Tetrisphere


Typed out by Ben Kosmina

Released: 1997
Game Code: NUS-NTTP-AUS

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[cover]
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[Nintendo seal of quality]
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Table of Contents
Controller Functions 4
Before Starting the Game 8
How To Play 10
Single Game Modes 14
VS Game Modes 16
Introducing The 'Bots 18
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[pages 4-5 contain information on how to operate the control stick and which
hand configuration to use. Use the 'Home position' to play Tetrisphere.]
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[see above]
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Controller Functions:
Start Start and pause the game
+ Control Pad Move cursor - Toggle menu items
A Button Drop pieces - Select menu items
B Button Grab and slide pieces - Back up through menu screens
Z Button Drop pieces - Select menu items
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L Button Move sphere closer to screen (puzzle mode only)
R Button Move sphere away from screen (puzzle mode only)
C Up Button Reset puzzle (puzzle mode only)
C Down Button Use magic item (except puzzle mode)
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Before Starting the Game
Correctly insert the Game Pak into the Nintendo 64 Control Deck and move the POWER switch to the ON position. When the demo begins, press START to display the title screen. Press START again to display the Game Mode menu.

Starting the First Time
When the Control Deck it turned on and the game is started for the first time,
you will automatically be taken into a tutorial session. It is advisable to make
sure you are trained in the basic fundamentals before jumping right in and
playing the game. Without learning the basics, you might find things a bit more
difficult.

Training
Training gives you the tools you will need to become an accomplished Tetrisphere
player. Your choices are BASIC, ADVANCED and PUZZLE training. We recommend
taking a peek at all of them before starting a new game.
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The Select Screen
Selecting SINGLE will advance you to the single player game select screen.
Before starting a game you can load an existing name, change or add a new name,
as well as select your robot of choice. Press START to move the cursor to the
mode select menu. For details about each mode see Single Game Modes, beginning
on page 14.

VS
This mode lets you compete against a friend. See VS Game Modes beginning on page
16.

Practice
In this mode you can play at your leisure, setting the parameters to fit your
comfort level. Hone your skills to perfection before trying them on the real
thing.

Options
Choose AUDIO to change various sound settings. DATA EDIT will let you edit your
saved information. SCORES will display the high scores. Select CONTROLS to view
the controller configuration.
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How To Play
Tetrisphere is a game where you must arrange like-shaped pieces together, then
break them out in order to achieve your goal. Pieces can be arranges on any side
of each other just as long as they flush when you attempt a break. In the bottom
left corner of the screen you will see the pieces available to drop. The piece
rotating is the one you currently control. There must be at least two like
pieces together before you can drop. If you are uncertain, look at the cursor.
The cursor will glow white, indicating that it is OK to drop. To move a piece
into place, simply press and hold the B Button to grab it, then use the +
Control Pad to maneuver it. When making your drop, press the A Button to drop
the piece on or next to the like pieces to eliminate them from the sphere. It
can get tricky sometimes! Pieces lined directly underneath also count. Remember,
a drop must be made before you will be allowed to remove any pieces and advance
to the next piece.

[screenshot of game screen]
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If you place a piece incorrectly you will lose one of your hearts. If you make
three bad drops on the sphere, the game is over. Your ultimate goal is to reach
the core of the sphere. The various modes offer different and unique quests, in
many of which exposing the core is only part of your goal.

Power Pieces
Power pieces are the key to completing spheres with style, not to mention
completing them more efficiently. Power pieces are created when you break
between three and nineteen pieces at once. To know how many pieces you have
broken out, look to the top right corner of the screen and you will see a "combo
counter." When you do a combo, little white balls will fly out and rain down
onto the sphere, turning any piece they hit into a glowing power piece. The
advantages of using these pieces are enormous. Power pieces can be slid up and
over other pieces on the sphere, but only one block high. Power pieces will
allow you to create higher combos. For example, if you begin your break on a
power piece, the pieces connected to and after it will break slower. The
advantage to this is that while the pieces are slowly breaking, you will have
extra time to break other pieces, adding to the combo count.
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Speed Meter
Another way that power pieces help you is to reduce the threat of the Speed
Meter. In the bottom right corner of the screen you will see an orange and blue
Speed Meter icon. The purpose of this is to regulate how much time you spend on
a sphere. While playing, the meter will empty. When the blue meter empties and
turns yellow, the sphere will slowly start moving toward the screen. If the
sphere gets too close and hits the screen, you will be forced into a bad drop.
When the yellow meter empties and turns to red, you are really in trouble! The
use of the power pieces will help reduce this threat. When power pieces are
broken, time is added to the meter. If you are good enough, you can effectively
keep the Speed Meter in the blue and never have to worry about the sphere moving
too close.

The Morphing Piece
Occasionally a question mark icon will appear among the pieces in your "next"
list. This is the "Wild Card Piece." When this piece is next, it will change and
"morph" into every piece type. The Wild Card Piece allows you to make a drop
onto any legal set of pieces. Although the shadow of your cursor will not take
the shape of any particular piece, you can grab, slide and drop onto any piece
on the sphere.
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Magic
Power pieces also help you to earn Magic. You can create higher combos using
power pieces. Higher combos allow you to earn your magic. When you do a combo of
twenty or more you will earn magic. Magic removes large numbers of pieces from
the sphere at once. When you've earned a magic, its icon will appear at the
bottom of the Speed Meter. To use your magic, simply press the C Down Button.

Firecracker - Blows out a small section of pieces.

Bundle O' Dynamite - Destroys pieces in a spread.

Electro Magnet - Pulls pieces from the sphere.

Atom - Peels off the top layer of the sphere.

Bomb - Destroys a massive area of pieces.

Ray Gun - Slices and removes pieces through to the core.
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Single Game Modes

Rescue
This mode is fairly straightforward. You must remove pieces from the sphere to
rescue your robot friends from the core. Sound easy? Think again! There are 100
stages, and they tend to get a little "unfriendly" as you progress through the
ranks.

Hide & Seek
Hide & Seek is very similar to Rescue, but with a twist. You will be given
instructions on what needs to be done for each sphere. Simply breaking out
pieces will not always be your goal. Where are your friends? Well, you will find
them at the core of every fifth stage, but it's not always going to be easy.

Puzzle
Here you will find 100 of the craftiest puzzles around! In each level you will
be given a certain number of Drags and Drops. To drag a piece, press and hold
the B Button over the desired piece and use the + Control Pad to move it where
you like. To make a drop, just move the cursor over the piece you wish to remove
and press the A Button. If you think you've made an error, just use the C Up
Button to reset the puzzle and give it a second try. To provide alternate
distance perspectives, use the L and R Buttons to move the sphere closer or
farther away from the screen.
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Time Trial
Forget those robots, this mode is only about score! You only have five minutes
to rack up a high score. There are several elements other than breaking pieces
that contribute to your score. The number of core pieces you uncover and spheres
you complete also play an important factor when trying to score big. What do
power pieces do... Hmmm, I wonder?

VS CPU
In addition to playing the VS mode head-to-head, it can also be played against
the computer. Choose your favorite 'bot, then take on the rest. When you need to
stop your quest, you can! Your progress in all Single game modes is auto-saved
to Game Pak memory, allowing you to continue later. See page 16 for details on
playing the VS modes.

X-Value
The "1X" under your score is your multiplier. Besides dropping on pieces, there
are other ways they can be broken. These techniques build up your "X-value." To
learn these coveted techniques, you must finish both Basic and Advanced
training. X-value is available in all modes and, just like power pieces, will
reduce the Speed Meter threat. In Time Trial it will only help your score. For
example, do a combo worth 10,000 points with a 3X value, for 30,000 points! The
higher your X-value, the higher you score! The highest X-value is 20; but to
reach it, you must use advanced techniques. Are you ready?
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VS Game Modes

VS & VS CPU
If you are looking for a hard-core, head-to-head competition, playing against
the CPU or with a friend will definitely give it to you! The objective is to
uncover the required number of core pictures before your opponent does. If
either player bad-drops three times before uncovering all of the required cores,
the player with hearts remaining is the winner.

Dark Pieces
When playing VS games, the rules change slightly. If you think the fear of a
Speed Meter is frightening, you have only begun to experience true "Phere," as
dark pieces bring a whole new meaning to the word! To attack your opponent, you
must do combos of at least four. When you do this, the opponent's pieces start
turning dark. You cannot drop on a dark piece to break it. To do so
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is considered a bad drop, and you will lose a heart. Dark pieces cover your
opponent's sphere, making it harder to reach the core.

Dark pieces can, however, help you turn the tables on the opponent. Though you
cannot drop onto a dark piece, you can drop onto any regular pieces connected to
it. If dark pieces are used in a combo, they will send more dark pieces back to
the opponent. If you do a combo of ten, and five of them are dark, the effect
would be a 15-piece attack on your opponent! If your attack is severe enough,
your opponent's sphere will zoom back and a pile of dark pieces will dump right
into his lap! You can also get rid of dark pieces by using the special drop
techniques. The special techniques will not only help get rid of dark pieces,
but also raise your X-value. If your X-value is higher, the potential for you to
drop large quantities of dark pieces will be enormous!
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Introducing the 'Bots
If you are looking to make some new friends, you can find them right here. These
miniature mechanized puzzle buffs stand by to assist you in conquering the
sphere. Each 'bot has its own special abilities to better suit your gaming
needs.

Speed and Power
Speed and Power determine the 'bots' effectiveness on the sphere. "Speed"
determines how fast you can move the cursor and "Power" controls how fast you
can move while dragging a piece. Will it be speed or strength? You decide!

Wheels
Wheels has well-rounded talents, possessing equal skills in both speed and
power. He will make an excellent first choice.
SPEED - 6/10
POWER - 6/10
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Rocket
The fastest 'bot in the West! You might want to choose Rocket for his quick
movements and lightning-fast reflexes!
SPEED - 8/10
POWER - 3.5/10

Gear
Although Gear is not quite as fast as Rocket, you might find his increased Power
more suitable.
SPEED - 7.25/10
POWER - 4/10
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Turbine
Sound fast and powerful? He is! Turbine is the third fastest of all the 'bots,
and handles like a charm.
SPEED - 6.5/10
POWER - 5/10

Stomp
If you want big-time muscle, Stomp is your 'bot! Herculean in strength, but a
little slow on the draw, use him and give 'em the hurt!
SPEED - 4/10
POWER - 8/10
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Gyro
Gyro leaves 'em spinning every time! Though not as gifted as Stomp in strength,
Gyro's speed picks up where Stomp's leaves off.
SPEED - 5/10
POWER - 7.25/10

Jak
You just might not find a finer 'bot than Jak! If you think the name sounds
cool, just wait 'till you see him perform. With abilities that rank next to
Wheels and Gyro, it's "Game over, man. GAME OVER!"
SPEED - 5/10
POWER - 7.5/10
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[precautions and warranty of Game Pak]