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**** XR7: EARTHSTRIKE TIPS **** 
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* by Sir Scalawag             *
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*** 1. GET RID OF BACKGROUND TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE

If the game runs too slowly on your computer
try hitting the key T to terminate the background.
If you ever want the background back, just hit
the key U. If you computer is under 450 mhz, you may
need to do this although generally speaking on a 433mhz
system the game should be fine with only a few periods
of slowness, depending on your video card of course.


*** 2. LEVEL ONE (Galaxian Style)

This is not a difficult level and you should be able
to get past it with full energy and at least a quarter
of your shield on a good day and half your shield on
a great day.

The key to getting past this level is to NOT move back
and forth across the screen otherwise the enemies from
both side will get a chance at killing you. Instead
stick to one side and that way you only have half the
enemies to deal with plus a few who stray over. Just
tough it out on one side and before moving to the other
side to finish everyone off get the bonus item and 
replenish yourself. A lot of players apparently rush to
the other side when the Yellow Attractor Eyes come after
them --- and then they get wasted. At worst run into
the attractors --- better head just get under them and
fire as fast as possible, sometimes you can kill them
before they ram you. Again, just stick to one side
until it is more or less clear; get your bonus item; and
finish off the level.


*** 3. LEVEL TWO (Galaxian Style)

Technically, if you do nothing at the beginning of this level 
the level will last forever. The first guards are happy to keep you 
in space and thus prevent you from saving Earth. 

At the beginning, there are two guards that just go back and forth
horizontally across the screen. After a while, a third guard comes
from the top and stays there. The two horizontal cards will emit
Attractor Eyes if you shoot them and the third guard will emit
a missile that is directed toward you --- so shooting any of the
guards results in bad things. However, the guided missile can ALSO
kill the Yellow Attractor Eyes and the horizontally moving guards.

This part requires PATIENCE: move such that when you shoot the 
third guard (large one at the top), you can move behind one of the 
horizontally scrolling guards or behind a group of Yellow Attractor
Eyes --- this way when the guard's directed missile is shot, it will hit
the other guards or the eyes. You have to patiently do this until the
main guard is dead --- get his bonus item if possible. Then kill the
remaining guard(s).

HOWEVER, do not kill off all the guards if there are yellow Attractor
Eyes still on the screen; wait until they all drop away because once
the guards are gone a large set of Things come down and the game switches
to quick avoidance and you will probably die if the Attractors are still
on the screen. So, again, PATIENCE is needed --- wait until the Attractors
are gone and then finish off the remaining guard(s).

After the first guards are killed then there is a simple massive shoot-em-up.
This was included just to demonstrate to programmers that dealing with dozens
of actors on the screen is the same as dealing with one or two. Once the massive
shoot-em-up is over the screen changes to the final battle for this level: asteroids
protecting a boss; the asteroids emit rocks; the boss will emit attractors and
there will also be one or two large Attractors as well. There are two bonus items
on this screen --- get them if you can and life will be easy forever.

There is no one way to win this last battle of level 2 but generally sticking to
one side until you get the bonus item and then moving to the other to get the
other item is one strategy. This sometimes though results in the attractor eyes
getting too much in the way and thus killing you when you try to move to the
other side. Another strategy is to try and stay in the middle so that you can
kill the attractors as they come out and then periodically move a little to each
side to try and get the bonus items.

In this case, the bonus items are encased in a sphere that has to be shot to release
them. Be careful that you don't shoot too much and also destroy the bonus item!!!


*** 4. LEVEL 3 (Horizontal Scrolling)

This level is much easier to finish if you have a bonus item but can be finished
even if you start without a bonus item. At the beginning, just avoid the 
asteroids --- do not shoot them otherwise they will break up and the smaller
asteroids may be harder to avoid.

After the asteroids, there will be wave after wave of ships to kill. These ships
require more than one hit to kill so it will take time to get rid of them. The only
advice here is to not let the ships align themselves vertically because once this
happens it will be hard to move on the screen without getting hit. The ships that do
this usually are in the middile and top so don't hide on the bottom without dealing
with these ships.

Eventually, there will be a bonus item in a sphere again that appears; shoot the sphere
(or ram it) and get the item. This is a life saver if you started without bonus items.

After the multiple waves of attackers there will be more asteroids; avoid as usual. Then
things get tough. Large asteroid like ships appear that emit balls --- DO NOT SHOOT THEM.
The more you shoot them the more balls that will be emitted. The balls hurt but it is better
to avoid them, taking a few hits every now and then, rather than shooting anything.

After a few seconds of these balls the final screen appears:

A large asteroid like structure with an opening; lots of ships appearing; and basically
you are scared! What you have to do is be careful about shooting because those large
asteroid-like ships may appear and emit lots of balls. So, shoot only the green ships;
hold your fire if the asteroid-like ships appear; and WAIT FOR THE BONUS ITEM TO APPEAR
IN THE ENTRANCE OF THE LARGE ASTEROID. When it does, carefully enter the asteroid ramming
the bonus item --- and finishing the level. 

This is the hardest level in the game. Probably the best place to be at this final scene
is either near the top or the bottom while waiting for the bonus item to appear. You want
to find a safe spot that does not require much shooting. When the bonus item appears move
quickly but carefully to get in; wasted time could kill unless you have plenty of
shield and energy left.


*** 5. LEVEL FOUR AND FIVE (Horizontal Scrolling and Vertical Scrolling)

These levels are standard shoot-em-ups with no need for tricks. On Level 4 there
is one section that requires specific timing but the pattern should be easy to
figure out after playing the level several times. Level Four can be finished
without starting with bonus items so do not be concerned if you die and start
the level afresh, you can still finish the level and finish level five. Level 4
has 2 bonus items that can be obtained.

Level 5 is pure shoot everything in site and ask questions later; so just sit
back and blast.

*** 6. CHEATING

XR7 is tough and it takes playing each level dozens of times before the
level is totally understood and a breeze to finish. However, if you don't
have the time or just want to see everything and hear the music, then CHEAT.

Cheating allows you to do two things (mainly): Replenish your Shield and
Energy to 100% and Advance to the Next Level.

Make sure cheating is on (via the Set Up Screen) and during the game hit
these three keys one after the other: []X  --- this will replenish your
shield and energy.

To advance to the next level, hit: []+

You will finish the game however you want this way.


*** 7. THAT'S ALL FOLKS 

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2004 !!!!

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