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Platform: Sinclair ZX Spectrum

Region: Region Not Set

Developer(s): Grandslam

Publishers(s): MCM Software

ReleaseDate: 1989-01-02

Players: 1

Co-op: No

THUNDERBIRDS ============ You have just joined THUNDERBIRDS the famous INTERNATIONAL RESCUE team. Can you help the Tracy Family, Brains, Lady Penelope and Parker solve MINE MENACE, SUB CRASH, BANK JOB and ATOMIC TERROR. THE SCENARIO THe year is 2063. On a remote island in the Pacific Ocean lives retired industrialist Jeff Tracy and his sons. To the outside world they are the 'idle rich'. The reality is something different. Deep under the island is an underground complex. This is the base of International Rescue, an organisation dedicated to the saving of lives. Orbiting high above is Thunderbird 5, a space station monitoring all radio signals for a hint of an emergency. Within Tracy Island are Thunderbirds 1,2,3 and 4. All ready at a moments notice to be launched to any point on the earth or in space. The International Rescue organisation is headed by Jeff Tracy and the vehicles piloted by his sons Alan, Gordon, John, Virgil and Scott. All the Thunderbirds craft were designed and built by a brilliant scientist and engineer Horatio Hackenback the III, known within Thunderbirds as 'Brains'. International Rescue is a secret organization, and for it to continue to function it must protect the identity of its agents and the location of its base and craft. To help in this it uses many agents around the world who's job it is to get information about possible threats. The British agents who are Thunderbirds most able team are Lady Penelope and her butler Parker, for Penelope, being a English aristocrat is often a useful cover. As well as having to contend with natural disasters the Thunderbirds also have an arch-enemy, the Hood, who has sworn to stop at nothing until he has stolen the secret designs of all the Thunderbirds craft. You have joined International Rescue, it is your task to save lives across the world and stop the evil Hood. Jeff Tracy Esg Tracy Island South Pacific Ocean. Dear Agent, I am happy to welcome you to International Rescue. We all feel that you will make an invaluable contribution to our effort here. Your purpose will be to co-ordinate each mission from the Thunderbird craft at the site. It will be your responsibility to guide other members of your team engaged in the Mission. They are counting on your quick thinking and insight to get them through any tough situations. We are confident that you are the right person for the job, good luck and F.A.B. Jeff Tracy P.S. Don't forgel your Thunderbirds code of honour i.e. 1. You must not use your real name or any name of other Thunderhird agents on unencoded transmissions. 2. You must never reveal the location of International Rescue base or any of its operatives. 3. You must never reveal any of the technology that powers Thunderbirds vehicles. 4. Never allow yourself or any agent, or any craft to be photographed/video recorded while involved in a mission. 5. Never give up however impossible the problem seems that you must overcome. 6. Always remember you are part of a team - "team work saves lives". 7. International Rescue exists to save lives, you must do this above all else. BASIC PLAY The Thunderbirds computer game is in 4 parts of increasing difficulty. The objectives of each part is detailed later in this guide. You can control two Thunderbirds characters, one at a time. The character which is under control can be moved around the 'Action area' under your control to perform certain tasks. These must be performed to solve various problems and puzzles which block your progress to the objective of the Mission. Objects To help you solve your individual tasks you can take 4 objects from a selection of 6. Each character carries 2. The choice of what to take is yours, experience will help you decide the objects that are best suited for each Mission and who should take it. Other objects will be discovered in the Mission locations, these can be used individually or together with another object. Controls A character may drop an object which may then be picked up and used by another. You may control your Thunderbirds character with either the keyboard or joystick. The following keys are used. O — climb up or enter lift (joystick up) K — climb down or drop/pickup object (joystick down) Z — go left (joystick left) X — go right (joystick right) Return — use highlighted object (joystick fire) Space — swap character 1 — Highlight object 1 2 — Highlight object 2 H - Help, which names the objects the character is holding. If you wish to abort the Mission at any time you may do so by pressing shift and Q f at the same time. Hints To complete Thunderbirds we recommend that you make maps of each Mission with notes as to the location and use of objects. All Missions are solvable within the time provided. Screen Layout The screen displays all the information you require. To the top left are the character displays. These show you the characters you are currently working with, together with a picture of each Thunderbird are the objects they are carrying and a health level If the health level reaches zero then that character is unconscious and the Mission will be aborted. If one of the objects is highlighted then this indicates that this object is active and may be 'used'. Text Below the character display is a text line which shows any words that any of the characters may say. You should read this as sometimes it contains clues as to what you should do. Time In the top right of the screen is a timer, all your missions are a race against time. The clock will begin at a maximum of 99 and count down to zero. If it reaches zero and you have not completed your task the Mission is aborted The later Missions have less time to complete, so planning your moves is vital. Loading THUNDERBIRDS on your 8 bit Computer. If you have a Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, MSX or C64 then follow these loading instructions. SPECTRUM, AMSTRAD, MSX and C64 CASSETTES The game has four levels located on 2 tapes, a level on each side. Place the tape containing the level you wish to play in the tape deck and rewind the side that has that level on it. SPECTRUM: Enter LOAD"" and press RETURN, or if you have a PLUS 2 or 3 use the loader option from the Main Menu. AMSTRAD : Press CTRL and little ENTER and PLAY on cassette. MSX Enter BLOAD "CAS:",R and press return. C64 Shift/Run-Stop and press PLAY on tape deck. SPECTRUM AND AMSTRAD DISKS The game has four levels located on 1 disk, two levels on eitherb side. Place the disk in the disk drive with the level you want facing upwards. SPECTRUM: Use the loader option from the Main Menu. AMSTRAD: Enter | CPM and press Return. (NB. The | symbol is created by pressing shift and the @ key together.) C64 DISKS The game has four levels located on 2 disks, a level on each side. Place a disk into the disk drive with the level you want facing upwards. Enter LOAD"*",8,1 and press RETURN. Loading THUNDERBIRDS on your 16 bit Computer. If you have a Atari ST or Amiga then follow these loading instructions: Atari ST If you have one drive. Place disk 1 in drive A and switch on the computer. Follow instructions as when to change disks. Users who own a second drive may place disk two in drive B. No further disk operations will be necessary. Amiga If you have one drive. Place disk 1 in drive 0 and switch on the computer. Follow instructions as when to change disks. Users who own a second drive may place disk two in drive 1 or drive 2. No further disk operations will be necessary. IBM/PC + 100% compatibles see disk for loading instructions. MISSION 1 - MINE MENACE An explosion has destroyed the lifting gear in the Santa Peuablo Mine leaving 2 Miners trapped in the mine cage deep below the surface. Conventional rescue services will arrive in a couple of hours - this will be too late - the mine is flooding from a damaged valve on the mine's pumping station. Alan, Virgil and Brains are to attempt a rescue using TB2 to pull the cage up the shaft to safety. To do this both Alan and Brains must reach the stricken men to attach the grab and save the day Alan starts his journey in the control room near the surface, while Brains is transporterd in the MOLE underground to start his rescue. You are presented with 6 items before the mission begins, only two of which can be carried by each character, so two must be left behind. Your Characters are: BRAINS, ALAN The objects are: Torch, Lamp, Laser cutting tool, Bag of gobstoppers, Klaxon, Grease, Can Hint You must first use Brains to find a hammer to fix the small winch lift and then a spanner to re-start the pump which will stop the mine flooding. Leave Alan to his own devices till you have done both these things. MISSION 2 - SUB CRASH A revolutionary new submarine, the Oceanic Star, is undergoing sea trials when it is struck by a mine. It sinks out of control and comes to rest on the rim of an under sea Volcano. The crew escapes leaving only the Captain to shut down the nuclear reactor which is going critical - he is overcome by the radiation. The Nuclear Reactor will explode and cause a terrible disaster to local marine animals - as well as setting off a chain reaction of volcanic destruction. The reactor must be shut down, but you must work quickly before the Sub slips off the rim into the Volcano and the hull is crushed by the pressure or melted by the heat. Your Characters are: GORDON, ALAN The choice of equipment is as follows: Two Aqualungs, Radiation Pills, Can of "Shark-away' shark repellent, American Express card, Copy of Kine Magazine Hint Beware radiation! Coloured cards are used to control the reactor, among other things. MISSION 3 - THE BANK JOB After the Submarine in mission two surfaces, small fragments of a certain type of limpet mine are found embedded in the hull. The Thunderbirds must find out who planted it. The only problem is that the records of the company which made this mine are in the vault of the Bank of England. Lady Penelope and Parker must get into the Bank of England and retrieve the document from the main vault. They only have a limited amount of time before the Bank opens. They start at the back of the Bank and are immediately confronted by a guard. You must get the document, but you must not get caught or run out of time. Lady Penelope would not like prison food so be careful. Your characters are: LADY PENELOPE, PARKER The objects you can take are: Clockwork Mouse, 'Snoozy' Sleep spray, Stethoscope, Dynamite, Iron Bar, Mirror Hint The lift is a heavy problem. MISSION 4 - COUNTDOWN TO TERROR The file obtained by Thunderbirds agents in the vault identifies the source of all the Thunderbirds problems as their arch-enemy the Hood. (Boo Hiss). Worse than that, he is in possession of a film taken at the sub rescue of the Thunderbird craft. If this film is not recovered before it can be computer analysed all Thunderbirds Secrets will be sold to the highest bidder. Information obtained by Lady Penelope through the World Intelligence Network points to a small town called Dry Gulch in Arizona. Thunderbirds 1 and 2 take off immediately. While airborne the HOOD interrupts TV broadcasts worldwide and threatens to launch a Nuclear Missile at London if a ransom of 4 Billion dollars is not paid to him by the World Bank within 3 hours The primary objective is to stop the HOOD from launching his missile but you must also find the Film. Remember - Thunderbirds are the only people who can stop him - his only threat. The missile must be either disarmed or destroyed, and the Hood must be stopped. Your characters are: VIRGIL, SCOTT The objects you can take are: Two pairs of dark glasses, Tube of super glue, Yoyo, Gun, First aid kit Hints Your on your own with this one. F.A.B. Published by Grandslam Entertainments Limited Unauthorised publication, copying or distribution throughout the world is prohibited. ©1989 ITC ENTERTAINMENTS LTD. ©1989 ABP LTD. Computer Copyright ©1989 Grandslam Entertainments Ltd. 12-18 Paul Street, London EC2A 4JS

ESRB Rating: Not Rated

Genre(s): Adventure