From: tsrken@voicenet.com [all spelling errors are verbatim from the manual] NES-ZA-USA-1 Zanac(tm) --- Zanac story First it was probably a tiny dot. A few thousand years later, it grew gigantic enough to cover the whole universe. The system created by an organic intelligence body a long time agp was still active even after the organic intelligence body perished. The system had a purpose: giving wisdom to those who opened the icon properly, and giving punishment of ruin to those who opened it improperly. One day, someone opened the icon improperly. The system started operation and startted attacking them. Then, they opened it properly. The icon ordered the system to suspend the attack. The system however ignored this order and became a slaughter device. The human beings who opened the icon fell into crisis. The attack from the system overwhelmed the offensive power of the human beings. When they were about to perish, there was one hope - the system is basically a strategic machine and is equipped for fighting against a multitude. If a single object confronts the system by itself, the system might not be able to cope with it effectively. It was a risky gamble, yet it was carried out in hope of success. They produced the fighter model AFX-6502-ZANAC which took off to begin fighting alone against the system. --- Name of Controller Parts and Operating Instructions Use Controller 1 to operate your fighter. Pad: operates ZANAC Select: push Select and Start at the same time to begin playing a new game from where the previous game ended. Only effective through area 10. Start: starts and pauses the game. B: launches conventional weapons. A: launches special weapons. Zanac's aim The aim of the game is to operate ZANAC and destroy ALC's - the central base of the opponent's machine troop. How to play Operate ZANAC and destroy the enemy. At some fortresses, where the scroll stops, you should destroy them within the time limit exhibited on the screen. The scroll starts again when you succeed in destroying these fortresses or the time limit is over. If you destroy objects either on the ground or in the air, various different objects emerge. If you catch them, unexpected things will happen. ZANAC is invincible when its body flashes immediately after it emerges on the screen or it destroys power-up items. The game consists of twelve areas. When you clear the 12th area, the screen shows the ending. --- Power Play Feature ZANAC uses ALC (Automativ Level of Difficulty Control function) which is programmed by AI (Artificial intelligence). The strength and quantity of the enemy changes according to the pattern of attack and player's skill level. The place where the enemy appears also varies game by game. This feature is unique to ZANAC. So playing ZANAC the fastest, most advanced space game, is like playing a new game each time. Exclusive Power Play feature Includes: High repid-fire rate increases the level of difficulty relative to the player's and enemy's skill level. Each appearance of an object in air increases the enemy's strength. A destruction of a fortress decreases the enemy's strength. Failure to destroy the fortress results in an increase of the enemy's strength. These are a few of the ways in which the strength and quantity of the enemy is adjusted according to both the enemy's and player's level. --- Special Weapons ZANAC uses eight special weapons. At the beginning of the game, it uses FIRE 0. You can change the type of weapons every time you catch one of the seven power chips (indicated by numbers flashing on the screen). You can only use one type of weapon at a time. 1 FIRE 0... ALL RANGE WEAPON Fires into controlled directions. Fires forward if not controlled. 2 FIRE 1... STRAIGHT CRUSHER Shoots off slowly. Crushes enemy's weapons. 3 FIRE 4... FIELD SHUTTER Shields ZANAC from the enemy's weapons. Powerless against the objects on the ground. 4 FIRE 3... CIRCULAR Circulates around your fighter and destroys enemy's weapons, Powerless againt the objects on the ground. 5 FIRE 4... VIBRATOR Vibrates left and right shortly after take-off. Survives sixty enemy's attacks per weapon shot. Effective against the objects on the ground. 6 FIRE 5... REWINDER Climbs up slowly, and decelerates as it falls. Destroys enemy's weapons. Effective against the objects on the ground. 7 FIRE 6... PLASMA FLASH Eliminates all the enemy's weapons in the air, including power chips. 8 FIRE 7... HIGH SPEED Hits and penetrates every enemy's weapon and object on the ground. Only can be activated for 200 seconds. The time is consumed only when you continue to press the button. *ENEMY ERASER Appears when you hit six icons on the ground. When you catch Enemy Eraser, you can destroy all the objects in the air. --- Characters Duster Rock that is launched at a long range. Umber Type 1(blue) - Scatters chips into seven directions. Type 2(purple) - Releases 2 chips. Type 3(yellow) - Scatters chips. Terza Blasts off along 4 designed courses. (Courses differentiated by color blue and red.) Veybar Type 1(blue) - Zooms down, reverses, zooms, then hits chips. Type 2(yellow) - Slants down, reerses, zooms, then hits chips. Luster Type 1(purple) - Curves downward, then releases chips. Type 2(blue) - Descends slowly, then releases chips, at regular intervals. Type 3(yellow) - Descents swinging side to side, then releases chips consecutively. Effine Type 1 - Emerges from the bottom of the screen. Type 2 - Crosses the upper sie of the screen. Type 3 - Descents from the top of the screen, scattering chips. Type 4 - Places a revolving defense around Effine. Loga Type 1(blue) - Descends slowly, then releases chips, at regular intervals. Type 2(yellow) - Descends slowly, then releases a light bar, when it approaches ZANAC. Giza Descends slowly. Will not be destroyed unless you hit it 16 times. Golgos Red Golgos - Launches 3 chips at Zanac. Blue Golgos - Scatters chips. Yellow Golgos - Launches 5 chips at Zanac. Degid Descends slowly and attacks Zanac. from both sides. Sart (reconnaissance plane) Appears suddenly, descends, stands still, then Zooms. If destroyed, the enemy's level is lowered. Box Destroyed if hit 5 times. Changes color at 4th attack and reveals its character. Power chips may emerge from it. --- Objects on The Ground There are various kinds of attacking objects on the ground. Many of them are composed of several different patterns. Their high resistance makes it difficult for you to destroy them with a single blow. After the destruction, another object might emerge from it. The Power Play function makes sure that the pattern is constantly changing. Fortresses launch attacks from several cores. When a fortress emerges, the scroll stops. When you destroy all the cores, the fortress explodes, and the scroll starts again. Large-Scale Objects in The Air Large-scale objects might emerge in the air too. They have much higher resistance compared to objects in the air. They drive back most of the weapons launched by ZANAC. Yet, an effective attack is still possible. --- Techniques for a ZANAC Victory Use special weapons There are 8 kinds of special weapons. Use them effectively. Special weapons increase the power by hitting chips with identical numbers. Increase the power of conventional weapons Increase the power of conventional weapons by using power chips that chips that emerge from opening BOXES. Avoid wasting weapons The more weapons your ZANAC launches, the higher the enemy's level increases. Avoid wasting weapons and hit the enemy with a single blow. Remember the attacking pattern by the enemy. ZANAC Meets enemies that emerge under different situations. Yet, the attacking pattern of each emerging enemy remains the same. Remember the enemy and its own attacking pattern. Some enemies emerge from certain places. Remember these places. Secrets Find out other methods of one-up other than scoring points. Find secret passages which will lead ZANAC to a more advanced area. Find a way to increase the special weapon's power to a maximum level all at once. Try your luck helping ZANAC escape from the evil system. ---