======================================================================
WURM: JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH!
- Nintendo Famicom / Nintendo Entertainment System -
======================================================================

Wurm: Journey to the Center of the Earth Copyright 1991 Asmik

Spherelander Videogame Strategy Guide Series #05 - Version 1.5
Copyright 2001-2002 Faididi (faididi@hotmail.com)
This strategy guide is intended for private use only. This, including
any part of it, may not be copied or distributed for personal gain
without the author's permission.

This document contains about 26222 words.
If what you get is significantly different, somebody might have
tampered with this document (probably by cutting out the copyright
information and walkthrough credits). While I can't do crap about
it (except complain), you should care in the event some important
gaming data have been accidentally removed or if there has been an
error in downloading this guide. If you still give a damn, e-mail
me to inform me that something funny's going on.

---------------------
[0.0] VERSION HISTORY
---------------------

Version 1.5 (Spring'02 Edition)
Updated - 04 12 2002 Friday - First New Moon of Spring
New Feature(s):
- Cleaned up some wording and mistakes.
"Shut your hole."

Version 1.4 (Winter'02 Special Edition)
Updated - 12 31 2001 Monday - New Year's Eve
New Feature(s):
- Added some measly (but hopefully correct) Staff Credits.
- Cleaned up some wording and mistakes.
"Let this guide be your candle in the dark."

Version 1.3 (Autumn'01 Cheater's Edition)
Updated - 09 22 2001 Saturday - Autumnal Equinox
New Feature(s):
- Added a couple RAM address cheats.
- Added the Computer Values section (for use with the address cheats).
"Get your red hot magma right here...."

Version 1.2 (Summer'01 Edition)
Updated - 08 03 2001 Friday - A very special day...
New Feature(s):
- Added the GamePak Code.
- Added some reference material to the Credits section.
"Those underground jungles and islands are so nice!"

Version 1.1 (Summer'01 Edition)
Updated - 06 21 2001 Thursday - Summer Solstice
New Feature(s):
- Added a small tip for remembering the Dyna Crystal puzzle solution.
- Cleaned up some wording and mistakes.
"Back into the hole...!"

Version 1.0 (Spring'01 Edition)
Updated - 05 28 2001 Monday - Memorial Day
New Feature(s):
- N/A
"Although Wurm's description of the Underworld is complete bull,
 my love for the game isn't."

---------------------------
[0.1] CARTRIDGE INFORMATION
---------------------------

Publisher: Asmik
GamePak Code:
 American: NES-W0-USA
Release Date:
 American: November 1991
Dimensions:
 American:
  Length: 11.9 cm
  Height: 13.4 cm
  Width:  01.6 cm
  Memory Size: 256 KB
  Mapper: 4 (Nintendo MMC3)
Cover Art:
 American:
  Moby charges through some rocks in a smaller, alternate version
  of the VZR with an open cockpit. She's raising her fist in unholy
  anger, shouting something terribly frightening as she drives forward
  like Rambo. To her right, beside the VZR, is Dan, also screaming.
  He's wrestling with Bandal, whose claw (which is on the left hand
  instead of the right) is grabbing the machinegun Dan is firing.
  Fortunately, the characters in the actual game look much, much
  prettier than this....

======================================================================
======================================================================

INDEX

I.   Background Info
      [1.1] In the Year 1999
      [1.2] Meet the Crew (characters - no spoilers)
       [1.2.1] The Good Guys
       [1.2.2] The Bad Guys
      [1.3] VZR Pilot's Manual (controls)
       [1.3.1] VZR Horizontal Scrolling Mode
       [1.3.2] VZR Vertical Scrolling Mode
       [1.3.3] VZR Cockpit Mode
       [1.3.4] Moby Platform-Action Mode
       [1.3.5] Moby 1st Person Mode
       [1.3.6] Other Controls
      [1.4] Robots in Disguise (different VZR Forms)
      [1.5] Weapons of Death and Destruction (da' WEAPONS!!!)
      [1.6] Treasures of the Deep (items)
      [1.7] General Hints

II.  Dramatic Strategies
      [2.0] Prologue
      [2.1] Act  1: Nonmalta
      [2.2] Act  2: Dyna Crystal
      [2.3] Act  3: Magma Falls
      [2.4] Act  4: Ziggy
      [2.5] Act  5: Dual Duel
      [2.6] Epilogue
      [2.7] "Staff Credits"

III. Extra Bits (miscellaneous info)
      [3.1] Passwords
      [3.2] Dyna Crystal Alignment Puzzle Solution
      [3.3] Boss Battle Strategies
      [3.4] Computer Values
      [3.5] RAM Address Cheats
      [3.6] Game Genie Codes
      [3.7] Game Evaluation
      [3.8] Other Games Like Wurm
      [3.9] Really Small Details

IV.  Credits

======================================================================
I. BACKGROUND INFO - Know why you're digging a hole.
======================================================================

----------------------
[1.1] IN THE YEAR 1999
----------------------

  A strange series of earthquakes and volcanic activity shakes up
the world at the end of the 20th Century, adding more mess to our
list of end-of-the-millennium troubles (remember that silly Y2K Bug?).
No scientific reasoning at the time can explain this phenomenon, so
special teams of "marines" and scientists are sent into the depths
of Earth to investigate the causes behind the hyperactive quakes and
eruptions. This project is code-named "Wurm," due to the burrowing
capabilities of the VZR vehicles that are involved.

  The VZR is a state-of-the-art, all-terrain combat machine. With its
ability to convert into different forms, it can drill through rock,
fly across chasms, and defend itself against any nasty creatures it
might encounter in the dark depths of Earth.

  Well, almost.

  4 VZRs have already been sent in. All of them, along with their
crews, have been lost. Scientists back on the surface suspect
that something else other than underground quakes are behind
the disappearances and that this something else is somehow related
to all the off-scale geological activity going on back at the top.

  Commander Moby, leader of the VZR-5 crew, decides to be next in
line. Although her superiors argue how her chances in the Underworld
are no less slim than those of her missing colleagues, she has a
personal motive - her boyfriend and her father are among those who
have disappeared. With her trusty crew, she gives the go-ahead, and
our heroes plunge deep towards the heart of the planet....

-------------------
[1.2] MEET THE CREW
-------------------

"Who are you people anyway?"
    - Blue Crescent Moon, from "Castlevania 64: Dark Legacy" (Konami)


Wurm has a large cast of characters. Get to know them!

Note: The manual's content doesn't seem to match that of the
      game, so corrections have been made where appropriate.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[1.2.1] The Good Guys
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Moby (VZR-5: Commander)
 The best of the best. Her abilities are well-rounded, and she
 has a strong sense of justice. Her boyfriend, Ziggy, and her dad,
 Professor Banda, are among those lost in the previous Wurm missions.
 Let's hope her excellent leadership skills and her Star-Light Gun
 can get her crew out in one piece.

Dan (VZR-5: Pilot)
 A young but highly competent soldier under Moby's command. When it
 comes to maneuvering the VZR, no one beats this guy. Like Moby, Dan
 has a relative, Silvia, and a friend, Davis, among the missing crews.

Locke (VZR-5: Biologist)
 When brute force fails, brain power prevails. Locke's on board to
 help analyze the hostile life-forms the team will be encountering.
 Moby relies on his expertise to get out of tight situations.

Mike (VZR-5: Weapons Technician)
 Responsible for the maintenance of the VZR's weapons systems, Mike
 carries extensive knowledge of the craft's offensive capabilities.
 Unfortunately, his rash nature often leads him to hastily recommend
 weapons that may not be effective against the Underworld monsters.
 Still, despite having to drag him out of more than one bar fight,
 Moby has learned to trust this hot-headed crewman. If there's
 anything that really bothers Mike, it's that Moby always confuses
 him for being a biologist. Yeah, it's really weird....

Banda (VZR-4: Commander)
 The proud father of Moby. Wise in his many years of experience,
 this good professor has returned from retirement to search for
 the missing crews. Too bad he got lost himself. Will he live
 to see his daughter again?

Ziggy (VZR-2: Commander)
 Moby's fiance. He volunteered to enter the Underworld after
 the VZR-1 was lost in an accident, but now it looks like he
 needs some rescuing himself!

Silvia (VZR-2: Biologist)
 Dan's younger sister. Though inexperienced, she's been selected
 for the Wurm project because of her top performance in the academy.
 She looks up to Professor Banda. A lot.

Davis (VZR-3: Pilot)
 The "surfer dude" assigned to VZR-3. Like his best friend, Dan,
 Davis is a pilot. He's very easy going and fun to work with,
 but he knows when to be serious too.

Allan (VZR-3: Systems Engineer)
 Someone with really flashy hair and an eye for detail. He's
 the type of person who knows how to stay cool under even the
 most dire of circumstances.

That Nameless Crewman (VZR-2: ?)
 This brave soul fought with all his strength before becoming
 mortally wounded. He has something important to give to Moby.

G-13 (VZR-2: Analyst)
 A robotic member of the VZR-2. Its ability to calculate the
 weak points of enemies is invaluable. (Doesn't this guy remind
 you of Nintendo's R.O.B.?)

Diane (Princess of Dinamur)
 The kind and benevolent daughter of the King of Dinamur. A pacifist
 at heart, she has been attempting to seek a peaceful end to the war
 ravaging her home. She's one of the few Underworlders Moby can trust,
 and her knowledge of the underground terrain and inhabitants will be
 of great aid.

The King of Dinamur (King of... Dinamur)
 The father of Princess Diane. The Nonmalta forces has locked him up
 deep within one of their many bases, preparing to execute him. Only
 he knows the secret behind the Dyna Crystals.

Sowne (Princess of Gaia)
 This mysterious figure "appears" at the end of Wurm. Who is she?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[1.2.2] The Bad Guys
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sogalz (Emperor of Nonmalta)
 The aggressor of the Underworld war. Sogalz is cruel, merciless,
 and every other quality that characterizes the stereotypical
 super-villain. He is consumed by power and greed, but those
 are not the sole reasons behind his actions....

Icamod (Nonmalta Captain)
 Sogalz's right-hand man. A nasty brute of sorts who hates the
 Dinamur and anyone else who allies with them.

Zolda (Nonmalta Lieutenant)
 An ambitious warrior under Icamod's personal command. Like his
 superiors, he is black-hearted and sees violence as the only
 solution to all of life's problems. (So do I.)

The Bemul (Proto-Bio Monster)
 Resembling the Beholder creature from Dungeons and Dragons,
 this mutated primitive life-form is an early result of a secret
 Nonmalta attempt at creating biological weapons. He has a single
 eye, a mouth full of sharp teeth, and several tentacle-like
 eyestalks that grow out from his floating body.

Anrock (Bio-Geo Monster)
 A massive humanoid made of living rock. This stone-hard being is
 actually a test subject from the Nonmalta labs. He now lurks inside
 some cavern ruins, hunting down anything that gets in his way.

Zalta (Dinosaur)
 Residing in the molten lava streams coursing through Earth's
 interior, this giant reptile is a fearsome creature indeed.
 Somehow, the Nonmalta has managed to gain control of this
 legendary beast. (The manual calls this guy "Zatan" by mistake.)

Bandal (Bionic Soldier)
 This cyborg is yet another result of the many horrific experiments
 performed by the Nonmalta military laboratories. Using the brain
 of an unwilling "participant," Bandal is forever damned to work
 for the Emperor.

The Lowly Henchmen (Regular Baddies)
 For fear of confusing them, I will not refer to these lesser bad
 guys by name during the Strategy section below. However, to be fair,
 I will list all of their names (straight out from the manual) here:
  Anvil, Bitonga, Byrd, Crysbali, Diadom, Diamech, Diawheel, Dragon,
  Geoid, Jelligun, Quartz, Spore, Stargun, Thumper, Znail,
  Fireball, Firebird, Homebase, Homegun, Iceburn, Spilgut, Worm,
  Bill, Loepin, Listbat, Stingle

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[1.2.3] The Ugly Mofo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Me! (Guide Author)
 Just kidding here. You only need to pay attention to the people
 mentioned above. Think of me as... radio back-up from the surface!

------------------------
[1.3] VZR PILOT'S MANUAL
------------------------

Wurm has several styles of gameplay, so understanding the
different control schemes that come with each is important.

Note: While pressing Left and Right simultaneously seems to have
      little or no effect, try to avoid pressing Up and Down at
      the same time. Doing so in some Scenes may mess up the game
      and possibly kill you. Check the Small Details section towards
      the end of this guide to learn more about this.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[1.3.1] VZR Horizontal Scrolling Mode
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The first type of gameplay is vehicular 2D platform-action. Driving
your VZR from left to right, slowly make your way past enemy hordes,
rock walls, large chasms, and so on. You can take as much time as
you wish to finish these Scenes, so long as you don't run outta
Fuel. Lose all your Shields, and you also Game Over! Shields
recharge slowly over time, so if you have some Fuel, stop for
a while to replenish your defenses.

The Status Bar on the top of the screen displays:

 Fuel (16 Units Maximum)
  The VZR runs on a special source of power called dilenium, which
  is present in reasonable quantities throughout the Underworld.
  Fuel drains at different rates, depending on what you're using.

 Shields (16 Units Maximum)
  The VZR's protection. Although the Shields deflect well against
  collisions with rock walls, they defend poorly against monsters.
  The rule here? Don't touch enemies or their shots!

 Mode Menu
  This row of 3 boxes lists what your VZR can use at the moment.
  There are actually 3 rows of these boxes; you only see 1 row at
  a time. Each row corresponds to one of the VZR's different Forms
  and the Weapons that come with that Form. To switch Forms and
  Weapons, you need to navigate through this Menu.

 Form Display
  The Form the VZR is currently using is shown here.

Here are your controls:

 D-Pad  - Move.
           Press Left & Right to drive forwards & backwards.
           Press Up & Down to ascend & descend, when flying.
 B      - Fire your currently equipped Weapon.
 A      - Access the Mode Menu. (VZR Form Switch Function)
           Hold the A Button and press the D-Pad accordingly to
           highlight the desired Form and Weapon. The available
           options are displayed in the Mode Menu on the top
           left corner of the screen, just under the Fuel Meter.
           While holding A, the VZR cannot move.
             To switch Forms, press Up or Down while holding A. If
           the desired Form is available, the VZR converts into it.
             To switch Weapons, press Left or Right while holding
           A. When the desired Weapon is highlighted, release A to
           confirm your selection. To switch back to the standard
           Weapon, choose the left-most box (which simply lists
           the Form you're in).
 Select - Not used.
 Start  - Pause the game.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[1.3.2] VZR Vertical Scrolling Mode
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gameplay here resembles classic shooter action, but its controls
are similar to those in the Horizontal Mode. During these Scenes,
the VZR can only use the Hover and Aerial Modes because the whole
ground will be flooded with lava, rendering the Tank Mode useless
(Moby won't let Dan commit suicide). The screen, unlike the
Horizontal Mode, is always scrolling forwards, so there's
less time to sit back and recharge your Shields.

The Status Bar is the same as that of the Horizontal Mode.

Here are your controls:

 D-Pad  - Move around relative to the screen.
 B      - Fire your currently equipped Weapon.
 A      - Access the Mode Menu. (VZR Form Switch Function)
           This is the same as in Horizontal Mode,
           only you can't use Tank Mode.
 Select - Not used.
 Start  - Pause the game.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[1.3.3] VZR Cockpit Mode
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When the VZR encounters a particularly powerful enemy (i.e. a boss),
you will fight it from the cockpit's perspective. Fuel consumption
is dropped to a negligible minimum, so you don't have to worry about
running out of gas. What you should worry about is how to take out
the bad guy without losing all your Life (which is supposed to be
Shields).

At the start of every battle is the Conference Phase, where you
can consult the crew members for advice and decide the best course
of action. This Phase lasts until you've performed up to 8 Actions.
An Action is either talking with a crewman or equipping a certain
Weapon. Talking with crewmen matters a lot! Not only can you learn
valuable information, you may also affect your Shields or the
"Possibility Factor" (more on this below). Speaking with people
in the proper order will improve your chances of winning the battle.

After performing 8 Actions or skipping the Conference Phase, you'll
enter the Battle Phase, where you manually direct the targetting
reticle over the enemy and fire. For every successful hit, you might
increase the Possibility Factor (PF), a poorly worded term for the
"chances" of killing the enemy. Technically, the enemy will never
die if the PF is below 100%. But when the PF reaches 100%, the
enemy is stunned and will be destroyed by the next few hits!

If you don't destroy the enemy during the Battle Phase, you will
return to the Conference Phase, where you may readjust your strategies
as needed. This cycle continues until you or the enemy dies. Remember,
certain Actions can increase or decrease the PF, so take care in what
you do.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~
[1.3.3.1] Conference Phase
~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

The Status Bar will serve as the Talk/Use Menus. When you're
in the Use Menu (a.k.a. the Weapon Select Menu), the Dyna Crystals
you've collected so far will be displayed in the left box.

The controls:

 D-Pad  - Move the Cursor to highlight a menu choice.
 B      - Choose the highlighted choice.
 A      - Cancel and return to the previous menu.
 Select - Skip the Conference Phase and enter the Battle Phase.
           Don't hit this by accident!
 Start  - Pause the game.
           This is not really necessary here because you
           have infinite time to perform your Actions.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~
[1.3.3.2] Battle Phase
~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~

The Status Bar on the top of the screen displays:

 Possibility Factor
  Think of this as an inverted meter of the enemy's health.
  Once you increase this to 100%, you can kill the boss.

 Life (20 Units Maximum)
  The VZR's Shields. Despite the change of name (and number of
  Units, for that matter), running out will still result in you
  dying. The Shields here do not regenerate automatically; you
  must increase them by talking with the crew. If, for any
  reason, you decrease your Shields to 0 via bad talking
  with the crew, you won't die until the boss hits you again.

 Message Display
  The VZR's targetting system aids you with warning notes that
  pop up in the left screen. These notes depend on the enemy's
  behavior. When you see "FIRE!", the enemy is vulnerable to
  your shots. When you see "DANGER!", the enemy is attacking!

The controls:

 D-Pad  - Move the targetting reticle around relative to the screen.
 B      - Fire your currently equipped Weapon.
 A      - Fire your currently equipped Weapon.
 Select - Not used.
 Start  - Pause. (The next best thing to the Conference Phase.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[1.3.4] Moby Platform-Action Mode
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The VZR cannot fit into small areas, so Moby get out at certain
points to explore on her own. The gameplay during these Scenes
is classic platform-action stuff. Moby gets to jump over gaps,
gun down enemies, and talk to people. She will bring along her
trusty Star-Light Gun (the tiny blaster pistol in her hand), so
she can defend herself from any nasty things she'll come across.
If she runs outta ammo, she must rely on martial arts until she
picks up more Dilenium Crystals (these gems are too small to
fuel the VZR, but they are perfect for powering her pistol).

The Status Bar on the top of the screen displays:

 Arms (20 Units Maximum)
  Moby's ammunition stock for her Star-Light Gun. Each Unit
  represents 4 rounds, resulting in a grand total of 80 shots.
  Even though she always starts off with this much ammo, a
  trigger-happy Player can drain it all within minutes.

 Life (20 Units Maximum)
  Moby's stamina. Every hit she suffers will knock off some Life.
  Power-Ups are hard to come by, so be sure to conserve your energy.

 Face Display
  Moby's visage is shown here during gameplay. No matter what
  condition she's in, she'll always look the same - happy and
  smiling. This display does nothing, except to show who's
  speaking during the Dialogue Mode.

Here are the controls:

 D-Pad  - Move or kick.
           Press Left & Right to walk left & right, respectively.
           Press Down to kneel.
           Press Up to perform a high kick. (Her kung-fu is good.)
 B      - Fire the Star-Light Gun.
           The blaster is semi-automatic, so 1 press fires 1 shot.
 A      - Jump.
           Press Up when Moby is in midair to perform a flying kick.
 Select - Not used.
 Start  - Pause the game.

Note: A kick deals the same amount of damage as a bullet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[1.3.5] Moby 1st Person Mode
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Similar to the VZR Cockpit Mode, this puts you in control through
Moby's eyes. This Mode kicks in only during the last part of the
game, but by then you should know how to work with it. However,
to increase the Possibility Factor, you must do more than just
shoot at the bad guy....

The Status Bar and the controls are the same as those of the VZR
Cockpit Mode.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[1.3.6] Other Controls
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pressing A or B will speed up the text's printing rate when
characters are speaking during the Dialogue Mode. In Movies,
the text will automatically continue to the next page after
a while. Speech in all other parts of the game will not go
on to the next page until you press A or B.

The Password System can be a little weird, because starting a new
game requires you to input an invalid code. Press Down to increase
the value of the chosen digit, Up to decrease the value, and Left
and Right to switch to another digit (the chosen digit is not
highlighted). Press Start to enter the Password.

-----------------------------------
[1.4] ROBOTS IN DISGUISE: VZR FORMS
-----------------------------------

The VZR is one awesome ride. It can transform into 3 different
Forms and equip up to 8 Weapons (depending on how you look at it).
Remember how Fuel drains at different rates, depending on your
VZR Form and Weapons-usage. The more advanced the Form and Weapon
you're using, the faster you'll lose gas. Getting hit also drains
Fuel indirectly, because recharging Shields eats up Fuel. Shields
recharge at the same rate, however slowly they do, without regard
to Form or to Weapon.

Here is how the data shall be laid out:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
FORM: [The Form type.]
BASE CONSUMPTION: [The estimated rate of Fuel consumed if you
                   are using the default weapon for this Form.]
WEAPONS: [The primary, secondary, and tertiary weapons
          this Form has access to.]
DETAILS:
 [More descriptions and other notes.]
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

FORM: T-Form (Tank Mode)
BASE CONSUMPTION: 0 Fuel Units per second
WEAPONS:
 Primary   - Electro-Gatling (Double Spread)
 Secondary - Cyclone Drills
 Tertiary  - (none)
DETAILS:
  The most economical VZR Form. It is also the most vulnerable,
  because its speed is low and it can only defend itself with the
  Electro-Gatling Cannon. In this Form, you can drive over most
  surfaces. The VZR can touch rocky obstacles without suffering
  collision damage (it just stops when it bumps into a wall),
  but take care not to fall into pits!

FORM: H-Form (Hover Mode)
BASE CONSUMPTION: 3/16 Fuel Units per second
WEAPONS:
 Primary   - Electro-Gatling (Triple Spread)
 Secondary - Unit Gamma: Hyper-Sight
 Tertiary  - Unit Theta: Phaser-Gun
DETAILS:
 The Cyclone Drills are always activated in this Mode, because the
 VZR must be balanced by their gyroscopic properties during flight.
 In this Form, the VZR can float over enemies and chasms. Because
 air offers less friction than ground, the VZR will tend to slide
 around a lot (the same goes for moving through water).

FORM: A-Form (Aerial Mode)
BASE CONSUMPTION: 1/4 (4/16) Fuel Units per second
WEAPONS:
 Primary   - Laser Cannon (Triple Spread)
 Secondary - Unit Alpha: Hydro-Sonic
 Tertiary  - Unit Beta: Melt-Needle
DETAILS:
 First-class travel for any VZR crew. In this Form, the VZR moves
 the fastest, plus it can fire its deadly lasers. Unlike in H-Form,
 the A-Form's stabilizers keep the VZR from sliding about. However,
 you still have to shift into Hover or Tank Mode to use the Drills.

--------------------------------------
[1.5] WEAPONS OF DEATH AND DESTRUCTION
--------------------------------------

Ah, the Weapons section - the good part of any strategy
guide/walkthrough/FAQ. The VZR carries some serious firepower,
but remember how not every Weapon will always be available
(due to the events of the story).

Note: During the VZR Cockpit Mode, all Weapons are fired the same;
      only their effects on the enemy are different.

Here is how the data shall be laid out:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
WEAPON : [The Weapon's name.]
LABEL  : [The shorthand label of the Weapon, if any exists.]
MODE(S): [Which Forms this is available for.]
FUEL   : [Whether this consumes additional Fuel when fires or not.]
DETAILS:
 [More descriptions and other notes.]
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

WEAPON : Cyclone Drills
LABEL  : Drill
MODE(S): T & H
FUEL   : Does not consume additional Fuel
DETAILS:
 The large, twin drills mounted on the front that gives the VZR
 its distinct shape. These heavy-duty bits can bore through certain
 rock. They're automatically engaged when the VZR is in H-Form.
 (These do not deal any actual damage, so do NOT ram into enemies,
  attempting to mow them down by drilling through them!)

WEAPON : Electro-Gatling Cannon
LABEL  : (none)
MODE(S): T & H
FUEL   : Does not consume additional Fuel
DETAILS:
 This propels heavy slugs at high velocities through the use
 of electro-magnetic fields. Highly reliable and efficient, this
 is the standard Weapon on all VZRs. In T-Form, bullets are fired
 straight ahead and diagonally upwards. In H-Form, bullets are
 fired diagonally downwards in addition. No matter what Form
 it's in, the VZR may fire no more than 6 bullets onto the
 screen at a time.

WEAPON : Laser Cannon
LABEL  : (none)
MODE(S): A
FUEL   : Does not consume additional Fuel
DETAILS:
 A secondary function of the systems behind the Electro-Gatling
 Cannon allows the VZR to charge up and fire 3 reflective lasers
 that spread out in front. The lasers bounce only if they hit a
 surface at a sloped angle. Due to the complex nature of the charge
 rails involved, the VZR can only use this when it is folded out in
 A-Form. Only 3 laser bolts may appear on the screen at any one time.

WEAPON : Hydro-Sonic Discharger
LABEL  : Unit Alpha (lower-case cursive "a")
MODE(S): A
FUEL   : Consumes additional Fuel
DETAILS:
 This accelerates water molecules well over the speed of sound
 and then launches them in the form of 4 water discs that swirl
 out from the VZR, shattering any bad guys they touch. These
 "blades" can rip through several enemies before dissipating.

WEAPON : Melt-Needle Launcher
LABEL  : Unit Beta (lower-case "b")
MODE(S): A
FUEL   : Consumes additional Fuel
DETAILS:
 This creates mines in the form of super-heated spike clusters.
   In the Horizontal Mode, the VZR sets a floating mine that explodes
 on contact (that includes the VZR, so take care not to crash into
 your own mines!). You may set up to a total of 6 mines on the screen.
 Attempting to set a 7th mine detonates all current mines at once.
   In the Vertical Mode, you can hold B to swirl 4 mines around you,
 shielding yourself from enemies. Release B to throw any remaining
 mines outwards, away from the VZR and towards enemies. Mines tossed
 in this fashion will only travel horizontally or vertically, in
 straight lines.

WEAPON : Hyper-Sight Particle Projection Cannon
LABEL  : Unit Gamma (lower-case "r")
MODE(S): H
FUEL   : Consumes additional Fuel
DETAILS:
 This launches a batch of 6 energy spheres. Each globe individually
 seeks out and homes in on nearby enemies. The entire batch of spheres
 must leave the screen before the VZR may fire another volley.

WEAPON : Phaser-Gun Disruptor
LABEL  : Unit Theta ("O" with a dash in the middle)
MODE(S): H
FUEL   : Consumes additional Fuel
DETAILS:
 This generates large, vertical waves of energy behind and ahead of
 the VZR. This is most effective when the VZR is surrounded by several
 fast-flying critters. Up to 2 bursts, or a total of 4 waves, may
 appear on the screen at a time.
   This Weapon is called the Doppler Cannon (Unit Omega) in the
 manual, named after the 19th Century Austrian mathematician and
 physicist, Christian Doppler (1803-1853). He is credited for his
 discovery of the Doppler Effect, where the observed frequency
 of waves changes depending on the motion between the observer and
 the source of the waves. I guess the English manual writers wanted
 to name the Weapon after this guy.... Anyway, I've changed the Unit
 label to theta because its in-game graphic resembles the circle
 with a dash through it more that it does the w-shaped symbol.

WEAPON : Star-Light Gun (Custom Blaster Pistol)
LABEL  : (none)
MODE(S): Moby Platform-Action & Moby 1st Person
FUEL   : Consumes Arms (4 rounds per Ammo Unit - Platform-Action only)
DETAILS:
 Alright, this isn't something the VZR can fire, but I'm listing it
 here anyway. Being Moby's personal weapon of choice, this gun is
 probably a modified standard-issue blaster pistol. Although it is
 not very powerful, it can fire rapidly, providing Moby pulls the
 trigger fast enough. She can carry enough ammo clips to provide
 for 80 rounds, but even that may run out quickly. Moby can use
 the small Dilenium Crystals she finds to reload her blaster.

---------------------------
[1.6] TREASURES OF THE DEEP
---------------------------

Though few, the items you manage to find from the bodies of the
Underworlders can mean the difference between sweet survival and
horrid death in the dark. Some creatures have a higher tendency
to leave behind goodies.

ITEM    : Small Dilenium Fuel Cell
GRAPHICS: A circular gold capsule with a bright spark in the middle.
APPEARS : VZR Horizontal & Vertical Scrolling Modes.
FUNCTION: Adds 4 Fuel Units to the VZR's gas tank.

ITEM    : Large Dilenium Fuel Cell
GRAPHICS: A long gold capsule with a bright spark in the middle.
APPEARS : VZR Horizontal & Vertical Scrolling Modes.
FUNCTION: Adds 8 Fuel Units to the VZR's gas tank.

ITEM    : Life Heart
GRAPHICS: A little red heart.
APPEARS : Moby Platform-Action Mode only.
FUNCTION: Adds 4 Life Units to Moby's health.

ITEM    : Dilenium Crystal
GRAPHICS: A tiny red diamond.
APPEARS : Moby Platform-Action Mode only.
FUNCTION: Adds 4 Ammo Units to Moby's gun stock (Arms).

ITEM    : Key
GRAPHICS: A key whose graphics you never see.
APPEARS : Moby Platform-Action Mode only.
FUNCTION: Advances the plot and allows Moby to open gates.

ITEM    : Tablet
GRAPHICS: A palm-sized, square piece of smooth stone.
APPEARS : Moby Platform-Action Mode only.
FUNCTION: Advances the plot and allows Moby to open gates.

ITEM    : Dyna Crystal
GRAPHICS: A spherical gem of unknown mineral. Comes in 4 colors!
APPEARS : Dialogue & Moby 1st Person Modes.
FUNCTION: Advances the plot and allows Moby to...???

-------------------
[1.7] GENERAL HINTS
-------------------

Here is some general advice you can follow
throughout the course of the mission:

- Don't touch enemies, especially during the VZR Scenes. Some
  baddies do ridiculous amounts of damage to your Shields, and
  because the period of invulnerability between each hit is
  extremely short (less like Capcom's MegaMan and more like
  SNK's Athena), you can die really fast if an enemy hugs you.
  You'd rather lose a little Fuel than die near the end of a
  Scene, so take your time and don't rush.

- For some odd reason, colliding into rock walls do relatively
  little damage. Given the choice between crashing into walls
  or ramming into enemies, always take the walls!

- The T-Form is the only Form where the VZR won't get damaged by
  hitting walls. If you must fly, take care not to smash into the
  stalactites hanging off from the cavern ceilings. There are no
  stalagmites (rock icicles growing out from the floor) in the
  game that can hurt you.

- Don't blow Fuel and Ammo through excessive use of Special Weapons.
  Items are hard to come by, and you don't wanna find yourself
  stuck in a tunnel, facing a score of enemies with only 2 drops
  of dilenium left.

- The only exception to the conservation tip is during the VZR
  Cockpit Mode, where you have infinite Fuel. Go crazy then.
  Rapidly mash A and B alternately for the best effect!

- During the VZR Cockpit and Moby 1st Person Modes, do everything you
  can to pan away from the enemy's attacks. The closer to the center
  of the screen their attacks are, the more damage they'll do!

- Hit detection during the VZR Cockpit and Moby 1st Person Modes
  is somewhat poor. To ensure a good blow to the enemy, keep firing
  until the bad guy blinks a bright red or starts to do something new.

- Remember where the gates are. During the Moby Platform-Action
  Mode, you'll need to proceed beyond gates to finish the Scene.
  However, you will also need to do something before you can open
  these gates, such as meeting someone or finding an important item.

- If you can't convert to A-Form, don't waste time trying to. You
  will get a warning message saying, "IMPOSSIBLE TO USE." Strangely
  enough, this message does not pop up when you try to switch to
  T-Form during the Vertical Scrolling Mode....

- Remember the "wave after wave of your own men" tactic. You have
  infinite Credits, so keep continuing after you Game Over until
  the enemy dies a miserable death. Whenever you continue, you'll
  restart at the beginning of the Scene you've died in. (You always
  begin a Scene with full Shields/Life and full Fuel/Arms.)

======================================================================
II. DRAMATIC STRATEGIES - For a dramatic game!
======================================================================

"GO IN THE HOLE IN THE PALACE IF YOU GO."
        - a most helpful lad, from "The Adventure of Link" (Nintendo)


This guide shall cover the events of Wurm as they come, detailing the
tactics you may use to pass each Scene and boss. To make this a more
interesting experience, I am also including the dialogue from the
Movies (with some minor corrections to the punctuation and spacing).

The strategies here aren't the only ones you can use to beat the game
with. If you have something else you believe is more effective or you
feel more comfortable with, I encourage you to use that instead!

Dim the lights. Our journey to the center of Earth begins....

--------------
[2.0] PROLOGUE
--------------

(To see this, you must wait for 25 seconds on the Title Screen.)

                                * * *

  The VZR has been drilling for over an hour now, forcing its way
through the planet's solid crust. Finally, it burrows through a
particularly tough layer of rock and drops down into some large
caverns, landing hard below and jostling loose its stabilizers.

  "We must have slipped through the G-Point into the Underworld,"
confirms Dan as he checks the VZR's systems, "Aerial Mode disabled.
We've lost contact with the surface. Our current location is 50
miles underground."

  "50 miles underground...?," replies Moby, "Didn't VZR-2 disappear
around this place? We can't go back now. VZR-5... full power ahead!"

                                * * *

---------------------
[2.1] ACT 1: NONMALTA
---------------------

PASSWORD: ---- (Enter any invalid Password, such as 0000.)

VZR STATUS:
 - T-Form .....................  on-line
 - H-Form .....................  on-line
 - A-Form ..................... off-line
 - Unit Alpha: Hydro-Sonic .... off-line
 - Unit Beta:  Melt-Needle .... off-line
 - Unit Gamma: Hyper-Sight .... off-line
 - Unit Theta: Phaser-Gun  .... off-line
 (Aw crap!)

The first Act is, not surprisingly, the easiest and shortest one.
You have many opportunities here to practice piloting the VZR.
Feel free to screw around, but don't waste too much Fuel....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[2.1.1] Act 1, Scene 1: G-Point Fault
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MODE: VZR Horizontal Scrolling

Stick with Tank Mode for most of this Scene, because there's plenty
of safe ground to drive on. Head right and keep shooting as you drive
over the hills, blasting the enemies before they fire back at you.
The strange "brain-stalk" enemies (Jelliguns?) fly across the screen,
spitting bullets at you periodically, so keep moving.

When you reach a large hill, you can drill through the soft rock at
the base or switch into Hover Mode to continue ahead. To activate
the Cyclone Drills, hold A and then press Right. When you see "Drill"
highlighted, release A to turn them on. To convert to H-Form, hold A
and press Up. When you see the VZR's treads flip over to become a lift
skirt, release A and you'll be on your way. If you choose to drill,
watch out for bad guys when exiting. Enemies tend to go through walls
in Wurm!

After the big hill, you must fly because the floor will slope
downwards into a huge pit. Unless you wanna drive right in,
switch to H-Form. You may drill through the soft rock above
or simply float over the pit below.

Whichever path you take, stationary brain-stalks will be waiting for
you ahead. If you take the bottom path, a stalk is right across the
pit. If you take the high road, another one sits directly past the
soft wall. A third stalk greets you where the forks merge. Kill it
and hope that you can salvage some Fuel from these monsters' corpses.

You can use the T-Form again if you feel uncomfortable floating
around. At least you won't smash into stalactites....

Keep charging forward. After another hill with soft rock, prepare
to shoot down some flashing flying monsters that get in your way.
They like to line up with you and then rush towards you!

After climbing a long, uphill slope, look out for more shooting
stalks. Beyond these guys, you'll stumble into an underground quake.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[2.1.2] Act 1, Scene 2: Cave Entrance
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MODE: VZR Cockpit

                                * * *

  "It's an earthquake!," shouts Dan, slamming on the brakes as the
cave rumbles around them.

  "Wait Dan! I've got something on the radar," reports Moby as she
checks her screen, "I'm showing a life form in Sector 7231952E....
It appears to be in a cave."

  A shadow emerges from the cave entrance, revealing itself under
the VZR's lights. It is the ugliest thing Moby's ever seen since
the crew has entered the Underworld: a huge ball of twisted flesh
with a large monstrous eye, sharp teeth, and tentacles growing out
from its sides. It sneers at the VZR as it slowly floats nearer.

                                * * *

Okay, here comes the so-called "strategy" portion of the game. That
nasty-looking thing in front of you is a Bemul. First, press B to
enter the Menu System. From here, you should talk to the crew and
figure out the best way to waste the sucker.

The dialogue system is really complex, because the speech depends on
what the characters say to each other. The trick is to talk to certain
people in a certain order to maximize the Possibility Factor and Life
bonuses.

Below are the many lines of speech everyone has. Following each
line, inside a set of parentheses, will be the effects of that
speech. Listed first is the Possibility Factor modifier, given
as a percentage, and listed second is the Life Point modifier,
given as a simple value. The lines are arranged so they follow
one another, except when indicated otherwise.

Moby:
  "Talk to the crew for help." (0% 0)
Dan:
  "Increase Possibility Factor to 100%." (+10% 0)
Mike:
  "You can't beat this monster." (0% 0)
Locke: (after Dan says to increase the PF)
  "The monster must have a weakness." (+15% +1)
Moby:
  "Mike is a biologist, right?" (0% 0)
Mike: (after Locke says the boss has a weakness)
  "Aim for the nucleus." (+35% +1)
Moby: (after Mike says to shoot the nucleus)
  "Increase Possibility Factor to 100%." (0% 0)
Dan:
  "His eye must be the nucleus." (+1% 0)
Locke:
  "It's a Bemul. A proto-bio monster." (0% 0)
Mike:
  "Let's blow him away." (0% +1)
Mike: (if spoken to first)
  "I told you, I didn't want to come." (0% 0)
Locke: (if spoken to first)
  "Find his weak point." (0% 0)
Moby: (after Locke says to find the weak point)
  "This monster is a one-celled creature." (0% 0)

You want to start off by talking to Dan, to Locke, and then to Mike.
This way, you'll begin with a nice PF of 60%. Afterwards, you should
speak to Dan to further increase the PF and to Mike to increase Life.

When you enter the Battle Phase, aim for the Bemul's eye and fire.
Hitting the Bemul's open eye does not increase the PF, but doing so
takes the fight to the next step. He will rear up and then ram you,
shooting off his eyeball-tentacles in the process. (Don't worry
about the ram damage - it's minor and can be repaired later.)

When the Bemul disappears, line your targetting sights up near
the ceiling and start scrolling to the sides. When you see an
eye-stalk tentacle, quickly shoot it. There are 4 tentacles,
and destroying each one increases the PF by 5%.

If you speak to the right people and kill all the tentacles, you
should have a PF of at least 80% when you return to the Conference
Phase. Repair your Shields and hike up the PF by talking, and you
should be able to reach 100% during the second Battle Phase. When
you do, the Bemul will be flashing and paralyzed - blast him to win!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[2.1.3] Act 1, Scene 3: Caves of Persidor
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MODE: Moby Platform-Action

                                * * *

  The heavy slugs from the VZR's cannon shreds the Bemul, tearing
it apart. The volatile chemicals in its body explode, heaving chunks
of it around the entire cavern.

  "Got 'em," Dan grins despite the sloppy mess splashing onto the
ship. Moby barely hears him.

  "I can't believe there are monsters down here! There must be
some meaning to all of this," she thinks aloud as she stares at
the monster's putrid remains. Damn, it sure is disgusting as hell!
"I'll check it out," she yells back to Dan as she opens the hatch.

  Walking out and inspecting the Bemul (or what's left of it), she
notices something glittering among the charred flesh. "Blue Crystal...
it's beautiful...," she says as she picks up a large, spherical gem
stone. Its solid weight rests neatly in her palm. Looking up and away
from it, she notices a path into the murky shadows. "I wonder what is
beyond this cave?"

                                * * *

Time to kick ass. Go right, watching out for the flying creature
(Listbat?). You can jump up to kick or shoot it. Drop down the first
pit you see, and then go left, down the rocky slope.

                                * * *

  Moby slides down the rocky mound. Wow - it's really dark in here,
but she doesn't fail to recognize the shape of a large Cyclone Drill,
sticking through the cavern wall. A figure lies still beside the
drill, badly injured.

  "It's the lost VZR-2!," exclaims Moby.

  The figured stirs. "Uhh, is that you Moby? The VZR-2 has been
taken by the Underworlders," groans the mortally wounded crewman as
he reaches into his pockets, "The gate should open... with this key."

  "Underworlders? Is Ziggy all right?"

  "You mean your friend? I think he is still in the VZR-2. Beware
of Zolda, their leader."

  Moby is silent, shuddering at the possibility of her beloved Ziggy
sharing a fate similar to that of the crewman slowly dying in front
of her. There is nothing more she can do here.

                                * * *

You can't help this guy, so you should continue to look for Ziggy.
Go right and over the hill (but don't go back up). A hostile green
Underworld soldier will confront you, jumping towards you. Duck
the green guy when he jumps, then turn around and fire. 5 shots
are enough to take him down.

Keep going to the right. Jump over the next pit, but drop into the
following one. (You shouldn't be able to go right anymore because
of a dead end.)

After dropping down, run left. Kill another green soldier who's
guarding a thick, light-colored gate. If you've received the key
from the VZR-2 crewman, you can touch this gate to open it.

After the gate, expect to find 3 more greenies. The one directly in
front of the VZR-2's hatch tends to leave Life Hearts when killed.

Enter the VZR-2 via the ramp so you drop into its interior. Walk
to the right, climbing up the platforms. When you drop down past
a high wall and into the maintenance bay, prepare to fight.

                                * * *

  The VZR-2's systems are down, so Moby is forced to grope her
way through the dim interior, until she finally stumbles into the
maintenance bay. There, she finds another Underworld soldier, but
this one's different. For one thing, he's over seven feet tall.
He also wears bulky armor of a deep red color, and gold hair flows
from his magenta-scaled, reptilian face. Moby can only observe this
towering figure in silent awe. He's definitely Zolda, the leader
the now-dead crewman has spoken of.

  "You must be the one from the surface?," harshly rasps the soldier,
"You have no right to be here. If you interfere with the Nonmalta
Empire, you won't leave this place alive."

  Moby, shocked by the creature's language, manages to calmly reply,
"We didn't intend to interfere."

  "Excuses! I'll send you to the Lab!"

  "The Lab?"

                                * * *

Moby's not about to let some creepy Underworlder boss her around.
When you regain control of the action, run back a bit, and then turn
and fire. Pump in as many shots as you can before Zolda catches up to
you. If he jumps, run underneath him to the other side where you can
turn and shoot again. If he keeps running, leap over him. I hope you
have enough ammo to beat him, because you don't want to get up close
to this guy! If Zolda touches you, quickly move away to minimize
damage. Keep hitting him, and he'll eventually leap off the screen.
(Actually, if you take too long, he'll still run away, whether or
not you hit him. Whacking him only makes him leave faster.)

After Zolda flees, check the rightmost side of the bay. If you don't
see anything there, scroll the screen to the left and then return
to the right. There's a little bug in the game where you need to
move the screen around a bit in order to bring new characters in....

                                * * *

  Moby catches her breath. What the hell was that all about? She
figures she should salvage whatever she can get her hands on and
then get the hell out before that guy comes back with more of his
buddies. Looking around, she curses the poor lighting as she nearly
trips over something.

  "G-13 Robot," she mutters to herself. Picking up the little
unit, she checks why it's inactive. "The power line is cut," she
discovers, "I'll patch it here."

  "WARNING!," blurts out the robot as soon as its energy source
is restored, "DANGER! MALFUNCTION!"

  "G-13... where's Ziggy?"

  "DOES NOT COMPUTE."

  "Is there nothing we can do?," cries Moby as she stands there,
exasperated, alone with the abandoned machine.

  G-13 only blinks its lights in confusion.

  Later, back in the VZR-5, Dan flips on the myriad switches on
his console. "VZR-5... ready for take off. We can use the parts
from VZR-2 to rig VZR-5 to fly." Locke, Mike, and he have managed
to clean up after Moby, repairing their own craft with the help
of G-13 and the hopelessly crippled VZR-2. "Hydro-Sonic stand-by.
Let's get our people back from them."

  "Yes, the battle is just beginning," continues Moby, "VZR-5...
full power ahead!" And then, in a quiet whisper so Dan can't hear
her, she adds, "Ziggy, wait for me. I'll be there soon...."

                                * * *

-------------------------
[2.2] ACT 2: DYNA CRYSTAL
-------------------------

PASSWORD: 3196

VZR STATUS:
 - T-Form .....................  on-line
 - H-Form .....................  on-line
 - A-Form .....................  on-line
 - Unit Alpha: Hydro-Sonic ....  on-line
 - Unit Beta:  Melt-Needle .... off-line
 - Unit Gamma: Hyper-Sight .... off-line
 - Unit Theta: Phaser-Gun  .... off-line

Now that you've gotten the hang of the different styles of gameplay,
you should have little trouble getting through the rest of the Acts,
right? Right??? This Act is longer than the first one, but it's not
that much tougher....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[2.2.1] Act 2, Scene 1: Crystal Cave
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MODE: VZR Horizontal Scrolling

Head right and start flying. You can now use the A-Form, which offers
the fastest and tightest control over your VZR.

The Hydro-Sonic sucks. Although it fires 4 swirling blades around your
ship, it's too slow to be effective against the quick little enemies
in this Scene.

Whether you jet or hover, take care as you fly across the large
chasm. A flower on the ceiling will fire at you, and it moves if
you get too close to it. Purple bat-like creatures waiting in the
middle of the air will split up and attack you when they sight you.
The bats are tough to avoid, but the damage they cause is nothing
a few seconds of Shield regeneration can't handle.

When you see some rock surface on the bottom again, keep flying.
You'll need the mobility to fight off 2 flowers along the cavern
floor and ceiling. Fly through the middle of the screen so you
have more room to work with. The flowers' bullets do more damage
than touching the bats, but colliding into walls deal even less
hurt, so don't stop!

Later on, there will be more flowers coupled with flying sparks
that try to ram you. Keep firing as you charge ahead - you'll
blast the enemies before they can even hit you!

After you see more purple bats, expect a soft rock wall. Drill right
through. Past the wall, flying red-gold monsters will attack. Shoot
'em, and hopefully some of their bodies will leave behind Fuel Cells.

Right after a second wall of soft rock, expect a very tough, flashing
flower that shoot bullets at you, just like the other flowers. Dodge
its shots as you fire back, using the A-Form's lasers. If you fly
past the flower without wasting it, it'll try to collide into you!

2 more flowers plan to ambush you from the ceiling, and even more
are waiting on both floor and ceiling later on. Expect to burrow
low to continue on afterwards. As you fly over another pit, watch
out for purple bats again.

When you see a short length of rocky floor, you're near the end. You
just have to fight past more bats and 2 flashing flowers. Climb up
the big red slope to enter the next Scene.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[2.2.2] Act 2, Scene 2: Montol Lake
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MODE: VZR Vertical Scrolling

                                * * *

  Dan peers ahead as the whole cave around the VZR rumbles. Talk
about Lethal Lava Land! The whole place is flooded with stewing
magma, submerging the entire ground. Despite the insulated interior,
the heat inside the ship grows to an uncomfortable level. "Montol
Lake," says Dan as he checks the map display, "We must fly from here."

  "VZR change to Aerial Mode and lock. Three, two, one, ... VZR-5...
full power ahead!"

                                * * *

Although this is the first vertically scrolling Scene in the game,
you should have no problem with it. Controls are mostly the same
as that of the previous Scene, only you can't use T-Form and the
screen scrolls forward at a constant rate. To save Fuel, stick with
the H-Form as much as possible, switching to A-Form only when you
need the extra mobility or firepower.

Winged eyeballs (Spilguts?) swarm towards you at the beginning
of this Scene. Shoot them. Obviously, colliding into the big rock
in the middle of the lake is bad, so veer around it.

Green bird-like monsters (Firebirds?) soon fly down along the sides
of the screen, dashing at you when both of you line up horizontally.
Switch to A-Form and outmaneuver them.

Revert to H-Form, however, because a wall of soft rock will be
looming ahead. Look out for worms (Worms???) from the other side
while you're drilling. Kill 'em for Fuel Cells.

After the worms, there are volcanoes spewing forth flaming balls
of hot magma (Fireballs?) at you. In A-Form, weave through the
middle of the screen and avoid them.

After some more green birds, worms, and a second soft rock wall,
the VZR will stop.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[2.2.3] Act 2, Scene 3: Ruins of Gaia
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MODE: VZR Cockpit

                                * * *

  "VZR, touchdown," says Dan as he lands the ship somewhere cool,
"Current location is 112 miles underground. It was around here that
VZR-3 disappeared."

  "Ancient ruins...," wonders Moby from her station, "Looks like
trinitrite. Did this civilization perish because of a nuclear war?"
Leaning forward to get a better look, a beep on her console catches
her attention. "Wait Dan! I've got something on the radar. The radar
is picking up a life form in sector 1216292E. It's close by!"

  What seems to be a column of rocks scuffles out from behind one
of the many pillars in the ruins. To the crew's horror, it turns
out to be a giant made of stone! The ruins echo with the sound
of the monster cracking its solid knuckles.

                                * * *

Time to kick more ass, cockpit view style! Here's all the dialogue
for the battle with Anrock.

Moby:
  "G-13, analyze his weak points." (0% 0)
Dan:
  "Find his weak point." (0% -1)
Locke:
  "That's Anrock, a bio-geo monster." (0% +1)
Mike:
  "Is this analyzing robot broken?" (0% -2)
G-13:
  "COMPUTING." (+5% +1)
Mike:
  "You worthless robot! Hurry up!" (0% 0)
Moby:
  "If its whole body is made of ore...." (0% 0)
Locke:
  "Find its fracture point." (0% 0)
Mike: (after Locke says to find the fracture point)
  "Have you tried using the Hydro-Sonic?" (0% 0)
G-13:
  "COMPUTING MONSTER'S FRACTURE POINT." (+60% +2)
G-13: (after G-13 says it's computing the fracture point)
  "COMPUTING." (0% +1)
Moby:
  "We're getting beat. Locke, do something!" (0% 0)
Dan:
  "It's going to take some time." (0% 0)
Locke: (After G-13 says it's computing the fracture point)
  "Computing complete. Aim for the navel." (-5% +2)
Mike:
  "The Electro-Gatling Gun has more power." (0% +2)
G-13: (after Locke says to shoot the navel)
  "SHOOT HIS NAVEL." (+5% 0)
Moby:
  "Where is the monster's navel?" (0% +2)
Dan: (after Locke says to aim for the navel)
  "Moby, aim for the middle of its forehead." (0% 0)
Locke: (after Dan says to shoot the forehead)
  "The center of his body is his head." (0% 0)

For a quick victory, talk to G-13 twice, then to Locke, then to
Dan, and then to G-13 again. This way, you'll boost the PF up to
60%. Even if it drops back down from talking to Locke, you'll be
able to increase it again later with G-13. The Electro-Gatling
works fine, so don't waste an Action switching to the Hydro-Sonic.
If you need Life later on, talk to Moby.

Confused about the boss' weak point? It's actually his eye, not the
stomach the screwed-up G-13 gets you to think of. Anrock's eye will
blink repeatedly. Shoot it when it opens, and after 2 or 3 hits he
will jump. As he flies off above the screen, the hole in his stomach
launches a boulder straight at you. Scroll away to avoid it.

Now this is where Anrock gets cheap. As you move left or right,
Anrock will sneak up to your VZR, clawing and dropping his heel
onto you, hitting you almost all the time. Quickly scroll away in
the opposite direction when he attacks to reduce the damage dealt
to your ship. (If you're lucky, you might avoid some of his blows.)
Don't bother shooting his limbs, since doing so has no apparent
effect. Sometimes he will return to the background to toss more
rocks at you from the dark. Like with his earlier boulder, simply
pan away to avoid getting knocked around by it.

You cannot hit Anrock again until the next Battle Phase starts.
During the Conference Phase, speak to Moby for Life and speak to
G-13 to increase the PF. If you plan things out correctly, you
can kill Anrock during the beginning of the second Battle Phase!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[2.2.4] Act 2, Scene 4: Halls of Gaia
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MODE: Moby Platform-Action

                                * * *

  Rocky pieces of Anrock slam into the hull of the VZR as he
shatters from the force of the craft's cannon. "Got 'em," Dan
says as he maneuvers the ship between the flying chunks.

  "This place is worse than Persidor," responds Moby. She can't
believe there are so many dangerous creatures lurking about at these
depths. She observes the scenery around them. "Ancient ruins of some
lost civilization. Is there any connection with the Nonmaltas? I'll
check it out."

  She walks out after the VZR lands. In the smoking pile that used
to be Anrock, she spots a large gem that looks exactly like the blue
one she's found from the Bemul, only this time it's ruby-colored.
"Red Crystal...," she whispers as she holds it up, "This is the
second one. What secrets do the Crystals hold?" Looking up, she
decides to explore the ruins that lie before her.

                                * * *

When you start, you'll be standing on top of some stone ruins.
Go right, hopping over the first pit you see. You should meet
3 Nonmalta soldiers, the same green dudes from the previous
Act, before you get to a small message tablet on the floor.

                                * * *

  Moby notices a tiny, square piece of fine stone on the floor.
Mysterious engravings mark its otherwise smooth surface. "A stone
tablet - it may hold a clue," says Moby to herself as she picks
it up and takes a closer look. "Carved symbols... like ancient
hieroglyphics. Strange... what does it all mean?" The secrets
on the tablet elude her, so her mind returns to the mission at
hand. "The people on the VZR-3 were attacked here. The Nonmaltas
must have a hideout around here."

                                * * *

Drop into the next pit to the right, and when you do, go down another
pit to the right (a wall past this point blocks your progress into
the rest of the same floor).

Continue to drop into pits, until you land inside some red ruins.
Don't worry about getting killed here, because there are no enemies
on this red floor. On the far right is a locked gate. Go up the hole
closest to the door (this hole should be right above some stairs).

After you hop up, go left, jumping over a pit. Climb the large
steps and leap up into the hole at the top of the stairs. Watch
out for a Nonmalta soldier along the way.

Up there, head right. Jump over the flying gremlins and cougars.
The cougars (Loepins?) will pause for a moment before leaping up.
The trick is to run up close to these cats and then jump at the
last moment. If you jump too early, you might scrape against them
when you land. Drop into the pit after these purple monsters.

Now skip down the steps to the right, killing 2 soldiers in the
vicinity. You should see some stairs, which lead up to a chained
figure in red.

                                * * *

  Moby finds herself ontop of a strange formation of stones.
Is this place some sort of altar? Suddenly, something in the
corner of her eye shifts! Moby smells... perfume?

  "Who's there?," interrogates Moby, her eyes straining through
the darkness, her fear confused by the pleasant scent.

  "Are you from the surface?," replies a surprisingly gentle voice.
As Moby approaches the speaker, she sees a young human woman whose
wrists are chained to the walls. Her splendid dress is fitted with
the finest lace and jewels. There's no doubt this captive is of
some royal line; her stature just doesn't mix with these cold,
dank surroundings. "I'm the Princess of the Underworld Kingdom
of Dinamur," she introduces herself, "I was imprisoned here by
Zolda of the Nonmaltas. He plans to rule both the Underworld
and the Overworld."

  Moby inspects the rusting chains. They're of a sturdy build, but
they can be easily busted apart by a well-aimed shot.

  "Dinamur is at the mercy of the Nonmaltas," the Princess softly
continues, "The four Crystals... that protect the Underworld have
been stolen by the monsters. Zolda is somewhere in his hideout."

  "Dyna Crystals...," Moby says thoughtfully. She carefully breaks
off the regal prisoner's chains.

                                * * *

Alright, this is a little weird, but Moby supposedly frees the
Princess. If you scroll the screen to the left and then return,
she will be gone, so quit screwing around and get going!

Head left, over the stairs. Do not go up the hole above the top
of the stairs, but drop down the next hole you see to the left.
You will be near the gate you've encountered earlier. If you
have met the Princess, you can unlock it and continue on.

                                * * *

  "Zolda!," cries Moby as she runs into the leader's hideout, with
the Princess trailing behind her.

  "So you're still alive...," snickers the reptilian humanoid,
"It's useless to defy me. You won't leave this place alive."

  Moby's had enough of this kind of crap and decides to screw around
with Zolda's mind. "Is that all you have to say? We'll see who has
the last laugh."

  "Whaat?!"

  "You can't escape me!"

                                * * *

Again, back off and then fire away. Depending on whether he jumps
or keeps running towards you, dash underneath or leap over the bully
before he catches up to you. After a hefty load of shots, you'll beat
him off for good.

Pass through the gate on the right side of the room. You should find
the Princess waiting at the end of the hall. As with G-13's first
appearance, she might not be there. If you don't see her, walk one
screen to the left and then return.

                                * * *

  Moby dusts off her hands. She's starting to get used to beating up
those Nonmalta jerks. Now, where's that Princess? To the rear of the
hideout, she notices that a gate is unlocked. She steps through it
and walks down the hall, finding the Princess waiting for her. It
looks like the Princess has managed to unseal the exit while Zolda
has been distracted.

  "Thank you for saving my life," she humbly begins, "Zolda has
escaped to Magma Falls."

  "Our people must be at Magma Falls!"

  "Are you going there? I'll come with you. There is a cave
by the Falls where our King is being held captive by them."

  "All right."

  Moby brings her back to the VZR, where the others have been slaving
over the repairs and fighting off Nonmalta soldiers creeping up on
them. Quick acquaintances are made as everyone straps in. It turns
out Moby's guest prefers to be simply called "Diane" by her new
friends.

  Dan powers on the systems, "VZR-5... ready for take off. Melt-Needle
stand by! Head for Magma Falls!"

  "Three, two, one, ... VZR-5... full power ahead! Ziggy, wait for me.
I'll be there soon...."

                                * * *

------------------------
[2.3] ACT 3: MAGMA FALLS
------------------------

PASSWORD: 3569

VZR STATUS:
 - T-Form .....................  on-line
 - H-Form .....................  on-line
 - A-Form .....................  on-line
 - Unit Alpha: Hydro-Sonic ....  on-line
 - Unit Beta:  Melt-Needle ....  on-line
 - Unit Gamma: Hyper-Sight .... off-line
 - Unit Theta: Phaser-Gun  .... off-line

Time ta' rescue yer' pals! This Act has some pretty decent
challenges, but it shouldn't be anything you can't handle
with a little strategy and a few quick reflexes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[2.3.1] Act 3, Scene 1: Subterranean Jungle
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MODE: VZR Horizontal Scrolling

The Melt-Needle sucks here. It drops a mine that explodes on contact,
and you might even wind up killing yourself by running into your own
mines. You might as well Electro-Gatling most of the bad guys, which
is faster and more Fuel-efficient.

Begin by drilling through the soft rock to the right of the
starting point. Snail-like monsters (Znails?) will bounce
forwards when disturbed, so don't attack them until they're
close enough to bounce over you harmlessly.

As you drive down the slope, a huge, exotic jungle will reveal
itself in the background. Cool! Unfortunately, fire-breathing
dragons/pterodactyls (Dragons?) will also attack at that moment.
Kill 'em, and you might get some Fuel.

Afterwards, you must fly over some deep water. Beware of green
reptiles that jump out of the pools. Also look out for starfish
(Starguns?) flying through the air, trying to crash into you!

More snails and jumping reptiles wait on the other side of
another soft rock wall. Keep going, and the last layer of
soft rock will hide the exit to the next Scene.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[2.3.2] Act 3, Scene 2: Underground Volcano
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MODE: VZR Vertical Scrolling

                                * * *

  The earth below the VZR opens up, the molten, orange sea exposed
underneath threatening to swallow the crew up. "It's an underground
volcano!," yells Dan over the loud roar of the cave, "We must fly
from here."

  "VZR change to Aerial Mode and lock. Three, two, one, ... VZR-5...
full power ahead!" According to Diane, the Falls aren't far from
their current location.

                                * * *

Alright, here's where the Melt-Needle comes in handy. After equipping
it, hold B to gather 4 mines around you. They'll revolve around your
VZR, knocking out any bad guys who are foolish enough to approach
you. When you release B, the mines will be launched away, striking
anything that crosses their path. The mines travel in vertical or
horizontal lines only, and they detonate as soon as they hit a baddie.

Eyeballs will greet you while you fly over the lava. Watch out for
erupting volcanoes on the cave walls. The A-Form is ideal here,
because its maneuverability and Melt-Needle can help you fend
off your optic attackers.

After the volcanoes, gold flying shelled monsters will join the
wave of eyes. Kill 'em for Fuel. If you must get hit, ram the
rock walls instead of the bad guys.

When a big rock appears in the middle of the magma, green
birds will fly down along the sides, lining up and charging
towards you. Zip around them or blow 'em outta the sky.

The VZR will pause when it reaches the foot of Magma Falls.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[2.3.3] Act 3, Scene 3: Magma Falls
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MODE: VZR Cockpit

                                * * *

  The VZR glides across the huge caverns, slowing to a halt before
the might of Magma Falls. If it isn't so damn hot, the beautiful
cascades of flowing molten rock are actually quite a sight to behold.

  Almost expectantly, the vertical streams shiver violently. "It's
an earthquake!," groans Dan as he wipes the sweat off his forehead,
"We are currently at 240 miles underground."

  "Wait Dan! I've got something on the radar. I'm showing a life
form in Sector 3116145W.... It's at the bottom of the Falls!"

  This is no mere quake. With a terrifying roar, a massive form
emerges from the lava. Looming before the VZR is a six-story-tall
bipedal lizard. Moby and Dan exchange glances of disbelief at the
sight of the dinosaur, who grins his teeth at the sight of them.

  Sheee-yit.

                                * * *

Screw what the manual says - this hot dude is Zalta, not Zatan.

Moby:
  "It's a reptilian monster." (0% -1)
Dan:
  "Find his weak point." (0% -1)
Locke:
  "Increase Possibility Factor to 100%." (0% -1)
Mike:
  "Let's use the Melt-Needle." (0% +1)
G-13:
  "DANGER! DANGER!" (0% -1)
Diane:
  "Zalta's weakness is water!" (+50% +2)
Moby:
  "There can't be any water in this sea of fire." (0% +1)
Dan:
  "Its weak point is water." (0% 0)
Locke:
  "Water is a combination of oxygen and hydrogen...." (0% 0)
Mike:
  "This Melt-Needle is useless...." (+30% -1)
G-13:
  "WATER! WATER!" (0% 0)
Moby: (after G-13 keeps screaming "water!")
  "We can't use our ration of drinking water!" (0% 0)
Locke: (if Moby says that they can't use their water ration)
  "Use the Hydro-Sonic...." (-10% +1)
Mike:
  "Water... I'm sounding like Helen Keller." (0% +1)
Diane:
  "...." (0% 0)
Moby: (after Mike mentions H. Keller)
  "We're getting beat. Locke, do something!" (0% 0)
Dan:
  "We can't beat it unless it transforms itself." (0% 0)
Locke: (after Moby asks Locke to do something)
  "Check your Life Meter." (0% +1)
Mike:
  "Let's blow him away." (+1% 0)
G-13:
  "...." (0% 0)
Diane:
  "Don't give up." (0% +4)

Princess Diane, being a native of the Underworld, is familiar with
the legend of Zalta. Speak to her first to learn of the monster's
weakness, and then talk to Mike to boost the PF all the way up to
80%. Be sure to switch to the Hydro-Sonic before you begin fighting.

With your oversized squirt gun, unleash a tsunami of death. Zalta
is tough, and he'll take a few good hits before he starts to attack.
When he charges, pan away to safety. (You can hit him while he's still
charging, but be sure to move outta the way before he pounds you!)

Zalta will emerge in front of you as you move around. When he appears
up close, he'll charge again. When he shows up from afar, he'll tail
whip you. The tail attack is much faster than the charge, only giving
you enough time to hit him about once before you should back off.

During the Conference Phase, talk to Mike for more PF and hang around
with Diane to jack up your Life. (I wonder how she does it....) Plan
your moves well, and you can actually kill Zalta during the first
Battle Phase!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[2.3.4] Act 3, Scene 4: Beyond the Rain
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MODE: Moby Platform-Action

Note: This Scene is mislabeled "Princess of Dinamur" in the manual.
      Apparently, you've already met Diane in Act 2, so I have to
      find a substitute, as bad as it may be....

                                * * *

  Zalta's fiery home does not prepare it well against the VZR's
advanced weaponry. In its raging death throes, it sinks back into
the molten sea from whence it came. "Got 'em," sighs Dan with a
breath of relief.

  "Look, a cave!," exclaims Moby, pointing to a large crack in the
cavern wall. When Zalta died, a section of the Falls seemed to have
parted, revealing the concealed entrance. "VZR, touchdown."

  As Moby exits the ship, a huge but invisible wave of heat
immediately washes against her. Undeterred, she climbs up to
the cave, where she spots a round piece of emerald stashed away
in a small cleft. "Green Crystal...," Moby utters as she pulls
it out, "One more Crystal and we'll have all four." A faint cry,
ringing out from the shadowy depths of the cave, interrupts her
train of thought. "What?," she wonders as she pockets the third
Dyna Crystal and enters the scorching darkness.

                                * * *

This is one of the easiest Scenes in the entire game. The cave
is a simple, single-floor room that extends far to the right.
Run ahead, dashing underneath 2 bats. Hop over the cougar and
the gremlin. You should be able to run past a trio of bats with
minimal damage. A single bat and another cougar are the last bad
guys you'll encounter before reaching the end of the cave.

                                * * *

  Moby manages to fight off and escape the monsters, leaning against
a large stalagmite to catch her breath. Something shuffles behind
the rock column, and Moby jumps back, caught off guard! Timidly
leaning out from around the stalagmite, a uniformed figure appears.
Dirt cakes her skin and her wrinkled yet unmistakable VZR-2 tag.

  "Silvia!," cries Moby, lowering her gun. At last! She's finally
located a lost crewman!

  "Moby?," gasps Silvia, clutching Moby, "Help me!"

  "Where are the others?"

  "Allan and Davis are still held by the Nonmaltas," Silvia sniffles,
and then pausing a bit to gather her confidence, "We must save them."

  "The Lab?"

  Silvia nods. Apparently, the Lab is getting to be quite popular.
Moby tells Silvia where the VZR-5 is and then drops down into the
entrance leading to the secret base, hoping to find the other two
crewmen alive and well. Interesting - few would have suspected a
Nonmalta base to be hidden below Magma Falls....

                                * * *

Don't worry about Silvia, because she'll be safe. When you land
inside the base, go right (the left leads to a dead end with a
soldier). As you advance, you should meet several soldiers and
a pit. Go in this hole.

You'll find yourself in front of a locked gate, so head left until
you hit another sealed gate. There are no enemies on this floor.

Hop up on the blue-gray platforms and get up into the hole above.
Now go left (because the right leads back to where you've entered
earlier). There will be a soldier and another hole on the far left.

Drop down this hole to find...

                                * * *

  "Dan!," Moby exclaims as she drops down. Her second-in-command
is standing on top of some steps, panting hard, gripping his gun
in one sweaty hand and leaning against the wall with the other.
What's going on here?

  "The Nonmaltas have taken the VZR-5!," Dan forces out between
heavy breaths, "I left Locke and Mike with the VZR-5. Diane, G-13
and I were searching for dilenium to refuel with the VZR-5."

  "We're doomed!," wails Moby, "Without the VZR-5..."

  "... we're stranded," Dan finishes her sentence. Both of them
think of their lost friends again, and then he brings her mind
back on track. "We must save our people and the King."

  Moby stays silent for a while, analyzing their situation. "Never
give up. Perhaps, we can see the future beyond the rain."

  She runs past Dan, leaving him baffled with her strange quotation.

                                * * *

Dan, like Silvia, will be fine. Walk past him and continue
into the dark hall on the right. You'll meet another human.

                                * * *

  "Davis!," gasps Moby, "You're alive!" It looks like more than
one VZR crewman have managed to take advantage of the confusion
and succeeded in fleeing their prisons.

  "Moby, you came to save me!" Davis doesn't look any better than
Silvia. His grainy hair is matted, and his Nonmalta captors seem
to have roughed him up. Yet, he somehow manages to stay cheerful....
"Allan is being held somewhere in the hideout."

  "Is Ziggy all right?"

  "I don't know the details but... Ziggy has been sent to the Lab."

  "The Lab?"

  Davis helps her unlock the gate behind him, and then leaves to
catch up with Dan.

                                * * *

After talking to Davis, exit through the gate. Remember this place?
You've jumped up those blue-gray platforms just a few minutes ago,
before Dan told you the whole VZR-5 situation was turning to hell.
Anyway, keep heading right, backtracking across your old path.
The gate on the extreme right that once barred your path is now
unlocked. Open it and proceed.

                                * * *

  Moby enters what appears to be a storage room. Standing in the
middle of the floor is an exceptionally large Nonmalta soldier.
He isn't Zolda; his scaly face is blue, and his hair is magenta,
but he wears the same type of blood-red armor. This guy must be
some sort of leader! She waits for him to speak.

  "HA! HA! HA!," laughs the warrior with the same sibilance found
in all Nonmalta speech, "So you're the one who defeated Zolda....
If you interfere with the Nonmalta Empire, you won't leave this
place alive."

  "Why do you want to corrupt the worlds?"

  "Shut up! No Overworlder has the right to tell me what to do down
here! You're making peace as an excuse for your own cowardliness."

  Moby, taken aback by this insult, has nothing else to say as she
slams a fresh clip into her blaster.

                                * * *

This mysterious Nonmalta captain fights no differently than Zolda. Run
back to give yourself some room before firing. Jump over or run below
him when he approaches you. Because there have been so few enemies in
the previous areas, you should have plenty of ammo for this battle.

After pumping his ass full of Star-Light energy, the boss will escape
through a ceiling hatch. Forget him for now and exit to the right.

If you don't see someone there, scroll the screen to the left and
then return to the right. Yeah, I know this glitch really sucks....

                                * * *

  Moby can't help but smirk as she watches her enemy scamper away.
These Nonmalta soldiers are all the same - loud, brash, arrogant,
and full of bullshit. She proceeds to search for Allan and, surely
enough, walks right into him at the end of the hall.

  "Allan!," her face beams ecstatically.

  "Moby! You're okay!," greets the young engineer. Despite the
conditions he's been living in for the past couple of days, his
flashy hair is still easy to spot in the dark. "The Underworlders
are heading for the Control Tower. They plan to execute the King,"
he reports, and then sensing Moby's uneasiness about Ziggy's
fate, he quickly adds, "The Lab is located inside that Tower!"

  "The VZR-5 has been stolen by the Nonmaltas," she gravely
informs him.

  "Don't worry, we can take the VZR-4. I found it hidden in the
hideout. Dan and Davis are repairing the VZR-4 right now." Allan
places his hands on her shoulders, instilling some sense of hope
into her. "Head for the Control Tower!"

  "All right."

  The two quickly work their way to the VZR-4. When they arrive,
they see Dan and Davis buzzing frantically around the entire ship,
patching up the armor and recalibrating the weapons. Silvia, G-13,
and Princess Diane are also helping out, reinitializing the shield
generators and other electrical systems. It won't take long before
the remaining Nonmalta soldiers figure out what's going on, so the
group decides to leave immediately.

  "VZR-4 ready for take off," calls out Dan as he pushes the
throttle forward, "We can't fly... the Aerial Mode is disabled."

  "Ah... there is still much to do," sighs Moby, "We must save the
King and our people... and find the four Crystals." She settles into
the commander's chair. It used to be her father's. "VZR-4 take off!
Prepare to dive." As the ship plunges into the rock floor, her
mind wanders back to her beloved. "I'm concerned for Ziggy's life.
Ziggy, wait for me. I'll be there soon."

                                * * *

------------------
[2.4] ACT 4: ZIGGY
------------------

PASSWORD: 1719

VZR STATUS:
 - T-Form .....................  on-line
 - H-Form .....................  on-line
 - A-Form ..................... off-line
 - Unit Alpha: Hydro-Sonic .... off-line
 - Unit Beta:  Melt-Needle .... off-line
 - Unit Gamma: Hyper-Sight ....  on-line
 - Unit Theta: Phaser-Gun  .... off-line

Well, Moby's current situation kinda sucks. At least the VZR-4
comes with a working Hyper-Sight. Use it properly, and it'll
help you get through the rest of the mission. Enemies begin
to hit a lot harder now, so I hope you're good with those VZRs....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[2.4.1] Act 4, Scene 1: Lemuria
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MODE: VZR Horizontal Scrolling

Check out these purple caves! Take in the scenery now, because
you're gonna be heading into some nasty territory. The VZR-4
handles just like the VZR-5, but as with the first Act, it
can't use the A-Form due to its damaged stabilizers.

The Hyper-Sight, however, makes up for this, because it fires 6
homing energy spheres that seek out and burn down enemies. Don't
go crazy with it, however, since it reloads very slowly, requiring
all 6 shots to disappear before it can launch another set.

Start hovering and fly right, watching out for a shooting flower.
Soon enough, you must go underwater. The VZR obviously can't float
in T-Form due to its dense build, so hover underwater (yes, you
can hover in water!) and shoot the green amoebae in your way. After
emerging on the other side, you'll meet gun-happy brain-stalks.

Flashing bats will ambush you beyond a wall of soft rock. Just keep
flying straight ahead, blasting them. More brain-stalks await you up
ahead. If you want to, get rough on their asses with the Hyper-Sight.
Later on, there's another underwater part with more amoebae.

After even more stalks and flashing bats, you should spot some
submerged rock near the bottom of the screen (the rock will look
ice-blue under the water). If you're low on Fuel, land on it and
finish the Scene in T-Form.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[2.4.2] Act 4, Scene 2: City of Lemuria
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MODE: VZR Horizontal Scrolling

Note: This is the only Act where two horizontally
      scrolling Scenes appear one after the other.

                                * * *

  Dan skillfully drives the VZR-4 up and out of the water. He's
getting used to handling the new ship. "We are currently at 380
miles underground."

  "We are surfacing on the Underworld ocean," responds Moby, "There
are some islands around here." Amazing! Strange-looking buildings
inhabit the small bits of dry land dotting the vast underground body
of water. There isn't time to enjoy the view though, because Nonmalta
patrols can be seen closing in from the distance.

                                * * *

This place can get downright dangerous if you're not prepared. As
you burrow through massive walls of soft rock near the beginning,
blast the orange, flexing, barrier-like enemies. Waiting for you
on the other side are the purple bats that split apart.

Switch to T-Form and slowly advance. Blast the bats and wait for your
Shields to recharge before moving on. After you drill through the
last of the soft walls, charge ahead in T-Form and don't stop firing.

AERIAL BOMBARDMENT!! Fireballs will rain down on you like a hellish
meteor shower, but keep shooting and advancing. The spreading bullets
of the Electro-Gatling should knock out the fireballs threatening to
hit you from the front, and the ones behind you will not touch your
VZR because you're constantly driving forwards. Orange barriers will
also try to crash into you from time to time. Shoot them down, too!
You should have enough Fuel to make it to the end, so don't stop to
pick up any Power-Ups left behind. Doing so gives the fireballs a
chance to waste you.

The hail of death stops when you go up a large slope, but hordes of
red-gold flying monsters will swarm you. Start hovering to increase
your speed, and keep moving and shooting until you find a long stretch
of land by the screen bottom. Staying low will help you avoid the
flying enemies, so drop down and ride on to the finish line in T-Form.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[2.4.3] Act 4, Scene 3: The Control Tower
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MODE: VZR Cockpit

                                * * *

  Dan slows the craft as the Nonmalta Control Tower rises into his
field of sight. "VZR, touchdown. We are currently at 696 miles
underground."

  "696 miles? I feel bad about this," worries Moby just as a large
blip pops onto her screen, "I'm showing a life form in sector
5351022E. It's near the Control Tower."

  A most ugly monster leaps out from thin air and lands in front of
the VZR-4, crushing the ground beneath its feet. It's unlike anything
Moby and Dan have ever seen, resembling a large metallic skeleton
with weapons grafted onto its arms. What strikes them as most peculiar
about this cyborg is the mass of organic tissue, plugged with wires,
under the transparent cap of its skull....

                                * * *

You've gotta blow this Bandal freak away before you can enter
the Tower.

Moby:
  "...." (0% 0)
Dan:
  "Increase Possibility Factor to 100%." (0% 0)
Davis:
  "Find his weak point." (0% 0)
Silvia:
  "Allan may know something." (0% -1)
G-13:
  "ACCORDING TO COMPUTATION, IT'S A BIONIC MONSTER." (0% -1)
Diane:
  "The same monsters were used to conquer the Underworld." (+5% -2)
Dan: (after Diane says these monsters were used to conquer her home)
  "It is Bandal, the bionic monster." (0% 0)
Davis:
  "Does that monster have the brain of an Underworlder?" (0% 0)
Silvia:
  "They call the monster Bandal." (+10% 0)
Allan: (if spoken to before Diane)
  "But, to use a human brain for such a thing...." (-5% +2)
Allan: (if NOT spoken to before Diane)
  "It's a creation of their laboratory." (+10% +1)
Moby: (after Allan says Bandal is a lab creation)
  "That monster has sad eyes. I wonder why?" (0% 0)
Allan: (after Diane says these monsters were used to conquer her home)
  "At this rate we'll be defeated." (0% 0)
Diane: (after talking to Allan)
  "The Underworld has succeeded in creating a prototype." (0% +1)
G-13: (after talking to Diane)
  "THE BRAIN IS CONTROLLED MECHANICALLY." (+10% -1)

Note: All lines below occur after G-13 says
      the brain is controlled mechanically.

Silvia:
  "I wonder what that protector in its right shoulder is?" (0% 0)
Davis:
  "Everything has a weak point." (0% 0)
Dan:
  "G-13! Find his weak point quick!" (0% 0)
Moby:
  "Increase Possibility Factor to 100%." (0% +2)
G-13:
  "THE PROTECTOR COVERS THE NERVE CONNECTOR." (0% 0)
Diane:
  "We need to destroy the nerve protector." (+50% +2)
Allan:
  "Has his nerve connector illuminated yet?" (+1% 0)
Silvia:
  "Check your Life Meter and Possibilities." (+1% 0)
Dan:
  "Is that the nerve connector on its right shoulder?" (0% 0)
Davis:
  "Is that the nerve connector on its right shoulder?" (0% 0)
Diane:
  "Don't give up." (0% +2)
G-13: (after G-13 says the protector covers the nerve connector)
  "DOES NOT COMPUTE." (0% 0)
Moby:
  "...." (-1% 0)

Talk to the crew in this order: Diane, Silvia, G-13, and Diane again.
Is a PF of 75% good enough for you? Diane's right - you must blow
off the protector. After talking to the others, you'll learn that
the shoulder pad above the big claw is the protector. What nobody
tells you is that Bandal is vulnerable to the Hyper-Sight. Equip
it before the Battle Phase begins.

Fire on Bandal's blue-colored shoulder pad until he jumps away.
Bandal only has 1 method of attack, and that's by firing either
his claw or a single missile as he retreats into the background.
The claw and missiles fly straight towards you the same, and both
types of projectiles can be avoided by panning off to the sides.

This guy pretty much sucks, not to mention how every successful hit
you deal to him will raise the PF by 10%. During the Conference Phase,
talk to Silvia or Allan for more PF, and extra Life can be squeezed
out from Diane (huhuhuhuh...).  ;p

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[2.4.4] Act 4, Scene 4: The Laboratory
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MODE: Moby Platform-Action

                                * * *

  The force from the VZR's weapon knocks Bandal into a smoking heap
on the cold, hard ground. "Got 'em," says Dan as usual, but he can't
help but feel that something is terribly wrong about this encounter.

  "It's a bionic monster," Moby says bewildered, "They're using
life forms for their sick experiments...."

  She walks out towards the broken body. Encrusted in its head is the
fourth Dyna Crystal. As she pulls it out, Bandal's silent eyes seem to
stare into her face. Moby, disturbed by its tortured visage, hurries
and leaves with the precious jewel in hand. "The Yellow Crystal. We
must take back the other three Crystals." She looks up. The Nonmalta
base of operations seems to stretch forever into the dark sky, looming
over and monitoring the landscape like a grim tyrant. "The Control
Tower," Moby whispers with dreadful awe.

                                * * *

Despite what the Tower appears like from the outside, Moby will not
have to climb many floors. Actually, you won't have much to do here.

First, go right. Hop over the first pit you come across, and you'll
find an old acquaintance....

                                * * *

  Moby runs into the Nonmalta who's escaped from Magma Falls. She
quickly aims her weapon, waiting for her enemy's move.

  "HA! HA! HA!," haughtily laughs the scaly captain, "You crumbs
are still alive? So you think you can defy me? The great Icamod?"

  After pausing for a moment, Moby asks, "Why do the Nonmaltas
keep fighting this stupid war?"

  "Then I shall explain it to you," he answers impatiently, "the
Over- and Underworlds were once all ours. 34 million years ago,
our kingdom was in the Overworld. We're merely taking back what
was rightly ours to begin with."

  "34 million years ago?" What can he be possibly talking about?

                                * * *

The "great Icamod" is not so big and mighty, as you should know
by now. Run back, bang him up with your gun, and then jump/run
past him when he gets up close.

When Icamod runs away a second time, exit through the gate on
the right. Jump over the pit you'll see and continue to the
extreme right. There's someone Moby should be glad to find.

                                * * *

  "Father...," Moby cries out happily, "You're alive! Icamod has
escaped!"

  "Moby, you came to save me!," coughs Banda. The elderly and gentle
professor is no match against his burly and aggressive wardens. "We
just missed him. They've taken Ziggy's brain and... transplanted it
into the bionic monster, Bandal."

  "Bandal? Our Ziggy? You mean the monster had Ziggy's brain?," Moby
gasps in horror, "That's the most cruel thing.... Where is Ziggy's
body?"

  "It's in the Lab."

  "...."

                                * * *

Moby's too distressed to untie her dad, but be assured that he
will be rescued. (Unlike Diane, he does not disappear when you
scroll the screen away and back.)

Go back left and drop into the hole you've jumped over earlier.
After landing below, jump over the hole to the right and recover
something you've lost.

                                * * *

  Moby, sick over the demise of Ziggy, nearly trips as she staggers
down the Tower's long and winding hallways. Looking down, she notices
something familiar.

  "The stone tablet? The one at the ruins.... I can read a bit of the
ancient hieroglyphics." Diane has taught her a few basic inscriptions.

  "One kingdom to survive," Moby slowly translates, "Atlantis
victorious."

  She pauses at this, and then continues.

  "The defeated Lemurians. The Gaia dies in the light."

  "What does it mean?," wonders Moby as she notices how the edges
of the stone denote a missing part, "We need the other tablet."
She pockets the miniature slab and continues searching for the Lab.

                                * * *

Go into the hole on your left and you'll drop down in front
of another gate. Moby's talked to her dad, so she can open it.

                                * * *

  At last, Moby locates the awful Lab. After what seems like an
eternity of walking through its endless corridors, she turns a corner
to see her nightmare become a reality. Ziggy's body lies motionless
on a surgical table, his violated head hastily wrapped with filthy
bandages. Various tools of malicious intent, stained with crusted
blood, lie recklessly scattered about near his corpse.

  "Ziggy, though we finally meet...," weeps Moby after gazing long
into her fiance' pale face, "I love you."

  A tear streams down from her watery eyes as her warm lips embrace
his cold ones.

  There is nothing else she can do there. Moby frees her father
and slowly heads back to the VZR-4 with him. Everyone hears the
bad news and offers her or his deep condolences. Diane also informs
the crew that the Nonmalta forces have fled to the volcanic Capital
of Dinamur, taking her father with them. The enemy must be planning
to exploit the power of the Dyna Crystals!

  "VZR-4 ready for take off," reports Dan glumly, "Aerial Mode has
been repaired. We can fly again. Head for the Volcanic City."

  "The King must be there.... Let's go," replies a subdued Moby,
"VZR-4 take off!" For the final time, she stares bitterly at the
Tower, then at the lonely remains of Bandal. "Never give up," she
whispers to herself, "Perhaps, we can see the future beyond the
rain." After a while, Dan swears he hears her sob, "I miss Ziggy."

                                * * *

----------------------
[2.5] ACT 5: DUAL DUEL
----------------------

PASSWORD: 1024

VZR STATUS:
 - T-Form .....................  on-line
 - H-Form .....................  on-line
 - A-Form .....................  on-line
 - Unit Alpha: Hydro-Sonic .... off-line
 - Unit Beta:  Melt-Needle .... off-line
 - Unit Gamma: Hyper-Sight ....  on-line
 - Unit Theta: Phaser-Gun .....  on-line

Things are not going well at all. Ziggy's gone. Diane's dad is
gonna be executed. 3 of the Dyna Crystals are in enemy hands.
Moby's losin' her mind here, man! This is supposedly the toughest
Act of all, but keep your cool, and you'll leave the Underworld
alive. With the help of Professor Banda, the VZR-4's Phaser is
back in action.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[2.5.1] Act 5, Scene 1: Dilenium Mines
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MODE: VZR Horizontal Scrolling

The Phaser is your most powerful Special Weapon, so let it speak
for you as you tear across the skies. Just remember to keep an
eye on your Fuel.

Everything's so green! Well, we've got a war to stop and a world
leader to save, so let's not waste any time. Drill through the
soft rock and then start flying.

Hover so you can use the Phaser against the fire-breathing dragons.
Each dragon sucks up 2 Phaser waves before dying, so don't be shy
with the trigger button. You should also move up and down to avoid
the fireballs. Flying along the extreme bottom of the screen seems
to help you avoid the opposition here, too. When you see some
rock floor again, fly high to avoid the bouncing snails before
encountering a second layer of soft rock.

Next, there's a big-ass pit. Quickly Phaser down the dragons and get
any Fuel they leave behind. When you land, more soft rock attempts to
block you. A single snail lurks inside the wall. Keep shooting as you
drill your way towards it, so you'll blast it before it rams into you.

After the soft rock, resume flying and immediately shoot the starfish
that'll swarm you. Again, the Phaser is your best bet, but if you're
low on Fuel, you can switch to the A-Form and rely on its lasers.

When you can, land. Prepare to enter the Dinamur Capital.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[2.5.2] Act 5, Scene 2: Volcanic City
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MODE: VZR Vertical Scrolling

                                * * *

  Dan struggles with the flight stick as he fights off the Nonmalta
air forces guarding the Capital City airspace. "It's the Underworld's
Volcanic City," he shouts, "We must fly from here." Diane explains
that a lava canal runs through the Capital, serving as an energy
source for the citizens. Unfortunately, this means the VZR cannot
continue via the surface.

  "VZR change to Aerial Mode and lock," commands Moby, "Three, two,
one, ... VZR-4 take off!"

                                * * *

Contact with the fluctuating barriers made of tiny flashing squares
means instant death for the VZR. Don't collide into them unless you
prefer to become one with the lava. You can either fly around them
or blast them with something like the Phaser.

Eyeballs and soft rock will greet you after the third barrier, so you
might as well stick with the H-Form. Pick up all the Fuel Cells you
can get your hands on; you can never have too much dilenium!

As you fly over the lava canal, avoid anti-aircraft fire from turrets
occupied by Nonmalta forces below on the ground. Bash into the walls
of the canal if you're desperate. Shelled monsters will intercept you
after the AA guns. Use the Phaser for the quickest and most violent
results. (Notice how only the walls lining the canal can hurt you
upon impact. Once you ram through the walls, you won't be damaged
until you crash into them again!)

You will eventually exit the city limits and fly over a huge lava
lake. A rock will be in the middle, splitting the path. The left
route contains a turret, while the right has more lethal barriers.
Take the left fork and kill the turret for an easier time.

After all of this, volcanoes on the sides start to erupt. Avoid both
fireballs and barriers in the area. The A-Form is the best here.

Later, the cavern narrows, so carefully fly past the barrier guarding
the mouth of the tunnel. Shoot down the shelled monsters and eyeballs
in your way. If you haven't already, switch to H-Form to break down
the last wall of soft rock in the game.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[2.5.3] Act 5, Scene 3: The VZR-5
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MODE: VZR Cockpit

                                * * *

  "We are currently at 680 miles underground," Dan reads off from
his monitor, "We have penetrated the Volcanic City." He glides the
VZR-4 over some springs, from which water flows down to the people
of the Dinamur Capital.

  "Wait Dan!," interrupts Moby, "I've got something on the radar.
I'm showing a life form in Sector 0211522E." And then much to
everyone's horror, "The VZR-5. Locke and Mike are on it."

                                * * *

What more can go wrong than having to blast down more of your
own buddies, even if their brains have been screwed around with?
It's VZR against VZR now....

Moby:
  "...." (0% -1)
Dan:
  "We can't leave Locke and Mike for dead." (0% -1)
Silvia:
  "...." (0% 0)
G-13:
  "MAY THE POWER BE WITH YOU!" (-5% +2)
Diane:
  "...." (0% 0)
Diane: (if spoken to first)
  "There must be a way." (0% +1)
Allan:
  "Increase Possibility Factor to 100%." (0% +1)
Banda:
  "...." (0% -2)
Allan:
  "I think the variable generator in VZR-5 is...." (+20% 0)
Dan:
  "The VZR-5 stays balanced by the gyroscopic drill action." (0% 0)
Moby:
  "The variable generator...." (0% 0)
G-13:
  "VZR-5 HAS THE UPPER HAND." (+10% 0)
Davis:
  "Can't we defend ourselves from VZR-5?" (+10% 0)

Note: All lines below occur after Davis asks
      if they can defend themselves.

Allan:
  "If we stop the drill, the VZR-5 can no longer fly." (+20% 0)
G-13: (if Davis is spoken to first and Allan is spoken to second)
  "ATTACK THE CENTER OF THE DRILL." (+1% +0)
Davis:
  "Can we stop the variable generator?" (0% 0)
Banda: (after Allan says to stop the drill)
  "Use the Phaser." (+20% +2)

Note: All lines below occur after Banda says
      to use the Phaser.

Moby:
  "Energy 120%. Stand-by." (0% 0)
Dan:
  "...." (+1% 0)
Davis:
  "...." (0% 0)
Silvia:
  "Professor Banda." (0% 0)
Banda:
  "It's all yours...." (+1% +1)
G-13:
  "DOES NOT COMPUTE." (0% 0)
Diane:
  "...." (0% +1)

Talk to Davis, to Allan, and then to Banda to hike the PF up to 50%.
From there, continue to speak with Banda to increase both the PF and
your Life. As the Professor suggests, switch to the Phaser-Gun before
you start fighting.

Shoot the VZR-5 as it charges you. Aim for the front part of the ship,
where the cockpit and the drills are. The VZR-5's hovering speed is
a lot faster than it seems - as soon as it's completely vertically
banked and right in front of you, it may be too late to pan away.

Whoever is handling the VZR-5 is sneaky and tends to hide more than
any other boss. Scroll back and forth, lining your reticle up with the
middle of the screen so you're prepared for the VZR when it appears.

Sometimes the VZR-5 will launch a Melt-Needle mine at you. It looks
like Bandal's missile, but it's even faster. Move away as soon as
you see the spiked mine; shooting it has no effect!

If you have enough Life, keep firing on the VZR-5 even as it rams
you. Play it right, and you'll nail the ship for good by the second
or third Battle Phase.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[2.5.4] Act 5, Scene 4: Underworld Empire
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MODE: Moby Platform-Action

                                * * *

  The VZR-5, with its Cyclone Drills jammed due to its junked
actuators, teeters in midair before careening downwards and carving
a trench into the hard brown rock beside the clear river, amidst a
storm of smoke and sparks. "Got 'em," reports Dan hesitantly, not
believing that they've just shot down their former friends.

  "And so is Icamod," Moby mentions as she spots the red-clad figure
kicking open the hatch from the inside of the downed VZR. He jumps
off and makes a break for the Dinamur Palace near the center of
the springs. "Icamod is escaping to the Palace."

  She walks out and inspects the smoking wreckage. Icamod has
left behind the other three gems, so Moby happily scoops them
up. "Our Crystals are safe! Now we have all four Dyna Crystals!
The war is finally coming to a climax!" Reloading her blaster
pistol, she follows Icamod.

                                * * *

The Dinamur Palace is no bigger than the other platform-action
areas, but it can be rather complex at first.

First, keep going to the right, fighting past 3 Nonmalta soldiers.
On a raised section of the floor will be the next part of the puzzle.

                                * * *

  Moby finds a small piece of stone on the floor. A soldier must've
dropped it there accidentally. Oh well - it's hers now! Picking it
up, she notices how its edges match those of the tablet she's been
carrying. "The missing stone tablet! This may solve the mystery."

  Juxtaposing both pieces, Moby steadily translates the ancient
hieroglyphics again. "4 kingdoms of the Earth. 3 kingdoms to
the Underworld. 3 kingdoms, each sought to rule the other. After
Lemuria... Vahna becomes Atlantis and Mu. One kingdom to survive.
Atlantis victorious. The defeated Lemurians. The Gaia dies in the
Light."

  The hieroglyphics end. Moby stands there, examining the tablets
once more. "We and the Dinamur are descendents of Vahna. Which means
the Nonmaltas are descendents of Lemuria. Then what is the Gaia?
The King of Dinamur must know the answer."

  Gripping the tablets and her pistol even more tightly than before,
Moby rushes off to find the King. She must learn the fate of the Gaia!

                                * * *

Keep going, soldier. Head right and fight off 4 soldiers. You can
avoid the last one by jumping straight up into the hole at the end.
Once you're up there, go left, and then drop down the hole you'll see
(the far left is a dead end). Look out for a soldier along the way.

You should land in the caves that run underneath the Palace. From
here, you can go left, down a long tunnel, or right, through the
gate. The left leads to Icamod, who offers an optional battle.
The right leads to Diane's dad, the King of Dinamur.

Alright, you can actually take a shortcut here by avoiding Icamod
(because unlocking the King's gate only requires you to find the
tablet), but just for story purposes you should go left to meet
ol' Ic'. If you're low on Life or just don't give a shit about
the story, screw the blue-faced bastard and head right to the King.

If you choose to fight Icamod because you wanna rid Dinamur of one
more threat or because you simply have a little something called
honor, go left and then read the next section. If not, skip down
until you see the next story section regarding the dialogue between
Moby and the King.

                                * * *

  "Icamod," seethes Moby as she runs right into him, "You can't
escape me."

  "HA! HA! HA!," laughs Icamod with his usual arrogance, "You're
a persistent human. Those who defy our leader, the great Sogalz,
will no longer be tolerated!"

  "You don't know what it means to lose the one you love."

  "Whaat?!"

  "This is for Ziggy."

                                * * *

Time ta' beat the shit outta this guy for good. You know what to
do: run back, fire, and then jump over or run past him before he
catches up. You may be low on ammo from the previous encounters
with the other Nonmalta soldiers, but your experience should
make up for it. Like Zolda, Ic' never learns.

After you beat him off, go left and up the hole to escape. Climb up
the steps and drop down the wall, continuing forward. Kill a soldier
around here and then drop into the hole between some twin gold
structures. You'll return to the cave, falling into an area you've
crossed by earlier. Head right, and you will backtrack to the
prison gate leading to Diane's dad. Enter it if you haven't already.

                                * * *

  Moby smashes the butt of her gun against the lock, breaking
open the prison door. Inside the damp cell, flickering torches
reveal to her eyes that the elegantly dressed figure chained
to the wall is none other than Diane's father.

  "The King of Dinamur!," exclaims Moby as she hops down into the
pit and approaches him. The elderly face reminds Moby of her own dad.

  "Dyna Crystals...," mutters the King.

  Moby pauses, not quite hearing what he's just said.

  "Dyna Crystals...," the King speaks again in a much stronger
voice, "Hurry! Before Sogalz finds out, set the Crystals in the
giant statue."

  "The statue?"

  The King motions for Moby to leave, and she obeys. Whatever this
statue is, Moby understands that she must reach it before Sogalz
does and unleash the power of the Dyna Crystals before all is lost.

                                * * *

After you climb back up the hole in front of the King's prison, run
all the way to the right, jumping over the pit along the way. You
will have to fight off one last soldier.

Enter the gate.

There are no more enemies in this Scene beyond this point. Keep
walking to the right, skipping over the small steps along the
way, until you see a statue that resembles a giant moai.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[2.5.5] Act 5, Scene 5: Statue of Dyna
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MODE: Moby 1st Person

                                * * *

  Moby, out of breath, finally locates the statue the King has
told her about. Without wasting any time, she scrambles around
with the Dyna Crystals, hastily plugging them into the relief
at the base of the grim stone head.

  Silence.

  The statue continues to gaze at Moby sternly, unmoving,
unspeaking. "The Crystals are set!," bellows Moby desperately,
"Nothing's happening."

  Just then, a shadow engulfs her and the statue. She turns around
to see a 12-feet-tall ogre with a gnarled face, flashing his sharp
teeth through a wicked smile. The towering Emperor of the Nonmalta,
clad in full battle gear, erupts into hideous laughter that sounds
more like a '69 GTO with a broken muffler.

  "Sogalz!," gasps a terrified Moby.

                                * * *

Ever wonder why the name of this Act is called "Dual Duel?" Go ahead,
take a wild guess.... Yep, this is the only Act where you get 2 1st
person Scenes. Fortunately for you, Sogalz is easy to beat if you
know what to do.

Moby:
  "Is there an order to the Crystals?" (0% -1)
Green - Moby:
  "The Green Crystal." (+10% +2)
Red - Moby:
  "The Red Crystal." (+40% +2)
Yellow - Moby:
  "The Yellow Crystal." (+20% +2)
Blue - Moby:
  "And lastly, the Blue Crystal." (+30% -2)
R./Y./B. - Moby: (if Moby picks the wrong first Crystal)
  "...." (0% -1)
Y./B. - Moby: (if she screws up the order after picking Green)
  "No... we have to start over." (-10% 0)
Blue - Moby: (if she screws up the order after picking Red)
  "No... we have to start over." (-50% +1)
G./R./Y./B. - Moby: (if she picks an already selected Crystal again)
  "...." (0% 0)

The King forgets to tell Moby that the Dyna Crystals need to be
placed in a certain order. Normally, she needs to figure out this
secret order through old-fashioned trial-and-error, but the 8 Actions
she has limit her to only so many attempts before she needs to fight
off Sogalz.

"Talk" to the Crystals to align them. If you pick the wrong Crystal,
you are forced to restart the whole order. If you've already picked
a Crystal and accidentally select it again, you will only waste an
Action. Just continue and pick the next Crystal you think is correct.
Do not spend an Action trying to switch your Weapon, because Moby's
only carrying her Star-Light Gun.

Sogalz CANNOT be killed by any normal means. If you have to fight
him, just concentrate on avoiding his 2 attacks: a grab and a barrage
of lasers emitted from an eyeball in his hand. He does an incredible
amount of damage, so start scrolling as soon as he appears. Survive
long enough so you can return to the Conference Phase to try aligning
the Crystals once again.

Wanna know the secret order? Or have you discovered it before
but have forgotten it and just wanna see the answer now?
Okay, here it is:
 1) Green
 2) Red
 3) Yellow
 4) Blue

Once the Crystals are properly aligned, the PF will jump straight
to 100%, allowing you to kill Sogalz outright. Obviously, if you
remember the order, you can kill him at the start of the first
Battle Phase. (After spending 4 Actions to align the Crystals,
you may just press Select to skip straight to the killing.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[2.5.6] Act 5, Scene 6: Fall of the Empire
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

                                * * *

  Moby, evading Sogalz's blasts, frantically rearranges the Dyna
Crystals. It doesn't take long before Sogalz finally acquires Moby
in his sights. This is the end for the pesky human, the Nonmalta
Emperor thinks to himself, sneering as he charges up the laser
weapon implanted in his bionic hand.

  But before he can fire, Moby, in an incredible stroke of luck,
chances upon the correct order of the Crystals. Intense light
immediately bursts forth from the gems, blinding Sogalz. Moby,
looking down, notices her own Star-Light Gun pulsating with the
same colors as those of the Dyna Crystals.

  Taking aim, the memories of friends who have lost their lives to
this endless war flood her mind. Feeling the presence of Ziggy deep
within her heart, she pulls the trigger for the final time, releasing
an incredible surge of energy that vaporizes the paralyzed enemy
before her.

  Game over, pal.

  Sogalz is no more. Without their great leader, the demoralized
Nonmalta forces will break off their attacks and retreat. Moby
leans back against the statue, exhausted, her eyes never leaving
the smoking ashes burnt into the marble floor before her.

  Unexpectantly, something else starts to shine! Moby jumps away,
turning her attention back to the stone head that has just witnessed
the climatic battle. "The statue... what's happening?," Moby wonders
in panic.

  Powered by the glowing Dyna Crystals, the eyes of the statue beam
forth a large field of sparkling light. The form of a beautiful woman
slowly fades into view, floating serenely in the middle of the light.
Moby takes a step forward. No, it isn't Diane, even though the figure
is dressed in equally elegant garb. The person opens her eyes. Moby
notices how her sad gaze doesn't seem to focus on anything in front
of her in particular. What's going on?

  "I'm Sowne, the Princess of Gaia," the lady speaks after a long
pause. Her voice echoes eerily throughout the grand hall, as though
she's speaking from ages past.

                                * * *

--------------
[2.6] EPILOGUE
--------------

(This is the epilogue, taken straight out from the game as it is.
 Nothing has been changed or corrected here.)

                                * * *

                            This, my
                            friends, is a
                            holographic
                            projection...

                            Long ago, on
                            young Earth, a
                            civilization
                            known as Lemuria
                            ruled the
                            Overworld.
                            Suddenly one
                            day, the surface

                            of Lemuria sank
                            into the
                            Underworld,
                            which was
                            inhabited by
                            my peaceful
                            people of Gaia.

                            Many thousands
                            of years of wars
                            followed as the
                            Lemurians tried
                            to take our
                            world from us.

                            During the
                            Underworld Wars,
                            the Vahn
                            Civilization
                            from the moon,
                            took the
                            Overworld and

                            began two
                            cities, Atlantis
                            and Mu. When
                            Atlantis sank
                            into the
                            Underworld, they
                            conquered the
                            Lemurians.

                            Our Gaia
                            Civilization was
                            slowly declining
                            from the steady
                            attacks of the
                            Lemurians and
                            then later, by
                            the Atlantans.

                            But in the end,
                            we all destroyed
                            ourselves and
                            our beautiful
                            planet with one
                            last great war,
                            a nuclear war.

                            This holographic
                            projection is
                            our last great
                            testament to the
                            evils of war.

                            Now that we are
                            gone, please
                            heed our warning
                            and always seek
                            peace. For only
                            love, not war
                            will bring
                            peace.

                            Goodbye, my
                            friends, and
                            good luck.

                                The End

                                * * *

---------------------
[2.7] "STAFF CREDITS"
---------------------

What?! What the hell?!?! That's it?!?!?! This #$*&%@ sucks!!!!

Damn, that kinda blows, eh? We don't see what happens next; we only
get an anti-war message. We don't even get to meet the people who've
designed Wurm! Is it out of shame? Or is it out of rushing to meet
deadlines and the developers have simply forgotten to put themselves
into their work?

Well, to solve that problem, I've taken the Staff Credits from other
games presented by Asmik (namely, Conquest of the Crystal Palace, D-
Force, Verytex, and Xardion - check the credits section below to learn
more about them), and I've crossed-checked them to figure out who
have probably had a hand in making Wurm. The following credits are
only guesses, and they are grossly incomplete, but I hope this will
finally do some justice to the people who have brought us Wurm.

 Executive Producer
  Toshiyuki Futamura (?)

 Planner/Advisor
  Shinji Nakamura (?)

 Marketing/Sales Division
  Takahiro Kaneko (?)
  Ichiro Hase (?)
  Toshihide Onishi (?)
  Koio Ohara (?)

 Publicity Team
  Mikio Ono (?)
  Kaori Ikeda (?)

Yeah, this list is really incomplete. I'm taking as few chances as
possible, so excuse me if I've wrongly miscredited some staff members.
To further complicate matters, other companies are likely to be
involved, too, but we may never know who they are....

======================================================================
III. EXTRA BITS - Other secrets, treasures, and junk of the deep.
======================================================================

---------------
[3.1] PASSWORDS
---------------

Do you enjoy a certain Scene in Wurm? Then why bother to play through
all that crap in the middle when you can simply take a shortcut with
these cool codes? Unfortunately, the Passwords only take you to the
beginning of an Act.

********************************
  Act      Title      Password
********************************
   1      Nonmalta      ----
   2    Dyna Crystal    3196
   3    Magma Falls     3569
   4       Ziggy        1719
   5     Dual Duel      1024
********************************

--------------------------------------------
[3.2] DYNA CRYSTAL ALIGNMENT PUZZLE SOLUTION
--------------------------------------------

Don't wanna read through all that verbose junk up there just to
find one measly little solution? Because I wanna be a nice guy,
here's the answer again:

  Green, Red, Yellow, Blue

Having trouble remembering this? Think of "GRYB," which is an acronym
of the colors in their proper order. "Gryb" is kinda like "Grab,"
only you switch the "a" with "y." Try this - it might actually help!

----------------------------
[3.3] BOSS BATTLE STRATEGIES
----------------------------

"Good luck, shithead."
                - Valentine McKee

"Don't worry about me, jerkoff."
                - Earl Basset

                from "Tremors," when Earl is gonna get the
                cat' so they and their neighbors can escape
                                (Universal)


Who doesn't like a good quick reference section? Here are condensed
versions of the strategies you can use against the bosses from
the main Strategy section above. As usual, "Possibility Factor"
is abbreviated as "PF." The tactics are arranged by alphabetical
order of the bosses' names.

NAME: Anrock
ACT(S): 2
APPEARANCE: a large cyclops made completely out of living rock
ATTACKS: launching boulders from its navel, heel kick, claw
WEAK POINT: eye (when open)
WEAK AGAINST: Electro-Gatling
DETAILS:
 This is the cheapest bastard in the whole game because of his
 attacks. Like the Bemul, you can hurt Anrock only when his eye
 is open. Unlike the Bemul, there are no projectiles you can destroy
 to increase the PF. When Anrock jumps up and away, dodge the boulder
 he launches at you with his abdomen. While you scroll to the sides,
 you will most likely be slapped around by his kicks and claws. If
 you're lucky, you can scroll away to minimize the damage. Recover
 your Life and increase the PF during the Conference Phase, and then
 resume pounding this guy.

NAME: Bandal
ACT(S): 4
APPEARANCE: a gigantic, skeletal robot with a mean-looking claw
ATTACKS: claw grapple, launching missiles
WEAK POINT: right shoulder plate above its big claw
WEAK AGAINST: Hyper-Sight
DETAILS:
 This is one of the weaker bosses. Blast the blue shoulder pad above
 his big claw (the claw being on his right but to your left). When
 Bandal jumps away, he launches his claw or a missile. Just pan off
 to the sides to avoid the projectile. He'll eventually dash in front
 of you, opening himself up to another beating. Perhaps Bandal is so
 easy to defeat because he knows who he's fighting against....

NAME: The Bemul
ACT(S): 1
APPEARANCE: a floating flesh ball with an ugly mouth and tentacles
ATTACKS: head ram, tentacle/eye-stalk "missiles"
WEAK POINT: eye (when open)
WEAK AGAINST: Electro-Gatling
DETAILS:
 Shoot the eye whenever it is open. The Bemul eventually rears up
 and tries to smash into you, so give yourself some extra time to
 pull away if you don't want your paint job to be ruined. After
 this dash attack, each of its tentacles will split off and attempt
 to ram you. Scan the cavern ceiling and blast these tentacles as
 soon as they emerge. Doing so increases the PF and keeps them from
 knocking you around.

NAME: Icamod
ACT(S): 3, 4, 5
APPEARANCE: a Nonmalta captain with a blue face & purple hair
ATTACKS: touching you
WEAK POINT: any body part
WEAK AGAINST: Star-Light Gun
DETAILS:
 When the fight starts, run as far back as you can, and then turn
 and fire. Pump in as many shots as possible before blue boy catches
 up to you. If he jumps high, run underneath him to the other side
 and resume your fire. If he keeps running towards you, you'll have
 to leap over him. He always runs away in the end, but damaging him
 makes him leave sooner.

NAME: Sogalz
ACT(S): 5
APPEARANCE: a giant, bald, blue-skinned warlord in blood-red armor
ATTACKS: firing hand-eye lasers, grabbing you (eeeewwww...)
WEAK POINT: any body part
WEAK AGAINST: Dyna Crystal-powered Star-Light Gun
DETAILS:
 If you know what you're doing, this is the easiest bad guy to beat.
 Have Moby arrange the Dyna Crystals in the following order:
   Green, Red, Yellow, Blue
 Afterwards, the PF will shoot up to 100%, and you can just jump
 into the Battle Phase and waste the sucker. Man, this is rather
 anti-climatic....

NAME: VZR-5
ACT(S): 5
APPEARANCE: the cool burrowing vehicle you've been riding in
ATTACKS: Cyclone Drill ram, launching Melt-Needle mines
WEAK POINT: forward section (the Drills/cockpit)
WEAK AGAINST: Phaser-Gun
DETAILS:
 This boss makes for one of the longest fights in the game because
 it likes to hide a lot. You'll be scanning your surroundings for
 quite some time before it pops out to attack you. When you see
 it, unload your Phaser onto it and then swing out before you get
 drilled. Sometimes a mine be will shot at you instead (it looks
 like Bandal's missile). You can easily avoid this by panning away.

NAME: Zalta
ACT(S): 3
APPEARANCE: a big purple dinosaur who doesn't sing
             "I wuv' you, you wuv' me..."
ATTACKS: head ram, tail lashing
WEAK POINT: any body part
WEAK AGAINST: Hydro-Sonic
DETAILS:
 Zalta may be the easiest boss to hit because he exposes himself the
 most, but he also has a high defense. Whenever you can, shoot him.
 You'll need to squeeze off several shots at his head and body before
 you can score a solid blow. If he pops up close, he will charge you.
 While he's running, you can still shoot him, but remember to dodge
 out at the last moment or else he'll bash you multiple times. If he
 appears far away, he will attack with a faster tail lash, so prepare
 to pan off to the sides sooner.

NAME: Zolda
ACT(S): 1, 2
APPEARANCE: a Nonmalta soldier with a red face & gold hair
ATTACKS: touching you
WEAK POINT: any body part
WEAK AGAINST: Star-Light Gun
DETAILS:
 Beating this guy requires the same strategies used for Icamod. Run
 as far back as you can, turn, and fire like crazy. Jump over or race
 past underneath him before he catches up. If he does manage to grab
 you, quickly move away to minimize the damage.

-----------------------------
[3.4] COMPUTER VALUES - NOTES
-----------------------------

Computers and their applications are all about numbers, but game
developers often mask them in colorful graphics or other effects
in order to create more user-friendly environments. For the
convenience of the average gamer, I have stuck with Asmik's
fancy units during the rest of the guide, but for the purposes
of working with the RAM addresses or in understanding Wurm's game
structure, I have listed the following, which details some of the
specific values and rates used in the game.

VZR (Horizontal & Vertical Modes)
 Total Fuel: 16 Fuel Units = 256 Fuel Points
            ( 1 Fuel Unit  =  16 Fuel Points)
   H-Form Base Consumption:     -6 Fuel Points every 2.0 seconds
   A-Form Base Consumption:     -8 Fuel Points every 2.0 seconds
   Shield Recharge Consumption: -1 Fuel Point  every 0.5 seconds

Moby (Platform-Action Mode)
 Total Arms: 20 Ammo Units = 320 Ammo Points
            ( 1 Ammo Unit  =  16 Ammo Points)
            ( 1 shot = 4 Ammo Points, therefore 4 shots = 1 Ammo Unit)
   Dilenium Crystal = +64 Ammo Points = +4 Ammo Units

If you know what I'm talking about here, you should know how to
do the proper conversions when it comes to working with the RAM
addresses. If you don't know crap about what the hell I've just
said, don't worry; the next section includes enough instructions
to get any gamer started on using the address cheats.

------------------------
[3.5] RAM ADDRESS CHEATS
------------------------

Let's get one thing straight: no cheating has been used during
the production of the tactics here, so the material you see above
is quite valid. Still, to make this guide more useful, I'm gonna
cover everything, including the cheating you can do by screwing
around with the RAM values! Come on, cheating from time to time
can be sorta fun....

The following are memory addresses associated with some important
values in the game. The values presented are only recommendations
(I won't want you to mess up your game now, will I?). Obviously,
you'll need some way to implement these cheats. Get a NES emulator
or any other device that supports this kind of address-tampering.
If you can, enjoy!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Address   Values                                Game Value(s) Affected
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

00C8      ## (Set from 00 to FF - Hexadecimal)  Fuel/Ammo (Part 1)
             (Set from 00 to 255 - Decimal)
00C9      ## (Set from 00 to 01 - Hexadecimal)  Fuel/Ammo (Part 2)
             (Set from 00 to 01 - Decimal)
  Those unfamiliar with computer coding might become extremely
  confused here. The Fuel or Ammo you have is equal to the sum
  of the value of 00C9 multiplied by 256 and the value of 00C8.
  To calculate the number you should enter, take the amount of
  Ammo Units you desire and multiply it by 16. For example, to
  have 10 Ammo Units, you must enter 160 in 00C8 and 0 in 00C9
  because [(0*256)+160] = 160 Ammo Points = 10 Ammo Units. To
  have 16 or more Ammo Units, enter 1 in 00C9 and then enter
  the difference between the Ammo Points and 256 in 00C8. For
  instance, to have 18 Ammo Units, enter 1 in 00C9 and 32 in
  00C8 because [(1*256)+32] = 288 Ammo Points = 18 Ammo Units.
  If you just want 16 Ammo Units, enter 1 in 00C9 and 0 in 00C8.
  (Do NOT set your Fuel to over 16 Fuel Units during the VZR Modes
  or else the graphics will screw up.) I guess math is good for
  something afterall....

00CA      ## (Set from 00 to 10 - Hexadecimal)  VZR Shields (Type 1)
             (Set from 00 to 16 - Decimal)
             (Set from 00 to 14 - Hexadecimal)  Shields/Life (Type 2)
             (Set from 00 to 20 - Decimal)
  This affects the VZR's Shields and Moby's Life in their respective
  Modes. With the VZR, falling into a pit or touching a fluctuating
  barrier still kills you, even if you freeze this value for virtual
  god mode. Despite the address being shared by both Shields and Life,
  its maximum value is different depending on the Mode (as with the
  Fuel/Ammo addresses). Do NOT set this value above 16 when you are
  in the VZR's Horizontal and Vertical Modes (Type 1), or else the
  VZR's computer will think it is not at full Shields and will waste
  Fuel trying to "regenerate" its defenses. (Just set this to 16
  if you don't want to bother with changing this value everytime
  you switch Modes.)

04F2      ## (Set from 80 to 8A - Hexadecimal)  Possibility Factor
             (Set from 128 to 138 - Decimal)
  This one is a little weird. Setting this to 128 will put your PF
  at "00%." Everytime you add 1 to the value, the PF will go up by
  10%, so setting this to 138 will result in a PF of 100% (any value
  greater than 138 will also be treated as a PF of 100%). Heh heh -
  those bosses, including Sogalz, are dead meat now! This may mess
  up the display for the PF, but it really works!!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

----------------------
[3.6] GAME GENIE CODES
----------------------

Still not enough? Then try another guide, or pick up the Game
Genie and plug it into your VZR. While the strategies presented
here have been written without cheating in mind, playing around
with some "Game Enhancing" codes won't hurt.

The "Infinite Fuel" code is a scream, as it lets you rain wave
after wave of VZR Special Weapon fire down upon your pathetic
enemies. However, it does not give you infinite ammo for Moby's
Star-Light Gun. The Arms Meter will read full, but she is still
limited to 80 shots. I guess you'd better keep finding those tiny
Dilenium Crystals.... The codes that let you start on different
Acts are pretty much useless, because the Passwords already do
that for you!

Note: The Game Genie may screw up the audio a bit. Your game
      won't be damaged, but it'll get downright annoying.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
   Code      Effect(s)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

(Concerning Shields/Life & Fuel/Ammo)

 SXNGZTSA    Infinite Shields & Life.
 SZSGYNSE    Infinite Fuel (but not Arms!).

(Concerning Acts)

 ZEXITGPA    Start on Act 2: Dyna Crystal.
 LEXITGPA    Start on Act 3: Magma Falls.
 GEXITGPA    Start on Act 4: Ziggy.
 IEXITGPA    Start on Act 5: Dual Duel.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

---------------------------------------------
[3.7] GAME EVALUATION - SOME SERIOUS THOUGHTS
---------------------------------------------

Why did I write this guide? Because I like Wurm! I have a lot of
fun helping out people with a game I enjoy playing. But to fully
understand Wurm, we must take a deeper look:

SCORING:
 Poor -> Below Average -> Average -> Above Average -> Excellent

Story: Above Average
   Is this really about a journey to Earth's center? Well, kinda.
 Despite several short-comings (see the Small Details section),
 Wurm's story is admittedly interesting. There are some problems
 here and there, but it generally latches onto your attention. I
 mean, who doesn't want to know who gets to live and who gets to
 die, and who doesn't want to discover the real deal behind Princess
 Diane and the Dyna Crystals? And when we see Ziggy, Locke, and Mike
 get "Bandalized," that really screws life up for ya'.
   Another memorable part comes from the Conference Phases, where
 everyone has something to say. The personalities for some characters
 are kinda in the dark, but the other people are very memorable. Who
 doesn't love Mike for his "let's blow the bastard away" attitude
 towards everything in life? This makes us feel really bad when we
 see him get wasted. Plus Mike makes Wurm possibly the only videogame
 of all time that makes a reference to Helen Keller.

Gameplay: Above Average
   Wurm succeeds in doing what other equally ambitious games fail
 at. You get a tight-knit package consisting of elements from many
 different gaming genres. From the several VZR Scrolling Modes to
 the Platform-Action Mode, the Scenes are linked together cohesively,
 adding variety without destroying the story.
   The VZR Scrolling Modes are some of the best. Few NES games
 offer something as intricate as Wurm's Form Switch System. I mean,
 navigating the Mode Menu becomes second nature once you learn how
 it works. It's simple. It's clean. But most important of all, it's
 intuitive. The VZR itself is cool too. It sports several Forms
 and Weapons, and each Form and each Weapon has its own unique
 characteristics. The drilling isn't just a nice touch; it really
 lets you dig into rock, giving you the explorer's feeling. As
 for the Fuel and Shields systems, they're a great way to balance
 the challenge, although sometimes I wish the enemies don't do
 so much freakin' damage....
   The Cockpit Mode is also well-designed. Further boosting the story
 with the cool "interactive" dialogue system during the Conference
 Phases, the game allows you to plan out a strategy by hearing what
 the crewmembers have to say. Hit detection is a little sketchy and
 the bosses can be cheap sometimes, but otherwise the Battle Phases
 work out fine. The puzzle element during the Dyna Statue Scene is
 also a neat surprise.
   The Platform-Action Mode, on the down side, seems to be the part
 of the game that has received the least attention. The enemies are
 dumbasses, posing a serious threat only because they make you waste
 all your ammo. Some gates can be opened prematurely, making you
 skip important events (remember that shortcut in Act 5 where you
 can avoid Icamod?). The worst aspect is the annoying glitch where
 key characters don't immediately appear when you reach the end of
 the area. (Strangely enough, this problem only occurs with G-13,
 Diane, and Allan.) Still, on the whole, this Mode isn't crap. The
 kick, as ineffective as it may be due to its melee range, isn't
 a bad idea, and the simple maze structures aren't so long as to
 make the game boring.

Replay: Average
   Wurm is what I'd like to call a "one-timer." The story doesn't
 change. No matter how hard you try, Ziggy dies, and Locke and
 Mike also get Bandalized. The story is good, and the VZR is fun
 to pilot from time to time, but you don't find yourself replaying
 your favorite movie 100 times over the course of a week, right? Now,
 if there's a secret code that lets you screw around with all of the
 VZR's Special Weapons at the same time, things might be different....

Controls: Above Average
   No problems for the VZR (until you try out that Up & Down bug).
 Really, the controls are fine. The VZR's Form switching is smooth,
 and the firing and moving is flawless. The different handling for
 each Form is realistic. In the Tank Mode, the VZR drops like a rock.
 In the Hover Mode, it glides around. In the Aerial Mode, it stops on
 a dime, which feels weird at first, but damn - it sure is fast! The
 Melt-Needle in the Vertical Scroll Mode also offers some of the best
 control in the entire NES universe (the Morning Star from Konami's
 Axelay operates similar to the Melt-Needle, too).
   Moby in the Platform-Action Mode is a bit stiff, however. Her
 jumping feels unnatural, because she drops as soon as you release
 the A Button.

Graphics: Above Average
   Excellent color work here. The graphics are sharp and detailed,
 and despite the NES' limited palette, everything is very easy to
 recognize. While the VZR is tiny, the cave environments it drives
 and flies through look exceptionally cool, with all the varying
 rocks, jungles, and islands bringing the scenery to life.
   Animations are somewhat stiff. Moby has only 3 largely-spaced-
 apart frames for her walking, and her jumping and kicking don't
 appear any better. The Cockpit Mode bosses are animated decently,
 at least. Bandal's withdrawing jump is pretty cool.

Sound Effects: Average
   Decent sounds spice up Wurm. You can hear the Weapons fire and
 Moby's kick thrust through the air. The problem is, the Weapons
 aren't differentiated from one another by audio. It's much better
 if each has its own distinct sound effect.
   The Cyclone Drills get the best deal here. They sound realistic
 as you power them on, and don't you just love that crumbling rock
 effect? The appropriate noise can be heard when you wind the Drills
 down, too.

Voice: N/A
   No hablo ingles. Just kidding.... This is an 8-bit game, and
 it's just damn unfair to demand decent voicing from such an early
 piece of software. The text dialogue is adequate, although some
 of the lines really make you glad that there hasn't been any voice
 acting in the first place. Still, we can use our imaginations,
 right? Come on - who doesn't think Zolda would have a harsh, hissing
 tone to his words? I wonder who'd sound hotter, Princess Diane or
 Princess Sowne? And how the hell do you pronounce "Sowne???"

Music: Above Average
   Memorable tunes help make a memorable game. The cave themes have
 an awesome underground feel with their echo-like tones. The tune of
 the first Scene helps you experience the dark vastness of the caverns
 you're exploring, and most of the other tunes share this quality to
 create a constant atmosphere of a great underground journey.
   The good comes with the bad, though. For one thing, the mawkish
 Title Theme tends to get on your nerves. The annoying-as-hell Game
 Over Tune also makes you wanna stick a piece of dilenium through
 your own eye so you can swirl it around in your brains....

Overall: Above Average
   Wurm is pretty damn enjoyable. The story and the VZR are the
 main reasons to play this, because who doesn't wanna charge through
 hordes of Underworld baddies in a sleek ship that can transform and
 kick ass with some serious armament? With its variety of action and
 features, Wurm does the near-impossible - effectively conveying a
 plot-twister through at least 4 different styles of solid gameplay.

   Can ya' dig it?

----------------------------------------------------
[3.8] OTHER GAMES LIKE WURM YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN
----------------------------------------------------

Well, there isn't anything else that really comes close to Wurm,
but here are some other notable titles that also mix up elements
from multiple gaming genres.

Blaster Master (Sunsoft - NES, SMD/Genesis, GB, PSX)
   Another underground adventure that has definitely garnered more
 attention than Wurm. Driving the Sofia wheeled tank, you explore
 the plutonium-mutated underworld to defeat some nasty warlords,
 who are out to conquer the entire world (just like the Nonmalta!).
 In the first installment on the NES, you are Jason Gardner, who
 discovers the Sofia when he jumps down a hole in pursue of his
 pet frog. The gameplay consists of free-scrolling platform-action
 and an overhead view where Jason exits the Sofia to investigate
 networks of ruins (just like Moby!). The awesome abilities of
 the Sofia still make this a hit.
   There's an update of the NES title on the GameBoy, but in the
 sequel on the MegaDrive/Genesis, Jason returns to kick more mutant
 ass. The gameplay is drastically toned down and made extremely lame.
 The overhead mode now involves the Sofia, and Jason gets to blast
 bosses in a new side-scrolling mode, but the game design sucks and
 the music is worse than hell.
   The latest installment is in full 3D glory on the PSX. This time,
 it's Jason's children's turn to save the world with the Sofia. Check
 out those nifty special effects, such as the underwater blurring!

Gun-Dec / Vice: Project Doom (Sammy - NES)
   This is one awesome title with some equally bad-ass action. The
 story is well written (i.e. there're no strange dialogue), and it's
 filled with nasty surprises and plot-development that will scare
 the shit outta you. The protagonist is a vice cop named Quinn Hart,
 and he's after this particularly nasty substance that tends turn
 people into homicidal mutants. The ties between Quinn and the "bad
 guys" are rather unsettling, and the stakes are constantly pushed
 higher as he and his friends risk their lives to uncover the truth.
   Gun-Dec's main gameplay style is side-scrolling platform-action.
 Quinn gets to use a few weapons, including an unique "lightwhip."
 2 other modes include a vertical scroller where he races his car
 down highways to hunt enemies and a 1st person rail shooter where
 he gets very, very liberal with his big semi-auto. While there are
 fewer modes here than in Wurm, the gameplay is far more hardcore.

Guardic Gaiden / The Guardian Legend (Compile & Irem - NES)
   An obscure sci-fi action-adventure. For such an early game,
 it's ahead of its time. A special warrior called the Guardian
 is sent out to stop a moon-sized alien vessel that's on a
 collision course with Earth.
   The gameplay is even less varied than that of Gun-Dec/Vice; there
 are only a shooter mode and an overhead adventure mode. I won't get
 into the details, but I must mention how the 2 modes are interlinked
 exceptionally well. The items you obtain from one mode can be used
 in the other, and the odd combination of these very different modes
 provides both arcade-style blasting action and rich exploration.
 A true masterpiece of game design and execution.

Zero Wing (Toaplan - Arcade, SMD/Genesis)
   This early shooter has almost nothing to do with Wurm.
 The starfighter you pilot is called the Zig, and playing
 this just reminds me of Moby's dead boyfriend.
   Really, if you can get past the hilariously poor English
 translations, you can treat yourself to a nice blast-fest.
 The Zig's tractor beam is a neat concept, since it lets you
 grab items, enemies, miniature gravity well generators, etc.

Red Faction (Volition - PS2)
   The first-person-shooter known for its unique Geo-Mod feature.
 You are Parker, one of several oppressed and abused miners forced
 to slave away under dangerous and filthy conditions on a bleak
 Martian colony.
   The whole game is mostly about you aiding the Red Faction, a
 rebel group fighting for survival against your usual heartless
 corporations and sinister scientists, but some parts of it really
 reminds you of Wurm. For one thing, there's that mining vehicle
 with the double drills in front, very much like the VZR and its
 Cyclone Drills. Digging through certain rock (or as a few fans
 prefer to call it, do some "Geo-Moddin'") is very cool too.

------------------------------------------------------------
[3.9] REALLY SMALL DETAILS EVEN MORE INCONSPICUOUS THAN DIRT
------------------------------------------------------------

Okay, not all of these details are super-minor (especially the ones
dealing with some glaring plot holes), but all of them should raise
an eye or two. Or three.

Epileptic Moby
 Remember how I've told you not to press Up and Down at the same time?
 Doing so screws up the game in certain Scenes, and here are some
 specific effects I've found. Think of them as "warnings" (heh heh):
  - When you're driving the VZR in the horizontally scrolling Scenes,
    doing this will scramble the VZR's graphics and cause it to drop
    downwards. If you're not careful, you will drop below the edge
    of the screen and die. A fellow pilot tells me how she uses this
    trick to "warp" down to a lower tunnel if she is trapped by some
    enemies on a higher path. (Don't try this at home, kids. We're
    certified professionals.)
  - During her platform-action Scenes, Moby goes epileptic. If you're
    standing still when you do it, she will twitch, quickly shifting
    through some of her death and kick animations. Overall, she seems
    to be performing a double jump kick. If you're jumping straight
    up, you will hear the Cyclone Drills' deactivation sound effect
    (maybe she has something inside her...). If you're jumping
    to the sides, her graphics will scramble, turning her into
    an unrecognizable mess until she lands. Sometimes she will
    even start to fire twin spread shots, as though her gun has
    dropped down to her feet and became the VZR's Electro-Gatling
    Cannon (in T-Form)!

Cover Art Title
 The cover art adds an exclamation mark to the title, so that's why
 you see that annoying little "!" up there at the header of this
 guide. What is the true title? For the sake of the copyrighting,
 the one from the software is the real one - the one WITHOUT the
 mark. I just like to add the "!" because I feel big.  :)

On the Dyna Crystals
 Where does Moby learn the name of the Dyna Crystals? Diane only
 says "Crystals," but never "Dyna Crystals." Telepathy, perhaps?

On the Princess of Dinamur
 What actually happens to Diane during Act 2 is questionable, partly
 due to the limited NES graphics. After Moby frees her, where does
 she go? You find her again after you beat the hell out of Zolda,
 when she appears to ask you to let her join you. Furthermore, Diane
 never explicitly tells you her name. You only learn it when you
 see her listed in the Conference Phase during the battle with Zalta.
 (What I've written in the story sections are only conjectures of
 what MAY have happened.)

Banda -> Bandal ?!?!
 The similarity between the two characters' names is quite
 disturbing. Is it pure coincidence? Or do the Nonmalta name
 the monster after Moby's dad as some sort of sick joke?

Locke & Mike
 What really happens to them? The game implies that Moby and crew
 kill them, but only Icamod and the Dyna Crystals are mentioned in
 the Movies. Are the two explorers assumed to be dead? Or are they
 recovered and brought back to the VZR-4 by the rest of the crew to
 recuperate? I also wonder about that nameless dude in front of the
 VZR-2's Drills. (As with Diane, what I write up there is only what
 MIGHT have possibly occurred!)

Zolda & Icamod
 Besides Locke and Mike, what happens to these 2 losers? Everytime
 Moby whacks them, they run away. From the way the story sounds,
 Zolda and Icamod supposedly die when she meets each of them for
 the final time. It'll be so much better if we actually see her
 waste Icamod in Act 5 to avenge Ziggy.

Jacked-Up Ending
 The Ending Movie is really inconclusive. The Dyna Crystals play
 Sowne's message, and that's it. There nothing on the rest of the
 crew. I guess going back up to the surface won't be a problem
 for the heroes, but it'll be infinitely better if we see some
 more interaction between the Dinamur and the Overworlders. I mean,
 Diane will be shocked by her father hiding the secret of the Gaia
 from her for so long, and the Dinamur will have to decide what to
 do with the remnants of the Nonmalta Empire. Also, the Overworlders
 and Underworlders will definitely want to re-establish contact
 with each other - afterall, the people of Dinamur and the people
 of the surface have a common ancestor! Or will Moby and friends
 keep the existence of the Underworlders a secret for fear of further
 aggression from the surface? If they do that, then I hope they'll
 come up with one hell of an alibi when they return home and report
 to their superiors.

Hot Sowne!
 Yeah, I figure this will catch your attention. Actually, she looks
 so pretty that I find it unlikely for her to have experienced
 the nuclear war she speaks of. If the nukes destroyed the entire
 Underworld, she wouldn't be there to record the message, right?
 Well, one can argue that she hid out in a special shelter when the
 bombs were dropping, only to emerge to see her home devastated....

Back to the Intro
 The earthquakes and eruptions back on the surface are caused by
 what? I doubt the monsters running around in the Underworld can
 directly result in the activity back on the top. The nukes cannot
 be the cause because they've supposedly happened long, long ago.
 Unless the Gaia have been wiped out just a few weeks prior to
 the events of Wurm, that possibility is zero.

Staff Credits?
 The "THE END" after Sowne's message doesn't tell the Player about
 the people who've contributed to the game's creation. Where are
 the guys who've made Wurm? Who are all its programmers, graphics
 artists, audio composers, project leaders, and marketing dudes?
 I'd like to think of Asmik as something more than just a faceless
 company that doesn't thank its hard-working members (so this is
 why I've added some unofficial Staff Credits to the end of the
 main Strategy section).

Back to the Intro 2
 Ya' know, after losing so many VZRs, why the hell do they wanna
 send in yet another one?!?! I know Moby and friends really care
 about their loved ones, but those VZRs ain't cheap, man.

Loopy Lines
 Okay, I'll lay off on the crappy dialogue now, but I want to point
 out something wrong in Act 2, Scene 4, when Moby finds the first
 stone tablet. A section of the text there gets repeated, most likely
 due to an error on the translators' part. (In this guide, I have
 omitted those duplicated lines.)

Underworld Mutants
 How come the Gaia look so much like the Vahna? Okay, we know the
 Vahna originated from the moon, and they split up into the Mu (us
 on the Overworld) & the Atlanteans (the Dinamur). The Lemurians
 (originally from the Overworld) sank down to the Underworld to
 become the Nonmalta, and the Gaia get their asses whipped by both
 the Lemurians and the Atlanteans, nuking everything in the end. All
 races are human, except for the Nonmalta. What's happened? Has their
 genetic structure been like that all this time? Or have the nukes
 warped the Lemurians into those twisted reptilian creatures? If
 that's the case, then why aren't the Dinamur more lizard-like too?
 We don't know what the Lemurians originally look like, so we may
 never know....

Crouching Marine, Hidden Noise
 Ever try kicking at the edges of the screen? For some reason, if
 Moby's foot disappears off the screen edge in the platform action
 Scenes, you won't hear the "WHOOSH" that accompanies her kick!

Nonmalta Punching Bags
 More platform-action fun. Scroll the screen so you can see Zolda or
 Icamod without talking to him. While he's standing there, waiting
 for you to approach him so he can read off his lines, you can blast
 him! Try it - you can even pump your entire ammo stock into the
 boss, but he won't die. Yep, those Nonmalta guys are pretty tough
 if they can suck up 80 bullets in the chest without slumping over
 dead on the cold, cold ground. That red crap they're wearing must
 be tougher than I thought!

Nonmalta 4th Dimensionality
 While you fight Zolda or Icamod, scroll the screen so you blast
 him when he's jumping up into a corner of the screen. Sometimes,
 if the boss is beaten, he will warp into the middle of the screen
 and then escape via the top edge as usual. Maybe that's how those
 guys beat you to the next areas - they can "teleport!"

Nonmalta Miserliness
 And why don't those Nonmalta soldiers use guns? All of them, from
 Zolda and Ic' to the lowly green guys, only kill you by touching
 you. What the hell's happened to their logistics, man?!

Sogalz -> Wizeman
 Wizeman from Sega's Nights seems to have borrowed a bit from Sogalz.
 Both are oversized tyrants, both have eyeballs in their palms, and
 both have a nasty habit of ramming into the protagonists of their
 respective games. Of course, Wizeman fires more than just lasers;
 he creates nightmares, summons storms, throws icy boulders, stirs
 up tornadoes, pulls endless lines of rocks out from his... nevermind.

Alone in the Dark
 Ever wonder why Moby always enters platform-action Scenes by
 herself? Isn't it standard procedure to have at least two people
 explore together for very, very obvious reasons? I mean, if one
 guy gets wasted, the other can return to camp to tell the others
 that they're in deep shit. Moby doesn't seem to recognize this
 little "buddy system" strategy. That, or it's because Dan and
 friends are too smart to go out on foot with Moby. Who wants
 to hang around those creepy caves anyway?

Critical Depth
 As you travel deeper and deeper into the Earth, the temperature
 rises. If extreme heat doesn't kill you, the pressure will. Here
 we are, hundreds of miles beneath the surface, and Moby can skip
 around without having her head cave in. (Eeeewwww - what a mess!)

Strolling through the Nukes One Day...
 When the team arrives at the Ruins of Gaia in Act 2, Moby wonders
 whether the ancient civilization has perished because of some
 nuclear war. So what will a sensible person do next? Hop right
 out into the radioactive ruins without any protective gear!
 Looks like we'll be having some three-headed babies....

Underground Seasons
 I wonder if the Underworld goes through different seasons just
 like the Overworld does. In the third Act, Moby and friends travel
 beside a nice jungle, which consists of flora in a tropical zone...
 that is only possible on the surface! I mean, where do the trees
 get their sunlight from??? Yeah - maybe it's from the nukes!!

R.O.B. -> G-13
 Is G-13 actually Nintendo's Robotic Operating Buddy? Man, the two
 bots sure do look alike, although I'm pretty sure R.O.B. has a bit
 more personality. R.O.B. actually likes to travel too, especially
 after finding out that his contract only allows him to work with
 two NES games. (I think he later found work onboard Fox McCloud's
 GreatFox.) Meanwhile, G-13 is still unemployed. Time ta' head back
 to the welfare lines....

R.O.B. My Name
 Okay, this one has nothing to do with R.O.B., but has anyone
 noticed how the VZR Analyst shares the nickname of the secret
 agent, Golgo-13? The ex-KGB spy's Vic Tokai game also sports
 a combo of different gameplay styles, just like Wurm, only
 there are no Passwords, plus Golgo gets laid - twice!

R.O.B the Jedi
 And hey, what's up with that "MAY THE POWER BE WITH YOU!" quip? I
 think G-13 (the robot now, not the spy) has been watching way too
 many LucasArts films....

======================================================================
IV. CREDITS - It takes a group the size of a VZR crew to make this.
======================================================================

[4.1] Asmik
 For giving us Wurm. The Asmik guys produce some really weird games.
 While not all of their titles are great, they all deserve a good
 checking-out. Here are just a few of their other products:
 -> Conquest of the Crystal Palace (NES)
     Farron, with the help of his dog Zap, must hack and slash his
   way past enemies and collect treasures in this neat side-scrolling
   adventure. There are plenty of useful items to find or buy as you
   journey through demonic lands to reclaim the Crystal Palace. Zap
   is pretty cool himself - he pounces on bad guys automatically or
   launches himself forward as a special attack (but only if you have
   the right item).
 -> Verytex (SMD/Genesis)
     A vertically-scrolling shooter from Isco. The tunes are pretty
   lengthy and plentiful, and there's some nice graphics. Save the
   world from evil alien forces with the usual shooter armament,
   which includes machinecannons, homing missiles, lasers, bombs,
   and crescent-shaped energy beams. There are 6 Acts' worth of
   action here.
 -> Xardion (SNES)
     A rather interesting, if early, 16-bit title. Like Wurm, the
   story is emphasized quite a bit here. The Alpha-1 system is
   in danger of being destroyed by an artificial bionic planet,
   and a team of 3 robotic heroes have been sent out to stop it.
   Travelling across many planets in the solar system and exploring
   an ancient starship before landing on the planetary threat, the
   team gets to blast all sorts of bad guys and gain experience
   points, since some RPG elements are mixed into the platform-action.
     Each character has different strengths and weaknesses, and all
   must work together to find the legendary weapon, Xardion, in order
   to save their home. Triton, the standard space marine-type, is
   proficient with guns, rifles, and more guns. Alcedes, who has
   a taste for science and folk tales, uses "magic" to destroy his
   enemies. Panthera, the 4-legged warrior, fights with his acrobatic
   prowess and fiery abilities. As the game progresses, the trio
   grows in power and gains new skills. They like to talk to each
   other too, but the dialogue can get as strange as that of Wurm.
     Also like Wurm is the wicked plot, where major characters will
   die and the Ending is a sudden rush of revelations. Unlike Wurm,
   Xardion has a more conclusive end. This game takes a step back
   in visual and audio effects, unfortunately. The animations are
   unnaturally stiff, and the music makes you want to throw up eight
   or nine times. It's as though this is an 8-bit game stuck in a 16-
   bit cartridge. Too bad, since certain aspects and characters here,
   such as Alcedes, are pretty damn cool. (A novelization of this
   game has been planned once, but I don't know if the book's been
   silently scrapped or not.)
 -> D-Force (SNES)
     A vertical shooter where you get to fly a helicopter. What's
   so special here? You can change your altitude in some Stages,
   avoiding enemies by flying above or below them. Too bad the
   height-shifting feels unnatural, and the bland graphics and
   sounds make this easily forgettable.

[4.2] Nintendo (www.nintendo.com)
 Ahh, the guys who've made possible the elevation of videogames to a
 new status and definition. Their systems support all sorts of stuff,
 but let's not forget the consoles of other companies in the process.

[4.3] Nintendo Power (www.nintendopower.com)
 Thanks also go to this official magazine publication. Before the
 days of the 'net, I got my gaming info from NP. This is also where
 I've acquainted myself with Wurm (along with many other titles)
 for the first time. The NP of today looks nothing like the NP
 back then, but the newer staffs continue to uphold its celebrated
 tradition of bringing readers detailed in-game maps and previews
 of upcoming titles.
 (Volume 12 - May/June 1990 Issue, featuring Square's Final Fantasy
  on the front cover, page 88.)

[4.4] Galoob (www.galoob.com) (www.hasbro.com/home.html)
 The material presented in this guide has been developed without
 cheating in mind, so all the tips you see here are quite valid.
 I wanna make this guide complete, though, so I've gotta cover the
 NES fan's favorite "Game Enhancer." I've gotten the Game Genie
 codes from a supplement that came out after the original manual
 was printed.

[4.5] F.X. Nine
 This guy wrote short novels based on the storylines from old 8-bit
 NES games, which are kinda like fanfics, only people pay real money
 to read them. Nine's stories have inspired me to translate the
 Movies from Wurm into the ASCII text you see above.

[4.6] Jeff Rovin
 For more inspiration. I found his miniguides to be pretty useful
 and his views on videogame censorship to be quite enlightening.

[4.7] Any site that puts this up
 'Tis better to light a candle than to curse the dark. Thanks
 to this site for posting this guide up, for the sake of keeping
 other gamers from getting Bandalized.

[4.8] My fellow Faididis & Spherelanders
 I do the writing, but they're the ones who actually dig through the
 stages and enemies to come up with the best strategies. As you read
 this, we're still trying to find some Fdds stuck somewhere in a cave.
 I hope they're not wrecking havoc on the inhabitants down there....

======================================================================
======================================================================

I hope you enjoy playing Wurm and reading this strategy guide.
Got questions or comments? Wanna correct me on a nasty mistake
I've made? Wanna ask me to join you on an expedition to search
for other Underworld kingdoms? Wanna know what dilenium looks
like? Wanna discuss the proper way(s) of reading out Princess
Sowne's name? Wanna know what it's like to get Bandalized?
Feel free to e-mail me at

  faididi@hotmail.com

... or post something at Wurm's Message Board
at GameFAQs (www.gamefaqs.com).

Also feel free to visit the staff's site.
Get your extra gaming info, fun pictures, and illegal goods down at

  www.geocities.com/ed057/index.html

Let us carry on the Golden Torch of Videogaming until another
massive nuclear war erupts in the Underworld, so before the sun
explodes, everything on Earth dies a horrible, horrible death.  :)
