You may remember that in EUG #11, I got up on my soap box and whinged about the lack of software support for the Elk. I also said I was going to write to Superior Software and moan to them, and urged you all to do the same. I have yet to contact Superior - and I don't think now I'll even bother. I think we must all be realistic and face up to the fact that the 8-bit market is dead and has been for some time. Even the 16-bit market is on a slow downward spiral to obscurity. It looks like we will have to make do with older titles, and home-grown software as well.

If you have a games cheat, solution, etc to send me, or just feel like a natter, please contact me. Also, if anyone knows his new address, can they ask Robert Cooper (of ex-Elk PD fame) to contact me as I have been unable to email him.

SPYCAT PART 3, Superior/Acornsoft
Carry on until you reach the "CH'GE" (Change) machine. Stand on the pad, and activate the pound coin. This will turn into change. Go back until you are standing in the middle of the platform with the small door behind. Pick up the Sector 1 Key from here. Leave the sewers, and go back to Thru Door 2. Go in, and on the second screen, stand on the pad and activate the change. You will then get the LRT ticket. Go on until you reach the train. Stand in front of the door and activate the ticket then go back and exit through Thru Door 1. Go left as far as you can and stand on the lined patch near the door. Activate the Sector 1 Key, and then go back to the Ministry if you collected the Cup Of Tea. Go to the Thirsty Brit screen (the door is marked 'M') and use this on the pad. You can now enter this room - which is of little use.

Pick up the Oxygen Tank and the Space Permit from where you left them, then enter Sector 1. Carry on until you reach another 'Thru' door. Use the space permit on the pad, and then, without doing anything to the oxygen tank, enter space! Carry on past the first red door and pad and collect the resignation from the second. Go to Number Ten, and turn this into Research Z and use it in the Library as described before. Now go two screens past Thru Door 1 and collect the Thru Permit from in front of the door, under the camera. Also pick up the UK Passport from where you left it. Now go back to Thru Door 1, and carry on until you reach an unopened Thru Door. Concludes next time.

ELIXIR PART 5, Superior/Acornsoft
You will now be in the room that contains the spirit bottle. Jump over the magenta pill and you will be in the room which is firing flash lights. The eye mask will protect you for a while. Go right and collect the pills from this room. Now go back left and down the string. Go right and you will be in a room that contains a magnet. The magnet will grab the pin. Now do down the thread and collect the pill.

Go back up the thread and then left. Go up the thread and then left once more. You should now be on the screen that once contained the spirit. Make your way up to the top of the screen and go left. You will now be in the room where you dropped the magic bean into the agar. See how well it is doing then go left again. You should now be in a room that is dripping acid. The acid plaster will stop you being hurt. Get the pill in this room then go down the thread. Go left and you should be in the room where you started this adventure. More next time.

PIPELINE GRAPHIC DESIGNER PART 2, Superior/Acornsoft
Although most of the Graphic Designer's features are relatively straight forward to use, the following notes will help you to use the system:

Game Sprites
Sprite 1, the background, is not a 'full' sprite. As you edit it, the designer will adjust it for you but it is advisable to ensure that it remains the same when flipped using 'Flip Y'. Selecting 'backing' in Options B will underlay the Background sprite between whatever sprite you are editing.

Sprite 6 (Wall 1A) is used in the Level Designer as an alternative to Sprite 11 (Wall 1B). Either one of these sprites can be used on any one level. The only permitted way to use both sprites on one level is in a chequered pattern. Similar alternative rules apply to sprites 7 and 12 (Walls 2A and 2B), sprites 8 and 13 (collectables A and B) and sprites 9 and 14 (Fatal Traps A and B).

Animation
Sprite 10 (the Stationary Monster) together with sprite 15 provide animation for the Moving Monster. Animation of the Hero (sprites 22, 23, 24 and 25) uses a flipping technique.

Object Sprites
All the object sprite names can be changed except for object 16 which stays as 'Finish Block'.

Define Colour
Selecting 'Def Colour' from the Environment Menu allows you to check the various colour combinations available for the graphics set. However, when the graphics file is combined with the level design files to generate a mission, the colours are defined by the level design files, not the graphics file.

To define the colours, move the bar to the colour you wish to alter using the Up and Down cursor keys and change it with the Left and Right cursor keys. To finalise the colour change use RETURN or SPACE.

Loading And Saving
Loading and Saving is carried out from the Environment Menu. Only save your graphics file onto a blank cassette. More next time.

Christian Weber, EUG #12

Christian Weber