GOLD OF THE AZTECS.
-------------------

BORED?...PENNILESS?

BUT THEN YOUR NAME IS BRET CONRAD AND YOU`VE GOT HIDDEN RESOURCES. OR SOON WILL
HAVE. RESOURCES CALLED `TREASURES`

OF COURSE THERS A MAP, 400 YEARS OLD, ITS SPANISH AND IT SHOWS THE LOCATION OF
AN AZTEC TEMPLE BRIMMING WITH GOLD.

THE MAP ALSO TELLS OF IMMENSE DANGER. HOW 300 CONQUISTADORS DIED IN THE LAST
ATTEMPT TO ENTER THE TOMB. HOW EVER THEWY WERE'NT BRAVE,INTELLIGENT, AND STRONG
LIKE YOU.

ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS HITCH A LIFT IN AN AREOPLANE AND PARACHUTE INTO THE
JUNGLES OF MEXICO, A COUPLE OF HUNDRED MILES FROM THE NEAREST ROADS.

IT WILL BE EASY WONT IT? STRAIGHT IN,GRAB THE GOLD AND STRAIGHT OUT AGAIN.

ATER ALL, A FEW WILD ANIMALS,HEADHUNTERS AND TRAPS ARE ALL IN A NORMAL DAYS
WORK TO YOU/

GHOULIES AND GHOSTS ARE KIDS STUFF AND MONSTERS DONT EXIST?...DO THEY?....
LETS GO FOR IT!!!!!!!!!!!

USERS WITH HARD DISKS:

SIMPLY INSERT DISK `A` INTO YOUR INTERNAL DRIVE AND THEN AT THE PROMPT TYPE THE
FOLLOWING:----A:INSTALL   FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS AS THEY APPEAR ON THE SCREEN.
ONCE THE GOLD OF THE AZTECS HAS BEEN INSTALLED, YOU MAY RUN THE GAME BY TYPING
THE ROOT DIRECTORY PROMPT:----  GOLD/GOLD

HOW TO SKIP THE STARTUP-SEQENCES

WHEN THE GAME IS STARTING SIMPLY PRESS THE `SPACE BAR` IN ORDER TO SKIP
THEM..YOU CAN ALSO DO THIS DURING THE SEQUENCES WHICH OCUR WHEN YOU SUCCESFULLY
COMPLETE THE GAME OR DIE.

CONTROLLING BRET;

WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU CONTROL BRET WITH A JOYSTIC, HOWEVER IF A JOYSTICK  IS
NOT AVAILABLE, THE KEYBPOARD MAY BE USED AS FOLLOWS.

JOYSTICK         KEY TO PRESS

  UP              E OR P
  DOWN            D OR L
  LEFT            < OR X
  RIGHT           > OR C
  FIRE            . OR RETURN

DIAGONAL MOVEMENTS MAY BE ACHIEVED BY PRESSING 2 KEYS TOGETHER. WHEN THE GAME
STARTS, BRET IS HANGING BY THE SHROUDS OF HIS PARACHUTE IN A TREE. CUT HIM
LOOSE BY PRESSING FIRE. THEN GO LEFT OR RIGHT TO BEGIN THE GAME.

SIMPLE MOVEMENTS.

THE REACTION OF BRETT TO THE JOYSTICK IS DETERMINED BY THE STANCE HE IS IN,
ADDITIONALLY THE RANGE OF ACTIONS WILL BE DIFERNT ONCE FIRE HAS BEEN PRESSED.


`NOTE: THESE ARE BRETS ACTIONS WHEN FACING TO THE RIGHT~

             
          NW                       N                       NE

  SOMERSAULT BACKWARDS         JUMP UP                 JUMP FORWARD




          W                                                 E

  TURN TO ACE LEFT                                     WALK RIGHT




         SW                      S                       SE

 STEP BACK                     DUCK                    PICK UP


------------------------------------------------------------------------------

`NOTE; THESE ARE BRETS ACTIONS WHEN ACING TO THE LEFT`


        NW                      N                         NE

  JUMP FORWARD               JUMP UP              SOMERSAULT BACKWARDS



 
        W                                                  E

  WALK LEFT                                       TURN TO FACE RIGHT



       SW                      S                          SE

  PICK UP                    DUCK                     STEP BACK


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A SHORT TAP TO THE RIGHT ON THE JOYSTICK WILL CAUSE BRET TO SKIP FORWARDS A
SMALL AMOUNT WHILST A SHORT TAP TO THE LEFT WILL CAUSE HIM TO SKIP BACK. BRET
ALSO MOVES FORWARD A SMALL AMOUNT WHEN JUMPING UP. IF BRET JUMPS FORWARD WHILST
HE IS MOVING HE WILL PERFORM A LONG FORWARD SOMERSAULT.

WHEN ACING INWARDS BRET WILL TURN LEFT OR RIGHT, OR IF THE JOYSTICK IS PUSHED
UPWARDS WILL WALK INTO THE SCREEN.

COMPLEX MOVEMENTS

WHILST FACING INWARDS, WALKING TOWARDS A LADDER OR VERTICAL ROPE WILL CAUSE
BRET TO MOUNT IT..WHILST ACING LEFT OR RIGHT TO A ROPE, PULLING UP OR DOWN WILL
CAUSE BRETT TO GRAB IT.

LADDERS:

ONCE ON A LADDER, BRET CAN MOVE UP OR DOWN, GO LEFT OR RIGHT AT OBVIOUS POINTS
TO GET OFF.

ROPES:

WHEN ON A VERTICAL ROPE BRET CAN MOVE UP OR DOWN. GO LEFT OR RIGHT AT OBVIOUS
POINTS TO GET OFF, OTHER WISE LEFT OR RIGHT WILL CAUSEBRET TO GRAB VERTICAL AND
HORIZONTAL ROPES. REMEMBER THOUGH, BRETS HAND MUST TOUCH THE OTHER ROPE. BRET
CAN DROP OFF THE END OF VERTICAL ROPES.

BRET CAN GET ONTO A HORIZONTAL ROPE FROM A VERTICAL ROPE AS ABOVE OR BY JUMPING
UP AND GRABBING IT. ONCE ON A HORIZONTAL ROPE, BRET CAN GO LEFT OR RIGHT AND IF
THE JOYSTICK IS PULLED DOWN HE WILL DROP OFF IT.

AT THE BOTTOM LEFT OF THE SCREEN ARE TWO ROWS OF EIGHT ICONS. THE TOP ROW
ALWAYS HAS AN ICON SELECTED WHICH IS HIGHLIGHTED. THIS ICON DETERMINES BRETS
ACTION WHEN FIRE IS PRESSED. SELECTION BETWEEN THESE ICONS IS THROUGH THE USE
OF THE `SPACEBAR`

(PISTOL ICON) BRET USES THE PISTOL. HE WILL PUT THE PISTOL AWAY IF THE FIRE IS
PRESSED WHILST HE IS STANDING STILL OTHERWISE HE WILL FIRE THE GUN WHENEVER
FIRE IS PRESSED. PULLING DOWN WILL CAUSE BRET TO KNEEL. BRET CAN TURN WHILE
HOLDING THE GUN

(AMMO ICON--BULLETS) BRET RELOADS THE GUN, BRET WILL ALWAYS AUTOMATICALLY
RELAOD WHEN FIRING THE PISTOL. THIS OPTION ALLOWS AN EARLY RELOAD IN TIMES OF
DANGER.

(KNIFE ICON) THE MACHETE CAN BE USED IN CLOSE QUARTER FIGHTING IN THE SAME WAY
AS BULLETS.

(LEVER ICON) BRET PULLS A LEVER...ASSUMING THAT BRET IS NEAR A LEVER.

THE STATUS BAR:

THE SECOND ROW OF ICONS ARE FOR THE TREASURES AS THEY ARE COLLECTED. THEY WILL
DISPLAY IN THE ORDER THEY WERE LOCATED(NOT FOUND). THERE IS A BULLET COUNTER IN
THE TOP RIGHT SCREEN AND UNDERNEATH IT IS THE LIVES DISPLAY. BRET HAS 3 LIVES,
BUT THERE ARE 2 MORE AVAILABLE AT VARIOUS POINTS IN THE GAME. THE SCORE IS
SHOWN AS A PERCENTAGE OF THE GAME COMPLETED. THIS IS BASED ON EXPLORATION AND
TREASURE.

IF BRET IS DYING OR DROWNING. PRESSING THE `SPACEBAR` WILL SHORTCUT THE
SEQUENCE.

THE GAME OPTIONS:

AT ANY POINT DURING THE GAME PLAY, PRESSING `ESC` WILL BRING UP THE OPTIONS
SCREEN. THIS CAN ALSO BE USED AS PAUSE.

ON THE SCREEN ARE A NUMBER OF OPTIONS ICONS. THEY MAY BE SELECTED BY MOVEMENT
OF THE JOYSTICK. THE TOP ROW ARE TOGGLES, A RED CROSS DISABLES THEM WHEN THEY
ARE SELECTED AND FIRE IS PRESSED. THE SECOND ROW OF ICONS HAVE IMMEDIATE
EFFECT..THESE ARE

(BIRD ICON)             SOUND EFFECTS ON/OFF

(MUSICAL NOTES ICON)    MUSIC ON/OFF

                        START THE GAME AT THE BEGINNING.

(MAN RUNNING ICON?)     CONTINUE PLAYING WERE YOU LEFT OFF

(MAP ICON)              LOOK AT THE MAP...USE YOUR JOYSTICK TO SCROLL AROUND
                        IT.

(? ICON)                TAKE A SNEAK PREVIEW OF US GOLDS NEXT RELEASE

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SO WHATS IT ALL ABOUT?

BRETS THE NAME. BRET CONRAD I`M A SPECIAL FORCES VIETNAM (RETIRED) AND I WAS
PRETTY BORED. THE CIA SAID I WAS TO MUCH OF A RISK, EVEN THE FBI WOULDNT HAVE
ME, I SEE THEIR POINT..I DO LIKE A BIT OF ACTION AND WHEN THE BULLETS START
FLYING I KIND OF LOSE CONTROL. STILL MY OLD SARGE SAID THE NAME OF THE GAME IS
SURVIVAL..AND I`M PRETTY GOOD AT THAT.
TROUBLE WAS I WAS DOWN AT HEEL, OUT OF LUCK AND BORED, IF YOU DONT KNOW HOW
BORED I WAS, YOU SHOULD TRY A SATURDAY NIGHT OUT IN TIJUANA. I WAS STAYING
THERE WITH MY GREAT UNCLE MILO WHO, BEING MY LAST LIVING RELATIVE, BECAME BY
DEFAULT MY BENEFACTOR. TROUBLE WITH OLD UNCLE MILO WAS HIS OBSESION WITH THE
AZTECS, LOTS OF DRY AND DUSTY ACADEMIC THINGS CLUTTERING UP HIS PAD AND NEVER A
PARTY TO SPEAK OF, HE NEVER HAD MUCH MONEY SO I HAD TO DO SOME PART TIME STUFF
FOR LOCAL SECURITY FIRMS WHO WOULDNT EVEN ISSUE ME WITH A UZI, I SUPPOSE THEY
WERE CONCERNED AT THE COST OF THE BULLETS I MIGHT USE.

ANYWAY BACK TO THE TALE, OLD MILO IS DEAD..DEAD AS A DODO, AND NATURALLY I END
UP WITHY HIS APARTMENT AND THE RELICS, BUT WHATS A GUY LIKE ME SUPPOSED TO DO
WITH A LOAD OF ANTIQUES(I KNEW WHAT TO DO WITH THE APARTMENT)I HAD A PARTY AND
RAISED HELL FOR A FEW DAYS AFTER ALL!/ I GOT TO REASONING(I`M PRETTY GOOD AT
THAT) THE OLD MAN MUST HAVE SOMETHING OF VALUE SOMEWERE. BEING AN EXPERT ON
PEOPLE WHO HAD MOUNTAINS OF GOLD. I TORE THE PLACE APART, FINDING NOTHING.
TYPICAL. AH WELL I THOUGHT, AND THEN I SAW BUNNY, PLAYMATE OF THE MONTH AND
ENOUGH TO CALM ANY MANS SOUL. THAT PICTURES GOIN IN MY ROOM I THOUGHT(I WAS IN
THE OLD MANS STUDY AT THE TIME). THE THING WAS, IT WAS MOUNTED IN ONE OF THE
OLD FRILLY FRAMES USED BY PEOPLE WITH BAD TASTE. NO PROBLEM, GET THE OLD MANS
KNIFE OUT AND WE`LL SOON HAVE IT IN A NICE PLASTIC SURROUND.

GUESS WHAT?, HIDING BEHIND BUNNY ALL THIS TIME WAS A MAP, A REAL LIVE SPANISH
TREASURE MAP!

DON JUAN LOPEZ DE MARBELLA WAS THE NAME ON THE MAP. CAN YOU IMAGINE INTRODUCING
YOURSELF WITH A NAME LIKE THAT?. OLD UNCLE MILO(BLESS HIS SOUL AND ALL THAT)
HAD KEPT A TRANSLATION OF ALL THE FOREIGN WRITING ON THE MAP AND THE TALE WAS
PRETTY GRUESOME.

YOIU SEE DON JUAN WAS THIS SPANISH NOBLEMAN, WHO BEING JUST LIKE ME (BORED)
DECIDED TO GO TO THE NEW WORLD TO SEEK HIS FAME AND FORTUNE, BEING A NOBLEMAN,
HE DIDNT HAVE TO DO IT ALL ON HIS OWN. HE TOOK 300 BUDDIES WITH HIM. THEY
ORGANISED A BIG EXPEDITION, WHICH EVEN INCLUDED ELEPHANTS, TO HELP MOVE
SUPPLIES THROUGH THE JUNGLE, ANYWAY. THEY GOT TO MEXICO JUST ABOVE THE YYCATAN
PENINSULA. NOW DO JUAN BEING THE MAN HE WAS AND AS IT WAS THE YEAR 1615, JUST
GRABBED A FEW FRIENDLY NATIVES AND GENTLY PERSUADED THEM TO CHAT ABOUT GOLD AND
THINGS. IT NEVER FAILED.

IT TURNED OUT A COUPLE OF HUNDRED KLICKS INLAND WAS A TOMB, DEDICATED TO SOME
GOD CALLED `QUETZALCOATL` WITH LOADS OF GOLD. WHAT MORE COULD A MAN WANT. SO
OFF HE WENT TO PLUNDER-PILLAGE AND MAKE HIS FAME. THIS IS WHERE/THE TALE SHOULD
END BUT UNFORUNATELY FOR POOR DON JUAN AND FORTUNATELY FOR YOUR TRULY, IT
DIDNT.

A COUPLE OF YEARS LATER, OLD DON JUAN STAGGERED OUT OF THE JUNGLE ALONE. NOT
EVEN AN ELEPHANT IN SIGHT. DYING OF FEVER AND STARVATION HE TOLD A GARBLED TALE
OF WEALTH BEYOND A MANS WILDEST DREAMS AND NIGHTMARES WORSE THAN A DRY BAR IN
THE SAHARA. TREKKING THROUGH THE MURDEROUS JUNGLE, HIS MEN HAD DROPPED LIKE
FLYS TO DISEASE,HUNGER NATIVES AND THE WILDLIFE. REACHING THE TOMB WITH LESS
THAN A HUNDRED MEN STILL ALIVE. HE SANK A SHAT DOWN INTO IT. THATS WHEN HIS
TROUBLES REALLY BEGAN.

NOW OLD DON JUAN WAS NOBODY`S FOOL. LIKE ALL GOOD ADVENTURES, HE SENT HIS MEN
AHEAD OF HIM TO MAP OUT THE WAY AND TAKE CARE OF ANY DANGERS. SO HE TELLS HIS
BOYS TO BRAVE ALL AND BRING BACK THE GOLD. DOWN THE SHAFT THEY GO.SILENCE. DON
JUAN WAITED OR FOUR DAYS BUT NOBODY RETURNED FROM THE SHAFT. SO HE HAD NO
CHOICE BUT TO WALK BACK ALONE THROUGH 200 KILOMETRES OF DENSE TROPICAL JUNGLE.
SOME CHOICE!!

HOWEVER THIS GUY TURNS OUT TO BE REAL TOUGH, HOW HE MANAGED TO GET BACK TO
CIVILISATION BEATS ME. BUT HE DIDNT BEAT THE JUNGLE IN THE END. JUST BEFORE HE
CROAKED, OF JUST ABOUT EVERY NASTY DESEASE IN THE BOOK, DON MADE A MAP WHICH HE
LEFT WITH THE LOCAL PRIEST WHO HID IT(WHERE ELSE) UNDER THE ALTAR.WHICH IS WERE
UNCLE MILO FOUND IT.

SO OFF I WENT TO SEE AAN OLD MATE CALLED JAKE(WHO HAS A PLANE) "HOW ABOUT A
TRIP DOWN YUCATAN" WAY?. I ASKED OVER A FEW DRINKS DOWN AT THE BAR, YOUR
KIDDING SAYS HE, "BUT BUY ME A FEW MORE BEERS AND I`LL TAKE YOU ANYWERE".

SO THERE I WAS, WITH THE SUN STILL HIDING BELOW THE HORIZON AND MY PARACHUTE ON
MY BACK. I CHECKED MY TRUSTY BROWNING 13MM AUTOMATIC(WELL NEARLY TRUSTY) AND
CLIMBED ABOARD....MAKE SURE SOMEONES HOVERING AROUND IN 24 HOURS TO PICK ME
UP..I SHOUTED OVER THE NOISE OF THE PLANE. THEN WE WERE AWAY...LOOKING FOR THE
GOLD OF THE AZTECS.


END.............
