DUNGEON MAGIC NES GAME MANUAL Transcribed verbatim by Hal (hal@world.std.com) Visit my home page at http://world.std.com/~hal ======================================================================== [FRONT COVER] NES-DM-USA* DDD U U NN N GGGG EEEE OO NN N D D U U N N N G E O O N N N HOW D D U U N N N G GGG EEE O O N N N TO D D U U N N N G G E O O N N N PLAY DDD UUUU N NN GGG EEEE OO N NN M M AAAAA GGGG () CCCC MM MM A A G C M MM M AAAAA G GGG II C M M A A G G II C M M A A GGG II CCCCC SWORD OF THE ELEMENTS TAITO(tm) [INSIDE FRONT COVER] [Official Nintendo Seal of Quality] ====CARE OF YOUR GAME==== - Always make sure the power is off when inserting or removing the game pak from your computer. - This is a high precision game pak. Avoid subjecting it to extreme temperatures or shocks. Store at room temperature. Never attempt to dismantle it. - Do not touch the terminal connections or get them wet or the circuitry may be damaged. Never insert your fingers or any metal objects into the terminal leads. - Use of thinners, solvents, benzene, alcohol and other cleaning agents can damage the pak. +------------------------------------------+ | Nintendo recommends against using a rear | | projection television with your NES as | | image retention on the screen may occur. | +------------------------------------------+ Taito(r) and Dungeon Magic(tm) are trademarks of Taito America Corp. Taito (C) 1989, 1990. All Rights Reserved. [PAGE 1] THANK YOU for buying Dungeon Magic(tm): Sword of the Elements from Taito(r). Before you begin your adventure please read this instruction manual carefully. The Story...........................2 How to Operate......................3 How to Play.........................6 The Adventurer's Backpack..........10 Merchants..........................15 The Parry..........................19 Guide for New Adventurers..........20 Casting Magic Spells...............22 Saving Your Adventure..............26 Town of Granville Map..............27 Grades Castle Map..................28 Sanctuary at Selle Map.............29 [PAGE 2] ====THE STORY==== "When the shadowed veil returns to mask the midday sun The Fire of Serpents will rise again; Five shall become the One. The elements now heed his call, and hope is born alive; We will have our peace once more when One becomes the Five." Once upon a time there was a great warrior. This warrior, MAGI, owned the most extraordinary suit of armor and six of the most beautiful swords the world has even known. The armor was impervious to all but the strongest magic. The swords were forged of ors that came from deep within the earth and five of them had been enchanted with the powers of the Elements. The last sword is a mystical blade, cast of a powerful, unknown metal. It is the greatest sword of all. It is TORES! For over 500 years, since the end of the Great War, the power of this great armor and those swords have kept peace throughout the land. Darces the Dark, an evil Overlord, led the evil uprising that became the Great War. Magi defeated him and Darces was exiled to a land far away. But evil does not rest! Those forces have been marshalled over these long years by the dreaded Darces the Dark. Magi was fatally wounded in the battle. While the great warrior no longer lives, his swords and armor do. It is your quest to find the five Elemental Swords of MAGI, secure TORES, defeat Darces and return peace to the land. [PAGE 3] ====HOW TO OPERATE==== Controller UP - Move Forward DOWN - Move Backward LEFT - Turn Left RIGHT - Turn Right Once you have the compass, you can choose the direction you want to travel by pressing the LEFT or RIGHT keypad. [PAGE 4] ====HOW TO OPERATE (continued)==== BEGIN A NEW ADVENTURE Press the START button to BEGIN A NEW ADVENTURE. CONTINUE YOUR ADVENTURE This option appears on the title screen after you save your game for the first time. Press the DOWN keypad to select CONTINUE YOUR ADVENTURE. Press the START button to begin the game. Note: Please read "Saving Your Adventure" section for more information. Pause Function Press the START button to pause the game. Press the START button to resume play. [PAGE 5] ====HOW TO OPERATE (continued)==== CONVERSATION MODE Press the "A" button when you want to talk to local villagers or other people you meet outside the towns. For some conversations, you must press the "A" button more than once. Some people will ask you questions: - Press the "A" button to answer YES. - Press the "B" button to answer NO. [PAGE 6] ====HOW TO PLAY==== DUNGEON MAGIC is a role playing game. Your role is that of a brave adventurer who must search for the Sword of Tores and use it to defeat Darces the Overlord. Along the way, you develop your fighting skills, become a master of magic, and complete a series of quests before finding Tores and defeating Darces. A role playing game takes many hours to play. We suggest you keep this manual handy and save your game often. Take the time to write down important information you discover, such as magic spells, and locations of special objects. PLAYER STATUS - The game screen is divided into these sections: 1. Adventurer's Scroll Shows your current strength (Health Points). 2. Game Window Provides the forward, 3-D scrolling view. 3. Monster's Scroll Shows the health points of your enemy. 4. Arms Panel Displays the armor and weapons you're using. 5. Player Status Shows your ability, experience, health, and gold. 6. Quest Window Displays magical items successfully recovered. 7. Adventurer's Backpack Shows options (5) you can use at any time. [PAGE 7] ====HOW TO PLAY (continued)==== [Refer to the previous page for information about this screen.] +----------------------+ | | | | | 1 | 2 | 3 | | | | | |------+--------+------| | |___6____| | |4 7 | | 5 | +----------------------+ [PAGE 8] ====HOW TO PLAY (continued)==== PHYSICAL CONDITION Your physical condition affects your fighting and magic abilities. CONDITION EFFECT GOOD Perfect health. HURT You have suffered an injury. PARA Enemy magic paralyzes your body. POIS You've been poisoned. CURS A curse is on your head. Healing potions, magic spells, or visiting the inn will cure HURT. Restoring potions, magic spells, or visiting the inn will cure PARA, POIS, or CURS. [PAGE 9] ====HOW TO PLAY (continued)==== EXPERIENCE Fighting evil creatures increases your experience. LEVEL You can increase your ability and strength by increasing your experience. 15 experience points raises you to Level 1. 35 experience points raises you to Level 2. The City of Granville is home to five powerful Wizards. An adventurer must choose ONE wizard as his teacher when starting a NEW ADVENTURE. The wizard will decide if you deserve a promotion! No one knows how far a student can progress! GOLD Many monsters and magicians carry gold. Slaying them could make you rich. [PAGE 10] ====THE ADVENTURER'S BACKPACK==== [The words in parentheses are what the icons in the game look like.] The Adventurer's Backpack gives you five different options to use. Weapons And Armor (Sword) Bought from local merchants, or found in treasure chests. Items (Jar) Bought from local merchants, or found in treasure chests. Spells (Magic Wand) Have a variety of uses. Strange symbols are manipulated to create wondrous magic. Only the wizards of Grades know their power! Use (Key) Opens doors and treasure chests. Be wary. Some doors have unfriendly surprises behind them! Camp (tent) Sustains your life outside the towns and villages. Stock up at your friendly local merchant! [PAGE 11] ====THE ADVENTURER'S BACKPACK==== TO ENTER THE ADVENTURER'S BACKPACK: - Press the START button to PAUSE the game. TO USE WEAPONS AND ARMOR (SWORD): - Press the LEFT or RIGHT keypad until the sword symbol is highlighted. - Press the SELECT button to enter the Weapons & Armor window. - A small yellow square will appear over the first item in the window. - Use the keypad to select other Weapons and Armor. - Press the "B" button to activate the item and arm your character. - Press the START button to resume play. - Press the "A" button to fight. [PAGE 12] ====THE ADVENTURER'S BACKPACK (continued)==== TO USE AN ITEM (JAR): - Press the LEFT or RIGHT keypad until the jar symbol is highlighted. - Press the SELECT button to enter the item window. A small yellow square will appear on the first item in the window. - Use the keypad to select an item. - Press the "B" button to resume play. - Press the "A" button to use the item. Make sure the item window is on the game screen. [PAGE 13] ====THE ADVENTURER'S BACKPACK (continued)==== TO CAST A MAGIC SPELL (MAGIC WAND): - Press the LEFT or RIGHT keypad until the magic wand is highlighted. - Press the SELECT button to enter the spell window. A small yellow square will appear on the first available symbol in the window. - Use the keypad to select a symbol. - Press the "B" button to ready the symbol. - Use the keypad to select other symbols to complete your spell. Press the "B" button each time you select a symbol. - Press the START button to resume play. - Press the "A" button to cast the spell. Make sure the spell window is on the game screen. [PAGE 14] ====THE ADVENTURER'S BACKPACK (continued)==== TO OPEN DOORS AND TREASURE CHESTS: - Press the LEFT or RIGHT keypad until the key is highlighted. - Press the "A" button to open doors and treasure chests. TO CAMP: - Press the LEFT or RIGHT keypad until the tent symbol is highlighted. - Press the "A" button to eat and drink. [PAGE 15] ====MERCHANTS==== Every town and village in Grades has two types of merchants. ARMORERS Offer quality weapons and defensive elements. The prices they charge are the same throughout the kingdom. GROCERS Sell food and drink, healing potions, and magic powders. Some towns offer lower prices. Shopping around is a good idea. [PAGE 16] ====MERCHANTS (continued)==== ARMORER SWORDS ARMOR SHIELDS GAUNTLETS BOOTS LEGGINS [PAGE 17] ====MERCHANTS (continued)==== GROCER MAGIC POWDERS HEALING POTIONS [Beakers] [Flasks] FOOD AND DRINK [PAGE 18] ====MERCHANTS (continued)==== TO BUY AND SELL WITH A MERCHANT: - Press the "A" button to say YES when he asks if you want to buy/sell. - Press the "B" button to say NO when he asks if you want to buy/sell. - Press the "A" button to buy/sell the item. Continue pressing the "A" button if you want to buy/sell more than one item. - Use the keypad to choose other items you want to buy/sell. - Press the "B" button to exit the shop. Merchants are always looking for deals; you can sell your unused items and weapons to them. Don't try haggling for a good price. The motto in Grades is "take it or leave it." [PAGE 19] ====THE PARRY==== The Parry Many monsters are very hard to fight, but there is a way to defeat them! The parry is a long practiced art of evasion. To Use the Parry: - Turn away from the enemy as soon as you attack. You can turn to the side, or back up several steps. Retreating is very useful when battling a strong enemy on the other side of a door. - Use the parry to eat and drink, use potions, change magic spells, or switch weapons. [PAGE 20] ====GUIDE FOR NEW ADVENTURERS==== - The Old Man of Granville has a gift to start you off on your journey. - The Wizard of SURA is master of the Water Magic. This power is good for attack and defense. A spell of nine vertical lines creates a temporary shield which will protect you from many monsters. - Immediately north of Granville is Castle Grades. The King and Queen have much to tell and gifts to give - so this is a good place to start. Stay within the walls of the castle until you find them. - Return to Granville - visit the Armorer and trade your short sword for a stronger weapon. Next visit the Inn Keeper to save your progress. Go outside and fight some Cobras to gain experience, but stay close to the city walls. - Continue your quest by travelling to Deirus, but be sure you stop in the town of Gran to buy food/drink for your travels. Gran is northwest from Castle Grades. [PAGE 21] ====GUIDE FOR NEW ADVENTURERS (continued)==== - The flies can be fierce on the road to Deirus. This would be a good time to practice your parry. - In Deirus, you will hear of Sara Spring, which lies north of the town. Go there and receive the first Elemental Sword. Return to Deirus and save the game. - North of Sara Spring is the Sanctuary at Selle. Enter the maze and make your way down to the statue of Bildevance. A powerful force will envelop the sword. Return to Granville and let the Wizards examine it. One of them has important news! - The adventure is just beginning. Good fortune go with you, and don't forget your graph paper! [PAGE 22] ====CASTING MAGIC SPELLS==== [I have tried to recreate the spell symbols as accurately as possible. The only one that may cause some confusion is "*", which in the game is a filled circle.] Each Wizard has mastered a certain type of magic. When you meet a Wizard, he will give you the four basic elements [e.g. * | - o ] of his mystical studies. Using one or any combination of these four symbols, all of the spells of his magic can be cast. Other Wizards will not give you additional magic symbols unless you present them with one of the Magi's five Elemental Swords. When symbols from one magic are combined with symbols of another magic, new types of spells can be created. There are literally hundreds of spells possible for a master magician who has passed the scrutiny of all the Wizards. It is important to remember that the source of all magic is the life force of the user. Therefore, each time a spell is cast, some life energy is depleted from your Health Points. Hence, the more powerful the spell, the more Health Points you are likely to lose. Some spells are good to use in combat, while others are informative or replenish vital functions. Still others perform astounding feats. [PAGE 23] ====CASTING MAGIC SPELLS (continued)==== Like any good practitioner of the magic arts knows, a bit of practice early on may prove invaluable down the road. Though there is not really a wrong choice, the game will flow more smoothly if you select the appropriate Wizard to teach you. There are many spells to attack and defend against various kinds of enemies. Legend has it that a certain incantation can actually break open the ocean. It is also said that a certain mixture of Magic Symbols gives you the power of flight. As every master mage is aware, there may be more than one way to cast a spell. If you are void of a certain symbol, you may be able to use another spell altogether to accomplish your goal. We suggest you begin your game by visiting the Wizard of SURA, or Water Magic. SURE is mainly a defensive magic and will allow you more time to wander through the outside world, defeat enemies, gain experience, and discover the full breadth of the Island Grades. [PAGE 24] ====CASTING MAGIC SPELLS (continued)==== Here are some basic spells to help you get started. +-----+ | | Opens Dungeon Doors +-----+ * * * * Cures Paralysis * * * Cures Poison || | Protects against Physical Attack || || Protects against Magic Attack == Map [PAGE 25] ====CASTING MAGIC SPELLS (continued)==== - = = Gives Information on Adventurer - = Gives Information on Enemy = O * Cures Blindness * Restores Health * O * O * Removes Curse All great sorcerors keep meticulously correct records of their spells, so be sure to maintain an accurate log when you mix untried symbols or cast untried spells. [PAGE 26] ====SAVING YOUR ADVENTURE==== DUNGEON MAGIC takes a long time to complete. The game cartridge contains a battery so you can save your game without starting over or entering a password. To save the current game: - Visit a local inn. You'll find one in every town and village. - Press the "A" button to say YES when the Inn Keeper asks if you want a room for the night. Make sure you have two (2) gold pieces! The game screen will turn grey for a few seconds. Your game is saved. To quit the current game: - Press the "B" button if you want to quit the game. - Turn off your NES. To start a saved game (after turning off your NES): - Turn on your NES. - See the section of your manual on how to Continue your Adventure. [PAGE 27] ====TOWN OF GRANVILLE MAP==== [Sorry, I'm not an ASCII masochist, so you'll have to do without the maps. Like the manual said somewhere above, "don't forget your graph paper!" :)] [PAGE 28] ====GRADES CASTLE MAP==== [PAGE 29] ====SANCTUARY AT SELLE MAP==== Dungeon - Level I [PAGE 30] ====SANCTUARY AT SELLE MAP==== Dungeon - Level II [PAGE 31] ====SANCTUARY AT SELLE MAP==== Dungeon - LEVEL III [PAGE 32] ====COMPLIANCE WITH FCC REGULATIONS==== [INSIDE BACK COVER] ====TAITO SOFTWARE, INC. LIMITED WARRANTY==== [BACK COVER] TAITO THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN(tm) Printed in Japan.