                        SPY  VS.  SPY  (1st Star Software)

                             Typed in by Postcard Man

INTRODUCTION:

     This game, based on MAD magazine's agents in Black & White, is a madcap
game in split screen Simulvision which allows each Spy to see what the other
spy is doing. This also allows both players (or one against a computer 
opponent) to play simultanously. You travel through a selectable, yet
randomly generated maze of interconnecting rooms. While setting and defusing
booby-traps, engaging in hand-to-hand combat, searching for the Top Secret 
briefcase (guess it isn't secret anymore) and looking for the only way out,
you must collect your passport, secret plans, money and the key in order to
escape from the foreign embassy before your plane takes off without you.

CONTROLS:

Movement:

     The rooms that you are in are 3 dimensional. Pushing the joystick
forward will move you towards the rear of the room. Pulling the joystick
forward will bring you back towards the front; left and right moves in 
those directions. If you move from room to room, you will notice that the
Movement Status Indicator bar (located below your room) is scrolling from
right to left and is being updated with each new room that you have entered.
These symbols can show you how to go back to where you have come from. For
example, if you move one room to the right and two rooms back, you will see,
reading from right to left, two `down' arrows and one `left' arrow. To find
your way back, follow the arrows reading from right to left. As you move, 
your Movement indicator will scroll from left to right. deleting each arrow
until you return to the room you started.

Object Manipulation:

     First, move within range of any object (you will hear a short tone and 
see a flash). Then press the Joystick button. Any object found within a room
can be opened or lifted and may reveal one of the hidden items you are 
looking for. If you're not so lucky, it will activate a Booby Trap, blowing
you to smithereens.

Opening Doors:

     Again, move within a range of any closed door. Press the Joystick 
button and the door will open.

GAME ELEMENTS

SIMULVISION:

     The game uses a unique, split-screen layout. The top half monitors the
actions of the White Spy, the bottom half depicts the Black Spy (either
player two or the computer). The activities of both Spies are revealed to
both players in the rooms shown on the left side of the screen. The right
side is reserved for the Trapulator and its six icons.

SIMLPLAY:

     With the clock running, this allows both players to play simultanously
without taking turns. Since both Spies' activities take place out in the 
open, the challenge becomes watching and remembering what the other Spy does
while you go about your business. Simulplay allows players to engage in
club-to-club combat, place booby traps, chase each other and generally get
in the way.

HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT:

     The combat mode exists only when both Spies are in the same room. 
Simulvision ends, and the Spy that entered the common room appears on the 
same screen as the Spy that was already there. Both Spies have the options 
of attacking, leaving or avoiding the other Spy.
     In the combat mode, Spies cannot search objects, or use the Trapulator
(no map or traps). Doors, however, still work, and so do any traps that
might be connected to them. If Spies are not within range of any object when
pushing the Joystick button they will weild clubs with which they can hit
the other Spy on the head or jab him in the stomach. To smash him on the
head, the button is held down while the Joystick is moved from the Up 
position to the Down position (swing the club downward). To jab, move the
Joystick from right to left ( or right to left, depending on which way the
spy is facing). When the Joystick button is first pushed down, the Spy will
automatically face his opponent. To move your Spy during combat, release the
button and move as normal.
     Hitting the other Spy weakens him, and about seven solid blows are
needed to kill him. However, Spies will recover strength over a period of 
time.
     If a Spy is carrying anything when he enters a common room, the object
is lost or hidden in the common room, depending on the type of object. Traps
and remedies are lost, while inventory items and the briefcase are hidden
somewhere in the room. The winner of the combat sequence can search the
object out, and either regain or gain possession.

TIME

     Both players start with equal time to travel the maze, collect required
objects, search for the briefcase and exit the embassy before their plane 
takes off. However, there are several time penalties. You lose time when you
set a booby-trap. When setting a trap, you will hear several beeps. This 
will tell you that the trap was properly set and it reminds you to watch
your Trapulator which will be deducting the appropriate time.
     However, if you are the victim of the booby-trap or the loser in
hand-to-hand combat the clock will continue to count down even though you are
unconscious. These loses of time can never be regained. When time is about to
run out the red botton on top of the Trapulator will flash and sound its
warning.
     Both players can never run out of time at the same time. Therefore, one
player will outlive the other. The surviving player will continue his search
for the briefcase, required objects and the exit. If you are playing against
the computer and the computer has time remaining, you can abort the mission
(not sure which key is used on Amiga). Even after the spy's demise, the
traps he has set remain. The game is by no means over just because one 
player's time has run out. There is a pause key.

BOOBY-TRAPS:

     As players move through the maze of rooms, they may select any of the
five booby-traps. The booby-trap arsenal contains: Bombs, Springs, Buckets
of water, Guns with strings tied to the triggers and Time bombs. The Time
Bomb needn't be hidden. In fact, it is activated immediately and it is the
only booby-trap that cannot be carried or neutralized. The Gun with the
String and the Bucket of Water can only be attached to a closed door. All
other traps may be placed behind or in anything found in any room.
     Spies can carry traps in and out of rooms, placing them where they wish
when they are ready. Booby-traps are depicted in black while the remedies 
are shown in color.

TO PLACE AND SET A TRAP:

  1: Press the Joystick button..Twice! You have just accessed the Trapulator
     Observe the large arrow.
  2: Move the large arrow about the Trapulator using the Joystick.
  3: Position the arrow over the booby-trap of your choice.
  4: Press the Joystick. The Booby-Trap is now held by your Spy.
  5: Position the Spy in front of the hiding place that you have selected.
  6: Watch for a brief flash in your Spy's room. This flash indicates that
     your Spy is properly positioned.
  7: Press the Joystick. The booby-trap will disappear (* See Note:) and
     you will hear the short beeps. These indicate that the trap has been
     set AND that time is being deducted from the time remaining before
     your flight leaves.

   *Note: In the case with a String trap, only the gun will no longer be
    visible. As you move your Spy about the room, the string will stretch
    and follow the Spy. Position him in front of a closed door, watch for
    the flash, press the joystick button and the trap is set.

     Once a trap has been set, EITHER Spy can set it off! A time bomb will
go off in 15 seconds once selected. Any Spy(s) in the room at the time of
detonation will be zapped. Unlike other traps, the Time Bomb is not set off
by searching of the Spies. Listen carefully for them. They come in handy if
you are being chased. The unfortunate Spy will lose 7 seconds of actual
time. Also, 20 seconds will be deducted from his game time, for a total 
penalty of 27 game seconds. The other player will be awarded points for each
trap set off by the opposition. If the bobytrappee had been in possesion of
the briefcase, the other Spy can use this time to attempt to locate the
victim and grap the briefcase. To add insult to injury, when a player sets
off a trap, he gets zapped while the other Spy laughs hysterically.

REMEDIES (See Trap & Remedy Chart below):

     Except for the time bomb, each of the traps has a disarming remedy
hidden throughout the maze. Each type of remedy is always hidden in the 
same type of location. For example, the scissors are used to disarm the Gun
with a String. Scissors are only found in the First Aid kits hanging on the
back walls. As with traps, remedies can be picked up and carried from room
to room. Spies can NOT carry more than one thing at a time EXCEPT inside the
briefcase.

                        BOOBY-TRAPS & REMEDIES

TRAP          USEABLE                  REMEDY              LOCATION
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bomb    Everywhere EXCEPT with door   Water Bucket   Red firebox on left wall

Spring  Everywhere EXCEPT with door   Wire Cutters   White toolbox of rt wall

Water Bucket       Door ONLY          Umbrella       Coat Rack
(elecrocution)

Gun with String    Door ONLY          Scissors       First Aid kit- back wall

Time Bomb          ANYWHERE           None!          n/a


TRAPULATOR:

     Located on the right side of the rooms is a calculator-like, state of
the art Trapulator. It serves four basic functions. You can use it to
SELECT BOOBY-TRAPS, pinpoint your location, gauge your time remaining and
ckeck INVENTORY.
     Across the top of the Trapulator is a digital clock which indicates the
time left until your plane takes off (with or without you)! Below the clock
are 6 buttons. On the first 5, selectable booby-traps are indicated. However,
the sixth button in the lower right hand corner calls up a map of the embassy
you have broken into.
     The map will appear in the room that your Spy is occupying. The room
your SPy is in will be the one blinking on and off. Rooms filled in with
color indicate that your Spy has been in that room at least once. Any re-
quired inventory items are represented by a dot. The map does NOT tell you
what item or how many are in a particular room, just that something you are
looking for is there. Finally, the Trapulator displays items that you have
sucessfully collected as you ready your escape. It also indicates if an item
has been taken from you. The item will now appear on the opposition's 
Trapulator. Across the bottom, left to right, should be your passport, money,
key and secret plans. The map does not show the location of the other Spy,
nor does it reveal anything about the other floor of the embassy if there is
one.

INVENTORY:

     Your mission being to escape the embassy. Top Secret briefcase in hand, 
it is important to remember that all else is but a mere distraction. Before 
your time runs out you must manage to find, fill, and keep the briefcase, 
locate the only exit and board your plane with ALL of the following; PASSPORT
travelling MONEY, the KEY and the secret PLANS.

     It is helpful to know that these items are never found in any of the
remedy locations. Use the briefcase to hold all these items. Carry them with
you or hide them. There is only one of each in any game. Protect briefcase
at all costs. If an item is found and you do not posses the briefcase your 
SPY will be carrying a white satchel and the item contained will be flashing
on the Trapulator.

EXIT:

     There is only one way out of each embassy building. The exit door is
marked. You can NOT leave without all of the required inventory. The airport
security will see to that!

SPLIT LEVEL EMBASSIES:

     Some of the embassey buildings are two stories high. Your Spy can climb
from floor to floor by using ladders. Holes in the floors are often hidden
by carpets. Use the Joystick to cover/uncover such an opening. Use the
Joystick to move up and down.

LADDERS & RUGS:

     If you enter a room with a ladder, you can activate it by moving within
range and pressing the Joystick button. Pressing the joystick button once
will lower the ladder to ground level, enabling you to move your Spy up the
ladder to the upper floor. If you do not push your Spy up the ladder but push
the the Joystick button a second time, the ladder will raise back up. To
climb up or down, tap your Joystick once in the appropriate direction. The
Spy will move by himself. Do NOT keep the Joystick foward or back. If you 
enter a room with a rug, standing within range of the rug, pressing the
Joystick button will lift the rug and reveal a hole. Move your player over
the hole and climb down the ladder to the lower floor. You can cover the
hole by standing near it and again pressing the Joystick button.

BREAD CRUMBS:

      You can retrace your steps by using the small character indicators just
below the front edge of theroom. These guides(not available on higher levels)
actually point the way back to where you just came from (up to last nine
moves).

SCORING:

    +80  winning at Hand to Hand
    -20  losing at Hand to Hand
    +30  for placing a booby-trap
    -80  for being a victim of a trap or airport security guard's boot
    +60  only for stealing other player's inventory item
    -70  calling up the help Map
    +40  using a remedy sucessfully