Nightshade
NES-BY-USAHow to play Nightshade(tm)Ultra(r)---Crime has a name ... and they call it Sutekh!Pssst, come 'ere. Don't be afraid, I ain't gonna hurt ya. My name's DarylWoolridge, but my friends call me "Flamingo". That's on account of my woodenleg here. Lost it a few years back when some runaway shopping cart slammed into me. Pinned my leg upside Al's Grocery. But that's another story. You'renew here, ain't ya? Let me tell ya 'bout Metro City. Dark times have settledhere. There was lots a growth and prosperity in the 70's and 80's, but that'sled us to crime and corruption. Now summa the more powerful crime bosses havejoined together under the control of 'dis new guy - Sutekh.At first a few of the crime lords refused to give up their territories. Man,there was some fierce battles on these streets, I'm tellin ya. But this Su-tekh's dudes are tough. They mopped up guys like "Tonsils" McCurry who ran thebootleg video 'n CD business. Sutekh punished anyone who got in his way, andI'm here to tell ya, some of the stuff he done wasn't pretty. Sheesh, I remem-ber the trap he set for Madame Curio... ah, but I'm gettin' off track again.Word spread of Sutekh's nastiness, until one brave guy finally came to Metrocity's aid. It was this costumed superhero-type guy, Vortex, he called 'isself,and he had the coolest high-tech weapons an' stuff. He had all sorts of gadgetshe used to track down Sutekh. When he fin'lly got him, they had the mother ofall brawls. Man, it's the stuff of legends, I kid you not. I'll tell you sump-thin' else. Ol' Flamingo here seen the whole thing. Naw, it's true! That Vortexhad these force gloves that packed a mean punch. He bashed Sutekh in the chopsand send 'im clean across the street! Unfortunately, he wasn't good enough.Sutekh and 'is thugs out and out overpowered Vortex. But even outgunned andoverpowered, Vortex fought bravely to the end. I was there right before he lost it, and I heard him tell Sutekh "You haven't won yet Sutekh, there willbe others..." I swear I did. Then they drug him off somewhere. Metro city ain't heard from Vortex since.Well, that's all ol' news now. Word on the street is that there's a new guyaround. Maybe Vortex was right after all. Some guy was tellin' me the otherday that he seen a dark figure stalking the alleys, ambushing the criminal types who run the action around 'ere. The Police Chief, a tuff guy they callDave "Mr. Law" Kirtley, has made no comment on record, but insiders say thepolice are eager to gain Nightshade's cooperation in ridding the city ofSutekh's influence. The Metro Press has reporters digging into the backgroundof Nightshade, but so far they've asked more questions then they've answered.'Scuse me, there's my bus. I gotta run.Who is Nightshade? Will he be able to succeed where the mighty Vortex failed,or is this just another dashed hope for the fair people of Metro City?---The story of NightshadeA Bookworm With A SecretMark Gray is an encyclopedia researcher for Global Encyclopedia, Inc., theMetro City based publishers of one of the all-time best-selling referenceguides available. His passion for social and criminal history is surpassed only by his passion for adventure. This fixation guided him to the developmentof a crime-fighting alter-ego. Mark Gray sheds his bookish day-job persona, dons a trench coat, fedora and shades and steals into the dusk as the advent-urous crime fighter: Nightshade!From Darkness Comes NightshadeMark Gray followed Vortex's actions and escapades for years. He knew everythingabout the hero, except his identity and hideout. Gray believed that Vortex made a grave error by underestimating Sutekh. After the cataclysmic battlebetween the two, Mark vowed to avenge his defeated idol, Vortex.Mark slips into his trench coat, fedora and shades to protect his identity. With his exceptional physical training and keen intellect as his only weaponshe sets out to continue Vortex's goal of a crime-free Metro City. He patrolledthe inner city neighborhoods, gathering information, searching for weapons left behind by Vortex, and, when necessary, apprehending would-be muggers, drug dealers and thieves. His street brawls led to confrontations with Sutekh'sminions: mummies and jackals, King Rat, Goliath and his thugs, and the Leagueof Unreasonable Gentlemen, to name a few. Television and newspaper reportscarried stories of the new, mysterous crime-fighter in Metro City, and theNightshade legend was born!In the Claws of SutekhIt wasn't long before Sutekh and Nightshade crossed paths. The evil lunatic had his men ambush Nightshade, and prepared to remove the last obstacle betweenhimself and total control of Metro City. Even now, Nightshade lies bound some-where under the city, facing certain death. Can he escape a tragic end, or hasMetro City's newest crime fighter met his match?Now is your chance to face off against the power of Sutekh. With over 100screens to search, you'll have to keep your eyes peeled for clues to the where-abouts of the evil Sutekh. Be aware of your surroundings and stay sharp - younever know what fiendishness lurks behind the corner!---Nightshade's command controlsControl Pad - Use to move Nightshade in eight directions. Also used to move the cursor box over an item.Select Button - Press to call up the Icons Menu.Start Button - Press to pause the action. Press again to start the action.B Button - Press to instantly OPERATE something. Also to cancel an order in the Icons Menu.A Button - Press to activate an order in the Icons Menu. Also used during the game to examine objects. Just press the button and the EXAMINE option appears, along with the cursor box. Move the box over an item and press the A button again. For more information about the EXAMINE option, see the next section about the Icons Menu. (Also press to reduce the delay in waiting for text to finish printing in the text boxes.)---Recognizing the elementsNightshade - This is our hero, the protector of the honest citizens of Metro City.Popularity Gauge - This is the measure of our hero's recognition by the citizens. When he does a good deed, word spreads of his actions. With a high POPULARITY, Nightshade will find it easier to get cooperation from the  public. Beware, though, because failing to commit a good act can lower POPULARITY. With a bad reputation, Nightshade will have a difficult time ridding the city of Sutekh.Health Gauge - This bar measures Nightshade's health. If his strength runs  out, Sutekh's forces will capture him and place him in an escape-proof trap. Once trapped, our hero will meet his untimely doom, unless you can figure out a way to free Nightshade!---Acting actively interested in interacting with the interactive icons menuactivitiesOr: how to do stuff in this game...Nightshade has many resources at his command. To see what they are, press theSelect button. This brings up the Icons Menu, which has ten buttons. From hereyou control much of Nightshade's activities in the game. The name of the activeicon (if any) will appear in the top box on the right side of the screen.Examine - This brings up the cursor. It looks like a box with cross-hairs. Moveit over an object and press the A button to learn more about an item. Noticethat as you move the cursor with the Control Pad, an object name may appear inthe box in the lower right corner of your screen. Here's a helpful tip for you: if a name doesn't appear, Nightshade will not have information for you. If you aren't sure if an item is important, try to EXAMINE it. If you don't know whether an item is just part of the background, then activate the cursorand move it around until a name appears in the lower right box. You may alsoEXAMINE items in your inventory.Pick Up - Move the cursor over the item you want to PICK UP, then press the Abutton. If you change your mind, press the B button. If Nightshade can't PICKUP an item, or if he isn't close enough, the game will tell you.Operate - Sometimes Nightshade can OPERATE an item, even though he may not beable to PICK UP the item or USE it. For examine. if you examine a room and finda light switch, you can select OPERATE and then move the cursor over the lightswitch. (Make sure you're standing next to the item you're trying to operate.)Pressing the A button will cause our hero to operate the light switch, thusturning the light on or off. This won't happen, however, if the bulb has burned out.Use - This works like OPERATE. To USE an item that nightshade has in hispossession, highlight USE and press the A button. The item list will appear,and you can select an item to USE. If an item has to be USED with somethingelse, then you will see the cursor appear again. Move the cursor over theobject you want to USE your item with or on. For example, pretend Nightshadehas a key in his item list. He comes to a door and tries to go through it, but a message appears saying the door is locked. You would select the USEbutton from the Icons Menu. This brings up the item list. Using the ControlPad, you highlight the Key and press the A button. The menu goes away and thecursor appears on the screen. You then move the cursor over the door and yousee the word "LOCK" appear in the box in the lower right corner. Press the Abutton to USE the key on the lock, and you see the door open!Items - This option lets you see all of the items which Nightshade has pickedup during his adventures.System - This contains the game controls. From this menu you can turn soundeffects and music on or off. Just highlight the SFX or MUSIC box and press theA btuton to toggle between ON or OFF. You will also see a box in the lowerleft corner. This tells you how much of the game you have finished. For example,if you're halfway through, it displays 50%. To return to the game, select OK.To leave the game select QUIT.Jump - Select this box to have Nightshade JUMP over something. If there isnothing to JUMP over, he won't.Fight - Of course, what superhero ever wiped out crime without an occaisonalscuffle? When you encounter some wrongdoing, select FIGHT. The cursor willappear. Move it over the evil-doer and press the A button. The Nightshade logowill flash on your screen and the battle sequence will begin.Talk - Sometimes you can gather information from the citizens of Metro City.One way to do this is to select the TALK icon and try to engage them in conversation. Another way is to buy information by giving them money (USEmoney on the person). Another way is to sit down with a pen and paper andwrite them a nice letter. We don't recommend this method. It takes a longtime for a reply, and they aren't real people anyway, so you would lookrather silly doing it.Cancel - This CANCELs the Icons Menu and lets you go back to whatever you weredoing before.---Fighting off the enemies of freedomWhen the time comes, you'd better be prepared to fight. Sometimes the forcesof evil don't understand reasoning and fair play. When this happens, Nighthade'slogo will flash on the screen and the battle sequence will begin!Battle Controls:Control pad = MoveB button = PunchA button = JumpB button + Up = KickControl pad down = Duck!Nightshade - The bravest superhero in Metro City - and the only one currently working.Enemy - The enemyStrength Bars - These show the power left for Nightshade and his foes. When our hero's power is out, he is captured by Sutekh and placed in a death-trap. If you're lucky, you'll free him and continue the adventure!---How to handle the super sleuthing of a super detectiveA guide for the beginning adventure game playerAdventure games are different from arcade games. The object isn't just toshoot everything in sight and rack up a gazillion points. Some adventuregames don't even use points. They require you to solve puzzles or problemsand try to achieve a final goal. For example, the goal might be to free MetroCity of the evil Sutekh. To do this, you may have to solve a lot of smallerproblems along the way. There are common questions that new adventure gamershave, so we'll try to answer them for you.Q: What good does it do to EXAMINE something?A: EXAMINE tells you if an item has a special feature. For example, if you   examine a desk, you might receive a message that says "Nightshade finds a   statue of a golden yak." Another way EXAMINE is useful is to select the   EXAMINE option and move the cursor around the screen. If an item has a name   that appears in the item box in the lower right corner, then it is a clue   that something can be done to or with that item.Q: What should I do with items that I find?A: If you can pick them up, do. You never know when you'll need an item that   you saw once and left behind. For example, after battling all of the    Hideous Otter-headed Jungle Beasties, then freeing the Princess and saving   the farmer's son, you may earn a voyage across the Silver River to the    Wizard's Keep. Upon entering the Keep and ascending the Stairs Of Amazing   Girth, you might encounter the Knight of Daze, who tells you that the   Wizard will only see you if you present a gift of gold. Now don't you wish   you picked up that yak in the desk?Q: Is the TALK function useful, or just a distraction?A: Well, if you had talked to the citizens of Metro City, we can't guarantee   that you would learn that there are no Otter-headed Jungle Beasties in this   game, let alone a Knight of Daze. However, they might have information    about Vortex and his secret hideout...Q: What about the Staff of Ra? What do I do with it?A: This is one of those typical adventure-game-Staff-of-Ra questions. Obviously   it's used to fire fireballs at Egyptian-based enemies. To throw a fireball   press UP and the B button. Like any other Staff of Ra, this one has only    eight shots, so use them wisely.Q: What do I do when I get stuck?A: We recommend throwing your arms up in despair and going outside to play in   the fresh air, but if you really want to stick with it, then just try lots   of new combinations. For example, if you come to a wall of flame that   prevents further progress, try EXAMINE on items around you. Maybe something   like a giant candle is in the room. You might think "Hey, candles produce   flames, and there is a giant wall of flame in my way." Next you could try   to USE something on the candle, or try to OPERATE the candle. Maybe the   candle is really a lever that turns the wall of flame off and on.Q: What's the deal with the Personality gauge?A: Being a superhero these days is very difficult. You want to help rid your   city of evil, but sometimes the people you're trying to help don't know   that if you don't have a good reputation. If your Personality level is   higher, the citizens will recognize you and cooperate. They may be more   willing to give you information about the bad guys. You can raise your   Personality level by helping citizens who are being mugged or are trapped   in burning buildings. Just being polite is a nice way to earn a reputation,   too. Also, proper behavior - such as paying for things you buy from stores   - is very important.Q: I've tried everything I can think of, but I'm still unable to go any    further in the game. Is there anything I can do?A: One idea is to enlist the help of a friend or family member. Sometimes when   we try to solve a problem it helps to get another person's insight.    Everyone thinks a little differently, so a sticky situation for you might   be more obvious to someone else, and vice versa. Adventure games are as   much fun for groups as they are for one player.If all else fails, call the Ultra Game Counselor Department. Our phone numberis: (708) 215-5111.