451 lines
22 KiB
Plaintext
451 lines
22 KiB
Plaintext
T-MEK TIP FILE
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Version 5.1.0
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New in this version: What's new in program version 5.1: The Warlords!
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Hidden features of 5.1 and how to get them!
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How to get more info about Nazrac's Dominion!
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Welcome to the latest edition of the T-MEK tip file! This is emailed to
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any T-MEK enthusiasts who want to hone their game and kick serious butt in
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Atari's hot new game.
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-----------------------------
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*****NEW PROGRAM VERSION*****
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-----------------------------
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The new program version of T-MEK is on the way to the arcades! This is
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program version 5.1: The Warlords. Read below for how to access the new
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features which make T-MEK kick more butt than ever before!
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The program upgrade, with ROMs and graphics, has been sent to game
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distributors worldwide. Arcade owners and operators will then be able to
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get the upgrade from their distributors. If your arcade does not have
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version 5.1: The Warlords, ask the manager to get it!
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------------------------
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*****WHAT IS T-MEK?*****
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------------------------
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T-MEK is a new coin-op title made by Atari Games. It currently is shipping
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and available for purchase by arcade operators. T-MEK has a deluxe
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sit-down configuration, with custom analog controls and Atari's new CAGE
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immersive surround sound system. Each game cabinet can link two players in
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head-to-head play, and permit solo play for lone players. Up to three
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cabinets can be linked for 6-way head-to-head play.
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T-MEK combines the realism and strategy of the best simulator games with
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the competitive thrill of fighting games. The basics can be learned in a
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minute, but mastery comes, if ever, after hundreds of hard-fought matches.
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Seasoned players learn to hone their reflexes, make split-second decisions,
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use their systems skillfully, and employ subtle strategies and
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counter-strategies to defeat their opponents.
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The object of T-MEK is to prove one's superiority against all challengers,
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rising through Nazrac's tournament ladder until one meets the supreme T-MEK
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player-- Nazrac himself. While you are struggling up the ladder, other
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players challenge your rank, resulting in spectacular head-to-head battles
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that can rage with up to six players at once.
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In a T-MEK match, you and your MEK enter one of many exotic arenas with at
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least three other T-MEK pilots. You score points by hitting and destroying
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other MEKs with your array of blasters, plasma cannons, and more
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specialized weapons. When a player's MEK is ravaged and explodes, the
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pilot automatically ejects, grabs a backup MEK, and jumps back into battle.
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When the match time runs out and the twisted wreckage slides to a stop,
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Nazrac declares the player with most points the winner. The round winner
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continues in the tournament for free; the losers must pay a re-entry fee to
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continue in the competition.
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If you defeat a player, you acquire that player's rank in the tournament,
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catapulting you towards your final victory. When your rank challengers
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have all been put at bay, you can eventually fight against the boss of each
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arena, special underlings to Nazrac. Unlike lower-rung battles, these
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fights are to the death! If you defeat the arena boss, you replace him,
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her, or IT as the ruler of that arena and the planet it lies on. A very
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few players have been rumored to have been challenged by Nazrac himself, to
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remind them of their subordination to him. Nobody has survived these
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conflicts. Will your ambition tempt Nazrac to call a challenge against
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you? If it comes to that, who will emerge the ruler of the T-MEK
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tournament and of all the planets it occupies?
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------------------------
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*****ABOUT YOUR MEK*****
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------------------------
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Before each match, you choose which model of MEK to take into battle. Each
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MEK has its stronger and weaker points, and each has unique and powerful
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weapons and defenses. All MEKs have a few things in common, however.
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The two control sticks move your MEK through the arena. Your MEK hovers
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above the ground, so you may slide left and right as well as forward and
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back. By pushing one stick forward or back, you travel in a curve. By
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pushing one stick forward and one stick back, you will spin in place.
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Pushing the stick a small distance causes a small acceleration; a harder
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push makes you move faster. Skillful pilots use the control sticks to
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produce a wide variety of maneuvers.
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The right trigger fires your long-range plasma cannon. The glowing hot
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plasma does heavy damage to MEKs and arena structures. Your plasma shot
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automatically curves to track the player registered in your lockon cursor.
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You may fire your plasma cannon with no limitation.
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The left trigger fires your two short-range blasters. Your blasters fire
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rapidly, but do not travel far before gouging into the ground. An
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individual blaster hit does light damage, but their cumulative effect is
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deadly. You may fire your blasters with no limitation.
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The right thumb fires your MEK's special weapon. To fire a special weapon,
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you must have at least one offense powerup (shown on the right side of the
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control panel). To get more offense powerups, go through the blue light
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beaming down from underneath the floating reload platforms. Each MEK has a
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different special weapon.
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Holding down the left thumb activates your MEK's defensive system. The
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defense varies from MEK to MEK, but all have the same basic effect: your
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MEK is impervious to weapons. Your defensive charge is measured on the
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left side of the control panel. When this charge runs out, your defense
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will no longer work. When your defense is not active, the charge slowly
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builds up. Use this sparingly when in crossfire or when being attacked
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from behind. As an added benefit, while your defense is active you can
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turn faster than usual. However, as long as your defense is active, your
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conventional weapons will not work-- your MEK's power is being diverted
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towards saving your butt.
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Your MEK has several systems to help you track your opponents. When
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another MEK is near your sights, your weapon systems automatically lock on
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to that player-- a secondary target bracket follows that MEK. When locked
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on, information about that MEK appears near your central target sight: the
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player's name (written in that player's color), and the point value of that
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player (see scoring tips below). The darker the color of your opponent's
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name, the less shield power that MEK has. Your plasma cannon and some
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special weapons will automatically home in on whoever you have locked onto.
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Your radar, in the center of your control panel, is a topdown view with
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yourself in the center. The large colored dots represent your opponents of
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the matching color. Dots at the top of the circle represent MEKs in front
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of you; dots in the right part of the circle are MEKs to your right, and so
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on. These dots are not fully accurate and may jump around as your
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opponents' MEKs resist your detection. MEKs with high defense ratings are
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more difficult to track on your radar. The LurkerMEK is nearly impossible
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to pin down!
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The bar at the top of the screen represents your remaining shield power.
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If your shields are gone and your MEK suffers additional damage, your MEK
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explodes impressively. You lose precious seconds and points before you
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re-enter the battle in a new MEK-- and in fights to the death against arena
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bosses, you may lose your last hope of survival!
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The small screen in the right part of the control panel shows the current
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rankings of all players in the match, sorted by the points they have
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earned.
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The small screen in the left part of the control panel shows your current
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score and the time remaining in the match.
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----------------------------------
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*****SPECIAL WEAPONS REVEALED*****
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----------------------------------
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Shockbolt:
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Composition: A powerful, contained charge of electricity.
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Damage: Light.
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Speed: Fast.
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Tracking: Good.
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Special features: The shockbolt goes through most obstacles and
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disorients your opponents by mixing up their controls.
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Acid drone:
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Composition: A heavy dose of molecular acid suspended in a
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magnetically-protected alloy shell.
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Damage: Medium.
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Speed: Slow.
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Tracking: Excellent.
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Special features: If someone is locked in your sights when you fire
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off an acid drone, it will keep seeking that opponent for quite a
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while. Bounces off many obstacles and keeps going.
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POV missile:
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Composition: A lethal charge of fusion explosives delivered in a
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pilot-guided high-speed missile.
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Damage: Very severe.
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Speed: Fast.
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Tracking: Depends on the pilot.
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Special features: The pilot can guide this baby to any target,
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including oneself. The speed can be controlled by pushing the
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sticks forward or backward. Hit the right thumb again to abort.
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Plasmathrower:
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Composition: Three white-hot balls of charged plasma.
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Damage: Heavy when accumulated.
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Speed: Fast.
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Tracking: Decent.
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Special features: To line up and whallop an opponent with all three
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hits delivers serious damage. Nearly impossible to outrun.
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Blinder Bomb:
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Composition: An explosive-filled shell that deploys shrapnel and a
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blinding flash via highly photoemissive magnesium powder.
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Damage: Pretty nasty.
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Speed: Medium.
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Tracking: Excellent.
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Special features: A hit with a blinder bomb will make your opponent
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(or, if you are not careful, YOU) temporarily unable to see
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outside the cockpit due to scanner overload.
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Speed Missile:
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Composition: Identical to the POV missile but composed of a lighter
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alloy that increases speed and sacrifices stability.
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Damage: Severe.
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Speed: TOO fast.
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Tracking: Depends on the pilot.
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Special features: See POV missile.
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------------------------------
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*****TIPS FOR HIGH SCORES*****
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------------------------------
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At the end of the match, Nazrac declares the player with the most points
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the winner. The winner gets to continue in the tournament free of charge
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while others must pay a re-entry fee to continue. Here are some tips to
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help you outscore your opponents.
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When you lock onto a MEK, you see, under the name of the MEK's pilot, a
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"kill bonus"--how many points you would get for destroying that MEK. A
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"confirmed kill" report appears when you get this bonus. In addition, when
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you damage a MEK you get a fraction of that kill bonus, proportional to the
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amount of damage you did. If an opponent's kill bonus is 40,000, for
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example, you get ten percent of that, or 4,000 points, for hitting that
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MEK with your plasma cannon.
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The observant player will notice that a MEK's kill bonus is not always the
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same. In fact, the kill bonus for a player depends on that player's
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current ranking. A player who at the moment is in first place has a kill
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bonus of 80,000 points. A player who is currently in fourth place has a
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kill bonus of merely 20,000 points. Therefore, to maximize your points, go
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after the higher-ranked players! The right-hand screen in the control
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panel shows who is in the lead. The color of that player's name matches
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the color of the radar dot showing the position of that lead player's MEK,
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which also matches the color of the glow of that player's engines.
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Also, the darker a player's name appears, the lower the shields are on that
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player's MEK. Pick up an easy kill bonus by preying on the weak!
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Just say no to death! In the wreckage of destroyed MEKs are glowing energy
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cores. Run over these to boost your shield power and defense.
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When your MEK is destroyed, Nazrac deducts a fraction of your points.
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Therefore, reckless "kamikaze" fighting holds little benefit-- not only do
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you repeatedly lose points each time you bite it, but other players are
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gaining many points by wasting you so often! Those who die in a manner
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Nazrac deems dishonorable-- hitting themselves with their own weapon, or
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foolishly running into an arena hazard-- have an additional penalty
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deducted from their scores.
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Beware of other MEKs stealing your kills! You can blast an opponent down
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to almost no shields, only to have someone else sweep in, make the killing
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blow with a special weapon, and speed off with the kill bonus. Some pilots
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try to avoid this by putting themselves between their prospective kill and
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the would-be point thief. Another favorite tactic is not to fire upon
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someone who is already being attacked, but instead go after the attacker,
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who might be too distracted to notice an assault from behind.
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----------------------------------
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*****TIPS FOR FIGHTING BOSSES*****
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----------------------------------
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On your climb up the tournament ladder, Nazrac will notice your skill.
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Since Nazrac is always on the lookout for a savage warrior to help uphold
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his mighty empire, he will call on you to challenge the boss of one of his
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planets. If you win, you become the new ruler of that planet and
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everything on it. If you lose, your charred remains will be tossed into
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Nazrac's Pit of the Unworthies.
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Fights against arena bosses are fights to the death. Unlike arena battles,
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contestants are not ejected from their MEKs in the moment before they
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explode. The defeated pilot is scorched to ashes by the fusion implosion.
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You get one MEK to prove your superiority.
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In boss battles, all contestants have extra shield power added to their
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MEKs. Consequently, the energy cores left in the wrecks of exploded MEKs
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in boss battles are bright orange, and add a great deal of shield energy to
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whoever runs over them first. These energy cores are THE KEY to winning
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your challenges to Nazrac's warlords.
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When you challenge an arena boss, the boss has two guards that will also
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fight against you. Having three MEKs shooting at you will wear you down
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quickly! Therefore, ELIMINATE THE GUARDS FIRST. You can tell which MEK is
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the boss and which are the guards by the name, the color, and the
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appearance of the MEK. When fighting Shocka, for example, hers is the
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bright blue HyperMEK. Her guards are named Voltage and Wired, and they are
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in normal-looking HyperMEKs.
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As soon as you eliminate a guard, RUN OVER THE ORANGE ENERGY CORE sitting
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in the wreckage. This will boost your shields and defenses enormously.
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Run over that core quickly, or else one of your opponents will, and you
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will have a real uphill battle! It is wise not to blow up an enemy MEK if
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another one is hovering nearby.
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Whenever possible, position yourself wisely. Don't keep driving through
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fire hazards or into wide spaces where your enemies can get you from all
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sides.
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If you find yourself dying too quickly, try a MEK with more armor. If you
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run out of time, consider a MEK with more firepower. If you are not
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picking up enough energy cores and special weapon reloads, a speedier MEK
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will help.
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Above all, be persistent. Boss battles have a unique strategy and higher
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tension level than what you might be used to. Keep trying, and soon you
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will be winning worlds.
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---------------------
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*****TOURNAMENTS*****
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---------------------
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Keep an eye out for T-MEK tournaments! We make it easy for arcade
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operators to conduct double elimination tournaments that will prove who is
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the supreme T-MEK master. Prizes will include T-shirts, hats, posters, and
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CASH! All participants will receive a full-color mini-poster/tech spec
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sheet. Ask for a tournament at your favorite arcade! Arcade operators can
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contact their distributor or Atari's customer service for a tournament
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starter kit.
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-----------------------------------------------
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*****HOW TO SPOT VERSION 5.1: THE WARLORDS*****
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-----------------------------------------------
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The operator of your favorite arcade should be able to get the full program
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update from Atari or from the distributor that sold T-MEK to that arcade.
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The update includes new ROMs and also some decals and signs. These signs
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and decals are the easiest way to spot a T-MEK station that has been
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updated with version 5.1: The Warlords.
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Another way to tell is what happens when you start the game. Unless the
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arcade has turned it off, the first thing you see when you start a new game
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is a screen telling you that you are playing the Warlords version. The
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next giveaway is the new screen where you are asked to peg yourself as a
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BEGINNER or ADVANCED. If you see that screen, you know you are playing
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with The Warlords.
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If you see an arena full of fog, or the radar is blanked out, or the
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players are in a completely new arena you've never seen before, it's
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version 5.1: The Warlords.
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Also, screens in the attract mode of the game (what it shows when it is not
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being played) announce that it has a new program version. But you won't
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see the attract mode, right? Because everyone will be too busy playing it!
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--------------------------------
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*****HIDDEN FEATURES IN 5.1*****
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--------------------------------
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The secrets with the * before them only appear in program version 5.1: The
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Warlords. How to recognize this version is explained above.
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*WARLORD NAMES:
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Now you can feel what it's like to be one of Nazrac's warlords! Identify
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yourself as an awesome boss by entering the proper name at the start of the
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game. If you play a warlord, you will be given a specialized MEK with a
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new look and unique abilities. BAKED has an big AssaultMEK with more
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firepower-- but it's a bit slower. SHOCKA flies an extreme HyperMEK that
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goes even *faster* and has even *less* armor-- only speed freaks need
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apply. Shocka's MEK also hops over those pesky boulders in her native
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Storm Rift. VENUSIVA's glowing hot StealthMEK is not harmed by the fire
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nor stopped by the spikes in her abode, Inferno. PHANTOM's ghostly
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SuicideMEK doesn't show up on the radar, and in his Stone Web he can pass
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through the inner walls! Watch your back, though, because he has less
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armor and no defense. BRK'OTH takes the form of a slimy green LurkerMEK
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that in its birthplace, the Alien Nest, is hard to see and can ooze right
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through most obstacles. And NAZRAC's redesigned SpeedMEK? Its looks alone
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strike terror, and the fire of the Killing Floor and his Attic does no harm
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to it.
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*VENUSIVA EXPRESS:
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When you see Nazrac's tournament ladder, you can jump right up to a
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challenge versus the wicked Venusiva if you hold both sticks outward (the
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right one to the right, the left one to the left) and then hold down both
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thumb buttons. Do it fast-- Venusiva won't wait for you to get up your
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nerve!
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*HIDDEN ARENAS:
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If you get to choose the next arena in a rank challenge, you can open up a
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new world. If you choose the Stone Web while holding the left stick to the
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right, prepare to enter the mind-bending Abyss. If you choose the Killing
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Floor while holding the left stick to the left, you will find the key to
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the red-hot maze of Nazrac's Attic. Prepare for some extreme MEK battles.
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*STICK COMBO EFFECTS:
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In those sweaty few moments while you are waiting for the Big Metal Doors
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to open, you can mess with your opponents' world. During the "Waiting for
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Others" countdown (while you are sitting in front of the doors that are
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about to open and let you into the arena), hold your control sticks in the
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proper position to achieve some cool effects.
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*To kill off everyone's radar, keep the left stick
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pushed right and the right stick pushed left. You don't
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appreciate something until it's gone...
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*To roll the fog into the arena, keep the left stick pushed
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left and the right stick pushed right. This stuff is thicker
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than Brk'oth's slimy blood!
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*To tweak the color phase of any arena except for the Killing
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Floor, the Abyss, and Nazrac's Attic, keep both sticks pulled
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back. Enter the Moon's Bed, Iceferno, and Psychedelic Rift!
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SAURONS/HIDDEN FINALE:
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In the Storm Rift, Alien Nest, and Stone Web is lurking the star of another
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one of TWI/Atari's hot new games: SAURON of PRIMAL RAGE! In the Storm
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Rift, he hides in a secret canyon behind a false wall in the left side of
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the squared-off nook. In Stone Web, he lurks behind a false wall in one of
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the outer wall's gentle bends. In the Alien Nest, you must blow away a
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bunch of the thin tubes to find a passage between the Watchers (those eye
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stalks that encircle the arena). If you blast all three Saurons and then
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kill Nazrac, you will (after the credits) enter a new arena that fans of
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Atari classics will be sure to recognize. In any case, it is the way to
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stay on *top* of the high score screen!
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BOOST YOUR PICKUPS:
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When going through the blue light of the reload platforms, try pushing both
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sticks outward at the last moment. It's tricky! If you succeed, you will
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get five special weapon charges instead of three. Likewise, hold the sticks
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in as you pick up an energy core in the wreck of a MEK. You will get a
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much larger boost of energy and defense charge.
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------------------------------------------------------
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*****HOW TO GET MORE INFO ABOUT NAZRAC'S DOMINION*****
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------------------------------------------------------
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Who is Venusiva? How did Nazrac get so tough? Why is Baked such a
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pathetic excuse for a planetary boss? Your burning questions about
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Nazrac's Dominion and the T-MEK universe may be answered. Email
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tmek@agames.com with "get story" on a line by itself in the message body
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and you will be emailed the story of Nazrac's rise and Venusiva's
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domination. This process is not automated yet, so it might take a few days
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to be sent back the info.
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--------------------
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*****STAY WIRED*****
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--------------------
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Updates of this tipfile will keep coming, so every once in a while email us
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again to get the newest version, or get the most recent tipfile by
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anonymous ftp to ftp.netcom.com, in the directory /pub/vi/vidgames/faqs.
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Also keep your eye on the game magazines for more tips and strategy!
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Keep on blasting,
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Team T-MEK * Atari Games * Time-Warner Interactive
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tmek@agames.com
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"T-MEK" and "Nazrac" are copyrighted (c) 1994 by Atari Games.
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