Zanac/Walkthrough

The System reacts to the player's actions. In its simplest sense, a player that is highly aggressive and wastes ammunition will face tougher opposition as the System reacts as if it is facing a larger fleet. This will be discussed in more detail later in this document (see "Aggression Levels" in "Tips, Tricks and Techniques") but I think this illuminates one possible reason no one has written a FAQ or Walkthrough for the game. Since player actions largely dictate the type and number of ships you will face, a level may change dramatically on each pass through depending on how you play the game. This makes writing a walkthrough more difficult than it might be in other games where you face similar waves of enemies each time you play the game. On the other hand, this obviously increases the challenge and replay value (especially when you consider all the secrets to be discovered and variety of weapons available).

Conventional Weapons
At the beginning of the game, or when you start from scratch with a new Zanac, you have the Single Missile. Picking up POWER CHIPS dropped by BOXes or shooting a HAPPY FACE will upgrade your Conventional Weapon.

fires from the center of the Zanac. This weapon fires very slowly.
 * Single Missile -- the default Conventional Weapon. A single missile

little better.
 * Twin Missile -- two missiles fire from your Zanac. The rate of fire is a

fires from each wing. The rate of fire is much better.
 * Triple Missile -- A missile fires from the center of your Zanac and one

from the center of the Zanac, but the other two missiles fire from a short distance to the left and right of your ship entirely. This also gives you some added protection from enemies that attack you from the side. Rate of fire is greatly improved. In general, this really holds its own against the Special Weapon but you can only get the Super Missile under special conditions, not by collecting POWER CHIPs (see "Playing BOX Roulette" below).
 * Super Missile -- Width of fire increases greatly: one missile shoots

The Conventional Weapon can hit targets on the ground and in the air, but cannot destroy CHIPs.


 * Playing BOX Roulette (upgrading the Conventional Weapon) **

The easiest and safest way to upgrade the Conventional Weapon is to shoot open BOXes that appear periodically throughout the game's levels. Sometimes, the BOX will contain destructive CHIPs but other times it will contain POWER CHIPS that upgrade your Conventional Weapon.

When you shoot a BOX a couple times it will begin flashing. If it just flashes, you know it contains destructive CHIPs. If you shoot it more the CHIPs will be released, and if you run into it you will die. If the BOX becomes partially translucent and reveals a larger, glowing POWER CHIP you can either safely run into the BOX or shoot it more to release the POWER CHIP and run into that. Either way, it takes several POWER CHIPs to obtain the Twin Missile, and then several more to reach Triple Missile. After that, you can collect POWER CHIPs to your heart's content and although you will gain valuable points you will never obtain the Super Missile.

To go directly to the Triple Missile, you have to play BOX Roulette. If you run into a BOX without shooting it even once and it contains a POWER CHIP then you go directly to Triple Missiles. If you run into it without shooting it and it contains regular CHIPs your Zanac will be destroyed. How sad. If you have the Triple Missile and successfully play BOX Roulette twice (running into boxes without shooting them) you will be upgraded to the Super Missile.

BOXes sometimes appear alone, but most often they will appear in sets of three. Early in the game, and when the Aggression Level is low, there will usually be two boxes that contain CHIPs and one with a POWER CHIP. If you shoot two out of three to reveal that they contain CHIPs, it is probably safe to run into the remaining box to get your upgrade. As the aggression level increases this will no longer be the case -- BOXes will begin appearing in sets of three CHIPs or sometimes even two BOXes of POWER CHIPs with one BOX of CHIPs.

Whenever you pick up a weapon upgrade, your ship will flash for a few seconds to indicate it is invulnerable. When you pick up a POWER CHIP, it makes sense to use the period of invulnerability to run into any other nearby BOXes. If they also contain POWER CHIPs you may end up upgrading to Triple or Super Missiles and will also restart the short period of invulnerability. Once in a while (like Level 3), the System will flood the screen with nothing but BOXes, and you can use this domino effect to quickly obtain the Super Missile.

On some levels you will encounter a Ground Target I have called a HAPPY FACE. Shooting the HAPPY FACE with your Conventional Weapon will automatically upgrade it to the Super Missile and also net you some points. However, if you do this when you previously only had the Single or Twin Missile then make sure you don't pick up any more POWER CHIPs -- doing so will make you drop back down to your previous weapon level. It is only safe to pick up POWER CHIPs if you upgrade when you already had the Triple Missile.

Special Weapons
You can only have one Special Weapon at a time. Collecting the same weapon upgrade multiple times will sometimes make the weapon more powerful. If you collect a different upgrade you will switch to that weapon instead.

Just like when you collect a POWER CHIP, the Zanac flashes to indicate temporary invulnerability whenever you collect a Special Weapon bonus.

Special Weapon upgrades either appear in a target on the ground or are dropped by WEAPON DROPs. In general, you will want to concentrate on Fire 0 unless you can pick up Fire 7.

All weapon names are taken directly from the Zanac manual.

Description: This is your default weapon when you start the game or after you die. It is actually reasonably powerful, especially because it is the only weapon you can fire behind you or directly to the left or right. - Initially, it fires a single bolt of energy forward or in the direction you are steering with the D-Pad. - Collect a second Fire 0 and you will fire twin bolts of energy instead of one. - Collect a third Fire 0 in a row without collecting any other Special Weapon and the width of fire will increase.
 * Fire 0 -- All Range Weapon

This weapon works against ground and air targets but it will not destroy CHIPs.

Description: A ball of energy shoots straight forward from your ship until it leaves the screen. You can only have one ball of energy on the screen at any time. A counter displays the number of shots you have left. Each time you collect Fire 1 the counter will refill, but if you collect it 4 times the ball of energy will become huge -- easily twice the size of your Zanac.
 * Fire 1 -- Straight Crusher

In general, this is a poor weapon except at its super-sized maximum. Even then, Fire 7 is still much better. It will destroy just about anything, even CHIPs.

This weapon works against both ground and air targets, even CHIPs.

Description: A shield protects a portion of your ship from all attack. Can not be shut off and is powerless against targets on the ground. A counter will indicate how many more hits the shield can take but the lower the counter the less of your ship is protected. Conversely, collecting more Fire 2 upgrades will increase the counter and area protected.
 * Fire 2 -- Field Shutter

For some reason, the System really, really hates Fire 2. Collecting it will make aggression levels shoot upwards and you can expect to be assaulted by DEGIDs after picking up even a single one. Because of this and the fact that it leaves you with the Conventional Weapon as your only offensive weapon, it is mostly useless and should be ignored in favor of other weapons.

To its credit, the Field Shutter destroys CHIPs. It is useless against targets on the ground, however, including bases.

Description: A ball of energy circulates around your ship, destroying everything it touches but leaving everywhere else vulnerable. A counter ticks down each second the weapon is running until it runs out and returns you to Fire 0. Collecting another Fire 3 will upgrade the counter and potentially upgrade to a double version of the same weapon.
 * Fire 3 -- Circular

This is only marginally better than Fire 2, but eventually a ship or bullet will sneak past your perimeter and destroy you making it a less than desirable weapon.

The Circular is powerless against objects on the ground, but will destroy anything in the air including CHIPs.

Description: Don't look at me, that's what the manual calls it! When you activate Fire 4 a ball of energy about the size of your ship travels forward a fixed distance, then begins oscillating horizontally across a portion of the screen. A counter displays the number of hits it can take before disappearing. You get 60 hits each time you fire Fire 4; each hit makes the field of energy a little smaller, much like Fire 2.
 * Fire 4 -- Vibrator

Unfortunately, while the weapon is active you cannot move it or fire another one. This means that only a fixed portion of the screen is protected from incoming enemies for any portion of time and it can do nothing against enemies that attack from the side or the rear of your ship. You just have to dodge and use Conventional Weapons on the rest. When your 60 seconds are up you can put the Vibrator in a more useful part of the screen but you will probably get killed first.

It does work against CHIPs and objects on the ground.

Description: The Rewinder shoots a ball of energy upwards from your ship a fixed distance, then the ball falls back until it hits the Zanac at which point you can fire again. It moves with your ship as you steer left and right but is always directly in front of it. - Initially, it fires a single ball of energy from the center of your ship. - Collect a second Fire 5 and you will have twin orbs that shoot from the wings. - With a third Fire 5, your width of fire widens. - Collect a fourth Fire 5 and instead of a Rewinder your ship will shoot a powerful laser from the center of your craft..
 * Fire 5 -- Rewinder

Fire 5 will destroy CHIPs and Ground Targets. It is marginally useful against bases but is otherwise likely to get you killed unless you can upgrade to its maximum level.

Description: A single ball of energy travels from your ship. When it contacts an aerial enemy the entire screen is cleared of everything other than Special Weapon upgrades, just like when you use an ERASER. A counter displays the number of shots remaining before you revert to Fire 0. Each additional Fire 6 collected resets your counter.
 * Fire 6 -- Plasma Flash

It does not affect targets on the ground at all. Fire 6 is kind of useful to get you through the occasional patch of dense enemy craft, but you are better off sticking to another Special Weapon and using ERASERs instead.

Description: The best Special Weapon in the game! A rapid fire stream of energy balls shoots from the front of the ship. It veers a little bit left and right as you steer in those directions but does not shoot directly to the sides or to the rear. A counter displays the number of seconds of continuous fire left. Collecting another Fire 7 will reset the counter to 200, but if you collect four Fire 7s in a row you will be upgraded to High Speed's maximum level -- the ball of energy you shoot becomes huge, easily twice the size of your ship (the same size as Fire 1's maximum level).
 * Fire 7 -- High Speed

This works against Ground Targets and CHIPs. This is my favorite weapon and at maximum I love to watch it turn enemy craft into hamburger meat.

When you use your Special Weapon to shoot a HAPPY FACE, any counters will get reset to maximum and you will automatically be upgraded to the weapon's most powerful level as well as racking up some points. Obviously, this only works with weapons that can hit targets on the ground.

Enemies
You will encounter a wide variety of enemy ships and Ground Targets in Zanac, and most enemies come in several different varieties each with a unique movement and firing pattern.

Where an enemy's name or sub-type was given in the original Zanac instruction manual I have marked its name with an asterisk(*). There are more enemies then those described in the manual, so where I did not have an existing name to work with I just made it up. In some places the manual is very poorly translated so my Types may not exactly match.

Unfortunately, my colors may be a little off as I am slightly colorblind. Feel free to send color corrections.

Ground Targets
BUILDING: A circular or square object on the ground which you can shoot open. -Square BUILDINGs usually just give you points when you shoot them, but once in a while they will release a FAIRY. See also "The Fairy" in the "Controls and Weaponry" portion of this document. -Round BUILDINGs release a random Special Weapon upgrade when shot.

HAPPY FACE: A large smiling face on the ground, like an oversized ICON. When you shoot it the eyes will open and it will automatically upgrade whatever weapon you shoot it with to the maximum level.

the "Controls and Weaponry" portion of this document. -Type 1 ICONs are the most common. They have their slits for eyes. They release normal, Type 1 ERASERs which clear the screen. -Type 2 ICONs have a different expression, with a big grin. There is typically one of these per level, often located very close to a Type 1 ICON. This releases Type 2 ERASERs which let you warp to another level.
 * ICON: A statue on the ground which releases an ERASER. See also "The Eraser" in

TURRETs: Targets on the ground which shoot at you. These appear alone or in clusters as bases. See also "Base Destruction 101" in the "Tips, Tricks, and Techniques" portion of this document. -ALMOND Turrets fire ALMOND shaped projectiles. They are the weakest turret as any weapon can destroy ALMOND projectiles. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The smallest square ones come in symmetrical pairs or groups of four and do not count towards destruction of a base. -AMOEBA Turrets fire round, blue blobs that kind of look like miniature TERZAs. The second base on Level 1 is a single AMOEBA turret surrounded by four round BUILDINGs. The AMOEBA Turret is round and opens and closes a bit like a camera shutter. -CHIP Turrets are the most common. They shoot CHIPs, simple bullets, at you. The very first base in the game is a single CHIP turret. Some especially small CHIP Turrets do not count towards the destruction of a base. -MISSILE Turrets shoot MISSILEs at you, typically in three directions (forward towards your Zanac, and diagonally to the left and right). -COMBINATION Turrets look a little like an eyeball. They fire a mixture of both ALMONDs and CHIPs.

WEAPON DEPOT: A Ground Target shaped like a number next to two flashing rectangles. When shot it releases a Special Weapon upgrade. Touch the upgrade with your ship and you will get the corresponding Special Weapon. Every level has the same WEAPON DEPOTs in the same order. See also "Special Weapons" in the "Controls and Weaponry" section of this document and WEAPON DROP below in Aerial Targets.

Aerial Targets
ALMOND: A almond or football shaped projectile released by some TURRETs, LOGAs, and other enemies. It can be destroyed by any weapon.

AMOEBA: A round, blue blob that looks a bit like a miniature TERZA. The AMOEBA is released by one kind of TURRET. It can be destroyed by any weapon but can usually soak up a couple hits first.

rectangular blue box. See "BOX Roulette" in the "Controls and Weaponry" portion of this FAQ.
 * BOX: So many strange names, but they call the BOX a BOX. This is a

some BOXes and TURRETs. The Conventional Weapon and Fire 0 do not destroy CHIPs but they sure will destroy a Zanac.
 * CHIP: Your basic, small round bullet. Fired by many enemies, released by

one on either side of the screen. When your ship passes between them the two halves come together, crushing your ship between if it is unlucky enough to get caught. -Type 1 DEGIDs are blue and come from the top of the screen. -Type 2 DEGIDs are tan and come from the bottom.
 * DEGID: An enemy shaped a little like a heart. It appears as two halves,

slip past your notice.
 * DUSTER: A big rock on a fixed course. Easily destroyed but sometimes they

EGG: A blue ship that descends from the top of the screen. Partway down it splits in half, releasing a few CHIPs. The EGG can only be destroyed when in one piece; the two halves are indestructible to any weapon which does not completely clear the screen and will even stand up to a direct hit from your ship.

spaceship comes in several types. center of the screen, appearing to duck in and out of the background. It can only be destroyed when a dark blue and above the background. Aggression Level is high. left and right. deploys a force field somewhat like your own Fire 3.
 * EFFINE: Looks a little like a reversed, slightly remodeled Zanac. This
 * Type 1: This type tends to appear in groups and will hang around the
 * Type 2: Crosses the screen at the top, spewing ALMONDs. Appears when the
 * Type 3: Descends from the top of the screen, scattering CHIPs directly to its
 * Type 4: Appears at the top of the screen, releases a single MISSILE and then

from ICONs. See also "The Eraser" in "Controls and Weaponry." touch it with your ship. unless you wait for the inner ring to disappear. Then, it acts as a warp to another level.
 * ENEMY ERASER: A ball formed of two rings of energy, the ERASER emerges
 * Type 1: emerges from Type 1 ICONs and will clear the screen when you
 * Type 2: is released by Type 2 ICONs and will also clear the screen,

FAIRY: A FAIRY is released from some square BUILDINGs. She works kind of like an Eraser and can destroy a single base instantly. See also "The Fairy" in the "Controls and Weaponry" portion of this document.

destroyed. takes 16 shots to destroy one. -Type 2: Appears suddenly and stays in one place, initially indestructible. Then, it will turn orange and begin chasing your ship. When orange, the "Homing Giza" can be destroyed by your ship's weapons.
 * GIZA: A round, cell-like enemy that soaks up firepower before being
 * Type 1: is completely stationary, and mostly blue. The manual says it

large as Capital Ships. It has two vertical wings on either side of a narrow body, kind of like a Tie Fighter from Star Wars. Their appearance varies more from Type to Type than just the usual color shifting. -Type 1 (*RED GOlGOS): Has a red center with pointy, leglike blue wings. Launches MISSILEs in groups of five. -Type 2 (*BLUE GOLGOS): Has blue wings and a yellow center. Scatters one CHIP after another in alternating directions. -Type 3 (*YELLOW GOLGOS): Has yellow wings with a blue center. This one really looks like a Tie Fighter! Scatters CHIPs in three directions at a time -- forward towards your Zanac and diagonally to the left and right.
 * GOLGOS: A ship that is larger than most of the other enemies, though not as

point. It opens to release ALMONDs. a single set of ALMONDs. at regular intervals.
 * LOGA: A oval shaped craft with four 'veins' emerging from a central
 * Type 1: is blue and descends on the left or right hand side. It releases
 * Type 2: is yellow and releases a number of ALMONDs in an arc, repeating

three directions. The arms of the U sometimes open and close. the most dangerous type. It starts at the top of the screen then descends in a very wide arc that usually takes it behind your Zanac at the bottom of the screen. When it reaches almost the very bottom of the screen it crosses from left to right (or vice versa) and shoots CHIPs. The trick is either to catch it as soon as it appears or hover near the *very* bottom row of the screen so you will still be underneath the LUSTER. colored. It shoots CHIPs at regular intervals. back and forth an inch or two as it descends, colored yellow. It also spews CHIPs. Somewhat dangerous in a crowded screen.
 * LUSTER: The Luster is a space ship shaped like the letter Scatters CHIPs in
 * Type 1: Looks like a normally oriented U and is purple colored. This is
 * Type 2: Descends slowly on the left or right hand side of the screen and blue
 * Type 3: Descends on the left or right hand side of the screen, oscillating

MISSILE: Looking much like your own Conventional Weapons, these missiles descend in a straight line from the top of the screen alone or in bunches. They also emerge from Type 4 EFFINEs and self-destructing Capital Ships. When they appear in bunches, they split partway down the screen.

MORTAR: A blue enemy with a notceable muzzle at the front. The MORTAR sprays an unending stream of MISSILEs at you, which can make it difficult to take out with weaker weaponry. Try to dodge left to right -- the MORTAR will follow but you will be able to get your shots through a little easier. Although normally it shoots toward the bottom of the screen it is more than happy to shoot upwards if it can get below you.

"BOX Roulette" in the "Controls and Weaponry" section of this document.
 * POWER CHIP: An upgrade to the Conventional Weapon, dropped by the BOXes. See

ROUND FACE: A silly looking round face with little legs. The eyes move back and forth. Initially, it is blue colored and moves upwards towards the top of the screen. If you keep shooting it, it will turn red and move downwards. Either way, pick it up for a 1-up! A ROUND FACE sometimes emerges from SARTs and WEAPON DROPs when shot with the Special Weapon.

It looks kind of like a moon lander. If you destroy it, the Aggression Level is decreased. It also occasionally releases ROUND FACEs. A ROUND FACE will almost always emerge from the first SART you see in a new game if you shoot it with the Special Weapon. The SART appears at the top right or left of the screen, descends vertically about halfway down the screen, then zooms back the way it came. Usually SARTs appear when the Aggression Level is low; if it gets higher, you will see WEAPON DROPs instead.
 * SART (Reconnaissance Plane): The SART is the eyes and ears of the System.

T-CELL: These are red, organic looking blobs that first appear in Level 8, which seems to take place on or inside a huge alien creature or living planet. The T-CELLs attack in waves and are indestructible to any weapon which does not clear the screen. However, they are destroyed when you ram them with your Zanac.

flight pattern. Easily destroyed.
 * TERZA: A round enemy with points, it comes in four colors which denote its

seven of CHIPs in an arc. This type is blue colored and is very common. chips. The two CHIPs will rotate in a circle paralel to each other while the UMBER withdraws.
 * UMBER: Oval shaped, or maybe shaped a little like a tulip.
 * Type 1 descends from the center of the screen and then opens to release
 * Type 2 is purple around the edges with a white middle, and releases two
 * Type 3 is yellow and randomly scatters chips, also quite rare.

and yellow varieties swoop down from the top of the screen, dropping CHIPs.
 * VEYBAR: A ship with two knife-like edges at right angles from each other. Blue

WEAPON DROP: A rectangular frame around a number which descends along the right or left-hand side of the screen. If you shoot it, you get the corresponding special weapon or a ROUND FACE (1-up). Unlike the WEAPON DEPOT this is an aerial target and most are not pre-scripted. They appear randomly in more or less random places in a level, and generally when Aggression Levels are high. Some may be pre-scripted, and in some levels weapon upgrades come almost exclusively via WEAPON DROPs.

WEAPON DROPs usually appear with Special Weapon upgrades in sequential order. If the first WEAPON DROP you notice is carrying Fire 5, the next will probably have Fire 6. Usually, when WEAPON DROPs are appearing you will not see SARTs until the Aggression Level goes down.

Capital Ships
On certain levels you will have to fight super-sized aerial craft I call Capital Ships. In a fixed place on each of those levels, a large craft will appear and zoom around the screen firing various projectiles at you in a fixed pattern. Your weapons will literally bounce off the surface of the craft; although they still do damage this slows your rate of fire.

Eventually, after being hit enough times the ship will change color. First, the ship will turn yellow and then after being hit some more it will turn white. After you shoot it a few more times it will freeze in place and become dotted with small explosions. Then it will self-destruct, hurling a ring of MISSILEs in all directions.

If you do not destroy a Capital Ship, it will depart at another fixed place later in the level. The Walkthrough, when completed, will give information on the Capital Ships you will meet on each level.

Aggression Levels
As I explained in the introduction, the number and strength of opponents you face varies depending on the aggression levels of the System. When the aggression level goes up, so does the strength of your enemy and the degree of challenge you face in surviving.

The following seem to increase the aggression level:

o Shooting a lot, especially with the special weapon. Aggression levels seem to increase faster and the more powerful the weapon being fired. o Upgrading Special Weapons, especially picking up Fire 2 o Failing to destroy a base in the allotted time.

The following seem to decrease the aggression level:

o Destroying a base before the timer runs out o losing a Zanac o using an ERASER o Reducing your rate of fire for a while, or increasing your reliance on your Conventional Weapon. o you destroy a SART

Some events on each level are 'scripted' -- for example, near the beginning of Level 3 you will always be attacked by clusters of type 2 DEGIDs regardless of the aggression level. On the other hand, when you see Type 3 EFFINEs or the larger non-capital ships you can bet the System is pretty ticked off.

Base Destruction 101
Periodically the scroll of a level will halt and you will be given a time limit in which to destroy a large base, an assembly of ground turrets. If you destroy all the turrets before the time limit elapses, the screen will be cleared of enemies and you will receive a bonus before the scroll continues or you move on to the next level. If you don't destroy the base in time, I believe the aggression level of the System increases.

A typical base has at least four and usually quite a few more turrets. Initially, the turrets take turns firing in a pattern. As you destroy the turrets, the remaining turrets will begin firing more often. Finally, when only two to three turrets remain they will all fire continuously. This can be a problem if the remaining turrets are difficult to deal with based on your level of weaponry.

For example, some weapons are unable to destroy CHIPs, so CHIP Turrets and COMBINATION Turrets should be destroyed first unless you are using a weapon like Fire 7. AMOEBA Turrets, which fire round, blue hard to destroy blobs that look a little like miniature GIZAs, are also a pain in the butt when firing continuously. In general, you should save turrets that fire only ALMONDs for last since any weapon can easily mop up those projectiles.

If you end up with a CHIP or AMOEBA turret as the final surviving turret, it can fill up the screen with so many AMOEBAs that you are unable to reach it with your weapons. Try shifting to the upper left or right corner of the screen. You may be able to hit the turret a few times sideways with a weapon like Fire 0, but more importantly the AMOEBAs will follow you. After they are all heading for the corner of the screen, dodge back underneath the turret and enjoy a few precious seconds of clear shooting at the turret. Repeat this a few times and you should be able to destroy any turret, as long as you don't run out of time.

Some bases have very small turrets that shoot CHIPs or ALMONDs but are smaller than the actual base turrets and fire constantly. These turrets are optional -- they can be ignored and you will still destroy the base if you obliterate all the normal turrets in time. It is still a good idea to take them out at the start just to clear the field, especially since destroying them will not affect the rate of fire of the main base turrets.

Walkthrough
This walkthrough describes only what always occurs on a level, or things that are frequently encountered. Since the game constantly changes, you may encounter different enemies each time you play.