Gauntlet





Gauntlet Instruction Booklet

Manufactured by TENGEN

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Thank you for selecting Tengen's Gauntlet for the Nintendo Entertainment
System.

Object of the Game/Game Description

You can play alone or team up with a friend in this medieval adventure. Choose
from any of four powerful characters: The warrior, valkyrie, wizard or elf.
Each character has unique strengths and weaknesses. You must find the sacred
orb stolen by Morak the Evil One. Explore a multitude of mazes fighting off
enemies, and searching for the exit to the next room while collecting food,
treasure, and other helpful items.

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The story of the Sacred Orb

The black clouds swirled over the heads of the chosen ones.
Four has come this far, but only two would continue.
The portal to their deadly challenge awaited.
Foreboding screams rose up from the Gauntlet.

Morak the Evil One cackled in glee as he watched the intrepid warriors
prepare to enter his most terrible Gauntlet.
He knew they would never reach their goal.
The Sacred Orb would remain forever imprisoned at the lowest level of the
Gauntlet. Without the Sacred Orb, Morak knew the mortals that inhabited
Rendar would be helpless against his evil magic.

Morak had plundered the lands and hidden his booty in the Gauntlet.
He garrisoned his henchmen in the Gauntlet to guard it.
There were ghosts, grunts, demons, sorcerers, dragons
and even incarnations of death itself.

But could the Sacred Orb be in the Gauntlet? No mortal knew for sure.
If nothing else, the warriors could retrieve the treasures of Rendar that
Morak had plundered and stored in the Gauntlet.
If only all four warriors could all continue, on this, the last leg of their
quest. Alas, the portal only allowed passage of two mortals.
The warriors need your help.
Choose from among them the two that shall continue:
Become Thor the warrior, Thyra the valkyrie,
Merlin the wizard or Questor the elf.

The fate of Rendar is in your hands.

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II. Names of controller parts and operating instructions

Controller 1 - for playing alone.
Controller 2 - for second player in 2 player games.

Note: You can reset the game by pressing all four controller buttons at the
same time (Select, Start, B and A).

A Button: You shoot.
B Button: You detonatae bomb

Control Pad: Moves the characters

Note: Control Pad also selects direction to shoot if the shoot button is
being pushed (A button).

Use control pad to move into enemies to automatically fight them.

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III. How to start a game

Start Button
Press this button during the Title screen to display the game Menu Screen. If
the game is showing a gameplay demonstration, then press Start button twice.

Select Button
Press this button during the Menu Screen to select either 1 or 2 player game.

Start Button
Press this button during the Menu Screen to advance to the Player Selection
Screen.

Control Pad
Press any of four directions on the control pad to select any of the four
characters.

A button
Press this button to start the game AFTER selecting a character with the
control pad. In a 2 player game, BOTH players must select characters and
BOTH players must press the A buttons to start the game.

Pause
If you wish to interrupt play in the middle of a game, press the Start button.
The game will stop, and the screen will change to a Pause Screen. Press the
Start button again when you wish to continue playing. The screen will change
back to the maze, and the game will continue where you left off.

Password Entry
Intermediate and advanced players may want to write down the password given
to the player in the pause mode. This password may be entered at the beginning
of a game to start the game after the last treasure room you successfully
completed. You get the same character back with all the same treasure, maximum
power, keys, bombs, and extra abilities. See the Manual section on "Power" to
learn more about treasure rooms.

How to enter Password:
Press Start to get menu screen.
Press Select to choose one or two player.
Press and Hold the A Button while pressing the Start button.

Use the left/right control pad to move to the cursor. Use the Up/down control
pad to choose a letter. Press the A button when the password is complete. If
you correctly enter the password, then the game will start where you left off.
If you do not enter the password correctly, then the game goes to the Player
Select Screen. The highest room number you can start with using a password is
79.

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IV. How to play

Shoot the enemies to stay alive and find the exit to the next room.

Play Modes

One Player:
Here the player can collect all the food and treasure for himself, but without
the firepower of a second player, a lot of skill is needed to survive. Keep
playing to develop your capabilities.

Two Player:
Here the players have the advantage of the extra firepower of a second player.
Strategy and planning become important as the players attack each room.

Team Play:
Here you cooperate with each other. Tactics become important since enemies are
attracted to the closest player. One player can stand safely on one side of a
wall from the enemy and attract them while the other player goes around and
shoots them from a distance without attracting them. Players also share food
and treasure to stay healthy.

Competition:
Here it is every man for himself. Use your unique abilities to collect all the
food and treasure for yourself. Block passageways with your body and force the
other player to fight through the enemy. In some rooms your shots can stun or
hurt each other. You can make up games like competing to get the most treasure
in the first 19 rooms.

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V. The characters

You have a choice of four different characters. Each has different strengths
and weaknesses. A beginner will have the most fun with the warrior or the
valkyrie since they have more power, strong firepower and very strong armor.
The more experienced player will enjoy the elf and the wizard because of their
special abilities. The experienced player will be able to adjust his playing
tactics to make up for the weak armor and fighting ability of the elf and
wizard in exchange for the faster speed and better magic ability of these
characters.

Table of abilities for the four characters (5 is the hightest rating)

Ability Warrior Elf Wizard Valkyrie

Armor 4 2 1 5
Fight/Shot Power 5 3 3 3
Magic 1 3 5 2
Player Speed 2 5 3 3

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Thor, the Warrior:

Thor is big and powerful. He moves slowly, and his big battle axe flies
slowly. The axe does a lot of damage to the enemy. He has pretty good armor
and excellent hand-to-hand fighting power. He has very little magic ability.
His big axe will not shoot through the narrow sections of diagonal walls like
the other characters.

Starting power : 980
Armor strength : 4
Shot strength : 5
Magic strength : 1
Fighting ability: 5
Player speed : 1

Thyra, the Valkyeir:

Thyra is a well-balanced character with good abilies in all the areas. She has
the strongest armor and takes the least damage from attacking enemies.

Starting power : 900
Armor strength : 5
Shot strength : 2
Magic strength : 2
Fighting ability: 3
Player speed : 3

Merlin, the Wizard:

Merlin has the best magic ability, but no armor, and poor hand-to-hand
fighting ability. He has powerful shots.

Starting power : 800
Armor strength : 1
Shot strength : 4
Magic strength : 5
Fighting ability: 1
Player speed : 3

Questor, the Elf:

Questor has great speed, but weak shots and armor. He has moderate magic
ability. In a two-player competitive game his speed is a strong asset. He can
outrun most enemies.

Starting power : 820
Armor strength : 2
Shot strength : 2
Magic strength : 3
Fighting ability: 1
Player speed : 5

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VI. Extra abilities

Magic potions are hidden in the rooms. If you collect these potions, you can
increase your abilities. Each time you collect an extra ability, it is shown
in the Pause Screen with your statistics. You have it for the rest of the game.
Extra abilities only work once for each player.

Extra armor potion: Increases your armor against attack. [shield]
Extra magic potion: Increases damage a bomb can do. [little bottle]
Extra shot power potion: Increases the damage your shots can do. [black spot]
Extra speed potion: Increases your speed of movement. [arrow]
Extra fight power potion: Increases your hand-to-hand fight power. [knife]

In addition to the extra ability potions, you can also collect temporary
abilities. These last only a little while and are not shown in the Pause
Screen.

Temporary Invisibility:
Enemies cannot find you for a short time. [white box with three lines]

Temporary Repulsion Amulet:
Enemies run away from you for a short time. [orange box with three lines]

Temporary Reflective Shots:
Your shots bounce for a short time. [white box with arrow]

Ten Super Shots:
Your shots destroy everything, including doors. [orange box with arrow]

Temporary invulnerability:
You have perfect armor for awhile, but your power goes down twice as fast.
[black box]

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VII. Power

You start with a certain amount of power. When your power is gone, the game is
over. Enemies drain power from you when they touch you or shoot you. Food,
which can be found in the rooms, increases your power. Periodically, you will
enter a treasure room. There are no enemies. You must find the exit before the
timer runs out. If you do, then your power is replenished to the maximum power
level. If you do not find the exit before the timer runs out, you must continue
to the next level with whatever power you have left. Your power level is
displayed in the upper left and right corners of the screen for player 1 and
player 2 respectively. If is shown with the "heart" icon followed by a number
indicating how much power is left.

In the Pause Screen, you can see how much power you have left. It also shows
your maximum power level. This is the amount of power you get after success-
fully exiting a treasure room. Here is an important secret: After you have
collected 50 treasures, you maximum power increases 80-120 points. The
maximum power increases again at 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1600 treasures. Then
the next time you exit a treasure room, you get your power restored to the
new maximum amount!

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VIII. The collected wisdom: Maps of the Worlds

As you play the game, a map of each world is shown between rooms. You can
chart your progress and see which rooms are conected together. Some rooms
have more than one exit so you may want to record which exits lead to which
rooms. The treasure rooms are shown with a $ in the map. Clue rooms which
contain a clue to the final combination are shown with ?. The final conbin-
ation is explain in the Collected Wisdom of World Five. These maps are
considered accurate. Merlin's apprentice acquired them from Vellum the Map-
maker - the very same mapmaker Morak used to chart his Gauntlet.

Map of World One: The Castle

Your journey begins in the Castle World. Since it exists on the edge of the
Veil, other mortals have ventured into the Castle. Many explorers have risked
life and limb to bring back what little we know about the Castle.


$19 - l18 - l17
| | | Hint: In room 16, try shooting solid
?16 - l15 - l14 walls - one might disappear
| when shot.
$08 - l09 - l10 l12 - $13
/ \ /
l07 - l06 - l05 - $$$ l11
| \
l01 - l02 - l03


Map of World Two: The Dark Forest

The dark reaches of this Forest world are unknown to mortals.. Rumors and
fables abound. Most of what is known comes from the tales told of the ancient
time when chaos rules.


l20 l37 - l38 - l39 Hint: The clue is in a
| | \ | treasure chest.
l21 $36 l40 - $41
| \ |
l23 l22 l33 - l34 - l35
| / | | |
$24 ?20 l32 - l30 - l31
| / |
l25 - l27 - l28 - $29


Map of World Three: The Lost Caverns

The cave-like rooms of the caverns are haunted by many of the horrendous
fiends from the Unseen.


l56 - $55 - ?54 - l53
| \ | Hint: You may find a room
l59 - l60 - l57 l52 - l51 in world three with
\ | | treasure and bombs
$62 - l58 l50 - $49 - l48 that you cannot get.
\ | | |
l61 l45 - l44 l47
| | |
l42 - l43 - l46


Map of World Four: The Unseen

The world of the Unseen holds a formidable challenge. Could you possibly be
blind? The walls are not there yet they are in this watery world.

l63 - l64
|
l65 Hint: Invisible walls may be
/ | destructible walls as well.
$78 - l77 ?66 - $67
| | \ |
l74 - l75 - l76 l68
| | |
l73 - l72 - l71 - ?70 - l69


Map of World Five: Volcana, Lair of the Guardian

Lava flows on all sides. You know this is the last leg of the journey, but
the Guardian awaits.


?90 - l91 - $92 - l93
| / | Hint: You have to find
l88 - l89 l95 - l94 - l97 your way to room 94
| | | | which leads to the
l85 l86 - l87 l96 l99 l98 Guardian.
| / |
l84 l82 - ?81 l100
| | |
l83 - l79 - l80

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The final combination

Entry into the last rooms of Volcana is blocked. You must enter an eight
letter or digit combination to gain access to these last rooms. Parts of the
combination are given to you in the 8 clue rooms. Each of the eight letters
or numbers is given to you each tome you find one in a clue room. Clue rooms
are shown on the world maps with a ?. You must find the clue in the maze and
exit the maze to have the actualy letter or number revealed to you. Write it
down along with its position, and save it. Here is what you must to to get
a clue:

- enter a clue room (marked by a ? in the map).
- find and touch the ? in the room.
- exit the room before the timer (top center of screen) is 0.
- AFTER you exit, Morak will appear and give you a clue.

The combination is unique for each player. You cannot exchange clues with
other people. You must collect all the clues using the same character and the
same series of passwords. There is a secret code transferred from password to
password.

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IX: The collected wisdom: Form and Structure Beyond the Veil

Exits:
You must find the exit in each room. The exit is the only way out. Touch it
and you are whisked through the portal to the next room. In a two player game,
both characters must exit before the new room appears. At the higher levels
of the game, explorers report that there are fake exits - it looks like an
exit but doesn't work! Apparently, there is a real exit somewhere though.
Watch out for a nasty exit in Room 80 - it kills you instantly.

Walls:
The brick walls of the Castle World create many rooms and corridors within
it. Most walls are indestructible. However, some may be destroyed by your
shots. Some survivors say you can see a slight difference between real walls
and destructible walls. There are also secret walls that look solid, but they
disappear when shot. Survivors say they have found good things behind secret
walls.

Doors and keys:
Many paths are blocked by doors. Previous explorers have discovered that there
are keys to these doors scattered throughout the rooms. If you have a key and
touch the door, then the door opens, but alas, so does the key. If you see a
key in a room, simply touch it and you will have possession of it. The number
of keys you have is shown at the top of each screen.

Treasure chests:
Fantastic amounts of treasure are to be found everywhere. Some chests are open
and you can easily collect the treasure by simply touching it. Other chests
are closed. Those keys that open doors might also work on treasure chests.
Here is an important secret: If you can collect 50 or 100 treasure chests,
your maximum power level is increased. Then, the next time you successfully
exit a treasure room, your power is restored to the new maximum amount!
Beware of being too greedy. If you collect more than 2000 treasure, your pass-
word will stop working.

Bags of jewels:
These are very hard to find but they do exist. They are worth three treasure
chests.

Food:
Food stashes can be found here and there in the rooms. Food increases your
power. Some food can be destroyed by your shots or enemy shots so be careful.
Food appears as a jug marked XXX or a bowl of gruel. Just touch the food to
eat it and increase your power.

Stun floors:
There are also reports of electrified floor tiles. If you happen to touch one
of these floor tiles, you are paralyzed for a few seconds and you are unable
to move or shoot. If the enemy is closing in, you can be in big trouble.

Trap floors and trap walls:
In the tenth room, explorers report that the exit cannot be reached since it
is surrounded by walls. Others report that mysterious flashing floor tiles
make certain walls disappear when the floor tile is touched.

Transporters:
These floor tiles magically transport you from place to place in the room.
There are conflicting reports that you can control where you come out with
the control pad.

Movable walls:
These different looking wall sections move when pressed upon.

Bomb potion:
If you touch this potion, it becomes part of your arsenal and is held for
later use. You can activate a bomb poion with the B button. It will destroy
enemies visible on the screen. The amount of destruction is determined by your
magic ability. For instance, the wizard has the most magic ability, and does
the most damage with a bomb potion. There are two types of bomb potions:
Destructible and indestructible. Destructible bomb will activate when shot
and indestructible bombs will not. Note: Be careful, some potions look like
bombs but they are really poison. Poison takes away 100 power units.

The Sacred Orb:
This is the object you desire. Find it to defeat Morak and restore harmony to
the mortal world.

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X. The collected wisdom: Enemies and enemy generators

Survivors report a variety of gruesome enemies. They also report that there
seem to be three levels of each enemy: They take 1, 2 or 3 shots to be des-
troyed. Of course, the warrior and the wizard have stronger shots, and they
may need to shoot fewer times.

Ghosts:
They attack once, and vanish taking some of your power as they go.

Grunts:
They continuously pound on you with their clubs.

Demons:
They shoot as you approach, and then chew on you until they are shot.

Death:
This evil black creature will chase you and drain a LOT of power before
vanishing. Your shots have no effect on Death.

Acid puddles:
They wander randomly. Not too much is known about acid puddles. Maybe nobody
has ever lived to tell about them.

Sorcerers:
They have the power of invisibility. They blink onto the screen and then
blink off. They are tough to destroy since they cannot be shot when they are
invisible.

Super sorcerers:
They vanish, appear behind you and shoot you. Then they vanish again.

Lobbers:
They run away from you, but then they turn around and throw rocks at you -
even over walls.

Level 1 enemy generator:
This nasty contraption constantly spews out enemies. You can destroy it by
shooting it or touching it. Level 1 generators make enemies that need to be
shot one time to be destroyed.

Level 2 enemy generator:
This nasty contraption constantly spews out enemies. You can destroy it by
shooting it or touching it. Level 2 generators make enemies that need to be
shot two times to be destroyed.

Level 3 enemy generator:
This nasty contraption constantly spews out enemies. You can destroy it by
shooting it or touching it. Level 3 generators make enemies that need to be
shot three times to be destroyed.

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XI. Troubleshooting

1. If the game-pak does not work the first time you try it, re-insert the
cartridge 5-10 times to wear in the contacts on the PC board. Also try
pushing the reset button.

2. If your password doesn't work, make sure you copied it down correctly.
Double-check the "H" versus the "K" and the "S" versus the "5".