Wicked.

	How to play Wicked.

Plug the joystick into the port not occupied by the mouse. Watch the demo
for a brief explanation of the rules or press the trigger to start
immediately. Select from the three game balance options and press the
trigger again to start the game.

	The Eye of Infinity.

The all-seeing eye looks on as you select your battleground against evil in
the twelve great consatellations of the Universe - the zodiac star signs.
Initially you can choose from any of the first three constellations (move
the cursor with the joystick and then press the trigger). If you win a
constellation you are then able to play up to three levels higher and can
select a challenge of appropriate difficulty and matching reward if you are
successful.
  On the Zodiac signs - Green means can be played, Red means not yet able
to play and Blue means alredy completed.

	The Constellation Map.

After selecting a constellation on the eye screen, a map of it unrolls,
showing all the stars with three highlighted. You must purge these three
evil to complete the constellation and save the Universe from the creeping
infestation of darkness. Point to a star with the dagger and press the
trigger.

	The Play Screen.
Good and Evil : As you enter the screen, good (red and yellow) portals and
evil (blue and green) portals are already producing good and evil growth of
the same colours.

As good growth can only cover evil growth that you have shot - turning it
blood red - you must shoot a pathway through the evil growth to his evil
portals. These evil portals are invunerable to your fire but can be
destroyed if covered by good growth.

When all evil PORTALS (not necdcessarily evil growth) have been eliminated,
the screen is won. If, however, the evil growth is allowed to cover all of
your good portals the screen is lost, along with a life.

Sporing/creating new good and evil portals: As well as producing a fixed
amount of growth, all portals have the ability to reproduce. When the sun
face appears - during daytime - good spores (small silver discs) appear in
good portals. If you touch one you will pick it up and can drop it ON
EXISTING GOOD GROWTH ONLY, by pressing the trigger, creating a new good
portal. These should be positioned close enough to evil portals to attempt
to grow over them but not so close that you cannot defend them against evil
growth.

When the beast is dominant - at night - a distinctive sound effect
indicates the creation of evil spores (red flashing stars) over evil
portals. It is always a priority to destroy them. they can be killed by
your fire or by touching them either as they rest for a few moments or when
they fly off. If allowed to settle on existing evil growth thay create a
new evil portal.

The Player : Momentum control is according to joystick direction and varied
with game balance being least on tacticle and most on arcade. Holding down
the trigger porduces continuous fire in the direction of the joystick and
stops the player moving.

The Guardians : (There are seven, such as the Devil, the Spider or the
hand). The Beast sends his Guardians and their Servants from the land of
Pandaemonium to protect his evil portals. On the left of the snake/bird
dial, a white arrow indicates your status in the battle against the
Guardian. Durning daytime you can shoot the Guardian, moving the white
arrow up. If it reaches th top, the Guardian is sent back to Pandaemonium
and you win a brief respite. When the Guardian or his Servants touch the
player, the white arrow falls. If it reaches the bottom of the dial, you
lose a life. YOU CAN ONLY HURT THE GUARDIAN DURING DAYTIME, at night your
bullets have no effect.

The Taro : Once each day and night the central face opens revealing a Tarot
card, and a special crystal flies out and lands, sent either by the forces
of good or evil. If you touch the crystal before the worm pushes it off the
screen, it gives you a special power which may be good, bad or mixed. you
must learn to read the cards to know what sort of power the crystal will
confer and whether it was sent to help or hinder you.

Winning & Losing : To win the game you must complete the hardest
constellation, Sagittarius. You lose the game when all of your lives are
lost.
    
	Usefull keypresses.
 
		P				-  Pause
		Space				-  Exit play screen and
						   return to constellation
						   screen, forfeiting a
						   life.
		Esc.				-  Restart Game.

	The Calling.

Pure Evil, silent and cunning is creeping into the distant worlds.,
poisoning the soul of all that lives. Even as I speak death's dream kingdom
is sent against us through portals of destruction - the seething, screaming
hoardes from pandaemonium.

I call on thee, noble warrior, to lead the battle against evil. When I - a
younger man - was likewise summoned to the palace of the shining thrones,
to come before the Lord of Light himself. I was filled with awe yet also
with fears for mine own safety, through closed eyes I could see a brilliant
light that human eyes dare not gaze upon direct, and I could feel the might
heat wrapped around me like a garment, gripping my soul, reaching in and
demanding my obedience. It was there that I beheld the ritual of the Ring
of flame that thou shalt undergo : thy wrists and ankles tied by heavy
chains to the mighty oaken Ring and with a single tidal wave of heat,
through peeling skin and burning flesh and boiling blood, cast off thy
mortal form to be transformed into a Blazing Star, sent against Darkness,
to fly through the heavens on wings of fire.

Yet I, faced with this unearthly challenge, fled the palace and hid among
the shadows these many years. Now I am called up[on again, no longer a
noble warrior but a humble messenger sent to summon thee to take my place.
I hope to rectify my great failings as a younger man, for I was trained in
the ways of Battle and come to tell thee all I know, heed this good advice
as it is all the preperation thou hast time for:

First - Know thine enemy, thou must learn to contend with the different
types of evil that the Beast shall send against thee. Turquoise evil
growths are readily killed, while others are more resilient to thy attack,
such as those light blue and green. Hardest of all for thee to kill is evil
growth dark blue in colour. Likewise, their shape betrays their cunning,
the round forms are fooilsh and haphazard with diamond and cross-shaped
growths possesing greater guile. Most sinister of all, those octagonal of
form plan their attack against thee with the utmost igenuity. Against such
growths thou must learn to use good portals as a decoy and thus deflect the
evil growth away from thy surprise attack.

Second - Listen and watch for the creation of his evil spores, these must
always be destroyed. Try also to collect and drop thy good spores with
haste and be aware that it is time. Dropping good spores and the vreation
of good portals is of great import - near enough to evil portals to attack
them, yet not so close as to prohibit their defence. Be careful also to
select which good portals thou shouldst protect, for thou shalt not be able
to defend them all.

Third - It is wise to kill the Guardians as day is close to turning into
night, then they will be returned to Pandaemonium during night-time, when
they are most dangerous, and not in day-time when they are vunerable to thy
fire.

Fourth - Build a stronghlod, select for thyself on every star a part of the
battlefield, perhaps a distand corner, on which thou canst establish a
strong and steady base. Use this to mount thy attacks against evil.

Fifth - Keep an outpost, since thou canst only drop thy good spores on
existing good growth, it is often of great use when time is pressing, to
keep a small outpost of thy good growth. Later thou canst settle good
portals here to assist thee in thy rapid growth across the field of battle.

Sixth - Try to surround strongholds of evil forcing the Beast to divide his
resources and fight the war on two or many fronts, as evil growths become
more cunning the Beast will use this same tactic against thee.

Seventh - Use thy fire carefully, shooting a narrow and direct path through
his evil growth toward his portals. Thus thy good growth be channelled
between areas of living evil growth directly to his evil portals.

Eighth - Learn to read and understand the tarot cards and know when to
collect the special crystals and the powers they confer. Ihave studied the
tarot and here are the meanings of the trumps as I understand them:

	The Sun					-  Goodliness.
	The Moon				-  Great Danger.
	The Star				-  Power.
	The Lion				-  Fortitude.
	Tower of Destruction			-  Chaos and Disaster.
	Death					-  Rebirth.
	Hanged Man				-  An Untimely End.
	Wheel of Fortune			-  The Turning of Fate.

Ninth - There are seven great guardians each with servants, which the Beast
has sent to guard his portals and hinder thee in battle. Understand their
individual ways, their movements, their powers and their weakness.

Tenth and Finally - For each star, learn where to concentrate thy strenght
and growth and come to know when, where and what thou must attack and
defend. If thou shouldst lose a battle do not be 
disheartened. Final victory shall come from speed and skill but also from
thy sheer determination to succeed.

I shal not decieve thee - the task I call on thee to do, in the name of the
Sun God, Lord of Light, is both magnificent and terrifying. If thou dost
fail, then the Beast will take thy soul forever. But if thou canst succeed,
thou shalt take thy palce in the Palace of the Shining Thrones, and from
that day unto eternity the glory of the worlds will be thine.

Noble Warrior, this is thy call to battle !.



			@  05/07/89   The Phantom Lord.