Layla/Gameplay

Controls

 * : Use the direction pad to guide Layla through each asteroid fortress. Press left or right to make Layla run in either direction.  The longer you hold a direction down, the faster she will run.  Press down to make Layla squat.  Then press up to make her stand up again.
 * : Press the A button to make Layla jump. The longer you hold the button down, the higher she will jump.  Layla will also jump higher when she is running faster.  If you hold the A button down as Layla lands, she will immediately jump off the ground again.
 * : To jump extra high, hold the down direction while pressing the A button. This is a useful technique when there is not enough room to get a running start.  Jumping also releases Layla from her squatting position.
 * : Press the B button to fire Layla's selected weapon, shown in the upper right corner of the screen.
 * : Press Start to begin a new game, or to pause and unpause the action mid-game.
 * : Press Select while the game is being played to cycle through Layla's available arsenal of weapons. Press Select while the game is paused to access the weapon selection screen, where you can choose to activate a particular weapon while the action is paused.

Layla
Layla is the character which you control throughout the game. Layla is a mercenary for hire and is very skilled in the use of a large variety of weapons. Her mission is to rescue the doctor that's been kidnapped by the alien forces, but she must also rescue her partner Elise, who was captured scouting. Layla starts the game with her standard pistol, which never runs out of ammo. Throughout the game, Layla will find crates which she can blast open. Some of these crates contain ammunition for the other weapons that Layla has access to. Layla has a health meter. She loses health whenever she is attacked by an alien, struck by one of their bullets, or falls down a hole. She gains health whenever she collects the food left behind by defeated aliens, or when she collects certain mystery tiles. The game is over if Layla loses all of her health. The only way to continue is to collect the Password item found in each asteroid. You can only continue from the last asteroid you collected a Password item from.

Elise
Elise is Layla's loyal but less skilled side kick. Elise scouted ahead to determine which asteroid the doctor was being held in, but managed to get herself kidnapped as well. She is being held captive in a dungeon on the fifth asteroid. After Layla rescues her, she will remain by Layla's side throughout the game, firing when Layla fires. This in essence doubles Layla's firepower, but it also increases the rate at which she goes through ammunition, so be careful when firing special weapons.

Space Jet
The Space Jet is Layla's preferred method of traveling through short distances in space. She uses it to travel between the asteroids and arrive at the entrance to each fortress. You will be given control of Layla on her Space Jet during the bonus rounds that take place after escaping from each fortress. During the bonus round, you must attempt to shoot as many space craft as you can before reaching the next asteroid. You directly control the position of the Space Jet on the screen with the direction pad, and you fire the Space Jet guns with either the A or B buttons. The Space Jet does not take any damage.

Doctor
The doctor is an expert of weapon engineering. The aliens that hide out in the asteroid belt beyond Layla's home planet have captured the doctor in an attempt to force him to build a weapon to be used against his own people. Layle and Elise have been sent on a daring mission to rescue him. Layla will only be able to rescue the doctor if she has managed to rescue Elise, and collect the password item from all eight asteroids, including the one the doctor is held captive in. If she fails to do this, she will be completely incapable of damaging the boss that guards the doctor.