THE SPECTRUM GAME DATABASE

EXOLON

PUBLISHER
Hewson

AUTHOR
Rafaelle Cecco

YEAR
1987

DESCRIPTION
An arcade platform game with exceptionally good graphics.

CONTROLS
The keyboard controls are redefinable, and you can also use a
variety of joysticks.

Left - Walk left
Right - Walk right
Up - Jump
Down - Use
Fire and release - Laser
Fire and hold - Rocket

INSTRUCTIONS
The aim of each level is to get from one side to the other. 
There are 125 screens in all, divided into 5 levels of 25.

You can move your man (Vitorc) left and right using the
appropriate keys, and up will make him jump.  Pressing the fire
button down and then quickly releasing it will fire one shot of
the laser.  Pressing and holding the fire button will launch one
of your rockets, which will arc through the sky and shoot
forward, destroying any scenery in the way.

At a certain point through each of the levels, there is placed
a cubicle allowing you to select the exo-skeleton.  This will
give you greater protection, and double your rate of fire, but
it does mean that you will not get the score bonus at the end.

There are also teleporters spread around certain screens. 
Walking into one of these and presing down will teleport you to
the other teleporter located on the screen.

To replenish you rockets and laser, simply walk into the power
packs that are spread around the levels.  Their colour determines
which item they will replenish.

When you get to the end of a level, there is a small skill test. 
An arrow will quickly switch between several scores, and you must
press the fire button at the right time to select the highest.


CHEATS
If you redefine the keys as Z, O, R, B, and A, you will get
infinite lives.  You can then re-redefine the keys back to what
you actually want.


SEQUELS/PREQUELS
Exolon was followed up with Cybernoid, by the same author.

There was also a very similar game published by Starlight, called
Yeti.

INLAY CARD TEXT

SCORES RECEIVED
Received a Sinclair User Classic award.

URL
ftp://ftp.dcc.uchile.cl/pub/OS/sinclair/snapshots/e/exolon.zip

GENERAL FACTS
Exolon was re-released as part of a four-game compilation from
Hewson, along with Zynaps, Ranarama and Uridium.

NOTES
Although the graphics for this game were excellent, and it was
executed almost perfectly (the reason for many of the high
scores), it is never-the-less a very simple walk-and-shoot game.