Controls[edit]
- Joystick: Use the hall-effect joystick to direct the robot around the playfields; he cannot be forced over the very edges of the playfields, or make any jumps to the shield. The Hall effect is the production of a voltage difference across an electrical conductor, transverse to an electric current inside it.
- Firing Button: Use this button to make the robot fire at the enemies; he shall always fire forwards regardless of what direction he is currently facing.
- 1 or 2 Player Buttons: Push these buttons to begin a 1 or 2 player game (or change the camera view); closer camera views are worth higher score multipliers (indicated by the values by the "X" below your score), due to the difficulty of visibility, but the camera will always remain behind the robot.
Characters[edit]
Unhappy Interface Robot #1984[edit]
This servant robot is the protagonist for the game; having become self-aware and questioning of his totalitarian society (which is ruled over by the sadistic "Big Brother"), he must destroy the gigantic, blinking eye of Big Brother that watches over each level, and in order to do this, he must move over the red squares which cover the playfield, which will turn them blue and weaken the shield that protects the eye. However, one of the arbitrary laws of "Big Brother" is 'no jumping' - and, if the eye is fully open, while the robot is in the act of jumping, it'll fire a laser at the robot and destroy him. However, he'll receive an extra life every 20000 points, up to a maximum of five.
Birds[edit]
These warm-blooded egg-laying avians appear upon the first, second, fourth and twelfth levels to begin with, and are there to get in the robot's way, when he jumps (if they fly into him, they will kill him); after the twelfth level, they will drop small balls that home in on the robot.
Footballs[edit]
These are thrown at the robot by the Eye on some levels and can come in handy when you need to get through green walls (as you cannot destroy them yourself); however, you will have to be sure to not take too long for getting them to destroy them, as you might run out of time.
Beach Balls[edit]
These only appear on the fifth level to begin with; you will have to watch out for them because they can roll right over the robot, and cannot be killed. You also have to be sure to not take too long for avoiding them on the only level where they appear, as you might run out of time.
Buzz Saws[edit]
These circular blades appear in the pyramids at the end of every third level, as well as the eleventh level; they cut away the ground that the robot moves on and cannot be killed. If the robot should be killed while he is inside a pyramid, he will immediately be thrust back into space.
Sharks[edit]
These ferocious selachian fish only appear on the eighth and thirteenth levels, "swimming" around the playfield; they cannot be killed, and the normal music will be replaced with a pastiche of the Jaws theme for the two levels they are on (on account of the fact that the 1975 film was about sharks, but it also sounds like the Nostromo's theme from Alien when it flies across the screen at the beginning).
Viewer Killers[edit]
These ships first appear on the twenty-seventh level, which is a palette-swap of the first one, and fly out of the pyramid directly at the player, not the robot; if it should hit the screen, it will cost you a life. You must use the start buttons to change the camera view before it can do this.
Pyramids[edit]
These miniaturized Egyptian monuments appear on the ninth, fourteenth, sixteenth, and twenty-fifth levels; they cannot be killed (unless the robot touches one, which takes your current life with it). They always move in a preset pattern - so it is advisable to just move around them.
Meteors and Tankers[edit]
Meteors (left) appear in the "space" sections of the levels (and take seven hits to kill); Tankers (right) also appear in the "space" sections (and take seven hits to kill) but they won't come after the robot unless he attacks them (if he does, he has to kill them).
Saucers[edit]
These unidentified flying objects appear in the "space" sections of the levels, but only when the robot goes too far out of bounds; they shall home in on him and can only be killed if steered into a Meteor. You must try to avoid making them appear by staying within the boundaries.
Tetras[edit]
These triangular objects appear in the "space" sections of the levels, and if you kill all of them in one "space" section, you will receive a 999-point bonus; however, in later "space" sections, they shall kill if not shot, and you will have to scrape them off by flying next to other objects.
The Spiking Head[edit]
This enormous Moai-like head appears on the "space" section of every fourth level; if he is facing the robot, he shall open his mouth, and spit spikes at him, which take two hits to kill. If you miss one, it will get behind the robot and kill him and the text "EVERY SPIKE MUST BE SHOT. SHOOT HEAD TO MAKE IT TURN AND STOP SPIKING." shall appear on the screen - and, you can keep the head from spitting spikes if you shoot him on his cheeks, as this shall make him turn away from you. Once the next level comes into view he shall disappear; it's also worth noting that he appears in the game's attract mode tutorial to say "THE LAW. NO JUMPING." to the robot, who replies "OH YEAH".