Ski or Die



Typed out by tsr

NES-7S-USA

How to play Ski or Die(tm)

Ultra(r) Games

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Stalking in a winter wonderland

Once again, Rodney's slushy ski shack is open for business. But Rod and his
host of inhospitables refuse to let you enjoy the sub-zero ski fest. Because
ferocious freaks of nature like chainsaw totin' bunnies, punk rock penguins
and bodacious polar bears are anxiously waiting to knock your poles out from
under you. From the Snowboard Half Pipe to the Snowball Blast, this arctic
adventure will have you wishing you were back at the chalet exchanging fondue
recipes with a thick-necked man named Gunther.

But bogus moguls are only half your headaches. Because Twisted Lester and his
lucky lawn dart are looking to pop the wind out of your sails in the Inner
Tube Thrash. And if you're not cool enough to avoid getting Lester's point,
you'll get a chance to impress the fickle judges in the Downhill Blitz and
the Acro Aerials (sorry, no hog-calling competitions).

So start waxing those skis if you plan on seeing the light of summer again.
Because you can either backflip, pike or helicopter your way into the World
Record Book... or a body cast.

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How to start your slalom

To begin your pre-slope prep, press the Start Button when the title screen
appears. Once inside Rodney's ski shop, you can decide to either SIGN IN, GO
PRACTICE, GO COMPETE or just check out the high scores. To select your option,
use the Control Pad to move the "Ski or Die" cursor to one of the four
categories, then press the A Button to lock in your decision.

If you just want to ski and sightsee, select GO PRACTICE. Players can take
turns practicing any event they choose. When you're done practicing an event,
hit the Select Button. When the screen changes use the Control Pad to choose
"Yes" or "no". "Yes" returns you to the same event.

"No" allows you to select another event. Press the A Button to lock in your
decision. If you're done with all your practicing, ski back into the ski shop.
If you plan on competing, you must register first (see p. 6 for details) and
then select GO COMPETE before swooshing to victory - or the agony of defeat.
In the COMPETE Mode players go in the order they are registered.

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Ski shop selections

Here is a closer look at some of your ski shop selections. Be advised to
follow their directions if you don't want to end up in permanent hibernation.
Move the player to "Player" and press the A Button. A clipboard will appear

Signing-in ceremonies

The Sign-In-Screen for COMPETE Mode
Press the A Button to turn the tunes on or off. If you move the cursor down to
END, then press the A Button, you will return to Rodney's ski shop. Next, move
the cursor down to PLAYER 1 and press the A Button. This will bring the first
player to the Name Registration Screen (see below) where the player's name can
be entered. When PLAYER 1's name is entered, select END, then press the A
Button to return to the Sign-In Screen. Next, press the A Button to register
PLAYER 2. Continue this process until all players have registered. (Remember,
up to 6 players can participate at any one time, with play alternating between
players.)

Name Registration Screen
Use the Control Pad to select the letters of each player's name and press the
A Button to lock in one letter at a time. If you make a mistake, press the B
Button to delete the incorrect letter. If you want to delete an entire name,
use the cursor to select CLR and press the A Button.

You must sign in each time you COMPETE in Ski or Dir, because the names are
deleted when the game is switched off.

High Score Screen
This illustrious snow screen will tell you who's melting the slopes with all
the hottest moves. (Finish in the top three and your name and score will be
posted on the score board.) Select by moving the cursor to the HIGH SCORE
SCREEN, then press the A Button. Press either the A or B Button after you've
checked out the bodacious points to return to Rodney's ski shop.

NOTE: When a player's turn is up the next player can activate either
Controller for game play by pressing the A or B Button when the prompt "Hit
Button" appears. If you make a mistake, pause the game, use the Select Button
to choose either Pause 1 (for controller 1) or Pause 2 (for Controller 2).
Then press the Start Button to activate the controller.

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Rodney's winter wonderland

COMPETE ALL - Slush down this perilous path to compete in all five events. No
slouches here.

SNOWBALL BLAST - Fire ice awaits all ski bums on this route to ruin.

DOWNHILL BLITZ - Peak performance at 3000 feet. Talk about high stakes.

ACRO AERIALS - Ths wild man's ski jump. Achieve double-digit hang time and
gyrate your way to glory.

INNERTUBE THRASH - Head-to-head zonking via infernal inflatables. Better put a
bumper on your thumper!

SNOWBOARD HALFPIPE - Slick snowboards and fierce snowbunnies lurk down this
lane.

All competition courses extend out from the ski shop at the center. Move the
skier standing in front of the ski shop to the desired course by pressing the
Control Pad. Then press the A or B Button to ski. If you move the skier back
to the ski shop the screen will return to Rodney.

Control Pad
Press Left or Right to change the skier's direction. Press Up along with the
A or B Button and the skier will slow down. Press Down along with the A or B
Button and the skier will speed up.

Select Button
Press to end competition.

Start Button
Press to pause the game. Press again to restart.

A and B Buttons
To begin play, press the A Button at the start of every game stage. When an
event is over, press either button and the Score Screen will appear. Press
again to return to Rodney's Winter Wonderland.

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Beat all in the Compete All

Better keep your cool as you fly through a mammoth marathon of 5 events, one
after another. Points are awarded for each event - 5 points for top dog, 3
points for 2nd place, 1 for 3rd place and 0 for any stragglers. Added
together, these make up your OVERALL (cumulative) score for the competition.
The points you actually score in the event will appear next to your name under
SCORE.

The Inner Tube Thrash is the last competition event. When you've completed it,
check out the scores to see who won the overall competition.

NOTE: You cannot select COMPETE ALL if you're in the PRACTICE Mode. Once
again, to end the game, hit the Select Button and then the A Button, and you
will go to the next event.

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Inner tube thrash

Seems that Lester (yep, your ol' punky pal from Skate or Die(tm)) found some
old truck inner tubes in a garbage dump last summer and brought them to the
slopes. Now he wants you to hop in one and join him for a downhill joust! Half
the battle is beating the other guy down the hill - for that you need a good,
inflated inner tube. The other half is making it hard for the other guy to
stay pumped up - for that you need a good, sharp object.

How to get more mileage out of your tube
Press the Control Pad Left or Right to make the skier move in either direction.
Press the Control Pad Left or Right while pressing the A Button and the skier
will rotate in the desired direction. To speed up your skier, press Down on
the Control Pad. To cut down on MPH's, press Up on the Control Pad. And the
moment you've all been waiting for: press the B Button to attack!

There are bonus points for the taking - 300 for you if you burst your
opponent's tube, and 200 for your opponent if you fall into a valley.

So, now that you're well-schooled in tube techniques, get ready to face your
opponent and inflict a little grief and misery. Yeah!

It's easy to burst someone's bubble with one of these
To pick up a poker, simply run over it with your inner tube.

Dinner Fork - OK - but better for tamales.
Lawn Dart - Pretty goot little popper, if I say so myself.
Ranger Scout Pocket Knife - it'll whittle you down to size.

Pumps and patches give you air, traps take it away

Patch - the quicker fixer upper.
Pump - this will "pump... you up!"
Mousetrap - Crazy Lester's calling card. If you fall in, it's 50 points for
your opponent.
Beartrap - Avoid at all costs. If you don't, your opponent shovels in 100
points.

The score on scoring

Getting Help
Pick up an object and gain valuable points - 25 per weapon, 15 for a pump or
patch.

Puncture Points
Inflict damage with the dinnerware and receive 50 points. A hurt with the dart
is worth a quick 125, and a mega 225 is yours for the taking with a pocket
knife puncture.

Catch-Up
A 100 point bonus for passing another player. (But don't look back to watch
him eat your snow.)

First to Cross the Finish Line
1000 points. After all, that _is_ the goal.

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Snowboard half pipe

Yuo've got 5 feet of snowboard, 48 inches of snow and it's 20 degrees below
zero. So why not take a couple of minutes to tear down this tube by displaying
your airborne talents? Fire off tricks from the tube floor, off either lip, or
from the occasional stray mogul. Big speed means big points (and even bigger
bruises). Snag the punked-out penguins, but keep your distance from the
bunnies packing the power tools - a fall will cost you 5 seconds.

Oh yeah, watch out for lunatic logs. Those babies can trip you up too, junior.

Eyeball the indicator for a speed check.
12-molar yawn (Speed 1)
Airborne potential (Speed 2)
Wide-open full-throttle velocity (Speed 3)

Keep your peepers peeled for these half pipe hitchers

Punk Penguin - Worth 15 points.
Chainsaw Totin' Bunny - Worth a face transplant if you're not careful.
Ice Inflictor - Worth some serious snow burn.

A super slide ride, Clyde
To glide peacefully along the Half Pipe, press the Control Pad left or right.
If your skier is on an inclune, his speed will increase, which will be
indicated on the speed indicator.

The moves you can muster depends on your speed

Hold down the A Button and press in any of these directions

Speed 1

Tube
Up + Down - Jump (5 pts.)
Left + Right - Jump (5 pts.) 1

Mogul
Up + Down - High Jump (10 pts.)
Left - Backscratch (20 pts.) Right - Front V (20 pts.)

Lip
Up + Down - Back Bend (40 pts.) Down
Left + Right - Hand Plant (30 pts. + time held)

Speed 2

Tube
Up + Down - Jump (10 pts.)
Left + Right - Twist (10 pts.

Mogul
Up - Front Flip (50 pts.) Down - Back Flip (50 pts.)
Left + Right - 360 grab (50 pts.)

Lip
Up - Rail Slide (60 pts. + time held) Down - 360 Backscratch (225 pts.)
Left + Right - Ollie 180 (200 pts.)

Speed 3

Tube
Up + Down - 360 Jump (20 pts.)
Left + Right - Double Twist (20 pts.)

Mogul
Up - Double Front Flip (100 pts.) Down - Double Back Flip (100 pts.)
Left + Right - Back Side Flip (100 pts.)

Lip
Up - McTwist (225 pts.) Down - 360 Backscratch (250 pts.)
Left + Right - 540 (250 pts.)

Variety really rocks Lester's gizzeroids
The points indicated on the chart are only awarded the first time a move is
performed. And because nobody wants to see the same move busted over and over,
Lester's only gonna give you half points on the Half Pipe for repeated moves.
But he'll also hand out a bonus at the end of the run, and if you want this
bonus, you'd better do as many moves as inhumanly possible.

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Acro aerials

This ramp is built for speed. And if you've got the attitude, you'll get the
altitude. Crank it up and hit the incline. The faster you go, the higher you
jump - plus the more stunts you can perform. Simply stated: more ski, more
fly! Press the A Button to start downhill. Pressing the Control Pad quickly
Left and Right while simultaneously pressing either the A or B Button will
motivate your skier to soar head and shoulders above the crowd (you hope).

Once you're airborne, move with a groove.
You'll need to hold down the A Button for most of these stunts, except for a
couple. Timing is critical - if you let go of a Button in mid-stunt, you'll
get a painful lesson in gravity.

No button
Up - Backflip: Pike
Down - Backflip: Layout

Press the A Button
Up/left - Backflip: Tuck
Up - Spreadeagle
Up/right - Moebius Flip
Left - Daffy
Right - Split Jump
Down/left - Double Backflip
Down - Backscratch
Down/right - Moebius Flip

Wowing the judges
Five judges are waiting in the wings to grade your gonzo aerial dynamics. Each
will give you anything from 0 (if you really take a big splat) to 10.0 (peak
performance). Max score is 50 points per jump. Here's what the judges like to
see:

Difficulty
The movis in grey (see diagram [it's the moves that you have to press a
diagonal direction for -tsr]) take a lot of polishing. One or two per jump
prove you're no pansy.

Variety
Don't let the judges think you're a one trick pony. They want to see a variety
of well-executed moves for a complete performance.

Fluidity
It'll not only show how wet you are behind the ears, but also how cleanly how
you can move from twist to split to flip, etc. No stutters or pauses in
transition... cool, dude?

Poise
Just kidding. (We don't expect you to have any of that.) But remember, you
get a total of three jumps when competing. Reminder: Press the A Button after
each jump.

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The downhill blitz will give you fits

Drop in, the powder's primo. Time and technique are everything here. Scream
down the trails and airtime your way to mondo points. Crashes cost you time -
take a detour into a tree, add 5 seconds. And don't be afraid to blaze a few
trails for yourself - you never know what you might find. Stay on your skis
the whole way (no wipe-outs) and you'll rack up an extra 500 points.

Start the clock, rock
The main idea is to get downhill as fast as you can, but the more stomach-
dropping stunts you perform along the way, the more points you shovel in.
Press the A Button to start or restart the two-minute clock. Press the Control
Pad Left or Right to move your skier in the desired direction. To speed up,
press the Control Pad Down. To slow down, press the Control Pad Up.

NOTE: The above directions can be reversed by selecting the "Goofy" Mode with
the B Button before play begins.

Get into some gym-nasties
To jump, hold down the A Button and press the Control Pad in the desired
direction. Try these stunts on for size:
Up - Backscratch - 50 points
Right - Daffy - 50 points
Down - Spreadeagle - 75 points
Left - 360 Helicopter - 100 points
If you finish in under two minutes, you'll get bonus points. You'll also rake
in bonus points for doing stunts while jumping over a snow hole.

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Snowball blast
Rodney's looking to you to guard the munchies stash until after dinner. The
only problem is a bunch of ice-packing Iglooheads want their snacks now. And
they're coming in from all sides, so you'd better move in fast. It's a three
level blast, so take out as many as possible before their snowballs frost your
footsies.

Press the Control Pad to take aim. If you want to change directions, press the
Control Pad while holding the A Button down. Finally, to launch your arctic
arsenal of snowballs, press the B Button.

Blastables (the opposite of loveables)

Brats
Real close - 25 points
Close - 50 points
Farther - 75 points
Way, way out - 100 points

Chainsaw bunnies
Could cost you an arm and a leg - 30 pts.

Iglooheads
No blubbering - 30 pts.

Bodacious Bears
It's bearly possible - 30 pts.

Punk Penguins
Skin-a-tux - 50 pts.

Abominable Snow Things
EEEK! - 'Nuff said - 30 pts.

Get-ables (grasp, don't blast)

Snowball Stash
Ammo gives you more whammo - 100 additional snowballs, in fact.

Shovel
A must for digging out of avalanches. It also gives you some extra time.

Star
Gives you raped-fire ability for a limited period of time without depleting
your snowball supply. So fire at will.

Untouchables

Ski instructor
Always out of season. Lose twenty-five snowballs if you nail one, accidentially
or otherwise.

It's a blast-fest in the COMPETE Mode.
Forget the formalities. In the COMPETE Mode you and your pals each get 60
seconds to take out 50 brats. Accomplish this mission and you'll slide into
bonus blasting time. Good shooters: Add 1 point for each snowball left at the
end of the event.