THE SPECTRUM GAMES DATABASE

PYRACURSE

PUBLISHER
Hewson

AUTHOR

YEAR
1986

CONTROLS
Keyboard, Kempston. (This game is best played using a joystick
rotated clockwise by 45 degrees).

 KEYS : A to G          - Up/Left               - Joystick left
        H to L, ENTER   - Up/Right              - Joystick up
        B to M, SPACE   - Down/Left             - Joystick down
        Z to V          - Down/Right            - Joystick right
        Y to P          - Fire                  - Joystick fire

        0/9                     - Pause/Unpause
        Fire while moving       - Throw/Discard object
        Fire while stationary   - Display menu


INSTRUCTIONS
Pyracurse features the adventures of a team of three people and
a dog called Frozbie who explore an ancient Sinu city based in
the forests of South America in search of the missing
archaeologist Sir Pericles Pemberton-Smythe. There are a host of
fearful creatures for them to meet and match but with your help
they can overcome all...

You will see a view of the entrance to the ruined city, in front
of which are standing the four characters, each of which have
their own personalities and abilities. These are:

1. Daphne Pemberton-Smythe (good at finding things)
2. Professor Roger Kite (good at using things, but rather naive
   - may need to be resuced from time to time)
 3. Patrick "Legless" O'Donnell (strong, but rather clumsy)
 4. Frozbie the dog (good at digging up buried objects)

At the top of the screen is a window showing your current mode.
You start in Mobile Mode. To the left a coloured band indicates
the energy status of your current character; if this falls to
zero your character will die. At the bottom centre of the screen
is an information window which initially reads

                         ANTECHAMBER
                          O'DONNELL
                            SOLO

This shows you that you are in the Antechamber of the tomb and
that your current character is O'Donnell operating in Solo Mode.
At the bottom right is a window which displays your current
character or object. Initially O'Donnell is displayed there. At
the bottom left is a picture of Xipe Totec, the ancient god of
the Sinu people. Other Sinu items are displayed as a border round
the edge of the screen.

If you press the fire key whilst you are stationary in Mobile
Mode the display in the information window changes to show the
Selection Menu which consists of:

 1. SOLO        - control only the current character
 2. CHARACTER   - select a character
 3. INVENTORY   - display inventory of current character
 4. LEAD        - lead characters; they must be in the immediate
                 vicinity to be led by the current character

There are many items for you to collect and use scattered around
the tomb. To pick up an object select Mobile Mode and walk up to
the item you require. As you collect it the graphic window will
flash and show a picture of the item. Each character may carry
up to three items at a time. Not all characters can pick up all
objects.

If you wish to unlock a chest or activate a key plate with a key
collected previously select the character who has the correct key
and place him adjacent to the chest or plate. Select the
appropriate key or item from the inventory part of the Selection
Menu.

Later in the game you may come across weapons which can be thrown
at monsters to destroy them. To use such a weapon you must first
collect it and then make sure it is highlighted in the
information window when the inventory is selected. Return to
Mobile Mode; if you now press fire whilst you are moving the
weapon will be flung in the direction of travel. You will find
that Daphne cannot throw as far as the Professor or O'Donnell.
Pressing fire whilst moving in Mobile Mode is also the way to
discard an ordinary object such as a key; such an object will not
be thrown but instead simply dropped.


SCORES RECEIVED
"A rewarding arcade adventure." 90% (CRASH #31, August 1986)

GENERAL FACTS

NOTES
