Introduction

Chin-up! Chest out!

You have enlisted with the elite marine corps -the U.S.A.'s finest. A barrage of tough, gruelling, physically demanding events face you if you are to become a crack trooper. Your objective is to graduate, but your mettle will be severely tested as the toughest course of training events are presented to you.

It may not end there! If you do graduate, there's a good chance you will be sent on a crucial mission - one that will examine your physical capabilities to the full!

To graduate is your ambition, but will you even survive?

Note: To "waggle" in the following events the keys Q, W, O and P can be used to build up your speed - obstacle course, arm wrestling and chin-ups. For building up on iron man race you can use Q and W only for waggling - O and P are to be used to move left and right.

Loading

LOAD"" (ENTER)

The labelled side of the tape contains a 48K version. This game loads in a number of parts. Once the first part has loaded, stop/pause the tape player. When you have completed all of the levels in that particular load, a message will appear requesting you to start the tape again. When this part has loaded continue as above.

Note: Once you have loaded any level after the 1st load and subsequently lost your lives, to start again from the beginning, rewind the tape and begin as above.

The unlabelled side of the tape contains a 128K version. The complete game will load as a single loader.

Spectrum +3 Disc: Set up system and switch on as described in your instruction manual. Insert disk and press ENTER to choose 'LOADER' option. After a short delay a game selection screen will appear.

Game Play

There are seven taxing events which will call upon every skill you can muster. To be the supreme fighting machine and graduate from the Combat School you must ensure that all events are completed in the specified time.

Assault Course

The first gruelling test guaranteed to tax your muscles to the full! By waggling the joystick, you must build-up and maintain your running speed whilst jumping over the numerous fences. Towards the end of this event you will be confronted with a horizontal ladder; jump onto this ladder and waggle as fast as possible to complete this course. You are against the clock and thus have a limited time to complete, however, if you manage a good time you will be awarded with a bonus. This time bonus will be added on to the time allowed for the next event.

Waggle left and right to build-up and maintain speed. Press FIRE to jump over walls and onto horizontal ladder: continue waggling.

Firing Range 1

Various targets appear at random throughout this event and you must move your cursor and shoot as many as possible within the allotted time. You have a minimum number of targets to hit and again, if you exceed this quota you may be allotted a time bonus as above.

Use up, down, left, right to control your cursor and FIRE to fire your weapon.

Iron Man Race

Possible one of the most gruelling events that Combat School has to offer. You must build-up and maintain your maximum running speed whilst avoiding the various obstacles such as rocks and mines as you try and negotiate this hazardous terrain. Jumping is permitted, but be careful you don't land on anything that could make you trip and lose valuable time. Having negotiated the land, you will then be confronted with a fast moving river which you must swim across, find a canoe and paddle like crazy to the opposite bank whilst avoiding the treacherous logs which float across your path. Upon reaching the opposite bank you must sprint to the finishing line before the time is up. As before, a time bonus is invoked if you complete the course ahead of schedule.

Waggle joystick up and down to build-up and maintain speed, move joystick left and right to move left and right. Press FIRE to jump over any obstacles.

Firing Range 2

In contrast to the fixed gun emplacements you had in the first firing range, this event presents you with a chance to practice your skills with a hand-held machine gun. Robot tanks will descend at random from the top of the screen and you must knock-out as many as possible in the alloted time. As before, there is a minimum quota of tanks to hit and the usual time bonus if you shoot more than the allocated number.

Move left and right to move your man in the appropriate direction and press FIRE to fire your weapon.

Arm Wrestling

This calls upon your full "joystick waggling" powers as you try and build-up and maintain maximum power to defeat your opponent. In the one player game you will be pitted against the computer, whilst in the two player game you'll be competing one on one. This event is purely for a time bonus and you will not be drummed out of the School if you fail!

Waggle left and right to build-up and maintain maximum power.

Firing Range 3

This is similar in control to the first firing range, but you must avoid shooting any of the red targets. If you do inadvertently hit one of these then your cursor will freeze until the next batch of targets appear, thus preventing you from shooting any of the true targets. This is the hardest firing range of all and you will be called upon to use all your firing prowess that you have learned in the previous rounds. Time is short so shoot wisely and carefully! The usual time bonus situation applies.

Move left and right to move your cursor in the appropriate direction and press FIRE to fire your weapon.

Combat With Instructor

The most difficult event of all. Here you are one on one against your instructor and must use all your martial arts and combat skills to defeat him. You can only incur a maximum number of hits within the given time (as can your instructor). The object is to subdue your opponent within the given time or you will not graduate! Using a combination of movement left and right, you can also jump up and kick or punch. Much practice is required to perfect your technique and don't forget - your instructor has more experience than you!

Fire button not pressed: Left/Up - High Kick, Left/Down - Mid Kick, Down - Duck, Right/Down - Kick
Fire button pressed: Left/Up - Punch Up, Left/Down - Punch Down, Up - Jump, Down - Jump Kick

Chin-Ups

If you fail to qualify in the fist six events by a very narrow margin, you will be given a second chance to continue. This will take the form of a number of chin-ups that need to be performed in a specific time. This is a "joystick waggler" and you must build-up and maintain power for as long as possible to complete the necessary number: only if you do complete the required amount can you move on to the next event. If you fail in any of the above events you will be drummed out of the Combat School and will have to start from scratch.

Waggle left and right.

The Mission

If you eventually graduate, you will be sent on a top secret mission to rescue a hostage in the American Embassy. This mission will call upon all the powers you have learned in training. The actual execution of the mission, however, is classified and very few details are available. All that is known is that your assailants will be heavily armed and must be both avoided and subdued before they have time to use their weaponry. Good luck and don't be a chicken!

Walk left and right. Pull up to jump and press Fire to kick.

Status And Scoring

Points are scored within the different stages depending on how efficiently you complete that event. On timed events, if you complete before the time runs out you may be awarded a time bonus, to be carried forward to the next level. Similarly, on the shooting events if you manage to achieve the set number of hits in the specified time and continue hitting your targets before the time is up, you will be again awarded a time bonus depending on the number of extra hits you have accumulated.

The points work on an accumulative basis and if you graduate the tot; points earned will have an effect on the ranking you achieve. There is no rank awarded if you fail to graduate from the Combat School but a high score, if earned, will be displayed

Hints And Tips

1. Learn to pace yourself- if your power level shows you operating on full speed then it is pointless to exert more effort as this will make no difference to your performance.
2. Try and collect as much time bonus as possible in the various stages as this will have an accumulative effect on successive events.
3. There are many strategies for combat with the instructor, but one of the most effective is to jump towards him, strike quickly, and jump back again out of range.
4. You do not have to be the victor in the arm wrestling contest to continue in Combat School - this is only a bonus event which will enable you to pick up a time bonus for the third firing range, however this is very useful.
5. If you do manage to progress to the mission stage bear in mind this is not against the clock and it may be prudent to wait in various areas for the right moment to strike.

Gryzor Demo

Tape: Following the 128K version of Combat School on side B of the tape there is a short playable demonstration of the Konami coin-op hit Gryzor. To load, follow the loading instructions as normal - the demonstration can be played with joystick or keyboard.

Disk: To load the demo select 128K basic on the menu screen and type LOAD "DEMO" and press return.

Game Controls

The game may be controlled by Joystick (Kempston Sinclair or Cursor), or keyboard which is fully redefinable.

See the individual events (above) for how controls differ throughout the game.

Game Credits

Coding by Andrew Deakin and Mike Lamb
Graphics by Ivan Horn.
Music/effects by David Whittaker.