Gun Fright Returns - Reloaded

() 1985 Ashby Computers & Graphics Ltd. (Ultimate)
(c) 2017 TomCat (remix: 128k and 2 players fixes, map generator, extended options and gameplay enhancements)
() 2017 GoodBoy (AY music & sound FX import from Amstrad version, intro music import)
(c) 2017 Tiboh (intro special effects)
() 2017 panda (loading picture)

thanks to:
Slider  (this text corrections)

I. Game hints


- in intro - game options are selected with numeric keys, mouse is enabled
or disabled with M and J keys; if memory is enough, new sounds background,
old sounds or mute mode are selected with A, B and N keys; other keys start game


- select Kempston, this allows to aim with mouse, which is much more efficient and
fun. Without mouse aiming at the enemies running far away is fair only at first -
then the opponent will fire before the aim reaches him at the least. If the aim behaves
frantically, try disabling it in intro (J key)


- in order to avoid nasty mouseplay surprises in, let's say, Unreal Speccy, do not
forget to click it once in the window after save/load, so that the window "locks" it,
or you may lose precious time in duels


- after game start the seriff gets 6 bullets and 2 and a half hundred,
and gets into shooting gallery, where 2 thousand could be raised. Then the game
proceeds into the town, and seriff goes in for a record of over 10 thousand


- any town, Blackstone likewise, has a main street, bank and saloons at it, usually
several squares and many other buildings. If view town map mode is enabled, a quick
glance at it may reveal the main street crossing the town north to south, big white bank
and little white jail (along with sheriff's office) in southwest


- heading west from the jail turn south to find the cactus, turn north to find the horse


- in town, almost anything poses danger, except maybe walls, stones under your feet, money
bags and figure of a strange animal (it's really a horse for rent)


- but objects like boys and cacti doesn't move much, thus they are not that dangerous, unless
you run into them


- townsfolk walk or run in panic all over the town. In Townsfolk Vindictive mode
(if someone has been hurt by you already) or Mean mode (all the time) you could shoot
to avoid bumping into them. Otherwise - just dodge!


- if sheriff walks so that he would cross someone steps, better stop or turn


- if it comes so that sheriff walks along someone in the same direction,
turn quick, or else they would, usually - not the way you like it, so that
it is back to start


- near the door, when you do not know, what awaits at the other side, press Symbol Shift, and the
camera would switch so that, you could decide, whether to enter


- it also works with building corners. Generally, it is better not to walk along any wall, but
to move a little away from the wall, for many things run along the walls beside you,
including mounted bandits


- have to walk the town seraching the boys, who have seen the bandit. They would start jumping
the moment they see you. They would point you where you have to go to


- if the sheriff goes poor, the 1 hundred money bags could be found near the boys helping you.
Later in the game, tumbleweed can also be found near


- when you find a bandit, do not bump into him - otherwise he would walk (or ride) right on,
but the sheriff won't. Start firing and scratch him. Then the duel begins


- one moment is quite inevedent and was more than once covered wrong in reviews - the
duel is made quite accurately. If you let go controls before the duel, the opponent usually
doesn't hurry too. He will try to distract you, moving here and there, then he stops and starts
to draw his gun slowly (the red hint 'Draw' will appear below). From this moment on, if you
start to aim, the enemy wouldn't jump away and wouldn't go faster, so you can perfectly bring
him down with a single bullet. And besides, while he walks so without shooting, empty gun
can be easily reloaded. Sometimes, however, the opponent doesn't walk but draws at once,
so it's better to attack him in town with full gun. Certainly, everyone has his style, you could
attack first, but the enemy will then quickly jump somewhere away and quickly starts shooting
(the 'Draw' hint below would be yellow then). Just be quicker then. And dallying is good only
in first duels, then the bandits start drawing so quick, that you'd better draw first - at least you
would have more time then, while they are still moving


- Caps Shift puts the game into pause in any place, including duels. If the bandits go too mean,
you can use this way


- cacti can wither, if the seriff is too poor to water them. The suspicion has it this is only
true for the cactus image, while they are still in place. Be carful searching for the money bags


- the further, the bigger the prices, and more mounted bandits are met. If you are stuck without
a horse, it sometimes pays to shoot all the way along his path - there is a chance he turns and
catches the bullet. Of course, if prices, fines and wrong prey do not frighten you
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II. Comments for recommended difficulty mode (Medium)


- "vindictive" townsfolk mode allows not to lose the lives in ordinary bumps, you simply
get fined and go to start. In 1 player mode the bandit will remain somewhere near where he was
before. If you were not lost yourself, you can walk straight there. Try not to shoot until you
get a good aim at him, and carefully avoid townsfolk while riding a horse. Remember - the fine
will be still, but the life wouldn't be taken, unless there was a kill you are responsible for
(the townsfolk can still kill themselves against your standing horse, and that'd be you fault)


- "simulating" tumbleweed mode allows not to lose the life hitting it, besides they often stop,
while there is no wind. They go spinning in place before starting to move 


- "poisonous" cactus mode remains. Cacti doesn't attack you in first place. Second, it allows
to lose the life quickly, if you need


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III. Useful trainer menu options


0. Difficulty - several presets for other options
- Easy - immune version
- Medium - recommended balanced preset
- Hard - ye old good preset. To make it harder, add Bandits Mad and Head Prices Poor modes


1. Town - the starting town. Besides Blackstone there is a hundred towns westward, or you can
try a random town of many thousands. Each player would have his own then!


2. View new town map - new town map would be shown for a short while before the sheriff enters it


3. Bandits - the danger they pose to sheriff
- Jokers - bandit doesn't kill anybody, but you get back to start
- Mean - bandits are dangerous, just like in the original game
- Mad - bandit kills if you meet them in town, but if the sheriff dares scratch him and loses the duel,
the bandit would kill and then would go straight into his office and make a (censored). Very tough
somewhere after 7-8 bandits!


4. Head prices
- High - original game awards
- Moderate - awards are somewhat less
- Poor - awards are ludicrous, you'd have to run for the salary at first, which can be found near the
boys helping you in money bags (after the sheriff is down to 1 hundred)


5. Cacti - the danger they pose to sheriff
- Flowers - go to starts, life is kept
- Poisonous - dangerous like in original game


6. Tumbleweed - its danger
- Absent - tumbleweed won't appear at all, even after 8 bandits killed
- Sim - tumbleweed would stop now and then, as in gusty wind. It can't be hit, bumping in it is start
place again, keeping your life
- Windy - once appeared, the unstoppable tumbleweed would roll around the town. It doesn't take
your life.
- Poisonous - tumbleweed would be as dangerous, as the original one. Be careful if you see the boy,
the tumbleweed would be near


7. Townsfolk - the danger boys and women pose
- Scared - women run around the town in panic, boys show you the way to go to meet the bandit.
Bumping into them is fined just like shooting them. The life is not taken. If you bumped while
walking around - go to start
- Vindictive - tricky mode. Townsfolk aren't dangerous like in Scared mode, unless sheriff shoots
or hits them with a horse. For he would become a crimnal himself (indicated by the red color of
BOUNTY message below), and all the other trainers keeping his life go off. That is until
the sheriff either hits another bandit or falls himself. For even bumping into a tumbleweed wouldn't
help to evade being hanged. This way you could play a good boy, avoidnig to kill innocent and
upholding the law, or play hard, getting anything out of your way and quickly getting the bad guys.
Or just going from one to another after some bad accident, or fortunate duel
- Mean - townsfolk are dangerous like in original game


8. Extra guns - bonus lives
- No - like in original game, it's just the sheriff and his 2 accomplices
- After each gang - after 4 bandits go down, expect reinforcement. Of course, if the life was lost
before, so that not to overman - no more than 2 accomplices plus sheriff
- each gang after 4th - 16 infamous bandits must be killed, then some unnamed rascals would go,
and you can expect reinforcements then


9. Travel west
- No - as in original game, sheriff works in his home town
- After each gang - after each 4 bandits are neutralized, sheriff starts for a journey
- each gang after 4th - after killing 16 , sheriff goes adventuring. Another gang awaits
him in each new town


M. Mouse enabled - use mouse aiming if Kempston is selected


J. Mouse disabled - if no mouse detected or if it hinders the game


A. AY+Beeper - many sound effects would be played with co-processor


B. Beeper only - if no co-processor, or not enough memory, or just for original sound effects


N. None - quiet, muted mode with no sound
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Hi to all Speccy fans
Hi to all who love every bit of these 8 :)