Impossible Mission

legendary action platform game for Commodore 64, 1984

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1. SUBJECT: mission of vital importance to national and global
security. operat ions to begin immeadiatley. utmost urgency.

2. SITUATION: during the past three days, key military computer
installations of every major world power have reported security
failures. in each case, someo ne gained access to a primary missile
attack computer.

only one person is capable of computer tampering on this scale

professor elvin atombender (hereafter referred to as "elvin")

we believe that elvin is working to break the computer's launch codes.
when he succeeds, he plans to trigger a missle attack that will
destroy the world.

3. MISSION: you must penetrate elvin's underground stonghold and stop
him. to s ucceed you will have evade the scientist's robot guards,
break his security code and find his control center. your
predecessors, agents 4116 and 4124 (may they rest in peace), were able
to send back some information about elvin's installati on. it is
detailed in the following pages.

your only weapons will be your keen analytical mind and your m1a9366b
pocket co mputer. good luck. the world is depending on you.


ELVIN'S STRONGHOLD
------------------

using a forutne he amassed by raiding the computer systems of various
financial institutions, elvin constructed a vast, underground
stonghold packed with compu ter equipment. there, in seclusion, elvin
spent four years working to breach the security of military computer
installations around the world. as you know, he h as succeeded.

our computer estimate that he will break the launch codes and trigger
the misslee attack in exactly six hours. this is the amount of time
you will have to compl ete you mission.

elvin's stronghold consists of 32 rooms in which each room can be
accessed by and elevator or lift for each room there may be a lift (1
inch b/w thing that moves up or down sometimes both) in which you
access each level in the room.


ELVIN'S SECURITY SYSTEM
-----------------------

our intellegence indicates that elvin uses three types of codes (or
passwords) in his security sustem. one code deactivates the robots,
another operates the lifts and the third code (a password) unlocks
the control room.

now comes the really strange part.

-> we believe that elvin hides the passwords in his furniture <-

elvin, who is extremely absent-minded, frequently forgets the
passwords for his security computer. his solution is to scatter them
haphazardly around the house

hine. but you must find them. without the passwords, you will almost
certainly end up like agent 4124 (but we don't want to think about
that, do we?)

once you find the codes, using them should be relatively easy (for the
most part). you should be able to log onto a security terminal as you
enter each room an d deactivate the robots or reset the lifts (if
neccessary) from there. note -> you can deactive or reset lifts
depending upon how many "init lift" passwords you have or find <-
this should present no problems.

note-> you can deactivate the robots with a "snooze" password
(temporarily) in that room.. when you find one it shows the picture of
a robot with a series of zzzzzz's...or you can check your status while
standing in the elvator and pressing button 0 or 1.

(-> extreme note!! <-) however, the control room password is another
matter. realizing the importance of this perticular code, elvin has
broken it into dozens of pieces, scattering them throughout the
complex. you will have to find and ret rieve all of the pieces and
match them up like a puzzle to form a password. (objective of game)

with the compelted password, you can gain access to the control room
where elvin is preparing to launch the missiles. you have to stop him.
or the world is going to be terminally late for dinner tonight. (all
gone)


OVERVIEW OF OBJECTIVE

idea is to run about room avoiding robots and holes (on bottom floor)
and try to find the pieces of the puzzle to solve.


CONTROLS
--------

> in the elevator: push the joystick forward or back to go up or down.
push the joystick left or right to move in either direction along the
corridor. running to the edge of the screen takes you into a room.
(this is the place where you start in the begginig) also-> this is
where you use your buttons to view your status or use equipment which
will be explained later on.

> in the rooms: push the joystick left or right to move in either
direction. if you press the fire button, your agent will perform a
mid-air foward flip that you won't believe (this is especially useful
for somersaulting over pesky robots and gaps in the floor.

> on lifting platforms: if you're standing on a striped lifeting
platoform (b&w 1 inch block) in one of the rooms, you can push the
joystick forward or bacward to go up or down (to it's limits of
course)


GAME PLAY
---------

as you explore elvin's stronghold, your pocket computer (at the bottom
of the elevator screen) will display a map of the rooms and tunnels
you have entered. in every room, you should conduct a search.


SEARCHING FOR CODES
-------------------

search every object or peice of furniture in the rooms for codes and
password puzzle pieces (if you can avoid the robots). you can do this
by standing directly in front of an object (sofa, desk, fireplace or
whatever) and pushing the joystick forward.

the word "searching" will appear in a box at the top of the screen.
you will also see a horizontal bar indicating the length of time it
will take to search the object. you must continue holding the joystick
forward intil the bar disappears

resume searching where you left off. but fi you leave the room, you'll
have to start the search from the beggining.

when you have finished searching the oobject, one of four things will
replace t he words "searching" at the top of the screen:

> the words "nothing here." (then the object disappears)

> a picture of a striped lifting platoform with an arrow above it.
this represents a lift init password which alows you to reset all of
the lifting platforms to their original positions (not elevators)

> a picture of a sleeping robot. this represents a snooze password
which allows you to temporarily deactivate the robots in a room.

> a puzzle piece. this is part of the password which allows entry to
the control room. it will be entered into the memory of your pocket
computer automatically


USING SECURITY TERMINALS
------------------------

use can use the -> snoozes <- and -> lift inits <- at any security
terminal. these terminals are usually located near the entrance to
each room. they look like television sets with darkened screens facing
toward you. (actually it look like facing an apple w/a monitor which
is off (it's on a stand)

to use a security terminal, move directly in front of it and push the
joystick forward. the screen of the security terminal will enlarge to
fill your display.  you can select one of three functions with the
joystick joystick (press button when the arrow points to the function
you want):

> reset lifting platforms. to use this option, you must have a lift
init password in your possession. (your pocket computer displays the
number of 'lift inits' you have.)

> temporarily disable robots. to use this option, you must have
"snooze" password  in your possession. (your pocket computer displays
the number of 'snoozes" you have.)

> log off.


CODE ROOMS
----------

elvin's stronghold contains two code rooms where you can earn
additional passwords. walk up to the console and push the joystick
forward as if you were searching it. a sequence of squares will flash
on the wall, eacg with a musical note, and a white golve will appear.
use the glove to touch each square in a sequence so that the notes are
sorted in ascending order (from low to high)

if you produce the proper sequence of notes, the checkerboard will
flash and you will get a -> snooze <- or -> lift init <- password. you
can do this as many times as you like, but the sequence gets longer
each time. you can quit at any time by touching the purple bar at the
bottom of the checkerboard.


POCKET COMPUTER
---------------

your pocket computer is an amazing device. it allows you to play with
the puzzle pieces right on the screen, twisting them around to figure
out how they go together.

to activate your pocket computer, you must be "standing" in one of the
"elevators" or corridors. press the button to turn on the pocket
computer. note -> you can't use the pocket computer in any of the
rooms. pressing the fire button in a room will cause you to do a
somersault.

when the computer is activated, the map of elvin's stonghold will
vanish and a white glove will appear. use the glove to put the puzzle
pieces together, to form the password which will let you enter elvin's
control room.


USING THE POCKET COMPUTER COMMANDS
----------------------------------

arrow keys- (upper left corner) - moves other pieces that were found
into memory window

phone key- (bottom left corner) - dials out for help (see using the
phone)

password- (mid lowest left) - the computer assembles elvin's control
password here

memory window- (mid upper left) - displays to pieces of the puzzle
your working with - (arrow command moves up a piece or down a piece to
add to the puzzle)

snooze & init passwords- just tells how many of each you have found if
any

selected puzzle piece(s)- (mid right of center box)- the only way the
piece gets here is when you move it from the memory window to assemble
it.

off key- turns off the pocket computer (pauses game)

game clock- shows time left to play. (game ends at 6:00:00)

vertical flip key- (first top command on the 8 keys together (from
left to right)) -flops the selected puzzle piece vertically

horizontal flip key- (to right of vertical) -flops the selected puzzle
piece horizontally.

trash can key- (right of horizontal key) deletes the selected puzzle
piece from the display (not memory)

exclamation key- (right of "off" key) - if you just deleted a puzzle
piece or put two pieces together, you can use this to "undo" it.

color keys- (to right of exclamation key) - changes the colr of the
selected puzzle piece.

paws key- (botom right corner) (two of them) pauses the game.


USING THE GLOVE
---------------

> to move the glove, move the joystick in the desired direction.

> to activate a function key, "point" to it with the glove and press
the joystick button.

> to pick up a puzzle piece in the memory window, "point" to it with
the glove and press the joystivk button. then you can move it by
moving the joystick button.

> to drop a puzzle piece, press the joystick button.

> to make a copy of the selected piece, "point" to it with the glove
and press the joystick button.

> to put back a copy- of the selected piece, position the copy
directly over the selected piece and press the joystick button.

> to select a puzzle piece- that isn't selected, "point" to it with
the glove and press the joystick button.

> to find out if two pieces match, position one piece directly over
the other and press the joystick button.


SOLVING THE PUZZLES
-------------------

> some pieces are upside down or backwards (or both) when you find
them, so if a piece doesn't seem to match anything, try flipping it
with the function keys.

> pieces must be the same color, or they won't match. if two pieces
with different colors look like the should match, then use the color
keys to change them.

> a completed puzzle looks like a computer punch card: a solid
rectangle with several little holes in it

> a completed puzzle may be upside down or backwards when you finish
putting it together (you may have to flip it around before it is
recognized as a solution)

> there are four pieces in each completed puzzle, and nine puzzles in
the game, each time you complete a puzzle, one letter of elvin's
password password will appear at the bottom of the pocket computer
screen.

> when you have all nine og the letters in the password, you can open
the door to elvin's control center and save the world.


CONTROL ROOM
------------

the door to elvin's control room is in one of the bedrooms. when you
have completed the password, position your agent directly in front of
the door and push the joystick forward. the door will open, and you'll
finally have the last laugh.


USING THE PHONE
---------------

when you touch the phone key on your pocket computer, it dials up the
agency's main computer (to get some help with the puzzles). but there
is a charge for using it. each use of the phone cost two minutes on
the game clock.

the agency's computer will give you three choices. select the one you
want with the glove, and then press the joystick button


CHOICES
-------

correct orientations of leftmost pieces- the computer will flip the
two puzzle pieces in the memory window to orient them correctly (right
side up and forwards, instead of upside down and backwards). a read
mark will appear to the left of each piece that has been flipped.

have we enough pieces to solve the upper left puzzle?- the computer
will look at the upper puzzle piece in the memory window and tell you
whether you've found all three of the pieces that go with it to make a
completed puzzle.

hang up- hangs up the phone.

continuing playing- you can start a new game at any time by depressing
the 'esc' key. the rooms and robots will be re-arranged, and the
computer will generate a new set of puzzles.


SCORING
-------

the game clock (on the pocket computer display) starts at 12:00 the
game end when the clock reaches 6:00.


LOSING TIME
-----------

each time you fall of the bottom of the screen or get zapped by a
robot or floating orb, you are penalized 10 minutes.

each time you use the phone, you are penalized two minutes. when the
game ends, you are awarded points as follows:

 1 point for each second remaining on the clock
 100 points for each puzzle piece found.
 100 points for each snooze & lift init password found.
 500 points for each puzzle solved.
 1000 points for completing the mission.


HINTS
-----

here are some palying hints from the aithor of imposible mission:

> some rooms are harder than others. if a room seems too hard
(presumably because you don't have any passwords to reset the lifts
and turn off the robots), come back to it afyer you've aquired some
passwords.

> each robot has a different behavior program. some robots move faster
than others, some of them shoot lighting bolts, and some have no sight
or hearing. so watch them closely. you can often figure out what
program a robot is running before you try to get past it.

> your pocket computer will let you combine any two pieces that don't
overlap, but this isn't always enough. puzzle pieces which don't
overlap may not really belong together. if you find that it's
impossible to ginish a pertially-completed puzzle, you may have
combined the wrong puzzle pieces.

> you don't have to somersault over every hole in the floor. if a gap
is no wider than a lifting platform, try stepping across it. but don't
let up on the joystick until you get to the other side, or you'll
fall.

> if you have to cross a very large chasm, you can actually have one
foot in the abyss before you press the fire button to jump. if you do
this just right, it will give you the extra distance you need.

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Some useful keyboard shortcuts
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       [PAUSE] - stop/continue game
          [F9] - quick load game state
         [F12] - quick save game state (still stored after leaving the site)
         [F11] - toggle fullscreen mode
  [ScrollLock] - quick switch control ports
    [PageDown] - make a screenshot (320x200)