SPINDIZZY
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Converted by Phantomz and Urusergy

As we all know, working for the corporation is a hard life and the mission you are to be sent on this time is far from the usual run of the mill stuff. The back room boys have discovered a new dimension that contains a strange artificial world hanging in space.

Of course, they want it mapped and as Trainee Assistant Cartographer for Unknown Worlds, the job
has fallen to you. Because of the Company's far from noble motivations (it's all government sponsored work you know), time is money. The more time you spend out there the more money the company can claim. The Remote Scout Craft you are given is an old fashioned Geographic Environmental Reconnaissance Land-Mapping Device, known as GERALD. The craft is expensive to maintain to your time is limited. If you do not move fast the mission will be terminated.

The ships computer holds the initial radar map of the surface and your task is to explore each area, collecting energy in the form of jewels, for which you will be rewarded with extra time.

Since this world is hung in the infinity of space, falling off is not a good idea. Should you lose or destroy your craft it will be re-created and beamed back to the last location visited, but this will cause an enormous power drain resulting in the loss of valuable time.

The landscape is composed of 238 areas to explore, divided in interconnected stages, and 220 jewels to collect. You will complete the game after exploring all the areas. jewels are just here to retreive precious time, but you will have to collect them all if you want to finish the game with a 100% score.

Don't forget that time drains inexorably. Each jewels collected gives you 10 time units more and each new room discovered gives you 7 time units more. Managing your time wisely, collecting the jewels at the right time are the keys to your success in completing your mission. To pay attention to the indications displayed in the Active window of the panel to activate mechanisms and access to new stages will also be a good idea.

So there you have it - do a good job and the rewards will be great, otherwise... well, you don't
want to be a Trainee Assistant Cartographer all your life - do you?


- Phantomz version -

Controls on title screen:
J1B1 = Start game
J2 LEFT = Statistics (Pause button to leave)
J2 RIGHT = Help (any key to leave)
Pause Button = Credits
J2B1+2 = Enter hidden program called STIX
J1B2 = Halts STIX movement
J2B1 = Trail mode on/off
J2B2 = Clears the screen (stop the STIX first)
PAUSE Button = Leave STIX 

Ingame controls:
d-pad = move GERALD
J1B1 = Extra speed
J1B2 = Stop GERALD on any frictional surface
J2B1 = Map 
J2B2 = Statistics
J2 LEFT = Change viewpoint 90 to the left
J2 RIGHT = Change viewpoint 90 to the right
J2 UP = Alter GERALD shape
J2 DOWN = Colours/monochrome display
Pause button = Pause Button (press it until you time count reaches zero to aburt game)

This version offers access to a hidden little program from Paul SHIRLEY called STIX. It has no impact on the game itself, it's just a nice secret offered by the author as a curiosity, originally revealed when the player completes the game.

This version keeps the original CPC gameplay, replacing the keyboard by joypad 2 to trigger all options while playing.


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- Urusergi version -

Controls on title screen:
J1B1 = Start game
J1UP = Statistics (J1B2 to skip)
J1DOWN = Help (any key to leave)
J1B2 = Credits (any key to leave)

Ingame controls:
d-pad = move GERALD
J1B1 = Extra speed
J1B1 + J1B2 = Stop GERALD on any frictional surface
J1B2 + UP = Map (J1B2 to leave)
J1B2 + DOWN = Alter GERALD shape
J1B2 + J1LEFT = Change viewpoint 90 to the left
J1B2 + J1RIGHT = Change viewpoint 90 to the right
Pause button = Statistics, pause the game (J1B2 to skip)
Pause button while displaying statistics = Colours/monochrome display

The hidden program STIX had to be removed to free some memory space. If you want to discover this little feature hidden in the game, please use the Phantomz version. SPOILER ALERT, this little program was revealed as a gift at the end of the game. The endpart has been correctly modified not to call this program that is no more available in this version. 

This version is a more "consolish" solution to play only using joypad 1. Just ensure to release d-pad before pressing fire 2 to use an option and trigger fire 1 first to stop GERALD (J1B1 + J1B2) while you're running on any direction.

Changing a rule of the game was also necessary to make this patch possible. Now stop GERALD doesn't drain time anymore. As long time players of the game, we considered that it was a really little sacrifice as this rule isn't even indicated in the instruction manual of the original game. Moreover, this weird idea of a time penalty when you have to fast brake, imposed by the level design (for example after a big jump) was abandonned by Paul Shirley himself in his sequel of the game, Spindizzy Worlds. As a result, you will need to reset the console to abort current game. 

You understood that the idea is to not use the joypad 2 by conceding a few sacrifices which, in our opinion, do not alter the gaming experience. Enjoy...
