger Kite (good at using things, but rather naive

   - may need to be resuced from time to time)

 3. Patrick "Legless" O'Donnell (strong, but rather clumsy)

 4. Frozbie the dog (good at digging up buried objects)



At the top of the screen is a window showing your current mode.

You start in Mobile Mode. To the left a coloured band indicates

the energy status of your current character; if this falls to

zero your character will die. At the bottom centre of the screen

is an information window which initially reads



                         ANTECHAMBER

                          O'DONNELL

                            SOLO



This shows you that you are in the Antechamber of the tomb and

that your current character is O'Donnell operating in Solo Mode.

At the bottom right is a window which displays your current

character or object. Initially O'Donnell is displayed there. At

the bottom left is a picture of Xipe Totec, the ancient god of

the Sinu people. Other Sinu items are displayed as a border round

the edge of the screen.



If you press the fire key whilst you are stationary in Mobile

Mode the display in the information window changes to show the

Selection Menu which consists of:



 1. SOLO        - control only the current character

 2. CHARACTER   - select a character

 3. INVENTORY   - display inventory of current character

 4. LEAD        - lead characters; they must be in the immediate

                 vicinity to be led by the current character



There are many items for you to collect and use scattered around

the tomb. To pick up an object select Mobile Mode and walk up to

the item you require. As you collect it the graphic window will

flash and show a picture of the item. Each character may carry

up to three items at a time. Not all characters can pick up all

objects.



If you wish to unlock a chest or activate a key plate with a key

collected previously select the character who has the correct key

and place him adjacent to the chest or plate. Select the

appropriate key or item from the inventory part of the Selection

Menu.



Later in the game you may come across weapons which can be thrown

at monsters to destroy them. To use such a weapon you must first

collect it and then make sure it is highlighted in the

information window when the inventory is selected. Return to

Mobile Mode; if you now press fire whilst you are moving the

weapon will be flung in the direction of travel. You will find

that Daphne cannot throw as far as the Professor or O'Donnell.

Pressing fire whilst moving in Mobile Mode is also the way to

discard an ordinary object such as a key; such an object will not

be thrown but instead simply dropped.





SCORES RECEIVED

"A rewarding arcade adventure." 90% (CRASH #31, August 1986)



GENERAL FACTS



NOTES

